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Product Description
A box set of 4 Monty Python classics. The first Monty Python film 'And Now For Something Completely Different' (1971) is a collection of some of their better-known television sketches, including the legendary 'Dead Parrot' sketch and the 'Lumberjack Song'. John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin make up the troupe. 'The Holy Grail' (1975) was their second feature. King Arthur and his trusty knights fearlessly (on the most part) travel the length and breadth of the country in search of the mythical Holy Grail. On their way they have to deal with the sarcastic taunts of the French Knight, the Knights who say 'Ni', Tim the Enchanter and the Terror of the Cave of Caerbannog amongst other things. 'Life of Brian' (1979) was banned in 17 countries on release. Set during Biblical times, the film tells the story of Brian (Graham Chapman), an accidental messiah whose life runs in eerie parallel to that of Jesus Christ. His misadventures come to the attention of Pilate, crucifixion inevitably follows, and the film ends with the infamous group rendition of the song 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'. Finally, in 'The Meaning of Life' (1983) the Monty Python team embark after the holy grail of human understanding with a series of sketches aimed at discovering the meaning of life itself. Includes the show-stopping anti-contraception musical number 'Every Sperm is Sacred', a schoolmaster's overly vivid demonstration of the facts of life for his students, and the infamous sequence in which a restaurant diner goes one mint too far…
Subtitles by film
- And Now For Something Completely Different: English for the Hard of Hearing.
- Holy Grail: English for the Hard of Hearing, Dutch, English, Hindi.
- Life of Brian: English for the Hard of Hearing, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovenian, Swedish, Turkish.
- The Meaning of Life: English for the Hard of Hearing, French, German, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish.
Please note: This is a Region 2/PAL DVD
DVD Region Codes:
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5 Smart Investing Principles
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subset: commoncrawl


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The general consensus seems to be that the Disney era of Star Wars has been pretty great so far. Different, but great. The new Star Wars movies have been a blend of old and new, which looks to be what the upcoming young Han Solo movie is going to be. There will be one very big "out with the old, in with the new" change this time around as the original Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew will not be playing everyone's favorite Wookiee.
StarWars.com released the first official cast photo for Han Solo: A Star Wars Story today, which featured the gang all together in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon. Chewbacca can be seen hanging out with Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The man in the costume is Joonas Suotamo, who shared Chewbacca duties with Peter Mayhew on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but it was announced today with this photo that he will be handling the role all by his lonesome this time around.
Peter Mayhew has been bringing Chewie to life ever since Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. He went on to reprise the role on screen in both Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, as well as Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Sadly, he isn't as young as he once was. At the age of 72, it is much more difficult for him to portray Chewbacca, so it makes sense that Disney and Lucasfilm are giving Joonas Suotamo the reigns this time around. Even though Peter Mayhew isn't going to be in the Han Solo movie, he is going to be in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and is expected to be in Star Wars Episode IX as well, but it seems likely those could be his last appearances in the Star Wars universe.
As for Joonas Suotamo, getting to work with Peter Mayhew on Star Wars: The Force Awakens was essentially like going to school to learn how to be Chewbacca on screen. Unfortunately, the actors that originally brought these characters to life won't always be able to play them on screen. But unlike a character like Princess Leia who is and will forever be linked to the late Carrie Fisher, there are ways for characters like Chewbacca to continue on for many years to come. The young Han Solo movie seems like the perfect place for Suotamo to give it a shot since we will also be getting a new actor in the form of Alden Ehrenreich playing Han Solo.
In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Joonas Suotamo was able to seamlessly blend in as Chewbacca alongside Peter Mayhew, so there is no reason to think he can't handle the task in front of him. It is definitely sad to think that the original Chewbacca won't be involved, but the show must go on. Han Solo: A Star Wars Story is currently scheduled for release on May 25, 2018, but there have been rumors swirling that Disney may move the release date to December, given the success that both The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story enjoyed in that month.


