text:
Home /Rock Solid
Rock Solid: Climbing Toward Confidence teaches girls to find their inner strength
Paul Clark
WNC Staff
The first day of class was scary, recalls Shilpa Reddy. She had grown up in Morganton, but was starting her sophomore year at a high school in Durham. She was the new girl trying to find her way in a large school.
Today, as the director of Climbing Toward Confidence, she understands the challenges facing the 12- to 14-year-old girls enrolled in her program. When you're an adolescent, you're the new girl every day. You want to fit in. You may let yourself be coerced. You may find yourself saying yes when, inside, you're screaming no.
Based in Asheville, Climbing Toward Confidence works to prevent sexual violence by helping girls build their self-reliance. The program accomplishes this by introducing the young women to a sport that is out of their comfort zone. But meeting weekly for almost three months at ClimbMax Climbing, an indoor climbing gym in Asheville, with a culminating excursion on a local rock face, the teens have a chance to find out who they are without pressure from the outside world.
The girls come to the program through referrals by school counselors who notice a sharp drop in confidence or signs that they or someone they know has experienced sexual violence.
In 2008, Anna Sharratt founded the program, which operates through Our Voice, a local crisis and prevention center. Now living in Austin, Texas, and the mother of a rambunctious 16-month-old son, Sharratt easily recalls the when, where, why, and how Climbing Toward Confidence came to be.
The inspiration for the program dates back to her childhood in St. Paul, Minnesota, when a group of female role models took her and other girls camping in the backcountry of the Big Horn and Wind River mountains. The girls learned "that we could choose who our friends were and not go along with those popular, snotty girls," Sharratt says. "I was given the gift of seeing a different way of being a woman than what a lot of girls see in teen magazines."
Climbing fosters the ability to speak for yourself because it's an activity you largely do on your own, Sharratt says. You may be roped in and working with a partner, but the move you need to make has to come from within. No one can help you do it, despite all the encouragement they offer. The lesson is that it's up for you to decide your path, a notion which builds the girls' independence.
Climbing fosters that self-assurance not by pushing the girls to daring heights, but by allowing them to reach beyond their limits. If they don't want to go any higher, they just say no, and they're either lowered to the ground or they climb down.
"We definitely honor the word no in this program," Reddy says. That's what Climbing Toward Confidence is all about—saying no and having it heard. The girls learn they can speak for themselves and other people will listen.
Now a seasoned climber, Reddy recalls her first experience in an indoor climbing gym as "incredibly interesting" and "weirdly terrifying." Still, she was hooked on the sport from that moment. The combination of balance, movement, and problem solving engaged her young mind in a way nothing else had. Climbing isn't about strength, many girls in the program are relieved to find out. It's about shifting weight from one leg to another and staying connected to the rock while searching for a way to move forward. There's adventure in that search and discovery at the end, and combined, they teach that you can take care of yourself, Reddy says.
She shares the story of her move to a new high school with the girls in Climbing Toward Confidence, and she describes the experience as "disorienting." Even the way people talked was different, she explains.
She also recounts how she found a foothold in her new world when she introduced herself to a couple of girls on her cross-country team. Every adolescent girl feels out of place, she explains. Finding a solid foundation from which you won't fall is just a matter of digging deep and discovering that foothold within.
photographs courtesy of Our VOICE


text:
use Pod::Usage;
use Getopt::Long;
use Data::Dumper;
use strict;
use warnings;

=head1 NAME

B<upg2_wizard.pl> - wizard to fix upg2 test

=head1 SYNOPSIS

B<upg2_wizard.pl> [options]

Options:

    -help            brief help message
    -man             full documentation
    -connect         psql connect parameters
    -tablename       LIKE expression describing new tables
    -indexname       LIKE expression describing new indexes
    -preview         show data file updates, but don't modify the files

=head1 OPTIONS

=over 8

=item B<-help>

    Print a brief help message and exits.

=item B<-man>

    Prints the manual page and exits.

=item B<-connect>

    psql connect string, e.g:

    -connect '-p 11000 template1'

=item B<-tablename>

    LIKE expression describing new catalog table, eg:

	-tablename foo

	or

	-tablename foo%bar

	To specify multiple tables, use multiple tablename arguments, eg:

	-tablename foo -tablename bar -tablename baz

=item B<-indexname>

    LIKE expression describing new catalog indices, eg:

	-indexname foo

	or

	-indexname foo%bar

	To specify multiple indices, use multiple indexname arguments, eg:

	-indexname foo -indexname bar -indexname baz

=item B<-preview>

    Show data file updates, but don't modify the files.

=back

=head1 DESCRIPTION

The upg2_wizard is used to modify the data files for the upg2
regression test in accordance with the UPG2_README guidelines.

=head1 AUTHORS

Apache HAWQ

Address bug reports and comments to: dev@hawq.incubator.apache.org

=cut

my $glob_id = "";
my $glob_connect;
my $glob_tname;
my $glob_iname;
my $glob_preview;

BEGIN {
    my $man  = 0;
    my $help = 0;
    my $conn;
    my @tname;
    my @iname;
	my $preview = 0;

    GetOptions(
               'help|?' => \$help, man => \$man,
               "connect=s" => \$conn,
               "tablename:s" => \@tname,
               "indexname:s" => \@iname,
	 	       "preview|pretend" => \$preview
               )
        or pod2usage(2);

    pod2usage(-msg => $glob_id, -exitstatus => 1) if $help;
    pod2usage(-msg => $glob_id, -exitstatus => 0, -verbose => 2) if $man;

	$glob_preview = $preview;
    $glob_connect = $conn;

    $glob_connect = '-p 11000 template1'
        unless (defined($glob_connect));

    $glob_tname = [];
	push @{$glob_tname}, @tname if (scalar(@tname));

    $glob_iname = [];
	push @{$glob_iname}, @iname if (scalar(@iname));

}

# convert a postgresql psql formatted table into an array of hashes
sub tablelizer
{
    my $ini = shift;

    # first, split into separate lines, the find all the column headings

    my @lines = split(/\n/, $ini);

    return undef
        unless (scalar(@lines));

    my $line1 = shift @lines;

    # look for <space>|<space>
    my @colheads = split(/\s+\|\s+/, $line1);

    # fixup first, last column head (remove leading,trailing spaces)

    $colheads[0] =~ s/^\s+//;
    $colheads[0] =~ s/\s+$//;
    $colheads[-1] =~ s/^\s+//;
    $colheads[-1] =~ s/\s+$//;

    return undef
        unless (scalar(@lines));

    shift @lines; # skip dashed separator

    my @rows;

    for my $lin (@lines)
    {
        my @cols = split(/\|/, $lin, scalar(@colheads));
        last
            unless (scalar(@cols) == scalar(@colheads));

        my $rowh = {};

        for my $colhd (@colheads)
        {
            my $rawcol = shift @cols;

            $rawcol =~ s/^\s+//;
            $rawcol =~ s/\s+$//;

            $rowh->{$colhd} = $rawcol;
        }
        push @rows, $rowh;
    }

    return \@rows;
}

# file fixer: general routine to merge new catalog objects into the
# existing data files
#
# args: hash of new relids
#       sql query to find rows associated with new catalog objects
#       formatted string of relids (for substitution into sql query)
#       name of the column which is a relid foreign key
#       data file name
#       position of the relid key col in the row (0-based)
#       formatted string of column names (vertical bar separator, in order)
sub file_fixer
{
	my ($all_relid, $sql_str, $relid_list, $relid_colname,
		$file_name, $relid_pos, $col_list_str) = @_;

	my $psql_str = "psql ";

    $psql_str .= $glob_connect
        if (defined($glob_connect));

	$sql_str =~ s/\*RELID_LIST\*/$relid_list/g;

    $psql_str .= ' -c " ' . $sql_str .  '"';

    print $psql_str, "\n";

	my $tabdef = `$psql_str`;

    print $tabdef;

    my $rowarr = tablelizer($tabdef);

	my @all_newrows;

	# find all the new rows (matching the relids of the new catalog objects)
    for my $rr (@{$rowarr})
    {
#		print Data::Dumper->Dump([$rr]);

		for my $kk (keys %{$rr})
		{
			# fix NULLs
			$rr->{$kk} = '\N'
				unless (length($rr->{$kk}));
		}

		push @all_newrows, $rr;
#			if (exists($all_relid->{$rr->{$relid_colname}}));
    }

	goto L_previewo if $glob_preview;

	# must be read and writeable
	die ("bad file: $file_name")
		unless (-r $file_name && -w $file_name);

	my $cp2 = "cp $file_name $file_name" . ".old";

	`$cp2`;

	my @all_oldrows;

	open my $file_in, "< $file_name" or die "cannot open $file_name: $!";

	# get the dataset for existing catalog updates and filter out rows
	# which might match the "new" rows...
	for my $ini (<$file_in>)
	{
		next if ($ini =~ m/^\\\./);

		my @foo = split(/\|/, $ini);

#		print Data::Dumper->Dump(\@foo);

		next
			if (exists($all_relid->{$foo[$relid_pos]}));

		push @all_oldrows, $ini;
	}

	close $file_in;

  L_previewo:

	my $file_out;

	if ($glob_preview)
	{
		open $file_out, ">&STDOUT"     or die "Can't dup STDOUT: $!";

		print "\n\n";
	}
	else
	{
		open $file_out, "> $file_name"
			or die "cannot open $file_name: $!";
	}

	# save the rows again
	for my $outi (@all_oldrows)
	{

		print $file_out $outi;
	}

	my @col_list = split(/\|/, $col_list_str);

	my $col1 = shift @col_list;

	# add any new rows
	for my $a1 (@all_newrows)
	{
		print $file_out $a1->{$col1};
		for my $cname (@col_list)
		{
			print $file_out "|", $a1->{$cname};
		}
		print $file_out "\n";
	}

	print $file_out "\\.\n";

	print "\n\n" if ($glob_preview);

	close $file_out;

