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Philippine Elections: "For a new politics, for a new economy"
The May 9 national elections in the Philippines are taking place in a country reeling under the blows of the multiple crises of the system – pandemic, climate, economic, social. More than a fifth of the labor force (22.1%) or almost a tenth of the population (9.78%) are underemployed or unemployed. The current minimum wages in the Philippines are basically slavery wages with 18.0% percent of all families to cross the official regional poverty thresholds as of the 1st semester of 2021. Meanwhile the collective wealth of the 50 richest Filipinos grew by 30% from 2020 to 2021 despite the pandemic. The Philippines is also one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate-related impacts, such as typhoons and the environmental crisis. By 2030 some 50% of the population are expected to be affected by the rise in sea levels, with sections of major urban centres submerged, including the capital Metro Manila.
In the political arena we find the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos' clan relentlessly pursuing their ambition to get back into power in the country and have formed an alliance with President Duterte and his clan, who are equally determined to protect their dynasty's hold on power in the upcoming national elections. The son of the former dictator, Bongbong Marcos Jr. is running for President along with the Sara Duterte, the daughter of President Duterte, as his Vice President. These clans have united with some of the most rightwing clans in Philippines politics – such as the Arroyos and the Estradas – backed by sections of the Philippine 'billionaire' capitalist class (many of who are listed in the Forbes list of Asia' are backing this Marcos-Duterte presidential tandem).
These forces represent the most rightwing faction of the Philippine ruling class.
'Business as usual', even with limited reforms, offer no solutions at all. A radical and socialist alternative is needed.
Filipino socialists under the Partido Lakas ng Masa (Party of the Laboring Masses — PLM), a nationally registered political party of the marginalized, supported by several left and green coalitions, decided to take on the challenge and run an opposition ticket against what they have popularly termed the "Marcos-Duterte axis of Evil", based on a radical anti-capitalist platform.
This is a truly historic campaign. It's the first time that the left has contested the presidency. It's the first time a worker and a labor leader has run for President. It's the first time that an anti-capitalist and transitional socialist platform has been put forward by a presidential candidate. The PLM election campaign has broken the mold of traditional politics. We have broken new ground and laid the basis for a genuinely new type of radical and pro-peoples politics in the electoral arena.
As our Presidential candidate labor leader Leody De Guzman declared in a national television debate, "We need a new politics, a new economy".
Duterte — A rise in authoritarian rule
The Duterte regime, elected to office in May 2016, represents a rise in far-right, authoritarian and even neo-fascist governments internationally, from Brazil's Jair Bolsanaro, to 'Trumpism' in the US, Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Narendra Modi's 'Hindu fascism' in India. This international trend is the political manifestation of the multiple and intersecting crises of the capitalist system – economic, social, political and the underlying and encompassing environmental crisis and the utter failure of 'liberal' neoliberal governments to address these crises. This phenomenon is also a consequence of the inability of the left to build and mobilize around a genuine anti-neoliberal, anti-capitalist alternative.
In the Philippines the election of Duterte is a result of the failure of the post-Marcos 'elite' democratic regimes, from President Cory Aquino onwards, who came to power through a 'peoples power' revolution in February 1986 that toppled the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos, which declared martial law in September 21, 1972 and closed down congress.
Duterte's infamous 'war on drugs', basically a war on the poor and democratic rights and human rights, has resulted in the extrajudicial killing of some 27,000 people. He has weaponized the law in order to silence the opposition. The Anti-Terror Act of July 2020 allows for warrantless arrest for 24 days. The definition of terrorism is vague and broad and covers legitimate dissent or protest. with mere intent being criminalized. The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ElCAC) was formed, with a large budget, to carry out combined military and psywar attacks in communities with suspected CPP-NDF-NPA activities. The 'cyber crime' law introduced by the government of President Noynoy Aquino effectively renders opposition in the social media platforms a crime. Duterte used this law to arrest and charge the world renowned journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, the CEO of the online news service Rappler, for 'cyber libel'.
The masa were disillusioned and weakened by decades of neoliberal rule that has destroyed the socio-economic foundations of society and their very lives — unemployment, irregular work, lack of basic services, failed land reform, extreme poverty and hunger, impacts of climate change and the environmental crisis – all exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic. It was in this context that Duterte was elected, drawing mass support for his populist program and rhetoric. This included the promise to end contractualization (precarious labor or the subcontracting of labor), which won him support from sections of the labor movement, to end the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States (a military agreement which allows for US military presence in the Philippines) and backing China against the US in the disputed South China Sea and Spratley Islands dispute. Duterte was a former ally of the CPP-NPA and he appointed several leaders of the mass organizations aligned with the CPP-NPA to cabinet and senior positions in various departments.
This was, as anticipated by many on the left, short-lived. Duterte broke with the CPP-NPA, kicked them out of government and began to hound their underground leadership, which included brutal killings, and launched military operations against their base areas, especially in the indigenous communities in Mindanao.
The opposition aligned with the Liberal Party was significantly weakened to the point of being unable and unwilling to mount a clear and consistent opposition to Duterte. A majority of them in Congress simply switched sides and supported Duterte. The Vice President in the Duterte administration was Leni Robredo, the current Chair of the Liberal Party, who is contesting the presidency in the May 9 elections as an independent (an anomaly that can exist as the President and the Vice President are elected directly in the Philippines). Leni Robredo did not mount any serious political opposition to the Duterte regime, preferring to playing the role of a 'responsible' elected official.
It was the mass movement, led by the left, that has been in the forefront of the resistance against Duterte.
Blaming the masses, Not the System
A recurring refrain of the liberal bourgeois opposition is that the masa are to be blamed for voting in Duterte. We reject this argument as it ignores the systemic problems, that is a political system that nurtures and replicates elite rule. In the Philippines elite rule is based on a political system characterized by the rule of dynasties and political clans.
In the senate 17 out of 24 senators belong to dynasties and political clans. In the lower house of Congress 71% of the district representatives are from political clans and dynasties. In the Party List seats set aside for the marginalized sectors, 62 out of 134 have links to political dynasties and clans. Governors in 81 provinces, more than 80% are from dynasties and more than 51% are aligned with Duterte. This system of 'dynasty politics' is built on electoral fraud, backed by coercion and violence. The liberal opposition plays the same game of dynasties. They also have their share of dynasties and political clans. There needs to be a real breach in the system, the system of dynasties, for the left to make any meaningful gains in the electoral arena.
System change in the Philippines is a struggle to dismantle the political dynasties. This is the context in which the May 9 elections are taking place.
The Elections
In this context, with a gaping political vacuum in the electoral arena, the Liberal Party procrastinating unable to present an opposition candidate and Leni Robredo finally announcing her candidacy for presidency but running as an independent, PLM took on the challenge and decided to run a full slate of candidates and present a radical alternative to the electorate.
Leody De Guzman and long-term labor leader, a founding member of PLM and Chairperson of the socialist labor centre the Solidarity of Filipino Workers (BMP) is running for President. Walden Bello, renowned international scholar and political activist, the Chairperson of the socialist coalition Laban ng Masa is running as his Vice President. Our senate team is being led by Luke Espiritu, a labor lawyer, former national council member of PLM and President of BMP. PLM led the formation of a socialist-green alliance with the Nature Party and Green Party, whose leaders Roy Cabonegro and David D'Angelo are running for the senate as PLM candidates. We are also running for the lower house of Congress under the Party List system as the PLM Party List. We have several mayors and local councilors running against local political clans and traditional politicians.
Our radical platform of demands aims at starting the urgent process of transforming Philippine society in a socialist direction. It includes:
The introduction of a wealth tax of the richest families with a net worth over P100 million to address inequality.
Cancellation of debt repayments for five years; repealing the Automatic Debt Appropriation law; and reviewing and auditing all existing debts.
The recovery and return of the remaining stolen wealth of the Marcos's; amounting to PhP126 billion and prosecute Marcos family members who havekept and utilized their stolen wealth.
Together with the proceeds from the wealth tax and thedebt cancellation, use the stolen wealth to respond to theCOVID pandemic.
Immediate increase in the daily minimum wage to P750 a day nationwide.
Uphold the principle of workers' control; ensure that workers are consulted in all
industries and economic sectors through the establishment of unions and workers'
committees parallel to corporate boards for policy and daily operations;
Ban contractualization in all its forms; impose price controls on oil, electricity, internet, water, farm inputs, and other basic commodities.
Institute small farmers' control of agriculture and ensure food sovereignty; distribute for free all remaining lands under the agrarian reform; prevent land conversions especially by large property firms; freeze compliance with all World Trade Organization directives; and repeal the 2019 Rice Tariffication Law that relaxes rice importation into the country.
Implement an anti-dynasty law; start the immediate dismantling of political dynasties by approving an enabling law to implement the anti-dynasty provisions in the Constitution – 'the state will prohibit political dynasties as defined by law'.
Uphold climate justice; demand reparations from rich countries for their historical responsibility for the climate crisis; pursue just transition to a low carbon economy and democratically-owned, renewable and clean energy systems; repeal the pro-mining Philippine Mining Act.
Institute measures to fully achieve gender equality and strengthen gender rights; end violence against women; pass a divorce law; decriminalize abortion; pass new legislation to address the gender wage gap; recognize and compensate reproductive and care work; legalize the LGBTQIA+ gender category; uphold marriage equality and support alternative forms of family arrangements.
Unconditionally resume peace talks with the CPP-NDF-NPA; Repeal the 2020 Anti-Terrorism Act; significantly reduce the budget of all security-related and defense agencies relative to the budget for social services.
Uphold the right to self-determination; support the Bangsamoro people's struggle for full and meaningful autonomy; strengthen and enforce indigenous principles of common ownership and stewardship of natural resources
For a non-aligned foreign policy based national sovereignty and internationalism;end military agreements with the US and immediately close down all US de facto military bases in the country. Reject the expansionist and sphere-of-influence claims of China and the U.S. in the South China Sea, promote a commons-based development and utilization of natural resources in disputed areas.
Promoting the platform has been the central focus of our campaign. The campaign has had a significant national impact, with the masa responding to our platform. The statements by our candidates have gone viral on social media, with daily coverage in all the major conventional media outlets and even legal and verbal threats against our candidates by those aligned with the Marcos-Duterte opposition.
The rest of the left have failed to respond to the challenges posed in this political conjuncture.
They have followed their 'business as usual' strategy in the electoral arena which has been to run left candidates hitched to the presidential campaign of a faction of the capitalist class (and not necessarily even a 'lesser evil' option, such as in the case of support for Duterte by the CPP).
This time around CPP, Akbayan and Partido Manggagawa (Labor Party) are supporting Leni Robredo. The labor movement is divided with the unions aligned with these parties supporting the liberal bourgeois opposition. The rightwing Trade Union Congress of the Philippines is supporting Marcos Jr.
Currently the Marcos-Duterte tandem are leading in the polls, with Leni Robredo trailing in second place, but with growing support. These polls are commissioned and paid for by the candidates and are biased in favor of those with the money to pay for them. Apparently the polls pointing to a Marcos Jr. victory have been angled towards the areas where his support is strong. The lead for Marcos is based on almost solid support from the dynasties – 71 out of 81 Governors are supporting the Marcos-Duterte. This could lead to massive electoral fraud. The Commission on Elections has signed a contract with the company F2 Logistics, owned by Duterte's crony Dennis Uy, on the distribution of vote-counting machines, for example. There are rumors of pre-shaded ballots in Singapore. All these would favor Marcos Jr.
Leni Robredo also has some support from a few dynasties. The role of the United States is always a political factor in the Philippines. The indications are that the current US administration would support a Leni Robredo victory. Robredo is extremely cautious in attacking US interests, such as in the case of foreign policy, most of her pronouncements are about honoring military agreements with the US, etc.
Both sides are also wooing the military, with Leni Robredo supporting the continuation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, thus supporting the military approach to end the insurgency.
While Robredo herself is a clean and honest politician, the Liberal Party is a different matter, steeped in playing all the cards associated with traditional politics, including accusations of electoral fraud.
We have been asked if we will withdraw and support Leni Robredo's candidacy. However, on our key platform issues, there is no basis for this. Even on gender equality, Leni Robredo, the only female candidate does not support the legalization of divorce or the decriminalization of abortion, for example. Even on the low-carbon energy transition, she is open to considering the option of nuclear power. Greenpeace Philippines has questioned her stand on ensuring that "the government institutes climate action as a central policy of the state", while approving of our platform on this existential challenge.
As PLM Campaign Manager Sonny Melencio has explained in a recent media interview; "No to withdrawal, Yes to unity on the ground [against the axis of evil – Marcos-Duterte]".
The Post-Election scenario
There is a real possibility of a Marcos-Duterte victory. The same strategy and machinery that was operationalized in the 2019 elections are still in place to ensure their win. In 2019, a massive vote-buying spree catapulted the price of a vote at P3,000 or more, because of the pool of money that came from national candidates, party-list groups, district representatives, gubernatorial candidates, down to the local mayors. The same well-oiled machinery is in place today, coupled with the bandwagon effect of expensively-paid survey polls. We need to be prepared to mobilize against electoral fraud and the election of this regime of jackals. 'Unity on the streets' will be key in this scenario. Because of the political impact of our campaign, we are well positioned to intervene and politically influence, the inevitable struggles ahead.
Reihana Mohideen
National Council member
Party of the Laboring Masses (PLM)
ElectionsInternational SolidarityPhillipinesReihana Mohideen
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The hardest part of a separation for most people is the way it affects their children. I have seen the whole spectrum when it comes to child custody. Some couples work well when the children are involved, even though they fight like cats and dogs about everything else. However, most parents become protective over their child and begin to put their child in a position that forces them to pick sides.
Unfortunately it is extremely common to begin alienating your child during your separation. You are obviously hurting, and that hurt is bound to spill over onto your children. These feeling will die down and hopefully you will better facilitate your ex's involvement with your child. Recognize when you make negative comments in front of the children, or when you question the other parents parenting ability. If there are legitimate concerns they should be brought to a parenting coordinator, not your children. Do not put your children in the role of a therapist. It is harmful to the child and looks terrible in front of a Judge.
Animosity spreads to the friends and/or extended family of the alienated parent.
If the alienating parent encourages your children to disobey you, hold your ground and make sure your children do what you request; starting with "no disrespectful behavior in the home." Period.
If you are ready to take action against an alienating parent, contact Keithley Law, PLLC today by calling (703) 454-5147 and schedule an initial consultation in our Fairfax law office with one of our attorneys. We can walk you through the steps to get the most out of your case.


