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Can Diet Habits Be The Cause For Breast Cancer?
Most of us may already know for a fact that, making a healthy diet a part of our daily routine can help us remain healthy for a longer time. Consequently, many people try to make a conscious effort to eat healthy, by cooking their own meals at home, trying to avoid certain "unhealthy" foods and so on. This is because we would have experienced the ill-effects of eating unhealthy foods and faced issues, such as indigestion, mouth and stomach ulcers, constipation, etc.
While the above-mentioned ailments could seem minor, eating unhealthy foods can also lead to serious conditions as well. So, what we eat and how we eat, play a major role when it comes to our health.
It has been proven by scientific research studies and even by personal experiences, that eating healthy can make a tremendous difference in our health. Many people associate a healthy diet with just weight loss; however, the health benefits of eating healthy are way beyond just weight loss.
As we know, cancer is a major disease which manifests in many forms. Although the causes of cancer may be numerous and in many instances cannot be determined, experts have opined that there are many types of cancers which can be caused by our lifestyle habits, such as our diet and exercise routines.
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers that affect women and a study has recently found a link between diet and breast cancer.
Learn how an unhealthy diet can put us at a higher risk of breast cancer, here.
What Is Breast Cancer?
When there is an abnormal multiplication of cancerous cells in the tissues and cells of the breasts of a woman, it leads to breast cancer.
The symptoms of breast cancer are the formation of lumps inside the breasts, inverted nipples, pain and discomfort in the breast, abnormal or bloody discharge from the nipples, redness of the skin, etc.
Can Diet Habits Be The Cause For Breast Cancer?
Research studies have shown that an unhealthy diet contributes to about 30%-40% of the breast cancer cases per year, globally. In a study published by the American Cancer Society, it was stated that women whose diet includes a lot of saturated fats or trans fats are more prone to breast cancer.
The reason being, saturated fats and trans fats are very high in caloric and "unhealthy" fat content, which have no nutritional value but can increase your weight by accumulating in the body.
When the number of fat cells in the body is very high and the body weight and BMI (Body Mass Index) are also high, it could trigger breast cancer.
The breast tissues are mainly made of fat, so if the unhealthy fats being consumed get accumulated in the tissues of the breast and their number is high, it could trigger the growth and multiplication of cancerous cells in the breast or breasts, causing breast cancer.
Furthermore, many research studies have also found that consuming foods high in salt content, on a regular basis, such as chips, processed foods, fast food, pickles, etc. can also be one of the dietary causes for breast cancer in women.
This is because foods high in salt contain a high amount of nitrates and this could also trigger the growth of cancerous cells in the breasts.
Consuming foods low in fibre could also be one of the causes for breast cancer, as fibre has the ability to flush out the toxins from our body, which could trigger many types of cancers, including breast cancer.
So, in fact, out diet habits can indeed be one of the major causes for the development of breast cancer.
Dietary Changes To Be Made In Order To Prevent Breast Cancer
Previously, we learnt that following certain unhealthy diets can trigger breast cancer in women. So in order to prevent breast cancer, along with following other healthy lifestyle habits such as exercising on a daily basis to maintaining a healthy body weight, quitting smoking and excessive drinking, etc., it is also important to follow a healthy diet.
These are some of the dietary changes one must make in order to prevent breast cancer:
- Consume at least 2 cups of fruit and vegetables juice every day
- Adding vegetables like tomatoes, mushroom, broccoli, carrot, celery, etc., to your daily diet is also known to prevent breast cancer, as they are rich in vitamins and antioxidants.
- Avoid foods which are high in salt content and consciously make an effort to add lesser salt to your homecooked meals.
- Consciously limit your fat intake every day, even if it is healthy fats, the amount of fat you consume must not be more than 30 g, per day.
- Completely avoid foods that contain trans-fats.
- Consume lean meat like chicken and fish, instead of high-fat meats like pork and beef.
- Ensure that your meals contain protein, every day, such as lean meat, egg whites, lentils, beans, chickpeas, spinach, etc., as protein can also kill cancerous cells.
- Avoid white bread and opt for whole grain bread, as white bread is known to have carcinogens.
- Consume fibre-rich foods such as leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, berries, apples, etc.
- If possible, buy organic ingredients to prepare your meals with as organic vegetables, fruit and meat do not contain artificial hormones, antibiotics and chemicals in them that most of the inorganic produces contain.


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The inability to conceive after indulging in unprotected sex is known as infertility. It can also be referred to the biological incapability of a male to cause the conception or a woman being unable to carry the pregnancy for full term. Research has shown that female problems contribute to over half of all the infertility cases while a majority of the other causes include sperm disorders.
Treatment of infertility depends on:
Causes of infertility in women include:
1. Ovulation disorders: This is regarded as the most common cause of infertility in women. The disorders can be caused due to the following
2. Problems in fallopian tubes or uterus: Abnormalities in the uterus or fallopian tubes render the woman incapable of conceiving naturally. This might be due to:
3. Medications: There is a possibility that treatment will cure infertility. Examples include NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy.
Treatment of infertility might involve a significant amount of psychological, physical, temporal and financial commitments.
In men, treatment is done to treat lack of healthy sperm or general sexual problems. The treatments include:
Even though it is possible to restore fertility in women using only one or two therapies, a number of treatments might be required before conception is possible. Some of these treatments include:
In situations where pregnancy does not happen spontaneously, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) can be used by couples to achieve pregnancy. It is a form of fertility treatment which involves the handling of sperm and egg. The entire ART team consists of psychologists, physicians, embryologists, nurses and lab technicians.
One common ART technique is In vitro fertilization (IVF). It is a process where an egg and sperms are manually combined in a laboratory dish, followed by transfer of embryo to the uterus. Some aspects involved in an IVF cycle are:
Some complications that may occur during the treatment of infertility are:

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Vault, Melbourne
Vault (popularly known as 'The Yellow Peril') is a public sculpture located in Melbourne, Australia.
Harper and Charlie's Vault sculpture art print is:
- original in its concept and design
- printed with the highest commercial grade pigment inks
- printed on premium grade ILFORD 180gsm matt paper
The distinctive look of Harper and Charlie's artwork is achieved by using vintage print techniques, such as coarse halftone screens, slipped registration, colour bleed, scuffs and scratches etc. which add to the look and feel of each design. Please note these elements have all been applied to the art on purpose and are not print defects in the final print.
A4 sized prints will be will be supplied carefully packaged in a flat pack for delivery. Larger size prints will be rolled up in a protective layer of brown paper and packaged in a heavy gauge postage tubes.
Please note that all images shown on this site are for illustrative purposes only, frames are not supplied.
© Harper and Charlie 2017. All rights reserved.
Ownership and copyright of all images and intellectual property remains with Harper and Charlie. www.harperandcharlie.com
Items will be shipped within 3-5 business days through Australia Post and supplied with a tracking number.
Australia wide shipping costs (orders under $100) flat rate of $10.00 AUD.
International shipping costs (orders under $100) flat rate of $20.00 AUD.
*$15.00 fixed shipping cost worldwide for all orders over $100.00 AUD.
*FREE Express Post for all Australia wide orders over $100.00 AUD.
*International buyers are responsible for any extra custom fees/duties/taxes. Please be aware of your country's import regulations. Items will be shipped after payment is received.
© Harper and Charlie 2017. All rights reserved.


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Gianni Agnelli also known as L'Avvocato ("The Lawyer"), was an influential Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat.
As the head of Fiat, he controlled 4.4% of Italy's GDP, 3.1% of its industrial workforce and 16.5% of its industrial investment in research. He was the richest man in modern Italian history.
© 2019 BQOTD. All rights reserved.