} # end file fixer

if (1)
{
	my $exe = $0;

	# assume current file is in src/test/resgress...
	my $xdir = $exe;
	$xdir =~ s/\/upg2\_wizard\.pl$//;

	my $class_file = "$xdir/data/upgrade34/upg2_pg_class_toadd33.data.in";
	my $attr_file = "$xdir/data/upgrade34/upg2_pg_attribute_toadd33.data.in";
	my $depend_file = "$xdir/data/upgrade34/upg2_pg_depend_toadd33.data";
	my $index_file = "$xdir/data/upgrade34/upg2_pg_index_toadd33.data.in";
	my $type_file = "$xdir/data/upgrade34/upg2_pg_type_toadd33.data.in";

    my $psql_str = "psql ";

    $psql_str .= $glob_connect
        if (defined($glob_connect));

	my $sql_str = "select oid, * from pg_class where ";

	my @all_name;

	push @all_name, @{$glob_tname};
	push @all_name, @{$glob_iname};

	my @all_like;

	for my $nam (@all_name)
	{
		push @all_like, " relname like \'".	$nam . "\' ";
	}

	unless (scalar(@all_like))
	{
		die("no table or index names");
		exit(1);
	}

	$sql_str .= join(" or ", @all_like) . " ;" ;

    $psql_str .= ' -c " ' . $sql_str .  '"';

    print $psql_str, "\n";

    my $tabdef = `$psql_str`;

    print $tabdef;

    my $rowarr = tablelizer($tabdef);

    my %reg_tabs;

	my $who_me = `whoami`;

	chomp $who_me;

	my %all_relid;
	my %all_tab;

    for my $rr (@{$rowarr})
    {
		$rr->{relacl} =~ s/$who_me/\@gpcurusername\@/g;

		$rr->{relacl} = '\N'
			unless (length($rr->{relacl}));
		$rr->{reloptions} = '\N'
			unless (length($rr->{reloptions}));

#		print Data::Dumper->Dump([$rr]);

		$all_tab{$rr->{relname}} = $rr;
		$all_relid{$rr->{oid}} = $rr->{relname};
    }

#	print Data::Dumper->Dump([%all_relid]);

#	print $class_file, "\n";

	goto L_previewoo if $glob_preview;

	die ("bad file")
		unless (-r $class_file && -w $class_file);

	my $cp1 = "cp $class_file $class_file" . ".old";

	`$cp1`;

	my @all_class;

	open my $class_in, "< $class_file" or die "cannot open $class_file: $!";

	for my $ini (<$class_in>)
	{
		next if ($ini =~ m/^\\\./);

		my @foo = split(/\|/, $ini, 2);

#		print Data::Dumper->Dump(\@foo);

		next
			if (exists($all_relid{$foo[0]}));

		push @all_class, $ini;
	}

	close $class_in;

	L_previewoo:

	my $file_out;

	if ($glob_preview)
	{
		open $file_out, ">&STDOUT"     or die "Can't dup STDOUT: $!";

		print "\n\n";
	}
	else
	{
		open my $file_out, "> $class_file"
			or die "cannot open $class_file: $!";
	}

	for my $outi (@all_class)
	{

		print $file_out $outi;
	}

my @class_col_list = split(/\|/,
"relname|relnamespace|reltype|relowner|relam|relfilenode|reltablespace|relpages|reltuples|reltoastrelid|reltoastidxid|relaosegrelid|relaosegidxid|relhasindex|relisshared|relkind|relstorage|relnatts|relchecks|reltriggers|relukeys|relfkeys|relrefs|relhasoids|relhaspkey|relhasrules|relhassubclass|relfrozenxid|relacl|reloptions"
)	;

	for my $oid (sort {$a <=> $b} keys (%all_relid))
	{
		print $file_out $oid;
		for my $cname (@class_col_list)
		{
			print $file_out "|", $all_tab{$all_relid{$oid}}->{$cname};
		}
		print $file_out "\n";
	}

	print $file_out "\\.\n";

	print "\n\n" if ($glob_preview);

	close $file_out;

	my $relid_list_str = join(",", (sort {$a <=> $b} keys (%all_relid)));

	file_fixer(\%all_relid,
		"select * from pg_attribute where attrelid in " .
		"( *RELID_LIST* ) order by attrelid, attnum;",
			   $relid_list_str,
			   "attrelid",
		$attr_file,  0,
		"attrelid|attname|atttypid|attstattarget|attlen|attnum|attndims|attcacheoff|atttypmod|attbyval|attstorage|attalign|attnotnull|atthasdef|attisdropped|attislocal|attinhcount"
		);

	# depend

	file_fixer(\%all_relid,
		"select * from pg_depend where refobjid in " .
		"( *RELID_LIST* ) " .
	    " or refobjid in (select oid from pg_type where typrelid in " .
		"( *RELID_LIST* ) ) " .
	    "order by classid, objid, refobjid;",
			   $relid_list_str,
			   "refobjid",
		$depend_file,  4,
		"classid|objid|objsubid|refclassid|refobjid|refobjsubid|deptype"
		);

	# index

	file_fixer(\%all_relid,
		"select * from pg_index where indexrelid in " .
		"( *RELID_LIST* ) order by indexrelid, indrelid;",
			   $relid_list_str,
			   "indexrelid",
		$index_file,  0,
			   "indexrelid|indrelid|indnatts|indisunique|indisprimary|indisclustered|indisvalid|indkey|indclass|indexprs|indpred"
		);

	# type

	file_fixer(\%all_relid,
		"select oid,* from pg_type where typrelid in " .
		"( *RELID_LIST* ) order by oid, typname, typrelid;",
			   $relid_list_str,
			   "typrelid",
		$type_file,  9,
			   "oid|typname|typnamespace|typowner|typlen|typbyval|typtype|typisdefined|typdelim|typrelid|typelem|typinput|typoutput|typreceive|typsend|typanalyze|typalign|typstorage|typnotnull|typbasetype|typtypmod|typndims|typdefaultbin|typdefault"
		);

}

exit();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In case you missed an Episode… here's a link to Episodes 200 – 204 of The Two Minute Commute on BigFishIdeas.com.
Episode #204 – Add a Surprise Where Ever You Can!
Episode #206 – Make Mistakes… Become Successful… Tell Your Story!


Hustle. Work hard. Arrive early. Stay late. The keys to the kingdom are given to those that hustle and work for them. So why is it that for some the hustle and hard work pays off, yet for the rest of us no matter how hard we grind we just seem to be spinning our wheels and getting nowhere fast?
While its true that hard work and self-discipline are the difference makers when it comes to success, pure hustle alone won't get you where you want to go. If your mindset and actions are not in alignment with your goals, you are wasting time and energy and may actually be putting barriers in your own way.
You may not realize it, but you could be self-sabotaging your efforts towards achieving your goals multiple times a day. If you are regularly grinding away but not seeing the progress you want, it is likely that there are other actions or behaviors you are doing on a regular (if not daily) basis that are undoing all your good work.
Every action you take on a given day impacts your goal either directly or indirectly. Actions that directly impact your goal are those that appear on your to-do list, such as working on a project, creating a plan, making calls, or going to the gym. These actions are the focus of your efforts and, if you are working on them diligently, are often not the issue.
The issue is usually hidden in those other actions you take on a daily basis that indirectly influence your progress. For example, you decide to order a heavy lunch. As a result, you spend the afternoon feeling sluggish, which slows down your progress on an important project so that you need to stay an hour late to finish it. Sure, you hustled and completed the project, but had you selected a lunch option that gave you energy and fueled your afternoon you could have had more focus and finished up quicker. The action you took at lunchtime was not in alignment with your goal and negatively impacted your progress towards it.
Another way we often sabotage our progress is through our reward behavior. We work hard all week in the office so we allow ourselves to sleep in on Saturday, or we did so well on our diet that we give ourselves a 'cheat day' and go out for pizza. Giving yourself a treat for doing well is a great motivator but can also negatively impact your progress if you choose a reward that is not in alignment with your goals. Rewarding a week of healthy food choices with pizza tells your brain that pizza is something special, elevating it from just a type of food to a higher, more delicious food status. Now it'll be even harder to resist and leave you feeling even more deprived. Choosing a reward that is in alignment with your healthy eating goals, such as treating yourself to a smoothie from the fancy smoothie place or a spa treatment, gives you the psychological benefits of reward and motivation to continue without undermining your progress.
Ultimately, every action you take during the day will either positively or negatively impact your progress towards your goal. Shifting your thinking to a more holistic perspective and making daily choices with your goals in mind will drastically speed up your progress and prevent you from self-sabotage.
The reason behind your lack of progress could run much deeper than simple self-sabotage. Are the goals that you've set really what you truly want, or are they a reflection of what other people want for you? Society dictates a 'standard life progression' in which you are expected to go to school, get good grades, get into a good college, graduate and get a job, get married, have kids, work for 45 years, and retire on whatever pension you've managed to scrape together. When you add into the mix the expectations of parents, teachers, and others we can often end up with a set of goals that do not reflect who we truly are and what we truly value in life.
Society subscribes to a very narrow view of what success is, focusing predominantly on career and the acquisition of wealth. When children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, the expected answer is a job title. John Lennon famously said "When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life".
Creating our life vision based on such a narrow perspective is stifling, and leaves many of us chasing goals that do not inspire us. If your goals are not in alignment with what you truly want in life you will find it extremely difficult to make any progress, and if you manage to achieve them at all you may still find yourself unhappy and unfulfilled.
1) What to do you want to experience in life?
2) What do you want to learn/how do you want to grow?
3) What do you want to contribute to the world?
Asking yourself these three questions and comparing them to the goals you've previously been chasing may reveal a deep disconnect between what you thought you wanted and what you really want. If you find that your goals are not in alignment with your true desires, you can now rethink and change direction. It can also help to identify which of the goals you are pursuing are simply a means to an end. The ability to connect the achievement of a means goal with the desired end goal, such as passing an anatomy class (means goal) to achieve a medical degree and become a doctor (end goal), is a powerful motivator as means goals often hold no intrinsic motivational value of their own.
Simply working harder than the other guy is not going to bring you success if you are constantly fighting a battle against yourself. Spending some time thinking about whether your goals are in line with what you really want and if your daily actions and behaviors are in alignment with them will go a long way to streamlining your actions and massively increasing the progress you make each and every day.
If you enjoyed this article please let me know in the comments below and share it with others on social media!
High functioning depression: What is it?