Business expansion is the hallmark of a successful operation. This is also a way that owners and management pursue new opportunities. In some instances, this means continuing with the way you conduct business. It is also a time to find new ways to reach out to your customers. The ultimate goal is to consistently attract more customers to your physical location and internet options, as well.
Fortunately for business owners, the internet has brought a vast array of achieving these goals. You can benefit from how Instagram followers buy products and services. Tracking their activity is beneficial to your overall bottom line. Now it is possible for you to purchase followers. This increases the number of times you've seen on a given day. You may be able to significantly increase your productivity and profits.
Followers may be your virtual support system but they can tell you a lot. One of the simplest of these is showing the things and content that they like. Many site owners participate in forecasting techniques and strategy development. They try to not only increase their following but to maintain it. This is also a nice approach for those wanting to attract more followers and to do so on a more consistent basis.
Any type of business activity online requires a marketing strategy. You may choose to market for physical stores differently than your virtual location. There are some similarities when it comes to this development process. Goals to improve search engine ranking need to include a variety of methods. The majority of businesses today, use the internet and social media to steer operational goals for revenue.
No matter what field or industry your represent you must be a good storyteller online. It is true, however, that you can choose how to tell the story and what tools to utilize. Some will focus on the right wording and written content. Others target visual shoppers by displaying photos and videos that promote their business. The perfect blend is when both of these methods converse and bring success.
The reach that you have has to do with the number of people you are able to connect with. These may be Instagram followers or those from other platforms. They pay attention to your activity online and the content that you provide. It is possible to utilize current followers to expand your reach. This means providing regular information, photos and videos about your business' location, products and services.
There are more benefits to be realized by those who follow you. They are likely to share your information with others. This could result in an increase in sales and profits. It may even be an avenue to gain more support for your website, business or organization. Getting the most out of your web presence means taking advantage of all of the opportunities you come across on a daily basis.


UPDATE: Ivo of Star Tools showed me how to process my FITS files and here is his take on my M42 below. He used Star Tools's Repair module to turn my arrowhead stars into points – not bad for an alt-az mount.
I just tried out my new 1100D with a Canon 75-300 zoom on some deep sky objects. The camera was mounted on a Nexstar 4SE mount in alt-az mode aligned using 1 star with no guiding. My location is in a heavily light polluted city. Capture was by the Canon EOS utility program which captured around 30 shots at 30 seconds and 1600 ISO for each object. Stacking was done in DeepSkyStacker and post processing in Star Tools.
Still getting the hang of the software but I am pretty pleased with my first efforts at deep sky. I am still trying to figure why the stars are little triangles – vibration or lens distortion? Click on any image to view the original frame.