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The Parliamentary vote on Tuesday has now been delayed and we are awaiting a Statement from the Prime Minister in the Commons at 3.30 today to set out what happens next. I hope that there will be an acknowledgement of the gridlock in Parliament and a pledge to return the decision on the final deal to the British people, with an option to remain with the deal we already have.
The European Court of Justice has this morning ruled that the UK can unilaterally withdraw Article 50 if that follows a democratic process and that if it did so we would remain on current terms. This matters because there has been some false speculation that Britain might face a penalty for remaining and this puts beyond doubt that this would not be the case.
The only penalty Britain would face for remaining in the EU would be remaining in the EU.
Can we have the decision on who our MP will be returned to the people of Totnes? "A people's vote"? It's just that I voted a party committed to honouring the referendum result and removing us from the EU, the Single Market and the Customs Union. Now I find the constituency lumbered with Sarah Wollaston, elected under false pretences and refusing to do as she promised. Surely this is the vote that is really required?
- George, Paignton
The Referendum was quite clear - a vote to Leave the EU. It doesn't matter whether you want to remain or leave - the result was given by the majority of the people in the UK. Whether we were misled by either side doesn't matter. If Democracy is to be followed then we leave. There was no agreement to give people another vote, a voice or anything else. It is the responsibility of Government to Leave. We are a Democratic country. If ways around the outcome of that Vote are found and actioned, then we are no longer a Democratic country. Agree with George, if we voted Conservatives into power and then some of us changed our minds, would anything be done? If you don't honour this Vote, you let down everyone who voted, whether they changed their minds subsequently or not. This is about the importance of democracy.
- jane
Dr Wollaston now wants a "people's vote" what is the difference between this and a referendum. Apparently those who voted "leave" in the first referendum didn't understand what they were voting for, how would they know the second time? I agree with George, Paignton, i am 72 years old, I have always voted Conservative, but for sure Dr.Wollaston will not got my vote in any future election, as she is rolling out the carpet for a Corbyn government.
- Cindy
Dr Wollaston spoke passionately in Parliament about going back to the people to vote on a Brexit now known more about. I would ask Dr Wollaston whether she is prepared to support the Prime Minster and support the leaving Europe after conducting a constituency review? My understanding is all party Manifestos were to honour Brexit.
To go to a people's vote and it's to stay, what about the disenfranchised voters who still remain convinced that being a "51st state of Europe". Do we then seek a third vote when staying in is examined in detail and it's disadvantages highlighted.
If she is not prepared to honour her constituents views to leave, perhaps she should make way for someone who represents the views of her voters.
- Mike Freeman
Just wondering who voted in 2016 , was it guinea pigs? Oh wait a minute , it was people. We've already had the people's vote and the result was to leave failing, corrupt EU. How has Sarah Wollaston got the audacity to be an MP when she clearly does not believe in or support democracy?
- Fred Paignton
Personally I am disgusted by Dr Wollaston's conduct throughout the Brexit issue. A last minute change of mind on something as important as leaving the EU, coupled with the usual publicity that she seems to crave - really! She seemed then to forget she was elected to represent a fishing constituency! Since then her and her like have sought to undermine the PM and the democratic vote to leave the EU. That made the task of negotiating a fair exit for the UK an almost impossible task, given the weakness of the undermined negotiators. As a result we have now a weak compromise. Dr Wollaston seems to want to tie the UK into a deal that sees the UK taxpayer having to pay for the failings in countries such as the currently riotous France, the failing economies of Greece and Italy, let alone the many other countries in the group of 27. I doubt most UK citizens could correctly name all those countries if asked! I fully support the views of Fred and George above. When we next face an election I, as a normal Tory voter together I suspect with all my extended family will not be voting for her! She is a disgrace! Good on health issues, but very poor on much else!
- David Pakes - South Brent
The referendum was a very close vote. Only 70% of those eligible to vote bothered to turn out so by no stretch of the imagination can it be said to be a majority of the country.
Brexit will make us poorer. The young people of this country will have to live with the choice we make now for the next 50 years so we neen to be very careful what we do next.
Anyone who has taken the trouble to watch the debate (sadly curtailed) on the deal will have seen the division amongst MPs, and the wide range of opinopns on what to do next.
We can stop brexit, take stock and think what to do next and take an informed decision on what to do next.
This is too important to make a hasty panicked decision.
- Bob
Who ever says we must be bound indefinitely by the result of a general election, regardless of our experience of what happens afterwards? We learn more after each result and hey-ho, some want to change their minds next time!
And what's all this about 'the majority of the people in the UK'? If by 'the people in the UK' we mean those entitled to express a view through the ballot box, only 37.4% of those people in the UK actually voted in favour of over-turning, potentially irrevocably, a 45-year-established constitutional dispensation. Whatever happened to the usual requirement for constitutional changes to be based on a two-thirds majority? The much-hyped 52% falls a tad short of that.
We should now be planning back from Thursday 23rd May 2019, the date of the next Euro-elections.
The plan goes like this, with the questions to be put in that UK vote on Thursday 23rd May, in sequence:
1 -
A) do you wish the UK to continue its membership of the EU, or
B) do you wish the UK to cease its membership of the EU?
['X' marks the spot for your choice].
2 - in the event that 1 A) commands majority support, please now vote for your preferred candidate to be elected to the European Parliament for 2019-24, so that in continuing its membership of the EU the UK will maintain its ability to influence the decisions of the European Parliament and of other European institutions with a voice, a vote, and if necessary a veto. Remember that the UK is one of 28 EU countries ie 3.6%, with 10% of the seats in the European Parliament [is that not already a good deal?]
3 - in the event that 1 B) commands majority support, please indicate if you wish the UK to cease its membership of the EU
A) with the deal with the EU which has been negotiated, or
B) without any deal with the EU.
['X' marks the spot for your choice].
And by the way, postpone the other UK elections due on Thursday 2nd May 2019 and hold them on the 23rd too, as we've already done several times before.
If the Leavers are so confident that they're still right, why are they frit?
- Rog Laker
Of course we're not bound indefinitly by an election result. In a democracy you implement the result and are able to revisit at a later time; tough if you're on the losing side but don't whinge.
The referendum was won by 3.8%, many elected MPs were elected by smaller margins but you don't hear them demanding a new election.
The Remainers seem to have rather defeatist personalities, maybe they were spoiled as children, success comes from believing in something and working towards it.
- John
Hope your pleased with yourself Sarah, now a vote of no confidence in Teresa May, a woman who has tried to carry out the peoples democratic vote. Teresa and the Conservative party were badly let down by you, Anna Soubry, and 10 other vipers, from the onset.
Your constituents voted to leave 53% so you didn't represent them, you didn't represent the Conservative Party who I voted for to have the referendum and carry out the result of that referendum, so I can only conclude you believe yourself above, the democratic view of the Public, your Party, and your constituents. Surely you should stand as an Independent ?? You have contributed to irreparable damage both financially and democratically to this great country. Teresa May is an honest person who stands by Conservative values and standards, unlike yourself. I'm sure Jeremy Corbyn is eternally grateful to you and your little gang. SHAMEFUL.
- Peter Mulloy
Theresa May has to go, no question. Since the Chequers weekend where she took direct control over negotiations with the EU the whole process has been shambolic. All she has managed to achieve in two years is a draft withdrawal agreement that nobody likes and which gives the EU everything it wants, in return for making the UK an EU colony with no say over regulations affecting it's future. Even at this late hour I would prefer to see David Davis or Dominique Raab (preferably the former) take over to sort this terrible mess out. As I have said many times in earlier contributions to these pages Theresa May is taking our country in the wrong direction and unless she is removed she will lead the conservative party to a serious collapse at the next general election.
- David H
Rog Laker. An interesting if very complex referendum question. And to answer your question – am I 'frit' – the answer is yes, but not for the reasons you think. Look back at history to see why – the party of the most dangerous European leader of the 20th century was actually elected! When there is widespread dissatisfaction and the governing elite decide to ignore the wishes of a significant number of its electorate, therein lies trouble. So, we have a 'Peoples Vote' and Remain win by say 52 to 48%. Now we have nearly half of the electorate feeling cut off and ignored. What do they do? They can no longer vote for their current MP if they feel that they have been ignored. So in this vacuum, the electorate turns to the extreme (left or right) to protest – there are already parties here in the UK looking to exploit this. Look over the channel – what do you think is fuelling the rise of extremism? Could it be a distant centralised elite who ignore the wishes of the electorate? Please, Dr Wollaston, get behind your party to deliver what you had promised, deliver Brexit and let us avoid the disaster of extremism and learn our lessons from history!
- Patrick, Brixham
When was the authority to decide national policy devolved to just 600 Parliamentary individuals? I thought, maybe naively that our MPs were elected to represent the wishes of those who elected them!
In this constituency we voted to leave the EU and after all these months have an opportunity to leave under a deal, which although imperfect, represents months of talks, negotiations and compromises or leave with no deal and forge our own future.
I, for one, favour the latter - a clean break -- we can be self-determining and not held hostage to EU manipulators. The EU need us as much as we need them as a market for goods and services!
Dr. Wollaston was elected to serve the people who make up the democracy we treasure and should not simply vote according to her own predilections.
Theresa May has maintained a dignified and statesmanlike position throughout this process and, whether you agree with the deal on the table or not, she deserves respect and support.
In all the rhetoric flying about from all sides at the moment the two options above mentioned seem to be all that is possible - the deal negotiated or no deal at all.
- Gerry - Kingsbridge
Just an observation - in the overall referendum vote in the South Hams 29308 voted to remain and 26142 voted to leave on an 80.3% turnout which is about 53% in favour of remaining, the opposite to the overall national result. While South Hams is more than just the Totnes constituency it seems unlikely to me that the higher level of voting to remain was confined to areas of the South Hams outside Totnes.
On that basis, isn't it possible that our MP is actually following the wishes of the majority of her constituents?!
- Francis South Brent
The referendum was 2.5 years ago, and the facts now are totally different from the lies and deceit presented by the Brexit side, and of course a major benefactor is under criminal investigation. Democracy demands that the Parliament return the deal to the people for approval, as a union would seek ratification from the workers after negotiating a deal with the employers. So Sarah is quite correct in the brave stance she is taking.
- Richard


