The European Parliament is such a waste of money – or is it?
The other day I was chatting to an old friend; we talked about the 10 years I spent working for a small non-governmental organisation doing advocacy work in Brussels. And she said that she just couldn't see how I could have coped with working there, given what a colossal waste of money the European Parliament is.
We were having dinner and it wasn't the time to give a lecture on a subject which I have actually done quite a bit of research on over the years. But I did think it warrants a bit more thought and a bit of a response, nonetheless, given that the whole Eurosceptic debate in the UK is driven in part by this perception.
And of course, as with all such perceptions, there is a bit of truth in it; there is some waste; there is some free-loading; there are some areas of concern about how the money is spent. But it's not as clear-cut as the brief conversation we had would have it.
First, there is a general perception that the European Parliament and the European Union are broadly one and the same thing; that's unless we are lambasting the European Commission for some form of bureaucratic invasion into the way we do things here and creating unnecessary red tape.
So the first thing to say is: the European Parliament is only one of a number of EU institutions. It's like with any level of government, there are different parts to it; it's called the separation of powers and it's essential for democratic accountability.
But for the purpose of this post, I'll stick just to the European Parliament.
So what is the European Parliament?
First, it is a parliament; i.e. it is a group of people who are elected directly by the citizens of the European Union to represent us in the law making that goes on at European level. So, as long as there is law making at European level, we need these people. If we didn't have them, then the so-called bureaucrats in the European Commission, together with representatives of the Member States governments (from the Prime Minister down but also including a large number of unelected civil servants and diplomats who deal with the nitty gritty of EU policy on behalf of the Member States' governments) would be making all the decisions without any input from directly elected representatives. MEPs, in other words, are there to represent the interests of their constituents in the EU law making process.
Saying that we don't need them, is like saying we shouldn't have the House of Commons and just leave it to the civil service to make the decisions. No, I know it's not quite as simple as that; there are differences – not least that our government is made up from a subset of parliamentarians whereas the Council of the European Union is not – but you get my general drift.
So the first thing is that we constantly hear that the European Union Budget is costing us massive amounts of money. Well, on the face of it, it looks that way. The budget for 2014 is € 141.9bn; that's quite a number. At todays rate of exchange – and of course that changes regularly so it's just an indicator – that is £ 117.7bn. But that is for the whole of the European Union; all its direct spending and all the institutions that make up the European Union.
What that shows is that 6% of the total budget is spent on administration. That means all the institutions put together cost 6% of that budget. There is much to say about where the other 96% goes; but this is not the place to do that.
So back to the 6%; of that, the European Parliament has a budget of € 1.7bn (or £1.4bn); that's about 1% of the total EU budget or 20% of the administrative budget of the EU.
Given that the European Parliament, along with the European Commission and the Council of the European Union is one of the largest institutions and one of the most significant one (see above), then that doesn't seem a huge share. But of course, €1.7bn is not chicken feed.
What does this money pay for?
According the European Parliament website 35% of this goes on staff; there are 6000 staff employed by the European Parliament to work in the General Secretariat – that's people servicing the Institution: making sure that the meetings take place as planned, that rooms are prepared, that agendas and minutes and papers are available, and that the documents (and the discussions) are translated/interpreted.
The EU operates with 24 official languages; you could have an argument over whether that's necessary; native English speakers have a huge advantage because their language is spoken by so many people in the world; but when it comes to making laws, when it comes to making important political points, it is important that everyone can express themselves in a language which they are fully confident in. So this aspect of the cost of the European Parliament is significant.
27% goes on the MEPs – their salaries, their expenses and their offices/staff. Each MEP has a personal assistant in based in Brussels and each of them also has an office in their home constituency. This local office is essential to keep in touch with the constituents, of course.
21% of the budget goes on communications and IT; of course, an Institution of that size has a lot of such equipment to keep in good order; this includes – as a major item – the interpretation equipment in the plenary chambers and the committee rooms; but it also includes internal and external computer systems and an internal TV network which allows MEPs and their staff to follow discussions going on in Committees and the Plenary whilst working in their offices.
11% goes on buildings. The European Parliament has a group of buildings in Brussels. They meet there in political groups, in committees and in plenary most of the time. They also have an office each with a connected office for their Brussels based staff. It also includes the European Parliament offices in each of the Member States. Maybe it would be worth finding out where your nearest one of them is and to go there and see whether you think having it is worth it.
I have been in many of these offices; they are small and functional; they are not plush or palatial. They are what is necessary. In fact, to have a meeting with an MEP and more than 3 people, it's necessary to arrange another room outside the MEPs office because you couldn't fit them all in.
There is one aspect of the running of this Institution that is certainly wasteful – it's the monthly decamping of the whole thing to Strasbourg. However, this is written into the EU Treaties and the Member States – not the European Parliament – have refused to change this. Most of the MEPs I have spoken to would dearly love to stop this. As a result, they have another building in Strasbourg.