text:
var path = require("path");
var nugetPath = path.join(__dirname, "nuget.exe");

module.exports = function (grunt) {
    var _ = grunt.util._,
        useMono = (process.platform !== 'win32'),
        executable = useMono ? 'mono' : nugetPath;

        createArguments = function (command, path, args) {
            var result = [];

            if (useMono) {
                result.push(nugetPath);
            }

            result.push(command);
            result.push(path);

            for (var key in args) {
                var argKey = "-" + key[0].toUpperCase() + key.slice(1);
                result.push(argKey);

                if (args[key] && args[key] !== true)
                    result.push(args[key]);
            }

            return result;
        },

        createSpawnCallback = function (path, args, callback) {
            return function (error, result, code) {
                if (error) {
                    var _error = "Error while trying to execute NuGet Command Line on file " + path + "\n" + error;
                    callback(error);
                }
                else {
                    if ("verbose" in args || "verbosity" in args) {
                        grunt.log.writeln(result);
                    }

                    grunt.log.ok();
                    callback();
                }
            }
        },

        isSpecFile = function (file) {
            return path.extname(file) === ".nuspec" || path.extname(file) === ".csproj";
        },

        isPackageFile = function (file) {
            return path.extname(file) === ".nupkg";
        },
        isSolutionFile = function (file) {
            return path.extname(file) === ".sln";
        },
        isConfigFile = function (file) {
            return path.basename(file) === "packages.config";
        },

        pack = function (path, args, callback) {
            if (!isSpecFile(path)) {
                callback("File path '" + path + "' is not a NuGet specification file !");
                return;
            }

            grunt.log.writeln("Trying to create NuGet package from " + path + ". ");
            grunt.util.spawn({ cmd: executable, args: createArguments("Pack", path, args) }, createSpawnCallback(path, args, callback));
        },

        push = function (path, args, callback) {
            if (!isPackageFile(path)) {
                callback("File path '" + path + "' is not a NuGet package file !");
                return;
            }

            grunt.log.writeln("Trying to publish NuGet package " + path + ". ");
            grunt.util.spawn({ cmd: executable, args: createArguments("Push", path, args) }, createSpawnCallback(path, args, callback));
        },
        restore = function (path, args, callback) {
            if (!isSolutionFile(path) && !isConfigFile(path)) {
                callback("File path '" + path + "' is not a valid solution file or packages.config !");
                return;
            }

            grunt.log.writeln("Trying to restore NuGet packages for " + path + ". ");
            grunt.util.spawn({ cmd: executable, args: createArguments("Restore", path, args) }, createSpawnCallback(path, args, callback));
        },
        setapikey = function (key, args, callback) {
            grunt.util.spawn({ cmd: executable, args: createArguments("SetApiKey", key, args) }, createSpawnCallback(null, args, callback));
        };

    return {
        isSpecFile: isSpecFile,
        isPackageFile: isPackageFile,

        pack: pack,
        push: push,
        restore: restore,
        setapikey: setapikey
    };
};


If the Population Were to Shrink, What Would That Mean for an Economy Based on Growth?
It's highly unlikely that life as we know it – or want it — can continue for long unless we rein in population growth. Too many measures indicate that the great mass of us burning fossil fuels, gobbling up renewable resources, and generating toxic trash is overloading our life support ecosystems. In the central North Pacific Ocean gyre, swirling plastic fragments now outweigh plankton 46 to one. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is far higher today than at any point in the past 650,000 years, and climbing. Nearly one in four mammals is threatened with extinction, as is one in three amphibians and a quarter of all conifers. In many parts of the world, including the High Plains of North America, human water use exceeds annual average water replenishment; the United Nations predicts that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity. Unsustainable farming practices cause the destruction and abandonment of almost 30 million acres of arable land each year. The list runs far too long.
Meanwhile, our population continues to grow in leapfrog fashion. Despite declines over the last several decades in the annual global population growth rate and near zero population growth in several countries, the number of humans is still increasing by 1.18 percent per year. That sounds manageable – until we do the math. With more than 6.7 billion of us, even a growth rate of just over one percent translates into 80 million more of us annually, the equivalent of nearly two Sudans, or three and a half Taiwans. Each year, China must find room and resources for eight million more people even though its population is growing by only a little more than a half of one percent annually. The US, with a growth rate of nearly one percent per year, increases by more than 2.9 million people annually, the equivalent of almost four new San Franciscos.
Global zero population growth might be an environmental imperative, but could it lead to an economic implosion?
Could it be, then, that we can't afford to stop producing more consumers however much we fear the widening cracks in our ecosystems, lest we risk a shrinking economy accompanied by unemployment and economic turmoil? The answer, despite the hue and cry that usually accompanies each dip in GDP, is both yes and no: GDP likely will fall if we can slow and stop population growth. But the sky won't.
On March 13, 2008, the Economist reported that America's economic performance in the five years leading up to 2007 was not necessarily better than Japan's, despite the fact that the GDP of the US was growing at 2.9 percent per year compared to Japan's GDP growth rate of 2.1 percent. More important than focusing on GDP, the Economist argued, was taking a look at per capita GDP, which corrects for population growth.
Ironically, the economic impact of any planned population decline would be dampened due to how numerous and technologically advanced we already are. We long ago grew plentiful enough and developed the transportation and communication systems necessary for the Smithian specialization of labor that underlies modern economies. Few situations exist anymore where the marginal benefits gained from increasing national populations outweigh the marginal costs, especially when we count environmental costs.
Neither does a decline in GDP caused by reduced population growth raise the specter of increased aggregate unemployment. An economic "slowdown" that results from slowing and eliminating population growth is distinctly different from that caused by a credit crunch or the messy bursting of a speculative bubble. While it's true there will be fewer mouths to pour breakfast cereal and soda into, there will also be fewer pairs of hands needing employment.
Continued population growth, meanwhile, is one of the surest ways to further job instability and depress wages. In many poorer nations, skyrocketing populations and entrenched unemployment are two sides of the same tarnished coin. "If the laboring class is having more children, then that means wages are going to have a harder time going up – you're increasing the supply of labor," Daly says.
Mistaking population growth for economic well-being has to do with the limitations of the measuring stick itself. GDP, it turns out, is an exceptionally crude way of calculating societal progress. As each additional million of us goes out and buys goods and services and, in so doing, grows the economy, we also take our toll on social and environmental resources – a toll that usually gets counted as economic growth in GDP calculations.
First developed in the early 1930s by an American economist named Simon Kuznets as a means of tracking the size of the economy month to month and year to year, GDP simply tallies a country's total legal monetary transactions. (In reality, it's not so simple: Inflation must be accounted for, and care taken not to double-count inputs on their way to becoming final products.) When the tally goes up, we talk of the economy growing and strengthening, and when it declines, we worry that the economy is contracting, shrinking, weakening.
Similarly, the costs of mitigating the stress imposed by a ballooning population on roads, schools, parks, agricultural land, air and water quality, government services, and ecosystems add to the total pool of a country's economic transactions. But the greater pool and its rising GDP hardly signify that the average citizen is enjoying a higher quality of life. Stop population growth, however, and many quality of life indicators would improve even as GDP likely declined.
While reducing population growth in an orderly fashion promises more economic good than ill, it will bring about social and economic challenges that even proponents of shrinking the population do not dismiss lightly. Of particular concern are the challenges associated with reducing the number of working age people relative to retirees.
The trick is to hit the sweet spot of a generational equilibrium between births and deaths. A population can achieve a "steady state," neither growing nor shrinking, one of two ways: either match high rates of birth with high rates of death (lots of people born to live short lives) or match low death rates with low birthrates. With little to be gained and much to be lost by promoting a high death rate, our success in reducing and stopping global population growth hinges on our ability to reduce birthrates. Doing so will fundamentally change the demographics of many countries as the ratio of younger people to older people declines.
The new demographics will require changes at the family and public policy levels in how we care for our elderly. In many countries, these changing demographics are already in play. In Japan, for example, the 65-and-older age group grew from 4.9 percent of the population in 1950 to over 21 percent in 2007. Even though our population continues to grow more rapidly than that of most industrialized countries, the US is facing a similar situation as the Baby Boom grays. Whereas today there are 3.3 workers for each Social Security beneficiary, by 2034, when all the Baby Boomers will be over 65, there will be only 2.1 workers per beneficiary.
In aging nations, the government will have to tax the remaining workers more, find an additional tax source for Social Security benefits, pay smaller pensions, raise the retirement age, or some combination of all four. Italy has tried to adapt to an older citizenry by raising the retirement age to 59. Germany curtailed annual government pension increases and raised the retirement age by two years, to 67. Governments' best efforts to deal with shifting demographics sometimes come up short. Statistics hint at some of the social ramifications. Forty percent of Belgians over 75, for instance, will live in poverty by 2016, according to the National Pensions Office in Brussels, in part because of lower pensions.
Another option for a country with a declining number of workers per elderly is to allow in more working immigrants. But that, of course, defeats the goal of settling into a population sized to fit the supporting ecosystems.
Capping population growth and possible GDP will require a profound rethinking of our notions of progress and political clout. Historically, power and prestige – whether on the individual or societal levels – have been linked to size. Governments have balked at the idea of shrinking populations because declining numbers suggest a diminishment of economic force and military might. Many ordinary citizens worry that a smaller economy may lead to fewer opportunities for themselves and their children. The biggest challenge, then, is convincing people that growth for growth's sake simply can't keep working.
Getting to that conclusion will require a coordinated global effort. If we continue to maintain the ideal that size trumps everything, then any country that deliberately diminishes in population may put itself at a competitive disadvantage with its neighbors – at least until we learn to place a value on clean water, fertile land, and green space. Fewer workers mean higher wages, which means more costly products and probably lower exports. A nation that breaks from the dominant GDP paradigm and begins using more accurate economic accounting that includes the social and environmental costs of production will raise the costs of its products, further reducing its competitiveness. Essentially, we either grow together or shrink together.
If we are able to find a way to collectively reduce population, then our current ideal of progress would have to be remodeled. Instead of trumpeting quantity, we would prioritize quality. In economic terms, that means putting greater emphasis on the value of the goods we create rather than simply the number of goods. Wealth creation would be linked to improving what we already have.
The notion of removing aggregate quantity from our measurements of collective and individual prosperity constitutes a direct assault on conventional economic thinking. It eliminates the idea of infinite growth and puts in its place the ideal of sufficiency. In a society obsessed with the latest stock market gyration, the thought is outlandish. But as Peter Victor suggests, such thinking is a sign of wisdom – the perfect worldview, perhaps, for a globe that at some point soon needs to get grayer.
"I think what's lacking from the public dialogue is the idea of sufficiency," he says. "I think a mature person, frankly, ends up working the concept of 'what is sufficient?' instead of always having to think that they improve themselves by acquiring more and spending more. That's a sign of immaturity, and I would say the same thing about societies. A mature society is one in which the notion of sufficiency has come into the public dialogue.
Deborah Rich raises organic olives and her two children in Monterey, CA. She is a frequent contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle.


