text:
A hundred and seventy-four refugees from Syria arrived in Indiana, during the past fiscal year, as part of President Obama's stated goal of admitting ten thousand Syrians who had been displaced by civil war. There were organizations in Indiana ready to help them, including a nonprofit state-supported group called Exodus. But the state itself was less hospitable: the governor publicly declared the refugees a security risk, and announced that Indiana would refuse to reimburse Exodus for any costs incurred on the Syrians' behalf. Exodus sued, and the case was argued before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals last month, by which point it had acquired additional political significance: the defendant, Governor Mike Pence, was also the Republican nominee for Vice-President.
During oral arguments, the state's lawyer was subjected to withering questions from the judges, who wondered whether barring Syrians was an efficient anti-terrorism strategy. (The state cited James Comey, the director of the F.B.I., who had acknowledged that his agency faced a particular "challenge" in checking the backgrounds of Syrian refugees.) One judge asked, "Are Syrians the only Muslims Indiana fears?"
But the judges also seemed unconvinced by the claim that Indiana was in violation of the Civil Rights Act, which outlaws discrimination based on national origin. The U.S. immigration system has long imposed national caps, meant to control not just the size of the immigrant population but its composition, too. "If the President can decide, based on national origin, how many refugees there are," Frank Easterbrook, one of the judges, asked, "why can't a state?"
The court eventually ruled that when it comes to immigrants it is the federal government that has the right to discriminate, not state governments. Even now, U.S. immigration rules hold that immigrants "affiliated with" the Communist Party are "inadmissible." And countless prospective entrants are turned away each year without being given a reason, or the opportunity to ask for one.
What, exactly, are our obligations to people in other countries who would like to come to this one? The argument over Syrian refugees is a good example of how our political conversation tends to sidestep this thorny issue. Ironically, strong opposition from Republicans made it easier for President Obama to avoid explaining how he had determined that ten thousand, not more, was the proper quota for Syrian refugees. Were there security concerns that prevented the U.S. from admitting, say, a hundred thousand? How many Syrian refugees—an estimated five million have fled the country's civil war—would be too many? Obama didn't have to entertain questions like these, airily insisting that "refugees can make us stronger," and claiming, not implausibly, that some of his political opponents seemed to be deficient in "common humanity."
For much of this year, of course, Obama's chief political opponent was Pence's running mate, Donald Trump, who captured the Republican Presidential nomination by giving voice to a sentiment that many Republican voters evidently believe, and that few Republican politicians are willing to express: that immigration is destroying America. A 2014 poll found that a plurality of Republican voters considered immigration to be the country's top problem, and most Americans want immigration to be restricted or kept at current levels, not increased. In recent years, however, the leaders most supportive of such restriction have tended to be rather marginal figures, like Joe Arpaio, the renegade Arizona sheriff, and Tom Tancredo, the former Republican congressman from Colorado, whose short-lived 2008 Presidential campaign was based on a promise to stop "uncontrolled immigration." Trump was pretty marginal, too—until he wasn't. David Frum, the former Republican speechwriter, is a longtime supporter of immigration restriction, but no fan of Trump. He once summed up the immigration debate by paraphrasing an old description of the English Civil War: "a battle between the Wrong but Wromantic and the Right but Repulsive."
This year, amid an unusually immigration-oriented Presidential campaign, a couple of skeptical scholars are trying to arrive at an analysis that is neither wromantic nor repulsive. David Miller, a political philosopher at Oxford, sets out to answer a simple question: What gives a country the right to control its borders? Trump's plan to build a grand, ocean-to-gulf wall may be unwise, but would it be wrong? Hillary Clinton has called for "bridges, not walls," but she, too, wants the government to control who gets in. Miller asks when, if ever, a country is obliged to let a foreigner enter, and remain. George J. Borjas, an economist—and, as it happens, a Cuban immigrant—has a different approach. Instead of asking what we owe immigrants, he wants us to think more clearly about what we're likely to get in return. Unlike Trump, he isn't convinced that immigration is an existential threat to America, but he is not convinced, either, by politicians' constant assurances that immigration is what makes America great. He believes that we should take up a question that is sometimes considered taboo: What if immigration isn't good for us, after all?
When Trump, at the launch of his campaign, mentioned Mexican "rapists," he was amplifying a claim made by Ann Coulter, the pundit and provocateur. Two weeks before, Coulter had published a sharp, calculatedly obnoxious polemic called "¡Adios, America! The Left's Plan to Turn Our Country Into a Third World Hellhole." Perhaps the most influential political book of the 2016 campaign, it is full of gruesome anecdotes about sexual assaults committed by unauthorized immigrants. Studies find that immigrants, as a group, commit fewer crimes than natives, but some data sets tell different stories. (One government report suggests that, in California, for instance, unauthorized immigrants are overrepresented in the prison population.) In Coulter's view, that scarcely matters: any crime committed by an immigrant is one crime—and one immigrant—too many. She declares that "the rape of little girls isn't even considered a crime in Latino culture." (In most of Mexico, she notes, children as young as twelve can legally consent to sex with adults.) Just as confidently, she suggests that no one really likes mariachi bands. And she calls for "an immigration policy that benefits Americans." Like Trump, who seeks to put "America First," Coulter believes that the U.S. government has a duty, too often unfulfilled, to give priority to the well-being of its own citizens.
Miller calls this notion "compatriot partiality," and he argues that it is a powerful principle, though one with limits. His new book is "Strangers in Our Midst" (Harvard), a lean and judicious defense of national interests. "Justice permits us to do less for would-be immigrants than we are required to do for citizens," he writes. "But less is not nothing." There is, he notes, a widely accepted universal right of exit—regimes that forbid defection are rightly seen as oppressive. But no government recognizes a universal right of entry. Miller thinks that this makes sense, because liberal democracies must uphold "quite demanding standards of equal treatment for all who reside within their borders."
Such treatment might be difficult, or expensive. In the United States, all immigrant children can attend public school, and anyone accused of a crime is entitled to a legal defense, regardless of immigration status. In Miller's view, controlling immigration is one way for a country to control its public expenditures, and such control is essential to democracy. He further suggests that "more culturally homogeneous" countries, like Japan, have a right to "protect their inherited national cultures" by restricting immigration. For him, borders are vital to democratic self-determination, particularly since immigration can change the character of a country—"the 'self' in 'self-determination,' " he calls it. Miller thinks it is worse for a government to keep a temporary worker "in limbo" indefinitely (and so create a "two-caste" society) than to enforce immigration restrictions in a timely manner. But, in the case of refugees, he perceives a double vulnerability: by applying for asylum, a refugee "makes herself vulnerable" to a state, while imposing on the state a "duty of care." The state is thereby obliged to accept as many refugees as it can.
How many is that? In 2014, just over a million people became legal permanent residents of the U.S. About two-thirds of them were relatives of current citizens or residents, fifteen per cent were admitted on the basis of professional skill, thirteen per cent were refugees and asylees, and five per cent were winners of a global lottery. (Each year, about fifteen million people apply for fifty thousand U.S. residency visas.) There were also, of course, unauthorized immigrants, who both came and went—for years, estimates of this population have held at eleven or twelve million. The unauthorized arrivals in 2014 also included some seventy thousand unaccompanied minors, who came over the Mexican border after fleeing violence in Central America.
By comparison, only about twelve thousand Syrian refugees have been admitted so far. Overseas, the Syrian exodus has been more destabilizing: hundreds of thousands have entered Greece and Germany, propelling restrictionist movements across Europe. Millions have arrived in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Miller thinks that states are justified in rebuffing refugees only if they impose a "serious cost to social justice and cohesion." He does not think it is defensible for states to turn away refugees on the basis of cultural or religious identity. And it would be "hypocrisy," he argues, for a country to bar refugees while welcoming other, more "desirable" immigrants, because a sovereign state is obliged to take seriously the claims of refugees, on human-rights grounds. His book endorses "a qualified right on the part of states to close their borders," but from an American perspective his approach might seem decidedly permissive.
Miller's book can be taken as a response to Joseph Carens, an American political scientist who has settled in Canada—a happy beneficiary of the unfair global immigration system that he would like to reform. Three years ago, Carens published "The Ethics of Immigration," which defends a simple proposition: "Immigrants belong." Carens argues that anyone who settles in a new country acquires "social membership," a status that soon becomes a sufficient basis for demanding citizenship; after a few years, it hardly matters how the immigrant arrived. ("The moral right of states to apprehend and deport irregular migrants erodes with the passage of time," he writes.)
Where Miller sees borders as symbols of national sovereignty, Carens sees them as monuments to global inequality; in his view, citizenship in a rich Western democracy is "the modern equivalent of feudal class privilege." When considering the pleas of refugees, he goes even further than Miller, suggesting that we should be ever mindful of the baleful history of the nineteen-thirties, when many countries—including America—turned away Jewish refugees from Germany. He writes, "We should always ask ourselves at some point, 'What would this have meant if we had applied it to Jews fleeing Hitler?' " This would mean, as Carens concedes, that countries are "almost never" justified in turning away refugees.
Part of what animates immigration restrictionists like Coulter is the sense that newcomers are being given special privileges. She says it's crazy to think that "we have to treat immigrants as if they're black people and we're making up for the legacy of slavery." But Carens thinks we do have a special duty to immigrants; namely, a duty to make them feel like members of society. And he wants politicians to be attentive to the "symbolic meaning" of immigration regulations, which might send a hostile message even if they aren't inherently oppressive. Think of Trump's Mexican-border wall. His political opponents reacted with horror, as if erecting a barricade were an affront to human rights. But more than twenty-five per cent of the border is walled off already, and no mainstream politician—certainly not Hillary Clinton—has called for the existing walls to be torn down. Trump's critics opposed his wall primarily because they opposed the message it seemed to be sending: that Mexicans are unwelcome in the U.S.