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I am an Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town and hold the South African Reserve Bank Research Chair in Financial Stability Studies. I also hold a part-time position as Research Economist at Deutsche Bundesbank. Please note that this is my private website and the views presented here do not necessarily reflect the views of the SARB, Deutsche Bundesbank or the ESCB.
Note that due to privacy concerns I will be phasing out my gmail address by January 2020. Please use my UCT address instead, encrypting messages with my public key.
Most of the code I am developing is on github. In particular, check out my teaching repo and the included wiki, which contains a lot of additional material. The 2019 slides for my Fintech and Cryptocurrencies course are quite large, so they are online here.
Teaching We have launched a fantastic online short course on Fintech: Disruption in Finance aimed at finance professionals in collaboration with GetSmarter. You can enroll here. We have also launched our second Coursera massive open online course on How Entrepreneurs in Emerging Markets can master the Blockchain Technology. You can enroll here. You can find our course on Financial Regulation in Emerging Markets and the Rise of Fintech Companies. Check out our awesome promo video. You can enroll here.
May 2017. "Information Contagion and Systemic Risk" (with Toni Ahnert, Bank of Canada), Journal of Financial Stability 35. [abstract] [paper]
We examine the effect of ex-post information contagion on the ex-ante level of systemic risk defined as the probability of joint default of banks. Because of counterparty risk or common exposures, bad news about one bank reveals valuable information about another bank and trigger information contagion. When banks are subject to common exposures, information contagion induces small adjustments to bank portfolios and therefore increases systemic risk overall. When banks are subject to counterparty risk, by contrast, information contagion induces a large shift toward more prudential portfolios and therefore reduces systemic risk.
Information contagion can reduce systemic risk if banks lend to each other because ex-post counterparty risk leads to more prudent ex-ante portfolio choice.
- January 2015.
"Contagious Synchronization and Endogenous Network Formation in Financial Networks" (with Christoph Aymanns, LSE), Journal of Banking and Finance 50(1) (2015). [abstract] [paper] [code available upon request]
When banks choose similar investment strategies the financial system becomes vulnerable to common shocks. We model a simple financial system in which banks decide about their investment strategy based on a private belief about the state of the world and a social belief formed from observing the actions of peers. Observing a larger group of peers conveys more information and thus leads to a stronger social belief. Extending the standard model of Bayesian updating in social networks, we show that the probability that banks synchronize their investment strategy on a state non-matching action critically depends on the weighting between private and social belief. This effect is alleviated when banks choose their peers endogenously in a network formation process, internalizing the externalities arising from social learning.
Banks act based on a private and a social signal in a simple extension of Bayesian learning. The social signal is stronger if banks observe a larger group of peers which leads to correlated investment strategies of highly interconnected banks.
- February 2013.
"The Effect of the Interbank Network Structure on Contagion and Common Shocks", Journal of Banking and Finance 37(7) (2013). [abstract] [paper] [code]
This paper proposes a dynamic multi-agent model of a banking system with central bank. Banks optimize a portfolio of risky investments and riskless excess reserves according to their risk, return, and liquidity preferences. They are linked via interbank loans and face stochastic deposit supply. Evidence is provided that the central bank stabilizes interbank markets in the short-run only. Comparing different interbank network structures, it is shown that money-center networks are more stable than random networks. Systemic risk via contagion is compared to common shocks and it is shown that both forms of systemic risk require different optimal policy responses.
A dynamic multi-agent model of the financial system. The interbank network structure does not always affect financial stability and central bank liquidity provision can stabilize the interbank market in the short-run only.
Papers Under Revision
June 2018. "Systemic Risk-Shifting in Financial Networks" (with Matthew Elliott, Cambridge, and Jonathon Hazell, MIT) [abstract] [paper available upon request] - Revision requested by the Journal of Economic Theory
Banks face different but potentially correlated risks from outside the financial system. Financial connections can help hedge these risks, but also create the means by which shocks can propagate. We examine this tradeoff in the context of a new stylised fact we present: German banks are more likely to have financial connections when they face more similar risks—potentially undermining the hedging role of financial connections and contributing to systemic risk. We find that such patterns are socially suboptimal, but can be explained by risk-shifting. Risk-shifting motivates banks to correlate their failures with their counterparties even though it creates systemic risk.
We provide a novel mechanism why banks would lend to other banks that have similar real exposures and show that predictions of our model are in line with empirical evidence from Germany.
August 2017. "A Network View on Interbank Liquidity" (with Silvia Gabrieli, Banque de France) [abstract] [paper] - Revision requested by the Journal of Banking and Finance
The euro area overnight interbank market is best described as a network of over-the-counter lending relationships. We study liquidity reallocation in this interbank network using a novel dataset of all interbank loans settled between European banks. We show the existence of a centrality premium when banks act as intermediaries of liquidity: banks with a one standard deviation higher betweenness centrality capture a 30% larger intermediation spread. Our results are in line with predictions from models of intermediation and bargaining in networks, but are difficult to reconcile with search based models of over-the-counter markets.
The euro area interbank market is an over-the-counter market with a non-trivial network structure. Banks in this market enjoy a centrality premium which can easily be understood in models of bargaining in networks.
Working Papers:
Update! August 2019. "The Cape of Good Homes: Exchange Rate Depreciations, Foreign Demand and House Prices" (with Allan Davids, UCT) [abstract] [paper]
We study how foreign buyers in the housing market react to large local exchange rate depreciations and the subsequent impact on house prices using novel transaction level data for Cape Town, South Africa. Foreign purchases are more likely to be in cash and concentrate in luxury suburbs. Foreign buyers pay higher prices and realize lower capital gains than locals. These cannot be explained by differences in property characteristics, how buyers choose to finance their purchases, or market timing. Using historically large depreciations as positive shocks to foreign non-resident demand, we find that areas with a large pre-existing population of foreign born residents experience quality-adjusted price increases relative to other geographically close areas in the month following the depreciations. These effects are larger and more precisely estimated in more affluent areas.
Following historically large exchange rate depreciations, foreign demand for property in Cape Town increases. This does not drive up prices for locals, though. Instead, foreigners realize lower capital gains upon resale.
September 2018. "What 5,000 Acknowledgements Tell Us About Informal Collaboration in Financial Economics" (with Michael Rose, MPI for Innovation and Competition) [abstract] [paper] [New! data repo]
Media coverage: voxeu.org
We present and discuss a novel dataset on informal collaboration in Financial Economics. The data is derived from acknowledgement sections of papers. We focus on the network of informal collaboration, connecting authors and commenters. The network contains useful information when studying various outcomes (academic productivity, citation count), even above co-author networks. Among other things, we find that authors connecting otherwise distinct research communities publish less in top journals, but receive above journal-average citations, and that female researchers are less often acknowledged than comparable male counterparts. Finally, we list the most central researchers in Financial Economics and study determinants of centrality.
Financial economists collaborate by commenting on each other's papers. We use the information captured in acknowledgements, construct the social network of informal collaboration, and highlight several interesting stylized facts.
September 2018. "Similar Investors" (with Diane Pierret, HEC Lausanne, and Sascha Steffen, Frankfurt School) [abstract] [paper]
We study the effect of strategic complementarities among investors on their decisions to continue to invest in a security issuer. Using detailed security level holdings of U.S. Money Market Mutual Funds (MMFs), we construct a novel measure of portfolio similarity among institutional investors (i.e. MMFs) who are exposed to the same security issuer. Consistent with correlated liquidity needs of more similar investors, the similarity of a fund to other investors in an issuer induces a correlation between the default states of the issuer and the states where the fund's liquidity demand is high. Among funds investing in the same issuer at the same time, we find that the funds reducing their exposure to the issuer are the most similar funds. At the issuer level, the average similarity of the funds investing in an issuer predicts the issuer's total funding flows in the next period. In other words, issuers cannot substitute this loss in funds from similar investors, particularly during crises, and are thus exposed to greater funding liquidity risk.
Mutual funds reduce their exposure to a security issuer more if they are more similar to other funds investing in the same security issuer. This increases issuers' liquidity risk.
September 2018. "Illiquidity Spirals in Over-the-Counter Repo Markets" (with Christoph Aymanns, St. Gallen, and Ben Golub, Harvard) [abstract] [paper]
We model intermediaries trading economically coupled assets, each asset in its own over-the-counter market--e.g., secured debt and the underlying collateral. Incentives to provide liquidity in one market are increasing in counterparties' activity in both markets. The intermediaries' activity is thus the outcome of a game of strategic complements on two coupled trading networks. We model a crisis as an exogenous change to network structure, as well as the exogenous exit of some intermediaries. This causes an illiquidity spiral across the two networks. We find that in coupled networks, in contrast to uncoupled ones, illiquidity spirals can be so severe that liquidity vanishes discontinuously as we vary the shock. Liquidity can be improved if one of the two OTC markets is replaced by an exchange, or if the two OTC markets have more links in common.
The extent of illiquidity spirals in over-the-counter repo markets depends on the network structure of the repo and collateral market.
August 2018. "A privacy-preserving system for data ownership using blockchain and distributed databases" (with Sabine Bertram, UCT) [abstract] [paper]
Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we store, use, and process data. Even if blockchains were designed to store data, this information can–usually–be viewed by every node hosting the blockchain which means that blockchains cannot handle private data. Decentralized databases exist that guarantee privacy by encrypting user data with the user's private key, but this prevents easy data sharing altogether. In many real world applications, from student data to medical records, it is, however, desirable that user data is anonymously searchable. In this paper we present a novel system that gives users ownership over their data while at the same time enabling them to make their data searchable within previously agreed upon limits. We discuss applications of our methods to university's student records and medical data.
We present a novel system for storing sensitive personal information such as student data and medical records that ensures privacy, searchability, and a weak notion of data ownership.
August 2017. "Fake News in Social Networks" (with Christoph Aymanns, St. Gallen, and Jakob Förster, Oxford) [abstract] [paper]
Media coverage: Bloomberg / Defense One
We model the spread of news as a social learning game on a network. Agents can either endorse or oppose a claim made in a piece of news, which itself may be either true or false. Agents base their decision on a private signal and their neighbors' past actions. Given these inputs, agents follow strategies derived via multi-agent deep reinforcement learning and receive utility from acting in accordance with the veracity of claims. Our framework yields strategies with agent utility close to a theoretical, Bayes optimal benchmark, while remaining flexible to model re-specification. Optimized strategies allow agents to correctly identify most false claims, when all agents receive unbiased private signals. However, an adversary's attempt to spread fake news by targeting a subset of agents with a biased private signal can be successful. Even more so when the adversary has information about agents' network position or private signal. When agents are aware of the presence of an adversary they re-optimize their strategies in the training stage and the adversary's attack is less effective. Hence, exposing agents to the possibility of fake news can be an effective way to curtail the spread of fake news in social networks. Our results also highlight that information about the users' private beliefs and their social network structure can be extremely valuable to adversaries and should be well protected.
We model the spread of fake news as a learning game on a social network and use deep learning methods to solve the model. When an attacker has access to information about the strength of users' private beliefs, fake news spread faster.
June 2017. "Informal Intellectual Collaboration with Central Colleagues" (with Michael Rose, MPI for Innovation and Competition, and Daniel Opolot, University of Cape Town) [abstract] [paper]
Media coverage: Times HigherEd / LSE Impact Blog / World Economic Forum
When preparing a research article, academics engage in informal intellectual collaboration by asking their colleagues for feedback. This collaboration gives rise to a social network between academics. We study whether informal intellectual collaboration with an academic who is more central in this social network results in a research article having higher scientific impact. To address the well-known reflection problem in estimating network effects, we use the assignment of discussants at NBER summer institutes as a quasi-natural experiment. We show that manuscripts discussed by a discussant with a 10% higher than average Bonacich centrality rank results in 1.4% more citations and a 5% higher probability that an article is published in a top journal. To illustrate our results, we develop a structural model in which a positive externality from intellectual collaboration implies that collaborating with a more central colleague results in larger scientific impact of the research article.
Getting feedback increases the impact of research, and even more so if the person giving feedback plays an important role in the profession's social network.
June 2016. "Interbank Intermediation" (with Marcel Bluhm, Xiamen University, and Jan-Pieter Krahnen, Goethe University Frankfurt) [abstract] [paper]
This paper explores the economics of interbank lending and borrowing using bank-balance sheet data for Germany, the largest European economy. Our 2002-2014 panel data set allows us to analyze the cross section and the dynamics of the observed interbank exposures. Our findings suggest a genuine intermediation process within the banking system, with implications for allocative efficiency and financial stability. A typical bank in our sample holds a significant amount of term and overnight interbank positions on both sides of the balance sheet simultaneously, and at any point in time. The average contract length in the German interbank market is well above one year, which stands in contrast to the widely held view that interbank exposures are largely overnight. Based on panel regressions, we find the build-up of the interbank book to be driven by innovations in the client book (i.e. non-bank deposit taking and lending). The resulting interbank book affects the bank's duration gap, the maturity disparity between bank assets and bank liabilities. A bank's duration gap is often seen as its major macroeconomic risk factor. Overall our findings lend support to a theory of banking that involves leverage stacks, i.e intermediation among banks.
Banks use the interbank market to manage their duration gap. As a consequence, the average maturity of an interbank debenture in Germany is more than one year.
Work in progress:
- "Contagious Zombies" (with Christian Bittner, Bundesbank, and Falko Fecht, Frankfurt School).
- "Anticipated Financial Contagion" (with Toni Ahnert, Bank of Canada, and Gideon du Rand, Stellenbosch).
- "Measuring Regulatory Complexity" (with Jean-Edouard Colliard, HEC Paris).
Interdisciplinary, Policy, and Other Publications
- "Revealing patterns of local species richness along environmental gradients with a novel network tool" (with Mara Baudena, Utrecht, Angel Sanchez, UC3M, Paloma Ruiz-Benito, Alcala, Miguel A. Rodriguez, Alcala, Miguel A. Zavala, Alcala, and Max Rietkerk, Utrecht), Nature Scientific Reports 5 (2015). [paper]
- "Seven Questions on Financial Interconnectedness" (with Camelia Minoiu, IMF), IMF Research Bulletin, (2014), March. [.pdf]
"Complex Derivatives" (with Stefano Battiston, ETH Zurich, Guido Caldarelli, IMT Lucca, Robert M. May, Oxford University, and Joseph E. Stiglitz, Columbia University), Nature Physics Vol.9, No.3, (2013). [abstract] [focus]
The intrinsic complexity of the financial derivatives market has emerged as both an incentive to engage in it, and a key source of its inherent instability. Regulators now faced with the challenge of taming this beast may find inspiration within the budding science of complex systems..
- "Systemic Risk in the Financial Sector" (with Ian Goldin, Mike Mariathasan, Oxford, and Tiffany Vogel), in: Ian Goldin and Mike Mariathasan: "The Butterfly Defect - Globalisation and Systemic Risk", Princeton University Press, (2014)
"Note on interlinkages in the South African interbank system" (with Nicola Brink), Special Note in the Financial Stability Review, South African Reserve Bank (March 2011). [abstract] [fsr]
This paper analyses the network structure of the South African overnight interbank market by employing measures from network theory. A unique data set of interbank transactions from the South African Multiple Options Settlement (SAMOS) system is used. It is shown that the South African interbank system has been largely stable and resilient over the period from March 2005 to June 2010, even in times of great distress on the international financial markets. The number of banks participating in the interbank market was approximately constant over the analysed period, as well as the high level of interconnectedness. A low average path length and high clustering coefficient indicate a high level of liquidity allocation and risk sharing in the system. Furthermore a Network Systemic Importance Index (NSII) is developed to assess the systemic importance of individual banks in South Africa. This index measures each banks size, interconnectedness and substitutability by employing network theory. It is a relative index in the sense that the systemic importance of any given bank does not only depend on the properties of the bank itself, but rather on the properties of the whole network. This approach is therefore less prone to moral hazard and can be used as a tool for macroprudential oversight in addition to microprudential supervision. The NSII addresses the cross-sectional dimension of systemic risk. It has to be stressed, however, that it gives no indication of the default probability of individual banks and has therefore be accompanied by other macroprudential tools for a full picture of systemic risk.
"Basel III and Systemic Risk Regulation - What Way Forward?", Global Financial Markets Working Paper Series 17-2011, (2011). [abstract] [paper] .
One of the most pressing questions in the aftermath of the financial crisis is how to deal with systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs). The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature on systemic risk and evaluate the regulation proposals in the Basel III framework with respect to this literature. A number of shortcomings in the current framework are analyzed and three measures for future reform are proposed: counter-cyclical risk-weights, dynamic asset value correlation multipliers, and enhanced transparency requirements for SIFIs.
Software and Web Projects:
Registree MVP Online! We are building Registree, a decentralized student data platform that enables students to take ownership of their personal data. You can find our white paper here and a demo of our prototype here.
We are developing Black Rhino, an open source financial network multi-agent model framework. You can find the latest release (including a short tutorial) in our github repository.
Together with Tarik Roukny I am developing NetGen, a powerful open source software suite to clean and analyze supervisory data on financial networks. You can find the latest version here.
Michael Rose and I have developed a website to accompany our paper on informal collaboration in financial economics. Here you will find a ranking of financial economists based on their centrality in the network of informal collaboration. To our website.
Together with a group of MCom and PhD students we have developed the first comprehensive systemic risk ranking for South African financial institutions. You can find details on our website.
I am fortunate to work with a group of outstanding students and postdoctoral researchers. If your contacts are missing or outdated, it is time to get in touch again!
University of Cape TownPostdoctoral Researchers (#: First placement)
- Joeri Schasfoort (PhD Groningen, 10/2019-)
- Suraj Shekhar (PhD Penn State, 08/2016-06/2019, #: Ashoka University, New Delhi)
- Jesper Riedler (PhD Giessen, 01/2018-12/2018, #: ZEW Mannheim)
- Christine Makanza (PhD UCT, 06/2016-09/2017, #: Lecturer UCT)
- Pawel Fiedor (PhD Krakow, 06/2015-06/2016, #: Research Economist, Bank of Ireland)
- Hylton Hollander (PhD Stellenbosch, 06/2015-01/2016, #: Lecturer Stellenbosch)
- Sabine Bertram (MSc HU Berlin, 01/2018-)
- Allan Davids (MSc Stellenbosch, 04/2017-)
- Esti Kemp (MCom Pretoria, 04/2016-, External PhD Student (SARB))
- Tina Koziol (MCom Jena, 04/2016-)
- Michael Rose (MSc Kiel, 04/2015-04/2018, #: Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition Munich)
- Gideon du Rand (MSc Stellenbosch, 04/2015-, PhD Student at Stellenbosch, #: Lecturer, Stellenbosch)
- Alexander Valentin (2019, intern, PhD Student Goethe University Frankfurt)
- Xiangling (Flora) Meng (2018, intern, Master Student MIT CSAIL)
- Philippa Sigl-Gloeckner (2017, intern, Master Student Imperial College London. Her thesis can be found here.)
- Sabine Bertram (2016, intern, Master Student HU Berlin)
- Ali Josue Limon (2016, intern, Master Student NYU)
- Dieter Wang (2015, intern, Master Student Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam)
- Andrea Deghi (2015, intern, PhD Student Siena)
- Dr. Raphael Flore (2014, intern, PhD Student Cologne)
- Christoph Aymanns (2013, intern, PhD Student Oxford)
- Niccolo Stamboglis (2013, intern, PhD Student City University London)
- Florian Urbschat (2013, intern, Master Student at University of Hamburg)
- Tarik Roukny (2013, intern, PhD Student ULB)
New! We have launched a fantastic online short course on Fintech: Disruption in Finance aimed at finance professionals in collaboration with GetSmarter. You can enroll here.
New! We have now launched our second Coursera massive open online course on How Entrepreneurs in Emerging Markets can master the Blockchain Technology. You can enroll here. You can find our course on Financial Regulation in Emerging Markets and the Rise of Fintech Companies. Check out our awesome promo video. You can enroll here.
Useful advise: Lasse Heje Pedersen has a most useful tutorial on "How to succeed in academia" which I urge all students to read. Before starting to write your thesis or dissertation, read John Cochrane's writing tips for PhD Students (also useful for MBA Students). Those interested in applied microeconomics should also check out Jesse Shapiro's Unauthoritive Notes and Matthew Gentzkow's Code and Data for the Social Sciences: A Practitioner's Guide (with Jesse Shapiro). Details of how to give an academic talk can be found on Jonathan Shewchuk's website.
ContactE-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com | Public key
Postal Address: University of Cape Town, School of Economics, Private Bag X1, Cape Town 8000, South Africa


