text:
At least the fighting and bloodshed was over, he reasoned. But he was wrong.
First the strutting Taliban gunmen demanded 100,000 rupees (£800) a month from his family's dried fruit business. Then when they had drained it of cash they decided to make a bloody example of his two young uncles who could no longer pay.
"They took Aminullah and Sajjar away to the outskirts of the village and there they beheaded them. Afterwards they threw the bodies in the river," he said in a quiet voice.
"We have run from Swat to this new place. But now the Taliban have nearly caught up with us again."
After leaving Swat, escaping through Buner valley, the family arrived at a village near the town of Swabi, where they rented a house with what was left of their savings.
But then the Taliban invaded Buner, bringing them to within 20 miles of Mr Ali's new home.
Now the Taliban seem poised to spread like a rising tide into the fertile farmlands that lie between them and the capital Islamabad, only about 40 miles away.
Unlike the poor rural border areas where the Taliban have their main strength, the region around Swabi is one of the wealthiest in Pakistan, its rich farmlands irrigated by canals, modern roads with petrol stations every few miles, and a standard of living of which most can only dream.
Mr Ali's eyes filled with tears as he told his story, one which is all too familiar to refugees fleeing the Taliban. His family has suffered not just at their hands, but at the hands of the Pakistani security forces tasked with hunting them down. He lost 11 of his relatives in Swat in an army bombardment, unleashed after a bogus tip-off that Taliban fighters were hiding in their home. Many refugees claim that the army has killed more civilians than the Taliban when it has used heavy firepower.
A few days later another nine members of his extended family died, caught in crossfire while trying to escape fighting. The survivors fled, as more than half a million have in Pakistan, to become refugees in their own land.
Mr Ali has no doubt why his family was singled out by the Taliban. It was not because they were held to have violated some extremist Islamic doctrine, but because they owned a business.
Their Taliban persecutors were drawn from the ranks of the landless and the dispossessed, a mix of young men from Swat, Bunir and more remote valleys and a sprinkling of foreigners who are believed to be Afghans and Uzbeks. Some Talibs want to impose the extreme religious vision they have grown up hearing about in madrassas, the strict religious schools where only the Koran is taught. But many simply want to seize a once-in-a-lifetime chance to enrich themselves in the chaos by looting and extortion. Both types seem to enjoy taking revenge on the businessmen and landowners whom they have always resented.
The Taliban's propaganda makes much of their claim that they are enforcing Islamic laws by taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor. In the north of Swat, landowners have been chased out and their cherry orchards handed over to villagers. Elsewhere, the better off pay a "tax" that resembles a protection racket.
To families like Mr Ali's, which have suffered the brunt of the Taliban, what they are doing looks like a vicious form of class warfare with a bogus religious sanction.
Many of the poor feel the same. A labourer harvesting wheat for 200 rupees (£1.70) per day spat when the Taliban were mentioned. "They just give us bullets," he said.
But for others in Pakistan's impoverished countryside, much of it run like great, semi-feudal estates where the peasantry have always been ground down by absentee landlords, the Taliban are seen as heroes who are coming to relieve their suffering.
One day last month, 14 of them arrived in two vehicles at Mr Ali's new village and took over the mosque for a day to broadcast a message of jihad over the loudspeakers. They didn't seem to care that the area is supposed to be under firm government control.
"I like the Taliban. When they come, peace comes," murmured a 15-year-old boy called Anwar who was working in the same teahouse where Mr Ali related his suffering.
"The Taliban come and tell the ladies that they must not wear Western clothes. They bring true Islam. They share money with those of us who don't have it."
Given the alarming collapse in the Pakistan government's ability to defend its territory from ragbag tribal fighters, he may not have to wait much longer for the new order that he thinks the Taliban will bring.
From the teahouse, The Sunday Telegraph risked a drive through the lush fields of tobacco, sugar cane and wheat to Rustam, the last town held by Pakistani government forces. A few hundred metres up the road from the final checkpoint, at the base of an arid range of mountains, was Buner – and the Taliban enemy.
These black-turbaned fighters have struck real fear into the politicians of Islamabad and their American backers – who have repeatedly warned in the last month that Pakistan faces grave danger from Islamic militants.