When Miller and Carens talk about immigrants, they sometimes seem to be talking about entirely different populations. Miller often portrays immigrants as beneficiaries, emphasizing the potential price of caring for them. (He writes from England, where socialized medicine is a fact of life.) Carens, by contrast, assumes that immigrants, when not thwarted by cruel policies, will generally make good use of the economic opportunities available; he suggests that the costs of immigration will be small, or nonexistent. Similarly, Hillary Clinton, who once declared herself "adamantly against illegal immigrants," is now much more likely to enumerate the ways in which immigrants, whether authorized or not, enrich the nation's economy; Trump's proposals, on the other hand, were driven largely by his intuition that immigrants are a drain on resources. Our laws, too, are shaped by assumptions about the economic impact of immigration. Plyler v. Doe was a 1981 Supreme Court case that gave unauthorized immigrant children the right to enroll in public school. Justice William Brennan wrote, for the majority, "There is no evidence in the record suggesting that illegal entrants impose any significant burden on the State's economy."
This, indeed, was the conventional economic wisdom then, and, if there is less consensus about it now, that is due in part to the dogged research of Borjas, who has been studying the economic effects of immigration from around the time Brennan wrote those words. Borjas arrived from Cuba as a boy, in 1962, shortly after the revolution, and settled with his mother in a Cuban community in Miami and then in Hoboken, New Jersey. His precipitating insight was that different groups of immigrants bring different skills and face different conditions. Economists, he thought, were wrong to assume that new waves of immigrants would assimilate and thrive simply because previous ones had. His new book, "We Wanted Workers" (Norton), borrows its title from the Swiss writer Max Frisch, who once offered a wistful assessment of guest workers: "We wanted workers, but we got people instead." Borjas believes that his fellow-economists have done us a disservice by analyzing immigrants as units of labor, while ignoring the other ways in which they influence their new country.
Borjas, who teaches at Harvard's Kennedy School, described the "pressure" he felt, early on, not to publish research that might be cited by the so-called "xenophobes and racists" who favored immigration restriction. But he shares with many activists, on both sides, a conviction that our current system is unfair. Most visas go to relatives, even though they are not necessarily the neediest applicants or the most constructive potential residents. Borjas notes that Mexican immigrants are "disproportionately drawn from the low-skill workforce," and offers one explanation: the financial returns on college education are higher, relatively speaking, in Mexico than in the U.S., and so those without degrees have a greater incentive to cross the border. He notes, too, that in 2014 working-age natives and immigrants were employed at almost the same rate (72.5 per cent and 72.9 per cent, respectively), even though 28.2 per cent of immigrants lacked a high-school diploma, compared with only eight per cent of natives.
In theory, an increase in the supply of non-diploma workers should lead to lower wages for this group. But economists disagree about what happens in practice. David Card, a labor economist known for his research on the minimum wage, studied the Mariel boatlift, which brought more than a hundred thousand Cubans to Florida in 1980; he found no evidence that the influx had lowered wages in Miami. Borjas argues that Card failed to find valid cities to compare with Miami and that he failed to separate out natives without diplomas, who were most directly affected. (Some two-thirds of the Mariel arrivals had not graduated from high school.) According to Borjas's calculations, the boatlift created a labor "supply shock" that lowered wages by at least ten per cent for local natives who lacked a high-school diploma.
Borjas is appropriately skeptical of economic claims. He says that part of the problem with the immigration debate is an "overreliance on economic modeling and statistical findings." The academic literature is complicated and often contradictory, and all sides have a tendency to cite the numbers that support their ideals. We know that many costs of caring for immigrants are borne by state and local governments, while many benefits flow to the federal government. But, even then, reliable numbers are elusive. Immigration may make programs like Social Security more solvent in the short term. The long-term effect depends, in part, on how those programs are structured by the time today's immigrants retire. Though many economists view immigration as beneficial, Borjas suspects that it may well be "a net economic wash" for America, which doesn't mean that there are no winners or losers. He argues that one result has been "a substantial redistribution of wealth from workers"—especially low-skilled ones—"to firms." If we really wanted to "make natives as rich as possible," he writes, we would adopt a radical new policy: "admit only high-skill immigrants," because they do the most to make all of us more productive. But this is not what we do. And so, he infers, appealing to the economic theory known as revealed preference, that must not be what we want—or, at least, not the only thing.
Last year, as his insurgent candidacy began to gain momentum, Bernie Sanders sat for an interview with Ezra Klein, the editor of the Web site Vox. The political world was still figuring out what to make of Trump's immigration rhetoric, and Klein wondered whether Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist, might have a more internationalist perspective. Did he support admitting vastly more immigrants, perhaps even embracing a policy of "open borders"?
Sanders interrupted, looking even more alarmed than usual. "Open borders?" he said. "That's a right-wing proposal." He said that it would "make everybody in America poorer," and added that we should focus, instead, on helping "poor people"—meaning, of course, poor people in America.
Sanders's characterization of open borders as "right wing" wasn't without basis. In 1984, as President Reagan was pushing for immigration reform, the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal called for a five-word amendment to the Constitution: "There shall be open borders." This is the rallying cry of the open-borders movement, which combines faith in free enterprise with a relative lack of compatriot partiality. Bryan Caplan, an economist at George Mason University, argues that it is immoral to condemn countless would-be immigrants to lives of hardship in an effort to nudge up wages for Americans who didn't graduate from high school. He says that we should think of "low-skilled" American workers as one more "special interest" demanding favors from a complaisant bureaucracy.
Some studies suggest that immigration inhibits public support for generous social-welfare programs—which, for libertarian supporters of the idea, is in no way a problem. If a country can't afford to welcome anyone who wants to come, why not charge a steep entrance fee, or slash government benefits for new arrivals, or withhold citizenship? Miller suggests that any such arrangement would be damaging to a country's democratic identity and civic life—it would represent an abandonment of "liberal principles." Open-borders advocates would reply that immigration restrictions themselves constitute such an abandonment; they are confident that future generations will wonder how we ever supported such a patently unjust system.
Sanders is not most people's idea of a nativist: he supports citizenship for unauthorized immigrants, wants to "reverse the criminalization of immigrants," and calls Trump's border wall a "boondoggle." Like Miller, though, he wants to offer a qualified defense of borders that are closed, at least some of the time, to some people. (Perhaps Miller has Sanders in mind when he notes that certain defenders of borders "fear the power of global capitalism and see citizen solidarity as the only countervailing force that can be relied on to oppose it.") Still, there can be something jarring about hearing a committed egalitarian like Sanders defend our profoundly unequal system of national borders and citizenship. Carens, another egalitarian, is bothered by this tension, and seeks to resolve it by advocating open borders as a distant promise, to be fulfilled only once we have achieved a "significant" reduction in worldwide inequality. One politician who seems to agree with him is Hillary Clinton. In an e-mail recently disclosed by WikiLeaks, she privately told a Brazilian banking group, "My dream is a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders, some time in the future." This—free migration, based on rough economic parity between countries—is essentially the European Union model, although the citizens of Great Britain decided, this summer, that the parity was a bit too rough and the migration a bit too free.
In debates over immigration, both sides tend to make bold pronouncements about what the natives will or will not stand for. In Coulter's treatise, natives are righteous and aggrieved, desperate for a political leader who's willing to confirm what they can see for themselves. (The book seemed to conjure Trump's Presidential campaign into existence.) Miller encourages limited deference to the natives, reconciling himself to the fact that democracies might choose immigration policies that leave certain humanitarian goals unmet. Those who think that rich countries should admit more immigrants anyway should at least consider the risk of backlash, especially because there are circumstances in which immigration can be plausibly linked to disorder or crime. Robert D. Putnam, the influential political scientist, found that "immigration and ethnic diversity challenge social solidarity and inhibit social capital," at least in the short term; the claim that diversity makes us strong is, as Coulter acidly notes, a motto, not an empirical fact. She cites the presence of Somali refugees in Minnesota as an example of the costs of immigration, suggesting that the state is now rife with "child prostitutes and machete attacks." In fact, statistics do not show a state-wide crime wave, although there have been some high-profile attacks. In September, a young immigrant from Kenya of Somali descent stabbed ten people at a mall in St. Cloud, reportedly while saying something about Allah. Such incidents are more memorable than statistics, and they can contribute to the anxiety that erodes support for more immigration.
In the U.K., the government's unwillingness to bar refugees entering from Europe helped lead to Brexit, which may yet hasten the end of free travel within Europe. In this country, the rise of Donald Trump may mark the demise of the bipartisan immigration consensus; this year, an Open Borders Amendment seems even more far-fetched than it did in 1984. How much immigration should the government allow? One answer that open-borders supporters might offer is practical, if unsatisfying: as much as it can get away with.
Meanwhile, it is not just Trump who promises to put America first. Politicians of all stripes assure us that their favored policies will make Americans stronger together—insisting that it is possible, after all, to be wromantic and right. But Carens makes a startling assertion toward the end of his book. "Admission of refugees," he writes, "does not really serve the interests of rich democratic states." In saying so, he seeks not to stem the tide but to make it clear that morality requires states to act in ways that may not be to their advantage. The good news is that voters, too, tend to be driven by much besides self-interest—if this were not the case, we might already have embraced the high-skilled-immigrant program that Borjas says would enrich us. Voters seem to like the idea of providing sanctuary to refugees, especially if they can be convinced that the refugees aren't gaming the system. In America, especially, voters respond to the sentimental but not fictitious notion that their country draws immigrants from around the world, all hoping and expecting to do better than they could have done at home. Immigration may be, as Borjas puts it, "a net economic wash," and yet there are still good and strong reasons for us to say that we want more of it. There is, after all, one class of Americans who stand to gain enormously from immigration. The only catch is that these Americans are not Americans at all—not yet. ♦