There is also a European Parliament Building in Luxembourg. This houses most of the secretariat. This, too, is a leftover of historic decisions which would need to be overturned by the Member States. And of course, there are 4000 people who are working and living in Luxembourg who would have to relocate if they moved to Brussels. And the Brussels buildings are designed to house the people they house now. So it's not a simple: oh, let's stop this nonsense.
So these are the main aspects of the cost of the European Parliament.
What's it look like when you go there?
No doubt, they look modern, grand, and to some people downright ugly. But they are quite functional.
Apart from the offices individual MEPs and their staff occupy and the offices used by Secretariat staff based in Brussels, there is a Plenary Hall in each of the buildings which is big enough for all MEPs to meet together. And then there are a number of larger and smaller meeting rooms which are used by Committees, political groups and for other events.
There is also a restaurant and café and there are private dining rooms for receptions hosted by MEPs for people who have business in the European Parliament.
There is quite a security set up at all the entrances; there are mail rooms; there is a gym for people who work there, and there are a range of shops which supply the kinds of things people might need during a long working day. To the best of my knowledge, the services of these shops – such as a hairdresser – are not free to anyone who works in the building. The various coffee shops are very reasonably priced and those prices are available to anyone who has legitimate business in the building.
And what do these people get paid?
The most important question is: what do the MEPs get paid and what expenses do they get.
And here, there are some real issues. But whether they are extraordinary in comparison to salaries and expenses of other decision-makers, is an entirely different matter. And in the great scheme of things, I don't think this is enough of a reason to be wholly against the EU. If we want people to take political decisions on our behalf, then we have to pay them. That should be the bottom line from which we start. And although I am firmly of the opinion that politicians (and anyone who is in a position of power, authority or trust) should be completely accountable and willing to work for a reasonable amount of money, in the broad debate about the whether or not the EU is helpful, the money we pay to MEPs and their staff isn't my major concern.
Not all of them are transparent about what they actually get; but as it happens some of them (including the UK Greens and the UK Liberal Democrats) are very open about publishing their expenses. The following is taken from my reading of the public pay and expenses statement of Rebecca Taylor, MEP.
The basic salary is set at 38.5% of that of a judge serving in the European Court of Justice. I am not entirely sure why that percentage or why it is pegged against the judges.
In the past, MEPs got paid the same as the MPs in their country; but that meant that MEPs from richer countries earned a lot more than MEPs from poorer countries; and of course, the live in Brussels most of the time and therefore salaries need to have some connection with the cost of living there.
The most recent figure for what that actually amounts to that I have been able to find (and which relates to 2012) is € 95484 per year. Exactly how much this is in pounds sterling varies because of the exchange rate but at the time of writing this post it amounts to £ 78400; so that is more than an MP gets and given that UK MPs are not underpaid, that seems quite generous.
In addition to the salary, MEPs receive an accommodation and subsistence allowance of € 304 per day that they attend the European Parliament. This seems also quite generous. Of course, it is based on the assumption that the MEP will have their main residence in their constituency and that they have to stay somewhere whilst they are in Brussels or Strasbourg. So that is fair enough. But € 304 per day of attendance can amount to quite a lot. It covers all and any expenses and no further claim can be made for food, restaurant meals, taxis and the like.
MEPs can claim travel expenses for journeys between their constituency and Brussels. They can also claim a certain amount for travel within their own country if the travel is on European Parliament business – given the size of the constituencies that is quite understandable. For mileage (for car journeys) this is € 0.49 per kilometre.
In addition, they can claim for travel outside of their country if they travel as part of the parliamentary duties but that is limited to just over € 4000 per year and has to be justified – quite rightly.
The office in Brussels does not cost the MEP anything as it is part of the Institutional expenditure. But they do have to employ staff and they do have offices in their constituencies which cost money to rent and equip and which need staff to work there.
The amount for staff is just over € 21000 per month; this covers staff in Brussels, in the constituency and interns (who are paid a reasonable amount to live on in Brussels). Indeed, it is a very good thing that the European Institutions do not expect interns to work for free. This is a real contribution to helping young people into a career and I have seen for myself – with some of the interns who worked for us and then went on to work for an MEP or for another Institutions, how this made a very positive contribution to their development.
The allowance for office costs is just under € 4300 per month; this is for renting and running the office in the constituency. This may be considered a bit high in some parts of the EU; in others it might just about cover it.
For both of these, I would argue that a lump sum is not a good way of controlling expenditure and accountability because of course costs in different countries will be very different.
Back to the opening question – is it a waste of money?
The expenses allowances (daily attendance lump sum) looks over-generous and should be reconsidered.But the real question is: are we getting something for our money? And our money – in this case – is, if we remember 1% of the EU budget which in itself is 1% of the European Gross National Income. So it's not as much as the press would have us believe.But whether it is value for money depends far more on what they do rather than what it costs.But that's for another post. This one is too long aleady.
This entry was posted in UK-EU and tagged EU, Europe, European Parliament, media, participation, transparency. Bookmark the permalink.