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NDCO Inclusive Learning and Pathways Conference
Friday 23 November 2018
Keynote Presenter - Sarah Barton
Friday 23 November 2018
Keynote Presenter - Sarah Barton
Sarah Barton is a filmmaker with more than 20 years' experience who has focused mainly on making films about disability. Her first major film UNTOLD DESIRES (1994) won the first Logie Award for SBS television and an AFI Award for most outstanding documentary. Sarah created and produced the first 70 episodes of the award winning disability community television series 'No Limits'. Sarah mentored and trained a number of disabled performers including the late comedian and writer Stella Young. Sarah's short documentary STROKE A CHORD (2012) about a choir of stroke survivors who can sing but not speak was a finalist in the ATOM Awards in 2013.
Venue: Monash University Peninsula, Campus McMahons Rd, Frankston
Department of Education and Training - Tracey Walker and Francesca Noronha
What is DET's "Education for All?"
This presentation will provide an overview of Department of Education And Training (DET) "Education for All" Policy which was released in December 2017 within the context of the DET's inclusive schooling reform agenda.
Creating an inclusive education system for all learners is central to realising Victoria's vision for the Education State. Inclusive education welcomes diversity and engages all students in high quality, personalised learning.
Education for all is a school policy that gives schools and other stakeholders a clear definition of inclusive education and what the legal obligations are for supporting students with disabilities.
The initiatives focus on developing the knowledge and skills of school staff, and giving schools clearer guidance and specialist support to better respond to the needs of students with disabilities.
The programs and resources to support Education for All will be referenced and explained. To put the policy into practice, a suggested summary of steps to take to provide Education for All within the school context will be provided. A case study will be workshopped with participants.
The presenters have many years of experience in supporting schools to include students with additional learning needs and will provide their reflections of good practice and what to expect from an inclusion program.
Epilepsy Foundation - Epilepsy and Education, Impacts and Solutions Michele Barry
No one should go it alone when living with epilepsy. How then can school staff be involved in the student's journey? If Education staff have a good understanding of epilepsy including varied seizure presentations and recovery periods, the first aid required and then also understand its impacts including medication side effects, memory, self-esteem, stigma – then their ability to support students will be greatly enhanced, as will the outcomes for those students. They can help break down some of the barriers students living with epilepsy face and promote a better understanding and acceptance of epilepsy.
The Epilepsy Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life of those living with epilepsy. We do this through our education and training programs, epilepsy support, research and awareness raising campaigns.
My background includes 19 years of practice as a school nurse in a large metropolitan Secondary School with a diverse student population. I was also responsible for delivering
school staff First Aid training. Being a Nurse Educator with the Epilepsy Foundation gives me opportunity to both draw on the experience of working in an Education setting and also to impart knowledge and skills to school staff who find themselves supporting students living with Epilepsy. These students may be in either main stream schools or in Special School settings.
Trade Circle Program - Alison Wall
The School TAFE Alliance for Regional Training (START) Trade Training Centre is built on the grounds of Chisholm Frankston and is made up of a consortium of thirteen local schools in partnership with Chisholm. Alison's role at the START TTC is to develop programs that suit the local cohort and meet the changing needs of the secondary school cohort. This comes in the form of Trade Tasters, Experience Days, Professional Development and much more. Over the past four years, we have successfully run a Circle Trade Program for Naranga Special School. In 2018 the program was broadened to enable students the opportunity to experience three program areas – Building, Hospitality & Sport & Recreation. To continue to develop the program, Naranga would like to encourage other schools to offer this opportunity to their special needs students.
The program runs on a Thursday from 8:30am-12:30pm. Naranga currently provides an aide with their cohort, and depending on the needs of the students, it may be required that other participating schools send along an aide as well.
We are hoping to offer students two semester-long programs per year in different trade areas, expanding to other trade areas, dependent on numbers.
School Based Apprenticeships - Lou Licastro
Introduction of our Traineeship programs with various employment partners. Our programs welcome students with mild to moderate learning difficulties. Our employment partners and our trainers provide a friendly and welcoming workplace where students can gain personal growth and confidence whilst learning valuable workplace employability skills that will enhance their future employment outcomes.
Our training programs include Certificate 2 in the following courses
• Food Processing
• warehousing Operations
• Horticulture
Eligible students are supported via DAAWS funding with Tutoring and Mentoring thru-out the TraineeshipNational Food Institute SBATS Over the past 3 years National Food Institute has specialised in providing training to students with learning disabilities and partnering with various Employers to provide students with School Based Traineeships opportunities. The outcomes for our students have been amazing, with growth and confidence gained by our students over the life of their Traineeship being very evident.
Considerations in preparing for VET, TAFE and University
Chisholm TAFE - Esther Revens
There are many things a student with a disability needs to consider when preparing to study at TAFE.
From selecting the right course, the right entrance level and the right mode of study, to organising support and reasonable adjustments.
This can be quiet overwhelming for a student, however there is help available.
The Disability Liaison Officer can support the student through this process from their first enquiry until they graduate. Esther has been the DLO at Chisholm for 23 years. Today she hopes to share some of her knowledge with you and your students.
Swinburne University - David Eckstein
David Eckstein will talk about what the world of work needs from you and how you can fit in, Accommodations vs entitlement, Links between disability support and careers services. David Eckstein taught English as a second and foreign language in Australia and Italy, worked in international education publishing for Cambridge University Press and developed a career in the performing arts before becoming a Careers Education Consultant in the tertiary sector. His interests include equal opportunity, discrimination and harassment, alternative dispute resolution, embedding Career Development Learning in tertiary curricula and the use of narrative counselling to help people develop and implement meaningful workforce participation plans. He is currently working at Swinburne University to establish the AccessAbility Careers Hub – a collaboration between Careers and Employability and AccessAbility Services.
School Leavers Employment Supports Considerations in transition to employment models
Outlook - Rachel Marley
Outlook Steps to Employment service works alongside individuals in conjunction with our DES to achieve greater employment outcomes for participants.
Outlook's Steps to Employment provides a realistic pathway to achieving employment goals through further education and training. Working alongside our DES services and in collaboration with TAFE providers, Steps to Employment coaches and mentors young people to enhance their skills, create independence and build confidence. With our established volunteer opportunities, work trials, and community based activities, Outlook supports a whole of life approach. Steps to Employment suits school leavers with a disability who want to:
• plan career goals
• gain skills to prepare for training or further education
• prepare for work
• Undertake work experience and/or volunteer positions. Established in 1978, Outlook Vic Inc. is a not for profit social enterprise, providing meaningful work and life opportunities for people of all abilities. With a foundation in disability support services Outlook can continued to evolve keeping true to our mission and values supporting choice and control for individuals to participate in community, through our partnerships with business, other not for profit service providers and local community.
Our progressive environmental integrated workforce, community centre and leading edge disability services, create jobs, a space for socialising, training, work and life skill development.
Gen U - Leah Twaits
The specialised multidisciplinary Employment Pathways team brings staff expertise from the employment, disability, youth and training sectors, as well as various industries. They are dedicated in assisting NDIA funded participants to gain the required confidence, social skills and essential job capacity skills needed for future employment. This is achieved by working collaboratively with the participant and their circle of supports to help prepare for work and achieve independence in a mainstream environment. Employment Pathways also assists participants to live an inclusive life within their community feeling valued, useful and included in everyday life.
GenU provide Employment Pathways assistance across Victoria. genU Karingal St Laurence have been providing supports and services to people with a disability for over 65 years. Matchworks (a part of genU Karingal St Laurence) have been providing employment supports to people with a disability for over 25 years. Our speaker, Leah Twaits is the Team Leader of the genU Employment Pathways team bringing together the expertise from both areas of the business. Leah has worked in various roles and contracts in Employment Services for the past 15 years, assisting people of all abilities to find employment. This experience has included over 9 years assisting people with a disability into work.
Uniting - Karen Burton
Uniting works alongside people of all ages in local communities across Victoria and Tasmania. Our Disability Employment Services assists individuals with a health condition/disability in finding suitable employment, work experience or volunteer opportunities. Uniting, deliver the School Leaver Employment Support (SLES) to students leaving school across the West and North and now in Cranbourne, with additional programs in Chelsea and Eastern Suburbs mid 2019. Uniting also provide support that builds capacity and confidence through Case Co ordination; Kinship and Child, Youth & Families; Aged Care and Disability programs; Early Learning; Alcohol & Other Drugs and Mental Health Services and many more.
Access Easy English - Communication for inclusion in education environments
Access to Written Information - Inclusive Learning
Learning involves being able to access information in a way we can understand, to build upon this and continue to develop our skills.
Current data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA, 2015) shows at least 18% of students do not reach a benchmark of basic reading skills. Place this data alongside the Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABS, 2013 #4228 which identifies 44% of Australian adults 'do not have the literacy skills to manage a range of day to day reading tasks', there are considerable barriers to inclusion and learning.
This presentation will discuss how written information can be simplified to reduce literacy barriers yet still meet the learning needs of students. It is called Easy English.
Some examples will be discussed to illustrate how organisations have taken up the use of Easy English, and the difference this can make.
Cathy Basterfield is an experienced Speech Pathologist, with 30 years experience working with people with Complex Communication Needs and in the development of Easy English.
Acknowledged by her peers as a highly skilled practitioner in the field of Easy English, Cathy was involved in the development of the first guidelines for writing Easy English in Australia. Cathy was awarded a Victorian Government Ethel Temby scholarship for an investigative study into international trends and accreditation for Easy English writing and publications in 2011. She regularly publishes and presents on Easy English nationally and internationally.
Cathy owns and operates Access Easy English.
Education Co Design Framework - BGKLLEN have funded an innovative project that attempts to build a deeper understanding of what students need to support self-regulation as they experience change and transition between different classes, teachers and settings. ECDF works to create a common language that both encourages and assists students to request coping strategies and teaching approaches this increase engagement. By empowering the student, teacher relationship and facilitating communication in this practical way to support the individual learning needs of the student, more effective responses can be provided to students and educational engagement enhanced.
The learning intentions for the session are:
• Supporting students to identify their learning strengths
• Use of key refocus strategies First and Then and Re -teach
• Implementing individual coping strategies when support is needed for self-regulation
The aim of the project is to produce a framework that sharpens understanding of how students appear as they become dysregulated, combined with supports to engage students in classroom strategies to increase self-regulation utilising approaches, facilitated by clear, open communication.
Australian Network on Disability - Stepping into and PACE Mentoring Isabel Heiner
The Australian Network on Disability (AND) is a member-based organisation with a mission to advance the equitable inclusion of people with disability in all aspects of business, by building disability confidence and awareness across the Australian workforce. One aspect of the work that AND does, is connecting their member organisations with skilled students and jobseekers with disability through the PACE Mentoring & Stepping Into Internship Programs. Both programs are fully supported by AND, providing students and jobseekers the opportunity to build employability skills, develop professional networks, gain industry exposure and increase confidence. PACE & Stepping Into are each run twice a year, and are free for students and jobseekers to participate
Specialisterne Australia - Assisting organisations in recruiting and supporting people on the autism spectrum Steph Carayannis
ecruiting and supoprting employees on the autism spectrum Specialisterne (which translates from Danish as 'The Specialists') is an innovative social business concept originally founded in Denmark in 2004. Specialisterne is internationally recognised as the first and foremost example of how autistic adults can become effectively included in society and provide valuable, high quality services to their employers.
Specialisterne works to enable jobs for autistic adults through social entrepreneurship, innovative employment models and a national change in mindset. We believe that it is not the autistic individual who needs to change, but rather the way the labour market is conducted.
Steph Carayannis will be providing information on who Specialisterne is and what our main objectives are. She will be presenting the common barriers to employment for autistic individuals, the common talents that autistic individuals possess, as well as providing tips for facilitating success for the neurodiverse workforce. Further, Steph will provide information about how Specialisterne can help students and job seekers overcome the common barriers to employment.
Steph Carayannis joined Specialisterne Australia in February 2018.
Steph holds a Bachelor of Psychology Studies from Victoria University, Graduate Certificate of Social Science (Human Services-Counselling) from Swinburne University and a Graduate Diploma of Professional Psychology from Monash University. In addition, Steph is trained in Applied Behaviour Analysis as well as the Early Start Denver Model.
Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice - Customized Employment Lauren Pavlidis
Customised Employment The Centre has been established to provide a singular focus on improving the evidence base for disability employment practice within Australia. We believe that in order for employment outcomes to improve, there must be a shift to a whole of life approach for people with a disability. Current disability employment practice centred on economic philosophy fails to recognise employment as one part of a larger picture.To achieve change we're gathering like minded practitioners and researchers to work on the issues and develop the evidence base to support change in disability employment practice. We draw on resources locally and internationally to ensure that our work meets the standards for critical peer review.
The Centre conducts research, advocacy and training that focuses on policy and practice change through advising business and government on policy and practice direction based on rigourous research. Training that starts with organisational change that supports real change and staff practices to provide better client outcomes that are based on the best available evidence. We also work with individuals and families to support self determination and self advocacy focused on employment.
The Panel - Disability Employment, what do we want to see in the future?
National Disability Services - Ticket To Work Michelle Wakeford
Michelle has 20 years' experience in developing, implementing, and researching innovative practices. She has been key in developing award winning partnerships and programs that support social and economic inclusion. Michelle has been a passionate advocate for opportunities and support for young people transitioning from school to employment. She has a particular focus on increasing expectations and opportunities of young people with disability through career and workforce development and inclusive and meaningful community participation.
• Michelle Wakeford Ticket To Work National Disability Services
Ticket to work is a National initiative that leverages the power of cross-sectoral collaborative partnerships to improve employment outcomes for young people with disability. The initiative is delivered through Local Ticket to Work networks including schools, employment services, post school providers and employers.
Ticket to Work Networks prepares young people for the world of work and provides them with an open employment pathway in their transition from school through a combination of vocational/career development and early contact with work environments.
Specifically, Ticket to Work:
• brings together disability-specific and mainstream representatives from a variety of sectors to work strategically and collaboratively
• supports young people to gain access to early experiences that positively influence their views of themselves as workers
• prepares young people with disability for the workplace and gives them an employment pathway that is typical of other young adults
• increases opportunities for meaningful work experience and learning prior to exiting school
The Ticket to Work model is based on extensive research into what works.
School Leavers Employment Supports - John Donnon
Disability Employment Services - Tanya Cooper