Making the first step to become a volunteer is easy. Just fill in our short form and click Submit at the end.
Enjoy chatting to clients and encouraging them to join in with activities, such as seated exercise or making Christmas cards.
Meet new people, help us raise funds and have fun while volunteering in one of our nine shops.
You can make a huge difference to some of the most vulnerable older people in our community.
Volunteer a day a week to provide reassurance and help ensure the safety of everyone on board.
Join our friendly team of fundraising volunteers. Help us make a difference locally.
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, and support the work we do in the community. Being a volunteer gives you a regular activity to look forward to each week and you will meet new people and gain useful experience that looks good on your CV. Being a volunteer can help you get a bit of confidence and life-experience by doing something new. And you get the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing something useful.
Almost anyone can be a volunteer. We have a wide range of roles which suit different people and different skills. You will need to be 18 or over.
It depends on the volunteer role you are interested in. Some people give a morning a week, other people do more.
Rae Phillips enjoys making a difference to older people who have just come out of hospital.
Sue Wigley loves volunteering at Age UK Northamptonshire because she feels she's done something worthwhile.


With Audubon Zoo in historic uptown New Orleans, the Aquarium on the Mississippi River near the French Quarter and the Insectarium all at your family's disposal, there's no shortage of things to keep your kids busy on your next family vacation to the Big Easy. If you plan on visiting New Orleans through Labor Day, all three of these local gems are open seven days a week. Looking for a way to get active on your next visit to NOLA? Then we highly recommend heading to City Park for a boat ride or walk around the Big Lake. One of the nation's oldest urban parks, it even has playgrounds and plenty of fun for the little ones at Storyland. For older kids and kids at heart, head to Carousel Gardens. While it's no Six Flags, there are over 15 fun rides to enjoy, including a historic carousel that was featured in Now You See Me and lots of other Hollywood films. While you're there, make sure to stop at Morning Call anytime of the day or night (they're open 24 hours) for a cafe au lait and an order of beignets (or two or three). With the New Orleans Museum of Art and Sculpture Garden, there's no doubt City Park is a New Orleans must-see and that New Orleans should be number one on your list of Louisiana vacation spots.
Baton Rouge is the perfect family vacation spot if you're aiming to visit Louisiana in the fall. There's nothing like a Saturday night in Death Valley. Before you hit the LSU tailgate scene, make sure to stop by the Red Stick Farmer's Market in Downtown Baton Rouge at 5th and Main Streets. Occurring every Saturday from 8 a.m.–12 p.m. year round rain or shine, you can grab a delicious breakfast inside the Main Street Market building while browsing the fresh produce, local seafood and tasty treats. Visitors traveling with children 21+ should take a detour to the Tin Roof Brewery at some point during your stay for some local craft beer. If you can't swing tickets to the big game, we recommend catching it on the big screen at The Varsity. The only thing better than the drink specials and a place to sit? The fact that you can order delicious eats from The Chimes next door. Not sure where to stay on your visit? We've got you covered with the 10 best hotels in Baton Rouge.
If you haven't seen Steel Magnolias, go ahead and add it to your Netflix queue. Natchitoches is Louisiana's oldest city, known for its annual Christmas festival and tasty meat pies. Visit over the winter holidays, and your family won't be disappointed. Known as the bed-and-breakfast capital of Louisiana, seeing the annual festival of lights is something that will be sure to get everyone in the holiday spirit. With a parade, live music, arts and crafts vendors and delicious eats, there's even a fireworks show coordinated to holiday tunes. On your next family vacation to Louisiana, don't miss the 300,000 Christmas lights and 100 lighted set pieces that illuminate downtown Natchitoches and Cane River Lake every winter.
Avery Island, located in Iberia Parish, is best known for being the birthplace of the world famous Tabasco hot sauce. When your family visits Avery Island, you can learn all about the McIlhenny family, take a tour of the factory and museum and taste a variety of hot-sauce infused products. This Louisiana destination is highly recommended for all those foodie-families vacationing to the Bayou State. While you're there, don't miss the Jungle Gardens, 170 acres that stretch along Bayou Petite Anse on Avery Island. Enjoy local wildlife like azaleas, camellias, bamboo and animals like alligators, deer and thousands of snowy egrets.
Lafayette is famous for being the Happiest City in America for a reason. With delicious Cajun and Creole cuisine, we advise taking a family vacation to this Southern city at peak festival season. In April, you can catch Festival International de Louisiane, the largest international music and arts festival in the United States. If you can't make it in the spring, mark your calendars for Festivals Acadiens et Créoles the second full weekend in October. Pro tip: this festival packed with delicious local eats, authentic crafts and five stages of music is free. If you're in Lafayette for an extended weekend, bring the family to Vermillionville in the heart of Lafayette and enjoy being transported back in time with this living history museum and folklife park. To be honest, though, our favorite family spot in all of Lafayette will have anyone with a sweet tooth pumped. Borden's Ice Cream Shoppe will take you back to a simpler time and give you a taste of ice cream the old fashioned way – because some things never go out of style.
On your next family vacation to Mandeville, rent a cabin and explore the beautiful outdoors at Fountainbleau State Park, where you can hike a variety of trails, launch your canoe or kayak and swim off of Lake Pontchartrain's sandy beaches. Get active and take the whole family biking or walking along the Tammany Trace, which runs right through the park. Make sure you make a stop at the Mandeville Trailhead, where there are free Friday evening concerts from 6:30–8:30 p.m. in the spring and Saturday morning Community Markets. One thing you can count on? There's no shortage of family-fun activities in Mandeville on the Northshore.
Taking a family vacation to Grand Isle will give you a glimpse of why Louisiana is known as the Sportsman's Paradise. We recommend a visit in April to catch the Blessing of the Fleet Fair and Migratory Bird Festival. The former is a unique local event, featuring blessing of the fleet, rides, delicious grub, live music, carnival games and fun for the whole family. The latter is a weekend meant for bird-watchers with tours on the Grand Isle Birding Trail, Elmer's Island and the Grand Isle State Park. While you're in Grand Isle, make sure to kayak through the island's mangroves and take advantage of the white sandy beaches and fishing piers galore.
The Louisiana Peach Festival in Ruston is a family-oriented annual event held every summer on the fourth weekend of June. Besides the parade, Cobbler Gobbler Eating Contest (you read that right), antique car show, games, rides and rodeo, attendees can feast on pies, tarts, salads, cakes and lots of other peach-flavored delicacies. The best part of this fest? Children eight and under get in free! Plus, a weekend pass will only set you back $15 per person. Talk about affordable family fun! Though it's best known for the the annual Peach Fest, the City of Ruston is home to plenty of other attractions your whole crew will enjoy on your next family vacation to Louisiana. For lovers of outdoor adventure, we recommend flying high at Soaring Spirit Ziplines or catching a concert at Railroad Park, the outdoor entertainment hub of downtown Ruston just steps from lots of local shops and delicious places to grab some grub.
Experience the bayou culture of the historic fishing town of Jean Lafitte, located just 20 miles southwest of New Orleans. A don't-miss on your family vacation? A swamp or airboat tour. There's no better way to see the local wildlife and wetlands. You can also enjoy saltwater fishing at Lafitte Public Fishing Pier or one of the many local marinas. Other high points to hit on your trip to Jean Lafitte: kayaking through the wetlands, hiking trails and exploring the history of the region at the new 6,000-square-foot Lafitte's Barataria Museum. Top your trip off by tasting some of the Cajun and Creole cuisine found at many of the local restaurants in the area.
Your favorite Hanna-Barbera cartoon comes to life at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Robert, Louisiana. With not one but two swimming pools, canoes, paddleboats and kayaks, two lakes with fishing, a water "sprayground," playgrounds, mini-golf, golf cart rental, a basketball court and a baseball field, this is not your average campsite. When your little ones are craving something sweet, Cindy's 19th Hole even serves New Orleans–style snowballs and hand-dipped ice cream cones. Talk about the perfect summer getaway!
Fan of locally grown, delicious strawberries? Pack the family van and make your way to Ponchatoula for the famous annual Strawberry Festival in the spring. Known as the Strawberry Capital of the World, your family is bound for a weekend full of fun with live music, rides, food, game booths and even a parade.