Illustration by Lindsey Frances // Buy prints here!
Trump has appointed John Bolton as National Security Advisor, despite the fact that "when Mr. Trump first assembled his cabinet, he rejected Mr. Bolton for secretary of state because of his eccentric brush mustache"—an actual statement in the New York Times that sounds like it's from an Onion article, like most White House news these days. Appearances aside, Bolton is a scary choice and I wish Trump had just picked this Mark Twain wax figure from the Niagra Wax Museum of History instead.
I'm still jazzed about the powerful the March For Our Lives (here are my photos from the NYC march) and I'm continually inspired by the grace and power of the Parkland teens. Here is a good article about the gun debate and the underlying culture war it represents.
I don't go to concerts too frequently because I'm a thousand years old and I don't like standing or crowds, but I've been obsessed with Dodie lately (this album is SO good) and she just announced her North American tour dates—tickets go on sale for her Brooklyn concert today.
Saturday is the opening of Morbid Anatomy's pop-up exhibition at Green-wood Cemetery, "The Power of Images: Life, Death, and Rebirth." Green-wood's Fort Hamilton Gatehouse will house the exhibition and library until Sunday, June 24th.
Saturday is also the opening of Emilio Villalba's exhibition No One at the Booth Gallery. I love Villalba's eye paintings, and although I'm sure I can't afford an original I'd still love to see them in person.
Sunday is Easter—and April Fools' Day, my least favorite "holiday"—and I'm so glad I'll be in town for the Easter Parade, one of my favorite New York events. I missed it last year because I was in Ohio, eating at the bizarre (and now-closed) Cathedral Buffet, but you can see photos of past bonnets here and here and festive dogs here and here.
I've been absolutely obsessed with the 6-part documentary, Wild Wild Country on Netflix (two words: blended beavers). Have you seen it? I just finished it and I can't stop thinking (or reading) about it. If you're as fascinated by cults as I am, I have literally recommended this book to everyone I've ever met—if you have any recommendations for more to read or watch about cults, send them my way!
Am I the only woman on the planet that didn't realize what was going on in this sticker?
I've raved about Schitt's Creek before (and will likely do it again, and again) but every aspect of the show is so smart—here's a good write-up celebrating the fashion featured, including my favorite character(s), Moira's wigs.
I have had a Week—nothing major, but a ton of tiny annoyances that have added up to me feeling as if I've been walking around with a cartoon black cloud over my head lately. BUT, my mom and I are taking a day trip to Philadelphia tomorrow (her first time!) to check out the Mütter Museum (my third visit!), hunt for medical models at Professor Ouch's Odditorium and eat cheesesteaks smothered in whiz. I love Philly and the weather is supposed to be delightful, so things are looking up. I'm also excited for the Easter Parade on Sunday, and I'm planning on having these and these for Easter dinner. I hope the weather is warming up for you and that you have a great Easter weekend, however you celebrate.