That immediate prospect may have receded this weekend, with the Pakistan Army finally galvanised into action by critical Americans into launching Operation Black Thunder to drive the Taliban back.
But there has been no disguising that advances by a few hundred lightly-armed fighters in the last month have humiliated a government whose credibility looks increasingly fragile. Incredulous Pakistanis have asked how their powerful army cannot defeat such a rabble, and why their government seems so paralysed.
Talk of the Taliban taking over Pakistan once seemed fantastical. Now it is genuinely frightening.
Yet it was only when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton castigated the weak government of President Asif Zardari that any action was taken. Many Pakistanis have drawn the conclusion that the army – much of which is bearded and deeply religious – sympathises with their enemy, or at least is unwilling to fight fellow Muslims in what many regard as "America's war".
The stakes are high for Britain in this conflict. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, warned on a visit to the region last week that the mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan are a "crucible of terrorism".
A few days after the warnings from Western allies the army finally started using effective force against the Taliban, with jets and artillery pounding their positions and helicopter gunships launching strikes on Thursday.
A convoy of tanks on transporters roared up the road from Swabi to Rustam past squalid refugee encampments of patched tents.
The tanks were protected by Frontier Corps soldiers with turbans wrapped around their heads against the fierce sun. They had the alert look of soldiers who were expecting trouble: bristling with guns, eyes scouring the fields intently for signs of ambush.
In Rustam, a fly-blown trading town where the mountains reach a lush plain which runs to the capital Islamabad, all but a handful of shops were padlocked and shuttered.
A patrol of eight police commandos were lounging in the centre of the town, carefully spread out so they did not present a bunched-up target for a suicide bomber. Watching them was a small crowd of the town's men, the ones who had stayed. They were hanging around in the main bazaar to see whether the Army could push the Taliban back.
Some were determined to resist the holy warriors. One such was Mohammed Ashraf, 62, a baker whose shop was still open and who had his Kalashnikov ready in case they broke through.
"Death comes with the Taliban but I am not afraid of death. I will fight them," he said defiantly.
Moments later there was a loud explosion as a Taliban rocket was fired at a Pakistan Air Force helicopter clattering overhead.
The crowd of men scattered for cover but soon reformed.
"That makes about thirty rockets from them today," one man said with a sheepish grin as he returned from his hiding place. "So far they haven't hit anyone in the town." Rustam's population faced a choice between fleeing, and probably losing everything they owned if the Taliban's looters arrived, or staying and perhaps being killed if they attempted to defend their possessions.
Car salesman Hidayat Khan, 45, a burly man with a huge moustache, insisted with a hint of desperation that the army would stop the Taliban from advancing.
His friends in Buner were too afraid of the Taliban to leave their homes, he said.
"There are a lot of terrorists there and nobody is doing any work," he said. "If they see a good car they will simply kill the owner and take it." He scoffed at the Taliban's propaganda that it was taking from the rich to give to the poor as part of a social revolution to promote an Islamic state.
"They are cruel people. They have no kindness," he said.
The Taliban's advance has forced the government to take steps that would have appeared a ludicrous overreaction just a few months ago. In the prosperous town of Haripur, about 10 miles from Islamabad across the Margalla Hills, Pakistani special forces have taken up defensive positions.
Taliban posters were said to have gone up in the town at night, although nobody was sure whether that was just a panicky rumour.
In Islamabad itself, middle class Pakistanis have been waking up to the possibility that wild gunmen from the hills could soon be as much a part of daily life as the suicide bombers whom everyone fears.
As the Taliban has crept closer, radicals in the city have become emboldened: secular schools have become accustomed to shutting down whenever frightening telephone threats are made to their headmasters.
Nobody really expects the Taliban to march into Islamabad any time soon. But since they invaded Buner, the possibility appears real for the first time.
Yet not everyone awaits it with dread. Ibrahim Khan, a taxi driver, scowled as a motorcade forced him from the road.
"These politicians drink the people's blood, they have ruined our Pakistan for years," he said as he waited for the police cars and their VIP occupant to pass.
"The Taliban will get rid of them and perhaps bring justice. Let them come."


text:
Is Robert Lewandowski the best striker in the world?
Is Robert Lewandowski the best striker in the world? Well, to be honest, there is very evidence to suggest otherwise at the moment, the Bayern Munich frontman is on fire.