DOES ANYONE HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS UNIT AND IF YOU DID DOES IT WORK? IS IT WORTH THE COST?
here's a review on the Exorcist Williwa, The site is currently having problems so i've posted the cached text and will update the link later.
Myself have heard mixed reviews, some say its quite effective while other's say it spews your cons into the wind uncontrollably.
I know a couple of gold prospectors who own a Gold Excorsist. And both seem to like it. They say the only problem is having enough screened material to feed the beast! To use one effectively, you would need a bunch of people screening material for the machine.


text:
Worldwide move to standardise early detection of Alzheimer's
12:59 July 18, 2011
The research, focusing on biomarkers – telltale biological indicators of Alzheimer's – could help standardise the detection of the disease and increase the accuracy of clinical trials by ensuring those most likely to benefit from drugs or preventions take part.
The first study examined the association between a well-established Alzheimer's risk gene – APOE4 – age, and a hallmark protein in Alzheimer's – amyloid – to test the consistency of the relationship across ethnic groups. Led by researchers from Japan, the study took data from three different national populations – the US, Australia and Japan – all three of which include people with Alzheimer's, mild cognitive impairment and normal individuals.
The team evaluated the influence of the APOE4 risk gene and age on the build up of amyloid in the brain, measured by PET scans. Amongst the three populations, the researchers observed consistency in the way amyloid build-up was affected by the risk gene and age, showing the biomarkers to be consistent across different ethnic groups – crucial for a test to be internationally applicable.
A second study concentrated on the hippocampus, responsible for the formation of new memories and usually the first area of the brain to be affected by Alzheimer's. MRI scans have become increasingly important in tracking shrinkage in this area of the brain, which can be useful for diagnosis and measuring disease progress.
Researchers in Italy have been examining and compiling the different approaches to MRI scanning used in worldwide dementia research to measuring volume changes in the hippocampus. The team's next step is to review the different approaches and draw on the input of an international panel of experts to determine a common protocol.
Dr Simon Ridley, Head of Research at the UK's leading dementia research charity, Alzheimer's Research UK, said:
"If we are to effectively test new treatments or preventions, we have to be able detect Alzheimer's early to get people involved in trials who stand to benefit most. An approach to detection that works consistently across the world is crucial to the global effort to defeat dementia and work towards that goal is to be welcomed.
"Numbers or people living with dementia are spiralling towards a million in the UK alone; research is the only answer to defeating the condition. Investment across all areas of dementia research – diagnosis, prevention and treatment – is urgently needed".


On the Wednesday the 14th of November two groups from 6th class attended the bridge building competition in the Mc William in Claremorris . A few weeks before the competition all of 6th class split into groups of four or five and built bridges to hold a certain amount of weights. Only the top two groups went through to compete in the competition in the Mc William.
On the day we arrived at 12 o'clock, we were greeted by other teams from Mayo in 6th class. After everybody had arrived each team was escorted to their table by a member of science week team. When we arrived at our table we were given 25 straws & approximately 1 metre of masking tape and some sweets!
We had 40 minutes to complete our bridges. There was a variety of different designs. We learned that we had to hook a bag of rice to our bridge which we were not expecting. Our design was built to withhold weight on the top of it so it did not live up to our expectations. But overall we had a very educational experience at the competition.
Written by: Sarah, Carlagh, Ella and Katie.


Medication and disinfectants for all your pets from the smallest animals right through to dogs and cats.
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For those "little accidents" or just to keep things clean and fresh we have a range of disinfectants and cleaners from Simple Solution and Johnsons! We also stock training pads for your puppy.
Global warming, seems to mean fleas and ticks are active for more of the year now, but there are many ways to keep them under control! And now you don't always have to pay for a visit to the vet for an effective treatment!


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Top 10 Observations About Parenting Arrangements From Moreira v. Garcia Dominguez
An Ontario Court of Justice decision released just a few days ago, called Moreira v. Garcia Domueingz, contains an exhaustive discussion by the Honourable Mr. Justice M. Zuker about parenting arrangements after separation and divorce, including the objectives of various arrangements, and the policy behind Canadian law. In fact, the judge makes so many important and noteworthy points, that I have split this Blog entry into two parts. Here is the first of them:
Notable observations Mr. Justice Zuker:
About parenting arrangements generally:
1. • "Family law is largely about distributing loss. In separation and divorce, there are no winners. When it is not possible for children to live in the same household with both parents, neither parent will usually have as much time with the children as he or she had during the intact marriage. The greatest conflict often concerns parenting arrangements after separation."
2. • "The ties that bind parents together are only as strong as the bond between each parent and their children."
3. • "There are numerous barriers to the creation of good-enough co-parenting relationships and multiple reasons why, despite significant involvement of a parent while the relationship was continuing, this does not translate into successful post-separation involvement."
4. • "Increasingly, the term joint custody has been used to describe joint physical custody. Joint physical custody does not necessarily, of course, mean equal time. The trend in favour of mandatory parenting plans recognizes not only the advantages of advance planning for children, but also the changing demographics of the family. Laws that encourage the meaningful involvement of both parents may be described as aspirational."
About the best interests of children as it relates to parenting arrangements:
5. • Quoting authors Paul Amato & Joan Gilbreth in "Nonresident Fathers and Children's Well-Being: a Meta-analysis", 61 J. Marriage & Fam. 557 (1999), the court observed: " … [E]motional closeness and, particularly, 'authoritative parenting,' are highly beneficial to children. Authoritative parenting includes helping with homework, talking about problems, providing emotional support to children, praising children's accomplishments and disciplining children for misbehaviour. The researchers concluded that 'how often fathers see children is less important than what fathers do when they are with their children.'
6. • "Measures to encourage a continuing relationship between non-resident parents and their children should be seen as highly desirable in the absence of high levels of ongoing conflict between the parents, irrespective of the division of roles between the parents when the marriage was intact."
7. • "As long as the parents live within a reasonable proximity to one another, there is a range of options for structuring parent-child contact, from limited involvement by the non-resident parent through to shared care. … It is in the best interests of children to try to reduce their exposure to conflict between their parents. This requires a focus on how the best interests of children could be served by the processes of adjudication, as well as using the best interests test to determine the appropriate outcome of the dispute."
8. • "Of significance may be changes in the level of acrimony in the relationship with the other parent as time begins to heal the wounds of the separation and the initial grief, anger and resentment associated with relationship breakdown has subsided. What may be the best available option for a child when parents are in very high conflict may not be the best at a later time when the parents are capable of a more civil and cooperative relationship."
About shared parenting:
9. • "There is a presumption in favour of equal shared parental responsibility. This can be rebutted in cases where there is a history of violence or abuse. … This court has a duty to consider whether an equal time arrangement is in the best interests of the child and reasonably practicable. If equal time is not appropriate then the court must consider what is termed 'substantial and significant time'."
10. • "Shared care arrangements do not necessarily last. Shared care is dependent on the parents living in relatively close proximity to one another and, for school-age children, to the child's school. New partnerships or job opportunities for one or the other parent, or the need for one or both parents to move, may necessitate some adjustment to the shared care arrangements."
For the full text of the decision, see:
Moreira v. Garcia Dominguez, 2012 ONCJ 128 (CanLII) http://canlii.ca/t/fqjbl
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What does a Deformed mean in your dream?
What does an Deformed symbolize?
What does dreaming of Deformed mean?
What do Deformed represent in dreams?
To dream that you are deformed, or that someone else is deformed, represents undeveloped aspects of yourself that you may have ignored. Until you recognize and face these parts of your personality, you may not be able to achieve what you want creatively or socially. Spend some time considering what parts of yourself you may be repressing, or hiding because you're not sure others would appreciate them.
Deformed • What Does Deformed Mean In Dream?