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Following is a short update on the status of relevant legislation.
- In an earlier update, we provided a summary of the extensive reforms contained in the Road Safety Remuneration Bill 2012 ("RSB"). Following detailed Parliamentary review, the RSB (together with associated legislation) has passed through Federal Parliament and received Royal Assent to commence on 1 July 2012.
- The RSB will have an important role in changing work practices and reducing behaviours which contribute to unsafe road transport operations. It will also potentially affect remuneration and work hours for drivers. Those affected should now be reviewing the RSB and its Regulations, determining how contracts should change and the effect on dealing with customers.
- We have separately advised on the status of the various tranches of legislation affecting amendments to Australia's Anti-Dumping and Countervailing legislation. One tranche has passed through Parliament, a second tranche is before the Senate, a third tranche has just been introduced to Parliament
and a fourth tranche is due to be introduced later in the year. Associated with those changes, the Australian Customs and Boarder Protection Service ("Customs") has issued a revised draft Dumping and Subsidy Manual for comment by interested parties.
- The significant amendments to intellectual property legislation effected by the "Raising the Bar" Act has now passed through Parliament. Included in these amendments were provisions reforming the rights of the holders of intellectual property to stop goods allegedly breaching copyright and trade mark rights from being imported into Australia. Legislation has passed Parliament and received Royal Assent and the relevant provisions will commence in April 2013.
- In our previous update, we referred to two earlier Parliamentary Inquiries into the proposed Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill 2011. Notwithstanding those two earlier Inquiries into the proposed Bill by the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, the Trade Sub-Committee of
the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade has now commenced an Inquiry into the international implications of the Bill. As previously reported, concern over the international implications of the Bill has been expressed by Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in their submissions to the earlier Inquiries into the Bill. The concern expressed by a number of those countries is that the Bill does, in fact, represent an unreasonable restraint on trade in timber exported from those countries. Doubtlessly, a number of submissions will be made as to whether the proposed regulation is consistent to Australia's obligations to its trading partners pursuant to WTO regulations. Should the Bill pass through Parliament largely in its current form, then it will place significant obligations on importers of wood (and products containing wood) to be able to certify that the wood has not been "illegally logged".
- Several years after adoption of National "Chain of Responsibility" in many States, Western Australia finally introduced its legislation into its State Parliament in November 2011 through the Road Traffic (Vehicles) Bill 2011. Although part of the national reform, not all parts of the National Model Bill are to be adopted.
Recent cases of interest
Penalties, TCOs and container detention
Of recent time, there have been a number of decisions in various courts and tribunals which may be of interest. These include the following:
- Customs successful prosecution of the operator of a licensed Depot in Victoria in relation to the "unlawful removal" of imported cigarettes without appropriate approvals and payment of relevant duties. This led to orders for penalties, the payment of customs duty and GST which should have been paid and the revocation of the Depot licence.
- Customs also secured a successful prosecution against an illegal importer of kava. This led to a significant fine of $900,000 for illegal importation and the making of a false statement.
- An importer of certain pillowcases, neck roll covers and "U" shaped pillow cases was unsuccessful at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal ("AAT") in seeking review of Customs on the classification of those goods. The AAT endorsed Customs classification of the goods to tariff heading 6302 as "bed linen".
- In another decision of the AAT, an importer was unsuccessful in having its products secure the benefit of a Tariff Concession Order associated with disposable pants.
- In a potentially significant decision of the New South Wales District Court, a shipping line has been able to enforce various "container detention" penalties imposed upon an importer. At this stage, reasons for the decision have not been made public as the New South Wales District Court does not provide reasons for judgement to parties other than those involved in the litigation. We have made a submission to the New South Wales District Court that it would be in
the interests of those in industry that the reasons for the decision be made available more widely. However, according to various media reports, an importer had attempted to resist the payment of container detention fees imposed by a shipping line on the basis that they were a "penalty" and therefore unenforceable. The various fees were imposed pursuant to an Agreement between the shipping line and the users of the services of the shipping line which provided for a set of trading terms and conditions and the imposition of charges associated with the late return of containers. It would appear that the District Court had characterised the amount being charged as an escalated hiring charge rather than a penalty associated with a breach of the Agreement for having failed to return the containers within the time prescribed by the agreement. As we have set out in our earlier commentary on container detention fees and their enforceability, there is a distinct difference between fees which are characterised as being payable for a "breach" of an agreement to return a container by a set date (in which case the penalty regime may apply) compared to where the fee is seen as an increased charge for the hire of the containers. It is difficult to determine the impact of the decision until it is provided by the District Court as it may well be limited by the relevant facts of the case. It is also unclear whether the decision will have any impact on the position of freight forwarders or customs brokers who collect goods under a "Delivery Order" which then seeks to impose liability for the container, its return and associated fees on the freight forwarder or customs broker.