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text:
The Legendary Waler
With ancestors from South Africa, England, the Arabian Peninsula, Scotland and France, The Waler, although not an official breed, is a type of horse unlike any other. With the speed of a Thoroughbred, endurance of an Arab, intelligence of a Percheron and hardiness of a Timor Pony; the Waler's contribution in the Great War has become the stuff of equine legend.
Men of the original (1st) Light Horse Regiment at Roseberry Park Camp, near Merriwa, NSW, before departure from Australia. The trooper on the right is 71 Trooper (Tpr) William Harry Rankin Woods, 1st Light Horse Regiment who was amongst the first Light Horsemen to die of wounds on 15 May 1915 in Gallipoli. (image: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1821)
The Waler was bred in New South Wales, Australia, using breeds brought to the country by European settlers. They were bred for use in the tough Australian outback, to undertake strenuous work over great distances and in extreme heat. Due to their intelligence and willing nature, they were quickly adopted by the British Army in India and their first major use by the Australian Mounted Division, came in the Second Boer War. It is here, that some contend the 'natural horsemanship' of the Aussies would be demonstrated, but criticism was also rife. Though skilful riders, the Australian's were used to being able to draw on a large pool of horses, so care for their partners was not always a priority, and equine wastage as a whole during the conflict was incredibly high. It is true that at the turn of the century, horses were an important part of life in Australia. In the vast, sparsely populated landscapes they were, for some, the only form of transport and in a nation where cattle farming was so important, both man and horse were well conditioned to spending many hours together at work. But this did not always mean that horses were well cared for with 'quantity over quality' reflecting the fact that obtaining good horses in Australia at this time, was not easy.
In the years running up to the Great War Australia's military had undergone some what of a transformation following recommendations made by Lord Kitchener in 1910 that the forces were 'inadequate in numbers, training, organisation and munitions of war'. A reform programme was hastily put in place, and by 1914 the militia was some 45,000 men strong with the infantry drastically reorganised to accommodate new recruits. On the outbreak of war the Light Horse regiments contained many men from rural areas who had volunteered for service, sometimes bringing their own horses with them. The difficulties faced by Remount services and The Australian Army Veterinary Corps during this mobilisation period have been well explored by Michael Tyquin. Certainly, the popular idea that all Walers and riders were paired together in happy bonds for the duration of the war, elevating them above all other mounted forces is a romanticised view, embedded in the wider Anzac Legend.
I do wonder however, if the differences in the horse culture in Australia (vs Britain) permeated through to the ALH, impacting the bonds between horse and rider, an area that would greatly benefit from further academic study. The truth is no doubt far more nuanced than to suggest that central to the ALH was a unique form of horsemanship as is often stated, but individual tales based around the bond between man and horse are plentiful. It is perhaps the story of Major Michael Shanahan and a scruffy Waler called Bill on which many of the Waler legends rest. The details are sketchy – equine stories are subject to myth making of the highest degree – but it is if nothing else, representative of the important place that the horse-soldier relationship has in our culture.
Bill was sent from Australia to play his part in the Great War along with 136,000 other horses. He was larger than average and heavily built, but there was one big problem with Bill – he would not tolerate being ridden. He was known for his aggression and utter contempt at having anyone on his back and his reputation as the horse with a bad temper that would throw any prospective rider grew among the ALH, where he quickly became known as 'Bill the Bastard'. Bill became a celebrity, with men keen to chase the odds on who could stick on Bill the longest – the record was only two minutes and thirteen seconds, made by an accomplished British jockey. At ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli, where the ALH had suffered so greatly, the men bet on whether the best cavalry man in the regiment and Bill, could make it across the beach to deliver their mail in the face of the Turkish snipers. This macabre sport reportedly saw the soldier shot dead and Bill take several bullets as he reared up whilst zigzagging across the sand trying to dismount his rider. It was here, that Major Shanahan first saw him. Shanahan was an exceptional horseman, he has often been described as a horse whisperer, such was his gentle and understanding manner and it was with this approach (armed with Liquorice Allsorts as rewards) that gradually enabled him to earn Bill's trust and allow him, and only him, to take to his saddle.
Shanahan on Bill, 1915
On the 3rd and 4th of August 1916 Bill's first real test with Shanahan as part of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade began, at the Battle of Romani. German and Ottoman forces attacked the town of Romani in an effort to gain control of the areas to the north of the Suez Canal, thereby disrupting vital logistics routes for the Allies. British and ANZAC forces had been based at Romani for a number of months, and the ALH had been advancing on the massing Central Powers forces since July. On the night of the 3rd August, the German and Ottoman troops launched their attack on Romani from the nearby town of Katia. The 1st Light Horse Brigade quickly formed a screen and were engaged by the attacking troops in brutal, close combat fighting. The 1st LHB were gradually forced to retire as they could not hold back the advancing infantry but, in the early hours of the 4th, the 2nd Light Horse Brigade, which included Shanahan and Bill the Bastard, reinforced the line.
Major Shanahan rode up and down the front line in an effort to encourage and protect his men, it was in doing so that he discovered four injured troopers who were stranded, having had their horses shot out from beneath them. It was in this moment that Shanahan asked something monumental of Bill. Knowing his strength and endurance far outstripped that of the average horse, Shanahan loaded two of the injured soldiers onto Bills back, and the other two over his flanks, each with a foot in one stirrup. Combined with the kit he was already carrying, Bill now carried over 400kg. Whilst most horses would struggle to even stand with this weight, Shanahan cantered Bill for a kilometre through a hail of bullets over the sandy landscape, to a first aid post.
After dropping off the injured men, Shanahan and Bill returned to the heat of the battle. The Major was shot in the thigh but continued fighting until dawn, when he collapsed, slumping forwards over Bill's neck. It was at this point, that Bill took the lead, safely taking his friend back behind the lines for medical treatment, and in doing so, saving his life.
Major Shanahan recovering from his leg surgery
How much truth there is the story of Bill the Bastard is perhaps questionable, but it has come to sum up the popular perception that a unique relationship existed between man and horse in the ALH. It is something that I am keen to explore further, with the hope of better understanding the stories that circulate and indeed, how much truth to this legend there really is.
Posted in The Great War
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Congratulations Iva, for a wonderful collection of "decisive moments." Your work resonates with me as it offers intimate glimpses of our human condition which is the prime motivating factor in my work as well.
wow, I just have found your message. Just would like to say thank you for your feedback. Good luck with your pictures.