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Home » Championship » West Ham face difficulty tempting Huddersfield to sell Rhodes
West Ham face difficulty tempting Huddersfield to sell Rhodes
Sam Allardyce was quick to point to a lack of composure in front of goal for West Ham's FA Cup exit at Sheffield Wednesday and this may make him even more determined to sign Jordan Rhodes from Huddersfield.
Despite having four recognised strikers at his disposal and sitting joint-top of the Championship, Allardyce still feels the club need an out-and-out scorer to ensure their Premier League return.
West Ham have failed to score more than once in their last seven games and on the whole have been dropping too many points at home to be assured of promotion.
But Rhodes is almost certainly one striker who could improve their scoring troubles.
His latest effort of five goals in Huddersfield's rampant League One success over Wycombe took his present haul to 23 goals in his last 14 club games and this has understandably generated interest in his availability.
West Ham are at the front of the queue and they have reportedly already had an offer of £4m turned down, but this bid is expected to be improved.
Huddersfield manager Lee Clark insists that his star asset is not for sale, but is in a major quandary about what is the best decision to make.
Rhodes would be irreplaceable to Huddersfield regardless of the transfer sum received, as it would be virtually impossible to find a replacement capable of matching his scoring exploits who would be interested in a move to League One.
However, if a team were to offer £6m+ for Rhodes, this could enable Clark to bring in six or more players who were enhance the quality of his squad.
The one big dilemma is that Huddersfield are only in the play-off places even with Rhodes' goals and so it would be even tougher to secure automatic promotion without them, meaning that the end of the season would be Clark's favoured time to sell.
This price tag may seem extortionate for a player who is unproven outside of League One, but other strikers in the past strong at this level have continued to strike regularly in a higher division.
Grant Holt is perhaps the best example at Norwich, while Robert Earnshaw, Jason Scotland and Rickie Lambert have also taken the Championship in their stride.
If Allardyce can justify a hefty outlay on Rhodes and offer enough to ensure Clark reluctantly accept the bid, West Ham's odds of 11/10 to win the Championship could prove great value.
« The Weekly Accumulator: West Ham must beat Coventry
The Weekly Accumulator: Derby can pile misery on lowly Coventry »
Craig Kemp
Craig has written for Ladbrokes since the 2010 World Cup, having previously gained a Media & Sports Journalism degree and contributed to publications including the Racing Post. His main areas of interest are horse racing and UFC, but he is also an avid X Factor gambler and likes nothing more than indulging in a spot of Hip Hop Karaoke.
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Internet service providers are not expected to put up a fight against prospective court orders that will compel them to block access to a number of piracy-linked websites, but the finer details of how such a block will be implemented and maintained is yet to be determined.
Lawyers representing Foxtel and Village Roadshow as well as the legal representatives of TPG, Telstra, Optus and M2 today appeared in court for a case management hearing. The court case will be the first test of the government's anti-piracy, website-blocking legislation.
Foxtel is seeking to have ISPs block The Pirate Bay, Torrentz, TorrentHound and IsoHunt. Village Roadshow is targeting streaming site Solar Movie.
In order for the Federal Court to agree to a site-blocking injunction, rights holders have to make an attempt to contact the operator of an 'online location' they seek to have blocked. This gives a website operator the ability to potentially oppose the application.
Richard Lancaster SC, appearing for the rights holders, said that there had been "no contact from any operator of relevant online locations indicating they wish to be joined" to the proceedings, and that it was unlikely that any website operators would oppose the application.
Lancaster said that rights holders had engaged in discussions with a number of the ISPs named in the applications before beginning legal proceedings and since filing there had been "fruitful and detailed negotiations" between all parties.
He said that negotiations would continue with the hope of reaching a form of court order that all parties would consent to.
Lancaster said that Village and Foxtel will submit evidence showing that they are the rights holders or exclusive licensees of material available from the named sites, as well as demonstrate that the primary purpose of the sites is to infringe copyright – both tests that are required under the site-blocking legislation.
The applications from Foxtel and Village include both domain names and IP addresses associated with the sites they are seeking to have blocked. The rights holders have indicated they are potentially open to the use of IP or DNS based blocking.
TPG this morning indicated it wanted to negotiate a domain-based blocking regime with rights holders and that it was concerned about a mechanism envisaged in the rights holder applications under which additional IP addresses could be listed for blocking.
The first IP address listed for The Pirate Bay in Foxtel's application is no longer associated with the site, TPG's counsel said.
The parties are due to return to court on 6 May.