He has stormed into the headlines last week, because, over the space of three games/eight days, he has scored a staggering ten goals.
To add to this feat, he added another class brace against huge Bundesliga rivals and former club Borussia Dortmund at the weekend, in a game that his side won emphatically 5-1.
Want to become a GMS writer? Sign up now and submit a 250 word test article: http://gms.to/haveyoursay4
Record breaker
This impressive stat was largely due to his record breaking performance against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga just about a fortnight ago.
At 1-0 down, manager Pep Guardiola brought him off the bench at half-time and little did he know that the Polish striker would net five times in nine minutes, including an impressive flying volley to seal his quintuplets of goals.
Seemingly everything that he touched from there onwards in would turn to gold dust, bagging a brace at the weekend against Mainz, added a hat-trick in the Champions League on Tuesday night against Dinamo Zagreb, and was at the double again against Dortmund a few days ago.
Surprise! Or not ...
For those who follow football, the 27-year-old finisher from Warsaw boasts an impressive backlog of goalscoring statistics throughout a somewhat illustrious career.
Lewandowski scored 92 competitive goals in 137 games for Dortmund, and it's no wonder that they catapulted into stardom earlier this decade.
Since signing for Pep Guardiola's side in July 2014, he has scored 38 goals in 49 games, of which this season he has contributed 14 of them and we aren't even a third of the way through the season.
In his domestic career, for the four different clubs he has played for, he has scored 222 goals in 391 games. He scores a goal every 1.76 games, an incredible stat. Equally as good is the fact that for each of his four clubs he has scored over 30 goals during his employ.
Lewandowski was one of Jurgen Klopp's star men as he lead Borussia Dortmund to back-to-back Bundesliga titles from 2010-2012. He has also won the Bundesliga for Munich and missed out on the famous Champions League trophy in 2013 against his current employees at Wembley.
International stage
For his international side Poland, he has scored 29 goals in 70 appearances which for an international striker is an impressive stat considering he is only 27 years of age, going into what is considered by many to be the peak of a professional's career.
The Home nations' hopes of qualification for next year's Euros in France somewhat lay on his shoulders as both Scotland and the Republic of Ireland face off against Poland in their bid to secure the second automatic qualification spot behind group leaders and world champions Germany.
So who compares?
How does the Munich frontman compare to the competition? And let's for one second exclude the ungodly and inhumane statistics of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the latter of whom surpassed 500 career goals on Wednesday night in Real Madrid's Champions League victory at Malmo.
Right now, in terms of out and out strikers, his competition would include Karim Benzema, Luis Suarez and premier league duo Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero, despite the two both struggling for form this season.
Karim Benzema:
Karim Benzema is without doubt one of the best strikers in world football. And in all honesty, playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and the world's most expensive player Gareth Bale, he is somewhat overlooked.
The French striker is deadly in front of goal, and ever since his Lyon days, he has provided ample contribution to the side he plays for, with copious amounts of goals.
Benzema boasts a tally of 150 club goals in 325 appearances, which is an impressive ratio of a goal virtually every couple of games (2.17 games).
Arguably, playing in La Liga it is 'easier' to score goals and thrashings are far more common, but needless to say goals need to be scored and Benzema repeatedly serves up goals, just like he did in the Madrid derby at the weekend, netting goal number six of the campaign.
Internationally for France, the Muslim born striker has scored 25 goals during his 77 caps, which is not quite as good as Lewandowski.
Rank: 3rd
Luis Suarez:
Luis Suarez is a well-known name around the world for many reasons, not merely his footballing skills, but his gamesman like tactics behind the officials back.
The former Liverpool man now plies his trade in Catalonia and provided an even more deadly edge to their attack, in the trio of Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr.
In his career, the Uruguayan finisher has an extremely impressive haul. He has netted 189 times in domestic football, in 308 appearances, which averages out at an outstanding one goal every 1.63 games.
For his country, Suarez has scored 43 goals in 82 games which is more than a goal every two games, which is in fact better than the Poland striker.
Playing in the front three at Barcelona will surely help him add more and more goals to his tally, and he will undoubtedly go down as one of the best ever.
Rank: 2nd
Diego Costa:
The current Spain and Chelsea forward burst onto the scene a couple of years ago, enjoying a couple of prolific seasons in La Liga with Atletico Madrid before switching the Spanish capital for the English capital when he joined Chelsea in 2014.