text:
Just Dinners-Mini Fundraisers for Just Garden In Your Home
People used to gather to build everything. From barn raisers to harvesting clams, from gathering berries to putting away winter's provisions, these things were traditionally done in the context of togetherness. Just Garden continues in this tradition. Our garden builds brings people of all walks of life together for a common purpose. Building a just food system and culture of gardening for all people will also take all of us… every day.
Our Just Dinners are mini fundraisers in your home. Just Garden comes to your home and facilitates a conversation on building a Just Food system, talks about Just Garden's work in this movement and connects people you love to this good work. It is a great way to live by example and spread the message of building gardens as an act of health and community vibrancy.
How does it work?
Support Just Garden by hosting a food justice themed dinner in your home. Contact Just Garden to schedule a date and time for the dinner. We will come out talk about Just Garden's work and facilitate a conversation around food, food justice, and how to build a more just and vibrant local food system. The dinners are mini fundraisers. We work with you to make sure that the invites and expectations are set so everyone who comes, knows what the dinner is all about and is ready to give to the cause. It is a wonderful way to share your passion for this work in an intimate setting. It is also a great way to build community. Fill out our contact form below for more information or to get the party started.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Table Of Contents
What You Need To Know About Your UK Pension In South Africa
Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme or QROPS is a designation by Her Majesty's Pension Scheme Customs or HMRC of a Designation Overseas Pension Scheme or ROPS that accepts pension transfer from UK pension schemes, without the transfers being taken as a benefit crystallization event.
This means that
British Expats can transfer the pension to Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme. Click To Tweet
and the interesting thing is that they can do so without being charged any tax on transfer.
This also means that they don't need transfer to their country of residence, but they can choose a jurisdiction with pension tax rules which could be beneficial to them.
Understanding A QROPS Pension Scheme
If you are planning to relocate from the UK to another country or you are already in another country overseas, it is important that you explore your options of transferring your UK pension into a Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme.
There are a few requirements that you need to keep in mind if you are looking to take advantage of a QROPS:
- You must be between 18 and 75 years of age
- Your pension must be occupational or private. Note that state pension cannot be transferred through the scheme.
- Your UK pension must have a transfer value over £25,000 or £100,000 if USA is your country of residence
- You must be annuity-free
- Those with final pension scheme are required not to have taken the payment
- You are either living abroad or you will be relocating in the next 6 months
It is important that you get specialist advice because each transfer is as individual as you are.
You will need to find a good financial advisor with an extensive experience in this field.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A QROPS
Transferring UK pension into a Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme comes with a number of benefits that could be very attractive to British expats.
The QROPS benefits include:
Retirees can pay any required income to finance their retirement and unlike a UK pension scheme, it is very much possible to transfer the pension to heir upon one's demise.
The tax efficiency and flexibility of transferring UK pension into a QROPS is something that expats should take advantage of.
However, it is important that you choose the trustees, jurisdictions and other parties correctly.
If you are looking to transfer your UK pension into a Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme then you are definitely making a good decision.
An increasing number of people are leaving the UK in favor of other countries. Click To Tweet
One of the most pertinent challenges facing such people is the need to transfer their retirement funds to the new country of residence.
The good thing is that the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has given such people an opportunity to transfer the funds to an overseas pension scheme.
Having said that, it is worth exploring the requirements and conditions of effecting such a transfer.
Are you wondering what does a QROPS Brexit mean For UK Expats in South Africa?
How To Transfer My UK Pension To A QROPS
To start with, the overseas pension scheme must be a qualifying recognized overseas pension scheme (QROPS).
A QROPS is a pension plan that is set up outside of the UK but is regulated by authorities of the country in question.
Such a QROPS must notify HMRC and detail its conformity and competency to transfer UK pension funds. By extension, it must inform HMRC when it ceases conformity to HMRC.
HMRC, through its website, has provided a comprehensive list of QROPS schemes. Click To Tweet
Generally, this entails providing the name of the scheme and the territory or country in which it is located.
The list is updated twice every month. One can seek further information on the same from an investment adviser or from the UK pension scheme administrators.
Third, there are various forms that one must fill out and forward to HMRC in order to effect the transfer.
Failure to which will translate to an unsuccessful application.
These are the following:
- APSS251 (Notification to HMRC)
- APSS251a (Change of Details)
- APSS251B (Change in status and notification of fund value)
Fourth, one must meet the income, residency, and employment conditions and requirements of the receiving scheme.
However, there are opportunities available for a personal pension plan.
Lastly, there are certain requirements that one may face regarding taxation of their retirement funds.
For example, payments that are derived from an may attract tax depending on when one was a UK resident. One may receive tax benefits as well depending on some circumstances.
How To Transfer My UK Pension To A QROPS From South Africa
An increasing number of British pension holders are choosing South Africa as their retirement haven. Click To Tweet
QROPS benefits include and not limited to receiving pension income with your preferred currency, selecting an ideal investment option from a variety of assets, flexible rules, and the ability to pass down the fund to your loved ones.
South African residents who are considering QROPS ought to put into consideration pension planning opportunities which are provided by Malta and Gibraltar who are members of the European Union.
This is because they enjoy the freedom of European legislation and are therefore not vulnerable from being delisted by HMRC. Guernsey used to be a popular choice of pension funds planning, but unfortunately, it was de-registered by QROPS.
The value of a solid pension plan cannot be underestimated. When making pension decisions pertaining a transfer to a QROPS, it is advisable that you seek more information from the UK pension provider or a financial adviser.
In addition to that, it is important to liaise with professionals of the overseas pension scheme. Typically, transferring your takes around three months from initial application to completion.
Overall, being informed about the transfer process plays a critical role in effecting a successful transfer of the pension plan.
If you are trying to understand your options for transferring your pension, have a look at our in depth article on QNUPS.
The HMRC UK Pension Regulations Explained
HMRC is the short form of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. Click To Tweet
This is a non ministerial department under UK government responsible for the collection of taxes, payments from state support groups.
HMRC works mainly around four operational groups.
The groups are:
- Personal tax
- Benefits and credits
- Business tax
- Enforcement and compliance
The department of HMRC is responsible for the collection and administration of any direct taxes which includes income tax, corporation tax; variety if capital taxes such as inheritance tax and capital gains tax and various indirect taxes including VAT or value added tax, stamp duty land tax and excise duties along with environmental taxes like the climate change levy and Air Passenger Duty.
Other different aspects of the HMRC department's responsibilities comprise of National Insurance offerings, the circulation of child benefits and fringes and some other common forms of state's support together with the payments of Tax Credits, Child Trust Fund, enforcement of the national least wage, managing anti-money laundering and registrations for Money Service Businesses or MSB as well as the collection and publication of the trade statistics of -in-goods details.
HMRC is also a law enforcing department looking for crimes and subsequent solutions in the genre of basic and general fiscal crimes.
They track crimes like drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal immigration, alcohol and oil smuggling, diamond and other precious metal smuggling etc.
They look for the previous crimes and criminals associated with them and track their activities. They work alongside customs department to prevent such kind of crimes.
The specialty of HMRC is that they look for patterns in the crimes of smuggling and trafficking and can track the criminals even before the commencement of such crimes.
The HMRC And QROPS
QROPS is the acronym of Qualified Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme. Click To Tweet
This program was launched in 6th April 2006. QROPS works alongside HMRS and provides the pension and other financial benefits to the qualified beneficiaries living or working outside the country's borders and offer them some very easy financial lenience.
To qualify as a beneficiary of QROPS, HMRC must clear the accounts of the applicant of any charges and anomalies. The practice of QROPS is becoming more and more popular among the British Expats in the recent times.
The main reasons behind that particular popularity being the investment and currency flexibility, the advantages in tax deductions, and the option of having a beneficiary, to whom the amount will be transferred in case of the primary account holder's death.
The program of QROPS is mostly beneficial for the British who were born in the mainland and then moved abroad for career reasons and then wish to retire there.
They can apply for their QROPS account to build up a UK based pension fund from which, they will be financially benefited upon retirement.
A QROPS needs not be established in the particular country where you are retiring, rather you or your associates can move your pension fund to a more tax efficient authority.
This will give you the chance to have your retirement fund paid into the specific country of your living or your choice.
Read more about transferring your UK pension to a QROPS in South Africa, or whether a SIPPS or QNUPS would be a better option.