text:
```
   _______  ______ _____ __________  _____
  / ___/ / / / __ `/ __ `/ ___/ __ \/ ___/
 (__  ) /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / /  / /_/ (__  )
/____/\__,_/\__, /\__,_/_(_)/ .___/____/  v0.2.0
           /____/          /_/
```

A PowerShell utility module with some sweet, syntactic goodness.

## Summary

`sugar.ps` is not meant to be another "kitchen-sink" powershell utility module. It's primary goals are to make it easier to work with **core** objects in the OS (such as files and directories) and simplify the syntax for common operations. It's designed to be small, intuitive and 100% PowerShell.

## Features

`sugar.ps` provides the following handy functions (in the style of prefix operators):

* `?:`  invoke ternary (shorthand if-then-else)
* `??`  null coalesce
* `.<`  read entire file
* `~>`  copy files
* `=>`  copy files and directory structure
* `.//` regex replace in file
* `=//` regex replace in files

## Usage

The following is a sample script to illustrate some of the features of `sugar.ps`.

```powershell
 # import the module
 import-module "path\to\sugar.psm1" -DisableNameChecking

 # determine which source folder to backup
 # (using the invoke-ternary function)
 $dow = [DateTime]::Today.DayOfWeek
 $src = ?: {$dow -eq [DayOfWeek]::Sunday} {"c:\"} {"c:\essential"}

 # copy source files and logs to the backup folder
 # (using the copy-files functions)
 => "$src"                "d:\backups\$dow\data"
 ~> "c:\logs\**\*.log"    "d:\backups\$dow\logs"
```