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Monthly Topic, Sport
Sporting Legacy part one: The FIFA World Cup
Chris Smith on January 23, 2015
Sport has the power to bring people together, educate, and promote positive change in countries. However, are the biggest sporting events doing enough to leave behind a positive legacy in host countries? During our 'Sporting Legacy' series we will be examining a range of the biggest sports events around the globe, starting with the FIFA World Cup, and discussing whether the legacy has a positive influence or if more is still to be desired. Quite often new infrastructures are being built to meet event demands, so the legacy should incorporate the use of new facilities for local communities, the economical tourism boom from luring people from all over the world to watch the sport, and the levels of participation in sport following the end of the tournament (participation is a key theme for Vivi Nation). So the question we will be discussing is: Do major sporting events leave enough permanent benefits and improve participation?
Director of FIFA TV Niclas Ericson said:  "We believe the overall audience figures from the 2014 FIFA World Cup will show again that the World Cup is the most popular single-sporting event on the planet".
The latest FIFA World Cup, hosted by Brazil, reached a record number of viewers around the world. All eight World Cup groups set viewing highs for at least one territory globally, underlining the vast breadth of the event's popularity across the world. Blockbuster viewing figures, such as the 3.2 billion people who the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa reached, emphasise that football is at the pinnacle of all sports events. The global reach of football is shown by the fact that 209 recognised football nations are listed as members of FIFA.
At the time of the latest World Cup in 2014, Brazil was struggling through poverty and political problems, but the nation still united to support their national team due to their passion for 'the beautiful game'. Rioting before the tournament (and occasionally during the early stages) threatened to spoil the occasion, but the event is widely viewed as a sporting success. Despite the latest corruption allegations that have plagued FIFA for a long time, football continues to be a beacon of hope for nations globally, and once the tournament began in Brazil it had an uplifting event on the whole nation. Millions of fans from all over the world came to visit Brazil and they did not fail to deliver.
So with the actual sport being at the peak of its field, now we will move on to the legacy. As part of growing football on a global level, FIFA, the governing body of football, is giving a wide variety of countries a chance to showcase their worth in the global market – emphasised when they announced that Qatar would host the 2022 FIFA World Cup (a controversial decision nonetheless). Naturally, staging a tournament of this global scale should help to improve tourism, reputation, culture and participation in sport in the country. With reports highlighting the significant cost of building new stadiums capable of hosting the tournament, it does beg the question why countries such as Qatar are considered. Is it worth it? Will there be a lasting legacy from the tournament? What will happen to the new facilities when the tournament is over? I find it hard to believe that following the end of the 2022 World Cup, the new stadiums will be consistently filled and used, so why waste millions and millions on building facilities that will only be used for one month? In the next section, I will examine the two most recent World Cup's to see if the legacy left behind made hosting the tournament worthwhile.
The FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
"Even if FIFA gave us all the money it made, that's not going to address all the poverty and inequality." Danny Jordaan, South Africa's World Cup organiser.
"They lied to us and betrayed us, they first promised to supply water, upgrade houses and roads. But they just built the stadium and disappeared." Imaan Milanzi, a community liaison officer.
"It was a success for FIFA and the corporate sponsors made a lot of money, but it left local businesses and the state floundering." Johannesburg-based researcher Dale McKinley, pointing out that of the eight stadiums built or refurbished for the World Cup, only one – the iconic FNB stadium outside Soweto – "is financially viable".
So let's start with analysing the World Cup hosted by South Africa. Firstly, as a fan of football, the event itself was a joy to behold. The famous vuvuzela became iconic and extremely memorable, the football was of a high standard, and the atmosphere across the country was electric… It was widely viewed as a successful, crime-free, reputation-building rebrand of the country that attracted more tourism and significant foreign investment, yet South African authorities spent a substantial $2bn (£1,2bn) on infrastructure and other upgrades in order to host the tournament. This cost of hosting the global event is nearly ten times what South Africa spends on tackling HIV – a stark and, quite frankly, truly appalling comparison.
So whilst scenes of jubilation go a long way in rebranding a country with a poor reputation, the reality is South Africa spent in total an excess of $3 billion renovating the country to get ready for the finals. Some of this investment was incredibly valuable for the country, such as transport links, airports and tourism, yet the money spent on stadiums was far from:
The Soccer City Stadium, renovated in 2009, has a capacity of 84,490 (seated) and stands the largest stadium in Africa. It cost approximately $440 million in total but is used largely for concerts and local 5-a-side tournaments. Typically it is an empty shell, left discarded, unused, and as an example of what a mistake it was to spend the money on it. Additionally, Green Point Urban Park, a 64,100-capacity stadium in Cape Town, costs £2 million a year in public money to run and has no definitive owner. In fact, rather than celebrating the completion of these magnificent stadiums, locals would much rather they get torn down to be used for what the people really need – housing. So did South Africa genuinely need 10 stadiums that all seat 40,000-plus?
Whilst the World Cup clearly did great work in improving the country's, and the continents, reputation, the lasting legacy has failed to leave a permanent solution for serious problems that it was supposedly meant to help tackle. Additionally, the tournament failed to really inspire a nation to get involved in football – demonstrated by the lack of use of facilities.
The FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil
Since the tournament came to an end last summer, it can be one that is viewed as a sporting success. Once more, football united people and went some way in calming the volatile political situation the country was in. Mass protests over inequality and the building delays to stadia and other public infrastructure before the event meant that there was a lot of pressure on the tournament to deliver.
Once more, despite being a successful sporting event, the sense behind the decision of Brazil hosting is constantly and continuously scrutinised.
Manaus, for example, a small city in Brazil, had a costly new stadium built – one that is now barely filled or used. So whilst football was already ingrained in Brazil's culture, the end of the tournament is still draining resources and could have been a lot better.
In December 2013, FIFA's Legacy Trust Scheme announced via the organisation's official website that they would commit $20 million to the task of leaving a '"lasting legacy" in the country of Brazil, who is set to host the big kick-off in less than four months' time'.
The objective was obvious: even more football in a football-mad country, more people involved than ever before and the promotion of fitness, nutrition and well-being. Unfortunately, the reality doesn't quite match the aims.
So what should a legacy be?
"World Cups should seek to boost GDP, lessen poverty, boost natural resources and business and improve health care wherever it goes. There are very few tournaments on record where this has been the case, and the profit FIFA makes from the tournament is not donated to the hosts to repair themselves." Bleacher Report on the World Cup Legacy.
The legacy of the World Cup is vital for the success of FIFA. The biggest sporting tournament in the world should be a symbol of hope (which it has been) and make huge strides in using sport to transform lives and engage children – it shouldn't financially burden a host country and take away the focus of serious issues (such as HIV). Funding should target long-term beneficial factors – better infrastructure to airports, railways/roads and IT, improving global trade, using football to promote change in local communities and increasing tourism.
FIFA officials need to think beyond sponsors cashing in. What does their event leave in its wake? How will football help the host country in the long term? Choosing host nations that are ill-prepared is not the right move from FIFA. Working in local communities and with governments to ensure a nation is ready to host a major sporting tournament before actually giving them the tournament should be the way forward. When the tournament goes to Dubai, do FIFA really think that the brand new stadiums will be used after the event? What they should be doing is building facilities, improving grassroots sport and growing football via other channels prior, so that when the decision goes to Dubai for host nation it is going to a country that is ready to reap the rewards of putting on such a prestigious event. FIFA need to responsibly choose host nations, not place countries under the incredible burden if they are not ready. For countries that are ready to host such a major event, I am sure increased participation will be the result.
My conclusion is that FIFA is not doing enough to leave a lasting legacy, however, they clearly have the ability to do so. Women playing football, in particular, has seen a steady rise globally – something FIFA is aiming for, but there is still much more work to do. So will FIFA leave lasting benefits in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, that remains to be seen.
Brazil 2014 FIFA Football Legacy Qatar 2022 Russia 2018 World Cup
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Top 10 Events in The South of France
Where better to jet off to in 2014 than Saint Tropez in the south of France, where the sun shines for more than 300 days a year?
Escalet Beach, St. Tropez
But it's not just the sunshine which allures people to this beautiful corner of the world. The region also plays host to a string of exciting events and festivals, making it the perfect place to head for any time of the year.
The picturesque town of Saint Tropez is a fantastic place to base yourselves in the South of France as you are never too far from points of interest – yet far enough to head to a beach if you desire a day of calm or simply retreat to the terrace of your holiday villa.
Here is a list of the Top 10 unmissable events to whet your appetite when considering where to spend your holidays:
1. Nice Carnival
After Rio in Brazil, the Nice Carnival is arguably the largest and most colourful in the world, with amazing floats and animations sweeping through the seaside city from 14th February to March 4th. It's an intoxicating scene, drawing crowds of more than one million people who line the streets to catch a glimpse of the giant puppets who appear to dance in the sky overhead. In 2014, the theme of the carnival is King of Gastronomy so expect some delicious Nicois food as you watch the gigantic figurines march by.
2. Citron Festival in Menton
Talking of food, there is also the fantastic Citron Festival in Menton to brighten up a stay on the French Riviera in the winter. This event – where more than 145 tons of oranges and lemons are used to decorate the town.
3. Monte Carlo Rolex Masters Tennis Cup in Monaco
Spring is a particularly beautiful time of the year on the French Riviera, and a stay in a luxury apartment in the heart of Monaco is a lovely choice so you are easily placed to take advantage of the principality's packed agenda. First on the calendar is the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters held in the salubrious Monte Carlo Country Club in April which attracts some of the biggest names in tennis such as Monaco resident Novac Djokovic and British favorite Andy Murray.
4. Top Marques show in Monaco
Another great event for car lovers in April not to miss is Top Marques Monaco, the world's most exclusive supercar show which offers VIP guests the chance to test drive their dream vehicle on parts of the Formula 1 circuit.
5. Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival is without doubt one of the most important dates in the movie world and an infectious time to visit this beautiful city in May. It regularly attracts the biggest names in Hollywood who come to promote their films, compete for the prestigious Palme d'Or award and party.
6. Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix
Just as the Cannes film festival is wrapping up, it will be time to head to Monaco again for the Monaco Grand Prix; the most electrifying and anticipated race on the Formula 1 circuit. The event, which sees drivers like Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton race through the streets of the principality at speeds of up to 280km per hour, will this year overlap slightly with the film festival. So if you want to fit both in, why not charter a private helicopter to get you there in just 15 minutes. Simple.
7. Jazz Festival in Juan-les-Pins
One of the highlights of spending the summer on the Cote d'Azur in June is the chance to tap into its rich musical heritage, and no venue is as spectacular as under the giant pine trees on the shores of the Bay of Cannes in Juan-les-Pins. It is in this unique setting that musicians such as George Benson, James Blunt and other top international musicians perform during the Jazz à Juan Festival.
8. Jazz Festival in Ramatuelle
More jazz, this time in Ramatuelle, a delightful medieval village a stone's throw from Saint Tropez and the perfect attraction for those holidaying in private villas on the water's edge at Pampelonne, which is actually in the same commune as Ramatuelle. The Jazz Festival Ramatuelle will be played out in August, in the historic Theatre de Verdure and surrounding gardens.
9. Monaco Yacht Show
In many places September signals the end to summer but not in the South of France, where temperatures linger in the mid 20Cs until the end of the month. A hugely popular event to seek at this time of year is the Monaco Yacht Show, the world's most exclusive boat extravaganza featuring many of the most spectacular yachts available for sale and for charter on the globe. It's a great chance to marvel at superyachts such as Kokomo, a magnificent 58 metre sailing yacht which was last year presented at the show by Fraser Yachts.
10. Les Voiles de St Tropez
Continuing along with the sailing theme is Les Voiles de St Tropez Regatta, one of the most anticipated yachting events on the nautical calendar takes place in September. Organised by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the race attracts top racers and sailing enthusiast from all over the world who come annually to battle it out in the waters off Saint Tropez.
These are just a few of he events that await; there are countless other events held up and down the Cote d'Azur which make the perfect outing from your holidays in Saint Tropez.
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The Gunderson Family
The myotonic dystrophy community has lost a dear friend and champion in the fight to cure myotonic dystrophy. Edward Julius Gunderson died on December 11, 2009, after a long and courageous struggle with this disorder. Ed was truly a man with a vision. Diagnosed at the age of 48, doctors gave him just seven years to live. Twenty two years later, Ed leaves a legacy of hope and determination.
When Ed and his wife, Alice, first got Ed's diagnosis, they did not know anyone else living with the disorder. That would soon change. With the help of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and other volunteer families, Ed helped to organize a myotonic dystrophy support group, the Myotonic Dystrophy Assistance and Awareness Support Group (MDAASG) in Los Angeles, California. A decade later, the group has expanded to several groups across the U.S. and hosts a weekly online chat, publishes a newsletter and holds an annual myotonic dystrophy research fundraiser. The MDAASG has also been instrumental in coordinating an annual myotonic dystrophy family conference for the last nine years. Alice, who formerly served on the Board of Directors for Myotonic, worked tirelessly with Ed, even when he was not able to do so himself.
In living through the challenges of myotonic dystrophy, Ed proved that it is not a terminal diagnosis but one that is chronic and progressive. He taught us that with a carefully selected team of care providers, family support and encouragement, and proper management of the disorder's symptoms, and individual diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy can live a full life.
Ed would want us to know that one man's ideas combined with the ideas and spirit of others equal the power and force that will one day make this disorder, "a disorder of the past." Our lives have been enriched by Ed and Alice, and the myotonic dystrophy community together can honor this legacy by each doing our part to help make their dream a reality.
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Normally when I blog, I spend a lot of time making sure that get as close to perfection as I can. This post is an exception. The problem I am talking about is too far out of my main specialization area that I want to spend more time on it than I already have, yet what I have so far appears to be valuable enough already to warrant posting. Even in it's current, unfinished and not fully tested state.
One of my customers called me to look at a problem where they were unable to upgrade a third party application due to some mysterious "collation conflict" error messages during the upgrade process. Those error messages originated from the SQL Server database used as the backend for the third party application. And since I am supposed to be the SQL Server expert, they were all looking at me for a solution.
I won't bother you with the long process we went through for troubleshooting. Let's just say that with better service providers, we probably would have found the issue earlier. (In fact, with better service providers it probably would never have happened). So let me jump straight to the root cause.
About two years ago, they had moved the database backend for this application from their old physical hardware to hosted hardware (not true cloud, a virtual cloud from a hosting provider). For weird reasons they had not asked me to set up the SQL Server instance, but instead asked the hosting provider. Who apparently felt confident that just clicking next should be good enough. They installed SQL Server, restored a backup of the old database, and called it a day.
I contacted the vendor to find out what collations are recommended and/or supported. I rebuilt the master database to set the default instance collation to the recommended collation, then switched the database default collation to match it. But I had one problem remaining: thousands of columns defined with the wrong collation.
Finding the columns with incorrect collations is easy enough. Scripting the ALTER TABLE statements to change their collation is also not a really big problem. But to change the collation, one has to first drop all indexes that contain the column, and drop all foreign key constraints that reference the column. That's where it became challenging.
So what does an IT person do when faced with a challenge? Yes: they turn to Google. I found several sites with various tips and scripts. The one that looked most promising was found at StackOverflow. The script posted by Philip C appeared to do everything I needed, and probably even more.
But we all know the golden rule of internet: never trust anything or anyone blindly. So obviously I did not just run this on production. I restored a copy of the database to a test server, so I could experiment with the script. And boy, was I glad I did. There were various issues with the script. I tweaked a bit here, made a small change there … and then realized there was a basic problem that actually required me to do a quite major overhaul. I still was happy to have found the script because it absolutely gave me a head start, but it did end up taking more time than I had hoped for.
The first bug I fixed was not actually a real bug. It was a suboptimal choice. The script generates lots of SQL statements in a temporary table, then at the end sends them all to the SSMS window where you can select the output, copy and paste into a new query window, and then execute. When outputting the statements, it sorts them by statement type to ensure that objects are first dropped, then collations are changed, and then objects are recreated in an order that ensure that objects with dependencies are generated after the objects they depend on.
But I disagree with some of the ordering choices. For instance, when recreating objects the script first creates indexes, then unique constraints, and then primary key constraints. That is not wrong. But in my experience, the primary key is most often the clustered index. And when you build multiple indexes on the same table, it is smart to start with the clustered index – if you first build a nonclustered index, then that index has to be rebuilt when you later add a clustered index.
I did not try to add logic to look at which indexes are actually clustered and nonclustered to get the guaranteed best order. But I did switch the order. My version of the script now first generates primary key constraints, then unique constraints, and then the remaining indexes. So in most cases, this will build the clustered index first. Oh, and I did a similar change (using the reverse logic) in the part where constraints and indexes are dropped.
Another change I made quite quickly was to fix a small sloppiness. When recreating the foreign key constraints that originally were enabled and trusted, the code generated would force SQL Server to check the existing data twice. I removed the extra check.
I also did a small usability change. The script as posted returns two columns of output to SSMS. I removed the column with the sort order so that it outputs just the generated T-SQL statements. This makes it very easy to copy those statements and paste them in a new query window where I can review and then execute them.
After making those tweaks, I started testing the script. And that's when the actual bugs popped up. I didn't track all of them. One I remember is that wrong code was generated when a multi-column unique constraint overlaps with a multi-column primary key. After fixing that, I got errors where e.g. the same constraint was generated twice if it was a multi-column constraint (not sure if that's an original bug or introduced by me when I fixed the first bug).
As I noticed more and more small issues, almost always related to multi-column constraints, I realized that the problem is that the script was originally completely column-based. For each column, it would check indexes, constraints, etc. That results either in duplication within the script (often, but not always, removed by using DISTINCT), or complex code to try to prevent the duplication.
So I decided that the best way to fix everything is to keep the outline of the script, but make the changed needed to do everything per table instead of per column, while still making sure not to do unneeded work (e.g. indexes on non-affected columns are never dropped and rebuilt).
After completing that work, I had a script that did what I needed: change the collation of all affected columns, including the dropping and recreating of objects that would prevent this collation change. I ran it on my test database and then used SQL Compare (I think this action alone already earned back the entire license fee) to verify that the two databases were now exactly the same except for the collations.
The original version of the script had some weird exceptions that I didn't really understand, and that were not always consistent. Probably due to the various sources that Philip C used when he assembled the script. I removed most of them.
The original version of the script also had logic to drop and recreate manually created statistics objects. I didn't have any of those in the database I was working on, so to save some time I simply commented out that part of the code and didn't try to figure out if there were any bugs there. Since I based some of the logic in the loop within the script, this part of the code almost certainly doesn't work now. So if you need to use this script on a database that does have manually created statistics, you will have to uncomment these parts of the script and then make the necessary changes to get them to work.
I have tested this scrip on the database that I needed to fix. This database is quite complex and big, but I have no guarantee that all possible situations are covered. Please, do not ever run this script on important production databases without first testing it on a test copy of that database, and without having a good backup available.
The script is currently set to automatically find all columns that have a collation that is different from the database default collation. This is quite easy to change if your requirements are different.
The script posted below only generates the code to make the changes; it does not automatically execute it. The generated output is sent to SSMS as a single result set. I recommend setting SSMS to use "results to text" (Ctrl-T), and checking the query options to make sure that the maximum number of character per column is suffienctly large – SSMS defaults this to 256 which is insufficient; I always set this to the maximum allowed value which is 8192.
As mentioned above, I can not justify investing more time in this script now. The problem is fixed so I can't improve it on customer time. And I need my own time to prepare my presentation for SQLBits next month.
So without further ado, here is a script you can use, with the aforementioned precautions, to find all columns that do not have the database default collation and change them to that collation; including the dropping and recreating of objects as needed for this change.
* to the database default and then recreate the dependant objects.