A small and very successful private equity firm focused on the tech sectors is currently looking for a talented EA to support their CEO on a temp to permanent basis or permanent.
They are a brilliant small international team, very bright and ambitious and based in beautiful open plan modern offices in Knightsbridge.
You will be taking on a variety of senior level tasks such as complex diary/travel management, project work, working across different time zones, liaising with his Private PA, etc. dealing with confidential matters and being his true gatekeeper.
You must have at least 1 year's PA experience ideally within finance or/and tech experience and ideally degree level. Salary up to £40,000 + great benefits.
This is a lovely close knit office environment with scope to take on more responsibilities.


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Joy and some bemusement as Salmond somehow manages to get crowdfunded
Gary Stanton
Former SNP leader Alex Salmond has for some unfathomable reason succeeded in getting people to pay for his groping-scandal legal fees. In a move widely affirmed as proper classy, the can't-be-short-of-a-bob-or-two politician has managed to get the crowdfunding platform – [read...]
Nursery Rhymes placed in special measures after damning Ofsted Inspection
Macattack1964
A well known childcare facility has been placed in Special Measures today it was announced. Nursery Rhymes, long recognised as a market leading provider of early years education, was the subject of an unannounced Ofsted visit, [read...]
Stars mourn actor who made 'policeman lifting crime scene tape' role his own
harrypalmer
Stars of film and television have been paying tribute to actor Roy Beck who has died at the age of 72. Throughout a glittering career which spanned nearly five decades Beck starred in over forty films and numerous television series, [read...]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I recently read that only 44% of businesses survive the first 5 years! That gives D&A a great reason to celebrate in 2019 – our 30th year.
I didn't think running my own business was a good fit for me. In fact, I was deep into a job search when someone suggested it to me. I was very clear about why it wasn't a good idea but re-framing the proposition and looking at why it WAS a good idea, (obviously) changed everything.
I've learned a lot along the way and periodically over 2019, I would like to share that with you and reflect on those things for myself. I owe a debt to the Wharton SBDC: David Thornburgh, Stephanie McAlain and Clark Callahan (who worked there then) and Anne Dunlap (who was my MBA consultant) and to Robert Borghese Esq. They helped me chart a path that worked then and works now.
Clarity Counts – Once I could answer the question "What is the purpose of what you do?" I could figure out everything else. What services do I provide? What don't I provide? What do I bring to this that makes me different from the competition? What motivates me to do this work? How do I do business? No matter what motivates you, you should be clear about why you do what you do.
Work with Those With Whom You Want to Work – While you may be able to work with anyone (and when you are hungry you may not have a lot of options about the folks you work with), I have learned that good chemistry makes working together better. It may take a while for the relationship to 'gel.' They may never be someone you'd share a meal with, but there is not much that makes up for mutual respect. Huge amounts of money is great but spend some time weighing if the cash flow is worth the discomfort of someone's ethics or how they treat or talk about others. Create your own litmus test and if you see any 'red flags' – pay attention.
Create Boundaries with Work – Your business serves you and your clients, but it is not your whole life. Unrealistic demands that negatively impact your health and your personal relationships are often self-created and self-imposed. There is always something that work requires – it's a lot like a new baby. Set boundaries and manage client expectations. Limits create the parameters within which you can become consistently productive.
Set Realistic Business Goals – Aiming high is good but be realistic about what you can accomplish. You should have a plan for both best case and worst case scenarios.
Network – With Focus – Before you meet with anyone, find out what they want to talk about and if that is the best use of your time. Go to meetings, conferences and events if there are tangible benefits to attending (the people you want to meet, the topics you want to discuss). Determine how much time you can dedicate to networking and then keep to the limits you set.
Give Credit – Acknowledge the efforts of the folks who have helped attain the result. When you recognize the efforts of others, their respect for you will increase.
I continue to help people produce powerful results and I am still challenged – which I like and enjoy. It's never dull – which may be one of the things that makes 30 years go by in the blink of an eye.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019 at 3:31 pm. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


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Elena Paparizou's Height in cm, Feet and Inches – Weight and Body Measurements
Elena Paparizou has an astonishing body. Check out the height, weight, shoe size and all other interesting measurements!
Elena Paparizou is a Greek-Swedish singer, songwriter and television personality, best known for being a member of the Greek-Swedish duo Antique, alongside her childhood friend, and fellow Greek-Swede, Nikos Panagiotidis. The duo placed third in the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest representing Greece with the song "Die For You". Antique disbanded in 2003. Paparizou won Eurovision 2005 competition with song "My Number One" representing Greece. In June 2004, Paparizou released her debut solo album Protereotita, which yielded the singles "Anditheseis", "Katse Kala" and "Stin Kardia Mou Mono Thlipsi". She is the recipient of various accolades including; three Arion Music Awards, a European Border Breakers Award, 28 MAD Video Music Awards and an MTV Europe Music Award. Born on January 31, 1982 in Borås, Sweden, to Greek immigrant parents Georgios and Efrosini Paparizou, she grew up in Örgryte, Gothenburg. She has a sister Areti and brother Konstantinos. She has been married to Andreas Kapsalis since June 2015.
The following table shows the body measurements of Elena Paparizou. Here is all you want to know, including height and weight (imperial system and metric system). Note: Bra size equals band size and cup size.
N/AElena
N/A inches Size: cm)
Ella Anderson's Height in cm, Feet and Inches – Weight and Body Measurements
Chloe Beatty's Height in cm, Feet and Inches – Weight and Body Measurements