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You know, timing is everything to solidify big wins. To have maximum impact you need to know when to send out a piece of marketing or an advertising film to create an emotional response in your target audience. And why do you need to create an emotional response? Because the only thing that sells is EMOTIONS. Your audience being emotionally attached, wowed or moved by your brand is what sells you. Once you achieve this then you'll have customers, clients, campers, students for life.
So, when it comes to high school students, both the timing and the subject for the ad campaign are super crucial. First, your film needs to appeal to the target audience that you are trying to reach (so in the case of a high school it would be students, and parents – specifically mothers).
Second, you need to find a time of year where emotions run high in order to make an impact. Have you noticed that the most viral pieces – whether it's a music video or a feel-good ad – are always released during the holiday season?
Together with our client Shulamith Girls High School, we had a great idea: We wanted to create a Thanksgiving campaign event for 8th graders and we would show off a film that was all about Modeh Ani – Giving Thanks… timed perfectly for Thanksgiving.
So, we produced a film that would ask the following question to 10th and 11th graders: What are you thankful for in your life?
And you know what? The students came up with really thoughtful and interesting answers. So, we accomplish two things here:
- We show off how thoughtful and awesome these students are, and that in turn will reflect back what parents want there children to become – smart, thoughtful, ambitious, good hearted etc.
- We kept the branding of the school to a minimum so that it would be a real feel-good film for the holiday of Thanksgiving. And that would further enhance the visibility, because people are more inclined to share stuff that is universal and human, rather than just branded as a marketing piece.
Besides creating such a Thanksgiving campaign, we timed strategically all of this a week before Shulamith's application deadline in order to increase applications.
We developed a complete timing strategy for schools based on their open houses, application deadlines, and registration deadlines, which we will outline for your in an upcoming post so that you can just implement this stuff to increase your enrollment – an average of 56% more then your usual numbers.