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Last edited by Maujar
4 edition of problem for the Chalet School found in the catalog.
problem for the Chalet School
Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Published 1972 by Armada in London .
Originally published, London , Chambers, 1956.
Statement Elinor M. Brent-Dyer.
Buy a cheap copy of A Problem for the Chalet School book by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. Free shipping over $ TRIALS FOR THE CHALET SCHOOL (PAPERBACK). Trials for the chalet school (paperback). Hi thereselling on a few chalet school novels elinor m. interesting book in which the usual head is away and the deputy has to learn to cope and learn lessons she probably did not expect.
'The School at the Chalet' is the very first Chalet School story (originally published in ) and introduces readers to Madge Bettany, a young woman in her mid-twenties, who decides to set up a boarding school in the Austrian by: 2. a genius at the chalet school (cs 35) a problem for the chalet school (cs 36) the new mistress at the chalet school (cs 37) excitements for the chalet school (cs 38) the coming of age of the chalet school (cs 39) the chalet school and richenda (cs 40) re-issue of carnation of the upper fourth – abridged version.
Now, in this classic series of books, first published in the s, join the Chalet School's first pupil, Joey Bettany, as she forges strong bonds of friendship with girls from Europe and America. Independent, intelligent, resourceful, and bold—the girls of Chalet School make each new term and adventure/5(8). Make offer - The Chalet Girls in Camp Chalet School paperback book Elinor M Brent-Dyer ELINOR M. BRENT-DYER Prefects of the Chalet School - 1st ed in d/j £
Robin and Lucienne Day
The Tomten
Naked joy.
Carl Ritter, genius of geography
Wolfs Head
Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect antibodies against Pasteurella multocida in infected rabbits
Strategic media planning
Growing Taller Day by Day
Privately Owned Public Space
To the top of Mount Everest
Science for a new world
Adriatic Coast
Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Trace Elements in Man and Animals (Tema-9)
Richard Rorty
Problem for the Chalet School by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer Download PDF EPUB FB2
A Problem for the Chalet School book. Read 13 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Rosamund Lilley is horrified to learn that she has /5. A Problem for the Chalet School Paperback – by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer (Author) › Visit Amazon's Elinor M.
Brent-Dyer Page. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author. Are you an author. /5(2). A problem for the Chalet School Hardcover – January 1, by Elinor M. BRENT-DYER (Author) out of 5 stars 2 ratings See all 6 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions/5(2).
A Problem for the Chalet School by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer My rating: 4 of 5 stars I rather love A Problem for the Chalet School though I have the suspicion that I'm not meant to.
I suspect I'm meant to be Team Chalet and Team Good Egg throughout but I can't help sort of loving the bumptious joy that is Joan Baker. A PROBLEM FOR THE CHALET SCHOOL written by Brent-Dyer, Elinor M.
published by W. & R. Chambers Limited (STOCK CODE: ) for sale by Stella & Rose's Books. Shelves: chalet-school, school-stories, re-read, read-in It's such a shame EBD didn't write this book 20 years earlier than she did.
The concept of problem for the Chalet School book, superb headmistress goes away for a term and leaves younger, less experienced colleague in charge" is actually a really, really good one, and EBD in her prime would have handled /5.
The Chalet School is a series of sixty or so novels written by Elinor Brent-Dyer. The stories they tell are set in a school situated in Austria whose job it is to teach girls the proper way to conduct themselves in the world.
+The Story Elinor, the author, was inspired to write the Chalet school series. The School at the Chalet () of 5 Votes: 3. a third edition of 'Jo of the Chalet School' by Elinor M Brent-Dyer, published inwith illustrated bookplates intact. This is the second book in the famous series about a girls' s The Princess of the Chalet School () of.
The original Chalet School series, as issued in hardcover editions. There are 58 books in total. The School at the Chalet, Jo of the Chalet School, The P. Books Advanced Search Amazon Charts Best Sellers & more Top New Releases Deals in Books School Books Textbooks Books Outlet Children's Books Calendars & Diaries of results for Books: "chalet school".
The School at the Chalet suffers from first book in a series From the opening pages of this novel, there's no escaping that it was written in the s. The slang is an instant giveaway, and the ongoing casual racism throughout the book ensures that you never forget that this is children's fiction written for a now-distant generation of children/5.
Author of Eustacia goes to the Chalet School, A Genius at the Chalet School, Prefects of the Chalet School, The feud in the Chalet School, A rebel at the Chalet School, The School at the Chalet, Chalet School, Bride Leads the Chalet School A Problem for the Chalet School by Elinor M.
Brent-Dyer 3 editions - first published in Not in. Buy A Problem for the Chalet School First Edition Thus by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer (ISBN: ) from Amazon's Book Store.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders/5(3). COVID Resources. Reliable information about the coronavirus (COVID) is available from the World Health Organization (current situation, international travel).Numerous and frequently-updated resource results are available from this 's WebJunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus.
30 DecSlogging at Lessons:: Books. For more serious discussions and debates about the Chalet School, the books and the characters. Moderators: JB, abbeybufo, Mia. 15 Feb#N#Lemon Biscuits & Liberty Bodices. General discussion for all the random Chalet School stuff that pops into your heads. [ Archived Threads].
The book I picked at random, the Chalet School Reunion (today's price around pounds 65) was not a smart choice for a beginner. Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not Author: Suzi Feay.
CHALET SCHOOL. You are viewing all stock in the "CHALET SCHOOL" category. We currently have 87 books in this category in stock. 87 records found. If you are looking for a specific book which we do not have in stock, then please get in touch and we'll let you know just as soon as it comes in.
Buy Collins Modern Classics – The School at the Chalet (Chalet School) New edition by Brent-Dyer, Elinor M. (ISBN: ) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.5/5(5).
The Wrong Chalet School [Elinor M. Brent-Dyer] on *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Not necessarily, as Caroline German proves quite adeptly with The Chalet School And Robin. This is a decent As I've previously mentioned, writing a fill-in book for a series this long and riddled with factual inconsistencies (with all love and respect to Elinor M.
Brent-Dyer) is quite a feat/5. First, Elinor M Brent-Dyer's Chalet School books. There are tons and tons of them, but I remember particularly loving Carola Storms the Chalet School. Because Carola .Buy A Problem for the Chalet School New impression by Brent-Dyer, Elinor M.
(ISBN: ) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders/5(3).The School At The Chalet () About book: Well, I've reread about ten of these today (not going to rate them all, thinking of your poor feeds), and I've only got about twenty in the series, which must contain over fifty books I tend to divide the copies I've got into two sets.
The first set is the beginning of the school, which is a boarding school that Madge Bettany, all of twenty-four.
cinemavog-legrauduroi.com - Problem for the Chalet School book © 2020