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Focus Writing Services
Rise of the Papilion Trilogy: The Purple Morrow (Book 1)
Rise of the Papilion: Wolf's Bane (Book 2)
Rise of the Papilion: Berserker (Book 3)
Flash Fiction and Poetry
Author Spotlights and Giveaways
Katie Cross: Miss Mabel's School for Girls
Bill Jones, Jr.
Jennifer Kirk
Robert C. Price
William Crisel
Matt Ewens
Dax Christopher
Dan Hope
Phil Partington
Rebecca Knight
Cairo Amani
Michael Ranson: Part 1
Crystal Parney
Fantasy and Faith: Part One
Fantasy and Faith: Part Two
Easton Livingston-Part 1
Leanne Dyck
Cairo Amani-2
Phil Partington-2
Su Sokol
J.S. Bailey
Follow Focus Writing Services on WordPress.com
Interview with Lillian Brummet of Brummet Media Group
Writing Coaches: Do We Need Them?
Repost: Outsourcing to Save Your Sanity and Your Self-Publishing Project
The Lost Pen Magazine is Available Now
Engaging readers from the First Sentence part 2 – The Manuscript Shredder
Books: The Purple Morrow
Books: Wolf's Bane
Books: Berserker
Movie Review: Black Pather
Movie Review: The Dark Tower
Published Story: Give and Take
Published Stories-Nor'Easter
Contest anthology containing the short-listed story, Nor'easter
Excerpt 'Blind Alley' in Gateways Anthology by BHB
Cover by Amy Hands
Published Stories-The Dragon's Egg, Chapter 1
Also, look inside to find Ch. 1 of The Dragon's Egg
Affiliated Publisher
Breakwater Harbor Books
Affiliated Writers Group
Christian Speculative Writers Group Co-Leader
Affiliated Blog: Lost Pen Magazine
Poetry: Jonah's Story
Book Feature: The Isles of Golgotha
January 1, 2021 Word of Encouragement
The Writers Block: Dyane Forde
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU93MMY_eb8
#amwriting: Episode 3 /w Dyane Forde
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSZLKJtSGBI
Ben's Bouquet: Flash Fiction
Writing Done Right
It's been ages since I've posted anything on this blog. Actually, I had given up hope that I'd come back to it at all. Life just got crazy, and then there was the whole neck, shoulder, and arm pain thing that plagued me for over a year. Oh yeah, and my computer decided to give up the ghost. But against all odds, I've come up with a little ditty of a story, and I posted it spurred by the naive hope that there are still readers out there who still dig my little stories, or that maybe I'll meet some new ones. I say 'against all odds', because up until a few hours ago, I wasn't even sure I'd write again. Why? I just couldn't find the drive, the ideas, or the energy to focus. But, somehow, I caught hold of a feeling and decided to run with it. And so, here is my diamond in the rough…
Ben's Bouquet
The bouquet rests in my hands. Its disgustingly beautiful, a brilliant mass of lilies and roses interspersed with feathery greenery. Even then, while holding my heart in my hands, the smell is intoxicating. I can barely think.
I remember now why I hate flowers. Sickeningly sweet, their aroma makes your head swim, and yet, like a drug, their beauty still manages to arouse your heart. And just when you fall in love with their colours and complexity, they die.
"Why'd you bring me flowers, of all things?"
Ben leans against a pillar, watching the buses come in and out of the station. They run on time, each one faithfully carrying its passengers away to parts unknown. The riders look happy; expectation lights up their faces. Men, women, children, singles, and families, clutching satchels and suitcases; backpacks stuffed with snacks for inter-city rides. The constant rumble of voices and the squeals of excited children hover over the platform. They should be holding these flowers, not me.
"I dunno. I thought you liked flowers. Tonight's a happy occasion, right?"
We shouldn't be arguing, not now.
How much time do we have left?
The station's giant clock looms behind him, but his silhouette obscures its face. I shuffle through my purse for my phone, but he takes my hands in his and sits on the bench beside me.
"You look like we're at a funeral. We talked about this. You said you were thrilled."
I look at the bouquet resting in space between us. He was right. We had talked about it, but at the time the news was fresh and we were riding high on excitement and the possibility of what could be. But now…
The doors of a nearby bus snap shut. With a roar, it pulls away from the station, the red tail lights flashing as it pauses at the intersection before leaving the lot. Then it drives away into the night. Another bus pulls into its freshly vacated spot.
"I didn't pick this internship, you know," Ben says. "They chose me."
"I know. It's a great opportunity. You'd be crazy to pass on it."
He tips my chin upwards so I could look into his eyes. Chocolate brown and earnest, it's impossible to look away. "It'll be fine. I'll get settled in, and once things are in order, you'll join me just like we talked about."
The second bus finishes loading. Once the last passenger is seated, the door shuts with a snap and the bus drives away, it too, fading into the night.
For Ben's sake, I decide to be brave. He was doing this for us, after all. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me. It's just…so far."
He pulls me in close for a hug. "Good thing I've got all those books on bio-engineering to keep me busy."
His bus finally pulls up. Ben stands and throws his backpack over a shoulder. "It's a big change for us, but it'll be good. Trust me."
He kisses me goodbye and boards the bus after storing his luggage. In a moment, he'll leave for a new city, a new home. A new life. And until we met again, I will live on memories that would, over time, wither like a fistful of flowers.
I lean on the pillar as he had done, watching his bus pause at the intersection as if for one last look back. Then the engine revs and it drives into the night, red taillights glowering.
Once Ben's news had sunk in and the whole picture had become clear to me, I'd told him over breakfast one day that nothing lasts forever, not even love.
"The sun comes up every day, doesn't it?" he answered. "And even if we don't always see it, the moon moves along its cycle today just as it's done since the beginning. Some things might not last, but other things, the important things, do."
I'd stopped arguing with him after that. He believed it, and that had been enough.
I press the flowers to my chest. They were beautiful. And he'd given them to me. Whether as a parting gift or a promise, I didn't know. But tonight, before laying down for bed, I would dry one or two in a book. Just in case.
Dyane Forde July 2017
Benbouquetbreaking upcomeback storyDyane FordeFlash fictionflowershopelovepartingshort storystories
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14 thoughts on "Ben's Bouquet: Flash Fiction"
denmaniacs4 says:
Welcome back, Dyane. It sounds like it wasn't a great year. All the best. Sweet story. parting is difficult…
Dyane says:
Hi! Thanks! You're my first Like and comment! It's been a crazy year, but this little story makes me feel hopeful 🙂 We'll see how it goes from here. Thanks for stopping by!
Welcome back! I hope that the inspiration to write does come back and doesn't just fade like the flowers in the story.
Thanks! I know, I wonder about (fear) that too. But one day at a time, as they say, right? Thanks so much for your message 🙂
Some times the first step is the hardest and this story is a good start back into writing.
Yes, definitely true about the first step. Also true about publishing the first story after so long. I almost didn't. But I'm glad I did. It's a confidence builder.
As talented as ever. It's nice to see you writing again.
Hey there! Good to see you! And thank you. That means a lot to me 🙂 What are you up to?
Mostly work keeping me busy of late, but I still find time to write short fiction and other stuff for my blog.
I'll have to check out your blog. I have so much to catch up on! Glad you're still finding time to write eventhough you're busy 🙂
I love it! I hope you can continue to do more in the future 🙂
Hey there! Thanks, it's a start. A good start, I think 🙂
jaye22 says:
Hi Dyane, lovely to see you and so sorry you have been plagued with ailments. A great piece Dyane you have still got it, take care x x x
Hi! Thanks! It has been a long road. So glad to see you too!


Paul Addo – My old passport expired May 2017, and I had to renew it, I bought one of the old forms at ADB Bank in Dec. 2017 but never submitted it because of what I went through in 2012 to get my passport.
My application was finally accepted and was given a month to go for it(It was a premium service), But that wasn't the case, I got the passport in two months.
Early this year I chanced upon an article which was posted by a blogger friend John-Bunya Klutse that, the Ghana passport office has a new premium passport office at Accra Digital Centre, so I decided to give it a try, if it doesn't go well maybe I do 'goro' boy(Don't Try). So on 4th February 2019, I paid Ghs50.00 with mobile money on Ministry of foreign affairs website, got the code and head to passport office website to start the registration. The online process went through smoothly.
'Dear Paul, the voucher for your manual passport application is: JBSQ………80'.
I opted for regular service and was given a month to submit the hardcopy print out after online submission. Because it is a premium service, I paid extra Ghs59.00 on the day of submission. So in all, I paid Ghs109.00.
'ADDO PAUL, your appointment date for passport processing is March 8, 2019'.
'Hello ADDO PAUL, your data collection appointment for receiving a Ghanaian passport comes up on Mar 8, 2019.
I wanted to be the first person to be served, so again I woke up early and got there early, I was the first. No stones queue.lol. At precisely 8 am we were given numbers according to who came first. So yeah I was the first. At 9 am the process started. The whole process took me less than an hour, within this time I went to swear an affidavit at a nearby certified Commissioner Of Oaths because my old passport had had contact with water which they classify as 'damaged passport'.(So keep your passport in a safe place).
'Your passport application ref. no ACCR/00…/00../01 has been forwarded to the Ghana Passport office, Accra on 3/8/2019.
I was given 11 April, 2019, as the day my passport will be ready. But I got my passport 17days after submission. (I don't know any big man or a goro boy there).
'Hello Paul, Your passport G2……..2 is ready for collection at Premium PAC-Accra Passport Office. Collection time is 9:30 to 3 pm. Thank You.
On Monday, March 25, 2019, I went to the premium passport office to claim my passport. I went straight to counter 29 which is the collection counter. I spent only 5minutes at the counter, and I was given my Ghanaian GreenBook.
THIS IS FOR ANY GHANAIAN WHO WANT TO RENEW OR APPLY FOR A GHANAIAN PASSPORT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I'm excited as a Ghanaian, and also because our article on the passport application is changing the narrative today. Rome they say — was never built in a day. It is my wish that every Ghanaian must adhere to the new online system, and trust and cooperate. Just like Paul, he knew no one; he just followed the process and got his passport without stress as compared to his experience in 2012.
Forgot the rumours and click here to start your application now.
To read more about how to apply for an application online, click here.
Just in case you need help applying online, click here to read about how the premium application centre of the Ministry can help you.
Free feel to send your Ghanaian passport application process experience to me. Let's help change the narrative.