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Grilled lamb kofta balls, flecked with parsley and mint from the garden. Homemade tzatziki. Fresh salad of leaf lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh chives from the garden, with a simple olive oil dressing.
Grilled lamb kofta balls, flecked with parsley and mint from the garden. Homemade tzatziki. Fresh salad of leaf lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh chives from the garden, with a simple olive oil dressing.
Using leftover smoked turkey (frozen since Thanksgiving), I made on Friday a quick turkey pie. I diced up a potato and boiled the pieces for a few minutes. While the potatoes were cooking, I poured a can of chicken broth into a pot, added a bunch of shredded turkey, about a cup of corn and a cup of frozen peas, a handful of dehydrated onion flakes and some celery flakes, salt and pepper and brought all that to a boil.
I added the cooked potatoes, then thickened the whole thing with a slurry of 3/4 c. flour and a healthy cup of milk. Putting all that in a casserole dish, I topped it with some Pillsbury crescent roll dough and baked until the dough was bread.
A salad of Romaine with citrus dressing was the right match for the smokiness of the meat.
3 lbs of apples. 3 dishwasher loads. 9 kitchen towels. Multiple lbs of turkey. 1 turkey neck plus onion and celery and bay leaf, all boiled for stock for gravy. 3 lbs of new potatoes. Loads of green beans. And of course a batch of cheese grits.
And 7 happy voices around the table.
This was my Thanksgiving, as friends and a couple of students enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast & fellowship.
I had a hankering for goulash tonight, and in keeping with my plan to use up every bit of edible meat in the freezer before I procure any more, I thawed a pound of hamburger, then substituted it for the beef called for by The Joy of Cooking. With a few other slight adaptations, I had an incredibly happy meal of goulash on noodles.
Paprika, sour cream, V-6 juice, some beef broth, a bit of tomato paste — these are yummy things when put together!
Tonight was dinner with C night, as Tuesday often is.
I slow-cooked today a 7 lb. pork butt. I poured a small bottle of KC Masterpiece sauce and 12 oz. of orange juice into an oven bag, then added the whole pork butt. The pork was yummy and flavorful without being overly barbecue-esque.
The side was sweet corn and roasted red pepper pieces fried in a bit of bacon grease.
Salad was cucumber and Romaine in an orange balsamic dressing.
And dessert, halfway through a movie, was peaches sauteed in butter, sugar, and sherry, served over ice cream.


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Characteristics of a Rolland Bow
Creating fine bows is not a mere matter of
craftsmanship, but a capacity to design into a unique
piece of wood both responsiveness to a musicians
style and to the instrument.
Each good bow is a
sculpture in movement, a concept of embedded music.
Benoît Rolland
Benoît Rollands background combines traditional
apprenticeship under French Master maker Bernard
Ouchard with musical training as a performing
violinist. Both skills unite in bows that musicians
choose for their exceptional playability and sound
potential. The Rolland model has the traits and
refinement of the historical French school, yet goes
beyond classicism.
Collectors also find in them pieces of great worth,
for the lines and materials congregate in a rare
aesthetic elegance.
Copyright® 2019, Benoît Rolland
All rights reserved worldwide for the entire content of this site and any of its parts.
Legal Notice | Privacy Policy


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G Brookshaw Building & Decorating
G Brookshaw came to Tridev Media after seeing the success we've had with other building and construction based companies. The aim of this project will be to help G Brookshaw grow as a business, utilising SEO and online marketing. Providing painters and decorators in Plymouth as well as all over Devon and Cornwall, we will firstly develop a multi site targeting every town and city that will bring them new customers. Over the next 6 months we will report our progress, to show you the results.


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When we picture the Australian Outback, we may think of red sands and green bush, but occasionally it throws up something violet – and rare.
This week, the largest ever violet diamond found in Australia goes up for sale, with an expected price of as much as $5 million.
The 2.83 carat stone, pulled from the dirt at the Argyle Mine in remote Western Australia last year, took more than 80 hours to polish.
The stunning violet colour is thought to come from a molecular structure distortion as the jewel forms in the earth's crust and then makes its way to the surface.
EXPLORE FOR MORE: 10 Fascinating Facts About Pearls
"Impossibly rare and limited by nature, the Argyle Violet will be highly sought after for its beauty, size and provenance," said Rio Tinto sales manager Patrick Coppens.
In 32 years of operation, Argyle has only produced 12 carats of polished violet diamonds for its annual tender.
The mine is the world's only current source of hydrogen-rich violet diamonds and unearths more than 90 percent of the world's pink diamonds.
[Image: Rio Tinto]


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Last night we walked down to the port to have a typical, local, prix fix meal. First course, oysters...briny and delicious. Then Paul had salmon and I had mussels and frites. The meal was outstanding and inexpensive. We also tasted the local cidre and had sorbet for dessert.
The first night is always the most difficult for sleeping, but there were no problems last night. The fresh air and the walk to the port were enough to finish us off. We were exhausted from the travel.
This morning we awoke to a basket of fresh bread, croissant, cake and crepes at our door, along with fresh yogurt. Our cottage is stalked with fruit juice, coffee, butter and jam. Can you tell I'm a foodie. I just love all this local, fresh food.
After breakfast we walked to church where we saw the most adorable children. They were all dressed so cute and were so misbehaved during mass. Just like at home, somethings don't change when you are on vacation! The church had a maritime theme with memorials set up for the men and women who gave their lives during WWII, and other wars.
This is a very seafaring village. You see lots of striped tops and shirts, typical of the French navy.
After church, we walked through the weekly market set up on the streets of Cancale where we bought a small roast chicken, potatoes, sausage, cheese, eggs and some fruit. We made lunch and will have plenty left to snack on and make some eggs for breakfast in the morning.
This afternoon we went to one of the lookout points that overlooks the oyster beds. They go on for many hectares. You can even see Mont Saint Michel in the far off distance. That's our plan for tomorrow.


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Our staff has been involved in over 230 presentations (of which 55 invited), held in 20 countries, on the perspectives of bioenergy and biobased economy, sustainable biomass for bioenergy production, agricultural production systems, and certification. National and international audiences consisting of farmers, NGO´s, scientists, policy makers and business representatives.
A selection:
April 6, 2016. 'Bioenergy opportunities to improve resource use efficiency: effects on land use with a landscape perspective'. Paper presented at a conference of the International Association of Landscape Ecology. Asheville (NC), USA
November 5, 2015. 'Online data management for quality assessment, benchmarking and performance evaluation'. RVO H2020 Social issues call. Utrecht, the Netherlands
June 13, 2014. 'Developing a questionnaire for the joint survey'. SCAR Strategic Working Group on Sustainable use of Bioresources. The Hague, Netherlands
May 22, 2014. 'Biogas from residues'. Project meeting Mobilising sustainable supply chains. Copenhagen, Denmark.
August 16, 2013. 'Biobased economy: ketenontwikkeling en systeemdenken'. Avans Hogeschool. Breda (the Netherlands)
June 5, 2013. Setup of the biogas project. IEA Bioenergy Intertask Mobilising sustainable bioenergy supply chains meeting. Copenhagen (Denmark)
April 18, 2013. 'Soil as a factor of production in a biobased economy'. 12th International UFZ-Deltares conference on groundwater-soils-systems and water resouce management
May 24, 2012. Biomass for bioenergy and added value: an integrated approach. Rio+20 conference Green Economy.
Bogotá (Colombia)
April 18-19, 2012. Trends in biomass: demand, availability, and logistics. 2nd National forum on biomass burning.
Krakow (Poland)
February 20, 2012. Applying multipliers to bioenergy systems. A conceptual approach. IEA Bioenergy Task43 meeting. Charleston (USA)
December 12, 2011. Keys to succes and stakeholder interaction. Groningen (the Netherlands)
June 9, 2011. iLUC policies for the EU. 19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition held 6-9 June 2011. Berlin (Germany)
May 6, 2010. Perspectives of biofuels and biobased products for agricultural populations in developing countries: a review. 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition. Lyon (France).
Biobased economy_Langeveld and Dixon
December, 14, 2009. The biobased economy. Biofuels, materials and chemicals in the post-oil ara. Side event of the 10th COP, 14 December 2009. Copenhagen (Denmark).
June 4, 2008. Climate change and biomass availability: a lucky match? 16th European Biomass Conference. Valencia (Spain)
Climate change and biomass production
January 22, 2008. Energy and greenhouse gas balances of biofuel crops. Biofuel 2G conference, Pamplona (Spain)
July 12, 2007. Biomass supply in the European Union. Renewables 2020. Towards 20%. Portugese Ministry of energy and innovation at the occasion of the Portugese presidency of the EU, Lisbon (P)
Chairing and facilitating meetings
Friends of Europe – The rise of the biobased economy


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Work-related injuries and illness only have to be reported if they cause absence or incapacitation (inability to carry out normal duties) of over 7 days, rather than over 3 days as at present (but records must still be kept for over-3-day injuries and illness). Reporting time is increased from 10 to 15 days.
Department for Education Guidance for schools, primarily about school trips but also including issues like barring abusive parents from school. HSE leaflet on tackling the myths about school trips.
HSE first aid at work leaflet.
HSE and other guidance, including a basics of h&s website for small organisations, updated guidance on h&s for homeworkers and for new and expectant mothers, revised interactive office risk assessment tool, and Royal College of Psychiatrists website for people starting or returning to work after a period of mental ill health.