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If you have Moodle and H5P, which areas should you focus on to avoid replication, and get the best out of the combination?
Note that this list is not intended to be definitive, but the starting point, and specific teachers, subjects, courses and organisations should ultimately define a similar, but potentially slightly different list order.
Bear in mind that H5P content can be combined together in very interesting ways, and can create more advanced experiences for learners, but still using the basic 'building blocks' of each simple H5P content type.
These are the H5P content types that simply do not exist in Moodle, and their use will provide a new resource or activity type for teachers and learners.
- Interactive video
- Agamotto
- Column
- Course presentation
- Documentation tool
- Essay
- Dialog cards
- Flashcards
- Impressive presentation
PossibleThese are great resource types, but perhaps less widely usable than those above, and therefore will appeal to a smaller group teachers:
- Accordion
- Guess the answer
- Mark the words
- Memory game
- Image juxtaposition
- Image pairing
- Image sequencing
- Image slider
- Summary
- Timeline
Less important / highly specialistThese are more highly specialised content types, and relevant to a relatively small number of teachers and courses:
- Speak the words / Speak the words set - use PoodLL ?
- Personality quiz
- Chart
- Collage
- Iframe embedder
- Arithmetic quiz
Lower value / replicates existing capability closelyWhilst these content types are good, they may be so close to existing functionality in Moodle that teachers time would be better spent on the items above:
- Audio recorder - use Moodle's native recorder
- Questionnaire
- Quiz (question set)
- Single choice set
- Multiple choice
- Fill the blanks
- Find the hotspot
- Multiple hotspots
- Image hotspots
- Drag and drop
- Drag the words
- True/False
Last modified: Tuesday, 11 December 2018, 8:14 PM


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The number of troops committing suicide just keeps growing as does the number of devastated families and communities. At the same time the Army announced record high numbers of suicides in June, it also released a video, "Shoulder to Shoulder," which the Army hopes will create awareness and help prevent suicides.
This is a growing tragedy, but not a new one. At COP Callahan in Sad'r City in Baghdad, Terry spent time with a soldier on suicide watch — he had no weapon, could not leave the base. Later, during the two weeks we were based out of Al Taqaddam in Iraq in 2007, Terry flew on two separate medevacs with troops who had attempted suicide. Lee, meanwhile, went to at a nearby post, arriving two days after a Marine had killed himself while standing guard.
Combat stress doctors at the time were loathe to see this as a rising trend. They pointed to a hasty vetting process in order to get the numbers the Army needed; to the pressures of deployment exacerbating underlying (and often undetected) conditions; and the cumulative stress of multiple deployments.
Just recently we spoke to the family of the Marine who committed suicide in 2007. The pain has not gone away. It never will.
Their loss will always be our loss.


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Paul Simon is dancing. With cajun accordion pumping to the fat zydeco groove of "That Was Your Mother," from Graceland, Simon is exultant, stretching out the lyrics as he spins: "Dancing to the tunes of … Clifton … CHENIER!"
Rarely has this man, who once was considered dour and even called "Mr. Alienation," ever been quite so jubilant. It's the second night of four at the Hollywood Bowl on Simon's farewell Homeward Bound Tour. Though proclaimed as Paul's final tour ever, at no point did he seem ready to retire. At the center of a band as big as a small village, Simon seemed more relaxed, happy and in the groove then ever.
"Hello friends!" he said smiling with arms outstretched here at the historic Hollywood Bowl where he's performed many times over the years, and once on tour with Bob Dylan. With an exceptional and expansive band, augmented by the orchestral sextet yMusic (a string trio with clarinet, flute and trumpet), Simon fluidly covered and merged all the various musical journeys on which he's been for these past decades. Not only did we get early Simon & Garfunkel classics such as "The Sound of Silence," "The Boxer" and the transcendent "America," with which he opened the show, he also led us through all the famous chapters of his life, as well as some lesser-known ones. These included "Rene & Georgette Magritte With The Dog After The War," from Hearts and Bones, and "Can't Run But," from Saints, both of which were beautifully realized with yMusic.
His songbook, which always contained depth and brilliance, has expanded over the decades in terms of sheer exuberance and joy.
He was relaxed and funny all night long. After welcoming the crowd he explained, as if letting us in on a secret, that he always loved second night audiences more than the first. "The first night is always about those first-nighters being there, getting their tickets. They're not really music-lovers. But you second night audiences, you're all about the music."
By merging most (though not all) of his famous songs with many gems rarely performed in concerts, the evening went a long way in expressing the fullness of this one man's remarkable songwriting journey. Unlike so many great artists who began in one musical place and never left, Simon has been around the musical globe many times. Though long known as a folky for his frequent proximity to an acoustic guitar, he wrote rock and roll such as "Red Rubber Ball" and "Hey Schoolgirl" before ever composing folk-rock classics like "The Sound of Silence" or "The Boxer." Always hungry to expand his songs musically and lyrically, as well as the production and sonics of his records, he traveled around the world tirelessly to find fresh musical ideas. On Bridge Over Troubled Water, he first expanded his opus with "El Condor Pasa," wedding his lyrics with the Peruvian music of the group Urubamba. On his first solo album he created the mysteriously poignant "Mother and Child Reunion" by going to Jamaica for an authentic ska rhythm and spirit long before reggae was big in America. That was just the start – he also went to the roots of American music, to Muscle Shoals, to New Orleans, to gospel and Chicago soul, to New York jazz, and beyond.
From there the journey never really stopped, it just kept expanding, and all these global streams merged in his ever-expanding songbook. Then came "Late In The Evening" with its big street-party vibe and celebration of music wed to a Latino horn-section hook written by Dave Grusin (who first collaborated with Paul on the soundtrack to The Graduate). Then of course came the rhythmic and sonic expansions of Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints, merging a whole new dimension of world music to Simon brilliance, and his songbook – and concerts – expanded profoundly.
All his concerts in recent years have reflected this great range, and have been exultant with so many of those celebratory, upbeat songs, and more. From this once tender folky, we now get concerts which are sparked throughout, and which culminate, with all the inspirational vigor of a Springsteen show.
Much of the beautiful intricate guitar grace of his music over the last decades has been due to the presence of Vince Nguini, from the Cameroons, who died earlier this year. Since Vince's beautifully etched guitar parts, which sparkled over all the recent records and concerts with a distinctive and delicate shimmer, were such a rich and consequential element of the Simon sound, how Paul would replace him remained an open question. His style, after all, was African, and removed from conventional American approaches to guitar. Though using standard tuning, Vince had an alternate universe of chord voicings and rhythms which has delighted Simon for decades, creating a beautifully elegant and exotic counterpoint to Simon's guitar parts. Although Graceland and its great follow-up The Rhythm of the Saints were created by first recording tracks with musicians in Africa and Brazil before coming home to make songs out of them, for subsequent albums Paul mostly made these tracks at home. His secret weapon was Vince, who brought as much guitar magic in New York as in the Cameroons, as well as his constant vibe of blissful calm. How would Paul continue without him?
That problem was solved handily with the discovery of Biodun Kuti, a remarkable young guitarist from Lagos, Nigeria, who played all of Vince's parts with joyful fidelity, and also let us hear – with big, beamish pride – bold riffs and electric leads very much his own. When it comes to finding musicians of the highest artistry and with genuine reverence for music, Simon's always been brilliant.
That brilliance shone brightly all night.
Merging the remarkably intense rhythmic duo of drummer Jim Oblon and percussionist Jamey Haddad, who cook up every groove to fiery levels, with the expansive jazz flourishes of Mick Rossi on organ and piano, the vivid accordion exuberance of Joel Guzman, the horn section, and yMusic, all anchored by the phenomenal fluid bass of Bakithi Kumalo (who has been with Paul since Graceland), this was an immense but graceful musical engine that could go anywhere musically, and often many places at once.
The mighty Mark Stewart acted as the captain of Paul's giant ship, and also looks like an old ship's captain with his long hair and giant Victorian sideburns. The man makes an impact. He's also a remarkably diverse musician of multitudes who holds down many guitar parts and vocal harmonies as well as saxophone, cello and maui xaphoon. On the song "Rewrite" (from So Beautiful or So What), which is based on a repeating, very fast guitar line that seemed to have been sped up on the record, Stewart played the part precisely four times to launch the song. As Paul once said, a lot of his songs have elaborate guitar parts that are hard for him to do live while singing. "So I can always give those to Mark," he said. "He can play anything."
Since 1969, when Paul realized his guitar-born ballad "Bridge Over Troubled Water" would sound best with a piano at its center instead of guitar, he's worked with great keyboardists. But few have brought as much miracle and wonder to his music as Mick Rossi, who can play perfectly the famous parts from records, but also brings his own dimensional brilliance to everything. On piano, electric piano, organ, harmonium, celeste, percussion, and a beautifully dreamy expanded solo on prepared piano (an acoustic piano that has its sound altered by objects on or between its strings).
For example, in the super-charged globally-inspired song epic "The Cool, Cool River," with its African and Brazilian rhythms and guitar parts intertwined with Simon's singular voice and poetry, as well as on "Mother and Child Reunion" and "You Can Call Me Al," Rossi burned with improvisational jazz lines on piano and organ. The result was a remarkable and sometimes dizzying rainbow of homespun and world music combined, connecting American folk and pop with New York jazz, funk, African, Brazilian and more. And it worked. Though Paul never claimed to be fluent on the musics of other countries, he said he could speak "broken music" and connect, with passion, all those streams of music into one very cool river.
One of his most explosive and expansive songs, "The Cool Cool River" is an absolute songwriting tour de force, and was performed with an intensity that matches the simmering rage of the lyric: "Moves like a fist through traffic/anger and no one can heal it…". With his voice as vigorous as ever, Paul powerfully punched out the lyrics with fierceness, landing on a hopeful and loving resolution: "I believe in the future/we may not suffer no more/ maybe not in my lifetime, but in your's, I feel sure…"
Andy Snitzer, who plays saxophones and flute in the band (and previously played with the Rolling Stones), is always great live, but on this night was on fire. When it came to his moment to play the famous sax solo after the famous bridge of "Still Crazy," played on the record by Michael Brecker, he lit into it with an amazing intensity. Starting with the same notes as the record, delivered with an almost religious fervor, he soon soared off. It was exceptional, and the crowd felt it, cheering even before it was done.
As mentioned, Simon delivered several songs rarely performed in concert, such as "Rene and Georgette Magritte" from Hearts and Bones, one of those ingenious songs so singularly suited to Simon. Mysterious, surreal, historic, funny, and dimensional all at once, and wrapped in a beautifully plaintive folk-jazz melody, it's a song which is essential Simon.
He even made fun of its singularity. Famously happy to poke fun at himself (remember him in the turkey suit singing "Still Crazy" on SNL?) he mocked his own inclination to write songs with such bizarre and unlikely titles and subjects. Of course, this inclination is nothing new. He wrote the singularly elegiac "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" back in 1969. He's been on his own turf for a long time.
"Now I'd like to do a song with one of the strangest titles ever," Simon said. "Rene and Georgette Magritte with their Dog after the War." The crowd roared, and Simon said, with a laugh, "I love how you said 'yeah!' As if that makes perfect sense." [Big laughter].
He then explained its origins.
He saw a photograph in a book of the artist Magritte at Joan Baez's house. "And the caption on that photo," he said, "was `Rene and Georgette Magritte with their Dog After The War.' And I said to myself, 'What a great title for a song!' [Huge crowd laughter]. I said, 'What could that song possibly be about?' It's a surrealist painter so maybe it should be a surrealist song. So maybe I'll put in four of my favorite old R&B vocal groups from the '50s, The Penguins, The Moonglows, The Orioles, The Five Satins. I'll just mix them in and make a song. And that's what we're about to play."
Then in a hushed setting, yMusic became a small mini-chamber orchestra sitting in a semicircle. They matched with haunting, soulful precision every guitar part and rhythmic accent and guitar as Simon, in the center, delivered this surreal song with loving and focused purity. It was stunning. yMusic, which is made of C.J. Camerieri on trumpets, french horn; Rob Moose on violin, Hideaki Aomori on woodwinds, Nadia Sirota on viola, Gabriel Cabezas on cello and Alex Sopp on flutes, then joined him on another mysteriously compelling and often unsung song, touching on the impact of the Chernobyl disaster, "Can't Run But." On "The Rhythm of the Saints," its tapestry of polyrhythms spelled out with amazing layers of percussion and guitars. Here the orchestral instruments played all those interlocking rhythmic parts, and the result was extraordinary, as was Simon's passionately pointed delivery.
Several of his songs which were never hits have become concert highlights. "The Obvious Child" is the perfect example. Another mysterious and rhythmically-compelling song, it was originally recorded to the exotic, thundering drumming of the Brazilian bloco-afro group Olodum. It's a rhythmic groove which is big – bigger than rock and roll, even – it starts rolling and won't stop, and even speeds up in tempo. On this night it was so fun for both band and audience that Simon asked if they should do it again. The crowd roared with approval, and they did it over. Wonderfully. It was that kind of night.
He bookended the concert with two essential American songs, the first, as mentioned, was the hopeful "America," which is maybe his most beautiful song ever. And towards the end came the the sobering, elegiac "American Tune," which was stunning, yet so sadly connected to the reality of present-day 2018 America, all these years beyond the season of its creation. Those lines of resignation, written decades earlier, struck home more than ever, that no dream lasts forever and we have no choice but to keep going: "It's alright, it's alright, you can't be forever blessed/ still tomorrow's gonna be another working day and I'm trying to get some rest…"
Yet, that sorrow was replaced profoundly by the cumulative joy generated by this concert and this extraordinary band. That songwriting and musicianship on such an elevated artistic level still not only exists, but flourishes with such genuine passion and love, is truly inspirational, and a good reason to rejoice. Also, the good news which is that Paul is not retiring entirely from music, only from doing immense tours like this one. He's got a new album coming out in September. This remarkable journey, fortunately, is not over yet.