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The Deconstruction of Democracy
18:00, 11 iulie 2019 | Actual | 353 vizualizări | Nu există niciun comentariu Autor: FLUX ON-LINE
The Concept of "Democracy" Is Not Neutral and Not Self-Evident
Democracy today cannot be discussed objectively. It is not a neutral concept: behind "democracy," as a political regime and corresponding value system, stands the West, Europe and the USA. For them "democracy" is a form of secular cult or a tool of political dogmatics, thus, to be fully accepted into society in the West, it is necessary by default to be "for" democracy. One who calls it into question falls out of the field of political correctness. Marginal opposition is tolerated; but if it is more than marginal, democracy sets its machines of oppression against its alternatives like any regime, any ideology, and any dominant religion. It is not possible to talk about "democracy" impartially. That is why in discussions about democracy we must say at once whether we are completely for or completely against it. I'll respond with extreme candor: I'm against it, but I'm against it only because the West is for it. I'm not prepared to accept anything thoughtlessly and uncritically on faith, even if everyone believes it, and all the more so if this is accompanied by a concealed (or clear) threat. You suggest that I rely on my own reason, no? I'll begin with the fact that reason advises me to reject all suggestions [predlozheniy, offers, proposals]. No one can give us freedom. It either is or it is not [we either have it or we don't]. A slave will convert even freedom into slavery, or at least into swinishness, and a free person will never be a slave even in fetters. From his time enslaved Plato did not become either less Plato or less free, while we still pronounce the name of the tyrant Dionysus with contempt, so which of them is a slave? At any rate, as a popular textbook on technical analysis says, "the majority is always wrong."
Demos in "Democracy": Aristotle's Etymology
The Metaphysical Foundations of Democracy: The Hypotheses of the Parmenides
Political Platonism
Only such critical distance in relation to "democracy" provides a field for its conceptual comprehension. We call "democracy" into doubt, into question, and challenge it as a dogma. We thus win the right to distance, but only in that way can we come to a valid and well-founded result. Not to believe in democracy does not mean to be its opponent. It means not to be its captive, not to be under its hypnosis and its suggestion. Starting from such unbelief and doubt, it is entirely possible that we'll conclude that democracy is something valuable or acceptable, or we might not. We should reason in exactly the same way about all other things. Only that is philosophy. There is no a priorievidence for a philosopher. It is exactly the same for a political philosopher.
Marginal opposition is tolerated by democracy; but if it is more than marginal, democracy sets its machines of oppression against its alternatives like any regime, any ideology, and any dominant religion.
It is worth recalling that democracy is not a self-evident concept. Democracy can be accepted or rejected, established or demolished. There were splendid societies without democracy and detestable ones with democracy, but there was also the opposite. Democracy is a human project, a construction, a plan, not fate. It can be rejected or accepted. That means it needs justification, apologia. If there won't be apologias for democracy it will lose its meaning. A non-democratic form of rule should not be taken as obviously the worst. The formula "the lesser evil" is a propagandistic ruse. Democracy is not the lesser evil … maybe it isn't evil at all, or maybe it is evil. Everything demands reconsideration.
Only from these two assumptions can we examine democracy carefully. It isn't a dogma, its imposition only repels one from it, and it has possible and entirely relevant and effective alternatives.
Elevating it into a dogma and denying its alternatives closes the very possibility of free philosophical discourse.
Let us turn to the etymology of the word "demos," since "democracy" means "the rule of the demos." This word is most often translated by the word "narod." However, in Greek there were many synonyms of the word narod: "ethnos," "laos," "phule," etc. "Demos" was one among them and had specific connotations. Initially "demos" described inhabitants, that is, people living in a concrete and entirely definite territory. As cities broadened, these territories began to be carved up inside the city, like today's regions or old-Russian city-parts [gorodskiye kontsy], so the inhabitants of one or another region were called a "demos."
In Julius Pokorny's Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, we see that the Greek "demos" stems from the Indo-European root dā (*dǝ-) meaning "to divide," "to separate." With the formant "mo-" this makes the Greek "demos," and with the formant "lo-" the German teilin (divide) and Russian delit'.
Thus, in the very etymology of "demos" lies reference to something divided, cut into separate fragments and arranged on a certain territory
Thus, in the very etymology of "demos" lies reference to something divided, cut into separate fragments and arranged on a certain territory. The closest in meaning is the Russian word population [naselenie] but by no means narod, since narodimplies a cultural and linguistic unity, a community of historic being, and the presence of a certain destiny. A population (theoretically) can manage without that. "Population" refers to anyone who has settled or been settled on a given territory, but not one who is connected to that land by roots or the mark of citizenship [i.e. there are three distinct notions here: belonging by roots, belonging by the mere fact of settlement, and belonging through citizenship].
Aristotle, who introduced the concept of "democracy," regarded it extremely negatively, having in mind precisely this entirely Greek shade of meaning. According to Aristotle, "democracy" is practically identical with "mob rule," "ochlocracy (rule of the crowd)," since the population of a civic region consists of everyone without distinction. Aristotle opposes "democracy" as the worst form of rule not only compared with monarchy and aristocracy, corresponding to the rule of one or the best, which he regards, by contrast, positively, but also to "politeia" (from the Greek "polis," "city"). Like "democracy," "politeia" is the rule of many — not everyone without distinction, but the qualified ones, the rule of conscious citizens, differing from the rest by cultural and genealogical, as well as social and economic, indicators. Politeia is the self-rule of the citizens of the city, relying on traditions and foundations. Democracy is the chaotic agitation of a rebellious mob.
Politeia assumes the presence of cultural unity, a common historico-religious and cultic basis among citizens. Democracy can be established by an arbitrary collection of atomic individuals "distributed" into random sectors.
Aristotle, it is true, also knows other forms of unjust rule besides democracy: tyranny (rule of a usurper) and oligarchy (rule of a closed group of rich and corrupt scoundrels). All negative forms of rule are interconnected: tyrants often depend on precisely "democracy," just as "democracies" often appeal to oligarchy. Integrity, so important to Aristotle, is on the side of monarchy, aristocracy, and politeia. Division, fragmentation, partition into atoms, is on the side of tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy.
The Metaphysical Foundations of Democracy: The Hypotheses of the
Parmenides
Let us turn to the metaphysical foundations of democracy. For this we will draw on the Platonic dialogue Parmenides. It is customary to distinguish two theses and eight hypotheses in it. The first thesis affirms the One. Four hypotheses follow (true, the Neo-Platonists added a fifth, but right now that's not crucial). The first thesis about the One and the four hypothesis following from it can be applied to the description of a republic [gosudarstvo, the word used to translate the dialogue by Plato called Republic in English; gosudarstvo can sometimes mean state in the narrow sense or, as in Plato, regime in the broad sense] based on hierarchy, stemming from the idea, the higher principle. The world built on affirmation of the One is built from top to bottom, from the One to the many. The same is true also of the republic, which reproduces the structure of the universe. At the head of such a republic are the monarch and priests, as servants of the One. Such a holy monarchy is simultaneously a model of the cosmos and a basis for the arrangement of the republic [gosudarstvennogo ustroystva]. The thesis about the One, and the hypotheses that follow from it, describe for us the spectrum of political models of traditional society, where the principle of integrity, the authority and sacral nature of power, and divine law predominated.
Sociologist Louis Dumont called such an approach based on the first thesis and four hypotheses "methodological holism," since the understanding of society is based on conviction in its organic, integral nature.
The second thesis in the Parmenides, and the second four hypotheses, stems from affirmation of the Many, other than the One. Here, at the basis of the perspective on the world, lies not unity, but plurality, atomism, and the play of fragments. Such a perspective leads to an atomistic perspective on the cosmos (the theory of Democritus) and to the justification of political regimes of precisely a "democratic" type, i.e. built not downwards from above, but upwards from below, not on the basis of the transition of the One into the many, but, on the contrary, in the opposite direction. Plato himself regarded the atomism of Leucippus and Democritus as a "heretical" teaching, and according to some sources, even encouraged the burning of their books in his Academy. In the Platonic understanding of the world, the society built on the principle of the Many (non-One) can similarly be regarded as a "political heresy."
Precisely this second thesis of the Parmenides, and the four hypotheses following from it, interest us now. Taking into account the first four, which relate to the monarchic cosmos, it is customary to call these the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th hypotheses of the Parmenides. If we consider them carefully, we will get four types of democracy, which are easy to discover in theory or practice in our surrounding world.
The Platonic hypotheses help us understand the code of contemporary political philosophy. In the final analysis, all eight hypotheses can be regarded as fully rational models of the world and society and if we remove ourselves from the hypnotic suggestions of progress, we can fully make a conscious choice in favor of any of these hypotheses.
This means that we can select democracy, and any version of democracy, taking the position of the second thesis, or we can choose non-democracy, taking the position of the first thesis and acknowledge the One. What is interesting is that this choice can be made not only today, for it also stood before the people of Ancient Greece, who chose between Atlantis and Athens (the Platonic dialogue Critias), Athens and Sparta (the Peloponnesian War, praised by Thucydides), and the philosophy of the monarchists Plato and Aristotle and the liberal-atomists Democritus and Epicurus. While man remains man, he carries in himself, even if vaguely and distantly, a capacity for philosophy. That means that he carries in himself freedom of choice. Man can choose democracy, and one of its forms, or he can reject it.
At the same time, if we take the position of Plato and Platonism, then on the basis of the juxtaposition of democracy and the theses of the Parmenides we come to the conclusion that we live in a cosmos that cannot be: in a society built on an absolutely false dogma. Everyone today is regarded by default as a supporter of democracy. It would not be bad for those "by default" persons to become aware of the philosophical principles to which they are automatically (i.e. without being asked) ascribed.
On the other hand, all opponents of democracy are instantly enlisted in the class of persons professing an ideology the very name of which has long since become a curse-word and an insult, and unscrupulous hypnotists use this technique more and more. Instead of this word, grown hateful and made senseless, which I do not even wish to pronounce in this essay, it is better to call us "Platonists." Yes, we are bearers of political Platonism. We build our conception of the world and society starting from the first thesis of the Parmenides and the first four hypotheses. Others builds theirs starting from the second thesis and second four hypotheses. For heaven's sake — would it be so bad to know about this allegiance beforehand?
Being philosophers, that is free beings, we can full well say "yes" to the metaphysical status quo, consisting in the dogmatization of the second [thesis] of the Parmenides (i.e. democracy), but we can also say "no."
I say "no" to methodological individualism and the second thesis of the Platonic Parmenides and thereby clearly determine a place in the ranks, in the army of the supporters of Plato.
Plato burned the books of Democritus. Democrats, and in particular, Soros's spiritual guru Popper, in his catechism The Open Society and its Enemies, call to burn the books of Plato. Popper says directly: either enemies of the open society, liberal democracy, the second thesis of the Parmenides, or friends. This is a true war of hypotheses, a battle of epistemologies, a struggle of gnoseological paradigms, a fight of ideas.
Thus, for us, Platonists, democracy is a false doctrine; it is built on a world that doesn't exist and a society that cannot exist.
If that is so, the Platonist comes to a choice: democracy, by its false pretensions, conceals beneath itself something else, but something in any case very bad, unjust, and unhealthy, for instance a secret oligarchy or disguised tyranny, but that is a topic for another essay.
Source: https://www.geopolitica.ru