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Your first paragraph ...
Where Are You Hiding... Hidden Gluten?
Do You Want To Know Where Hidden Gluten Hides?
Do You Have Allergy To Gluten And Need To Get Great Tips For Gluten Free Kitchen?
You Really Need To Know What To Do With Gluten Problems And Accidental Gluten Ingestion!
Hidden Gluten Can Be Anywhere. You need to educate yourself on how to recognize it.
If You Have Allergy To Gluten Or Not Sure You Need To Know What To Expect And How To Live Gluten Free Happily.
I was researching different cases with horrible gluten allergies. And the biggest surprise came when I learned that some patients don't show symptoms of gluten intolerance until they get really, really sick.
People with long standing, unaddressed gluten allergy can end up with terrible intestinal disorders like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Celiac disease IBS, etc.
So many people and so many health professionals don't realize that gluten intolerance is one of the most under diagnosed health conditions today.
But you know what? It gets even worse. Many patients that actually have gluten allergy and try to follow gluten free diet are up for a big surprise.
The biggest surprise is that even when people think they follow gluten free diet they can be consuming gluten from hidden sources.
Hidden Gluten:
There are different possible reactions that people experience when they stop gluten.
Some patients can feel much better right away. Some feel withdrawal symptoms for a few weeks and then feel better.
But some don't feel better, even after a couple of months. These patients would come back to me upset saying this gluten free diet doesn't work. I say: "Not so fast, please".
Those unhappy patients can people with true gluten intolerance. Why won't the gluten free diet work for them? What went wrong?
Yes, that is because hidden gluten can be found in most unexpected food sources and they are unknowingly consuming it.
So if you have allergy to gluten and/or have gluten sensitivity symptoms and you are one of those patients, READ the rest of this page very, very carefully.
Gluten free means avoiding ALL foods that includes gluten like wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, bulgur, couscous, semolina and durum flour. Oats are probably Ok, but we are still not sure.
Hidden Gluten:
When you have gluten problems and want to stay away from gluten it's Ok to eat these flours. They should be your gluten free ingredients:
Hidden gluten can be found in most surprising places. Read labels, trust your gut instincts and look for gluten free ingredients.
Hidden gluten is in so many prepared foods and products like sauces, gravy etc.
If you are eating out or travelling you need to stay away from anything that's cooked with sauces, dressings, and creams (unless specified Gluten Free).
The best advice for when you are not sure: just get your meat, eggs and fish steamed or boiled (no sauces) and your carbohydrates are veggies and salads (raw or steamed) with just olive oil and lemon.
Make sure to mention to the waiter that you need your meals gluten free.
Many restaurants accommodate patients with gluten sensitivity symptoms today.
Of course it's best to cook at home. It's not always possible to many busy families.
You need to read labels very carefully including reading "other ingredients".
(This long list has examples, but it's not an exclusive list)
Hidden Gluten:
Yes, make up and lipsticks could be a problem, too. One of my
clients told me that he followed gluten free diet but he would still
show gluten sensitivity symptoms until I told him about gluten
ingredients in the women's make up. Yes, make up. I recommended that
his wife changed her lipstick to gluten free brand of lipsticks by Ann
Marie Borland and he felt the difference right away. Is that great or
Please, remember to always pack your AllerGzymes with you in case you ingest something your not sure about. You never know where your hidden gluten can be hiding:).
I wish you great health and stay away from hidden gluten.
Next...Gluten Free Recipes
Ask Your Questions or Share a Story on Our Gluten Free Forum
Return from Hidden Gluten to Gluten Free Living
Return From Hidden Gluten to Gluten Free Today Home Page


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My Mind on Returning Home in a Few Days
Hello! It's definitely been a while since I've managed to scrape aside time from life here to blog — I've been using every spare moment to get extra sleep, and I've also been enjoying the company of the friends I've made here.
It feels like a lifetime ago that I lived in California, ignorant of the everyday bits of life that make Florence special. I love living in Florence. I love Italy. I've made friends and good acquaintances here, American and Italian.
I've been locked away indoors the past two weeks scrambling to work on final projects for all of my classes. I don't think I'll be able to see much of Florence these remaining few days; it's the sacrifice I make to salvage my academics this semester — it's been tough balancing this adventure with schoolwork when the outside world is fascinating.
I won't make this blog post my final good bye to Italy.
I've just had so many thoughts go through my head these past many days. In some ways it's a pity I'll be leaving just as I feel I've gotten the hang of things here, but there are also things I'm excited for when I return home — seeing friends, my boyfriend, and dogs. Getting to mountain bike again, and take the liberty of sleeping in. I'm excited to have access to certain foods too, like good Mexican food and all the gluten-free things that await me at home.
However, I'm also aware of the things I'll lose; I'll lose the freedom of stepping out my front door and entering a city of adventure. I'll miss being able to take a stroll around the city and stopping by my friends' apartments to say hello or have some tea. I'll miss seeing my Italian buddies around the city in restaurants and my neighborhood Tabacchi (a small store that sells stamps, loto tickets, cigarettes, candy, water and the like), from which I'd manically buy stamps and water bottles.
I drew on a postcard and gave it to the Via dei Macci Tabbachi store owners yesterday. Buona Pasqua = Happy Easter. I'll be trying to draw little things for my Florentine buddies before I go.
I'll miss laughing at the creeper Italian men with my friends, and maybe even the gypsies (only a little).
What I'm counting on is that I'll take with me the things that matter. I'll keep the moments, stories and the things I've seen.
Italian Cooking Class 2 — With Dessert Salami
I've been wildly busy; my days are filled with schoolwork, friends, food, some sleep, skyping my mom and boyfriend, photography and blogging, weekend trips, and Florence. I've finished blogging about Rome! I have Switzerland left, Vinci, Bologna and Prague, as well as the second soccer game, San Gimignano and Siena. I pour my heart and hours of time into my blog, which is why the posts are flowing s l o w and steady.
Anyway, today I had my second cooking class! So much fun!! Here's the link to my first cooking class.
- Definitely take one!
- Don't wear black/clothes you're worried about getting dirty. It's unlikely, but it could happen.
- Don't walk home alone afterward if it ends late in the evening!!! Have someone walk you. I walked with some AIFS girls that live near my house this time.
- Bring a jacket for when it gets cold on the way home.
AIFS Photo Challenge/Fiona's Thoughts
AIFS (my study abroad program) organised a cool photo challenge for this week among all the student ambassadors/bloggers. This is my entry 🙂
1. One photo of yourself with something famous in Florence (taken by someone else or a self-portrait).
2. A landscape/background/building with personal significance.
2. "The call to adventure."
One of the statues by Pio Fedi in the Loggia dei Lanzi in the Piazza Signoria.
[Warning: A particularly long story follows. Feel free to skim. -Fiona]
This statue is so emotionally gripping and drastic. The twisting figures and the image of a girl being grabbed and about to be taken away (even though in this case it's not a positive departure; the piece is called The Rape of Polyxena ).
Putting aside the statues mythological content, I can interpret this statue as a call to adventure, which is the beckoning of an adventure to a "hero."
Joseph Campbell writes:
"A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man"
I'm a 19-year-old student living away from home for the first time. I've ventured from my common day into what feels like a supernatural wonder. I feel like I've been stolen into an adventure, and can sometimes feel a secret burst of exhilaration that I'm living in Florence; I'm living an adventure.
But, once in a while, I feel a twinge of homesickness. A few months before I had any notion of studying abroad, I was curled up on the sofa in California watching a movie with my mom, as we often do. We were watching the 1985 version of A Room with a View, which is based on a novel by E.M. Forester (you can read the novel for free here, at Project Gutenberg).
A young English girl living during the Edwardian Era in England, Lucy Honeychurch, comes to visit Florence with an overbearing cousin/chaperone to experience foreign culture. It is, perhaps, an overly optimistic and romantic movie, and not something I'd typically take any interest in, but I like relaxing with a cup of tea and my mom. The old views of Italy seemed distant and exotic.
Lucy actually ends up walking about some of Florence's streets, witnesses a murder (she faints) in the Piazza della Signoria (which is right by the Palazzo Vecchio and the statue pictured above), and visits the Santa Croce church (which is only a few blocks from my apartment)!
To me, this movie is symbolic of the huge shift in my perspective since having lived here for 2 months. It's hard to describe the feeling of re-watching snippets of this movie. The scenes that recently seemed foreign and exotic and now feel familiar and are easily identifiable, as I walked through them nearly daily. It's a feeling of pride, like I'm on the in on a special secret. I can give directions to central piazzas, Churches, and can recommend gelaterias. I enter stores/restaurants and am greeted by name by the locals I've made friends with. I no longer feel lost and tiny in an intimidating city; Florence feels like a new home.
This also sparked some curiosity about how much living here has really changed me. I suppose I'll have to wait for the culture shock of returning home,and feedback from my friends and family back home, to really grasp this. I think that living here has, of course, been an amazing travel experience. My perspective of the world has grown. I'm pretty young, and I know I've had something of a growing-up experience. I know that I will walk away from Italy — in one short month — a more worldly person that has been changed by what she's seen.
This may sound cliché, but I can hope that I can return a more mature person, and a better sister, daughter and friend.
And I can only wish (and plot) my return to Florence, whenever that may be. I know that this won't be my last visit. I suppose this one of those moments where I have to tell you to take any opportunity to travel you can get. The point of travel is that you cannot anticipate what you will experience and (more importantly) how you will change. You can leave a place, that place will never truly leave you.
No matter your age or economic status, there is always some way to travel. "Where there's a will there's a way." When pondering the difficulties of life, I often think to myself "is there really no way I could accomplish this? I have the rest of my life to figure it out." Somehow feeling the abundance of life still left to me inspires me to do my best.
Thank you for reading/skimming,
-Fiona 🙂
[I will later link the blog posts of my fellow AIFS student bloggers so that you can take a look and decide on who you think won the photo challenge!]
Trattoria la Casalinga — Restaurant Review
I decided to wander off and have lunch on my own, and went to Trattoria La Casalinga. They're actually quite familiar with gluten-free things, and have some nice options.
They serve pretty large portions (I could barely finish my first course of gluten-free tomato spaghetti), although I prefer the taste of Golden View's food (that's my favourite place to go, partly because I'm fond of the staff there).
Update: I Love Spring Break
Hi everyone! I'm enjoying Spring break at the moment!Today I visited Vinci, a small town in the Italian countryside between Pisa and Florence, and the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci (da Vinci means "of Vinci"). I walked a lot and got pretty tired!
I've been wildly busy and have been doing my best to catch up on all my blog posts!
Check out my four Venice posts:
1. Venice (the City Built on Water): First Night
2. Venice (the Sinking City): Day Two
3. Venice (the City of Zombies): Day Two Evening
4. Venice (the City of Masks): The Last Morning
- Rome– I went to Rome for a weekend with my AIFS program! (posts are still in the works for Rome!).
- Interlaken, Switzerland — I spend this last weekend (my first few days of Spring break!) in Interlaken, Switzerland, which was gorgeous! I saw the snowy mountains, lakes and the city of Bern.
- Bologna — just visited yesterday.
- Empoli and Vinci — today!!!
Posts of all of these will appear, I set the date as the day I actually went, so it may be easiest to 'follow' my blog and receive email updates when I post all of these things.
This coming weekend: in less than 24 hours I will be on the bus to visit Prague in the Czech Republic.
Stay well and keep up with my posts!
Grindelwald, Switzerland (The Mountains).
Spring break, finally! For my first weekend on spring break I left for Interlaken, Switzerland through the Florence for Fun travel group. This post is about a village I visited called Grindelwald.
I departed on Thursday evening by bus. It was a 5 hour ride through the night.
South-eastern view of the mountains– I stayed up from 4:30 am when we arrived, and watched the sun rise. I ran out for a walk immediately and walked through some rural area, and saw the sun peaking over the snowy mountains. It was beautiful.
- Visit Grindelwald!
- Bring sunglasses — the glare from the sunlight reflecting off of the snow is uncomfortable and bad for your eyes.
- Pack light for hiking about.
- Make a snowman.
- Don't eat any kangaroo.
- Consider visiting Lauterbrunnen and Jungfraujoch (although Jungfraujoch train tickets are expensive).
- Send some postcards from Switzerland
- Buy a Swiss army knife.