## Credits

* Ternary operator code was borrowed from the [PowerShell team](http://blogs.msdn.com/b/powershell/archive/2006/12/29/dyi-ternary-operator.aspx)
* File glob pattern syntax inspired by [ANT glob patterns](http://ant.apache.org/manual/dirtasks.html#patterns)
* The 'sugar' name was inspired by [sugar.js](http://sugarjs.com/)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
« Astorino Dings Senate Republicans
Onondaga County GOP Chair Calls On Skelos To Step Aside »
Gianaris: 'It's A Mistake' To Keep Skelos Leader
Queens Democratic Sen. Mike Gianaris on Tuesday said it was "a mistake" for Republicans to keep Dean Skelos the majority leader in the chamber.
Gianaris, the leader of the Democrats' political and fundraising operation, wouldn't say however whether Skelos could play a role in next year's legislative races, or if he believes the Long Island district Skelos represents is now competitive as he fights federal corruption charges.
"I think all districts are competitive given the right circumstances," Gianaris said. "We'll look at the board next year, but that's eons away."
Senate Republicans left a meeting late last night to affirm their "consensus" support for Skelos to remain on as leader, despite the charges.
"It's a mistake, I can tell you that much," Gianaris said, comparing the decision to back Skelos to other legislative conferences that have booted members after they were charged with corruption.
"Yet somehow in the Senate the Republicans now have an entire leadership in the Senate that's under indictment and they go about business as usual," Gianaris said.
Skelos himself has not been indicted as of it. Binghamton Sen. Tom Libous, the deputy majority, is under indictment for a charge of lying to the FBI.
Whether Skelos can effectively negotiate on behalf of the conference — especially when it comes to issues such as rent control, which Skelos is accused of placing undue influence on in 2011 by the federal complaint — remains an open question for Democratic lawmakers.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo himself is yet to publicly react to the latest corruption arrest to rock the Capitol.
Gianaris said it's up to Cuomo as to whether the governor believes Skelos should be negotiating those key issues.
"I don't think he should be the leader, so obviously I don't think he's capable of playing the role," Gianaris said. "Whether the governor weighs in or not is his decision."
Print article This entry was posted by Nick Reisman on May 5, 2015 at 12:45 pm, and is filed under Democrats. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Mike Flynn
That's quite a mouthful of truth articulated by State Senator Mike Ginaris as Republican Leadership tainted to the hilt keeps Senate Leader Dean Skelos in place, who was recently arrested and indicted forcing us to al shake our collective heads.
Shame on all of you!
Mike Flynn 'Middle Class Mike'