text:
Music up. Lights down. This genre-breaking class brings the body to life with strengthening and dynamic movement sequences. A cathartic and liberating experience, Lo Fi Dance Theory is open to all levels and anyone that wants to move. No dance experience required.
Contact email@example.com for more information on upcoming classes or find us on Instagram @lofidancetheory


text:
Would you like to rate this movie?
Become a Free Member and enjoy:
Salman, a clergyman in education, is making plans to get married with his fiancé. Everything turns upside down when the couple is attacked on the street and Salman's future brother-in-law gets involved. Now torn between his hopes for the future and his devotion to God, Salman faces an ethical dilemma. Which path should a man walk when forced to choose between love and faith?
روحانی جوانی كه درگیر یک موقعیت تراژیک عاشقانه است، وارد ماجرای قتلی ناخواسته می شود....


text:
The Galápagos, the islands that inspired Charles Darwin during his voyage on the HMS Beagle, are a tropical mecca of unique wildlife. My journey there was unforgettable; here are some tips on how you can make yours unforgettable too:
Getting to the Galápagos is fairly easy, but flights depart only from Ecuador (flights generally leave from Guayaquil and Quito). Once you arrive in the Galapagos, you must pay a $100 entrance fee, so make sure you have some cash on hand (the U.S. dollar is Ecuador's national currency).
There are several islands to be seen in the Galapagos, but I opted for Santa Cruz Island. I stayed at the Red Mangrove Inn, a quaint little lodge nestled along Puerto Ayora. This tropical hotel has just 14 guest rooms, all of which are clean and comfortable. On the hotel's deck you can enjoy a delicious glass of tomate de arbol juice (an Ecuadorian favorite) while the critters of Galapagos entertain you.
While I was enjoying a drink and observing the gorgeous blue waters from the deck, I witnessed marine iguanas, birds and crabs, and was even visited by a sea lion that came up onto the deck and curled up on one of the hotel's lounge chairs!
Santa Cruz has a multitude of activities to choose from. You can take a short hike through a tropical forest to Tortuga Bay, where you'll find beautiful beaches and amazing sunsets. Around dusk, grab a bike and ride into town to watch fishermen clean their catch of the day. All the commotion and fresh fish attract several sea lions, who patiently wait at the feet of the fishermen in hope of being tossed a fish scrap.
Also nearby is the Charles Darwin Research Station, where you can see tortoises of all ages and sizes – from cookie-sized baby tortoises to ancient bathtub-sized tortoises. At the station you'll also find the legendary "Lonesome George," the last surviving Pinta Island Tortoise.
If you wish to take a cruise around the island or visit another island for the day, there are boats for hire all over Santa Cruz. These expeditions give you the chance to swim with Blue-footed Boobies, marine turtles, marine iguanas, penguins and sea lions.
Drinking, dining and shopping are all a breeze in Santa Cruz. Just scoot on over to the main street (located between the harbor and Darwin Station) and you'll find whatever you're looking for. When it's time for dinner you can choose from the many tourist-friendly restaurants that wrap around the harbor (my personal favorite was Toldo Azul, which had great ahi tuna and even better mojitos). Between restaurants you'll find shops where you can pick up Tortuga-inspired gifts or a famous Blue-footed Booby t-shirt.
Santa Cruz has some of the best nightlife in the Galapagos, so there's no shortage of bars serving Pilsener (the national Ecuadorian beer) or reggaeton-blasting discos. If you're lucky there will be a soccer game on, and you can grab a slice of pizza and a beer and sit amongst a crowd of cheering Ecuadorians at one of the outside eateries.
More from SDReader
- More stories by Valerie Middleton
- An Ecuadorian Christmas in Quito — Dec. 17, 2011
- The Galápagos: Wildlife Aplenty — Oct. 12, 2011
- Baños, Ecuador: A Piece of Heaven — May 31, 2011
- Quito, Ecuador — Aug. 28, 2009
- Islas Coronados, Mexico — June 16, 2009
Very worthwhile trip - Great for biological studies!


text:
Panel of 23 will decide projects for $10M grant
HUDSON — Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton has named the members of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Local Planning Committee, which will decide the projects implemented with the $10 million state grant the city received this summer.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Aug. 1 that Hudson was one of 10 municipalities in the state to receive the $10 million first-place award in the second round of Downtown Revitalization Initiative grants.
The 23-person committee, which includes Hamilton and Matthew Nelson as co-chairs, will spend six months building on the projects outlined in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative application, collect ideas for additional projects and decide the final projects that will be implemented over the next two years.
The city's plan includes: Way-finding signage for destinations and parking, free citywide Wi-Fi, a districtwide arts project, establishing the city as a trades and apprenticeship innovation hub, redevelop the Dunn Warehouse for year-round public and private usage and building a public pier for recreation between boat slips.
Hamilton declined to comment about how the committee members were chosen.
Hudson resident Seth Rapport said while he didn't know why he was chosen, he's looking forward to continuing his involvement in community efforts.
"The committee is formulated to be representative and to serve the community," said Rapport, who has owned Hudson-based Valley Mortgage Co. for more than 20 years.
He said he's witnessed Hudson evolve and that the $10 million grant would continue the city's progress.
"When I grew up here in the '70s it was a depressed economy and it's a more prosperous and diverse city now," he said. "My hope and wish for Hudson is continued prosperity and a good quality of life for the people who live here."
Elena Mosley of Claverack, founder of the nonprofit Operation Unite, located on Columbia Street in Hudson, which launched 25 years ago to serve the city's youth and provide college-bound academic and arts program, was also chosen to be on the Local Planning Committee.
"I'm honored to be thought of as someone who can help with the needs of the city," she said. "I'm hoping we'll be able to bring to the table the concerns and needs of the residents of the city and make the best choices we possibly can."
Mosley said having a framework for how the grant will be used would be beneficial to the committee.
"There's a foundation that allowed us to receive the grant in the first place," she said. "That's one of the things that made me feel good about being on the committee."
Mosley anticipates the committee members will be grouped.
"It's an awful lot of people, so I'm counting on that initial document to help us focus and go from there," she said. "Since the committee is so large, I can only imagine that there will be subcommittees."
Once the selected projects have been implemented, Mosley said she is hoping to be left with a sense of involvement.
"I want to feel that I contributed to the progress and growth of Hudson," she said. "It won't please everybody, because nothing ever does, but everybody should have at least one or two things at the end of the day that they contributed to and feel good about.
"I want to be able to say to people, 'this is what I did on your behalf,'" she said.
The Downtown Revitalization Initiative Local Planning Committee will work alongside representatives from the state Department of State, Capital Region Regional Economic Development Council, Empire State Development and professional planning firm Stantec throughout the six-month planning process.
The other committee members: Tiney Abitabile, Brenda Adams, Kim Bach, Shaheim DeJesus, Todd Erling, Betsy Gramkow, Michelle Hughes, Jeff Hunt, Joan Hunt, Tony Jones, Peter Jung, Sara Kendall, Bob Lucke, Randall Martin, Jabin Ahmed Ruhii, Michael Sadowski, Dan Seward, Colin Stair and Christine Vanderlan.
To reach reporter Ann Friedman, call 518-828-1616 ext. 2499 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Scott Vermeire is a writer and performer living in Oakland, CA.
Scott is known for his solo performances and his ongoing collaborations with Sad Vicious and Wonderment Consortium. His work has been featured in The Washington Post, The Onion, Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and Viceland. Scott has been nominated for the SFMOMA SECA Award and has performed at SFMOMA, YBCA, and SF Sketchfest. Scott co-produces Oakland's experimental comedy show 'TALKIES' at All Out Comedy Theater in Oakland's Uptown district every second Friday of the month. He received his improv education from UCBLA, Alan Arkin, and David Rasowski.


text:
Dental implants are the most natural replacement for missing teeth. Dental Implants are an artificial replacement for natural tooth roots. They attach firmly into the gum and jawbone. Your dentist then places a crown onto this artificial tooth root which looks feels and functions like a natural tooth. Implants can also be used to anchor partials and full dentures. For a more in depth explanation of dental implants, click here.
Dental implant dentists within 25 miles of Orland Park, Illinois:
Thomas B. Braun, D.D.S., M.S.D.
(815) 744-7175
2312 Plainfield Road
Crest Hill, IL 60435
Get Directions
| Office Hours
Bruce A. Gartner, D.D.S., M.S.
(708) 681-5154
10526 W. Cermak Rd., #201
Westchester, IL 60154
Get Directions
Patrick J. Angelo, Jr., D.D.S., M.S.
(708) 366-2180
7777 North Ave
River Forest, IL 60305
Get Directions
Home | What are Dental Implants?
About Us | Levels of Listings


text:
Lakeport Plantation – Arkansas' Last Antebellum House
December 16, 2018 by Corey A. Edwards
Lakeport Plantation is the last remaining, untouched antebellum home on the Mississippi River in Arkansas. It has successfully transitioned from slavery, to tenant farming, to a museum and historic site over the last 185+ years. And it's still producing cotton.
Kentuckian Joel Johnson established Lakeport Plantation in 1831. His son, Lycurgus Johnson, took the reins in 1846. By 1856, the cotton market was providing well for southern plantation holders like Johnson. He built the large house on the property in 1859 and expanded the plantation to well over 4,000 acres by 1860. He also held 155 slaves.
The looming Civil War had other plans, however.
Read the rest of this page »
Visit Little Rock's Old State House Museum
January 13, 2017 by Corey A. Edwards
Little Rock's Old State House Museum served as Arkansas original capitol and is now a museum of Arkansas history.
The Old State House Museum was built in 1836 and served as the state capitol until 1911. During its years, it has witnessed some of the state's most important events.
This grand, old building hosted the admission of Arkansas into the Union. Ironically, it was also the site of the secession convention in 1861! The same building served as the seat of both the Confederate and Unionists governments during the Civil War.
Read the rest of this page »
Discover Poison Springs Battleground State Park
August 14, 2015 by Corey A. Edwards
Step back into Civil War history and the infamous Red River Campaign with a visit to South Central Arkansas' Poison Springs Battleground State Park.
The Battle of Poison Spring took place on April 18, 1864, during the Arkansas phase of the Union's Red River Campaign; a questionable plan to seize control of the Red River valley from as far south as Texas to as far north as Shreveport, Louisiana.
Read the rest of this page »
Travel Back In Time at the Lakeport Plantation
March 28, 2014 by Corey A. Edwards
The last remaining antebellum house on Arkansas' stretch of the Mississippi, the 1850 Lakeport Plantation, has been restored to help study and demonstrate the South's transition from slavery to tenant farming.
Lakeport Plantation has been in continuous cotton production since being hewn from the heavily forested, 1830's Arkansas frontier. Initially farmed by slaves, the plantation has survived the change from frontier to plantation slavery, through sharecropping and tenant farming, to large-scale corporate farming. As such, it is the perfect living document of agricultural, social, and cultural change in the region and, to some degree, throughout the US.
Read the rest of this page »


text:
|This article is in need of a Photo.To add an image to this page, click "Edit" then click the image button.
Pajaro, Elkhorn, and Las Lomas, Moss Landing are in the Royal Oak area.
In 1998/99 Royal Oaks was added as an official county and post office community name for all of North Monterey County that is not Aromas, Castroville, or Prunedale.
Golden Gate Gasoline
Hilltop Mini Mart
Quik Stop
Royal Oaks Market
Royal Oaks Park - Located in north Monterey County on 537 Maher Road. Royal Oaks Park was established in 1966. Maintained by Monterey County Parks Department.
Serviced by Monterey Salinas Transit bus service.
|This entry is a seed - a starting point for writing a full entry. You can help the Santa Cruz Wiki by expanding it! Simply click on the "Edit" button.