AWPGuide » Reviews » StudioPress Aspire Pro Review: Best Genesis Theme In 2019?
StudioPress Aspire Pro Review: Best Genesis Theme In 2019?
Here at AWPGuide, we have introduced you HappyThemes, MyThemeShop, and StudioPress as famous WordPress theme stores. Recently, one of our users asked for the best Genesis child theme for a blogging and business website. In this post, we are going to share one called Aspire Pro. You can read the Genesis Aspire Pro review from this post.
Like most Genesis child themes, Aspire pro is SEO friendly, faster loading and one of the best blogging and business WordPress theme. We own a copy of Aspire Pro for our sister site and let me say that Aspire is the best child theme that I have ever used for Genesis projects.
Before you go to the detailed Aspire Pro review, here's a quick overview of the theme and Aspire pro features.
Below, we are going to show you the complete aspire pro theme review.
You must choose a responsive theme for your blog in 2018. In this case, Aspire is 100% responsive. Your website will look good on every device like desktop, tablet, and mobile phones.
If you are managing a really huge authority site, you may want to consider releasing the website in different languages. The Aspire pro is translation ready and you can translate into any language without getting any error.
Some WordPress themes have only 4 or 5 widget areas. In the Aspire Pro, you will get 20 widget areas which are really huge.
the latest version of Aspire pro theme has 3 menu areas.
You can set a custom background image if you need. By default, aspire theme comes with a background image.
If you like to change it, you can do it using customizer.
Just below the front page 1 widget, you can show a newsletter subscription widget by using the Genesis eNews Extended WordPress plugin.
No matter how big or small your business. For your success, you need to collect the user's email address and get in touch with them. If you are using plugins like OptinMonster, you can paste the specific widget code there.
In this theme, you will get a fixed header navigation menu. Many users voted this feature as good.
If you want to make your widgets fixed, check out our post how to make sticky widgets in WordPress.
From the customizer, you can configure the website's base color.
You don't need to know anything about CSS for changing colors of your blog or website. The live preview will help you to choose the best color for your website.
Or you can add custom CSS to the theme or use a dedicated plugin like CSS Hero.
On the front page, you can show testimonials.
If you are running a business online, you must consider adding some testimonials on your website. It will help you to gain trust and boost sales or leads.
Without any plugin, you will be able to show a custom pricing table.
But you must consider using a membership plugin for managing your clients.
Do you want to drive traffic to any of your posts or generate leads by driving visitors to a landing page? Aspire Pro theme got an awesome CTA widget where you can get user's attention and generate leads.
You need to tell what your business is about and need to attract clients. By using font awesome icons and this about widget, you will be able to do it.
Aspire Pro is 100% WooCommerce compatible. You can simply run and manage an online store using this theme.
The theme comes with 3 footer widget areas.
You can show your website's social media icons, text widgets or opt-in forms if you are using lead generation plugins like OptinMonster.
You can download the Aspire Pro theme and Genesis Framework from below.
We hope you found this Aspire Pro review helpful and found it interesting. If you did, please consider sharing this post with your friends on social media.
For more posts, you need to check out our blog section.
NOTE: We are not writing false positive reviews just for affiliate income or not accepting sponsored posts here. In our experience with the Aspire Pro theme, we found that the theme will be suitable for every business websites.
In that case, we just throw the Aspire Pro review for our users.
Once you got purchased the theme and need to configure it, check out our Aspire Pro documentation. If you are looking for another WordPress theme with great support, check out our list of best WordPress theme shops.
Product Description: Aspire Pro is one of the best blogging and business child themes for the Genesis Framework. The theme is 100% SEO optimized, WooCommerce ready and speed optimized.
Are you looking for the best Genesis child theme for a business or blogging website? Well, Aspire Pro is the best option for you. I said the best option. Wondering why? Read our Aspire Pro theme review from here! You will know!


text:
Ludwig Sütterlin: Google Doodle celebrates the German graphic artist
The Google Doodle for July 23, 2018 celebrates Ludwig Sütterlin, the German graphic artist and font designer, on what would have been his 153rd birthday.
Sütterlin is most famous for creating the Sütterlinschrift, a child-friendly font that was de rigueur in Prussia and Germany from 1915 until the middle of World War II.
Here is all you need to know about Ludwig Sütterlin including who he was and why he created Sütterlin script.
The Google Doodle for July 23, 2018 celebrates German graphic artist Ludwig Sütterlin
Who was Ludwig Sütterlin?
Ludwig Sütterlin was born in Lahr, located on the edge of the Black Forest in Germany, on July 23, 1865.
Little is known about Sütterlin's early years, however, his rise to prominence began when he relocated to Berlin around 1890.
He worked as a graphic artist and gained attention in 1896 when his poster Berliner Gewerbe Ausstellung won the first prize at the Berlin Trade Fair. Sütterlin also worked as a teacher at Berlin's Museum of Decorative Arts.
In 1911, Sütterlin was commissioned by the Prussian Ministry of Culture to devise a handwriting style that would lend itself easily to beginner writers, especially with the rise of steel-spring pens precipitating the decline of quill pens.
Sütterlin's creation featured pronounced curves and extremely acute angles and proved to be a popular script for a time.
By 1915, it was the standard script in Prussian schools and 19 years later it was being used in all German schools.
However, Sütterlin script quickly fell out of use in the 1940s. In 1941, Hitler ended the use of Sütterlin script in schools due to increasing communication problems: occupied European lands could not understand or read the script.
The graphic artist was also famous for his 'Hammer Poster' at the Berlin Trade Fair 1896
With many older generations knowing no other way of writing, Sütterlin script was still used throughout the war and reintroduced into schools as optional until the 1960s, thus allowing children to understand letters from their parents and grandparents.
However, Ludwig Sütterlin didn't live long enough to see his script adopted across Germany. The graphic artist and designer died in 1917.
What is a Google Doodle?
The Google Doodle for July 23, 2018 pays tribute to Ludwig Sütterlin, saying of his script: 'No doubt young students rejoiced about the simple letters, reduced smudging, and fewer reprimands by teachers.'
Google Doodles are little illustrations or animations that appear in the Google logo on the search engine's homepage.
The first time a Google Doodle was used was in 1998, when Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin visited the 1998 Burning Man Festival. To commemorate their trip, the founders drew a stick-man standing behind the second 'o' in the Google logo.
Recent Google Doodles include Gino Bartali, Georges Lemaitre and Fanny Durack.


text:
The 2001 elections to Shropshire County Council took place on 7 June 2001.

The Labour party increased its number of councillors at the expense of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The council remained no overall control however.

No boundary changes had occurred since the 1997 elections.

Results

|}

References

2001
2001 English local elections
21st century in Shropshire
June 2001 events in the United Kingdom

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The players below represent ALL players who played at least 1 game for the 1963 Houston Colt 45s.
41 Danny Coombs P 6-5 210 R-L 1942-03-23 21 Lincoln,Maine MLB 1963-1971 1963-1971 Brewer (Brewer,ME) Seton Hall U.
11 Ernie Fazio 2B 5-7 165 R-R 1942-01-25 21 Oakland,California MLB 1962-1966 1962-1966 St. Elizabeth (Oakland,CA) Santa Clara U.
6 Jerry Grote C 5-10 190 R-R 1942-10-06 20 San Antonio,Texas MLB 1963-1985 1963-1981 MacArthur (San Antonio,TX) Trinity U.
21 Al Spangler OF 6-0 175 L-L 1933-07-08 29 Philadelphia,Pennsylvania MLB 1959-1971 1959-1971 Olney (Philadelphia,PA) Duke U.
20 Carl Warwick OF 5-10 170 R-L 1937-02-27 26 Dallas,Texas MLB 1961-1966 1961-1966 Sunset (Dallas,TX) Texas Christian U.
47 Larry Yellen P 5-11 190 R-R 1943-01-04 20 Brooklyn,New York MLB 1963-1964 1963-1964 Lafayette (Brooklyn,NY) C.W. Post Campus/Long Island U.


text:
<?php

namespace IronEdge\Component\Cli\Event\Listener;

use Symfony\Component\Console\Event\ConsoleCommandEvent;

/*
 * @author Gustavo Falco <comfortablynumb84@gmail.com>
 */
class CommandEventListener
{
    public function onConsoleCommand(ConsoleCommandEvent $event)
    {

    }
}


LED Flashlights, upgrade kits and headlamps are the only way to increase light output and battery life. LEDSupply has selected the very best from TerraLUX, known for MagLite upgrade kits! These highly efficient kits are simple to use and will not need replacement; also, there is no need for tools or modification. For a comprehensive breakdown and review of these products, please check out this post.
The TLH-50 is a 540 Lumen LED Headlamp with 5 different output modes and made from aircraft grade aluminum.
300 Lumen, Dual-Mode, Aircraft Grade Aluminum, 2AA Battery - 25X Brighter!
Mount for attaching a high-power LED flashlight to your weapon.


Nuclear missiles are launched to destroy enemy defenses. Defense destroyed by nuclear missiles will not be rebuilt automatically. In a missile attack, only the Nuclear Technology and the defense's hull plating are used for calculation. Before a missile can hit the defense itself, all interceptors must be destroyed. Each interceptor destroys one missile. Missiles can be used to destroy defenses on a moon and interceptors from the planet will defend the moon in those cases. The range (in number of systems) of a missile is determined by the Impulse Drive level.
Interceptor are the only way to destroy attacking missiles. Each interceptor destroys one incoming Missile. Interceptor are launched automatically whenever an approaching Missile is detected. They do not take part in any attacks, thus they can not be sent on missions or destroyed by an attacking fleet.
The nuclear tech is the powerful tech when it used in the weapon development. The upgrade of the nuclear tech would increase the strength of the nuclear missile. Each level increase the missile strength by 10% of the base value.
A Missile Silo is a building that stores missiles and interceptors. For each level of the missile silo an extra 100 slots are made available. An interceptor occupies 1 slot, while a missile occupies twice slots. e.g. Missile Silo could store 40 interceptors or 20 interplanetary missiles (or any mix of the two).
when you choose the target planet, you would find there is an IPM button which you could start your IPM mission to launch your nuclear mission to the enemy's planet.
1. Could I cancel an IPM mission?
No, the IPM could not be cancelled when the missile launched yet.
2. Could the normal battle destroy the missile or interceptor?
No. The missiles and interceptor do not take part in any normal attacks.
3. Could I produce missiles or interceptors on moon?
No. But the interceptors on your main planet would defend the moon from the missile attack automatically.