The aggressive striker was immediately loved by the west London faithful and netted 21 times in 32 games in a debut season that also contained a recurrent thigh injury.
In his career, Costa has played for a number of different clubs and has scored a total of 109 competitive club goals in 260 games, averaging a goal every 2.39 games.
Despite struggling to find his feet in his second season for the blues, when he returns domestically from his three-match ban for violent conduct, there is little doubt that he will light up the Premier League once more.
Rank: 5th
Sergio Aguero:
We all know Sergio Aguero for providing English football fans with one of the greatest moments in footballing history, netting a last minute goal against QPR to seal City's first ever Premier League trophy. And, of course, we all remember the famous 'AGUEEEEERROOOOOO!!!!'.
The Argentinian has had the chance to play alongside the best talent for club and country, including the likes of David Silva, Yaya Toure, David Villa and of course Lionel Messi.
In his club career, he's scored 176 goals in 356 games which is around a goal every two games, equally as impressive as his competitors.
Internationally, he has scored 32 goals for his 68 caps and has a similar goals to games ratio as his club career.
He has struggled with injury at different stages in his career and is currently trying to regain his deadly form, however, he looks to have kick-started his season with his performance at the weekend against struggling Newcastle United.
The Argentine followed in the steps of Lewandowski by netting five times in a destructive 6-1 City win, and did so in the space of 20 minutes, albeit either side of the interval.
If he can continue such a vein of form, then he will justify his manager Manuel Pellegrini's comparison to the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.
Rank: 4th
Simply the best
All in all, there is no doubting the class of these five excellent players, but his current form, on top of his rise to prominence over the last five years, have catapulted Robert Lewandowski into the spotlight.
It's safe to say that he is now the best striker in the world, and the Pole will be looking to add to his tally this week in the penultimate and ultimate European Qualifiers against Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.News Now - Sport News

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Office on the road
If you are a digital nomad or just traveling a lot, you will know these situations: How to edit photos on your office computer, with no Photoshop installed? How to merge your application into one PDF in a Peruvian internet café? When traveling without my notebook, I use cloud based programs (mostly for free) and without downloading. Here is a selection for everyday use.


text:
This content was submitted by André Thouin
Learn how to present a good sales pitch for a presentation to a Foundation, University Alma Mater Fund or large-scale Charity organizations.
OUM presents an organized, yet flexible, approach. Its defined, operational framework helps anticipate critical project needs and dependencies throughout your software development and implementation project.
Fujitsu Seulement


text:
Group Alert
The UMS Group Alert solution is a platform suitable for enterprises and emergency response teams to manage critical and non-critical communication to a closed group of people. The solution uses a multi-channel approach to ensure efficiency in enterprises and emergency response teams in assembling and deploying staff during events.
The solution accommodates one and two-way communication intended for both planned and unplanned incidents. It is a solution that can be deployed by first responders and emergency preparedness organisations, as well as enterprises and organisations from any industry to initiate critical and non-critical communication. In the event of a disaster, the impact may be significantly reduced if emergency responders have access to updated status information about the incident. The vast capacity of UMS Group Alerting ensures that all recipients are informed instantly and simultaneously.
This is a rapid and secure solution that allows groups to be reached in an effective and standardised way. The main alert channels utilised include Voice Call, Text Message (SMS), Tetra (SDS), E-mail and Social Media, with other relevant channels also available.
Covers communication needs for any organization
UMS Group Alerting facilitates the creation of multiple groups based on organisational needs to receive specific instructions and notifications. The system administrator can create an unlimited number of users and groups and organise them in a hierarchy to facilitate the usage of the system. The solution comes with an in-built conferencing feature to serve as a single platform for all communication needs for any organisation. Privacy is always secured so that each group has access to their data only. The system is robust enough to handle any number of users who log in simultaneously.
Group Alert supports multiple languages
The system works through web interfaces and mobile applications. The system comes equipped with a phonebook that can store multiple contact information for each person. No configuration or installation is required by end users. By using predefined templates and scenarios, several groups will be notified with just a few clicks. This enables effective rescue operations in emergency situations.