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CAIRO, Dec. 14 – Egypt said Saturday a referendum on a new draft constitution will be held next month, the first step towards elected rule in a country deeply polarised after president Mohamed Morsi's ouster.
"I call upon you to vote in a referendum on the revised draft constitution on January 14 and 15," interim president Adly Mansour said in a speech to the nation, flanked by high-ranking officials and those who drafted the new charter.
The constitutional referendum is to be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections in mid-2014, according to a transition road map outlined by the new military-installed authorities.
The new constitution was drafted by a 50-member panel after the interim authorities suspended the previous version of the charter written under the Islamist Morsi.
Egypt's first democratically elected president was ousted by the army on July 3 after massive street protests against his turbulent year-long rule.
Morsi's removal caused deep divisions amid a sweeping and deadly government crackdown targeting his supporters that has left more than 1,000 people dead and thousands more arrested.
Mansour praised the revised draft for its provisions on the "securing of human rights, freedoms and the balancing of powers".
"It is a good start on which to build the institutions of a democratic and modern state," he said.
Amr Shobaki, a member of the panel that wrote the draft, told AFP Egypt was at a "turning point and its success would mean an end to a transitional phase as right now there are no elected institutions".
The revised charter has come under severe criticism from secular movements and rights groups for retaining the powers and privileges of the military.
It allows the military to prosecute civilians in some cases, appoint the defence minister and keep its budget beyond civilian scrutiny — powers held by the legislature, executive and judiciary of most democracies.
"The fact that the draft would give the military a great deal of autonomy raises concerns about whether this institution will be held accountable for violations," Amnesty International said after the draft was published.
"It also casts doubt over whether the government will be able to institute desperately needed reforms to ensure that the military, police and security agencies respect human rights and are subject to independent oversight."
The rights group said that during the military junta's 17-month rule after the fall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, more than 12,000 civilians were tried unfairly by military courts. However, several political groups have already started low-level campaigning in favour of the new basic law.
The Tamarod (rebellion) movement that led the campaign against Morsi's rule is backing the charter.
"Its an important leap towards democracy and realises the aims of the January 2011 revolution (against Hosni Mubarak) and the June 30 revolution (against Morsi)," said Mohammed Abdel Aziz, a leader of Tamarod.
But Islamists are divided, with the Salafist Al-Nur party saying it will campaign in favour of it and pro-Morsi groups against it.
The Anti-Coup Alliance led by the Muslim Brotherhood movement to which Morsi belongs said in a statement earlier in December that it "rejects as a total waste of billions of Egyptian pounds a potentially rigged and certainly unconstitutional referendum to rubber stamp the country's most important document".
Egypt's Islamists were also divided over Morsi's ouster, with Al-Nur backing the military in deposing him along with Christian and Muslim religious institutions.
The Anti-Coup Alliance has staged near daily pro-Morsi protests since his removal.
The now discarded 2012 constitution written under Morsi was drafted by a 100-member panel dominated by his Islamist allies.
(Copyright @ AFP / RSS)


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Original acrylic painting by Katherine Skaggs, ©2007-2013
The Amaterasu was created for the Mythical Goddess Tarot by Katherine Skaggs.
Amaterasu, is the Japanese Shinto Sun goddess and Sun card in the Mythical Goddess Tarot, author Sage Holloway. She brings illumination and encourages each of us to embody the light within us, and to shine it vibrantly out into our worlds, to create growth, joy and well-being.
The original art of Amaterasu is an acrylic on 16×20″ canvas. It was created as a portal for the energy and essence of the Sun, radiating the source of all life through light, wholeness, creation and manifestation.
Digital prints are beautiful, low cost reproductions. The fine art giclee' poster print is printed with archival pigments. All fine art giclee prints on watercolor paper or canvas are of archival quality and are rated to last 80-100 years. Fine art giclee' prints can be created up to the original size of art and are beautiful, timeless reproductions, hand signed by Katherine Skaggs. Once ordered, giclee' prints can take 8 to 10 days to ship.
The digital art print is a beautiful replication of the art, and fits any budget. Digital prints will typically ship in 24-72 hours.
If you want this image in another size or format, please contact us and we'll custom create your order for you if possible.