text:
Your search results
4 resources
Chichekian, Garo. The Armenian Community of Quebec. Montreal: H. Chichekian, 1989.
Chichekian, Garo. "Problems in Determining the Size and Location of Small Ethnic Groups in Canadian Cities: The Case of Armenians in the Montreal Region." Proceedings, New England-St. Lawrence Valley Division, Association of American Geographers Vol. 11 (1981): 95–104.
Boudijikanian, Aïda, and Claude Marois. "Greater Montreal Armenian Residential Patterns: Some Empirical Considerations and Methodological Prospects." Journal of the Society of Armenian Studies Vol. 6 (93 1992): 153–168.
Baghdjian, Kévork K. La Communauté arménienne catholique de Montréal : esquisse. Montréal: K.K. Baghdjian, 1992.


text:
CE Marking
CEM are able to offer training to help any organisation better understand the CE marking process.
Rather than provide a "one size fits all" training course we are able to offer a training solution tailored to suit the needs of a particular organisation. We have all attended courses where much of the course material was either irrelevant or already known within your organisation.CEM aim to avoid this by carefully listening to your individual training requirements and then developing a course specifically for you.
CEM will take the time to find out what your training requirements are and will develop a course that will be relevant, informative and have a lasting positive impact on the performance of the attendees.
The trainer will be an industry expert with many years experience in the particular field that is relevant to you.
Don't settle for a pre-defined course when you can have exactly what you need, delivered by someone who really knows what they are talking about, and can answer your questions as they crop up rather than referring to somebidy else for the answers.
CEM provide the training you actually want, when your want it, and where you want it.


text:
£8.95 inc. Vat
Save 56%
Bright colours, bold patterns, playful words… Happy Jackson is all about bringing a little bit more awesome into everyday life!
Black A5 notebook with the words RANDOM CRAP displayed in white on the front cover edged in yellow and inside the front cover are lots of monochrome lines and a place to write your details, pages are lined, would make the perfect gift!
Measurements: approx 24cm x 19cm x 0.7cm
Availability: Out of stock
We also ship worldwide via fully insured and trackable Royal Mail International Signed For post


text: In the last 10 years of its rise, we have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of subway tile. Everyone loves it though - its simple, easy to clean, and inexpensive! Despite its versatility, I cringe when clients ask for the classic subway pattern. There are so many amazing ways to lay tile, why should we limit our selves to the Running Bond pattern? I say no. I say get creative. If you aren't sure where to start, I have curated some of my favorite LUXURIOUS & MODERN ways to lay the classic tile.


text:
Office Phone: 979-297-6000
The first and only master-planned community in the Clute-Lake Jackson area features picturesque lakefront views, mature trees, two lakes, and a system of trails and parks. One of the area's premier builders, CastleRock Communities, offers a variety of floor plans and options and has been in the home building business for more than 50 years.
You will not find a better location for a new home. Residents can walk to the Woodshore Marketplace featuring grocery giant Kroger and other convenient businesses. It's also in an ideal location for swimming, boating and fishing at nearby Gulf Coast beaches and marinas.
Woodshore is located in the growing city of Clute, Texas, in the heart of the Brazosport metropolitan area. Brazoria County is one of the largest and fastest growing petrochemical employment regions on the Gulf Coast with more plant, office, and new construction planned. Located on the Texas Gulf Coast, it's also a short drive to South Houston.
The Brazosport area has been listed as one of the most desirable places to live in the country because of its excellent school system, low cost of living, affordable housing options and abundant job opportunities.
Woodshore Available Listings from
Would you like more information about the Woodshore Community? Simply fill out our contact form below or contact:


text:
We've removed a quarter of advertisements to improve the website experience for our free members.
The revenue we receive from carefully selected advertisers enables us to support the 3 million people who use Company Check free of charge each month.
By working with more relevant advertisers we will continue to reduce the number of ads you see.
And remember - upgrade and never see an ad again!


text:
You want people to be able to get to your website whether or not they type "www" before the domain. Both www and non-www versions of a website should redirect to one preferred version of your site. For example, if you've set "www.mysite.com" as the preferred version of your site, users should arrive at "www.mysite.com" even if they type "mysite.com" or "http://mysite.com" into their browser.
Why is this important? If your site doesn't redirect to the one preferred version of the site, Google actually recognizes this as two separate sites. This can cause issues for SEO as Google would recognize this as duplicate content, which can cause search engine ranking positions to be low.
At this time, whether you choose the www or non-www version of the site as the preferred version doesn't seem to have much impact on SEO.


text:
Engage with IHI
Pursuing Equity
This initiative is completed — began in April 2017 and ended in March 2019.
Pursuing Equity is a two-year initiative, launched in April 2017, that aims to reduce inequities in health and health care access, treatment, and outcomes by implementing comprehensive strategies to create and sustain equitable health systems.
Eight health care organizations — diverse in size, geography, and patient populations served — are working with IHI to apply practical improvement methods and tools, spread ideas in peer-to-peer learning, and disseminate results and lessons to support an ongoing national dialogue and action for improving health equity.
The goal of Pursuing Equity is to lay the groundwork for a national initiative that identifies ways health care organizations can impact equity in areas like employee wellness and social determinants of health, in addition to reducing clinical disparities at the point of care.
Making health equity a strategic priority is one of five key recommendations in the IHI White Paper,
Achieving Health Equity: A Guide for Health Care Organizations. The framework presented in the white paper serves as the starting point for the work of the Pursuing Equity initiative.
Learn More >>
IHI's Pursuing Equity initiative is made possible through funding by the
Rx Foundation,
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, and the
participating health systems.


text:
When the disciples asked Jesus for the signs of the end times, just before His return, He warned false Christs and false prophets who would deceive many. Continue reading
Category Archives: Theistic evolution
Young earth v. old earth
This morning, another type of creation advocate sent me a message at the domain of the Creation Science Hall of Fame. Some advocates choose not to dispute the conventional wisdom that the earth is old. However old the earth might be, they say, is still not long enough for evolution to take place unless God guided it. Opposed to this "old earth" view is the "young earth" view: that the earth is not nearly so old as conventional scientists insist. Continue reading


text: On the occasion of Women's Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC) Nepal's 25th anniversary, we relfected on our partnership over the years. Our journey in solidarity to advance gender equality and women's freedom, started at the 2007 Women's Leadership Institute, when WOREC's Smriti challenged the way we looked at women's rights activism. Participants


text:
Amigurumi Advent: Sugar Mouse (Day 12)
Download the amigurumi sugar mouse pattern today!
We've had so much fun revealing these amigurumi patterns each day but today we share the last one. If you're thinking "Hey? Advent equals 24 days, not 12!" then you'd be right. We asked Liz to design these characters for us and she's done a great job – she's also recently told us that the remaining 12 patterns will be available in her Etsy shop along with all the patterns we've shared here on the blog.
Remember this micro sugar mouse crochet pattern will be available for 24 hours only.
Download the printable now.
Missed out on some of the patterns? We're giving all our newsletter subscribers a second chance to download all the patterns so far. Sign up before Thursday, 15 December 2016 to get your hands on all the patterns. Sign up here.
This pattern is no longer available
About Liz Ward
Four years ago Liz learnt how to crochet and now she's designing easy-to-understand patterns for her blog and Etsy shop. If you missed the free amigurumi pattern above you can buy the pattern in Liz's shop.
Visit Amigurumi Barmy and follow on Facebook.


text:
So, our hero continues his quest to bring music to the world and played 4 gigs in a jazz club setting... how intimate? I hear you ask.... too close to the $15000 violin bow for my liking....
But get this: it was the first time Burt has played a jazz club </insert emoji for mind blown>... and he liked it!
So maybe a few more intimate shows sometime soon
The Burt Bacharach Forum is a board to discuss the music and career of composer Burt Bacharach and performers associated with his songs.
Moderator: mark
1 post • Page 1 of 1
- Posts: 276
- Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 10:36 pm
- Location: Flyover Country
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is.
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Return to "The Burt Bacharach Forum"
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 64 guests


text:
On 2005's Knuckle Up, Robert "Black Pegasus" Houston included "Club Killah," a song that bitch-slapped DJs for turning a deaf ear to his rhymes. With Fuck Yo! Radio, he ups the ante. Not only does his new disc end with a live version of the aforementioned tune (spelled "Club Killa" this time), but the title track assaults programmers at Greeley's KISS-FM affiliate for being "corporate cocksuckers with college degrees."
As this line indicates, Black P's words are as striking as ever, and so is his flow, which is equally effective on throwdowns ("The Dirt") and smooch showcases ("So Glad"). These qualities contribute to a solid CD, albeit one that lacks unique production. "Someday," for example, uses the sort of sped-up vocal sample that Kanye West left behind years ago.
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
You have successfully signed up for your selected newsletter(s) - please keep an eye on your mailbox, we're movin' in!
Radio programmers probably won't gravitate to tunes with an overly familiar sound, but that could be a good thing. After all, rejection will provide Houston with even more material.