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Free Adult Education courses offered
Alton College has been advised of changes which will now help many people get free funding on adult education courses.
The recent changes mean that certain funding criteria for adult education courses, in light of the current economic situation, have been relaxed and many people could now be eligible for free course fees on our adult courses. To simplify this, we have highlighted all of our funded courses on the adult education course pages of our website as well as including full details on funding eligibility.
The initiative specifically aims to help people who are unemployed, who have left the Armed Forces, or who are 19-24 and wish to take Maths or English GCSEs. It is hoped that this opportunity will help people into employment or further education and training.
Free courses include:
- Access to Higher Education
- Accounting and Bookkeeping
- GCSE in English or Maths
- Introduction to Counselling
- Teaching and Training
- Children's Care Level 2 and Level 3
- Health and Social Care Level 2 and Level 3
- ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
Our full range of adult courses are gaining popularity and offer excellent opportunities for people wanting to gain a qualification, start a career or new business or find an enjoyable leisure activity. The full course list can be found by following this link and details about criteria for receiving fully funded courses are available in the Funding and Finance pages.
Our Adult Education team are here to help you and can be contacted by e-mail email@example.com by phone on 01420 592210 or by visiting the College where we would be very happy to discuss your individual needs.
- What's related:


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The Iraq War has officially come to an end with the Iraqis celebrating their independence this past Tuesday. "Shock and Awe" has now faded to fizzle and yawn. Americans, satisfied with what can now be characterized as blanket retribution for 9/11, have moved on. In the end we fought two wars simultaneously and overthrew a regime—a ferocious display of might perhaps no other nation could manage without coming apart at the seams.
It was one hell of a war, wasn't it? Or was it?
There are parts of the world where fresh battle lines are continuously drawn over ancient disputes; the impermanence of Western culture allows us to forgive and forget and heal all wounds but not all of the wounded. But as the scene in Iraq fades to black, American media has lapsed back into reporting woes of the pocketbook, Gary Condit-like coverage of our politicians and news of tragic celebrity deaths. No shark attacks at the moment folks—we do have dolphins in the Long Island Sound.
As far as Iraq is concerned we're left to simply ponder what the hell just happened. So let's talk about it. What is ultimately in question will be the fate of the Bush Doctrine, the centerpiece of the Bush administration. Some may remember it simply as the question that flummoxed Sarah Palin during the now-infamous Katie Couric interview. It was a serious question that exposed a seriously unqualified candidate and one that will linger for decades.
Is the Bush Doctrine simply veiled imperialism at its worst or the righteous burden of a superpower? Is the world a better place without Saddam Hussein? Was it even our fight? Would it have made a difference if we uncovered weapons of mass destruction? Was Saddam with access to nuclear weaponry more of a danger than an unstable nuclear Pakistan or an unpredictable nuclear North Korea?
We now know that this was an unnecessary war as it relates to the proposed reasoning for entering into it. But was it necessarily unjust?
There have been some answers along the way and not all of them tragic. As Americans, we learned how to treat returning soldiers with the respect they deserve while maintaining our right to question their mission. We have learned that conventional warfare is over and that working with civilians is more important than leveling their society and dictating terms. We have also learned that those who run the departments that govern the military cannot necessarily run a war. That exercise is better left to the generals.
For better or for worse, the Bush Doctrine gave America something that it has been missing since the Cuban Missile Crisis—a little touch of crazy. This war proved that you can poke the bear one too many times. It showed that we will throw you out of your house, kill you in front of your friends, marry your wife and rename your kids. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but it's a lousy way to win friends and influence people.
It will be years before the Iraq puzzle can be assembled objectively with the wisdom that only time can provide. Yet trying to determine whether a war was a "success" may be impossible. Can the lives of American soldiers or innocent foreign civilians really be quantified? Twenty nine soldiers from Long Island gave their lives to free Iraq and overthrow the Taliban in Afghanistan. Now consider that 397 Long Islanders have lost their lives to heroin in the same time period.
This correlation isn't meant to minimize the wartime deaths but to challenge whether or not any war can truly be objectively quantified in terms of battles, casualties and borders. Today, heroin flows cheap and easy across the globe due to the overwhelming productivity of poppy fields in destabilized regions such as Afghanistan. Did our myopia in Iraq cause tributaries to pour dangerously in ways we have yet to contemplate? Will they empty into perilous seas that will someday be too difficult to navigate?
Countless questions. Seldom an absolute answer. And what do we ponder instead? What will become of MJ's estate? Will Paul McCartney finally get the rights back to the Beatles? Will they freeze Michael next to Walt? Did Farrah get a proper send off? And who the hell is going to pitch OxiClean?
Asking questions is a good thing. Let's just make them the right ones.


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Why do people use food banks?
Nearly half a million people in Ontario used a food bank in Ontario in 2017, and a third of them were children.
The rising cost of housing without similar increases in wages means that a lot of people are skipping meals to make ends meet.
If you or your family isn't making enough money to afford to eat, you can get food for free at food banks.
What is a food bank?
Food banks are not-for-profit organizations that provide food to people who don't have access to enough nutritious food.
A lot of people and private institutions either donate food, donate money or donate their time to support food banks.
If you visit a food bank in Ontario, you'll be given a minimum of three days' worth of emergency food that will include both non-perishable (e.g., pasta, rice, soup, etc.) and fresh (e.g., milk, produce, eggs, etc.) food.
Who can use a food bank?
Anyone in need can use a food bank.
When you visit, you'll most likely be assessed to see how the program can help you. Make sure to bring:
Photo identification for you and everyone in your household who will be using the food bank's services
Proof of address (e.g., a lease or mail with your name and address on it)
Proof of income (e.g., pay stubs or income tax information)
Proof of expenses (e.g., rent receipts, bills, etc.)
The information you provide will be kept confidential and never shared outside of the food bank.
Where can I find a food bank?
Feed Ontario unites food banks, industry partners, and local communities to provide food to half a million people each year.
Food Banks Canada's network has about 450 affiliates.
Not all food banks are members of these organizations, so you should also try to find one near you by doing a Google search.
There's no shame in using a food bank.
Good jobs are hard to get, especially for immigrants and youth. Even getting an education or training for better opportunities is often too expensive.
The rising cost of living (including rent, transportation, food, etc.) means that people have to make tough decisions on how to survive, and sometimes food is is the easiest expense to cut.
You're not alone and you're not to blame. The responsibility lies with a society that lets you go hungry.
Until we can create a better world, use a food bank if you need to.