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- Colleen R.
Woodard Inspections & Services, LLC offers professional home inspection services in Pickerington, Reynoldsburg and Columbus, OH and surrounding areas. We're locally owned and have an extensive background in construction. You can expect us to know exactly what to look for inside and outside your home.
We offer home buyer's inspections, new build inspections, confined space inspections, wood destroying insect inspections, radon testing and mold testing to help you make a wise investment in a property. Our pre-listing home inspection is designed to help you fix issues on your own timeline and budget. We also offer new construction inspection work to make sure all repairs and replacements are handled before your builder's warranty expires.
To schedule any of our home inspection services in the Pickerington, Reynoldsburg and Columbus, Ohio area.
Call 614-425-2879 today!
Don't settle for just any home inspector. You need an inspector with industry knowledge and hands-on construction experience. Choose Woodard Inspections & Services, LLC because:
Buyer & Pre-Listing Inspections | New Build Inspections | Commercial Inspections | Radon | Crawl Space Robot | Wood Destroying Insects | Mold Testing


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In continuing to try to get back on track (or adjust to my new way of life), I developed my first ever vlog. It was purely to remind myself how far I've come but when I showed my PT tonight she encouraged me to share it. It makes me nervous to share it, but isn't this whole blog supposed to be about getting out of my comfort zone?
Click here to access it on youtube


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Come and See
Dr Sandra Fielden is an occupational psychologist that has over 20 years experience in the area of stress. The session will look at stress and driving, how it affects you and what can you do about it.
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"Copyright © 2018 WYAMs. All Rights Reserved."
WYAMs are affiliated to the Institute of Advanced Motorists And are a Registered Charity (Number 1071477)


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Anthony Lunas
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text: Main Content House Bill 4682 (2019) rss? friendly link printer friendly Friendly Link: http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2019-HB-4682 Sponsors Terry Sabo (district 92)Hank Vaupel, Gary Howell, Julie Calley, Joseph Tate, Jewell Jones (click name to see bills sponsored by that person) Categories Vehicles: registration plates; Veterans: other; State agencies (existing): state; Vehicles; registration plates; special registration plate for member or spouse of member of national guard, reserve, or branch of armed services during Persian Gulf War or conflicts in Grenada, Panama, or Lebanon; eliminate fee. Amends sec. 803n of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.803n). TIE BAR WITH: HB 4683'19, HB 4681'19, HB 4680'19, HB 4684'19 Bill Documents Bill Document Formatting Information [x] The following bill formatting applies to the 2019-2020 session:- New language in an amendatory bill will be shown in BOLD AND UPPERCASE.- Language to be removed will be stricken.- Amendments made by the House will be blue with square brackets, such as: [House amended text].- Amendments made by the Senate will be red with double greater/lesser than symbols, such as: <<Senate amended text>>. (gray icons indicate that the action did not occur or that the document is not available) Documents House Introduced Bill Introduced bills appear as they were introduced and reflect no subsequent amendments or changes. As Passed by the House As Passed by the House is the bill, as introduced, that includes any adopted House amendments. As Passed by the Senate As Passed by the Senate is the bill, as received from the House, that includes any adopted Senate amendments. House Enrolled Bill Enrolled bill is the version passed in identical form by both houses of the Legislature. Bill Analysis House Fiscal Agency Analysis Summary As Introduced (11/5/2019)This document analyzes: HB4680, HB4681, HB4682, HB4683, HB4684 History (House actions in lowercase, Senate actions in UPPERCASE) Date JournalAction 5/28/2019HJ 53 Pg. 642introduced by Representative Terry Sabo 5/28/2019HJ 53 Pg. 642read a first time 5/28/2019HJ 53 Pg. 642referred to Committee on Military, Veterans and Homeland Security 5/29/2019HJ 54 Pg. 645bill electronically reproduced 05/29/2019 12/10/2019Expected in HJ 113referred to Committee on Ways and Means


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You probably already know about Zappos' legendary customer service. If you don't, catch this recent Good News Guy column and my follow-up interview with Zappos Customer Service Director Rob Siefker.
And if there's any doubt left, get a load of this.
Zappos.com happened to me. And it was a powerful reminder that good customer service is endemic to good companies. It's the rule, not the exception.
Let me repeat that: It's the rule. It happens every day.
Today's story is all Zappos.com, but I credit Google's incredible artificial intelligence and its loosey-goosey privacy policies. (And don't get me wrong; in this particular instance, I am not complaining.)
I switched to an Android phone at the beginning of the year, about the same time as I needed to retire my well-loved, well-worn hiking pants. I'm a little particular about what I wear, and the Kühl Kontra Airs are perfect for me. They're comfortable without looking too casual, and they travel well. Zappos.com had the best price I could find ($80 a pair) which is a lot less than what my local camping store charges. I ordered three pair of deep river blue Kontras.
A few days later the package arrived, and everything was in order. I opened it, tried on a pair, and was pleased with my purchase. I felt as if I'd gotten a decent deal from a reputable online merchant.
That's where Google comes in. The AI on its phones is pretty remarkable. A few days after my purchase, my phone notified me that Zappos had lowered its price on the Kontras, from a reasonable $80 to $60 a pair.
Google uses your browser search history to make an educated guess about what purchases you're likely to make. It didn't know I'd already purchased the pants, but close enough!
I thought about the endless debates we have on this site about travelers who discover lower airfares or hotel rates and then demand a refund. I didn't want to be one of those people. In fact, I didn't think I deserved anything.
Still, I called Zappos.
When you phone the company, it answers fast and doesn't subject you to an endless phone tree. Points for that. I explained my situation to a representative.
"I realize I've already made my purchase," I said. "But the pants are still in the box. Could I return them and then buy them at the sale price?"
If she'd said "no" then I would have probably let it go. I mean, sales happen. I missed this one by only a few days, but I still missed it. I got unlucky.
"Keep your pants," the representative told me. "We'll just just credit your card for $60."
Yes, seriously.
Now, it's possible that any number of other businesses, online or otherwise, would have done the same thing. But I'm relatively sure I would have had to do more arguing.
The cynics reading this will say, "They knew who you were, Chris. I mean, how hard is it to Google you?" Perhaps. But I kind of doubt it. I don't think Zappos has the time or the inclination to keep a dossier on each of its customers, nor would it offer that kind of preferential treatment in order to curry positive media mention. That would also be inconsistent with our past coverage, which suggests every customer is equally important.
Zappos did a good thing and turned me into a loyal customer in the process. Based on my own experience, this site's coverage of Zappos and my knowledge of the company, I believe this kind of exceptional customer service is part of its corporate DNA. It isn't so much the result of careful employee screening, training, team-building and effective leadership. Rather, it's what Zappos is.
Maybe that's one of the keys to offering terrific service. It's not a new corporate mantra embraced by the executives in a corner office. It's just what you do.
It's definitely what Zappos.com does.


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Question about GPS
Posted by ynot132 on
unable to register S80
I have still not received confirmation that I have registered
the purchase of my Navman S80. I attempted to log on one week ago but am still awaiting advice as to how I can enter my own pin code into the Navman S80 for obvious security reasons.
I also phoned your technical department and was informed I needed to register before they would allow me to download the necessary security pin code into my Navman
Would appreciate a response.
unable to register S80. why?
www.navman.com.au/register DOES not work. How the hell can you register on line?
unable to register new navman s50,dealer cannot offer solution till unit registered
purchased navman s30 this arvo and had same problem re registration
Please : need assistance ; unable to register by NAVMAN S50 purchased from **** Smith East Maitland 9 April, 08. Also have not received my $50.00 cashback. Please advise.
yer i've got same with s30 i can't register
have purchased navmans/80 1/06/2008 from warrnambool retra-vison
unable to access www.navman.com.au/regristration
tried to register my s80 navman at www.navman.com.au/register but it tells me there is no site named that
Unable to log on to register
Unable to log on to register my new navman S-80 gps unit.Would appreciate your help
unable to register my new S80
navman unable to register at www.navman.com.au/register
unable to register mynavman s30
Purched 3/8/08 have tried to register as per instructions at least 6 or 7 times but with no success Navman S80
Unable to register S30 Navman at site www.navman.com.au/register as advised to do.
to solve registration problem type in navman .com.au if in aust type this in the top serch bar where it says google. you will get a blue page from navman on right side follow down go to gps an follow will see registration box to go to cheers steve j
I have recently purchased Navman S80 and completed all the necessary paper work,barcodes etc for FREE map upgrades etc. I have registered online and yet still no response either by mail or e-mail?
Why is this so.
Not happy Jan..............Michael
got a Nextar GPS system. Cannot registrar it on line. What can I do?
unable to register tomtom 50
HP5555 with Sleeve Navman 3450 Cannot open COM Port
HP5555 With Navman Sleeve GPS Cannot Open COM Port
how do you delete an address
Unable to register Navman F10 0n www.navman.com.au/register
how can I purchase accessories and maps?
Posted on Jun 05, 2008
Hi there,
Save hours of searching online or wasting money on unnecessary repairs by talking to a 6YA Expert who can help you resolve this issue over the phone in a minute or two.
Best thing about this new service is that you are never placed on hold and get to talk to real repairmen in the US.
Here's a link to this great service
Good luck!
Posted on Jan 02, 2017
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text:
Newcastle's Kristy James' latest single, Cinderella, is just a taste of what's to come from her forthcoming EP, RAW.
The EP which drops next week on 15 June is now available for a pre-order through independent record label, Social Family Records.
Each and every song on RAW envelops stories of romance, crime and broken hearts, including the mystery and intrigue of Kristy's previous single, Dark Sunglasses, plus empowering anthems like Push and Brand New that present opportunity and hope for times ahead.
For Kristy, RAW truly represents who she is an artist, created through her vision from the beginning. The "raw" and heartful EP was brought to fruition using hand selected musicians from across the globe, with 5 of the 6 tracks co-produced with her husband. RAW is a journey, an emotional rollercoaster, which leaves the listener with a new understanding of Kristy James.
To celebrate its release Kristy will be playing two local shows. Details are below.
Sat Jun 16 – Mezz Bar, Wallsend, Newcastle (Full Band) w/ Chelsea Berman & Lili Crane
Thu Jun 21 – Belmont Hotel, Lake Macquarie (Raw & Acoustic)


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In this latest episode of 'Talent Talks,' host Andrew Mitchell is joined by Nick Cromydas, CEO of The Hunt Club, a referral recruiting service that leverages technology and a front-end automation process to help land passive candidates. In this podcast, Mr. Cromydas touches on how significant technology is to the search industry today and how his firm is using it to build relationships faster than ever before.
"The best recruiters build relationships over their entire career," said Mr. Cromydas. "We think that by using our technology and referral process, we can build those kinds of relationships in a day."