text:
I am sure you would agree we are a visual world hence it makes sense that a Portfolio Website Equals career Success. Show me don't tell me are strong words and what many CEO's will say to you, hence show them your Portfolio Website and win the Career ladder fast.
Make Your Portfolio Website available online and be well ahead of your competition. We can show you how its very simple.
Wiki says: Career portfolios are used to plan, organize and document education, work samples and skills. People use career portfolios to apply to jobs, apply to college or training programs, get a higher salary, show transferable skills, and to track personal development. They are more in-depth than a resume, which is used to summarize the above in one or two pages. Career portfolios serve as proof of one's skills, abilities, and potential in the future.
Take this well organsized body of work place in online wrap it in great design and you have You Online Portfolio website. Take a look at some of the examples we offer here.
" All Life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Porfolio Website Equals Career Success
Everyone today regardles of whether you are employed or self employed should realise you are your own business. You should treat your career as a business, grow it nurture it, communicate it and share it, this is vitally important to your life long success. A Personal Business Website maybe just what you need, this is the same as a Portfolio Website it is this vehicle that will house your thoughts, plans, completed works and projects. This is you digital Portfolio, your online portfolio, you Personal Website, Your Portfolio website that sets you apart from the crowd.
Portfolio Websites are the strength behind the ambitious careeerist as they know they have a constant marketing head office working for them even whilst they sleep. Your words, thoughts, your work is there to be seen by future employers, by clients, associates and future partners. A very powerful tool that will win you career success.
There are plenty of online portals that allow you to make your own website and these are completely free and quite easy to set up. The only negative of this avenue is that you do not outright own your own website, it will be a sub domain of a larger site over which you have no control.
Porfolio Website Equals Career Success
Your own Portfolio site is by far the better route to go, if you don't want the hassle of creating your own Portfolio website then simply fill in one of our forms and we will do it for you. Know that this site will be yours owned outright, over time you will be able to change the look and feel of it as it is created on the WordPress CMS, so either you can do it or get someone else to do it or ask us. Visit this page to find out more.


text:
NFL Pushing Boundaries Of Ridiculous: Demands Photo Journalists Advertise Sponsors At Games
from the they're-just-seeing-how-far-they-can-push-it,-right? deptThe NFL really seems to be seeing just how far it can push journalists around these days. First it told them they couldn't videotape any part of the game themselves and had to use officially provided video. Then it told them that there was a limit to how much video any publication could show on its website, even if that video was filmed entirely by the publication itself. Apparently it's now moving on to abusing photojournalists as well. The NFL is now requiring all sideline photographers to wear vests advertising NFL sponsors. It seems the NFL considers the very journalists who help promote the sport as mere billboards and mouthpieces of its sponsors. Next up, perhaps it'll start requiring fans to wear advertising vests as well.
Filed Under: integrity, journalism, nfl, sponsors
Companies: nfl


text:
You can't even begin to talk about Mesquite without mentioning the world famous Mesquite Rodeo.
Mesquite Rodeo GM Marshall Hervey says Mesquite was a farming town, with not much to offer. Then a cowboy came to town in 1958.
"Neil Gay had lost his wife and had two kids and was looking for a way to rodeo, without going out of town."
Radar Jordan, who is a former champion himself says the rodeo wasn't an immediate success.
"After the first four years they had a board meeting to discuss finances, and found that they had made $50 dollars," he says.
But slowly the crowds started to find them, especially when 635 was constructed.
"It was right there, with our big sign. That's when we started gaining popularity," Jordan says.
Through the 70's the crowds were steady as Mesquite continued to grow, but Laura Richie says they were about to be shot into the stratosphere starting in 1980.
"When Urban Cowboy came out, this place exploded. Everyone started wearing cowboy boots and hats and started flooding in on buses. They were coming in from all over the world," she says.
Hervey says when cable came along, it increased their exposure even more.
"We got a contract with TNN, The Nashville Network. We became the best-known rodeo in the world."
As the years have gone by Mesquite isn't quite the farming town it was, but the rodeo has remained. Richie admits it's not quite the draw that it once was, but it still has a place.
"It's a place you can come and get real life action. It's important that we put on a rodeo so the city kid can think about coming out of the crowd, do a little riding and get the crowd cheering for them."
All it takes is 8 seconds.


text:
Make the most of your graduate job hunt Our Finalist career hacks sessions are designed to help you work out what you're looking for in a role, and where to start looking.
Tag: success
Jan 30 2018
Finalist career hacks workshops
Oct 11 2017
How to Prepare for an Interview
Written by Samantha Meredith, Talent Aquisition Specialist, Enterprise Rent-A-Car What is the old saying 'to fail to prepare is to prepare to fail?' I am sure that this is also the case with interviewing. As a Talent Acquisition Specialist for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, I can separate a well-prepared candidate from a #winging-it candidate in a matter …
Apr 07 2017
CEOing for a day
Have you heard about CEO for a Day programme? Organised by Odgers Berndtson, it provides mid-Year students the opportunity to spend a day shadowing a successful CEO. As an undergraduate, you apply to spend the day with a top Chief Executive and learn about the responsibility and complexities required to lead some of Britain's …
Mar 31 2017
UROP opens up opportunities
The applications for UROP, the scheme offering research internships to undergraduates at the University of Reading, are closing today, March 31. This programme gives students the chance to participate in research projects led by academics, gain a wide range of transferable skills, and kick-start their career in the area of their interest. Two of the students …


text:
Download our FREE eBook and get answers to questions like:
Your business needs powerful, feature-rich, cost-saving business tools to get ahead of the competition. Learn how you can benefit from Microsoft Office 365 today by downloading our informative report for FREE.
Since partnering with Vertex, not only have we saved approximately $48,000/year in reduced downtime costs with their managed service plan, they have also given us the competitive advantage we need, thanks to their innovative technology solutions.
Greg Neinstein
Managing Partner
Neinstein & Associates LLP
The decision to migrate email to the Cloud was a good decision from Vertex & within 24 hours our email was flowing after the system crashed. Since then, Vertex has taken over the support of our entire network providing us with their Cloud Hosted email, other recommended solutions and proactive Managed ...Read More
Stephen M. Cohen
Garfin Zeidenberg LLP
Having increased our day to day productivity and efficiencies with reliable computer systems and a new Paperless Office Solution, we can estimate a savings of $3520/month, all thanks to Vertex.
Simon Bieber
Managing Partner
Wardle Daley Bernstein Bieber LLP


text:
March 16, 2013 – Secret Nigerian Gay Club With 400 Members Discovered In Makurdi, Benue State
Men Sleeping With Men, A 400-Member Gay Club Discovered In Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
A shocking discovery of a secret gay club called Men Sleeping with men, MSM has been discovered in Makurdi, the capital city of Benue State.
According to Mrs Grace Wende, the Executive Secretary for BENSACA, an agency in charge of Aids Control in the state, MSM currently has 400 members in the state capital as we speak.
She further said Men Sleeping with men gay club has a large base of male students from various universities in Benue State.
Below is what Grace Wende said to journalist in Benue yesterday.
"MSM club was discovered during an Epidermic appraisal carried out by our Canadian partners in colloboration with BENSACA following the state government's resolve to fight the increasing trend of HIV/AIDs in the state as shown in 2011 survey.
"In fact my office is already interacting with the group of young men who are mostly undergraduates in various higher institution of learning located in the state."
Mrs Wende who said the 400-member secret gay club, MSM usually meet in December further said "there is a heightened need for scale-up of effective and efficient HIV prevention efforts in the state if we must all win this war against the virus."
Why Secret Gay Club?
They kept it secret because homosexuality in Nigeria is a criminal offence that carries 14 years imprisonment.
Lord have mercy!


text:
This minimalist house in Japan features an elegant floor plan that unfolds like a museum. Designed for an art aficionado and amateur artist, the house features seamless spatial transitions that accentuate the art collection. Japanese architecture firm Ryumei Fujiki + Yukiko Sato / F.A.D.S designed the house as a cluster of interconnected cubes that accommodate gallery-like spaces, living areas and a studio accessible from a courtyard.
The architects collaborated with the owner to determine the proportion of each room in accordance with the art collection to be displayed. Even the height of the living room ceiling is based on the optimal wall size for a painting measuring over 1.5 x 1 meters. In addition to the artwork, the client wanted to display his collection of old jazz records.
Related: U-shaped weekend home in Belgium boasts a bare-bones Japanese aesthetic
Since the house is located in a region dominated by harsh, snowy climate, the architects needed to address the issue of snowfall. They ultimately opted for a flat roof without a parapet which would stay snow-free thanks to strong winds. In order to enable natural ventilation, the team looked to traditional methods used in designing old Kyoto townhouses and introduced two garden areas on two opposite sides that would have different temperatures.
+ Ryumei Fujiki + Yukiko Sato / F.A.D.S
Via v2com
Photos by Hiroshi UEDA


text:
Under eye issues
Your Filters
CategoriesProblems & Solutions Under eye issues
BrandWrinkles Schminkles
To ensure that you have the best experience and to help us develop our services we automatically track your session. If you would like to know more about our privacy policy and how we handle your data, click here.
By continuing to browse you are accepting this.