Season's greetings from the Learning Environments Research Group! Here's a recap of what our designers and researchers have been up to during 2014.
We just started a new project. Here are the slides from the seminar of the Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. The two year project is funded from the Tekes' Learning Solutions program.
Last week at the ITK 2012 (Interaktiivinen Tekniikka Koulutuksessa) conference TeamUp won the eEemeli competition's Apps4Learning category.
TeamUp is a new media reflection tool for teachers and students to form teams based on students' interests, and for students to record 1 minute audio updates about their teamwork progress, challenges and planned next steps.


How will the art world react to the fact that a major museum director, and not some museum bureaucrat (as in the case of the Smithsonian's Wojnarowicz censorship) has actively censored a prominent artist? I can't imagine with anything short of outrage.
I contacted the LA MOCA's press department 15 minutes ago, and they said there is no official response to Blu's statement, but they will let us know when there is.
Animal New York has responses from Ron English, Faile and other prominent street artists who aren't happy with MOCA and Deitch either.
One thing is for sure, this issue is NOT going away any time soon.
Also read LA Times art critic Christopher Knight on what Deitch's MOCA did wrong and how MOCA avoided similar problems in the past with equally political artists.


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Store struggles in UK but foreign sales grow
IMothercare has cut losses from its UK outlets and reported pre-tax profits of £5.5m in the six months to 11 October, compared with an £11m loss last year.
The company has shops in 60 countries but still earns more than a third of its revenue in the United Kingdom.
However, the stores in the UK are holding the company back but the management plan has narrowed its losses.
Mothercare said that it was encouraging UK like-for-like sales had risen 1.5% from last year. It has cut back on discounts and special offers.
Online sales rose by 14% and now account for a quarter of all UK sales. Mothercare also shut 14 British shops that were losing money.
The company said in September that it would ask shareholders for a £100m rights issue to help fund store closures and revamp existing ones.
Although Mothercare is struggling in the UK, its international business has been growing. Like-for-like international sales rose by 5% to £398m, boosted by soaring demand in Asia, its fastest-growing region, where it has 372 stores in 12 countries.


For the 2018-19 school year, there are 58 top boarding schools offering Track as an interscholastic sport, serving 30,217 students.
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REGISTRATION will remain open until midnight on Saturday, 4 February (Central Standard Time) NOTE: I do not accept late registrations for classes...you need to register within the dates of the open registration period. I'm sorry, but I just have too much going on to keep up with early or deal with late registrations. The FREE class is self-paced, and expected to take 4-8 weeks, depending on the time you have available to complete the 12 assigned Tasks.


Oh front three season porch, what a treasured place you've been for our cats. Here's the before.
Come summer, it's too hot out there. A little later than ideal, we took the windows out. Here's the during.
Screens back up. Loving the after.
And apparently the cats are enjoying the bug free relaxation too.
I'm pretty sure the screen porch is the best feature of this old farmhouse. So blessed.
Mine is no where near as nice as yours, but come Spring, that's where we are right into Autumn.
I sure do envy you your space!


Produce: Freshly juiced seasonal fruit & veggie juices & cold pressed juices, smoothies, fresh lemonade & winter warming soups.
The Local Squeeze was known as M&M Juice Bar for nearly 9 years and has been a regular at the Margaret River Farmers Market missing only a handful of markets over the past 9 years.
Michaela utilises as much local and southwest produce to make her seasonal healthy juices and smoothies, soups and of course her famous fresh lemonade.
At the Margaret River Farmers' Market all year round, hydrating and nourishing the masses with her fresh healthy combinations.


I've been reading The Economy of Cities by Jane Jacobs this past week. This is one of those books that I highly recommend reading.
One of the points that Ms. Jacobs makes is that the most economically vibrant cities tend to be horribly inefficient and impractical. It's their messy organization, or lack of any real organization, that enables a community to adapt quickly to change.
Cities that are extremely well organized, Jane Jacobs points out, are often ill-prepared to adapt to change. Detroit was actually this way prior to the birth of the auto industry.
With that in mind, I'd simply like to say that I look forward to Detroit once again being a horribly impractical and inefficient city once again.


t's time to once again "Ask the Brewers." Joining us in-studio is Golden Road Brewing's distinguished Brewmaster, Victor Novak.
This entry was posted in Podcasts, SoCal Restaurant Show and tagged Ask The Brewers, Brewmaster, Celebration, Germany, Golden Road Brewing, Munich, Oktoberfest, podcast, Victor Novak, Yakima Hops by abell. Bookmark the permalink.


Ionoco has introduced a new low-cost production set-up that allows producers to make niche programming using web cameras and convert the output to broadcast quality.
Using proprietary technology from Ionoco, a user can take a feed from a network camera or live contributions via the internet and then cut pictures, add effects and graphics and pump out a finished TV channel or content feed that can be transmitted as a broadcast stream.
It is also possible to provide near high definition quality pictures by using a T1 line, a fibre optic telephone connection that can carry roughly 60 times more data than a normal residential modem.
Web2TV costs roughly£1000 per day to hire plus the cost of the cameras, graphics and configuration charges.
Canis Media's Awareness TV channel (pictured) is the first to use Web2TV to stream live content from a studio to a Sky channel.
Ionoco specialises in graphics and control systems for the broadcast, lottery and gaming markets worldwide.