When the fall season rolls around there are lots of enjoyable activities for you and your whole family to participate in. On the other side of all that enjoyable comes the not so excellent task of cleaning your gutters.
Now you understand that your gutters have to be cleaned up; but the question is are you doing it yourself or are you going to make the decision to generate an expert to cross this difficult task off your to-do list?
Here are 5 great reasons hiring a professional to clean your gutters is the right action.
Home Damage-- Homeowners generally clean their gutters once a year which's when the fall rolls around. From something as easy as the placement of your ladder you risk, among other things, denting your gutters. There is always the capacity, depending upon what kinds of tools you use, that you may effectively end up separating the joints in between gutters, or even worse, gouging a hole, triggering the gutter to leakage which can eventually wreak havoc with your house, foundation included.
Safety-- A fascinating, yet nonetheless, frightening figure is that approximately about 170,000 Americans are injured, on a yearly basis, from ladder-related mishaps. To make matters even worse over 90,000 of them are had to be taken to the emergency clinic. Click on this connect to see for yourself. U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission It's actually basic. If you're up on a ladder there's a shot that something could fail and is it worth it for you to be cleaning your very own gutters.
Pesky Critters-- All kinds of weird crawly things can be hanging out in your gutters. These critters like wet and dark places and an uncleaned gutter creates the best environment for them to thrive.
Power lines-- Many houses nowadays have power lines running from the street to your home. Here's the frightening part. If your ladder touches among those power lines, there's a real possibility of you being electrocuted. In addition, there may be other wires linked to your house, such as telephone and cable television that might easily be harmed or disconnected when you're up on your ladder.
If you're bound and identified to clean your gutters yourself you ought to always have an assistant by your side, no Solo Practitioners--. That helper exists to make sure your ladder is steady at all times, in addition to being readily available to hand you your tools. The fewer times you need to go up and down on your ladder the less likelihood that a mishap will happen. You can never be too safe.
What rises, if you're not cautious, can come down!
When it's time to clean your gutters, more than likely, your very first idea is "Oh no, here I go again, back up on that wobbly ladder of mine." Ladder security is critical and the safest thing you can do is not increase on one ever again. There's an easy option which is to call Wood and Wood Seamless Gutters. They're the gutter cleaning professionals that you desire up on their ladders while you view, safely, from your living-room window. They're not only the very best in business but they're as affordable as can be.
If you're one of those "die-to-the-wool" do it yourselfers then there are some essential ladder safety ideas that you ought to absolutely keep in mind before you put one foot on the first rung of your ladder. Thing to keep in mind is that a ladder is a tool and that numerous of the fundamental safety guidelines that apply to all tools should be taken into consideration when you're.
First of all never ever go on a ladder if it's windy out or there's a storm developing. Maybe being a ladder is not in your best interest if you're kind of tired or you lose your balance quickly. The footwear you use is an essential consideration and leather soled shoes are a guaranteed no no.
Now this may sound like a no brainer but make sure your ladder remains in good working condition. That means there are no missing out on parts which it is just not a weak old thing that sways to and fro. Having a ladder that is the right size for the task is paramount to insure that the user does not have to stand on the leading rung which is just a risk unworthy taking.
Now speaking of no brainers, your ladder should constantly be put on a company and level surface area and you must also ensure that the top of the ladder is not placed on a slippery surface area getting rid of any opportunity of your ladder overthrowing from.
the leading or the bottom.
It's crucial to make sure that there is always and only one individual at a time on your ladder. This is among those cases where the more is not the merrier.
Now once you're on the ladder please just merely take your time. Climb slowly and intentionally and never ever try to move the ladder from side to side while you're standing on it.
All of these suggestions lead us back to our initial which is stay off your ladder.
If you feel tired or lightheaded, or are prone to losing your balance, stay off the ladder.
Use clean slip-resistant shoes. Shoes with leather soles are not appropriate for ladder use considering that they are not considered adequately slip resistant.
Before utilizing a ladder, inspect it to validate it is in good working condition.
Ladders with missing or loose parts must be rejected. Rickety ladders that sway or.
lean to the side should be rejected.
The ladder you select must be the ideal size for the task.
When the ladder is set-up for usage, it must be put on company level ground and with no type of slippery condition present at either the base or top support points.
Only one person at a time is permitted on a ladder unless the ladder is specifically created for more than one climber (such as a Trestle Ladder).
Ladders should not be placed in front of closed doors that can open toward the ladder. The door must be blocked open, locked, or safeguarded.
Read the safety info labels on the ladder.
The on-product security information specifies to the type of ladder on which it appears. The climber is ruled out certified or adequately trained to use the ladder up until familiar with this info.
When climbing up a ladder, it is most safe to utilize Three Points-of-Contact since it reduces the chances of falling and slipping from the ladder. At all times during ascent, descent, and working, the climber should deal with the ladder and have 2 hands and one foot, or 2 feet and one hand in contact with the ladder steps, rungs and/or side rails. In this way, the climber is not likely to become unstable in the event one limb slips throughout the climb. It is very important to note that the climber must not carry any objects in either hand that can hinder a firm grip on the ladder. Otherwise, Three Points-of-Contact with the ladder can not be adequately maintained and the possibility of falling is increased in case a hand or foot slip takes place.