text:
David Tennant has admitted he struggled to deal with overnight celebrity after joining the cast of Doctor Who.
The 48-year-old actor, who played the Time Lord in the BBC series from 2005 to 2010 before later reprising his role in 2015, revealed how he felt 'intimidated' and sought therapy after finding stardom in the show.
'The way you imagine it's going to be is not the way it is at all, David began. 'It's much more exposing, and the imaginative leap you've had that it will give you status or make you invulnerable is all wrong.
'It makes you very vulnerable, and very raw.
'I remember way back, when I'd be in a room and someone well known would walk in, and there's that sort of whisper goes around the room and everyone looks. And you imagine being that person is somehow powerful.'
David continued to The Sunday Times magazine: 'When you are that person, you walk into a room and everyone turns their head and whispers, and you feel like you're being squashed.
'You feel intimidated, and you feel scared, actually.'
Admitting that he 'wasn't coping at all', David took comfort in 'a very lovely older lady who was very calm and normal and just helped [him] cope with it.'
David confirmed earlier this week that he is expecting his fifth child with his wife Georgia Moffett.
James Corden instigated the reveal on The Late Late Show, saying: 'David, we were just talking backstage, this is blowing my mind. You have four children already, your oldest is 17. You just told me you and your wife, the lovely Georgia, are expecting your fifth child.'
The former Time Lord admitted 'five is a lot' – before joking that his eldest son Ty, 17, was now giving him and Georgia, 34, lectures on contraception.
Doctor Who is set to return to the BBC in 2020.
Got a showbiz story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us email@example.com, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Doctor Who films mystery scenes in Gloucester ahead of Judoon return in series 12
MORE: Doctor Who aliens The Judoon confirmed to return and face off against Jodie Whittaker in new series


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Wildwood Hills Home with a View! No Mello Roos & No HOA Fees! 4 Bed 3 Bath 2346 Sq. Ft. Impressive Entry features Leaded Glass Window & Oak Hardwood flooring that continues through the lower level. Formal Living Room w/Vaulted Ceiling. Formal Dining Room has Leaded Glass Feature Windows & a Vaulted Ceiling. Kitchen has Garden Window, Granite Counters, Stainless Steel Appliances, Ample Cabinets and Drawers w/Updated Hinges & Hardware, Under Cabinet Lighting, Large Pantry w/Heavy Duty Pull Out Shelving, Island w/Wine Rack & Breakfast Nook. Kitchen is open to Family Room, perfect for Entertaining! Family Room features cozy Fireplace & Sliding Glass Doors to the Patio & Backyard. 1 Bedroom and Full Guest Bathroom also located on the 1st Floor. Sweeping Staircase to Landing with Linen Storage & Closet. Master Bedroom with Double Door Entry, Plantation Shutters & Two Large Closets with Organizers. Master Bathroom features Soaking Spa Tub, Walk-In Shower, Granite Counters & Make-up Vanity. 2 Additional Bedrooms & Full Guest Bathroom also located Upstairs. Large Backyard with Daytime Mountain View & Nighttime City Light View. Indoor Laundry Room, Two Car Garage with Utility Sink & Attic Storage w/Pull Down Stairs. Gated Side Yard for Medium RV or Boat
Courtesy of RE/MAX of Santa Clarita, Craig Volding - CA BRE#00703695 Selling Office: .
Based on information from CARETS as of . The information being provided by CARETS is for the visitor's personal, noncommercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties visitor may be interested in purchasing. The data contained herein is copyrighted by CARETS, CLAW, CRISNet MLS, i-Tech MLS, PSRMLS and/or VCRDS and is protected by all applicable copyright laws. Any dissemination of this information is in violation of copyright laws and is strictly prohibited. Any property information referenced on this website comes from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) program of CRISNet MLS and/or CARETS. All data, including all measurements and calculations of area, is obtained from various sources and has not been, and will not be, verified by broker or MLS. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. Properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information.


text:
THERE'S something about a happy man with a beard.
As a journalist I've spoken to a lot of bearded men in my time and while the story never starts this way I often ask why they decided to grow it.
There's always a reason and most of the time it's not as pretty as the bearded man himself.
A lot of people write off beards as a "dying trend" but for many, a bit of fuzz on the face means more to them than just "looking good".
Apart from being immediately thrust into the world of life as a bearded man, many men have shared with me that life for them is simply happier with a beard.
A lot of men, including the one I love the most, attribute growing their beard as part of a massive change in their life and a way to claim their confidence back.
Without this need for a life change we would not have beardspo.com.
For some a beard is a way to find a certain confidence they never had.
As a woman, I could liken it to those who change their hair or work to get fitter after a nasty break up. But I feel it's more than that. It's more of a permanent change.
Bearded men grow their beards long term and are proud of it because it provides them with a sense of happiness that comes with being a part of a movement and changing life for the better.
When I'm not writing for Beardspo or my day job, I'm constantly listening to stories of mental health and anxiety through my passion project Anxiety Exists.
When I first started this I was surprised at the amount of men aged 20-40 that were keen to tell me their stories.
A large majority of these men had a beard.
It's through talking to them that I've learnt having a beard has a lot to do with identity, mental health, social anxiety, self-esteem and the need to find footing in a solid welcoming community.
This is why I can't help but get a goofy smile on my face every time I see a man with a rockin' beard.
It might seem like a generalisation but the thought that their beards are helping them personally in some way makes me happy.
This could also be said for the beautiful women out there who have learnt to accept their beards and have found a way to achieve happiness despite what majority view as a flaw.
Today is International Day Of Happiness. If you're in 'hirsute' of happiness, I'd love to hear your story. Email firstname.lastname@example.com or PM Beardspo on Facebook to get in touch.
Spreading a little happiness can go a long way.


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Dave Nichols: Board should ignore advisory vote, build stadium downtown
UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 8, 2018
Despite an overwhelming verdict, the Spokane Public Schools board should ignore the results of Tuesday's advisory vote on the location of a new football stadium and build it downtown anyway.
The stadium is part of a $495 million bond to build three new middle schools which passed easily on Tuesday, by a similar margin to the advisory vote. So it's going to get built.
But the advisory vote – which is nonbinding – signaled that voters preferred to keep the new stadium on the site of crumbling Joe Albi Stadium in remote northwest Spokane.
That thinking is misinformed and misguided – and should be summarily dismissed when it comes time to break ground.
With the Mead School District approving a new stadium earlier this year, Mead and Mt. Spokane will no longer have to schedule games at Albi.
That leaves Shadle Park, North Central, Rogers, Lewis and Clark and Ferris as primary tenants in the new stadium. If you take Mead district schools out of the equation, building on the Albi site primarily benefits one school – Shadle Park.
The downtown location is much more centrally located to all, including schools in the Valley that have their own stadiums but would have to play "road games" at the new joint as they do at Albi.
It's a shame to look at pictures of sparsely attended games at Albi because folks don't want to fight to get out there, the biggest complaint about Albi.
What's to say that fans will come to a new stadium at the Albi site?
Remember the phrase, "Build it and they will come?" What if they won't?
"Downtown makes the most sense," said Herb Rotchford, Greater Spokane League/District 8 Director and a member of the Spokane Sports Commission.
"An advisory vote is just that," he said. "It is predicated on a full understanding and knowledge of what's being voted on.
"I don't think we did a thorough enough job of marketing the project and providing enough descriptive information for voters to make an informed decision."
The "we" he referred to was the school board, sports commission and city – all of which prefer the stadium downtown.
The city has precedent in ignoring this type of referendum. In 1971, a bond clearing the way for Expo '74 was denied by voters before the city council approved a "business and occupation tax" on its own to allocate funds for the project.
There has been a lot of confusion surrounding the new stadium –where it would go, what the bond would provide and what problems, if any, would be caused.
Let's get the first thing straight: Parking unequivocally wouldn't be a problem at a downtown stadium. They wouldn't have to build a garage. High school football fans wouldn't have to pay for parking at games.
There's plenty of parking at the Spokane Arena and in the immediate area. Any conflicts with the Chiefs or other events at the Arena would be minimal.
It's just a nonissue.
A downtown football stadium – perfectly situated adjacent to the Arena and the recently approved indoor sportsplex – would complete a "sports district" within walking distance to the attractions on the south side of the river.
"We've got to quit acting like the river is where the city stops," Rick Romero, who heads special projects for the city, said to The Spokesman-Review last month.
Next, the project wouldn't be an eyesore, another issue cited. The new stadium is slated to host 5,000 spectators – not 30,000, which was the original capacity for Albi.
So while the term "stadium" has been attached to the project, the actual venue won't look much different than facilities already in place at Gonzaga Prep, Central Valley or University.
Think Whitworth's Pine Bowl – rather than Martin Stadium at Washington State.
Lastly, if the stadium is built downtown, that would allow for the building of one of the three new middle schools plus six new playing fields for Merkel Complex on the Albi site, which would allow for that venue to attract regional- and state-level events in all sorts of competitions.
If the stadium is rebuilt at Albi, that forces the middle school to be jammed into the south parking lot at Albi and nixes plans for the extra playing fields, which would preclude Merkel from hosting the more prominent events.
The board can delay the decision for a year without impacting the schedule, according to a source familiar with details.
If that means getting past the next election cycle so that school board members aren't risking their political necks, so be it.
The stadium needs to go downtown. Period. We shouldn't let a misinformed advisory vote impact a project that would positively affect the city and benefit the youth sporting community for the next 30 years.
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