text:
Assigning IPA shortcuts for easy access
- Details
- Category: Language and Linguistics
Being a linguist, you often have to transcribe things in IPA. Out of several languages you work on, there would be times when you work on only one language with a limited inventory of phonemes. In such situations, when you are writing the transcription of a word in a language using IPA, you will often have to write characters like ɘ ɛ ɪ ʃ ʈ ɲ ɳ ŋ ɖ ̃ ʰ and so on. While there was a time people used fonts, with advent of Unicode and existing font sets including the IPA extensions, it is now easy to use the Unicode which would be visible on any device, without installing any fonts.
How to access a shared folder on network drive
- Details
- Category: Generalia
Here is how to access a shared folder on a network drive.
Use the following command on a DOS command prompt
C:\>pushd \\networkname\sharedfolder
C:\>pushd \\networkIPAddress\sharedfolder
this should take you to a network drive (such as Z:\)
If you want to come back to your local computer drive give the following command
Replacing spaces from directories and file names
- Details
- Category: Generalia
How to replace spaces from directories with an underscore in linux?
A Bash command like the following can do this. On your terminal, you need to be in the directory going down from where you want to change the directories. Please note that the following command does the replacements recursively. SO, even the sub-directories would have its spaces replaced with an underscore:
find -depth -name "* *" -execdir rename 's/ /_/g' "{}" \;
If you do not want to do it recursively also into sub-directories, you should fire the following command:
find -name "* *" -type d | rename 's/ /_/g'
How do to the same in the files?
Find the file names in a directory and its subdirectory containing spaces. Replace the space between the stars with any string and it will find the files containing that string.bio
find -name "* *" -type f
To replace a string in the file name under that directory/sub-directory, use the following command:
find -name "* *" -type f | rename 's/ /_/g'
Not Enough Space: Grep Error in Windows
- Details
- Category: Generalia
I was once trying to run a grep command to a directory and looking for a string inside it.
While the directory I was looking into was in a different drive (F:) than that of the system drive (C:) where the grep was installed.
I used the command prompt to first descend into the directory. So, I first went into the directory such that my command prompt looked like as follows:
As I was already into this directory, I just shot the gremp command like the following:
grep -r "mysearchstring"
But this came with an error as follows:
grep: (standard input): Not enough space
Of course my computer did not have any issues with the space as this was an I7 processor with a huge 16GB of RAM and the hard disk had more than 40% available in all the drives.
This must have to be something else.
I tried to find out but the solutions given were rather too geeky like installing cygwin to do this.
However, I tried to do this using another method. I closed the command prompt and started it again. I did not change my directory in the commmand prompt to F: drive this time. Rather I just shot the following command at its default location:
grep -r "mysearchstring" F:\MySearchDirectory
And lo, the result was out there in no time.
So, what did it do? I guess wingrep works best when it is in its default location and target anything at other location.
Hope this helps another Windows user.
A Note on Installing RxNorm on your System
- Details
- Category: Generalia
I was trying to install RxNorm 2014 on my system, a Windows machine and had an issue in installing it properly using the scripts provided in the downloaded files.
The downloaded files have a directory for the scripts. The scripts are meant for different platforms. I was on a Windows machine and for the script was the file with the .bat extension. I edited this file to provide the information on the MySQL installation and configuration for my PC. After this I ran this script. But it gave me an error as shown in the log file created. The error was like this:
"File 'RXNATOMARCHIVE.RRF' not found (Errcode: 2)"
It could not find the RRF files which were necessary to populate the tables.
This was a sure indication it was an error in path. And most likely, you have not read the documentation. If you read the documentation of RxNorm in full, you will find that they tell you to move the scripts and the relevant sql files to the same directory where RRF files are located. That means you need to copy these files one directory back to the RRF directory and run the .bat file once again.
Once this is done, the MySQL installation of RxNorm should be okay.
Please, note if you are not able to edit the .bat file second time after you have done it once, make another copy of the .bat file and run that. Things would go okay.
मारबो रे सुगवा
- Details
- Category: Generalia
Another very melodious song which could be attributed to both Bhojpuri and Maithili. The lyrics are given below. Curiously, the song is sung by an Assamese singer, Kalpana Patowary. Do not know who wrote the lyrics. The lyrics is very simple in meaning and can be summarized as follows.
It talks about the fruition of different native fruits (except apple) in the native place of Bihar and around. This is being eaten by a parrot and the lyricist threatens the parrot that he will kill it. After the parrot is killed, the female parrot will cry out in agony of his leaving. And thus to save this agony, the lyricist is praying to the god Sun to be helpful.
The meaning rather is very hotch-potched and nothing comes out clearly except that it does evoke an painful emotion in you. But this is more of the magic of the voice singing it.
Hinglish lyrics of the song:
Action Items to save yourself from the vulnerability of HeartBleed
- Details
- Category: Generalia
Action Items to save yourself from the vulnerability of HeartBleed
The security vulnerability generated from the heartbleed bug requires some action from you if you have your accounts on the following websites:


text:
If the British Isles had an official vegetable, it would have to be the potato. After a decade and a half of living here, I think I know just about all there is to know about spuds: how to parboil them before roasting in hot oil or goose fat; how to toss them with butter and chopped curly parsley; how to mash them with milk and butter; and how to bubble-and-squeak them the next day. Not only that, but my Irish mother-in-law Greta is forever lecturing me about the rights and wrongs of preparing "tatties".
But for all the simple beauty of these time-honoured favourites, there is so much more you can do to showcase the potato's versatility and ability to take on other flavours. My beloved Greta may well deem today's recipes as verging on the blasphemous, but they do put her favourite tuber in a fresh context.
Consider, for example, the marriage of chips and ketchup. The reason the relationship endures is that it's never boring. Yes, there's the sweetness of the tomatoes, but there is also a touch of saltiness, bitterness and umami-rich flavour. Now take this sweet element one step farther, and add a few plump prunes and some brown sugar to a tray of roasting potatoes: the resulting caramelisation of the fruit will add an extra sweet note and depth of flavour to any roast bird.
A similar approach can be applied to imaginative effect in a potato tatin, where new potatoes replace the apples, and are layered with a salty element or two such as feta, olives or anchovies. Likewise, try any sweet, soft herb – dill, mint, chervil, chives, say – instead of the more commonly used parsley.
And if it's bitterness or acidity that floats your boat, try dressing new potatoes with lemon-infused oil. One Indian-inspired favourite of mine is mashed potato mixed with lemon juice, breadcrumbs, coriander and chilli, shaped into patties, fried and served with chutney and yoghurt. Not even Greta would object to that.
Iranian vegetable stew with dried lime
Serve this sweet, sharp stew with steamed rice. Serves six.
50g clarified butter
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp tomato paste
20g coriander
10g tarragon
10g dill
1kg waxy potatoes, peeled and chopped into 4cm chunks
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into 4cm chunks
3 Iranian limes, pierced 2-3 times
1 whole green chilli, slit on one side from stem to tip
5 medium tomatoes, quartered
150g spinach leaves
15g barberries
300g Greek yoghurt (optional)
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Put a large casserole dish on medium heat and sauté the butter, onion, turmeric and cumin for 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Tie all the herbs into a bunch and add to the pot with the potatoes, squash, limes, chilli, a teaspoon and a half of salt and a litre of water. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and boil gently for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are semi-cooked. Stir through the tomatoes, spinach and barberries, crushing the limes gently as you do so, to release some of the juices inside.
Tip into a large roasting tray and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a little and the vegetables are soft. Remove from the oven and leave to sit for five minutes, then serve with a dollop of yoghurt on the side, if you like.
Super-rich white pizza
Tara, who assists me with recipe testing (among many other things), tells me one of her dad's favourite sayings is, "There are very few things in life that are not improved by the addition of a fried egg." When we tested and retested this recipe, the eggs came, and went, and returned again, so do try an egg-free version, if you prefer. Serves four to six.
500g King Edward potatoes
2½ tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
10g rosemary leaves, chopped
25g fresh oregano leaves, half of them chopped, the rest left whole
Salt and black pepper
60g anchovy fillets, half of them chopped, the rest left whole
120ml double cream
300g buffalo mozzarella
80g parmesan, coarsely grated
4 eggs (optional)
For the dough
230g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
1½ tsp fast-action dried yeast
½ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp caster sugar
75ml olive oil
1 egg
100ml lukewarm water
Heat the oven to 240C/465F/gas mark 9. For the dough, put the flour, half a tablespoon of salt, the yeast, baking powder and sugar in the bowl of a free-standing mixer. Using the dough hook, stir on low speed to combine, then add the oil and egg. Stir again and, with the motor running, slowly add the lukewarm water. Mix until the dough comes together (add a little flour if it's very sticky), then remove from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured work surface for three minutes, until elastic and uniform. Place in a bowl, cover and put somewhere warm for an hour; the dough will rise, but not by much.
Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a baking tray and roast for an hour. Remove and, when cool enough to handle, cut them in half, scoop out the flesh in 3cm chunks and discard (or eat) the skin. Put the potatoes in a bowl, toss very gently with two teaspoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and set aside.
Put the remaining olive oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, rosemary and chopped oregano, stir in a quarter-teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring often, for about six minutes, until the onions have softened. Add the chopped anchovies, cook for two minutes, then stir in the cream for a minute and set aside.
Turn down the oven to 230C/450F/gas mark 8. Put two very large baking trays upside down in the oven to heat up, and line two flat baking sheets with baking parchment. Cut the dough in half and roll each half into a thin, 32cm-diameter circle. Transfer to the parchment-lined trays and spread the anchovy mixture over the top, leaving a 2cm border all around the edge. Dot the potatoes on top. Tear the mozzarella into chunks and scatter over, sprinkle over the parmesan and lay on the whole anchovy fillets and half of the whole oregano leaves.
Carefully lift the pizzas (and their supporting parchment paper) on to the hot baking trays. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until they're golden on top and the base is nice and brown; if adding the eggs, crack them on to the pizzas after they've been cooking for eight minutes (you want the whites set and yolks runny). Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the rest of the oregano and serve at once.
• Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi and Nopi in London.
His new More 4 show, Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Island Feast, starts next Thursday at 9pm.