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What would you like to know?
Mortgage Calculator
What is your availability for a viewing?
1418 Haywood Avenue, West Vancouver
PRIME AMBLESIDE LOCATION! First time on the market for this stunning, custom built 5 bdrm home, designed by Marque Thompson. Situated on a large 60'X140' lot, south-facing back gardens and beautiful views of Stanley Park, the city, and ocean. Well designed with modern, open-concept and 20' ceilings in the living room, a wonderful and functional floor plan. Spacious, kitchen featuring Wolf & Sub-zero appliances. Outstanding 561 sq./ft. covered, and heated deck, built–in BBQ, and outdoor gas F/P. The master suite is your private oasis of calm, with romantic fireplace and large private deck to relax and enjoy the views. Sumptuous spa master bathroom with steam shower. Lower level is the family get away with bar, media, goes and gym areas. Walk to seawall, shops, restaurants, schools.
Taxes (2018): $10,327.52


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In 1994, Andrew J. Miller, MD graduated with honors from Baylor College of Medicine. Following graduation he went on to pursue his area of interest by completing a head, neck, and facial plastic surgery training program at Tulane University in New Orleans.
Dr. Miller's special interest in facial reconstructive surgery led him to achieve board certification in facial plastics by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He continues to pursue excellence in facial plastic surgery and cultivate his experience through his private practice.
His belief is that the face's complexity requires a specialist that can deliver the highest quality of care and specialized treatment while utilizing the latest techniques.
Many in the world of plastic surgery revere Dr. Miller's expertise in facial plastics. He has given many national conferences lectures and is the author of several journal articles and book chapters focused on facial plastic surgery.
Dr. Miller's name can be found listed as one of the top 50 doctors for cosmetic surgery in New Jersey as well as America. Honors were given to him by New Jersey Savvy Magazine and the "The Consumers Research Council Guide of America's Top Surgeons," respectively.
Staff Privileges:
- John F. Kennedy Medical Center
- Raritan Bay Medical Center
- Overlook Hospital
- American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
- American College of Surgeons
- American Medical Association
Patient Reviews:


text: Hangerworld offers a variety of accessory hangers to suit your every need. We have scarf hangers, tie racks and even jewellery organisers. We want to help you look after your accessories and them from disappearing into that vortex (you know the one, the same one all your bobby pins and bobbles go into).


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Came home last night from a trip to Northern Virginia to attend the wedding of the SO's son. Lovely young couple that seem very much in love. Her grandfather, who is a really neat guy, worried that they're both a bit naive. Life will take care of that soon enough.
Sweet wedding and the young people included their extended families very well. It's complicated these days with step-parents, step-siblings, SOs and so on. Sweet to see the bride dancing with the groom's dad and step-dad (Dad dances better!). Also sweet to see people put aside their family quarrels and minor differences to unite in their love for a beautiful young couple.
I don't go to many weddings; most people my age have children that are already married. This was the most old-fashioned wedding I've been to in awhile and quite charming. The sweetest wedding I've been to in a long time was my mother's when she married my step-father. The most interesting was my brother's bluegrass formal wedding in the church on the hill!
The drive up the Valley was a bit wet with rain coming in bursts along the way. I try to manage it so I can take my time and not feel rushed; there is SO much traffic on the Interstate these days. Locust is blooming around Roanoke, along with the dogwood and I saw fire pinks along the roadsides in Floyd County. I drove my truck up but we picked up friend Kym's car in New Market. She was on vacation and then worked at a wine festival in Front Royal. I brought her car back yesterday under sunny skies with a lot less traffic on the road.
I came back through Floyd County in the late evening and surprised a fox in a curve on the narrow road leading home. He scampered across in front of me and then sat down on a rock at the top of the bank to recover his dignity. A big red fox that looked back at me with curiousity as I stopped to watch him. This one was all orange, with black ears and legs. I've seen some that were more gray than orange. I don't know if the fur changes with the seasons. You can tell I'm a fiber person because I was thinking how beautiful the color would look as yarn!
Morning here is cool and sunny; nice after all the rain. Looking forward to settling back into the routines of bunnies and books. Lily seems to be finally accepting her new haircut; she was happy to see me when I picked her up from the babysitter. Looked like she had fun watching the pet birds, playing with small dogs and watching TV from the couch!


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The First Ocean's 8 Trailer Has Arrived
The very first trailer for Ocean's 8 has finally arrived—and the upcoming all-female reboot looks utterly perfect. Fronting the A-list cast is Sandra Bullock, who plays Debbie Ocean, the sister of George Clooney's infamous character Danny Ocean from the first three Ocean's films.
Other leading ladies include Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, and rapper/comedian Awkwafina. As the trailer reveals, these seven women team up to rob a multimillion-dollar necklace worn by Daphne Kluger, played by Anne Hathaway, at the annual Met Gala.
The target: A $150 million necklace worn by Anne Hathaway's character.
Watch the full trailer below:
According to the just-released movie poster, the film will come out in June 2018:
Join the dream scheme. #Oceans8 hits theaters June 2018. pic.twitter.com/W4HOEc3kzY— Oceans8Movie (@oceans8movie) December 14, 2017
This story originally appeared on Townandcountrymag.com.
* Minor edits have been made by the Townandcountry.ph editors.


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Published by Avon on November 29th 2016
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo
New York Times bestselling author Karen Ranney returns with the first novel in a new series about dashing, charismatic dukes—and the women who tame them…
Though raised as a gentleman's daughter, Lorna Gordon is obliged to take a position as an upstairs maid at Blackhall Castle when her father dies. Alex Russell, the Duke of Kinross, is the most tempting man she's ever seen—and completely unattainable—until, at a fancy dress ball, Lorna disguises herself as Marie Antoinette and pursues an illicit tryst…with scandalous consequences.
Months after his mysterious seductress disappears, Alex encounters her again. Far from the schemer the distrustful duke assumed her to be, Lorna is fiercely independent and resourceful. She's the one woman capable of piercing his defenses. But when danger threatens Lorna, Alex must prove himself not just the lover of her fantasies, but the man who will fight to protect her.
~~Reviewed by Monique~~
Due to pecuniary woes, Lorna Gordon had to seek a position, and she has been a maid at Blackhall Castle for the past two years. All that time, she has been lusting after Alex Russell, the duke of Kinross. She contemplates him in secret, and Lorna is quite enamoured of the very handsome duke, as are every female of the staff. She has been saving her money to attend a masked ball that will be held at the Castle, in hope of meeting and getting acquainted with the duke, and hope no one discovers who she is. Her best friend Nan, also a maid, had advised Lorna against doing such a foolish thing. Alex is angry because he felt he should have earned a medal from the Scottish Society for Scientific Achievement for his work with fingerprinting, but it was not to be, and so the surly duke intends to get thoroughly soused. He's well on his way to oblivion, when he sees a gorgeous woman dressed as Marie Antoinette, and he saunters her way. And they get much, much better acquainted indeed!
And THE SCOTTISH DUKE did not go as expected, but not at all! Ms. Ranney has penned a most extraordinary romance, that has more to do with the classics – except for the sex scenes – than with most historical romances on the market. Alex and Lorna are both extremely interesting characters: Lorna is fearless, accepts the consequences of her actions – good or bad; she goes with the flow, and I, just as Nan, thought Lorna was quite foolish, but it's her strength of character that made her so captivating. Alex brandishes his title as a weapon, he hides behind it as if it were a shield. Lorna is brave, while Alex is self-absorbed, aloof, and rather unsympathetic at first glance; let's be honest: he's a coward. Alex is especially afraid of feeling, of truly living, while Lorna wants to feel, needs to feel, and what a couple they make!
THE SCOTTISH DUKE is rather slow-paced, but by no means is it slow: the author takes the time needed for the relationship to evolve, for the characters to grow, and I thought it wonderful that both characters were intellectuals, as Lorna is working on a book by her late father. When I saw the blurb, and at the very beginning of the book, I thought THE SCOTTISH DUKE was to be a pleasant and somewhat mindless piece of enjoyable froth, and it is anything but. It's somewhat of a Victorian twist on a one-night stand, and so, so much more. THE SCOTTISH DUKE is a wonderful story about being human, about letting oneself live, and accepting the consequences of one's follies. THE SCOTTISH DUKE is a mesmerising story, superbly told, I was thrilled with the care Karen Ranney treated the subject, and made familiar tropes gloriously new and realistic.
If Lorna and Alex are exceptional characters, they are not the only ones: Nan, Lorna's friend is wonderful, the Dowager duchess of Kinross is superb, as are Mary – Alex's sister-in-law, and Matthews, Alex's valet, and let's not forget Thomas, Alex's uncle, whom I seriously hope to see again in a future book. In turn, every character surprises us. THE SCOTTISH DUKE is an exceptional book that should be read by anyone who enjoys historical romance that is strongly anchored in facts, and Karen Ranney did an admirable job of entertaining me, and making me think at the same time.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.