First Line: I came to live with my grandparents up on the Red River in the summer of 1964.
In farmer Ned Parker's world, it's time to start getting the cotton picked. Since he's also a part-time constable in Center Springs, Texas, he's thankful that those responsibilities tend to be nothing more onerous than hauling in drunks, busting up stills, and settling the occasional domestic disturbance. Parker likes keeping things simple; that way he and John Washington, the first official black deputy in the area, can take care of things without having to deal too much with the despicable sheriff.
When the bodies of brutally tortured animals begin popping up all over the area, Ned Parker starts to worry. He worries because this is happening so close to home. He worries because it seems to be happening more and more frequently. He worries that he may actually know the person who's doing it. And he's really worried because he believes the person torturing and killing animals is going to start doing the same thing to human beings-- and his beloved ten-year-old grandson Top is living with him now. Constable Ned Parker is right to be worried. Right on all counts. He does know the person. The person's focus does change from animals to humans. And Ned's going to have to do everything in his power to keep his grandchildren safe.
I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy this first book in Reavis Z. Wortham's Red River mystery series, but I had no idea that I would love it and immediately go back to the bookstore to buy the rest of the series. As I read The Rock Hole, I was reminded of another perfect evocation of a time, a place, and the loss of innocence: William Kent Krueger's Ordinary Grace. Wortham's carefully chosen details, eccentric characters, and country humor transported me to a small town in Texas in 1964, and his lightning pace and deft plot kept me spellbound until I'd finished the book.
Roughly half the chapters are written in the first person point of view of ten-year-old Top. His adventures with his slightly older cousin Pepper ring with spirit, humor, and affection which makes the rapid erosion of these two children's innocence even more startling and painful. The rest of the chapters are in the third person from Ned Parker's point of view. This is where you get the bluntly accurate picture of life in this small Texas town with its racist sheriff and moonshiners who always seem to be a step ahead of the law. The portrait Wortham paints of this place and time isn't always funny or charming or pretty, but it's always true-- even if it sometimes puts his characters in a negative light.
Once I'd finished The Rock Hole, I had to wait for my heart to slow down, but one thing was certain: I'd fallen in love with Top and his grandparents and Pepper-- even with Center Springs itself-- and I simply had to have the rest of the Red River mysteries in my possession. Once you read The Rock Hole-- and believe me, you should-- I think you're going to feel the same way.
Good timing! I purchased The Rock Hole after you wrote about seeing Reavis Wortham at the Poison Pen. I just finished a book yesterday and was ready to choose my next book to read. I read your interview with Reavis and your review of The Rock Hole and am now reading The Rock Hole. Thanks for introducing me to new writers and books.
You're very welcome, Lynn. I hope you enjoy The Rock Hole!
I loved the Scene of the Crime that you just posted with Reavis Wortham. Then I scrolled down and saw an "A+" on the first book in his series. Wow! I know what mystery I'm picking up next. Thanks once again for a wonderful recommendation.
You're welcome, Debbie. I hope you enjoy the book!


text:
Q: Converting plain JS to React.js using useRef hook I tried to convert this plain javascript to react using useRef hook.
Plain JS:
https://codesandbox.io/s/friendly-maxwell-ub18w?file=/src/index.js
React: https://codesandbox.io/s/dry-frog-urzjp?file=/src/App.js
export default function App() {
  const fileElem = useRef(null);

  return (
    <div className="App">
      <input
        id="fileElem"
        multiple
        accept="image/*"
        style={{ display: "none" }}
      />
      <button onClick={() => fileElem.current.click()}>
        Select some files
      </button>
    </div>
  );
}

Why useRef is not working with fileElem.current.click()? What did I do wrong here?
Please help. Thank you!

A: Inside your input instead of using id='fileElem' use ref={fileElem} and it should work fine.
That's how we do it in React.

A: Change fileElem.current.click() to fileElem.current.click. With the parentheses you are calling the click function on the ref which causes it to be immediately clicked and then assigning the return value to the onClick handler of the React element. Instead you want to assign the click handler of fileElem to the click handler of the React element.

A: You need to use ref={fileElem} and type="file", as shown below:
<input
  type="file"
  ref={fileElem}
  multiple
  accept="image/*"
  style={{ display: 'none' }}
/>
<button onClick={() => fileElem.current.click()}>
  Select some files
</button>

Check this for how to use ref.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Work was completed in 2013 for the construction of the system to capture dust along two sides of the Ilva Taranto site. The project involved the construction of 132 foundation plinths 15 meters deep and just as many 1.5 meter diameter piles. Overall, the barrier is 1,600 meters long and has made it possible to further reduce the spread of dust outside the plant, in the Tamburi district, caused by the handling of the raw materials stored in the ore stockyards. The particular weave of the mesh allows the free passage of air while simultaneously blocking the particles of heavy dust. The rainwater and wind, wetting and shaking the mesh, keeps it clean. In addition, by passing through the holes in the mesh the wind dissipates most of its energy discharging it onto the structure, thereby reducing its action on the protected area and limiting the formation of dust.


Owl says: Bet May and her cronies HATE the National Audit Office!
"The boss of the business that leases cars to people with disabilities on behalf of the Motability charity is stepping down after it emerged he is set to receive a £2.2m bonus on top of his seven-figure salary.
Mike Betts, the chief executive of Motability Operations, came under fire earlier this year after MPs called his annual £1.7m pay package "totally unacceptable".
A report by the government spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), published on Friday says as well as his "generous" remuneration, Betts is in line for a previously undisclosed performance bonus worth about £2.2m.
Following the report, Motability Operations announced that Betts would stand down from his position by May 2020, while the group's chairman, Neil Johnson, would retire in April 2019.
The Motability scheme enables disabled people to lease adapted cars using their enhanced mobility disability benefits – either disability living allowance or its successor, the personal independence payment. It currently helps about 614,000 people, many of whom would otherwise struggle to afford a vehicle.
The NAO is critical of the performance plan put in place for Betts and his fellow directors in 2008, saying that the targets meant to incentivise "excellent performance" were set at levels below what the company was achieving when the scheme was introduced.


Ideal for holiday makers and business visitors, this delightful, spacious and comfortable ground-floor apartment is set in a fantastic location in the heart of the lovely spa town of Harrogate.
Located directly facing the Harrogate Convention Centre, this spacious and welcoming apartment makes a perfect base for both business and leisure visitors looking to enjoy a short break in this popular spa town. The suite forms part of a thoughtfully converted Victorian building with five apartments, which can be booked together to accommodate up to 12 guests. The property features a communal entrance and lobby with a vending machine and is accessed via eight steps (or five from the parking area).
The suite features an airy open-plan lounge/kitchen/diner with Smart TV, comfy seating including a sofa bed, a galley kitchen and a dining area offering elevated views of Harrogate Convention Centre. There's also a comfortable en-suite bedroom with a super-king-size bed which can be made up as twin beds on request. French doors lead onto the shared patio and car park to the rear of the property. A car parking space is available and must be booked in advance. A travel cot is available on a first come first served basis.
The property is ideally situated for enjoying everything Harrogate has to offer. The popular Cold Bath Road is less than half a mile away and offers more than 50 fantastic independent shops, restaurants and eateries to suit every taste. You will also be perfectly placed for exploring attractions and landmarks including the Turkish Baths, the Royal Pump Room Museum, The Stray, the Victoria Shopping Centre and the famous Betty's Cafe Tea Rooms which are all less than half a mile away.
Alternatively, parking can be found in the nearby Jubilee multi-storey car park and the Harrogate Convention Centre car park, both of which are just a short walk away.
We had the most fabulous 5 day break, the owner was so friendly and helpful. We will definitely be booking again for the future, our dog enjoyed herself too!
The Apartment is in a perfect location for Harrogate. A short walk (slight hill) into the town centre with plenty of restaurants close by.
The flat is in an excellent location and very comfortable.
Harrogate is a thriving, historic town at the heart of North Yorkshire and at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. This fantastic town is a hit with culturists, historians and holidaymakers alike. Dubbed 'The English Spa' in 1596, the town boasts spa water high in iron, sulphur and salt. The Royal Pump Room is still open today as a museum, showcasing the original equipment that was used in its heyday. Two other major draws to the town are the Harrogate Convention Centre and the Great Yorkshire Showground. The former is a multi-purpose venue large enough to house huge conventions and business conferences. Many of the events are fan-based like the Lego-themed attractions and comic-cons. The latter is an outdoor venue that hosts even large events and shows, namely the agricultural Great Yorkshire Show.
Fancy a day of walking? Head to the Valley Gardens, home to a multitude of landscaped gardens that embrace different styles and influence. For further horticultural foray, head to the RHS Garden, Harlow Carr. The stunning gardens provide a leafy retreat where you can wander through woodland and alongside waterways.
The town centre is home to an array of boutique fashion shops, as well as high street favourites in and around the Victoria Shopping Centre. The Montpellier Quarter also offers exclusive shops and a huge range of antique dealers, ideal for hunting out a unique bargain. This fashionable spa town also plays host to many Michelin-starred restaurants too.
There is a host of places to visit and spend time at in and around Harrogate. We have a selection of holiday homes that include chic apartments, elegant townhouses and cosy cottages for romantic stays to inspire your break in Harrogate. Why not visit our collection to find your perfect property?
This property is personally managed by Clare.