text:
2011 new board installed, lawsuit accusation — 4/28/2011
April 28, 2011:
Letters, we get letters
The lawsuit casts an unfortunate shadow over a big day for the RB community — the start of its new board. (7 p.m., Alumni Lounge)
The email below is the second like this I have received. So, i submit my reply further below.
(Identifying details of the correspondent have been removed. also corrected a spelling error.)
Email I received this morning:
From: [Name]
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2011 7:18 AM
To: Chris Robling
Subject: Lawsuit
I'm stunned to realize you started this lawsuit (for the most part). You go to 2 meetings the entire year… just to make accusations?
I'm saddened that ANY resident of Riverside would intentionally hurt our community the way that you have begun with "Tony".
What is being done here against the "individual" board members – will not "teach a lesson" (as if you are the father) —- the lesson here: People are not going to want to be involved as a board member, booster member, patrons council, etc…
Good luck with your endeavors and hope to see you running for the board in the future so that you may be sure "monies are spent appropriately".
P.S. Oh… That is right – I didn't see you at the Patrons' Council Auction – to support your children during their school years with the extra's the Council can give them. Sounds like a personal pattern to me?
My reply:
dear [name],
hello and good morning. great to hear from you.
as a frequent strong practitioner of robust debate yourself, your views are always of interest, just as i consider your volunteer service at… d96 and now RB to be a model for all who want to make a difference in riverside and the RB community.
as for your note, i am not at your starting point.
i have and have had nothing to do with the lawsuit. it was news to me. i found out about it like everyone else, when the landmark ran its original piece, perhaps a couple weeks ago now. in the same way, i learned of its named plaintiff, former cook county commissioner tony peraica, when the landmark ran its web extra on tuesday.
my volunteer work regarding RB since 2003 has focused on governance and accountability. these are not exciting topics, i know, and they hardly generate the interest of a PTO or patrons' council. nonetheless, i believe they have their own importance in the leadership and operation of our public institutions.
i deeply regret that anyone anywhere felt the need – or had the grounds – to file this suit. but – obviously – they did.
based on what you say in your note, i conclude that you, in good faith, believe what happened at RB, in its effort to pass the referendum, was o.k. it is your right to do so, and i absolutely defend your right to that interpretation.
i, on the other hand, think illinois law was broken – i said as much in my landmark piece, "tax hike campaign off track," http://www.rblandmark.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=46&ArticleID=7353&TM=39201.98
as i accord respect, if not agreement, to your conclusion that nothing untoward happened, i hope you will find your way to respect those of us who believe, just as sincerely, and with considerable factual basis in published reports, that lax oversight and management allowed illegal activity.
since every 29-year veteran of illinois education knows referendum politics stop at the school door, when i wrote, "Thanks to solid reporting by the Landmark we know that RB Vice Principal Tim Scanlon has improperly run the tax-hike campaign from his desk at school", i was all but stating a very sober, sad and disappointing conclusion.
…which, along with everything else we know about RB's pro-referendum campaign, points to fundamental problems of governance and accountability at RB.
some have said, in so many words, 'to heck with questions of impropriety or illegality, and to heck with those who raise them. the campaign is over. the referendum failed. life goes on. what is the big deal?'
i think this reply supports low standards of board leadership, administration management and staff activity. it misses much of the point of the recent vote and it alienates the school from the community. i also think that this approach inevitably polarizes the community itself along false boundaries, and we have seen the results of that knowing polarization in recent months, but we can discuss that another time.
according to RB's own policies, if there is a question of impropriety or illegality, then, it must self-report to law enforcement. as far as any of us know, that has not happened. why? what we have seen in the last several weeks amounts to a board nullification of its policies for inconvenience. the same happened several years ago on nepotism.
but in your note i find you take a further, and more seriously troubling, step, "What is being done here against the "individual" board members – will not "teach a lesson" (as if you are the father) —- the lesson here: People are not going to want to be involved as a board member, booster member, patrons council, etc…"
in fact, i believe the opposite. while the lawsuit is a regrettable means, i think the end of investigating, self-reporting and following board policies will inspire all community members whose personal standards include adherence to law, policy and mandate to sign up and serve in each of the capacities you mention and more. it removes the taint, opens the door and invites everyone to take a role in making RB the finest 1450-student public high school in illinois, and one of the finest such in the country.
we are this very day (evening, actually) departing an era in which much of RB was run by and for insiders. that led in many awful directions which, blessedly, we no longer need to discuss. the regrettable shortcomings of that era must be left in our past, so a totally new vision of openness can be built upon the good that exists at RB and animates its finer educational accomplishments by teachers and students every day.
so, my hope is that the new board tonight will seize this matter head-on and announce that — by standing in the shoes of the taxpayers — it is as outraged by the reports and questions of illegality and impropriety as anyone.
the new board should conduct the investigation that good sense and its policies require, and which was quashed by the outgoing board, despite impassioned advocacy by several members i heard myself personally at the monday, march 21 special board meeting.
the new board should pledge to the taxpayers that following the investigation, based on its results, it will take any and all appropriate action to rebuild public confidence in RB's adherence to state law, board policy and community mandate.
my hope – and i have nothing to base this on except crossed fingers – is that by the board affirmatively and publicly taking these steps, the lawsuit is mooted and withdrawn, because its stated purpose will have been achieved by RB's governing body.
i must make one other point because you use the phrase, "hurt our community." others have said similar things in their notes on this completely avoidable and unfortunate situation.
please take a moment to consider that if state law was broken, then everyone in the state is diminished. if RB spends one dollar of state funds, then every state taxpayer has a vital interest in how RB is run. RB does not belong only to us. it is a state-chartered institution. we are its stewards. we may tax ourselves locally for RB because the people of illinois have through their elected representatives in springfield authorized local school property taxes. if we learn of responsible reports of illegality and impropriety at RB, and we turn our back on those for inconvenience, then we are failing not only ourselves, and of course most distressingly, RB's students, but also our fellow taxpayers from cairo to galena.
frankly, i think our community is helped if it can look itself, the students, and every one of those taxpayers straight in the eye and say "we heard responsible reports of impropriety and illegalities at our public high school, and we followed them up with investigation and appropriate action." certainly not the reverse. the lawsuit is hardly the preferable way to get there – thus i suggest the better way, through direct board action.
i know from your volunteer service that you are deeply committed to raising our standards and providing excellent schools for our kids. i celebrate our different points of view on these questions. it makes things more interesting. i certainly respect your vocal advocacy on issues you consider significant and hope this note provides you an insight into the very real issues at RB on which i and others have been working these last eight years. governance and accountability are not exciting, but they come in handy in a pinch.
all best,
[Final note, not in my reply: If anyone thinks i would in any possible way support a lawsuit that names Dan Moon, Matt Sinde or Mike Welch as defendants, they need psychiatric help. That simply will not happen. To those three, and the four who join them tonight, we pin all of our hopes for a great high school. Thanks to all seven for what you have done and what you are about to do in service to the RB community.]


text:
This traditional Middle-Eastern meal is a healthy and hearty choice for lunch or a heavier snack. The tahini-yogurt sauce drizzled overtop the falafel and the veggies adds a creamy texture and appetizing flavor.
How to Make It
To prepare Tahini-Yogurt Sauce, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
To prepare falafel, combine 1 1/3 cups boiling water and bulgur in a small bowl. Cover and let stand 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Drop garlic through food chute with processor on; process until minced. Add bulgur, parsley, and next 6 ingredients (through egg white); process until smooth. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place patties on a baking sheet; cover and chill 30 minutes.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 4 patties.
Spread 1 tablespoon Tahini-Yogurt Sauce inside each pita. Fill each pita half with 2 patties. Divide tomato, cucumber, and red onion evenly among pita halves, and drizzle evenly with 1 tablespoon sauce.
Cooking Light Crave!


text:
getting to having to it all
Selected for"HiConcepts in Profile," Annie Long Sullivan, Executive Director at Beautycounter and CEO of Team Sullivan has found the magical formula to juggle the demands—kids, co-pilot, career, fashion, fitness, friends--of the modern woman to work for her instead of against each other. She shares the values and approaches that led to her finding the elusive "having it all" mantra of feminism by paradoxically "giving it all" for the benefit of others.
A quick perusal of the "Annie Beauty Chic" Facebook page (whose members are affectionately known as "ABC"-ers) shows a vivacious, hilarious, too-good-to-be-true perky wife and mother of four equally active pre-teens/teenagers. But what sets Annie Long Sullivan apart from the Donna Reeds of the '50s and the Charlotte Pickles of the '90s is that she embodies the ideals of both by-gone eras to present her followers with a woman who is all without pushing the beleaguering agenda of "having it all."
Annie is an Executive Director and Founding Member at Beautycounter, a lifestyle brand focused on getting safe cosmetics and personal care products into the hands of everyone. Since its inception in March of 2013, Beautycounter has grown to a partnership with Target and celebrity testimonials from Victoria's Secret models to U2's Bono. Busily raising her bubbly brood of four (twins Caroline and Catie, Ellie, and good sport/only son Dermot who has been subjected to the Beautycounter charcoal mask), Annie was at first doubtful of joining Beautycounter, but was truly inspired and determined to spread the message of clean-living to her family and friends. "We ate vegan, we exercised, stayed hydrated---everything you're supposed to do, but I didn't know what I was allowing into my family's bodies every day as far as personal care products. I was shocked and moved to action because alerting consumers to unsafe ingredients in products—giving moms like me a voice and the option to provide the best, most high-performing products for their children---is a real game changer and one of the biggest fights in our generation."
On May 16, 100 Beautycounter consultants from all 50 states held over 90 meetings in Washington, D.C. to lobby for new public health protective laws, i.e. more explicit labeling standards, in the grossly unregulated beauty industry (where the lack of transparency has allowed ingredients like formaldehyde to be a staple of even luxury cosmetics). Chic and snazzy, capturing the most adorable photo of herself in front of Senator Cory Booker's office, Annie was a one of the proud delegates sporting a "B" button on the steps of Capitol Hill. "I want to be a role model for my children, that a woman can have it all, but on her terms. I believe in my work beyond the bottom line, so my kids get to see how passion fuels professional success without the cost of personal sacrifices to them."
Along with her updates on Beautycounter's latest products (and her Founding Member status means Annie has the best 411), she includes head-to-toe fashion tips with whimsical tidbits of everyday life to relate to---e.g. a full Sullivan family karaoke tribute to the late, great David Bowie complete with dancing to "Under Pressure," an on-the-go tutorial for applying under-eye concealer while shuttling the kids to different schools (filmed by one of her daughters a riding shotgun), debate forums on the WASPy hunk, Shepherd Rose of "Southern Charm," and MONOGRAMS, MONOGRAMS, MONOGRAMS.
Annie is indeed a role model for a new age of women…and men. "It's important to me to show my daughters what women are capable of, but also my son. If we're true to ourselves, our values, our families---there's no limit, but without that devotion to what really matters there's no bottom either, so it's of tantamount importance to be true to yourself." Smart, gorgeous, and probably so youthful looking because of all the smiling (or Beautycounter products…nice plug, right?), but most importantly a woman who has made work part of her life and family, not vice versa.