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Coverings Secures March 23-26 Dates for 2004
April 22, 2003
The Coverings' board of governors, in cooperation with the Orange County Convention Center, has announced revised dates for the 2004 event. "In a continuing effort to be responsive to the desires of the vast majority of our participants, Coverings has been able to secure the dates of March 23-26, 2004, for the next edition of our event," said Rick Church, Coverings' board chairman. "Originally scheduled for April, the slightly earlier dates are preferable because not only do they provide more time for manufacturers to be able to fill orders prior to the summer season, but these dates also allow many visitors to enjoy Orlando's weather at a time of the year when many regions are still in the grasp of winter."
For more information, call (561) 776-0600 or (800) 881-9400, fax (561) 776-7466, e-mail email@example.com or visit http://www.coverings.com .


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In this interview, Frank Steffens, Principal in the Homeland Security division of Germany's secunet tells us about their approach to the biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) planned in Europe.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has deployed a document verification solution developed by the Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto at nearly 200 of its centres.
Using the firm's advanced Coesys Document Verification software solution, DMV officials can verify the authenticity of such documents as passports, identity cards and driver licenses by simply checking the graphical data and security features against reference templates from an array of issuing countries.
In a statement, Gemalto noted that it had worked with the California DMV to bring an automated synchronization solution connected to a central document repository, adding that the solution reduces the burden of manual updates on each authentication workstation located within the DMV field offices.
"We selected Gemalto's solution based on their demonstrated ability to meet our requirements and in the timeframe we wanted it delivered," said Wesley Goo, California DMV Deputy Director. "Gemalto's experts understood our specific business practices and were able to provide a consistent solution to all our offices."
"With Coesys Document Verification, California DMV has full control over their document library, which they can customize by adding templates at will or by enhancing authentication checks on specific documents," said Steve Purdy, Director of Business Development at Gemalto.
In this interview, Frank Steffens, Principal in the Homeland Security division of Germany's secunet tells us about their approach to the biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) planned in Europe.
Company spotlights have been created to give firms operating in the secure documents and identity industry an opportunity to discuss trends, product innovations and achievements.
An expert's guide to using the paper elements of a passport.
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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Expect (07/11/13)
- TITLE: Gifted to Give
By Rachel Malcolm
He gazed at the young nurse as she bent over his leg. She was beautiful in an innocent sort of way and looked far too young to be a nurse, but her calmness spoke to her experience. Her movements were slow and steady as she deftly removed the putrid gauze with tweezers. Peter noticed her nametag as it caught the light—Ruth.
He'd watched the other nurses as closely. He'd noticed the slight flare of nostrils, or the clenching of a jaw that betrayed disgust—and who could blame them—but this angel showed no signs of abhorrence, though her slightly wrinkled brow and gentle eyes showed both concern and concentration.
Ruth removed her gloves in one fluid movement and tossed them into the trash. Her eyes paused at the stack of handwritten papers on the bedside table. "Are you a writer, Mr. Crane?"
"I am. Do you write my dear?"
Ruth paused, and then opened and shut her mouth before answering. "I read…often."
"Bring me a sample of your writing tomorrow." Peter's smile was both kind and knowing.
Ruth blushed as she turned to go. "Good-bye Mr. Crane."
Peter gazed at the ceiling wondering if she would return. He'd spent a life time analyzing people and transforming them into characters for his books. Ruth intrigued him.
She looked different this time. She entered as the novice writer instead of the competent nurse that he'd seen yesterday.
"I don't know why, but I did as you asked. I don't normally share my writing with strangers." Ruth handed over a few loose pages. Her hand trembled slightly as she looked through her eyelashes.
Peter read as Ruth tended his leg. He found that the only thing that revealed more about a person than their mannerisms was their writing. The prose was unpolished but profoundly deep for someone so young.
He grabbed the pen on the table and began marking up the pages. If Ruth was surprised she didn't say so as she graciously accepted her papers.
"I made some alterations and suggestions. Revise the work and bring it back tomorrow." Peter spoke with authority as though addressing a student and not his nurse.
Peter gazed at Ruth as she bent over her writing, cupping a steaming mug of tea between her hands. Their unexpected friendship had flourished into a close bond over the past weeks. He had come to cherish the dear girl.
"There is a contest that I want you to enter. This is something that you can do on your own." Peter almost chuckled at the expression on Ruth's face. Her lips formed a perfect little "O."
Ruth glowed as she strode into the room. It had been a week since she had entered the contest. Peter felt warm pleasure, sure that his protégée had finished well in the challenge, but for once he was mistaken.
"I'm afraid I did quite poorly." Ruth handed him the entry, and jaw clenched, he scanned it with ferocious eyes.
"This is trash!" He spat out and flung the papers into the room. "You lost because you expect no more from life than to flit about tending to the old and dying."
"And what is wrong with that?" Ruth snapped. Scarlett spheres highlighted her cheekbones.
"You think it is meekness to hide in the shadows, but really you just fear success. You have been given a gift to bless others, and if you hide it in the sand, then you must give an account to God for that waste, my child."
Peter saw her anger evaporate as quickly as it had flared up. Her eyes were troubled as she turned away from him. Gracefully, she knelt to pick up the scattered papers and opened her hand to let them fall into the wastebasket.
With a steady gaze she met his eyes again. "I don't fear success as much as I fear the longing for it. There is so much pride and greed in my heart."
"There isn't a soul out there that doesn't struggle with these sins. Let your awareness of your sinfulness drive you to Christ."
"I will write better." Her face brightened with a mischievous grin. "But, I won't stop caring for the old and dying."
"You will do well, little one." Peter's words were gentle as he squeezed Ruth's slender hand.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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Summary of Reserved Samples
All of the baseline serum collection is considered reserved, due to both scarcity and increased scientific value. For all visit years vials can be identified individually, as reserved or not, based on the combination of two fields:
- "Clean Post" indicating whether or not this participant would go on to have a natural menopause transition (defined as 'not reporting any Hormone Therapy use before or at the first visit she was classified as post-menopausal').
- "Scarcity" or Vial Count per Visit.
The following table shows the cut off points for reserving samples based on these two values.
|And SCARCITY =
|Clean Post = No
|2-5 vials left
|Clean Post = Yes
|2-10 vials left
|1 vial left
Women with a clean transition have a higher scientific value and therefore vial counts of 10 vials or fewer per visit year are flagged as reserved, where serum from women without a clean transition are flagged at 5 vials or fewer. The last vial left for any woman is flagged as restricted.
All plasma vials are considered reserved due to scarcity. At baseline there is only 1 EDTA and 1 Citrate Plasma vial per woman, on average. In later visit years, there are not more than 4 vials per woman per year.
Plasma is also expected to become a more utilized, and therefore valuable, specimen type.
Not reserved, plentiful.
Not reserved, renewable.
Guidelines for Use of Reserved Samples
- Reserved samples should not be used if the question can be answered using other available samples.
- Other available samples include non-reserved SWAN samples from other comparable women, from different time points, and/or non-pristine samples.
- Reserved samples should not be used for exploratory investigations or very preliminary hypothesis testing.
- Prior scientific evidence should exist to justify the hypothesis/proposed analyses.
- Reserved samples should be used to substantively advance scientific knowledge and for innovative science.
- The use of Reserved samples should be more strongly considered for studies that are consistent with the mission of SWAN.


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The authority in November last year had cancelled the allotment of a 100-acre plot to Unitech to build a group housing society, alleging the company owes it over Rs 1,000 crore and had failed to pay up for almost a decade.
The authority also seized Rs 300 crore that was deposited by the realty firm for the 100 acres land in Sector Mu 2 of Greater Noida.
Around 250 buyers had bought residential plots in this 100-acre project, according to the report.
Unitech has been facing a series of court cases recently for delay in delivery of flats.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) this month ordered realty major Unitech to pay back Rs 65.36 lakh to a home buyer with 18% interest for its failure to deliver the flat in Habitat project of Unitech in Greater Noida, even nine years after the consumer had bought it.
The apex consumer commission also recently directed Unitech Limited to refund Rs 3.04 crore to a retired army personnel and his wife with an interest rate of 18% per annum for not delivering possession of a plot by the committed date, saying it was a case of "gross deficiency".
The promoters of the company have also been reducing their stake gradually. Promoters stake stood at 26.77% in Unitech at the end of the January-March quarter as compared to 30.14% as on December 31, 2015, according to a regulatory filing.