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Dismantling the 'jungle' migrant camp in Calais, France
Quinn Kelley 0 Comment World Calais, France, migrants, refugee camp, refugee crisis
France began the mass evacuation Monday of the makeshift "jungle" migrant camp in Calais, a mammoth project to erase the humanitarian blight on its northern border, where thousands fleeing war or poverty have lived in squalor, most hoping to sneak into Britain. Some 7,000 people are estimated to be living in the camp, which has become a symbol of Europe's refugee crisis.
Boat carrying migrants capsizes in Mediterranean off Egypt, drowning dozens
Quinn Kelley 0 Comment World Egypt, Mediterranean, migrants, Rosetta
A boat carrying migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Wednesday, along the shore in the Egyptian port city of Rosetta. The boat, carrying up to 450 migrants, drowned at least 42 people and prompted a search operation that rescued at least 163 passengers, officials said.
Italian navy rescues capsized migrant ship
Christina Tkacik 0 Comment World italian, Italy, migrants, Navy, shipwreck, Sicily
At least seven people drowned when an overloaded cargo ship carrying migrants from Libya capsized near the coast of Sicily on May 25, 2016. The Italian Navy successfully rescued over 500 other passengers. The navy's Bettica patrol boat spotted "a boat in precarious conditions off the coast of Libya with numerous migrants aboard," it said in a statement.
Netherlands' empty prisons serving as centers for asylum seekers
Matt Bracken 0 Comment The Baltimore Sun asylum, migrants, Netherlands, prisons
With crime declining in the Netherlands, the country is looking at new ways to fill its prisons. The government has let Belgium and Norway put prisoners in its empty cells and now, amid the huge flow of migrants into Europe, several Dutch prisons have been temporarily pressed into service as asylum seeker centers.
1 millionth migrant crosses into Europe
Steve Earley 0 Comment World Europe, migrants, refugees
In 2015's final two weeks, Europe's migration crisis passed a symbolic milestone, with the 1 millionth migrant this year crossing into the continent on Monday, according to the International Organization for Migration. The sum is more than four times the number that entered in 2014.
Syrian refugees, the Paris attacks, and U.S. politics
Steve Earley 0 Comment World France, Immigration, Michigan, migrants, Paris, Paul Ryan, refugees, Syria, terrorism
In the aftermath of the Paris attacks, more than 20 U.S. governors are seeking to keep Syrian refugees out of their states, although experts question their authority over immigration. The resettlement of refugees is also receiving fresh scrutiny in Europe.
Northern Lights, Election Day, All Souls Day | Nov. 3
Steve Earley 0 Comment Daily Brief, World all souls day, autumn, baseball, Buddhism, Charlotte, China, disasters, Election, England, fall, fire, fog, foliage, France, Germany, Iowa, kansas city, Mexico, Michigan, migrants, Missouri, MLB, mnf, monday night football, NFL, North Carolina, northern lights, Philadelphia, religion, Romania, Tibet, trees, Turkey, weather, world series
Halloween costumes, USWNT at White House, fall foliage, World Series | Oct. 27
Steve Earley 0 Comment Daily Brief, World albany, Animals, art, baseball, Belgium, bicycling, bikes, Detroit, fall, foliage, Germany, Greece, Halloween, hati, India, Japan, migrants, New York, New York City, pottery, pumpkins, religion, running, soccer, sports, trees, Twitter, upstate new york, USWNT, water, whales, White House, wildlife, World Cup, world series, World Trade Center
NFL in China, rare Enigma machine, St. Louis church fires | Oct. 22
Steve Earley 0 Comment Daily Brief, World Benghazi, Chile, China, churches, Congress, El Nino, England, food, Germany, Greece, gymnastics, Hillary Clinton, Japan, London, Mexico, migrants, military, NFL, rain, refugees, religion, Scotland, Singapore, sports, St. Louis, water, weather, WWII
Hajj pilgrimage, London Fashion Week, pope in Cuba, Bogota no cars day | Sept. 22
Steve Earley 0 Comment Daily Brief, World art, bikes, biking, boxing, Catholicism, Colombia, Cuba, cycling, England, fashion, Florida, France, Hungary, Islam, Japan, lighthouse, lighthouses, London, Mecca, migrants, Panama, Paris, Pope Francis, rain, religion, Saudi Arabia, sports, United Kingdom, water, weather


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RichardGolgewicht
RichardGolgewicht dashboard
Filmmakers » Director
Richard's directorial style has been evolving from visually driven short films, television commercials and career as a documentarian in films produced in Brazil, Peru and Israel and Music documentaries in the US.
This year's Filmmaker magazine lineup lists Richard as one of the "25 new faces of Hollywood to watch for".
His other award winning short films Tel Aviv (2004) and Blue Rondo (1999) can also be found on FilmAnnex
Director Richard Goldgewicht and producing partner Jeremy Goldscheider started production on "Pablo" in the beginning of 2005 and have since been garnering attention from the specialized media for their different approach of making this unconventional biopic.
The film blends animation, documentary footage and motion graphics to deliver an unprecedented feature on the life of the provocative and groundbreaking visual artist, Pablo Ferro.
Narrated by Jeff Bridges and including interviews with a dozen of Pablo's famous collaborators, the animated journey recreates the colorful magic of the sixties and Pablo's life with Stanley Kubrick, Peter Sellers, Hal Ashby among other célèbre personalities, all rendered as animated characters.
News publications in Japan, France and the US have taken interest in the filmmakers' multi-media approach to tell the story of a subject, who is in his own right a multi-talented animator, designer, filmmaker and artist.
Films by RichardGolgewicht
The Untold Story of Morgan & Delores…
by Richard Goldgewicht
Blue Rondo
Pablo Lifetime Achievement
Pablo Discovering Cinema
Pablo - Teaser


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