Secure messaging application
The need for alert solutions and interaction platforms that ensure secure communication is growing rapidly. Through our partnership with Teleplan Globe, UMS - an Everbridge Company, now offers a dedicated secure messaging application for smartphones as an optional module for existing channels.
The new application is integrated into the existing group alert solution, but can also be used one-to-one (group) internally within the organization as an alternative to SMS or other unsafe third party solutions.


text:
Pharma R&D Today
Ideas and Insight supporting all stages of Drug Discovery & Development
Making the Promise of Immunotherapeutics into Reality
Posted on August 2nd, 2017 by Patricia Morgan in Chemistry
This is an exciting and hopeful time for cancer research, as new therapies and approaches are being explored that offer an alternative to standard chemotherapy, which can be effective but often carries a number of harsh side effects. In particular, immunotherapeutics are changing the way we view cancer treatment, but their potential actually goes beyond oncology. The first cancer vaccine, Coley's toxin, was developed over 100 years ago.
However, a new era of research interest started to unfold in the 1980's, usher in a renewed interest in immune therapies. The technologies being developed to address cancers will also likely be applicable to a variety of other disease areas, including neurodegenerative, infectious and autoimmune diseases.
Today, physicians have many different types of immunotherapeutics available such as anti-tumor antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell transfer, co-stimulatory agonists, vaccines, antibody-drug conjugates, oncolytic viruses and angiogenesis blockers. While the mechanisms differ, what all immune therapies have in common is that they use the patient's own immune system to boost the anti-cancer response.
However, despite the promise of immunotherapeutics, there are significant obstacles getting in the way of these therapeutic agents being adopted on a large scale. Researchers still have much to learn, and better tools are needed to help facilitate the development of safe therapies.
The success of immunotherapy research will continue to rely on ever-expanding data on cancer and immune signaling pathways, as well as innovations that lead to the understanding of the interactions between these pathways.
The white paper "The Era of Immunotherapeutics: Overcoming the challenges to fulfill the potential" discusses the challenges associated with immunotherapeutics in detail, from target selection to adverse events, as well as advances in immune therapies.
All opinions shared in this post are the author's own.
R&D Solutions for Pharma & Life SciencesWe're happy to discuss your needs and show you how Elsevier's Solution can help.
Contact Sales
Patricia Morgan
Product Marketing Manager
Connect on LinkedIn
Related posts
- Dr. Anton Yuryev discusses pathways and precision medicine at PMWC
- Compound Discovery May Spur Therapies for Autoimmune Conditions
- Seeking Other Perspectives to Tease Out New Innovations
- Myelo Therapeutics Takes on Unmet Needs in Cancer
- Selecting Anti-Melanoma Drug Targets


text:
The telco claims to be the first operator in India to deploy Vectorization technology, which turbo charges the last mile copper with advanced noise elimination technology.
Customers only need to upgrade their modem to a 'V-Fiber' modem to access high speeds at no extra monthly cost. The company will also refund the activation charges if the customers are not happy with the service.
The V-Fiber plans are starting from Rs 999 with 3 month unlimited offer for new customers.
Airtel has also voice calling free for all broadband customers, allowing customers to make unlimited free voice calls to any network across the country at no extra cost.
"We are delighted to bring 'V-Fiber' to our customers in Ahmedabad, as part of our endeavour to deliver best-in-class broadband experience to users. With 'V-Fiber', we are all set to offer an altogether transformed experience on our future ready network to the digitally savvy homes," said Murthy Chaganti, CEO - Gujarat, Bharti Airtel.
"This solution offers a very quick and convenient upgrade to the customer. Our innovative myHome Rewards program and free voice calling facility will certainly add to the delight of Ahmedabad's Digital Homes," he added.
Airtel V-Fiber deployment is a part of Airtel's Project Leap. The telco is also augmenting its 550,000 Kms of domestic and international fiber/submarine cable capacity in order to drive down latency, and increasing caching of content at its data centres to improve data experience.


text:
Oliver loves the snow !
Thought tonight that I have not blogged for a day or two but feeling tired so would leave it tonight & do one tomorrow but checked my emails & there they were photos of Oliver from Madeleine & thought how wonderful I am going to have to share these lovely photos of Oliver enjoying the snow. Oliver is Smudges brother & Millie is their mother. Oliver looks like he is growing into a robust, athletic & very handsome Cavalier. Thanks Madeliene for these photos they really brought a smile to my face.
We have had it very cold but only a few flurries of snow so have not been able to get any photos yet of are dogs frolicking in the snow, it is always fun to see dogs running around in the snow as they seem to really enjoy it especially when it is their first time seeing it.
Lucy is well & is now coming upto 8 weeks pregnant so any time from Tuesday we will expect the patter of tiny paws. Lucy is very big now & is sleeping lots which also means lots of snoring. She snored a bit before she was pregnant but in the last week she has taken it to a new level & I would think that she is snoring much more due to all the pressure inside on her lungs etc from her pups but it is funny to listen to.
Click on photos below to see full size.
Mum home ! Lucy over 7 weeks pregnant !
My Mum came home yesterday from hospital & has reacted well to her new medication for her heart so for the moment Mum is looking at the positive.
Lucy is now just over 7 weeks pregnant & is looking big. Lucy has just started looking for somewhere to have her pups & can be found under a bed digging vigourously. She is looking really well & her milk bars have really come down now & she looks like she should not have to much problems feeding as she has good teats & is long so making her have more room for her pups to feed easily. Have set up whelping box now & Lucy sleeps in it at night now away from the rest of the dogs, normally she would not like this but now is happy to have her own space to herself in preparation for her to become a Mum.
Got some lovely photos of my husband David asleep with the dogs. David is 40 on Friday & we will also of been married 11 years. A little tip for people getting married if you want your partner to remember your wedding annivisary get married on their birthday ! lol.
Click on photos below to see full size.
Thanks everyone for the kind words & best wishes for my Mum, she is not out of hospital yet but is responding well to new medication so hopefully soon she can come home once they are sure that she is improving.
Lucy is now over 6 weeks pregnant & has started to develop her milk bars today, that is her milk starting to come in ready for her pups. She has just over 2 weeks to go from her first mating so she has slowed up a lot now & is starting to look a bit uncomfortable & prefers to lie on the floor now than on my lap. Having to watch her weight a bit as Lucy does like her food & it would not help her to get to fat now has this can cause problems when giving birth. She is looking very good in her coat & is doing all the right things now it is just a waiting game.
Primrose who is 14 weeks old & is Ysabels girl we kept is such an out going character & has forged a real friendship with Smudge who is Millies girl who we kept, she is now 6 months old. Also Primrose has a lovely relationship with her Mum & thay play so much together & it is like Ysabel being a pup again as ysabel is now 3 years old.
Smudge also has a strong bond with her Mum Millie & now at 6 months can still be found snuggled up with Mum fast asleep.
Click on photos below to see full size.
Have not blogged for a day or two as Mum was admitted to hospital early Sunday morning & has had a heart attack. We know she has a problem with her heart & she has had her medication changed & she has to see now if this new medication can help as due to other health problems my Mum is not suitable for surgery thus medication is her only choice. So if my blogging is not so often in the next couple weeks you will know the reason why.
The dogs though have been fun the last few days with Smudge & Primrose very much paired up as the dastardly duo & you will see in the photos what they have been upto. If it is not wrecking the toilet roll it will be jumping in the dishwasher or nicking laundry & chewing up my kids clothes or rugby boots. What fun it is to have pups in the home. The trouble is with their cute butter would not melt in their mouths looks it is hard to be angry with either of them.
Lucy is looking really well & is around the 6 weeks pregnant stage. She is chosing now to lie away from the others for comfort so she can stretch right out & seems to like the ceramic floor of the kitchen as cool on her expanding tummy.
All the rest of the pack are looking well & are like me getting fed up with are very funny weather which seems rain then frost but today has been not so bad as it did not rain but was a very cold damp feeling day. Forecast is more rain which does not make you feel to enthusiastic to jump out of bed in the morning but does make it nice when your snuggled up with the dogs beside the wood burner in the evening.
Click on photos below to see full size.
WET, wet & wet ! Lucy getting big !
Sorry to go on about the weather but one day its frosty with lovely bright sunshine then the last two days its been wet & basically yuk ! The dogs really do not like the wet until they have got out in it & once wet they are happy to get on with their walks but when we come back thats when its not so good as it takes alot of towels to rub down are dogs.
My children do not seem to care or notice the rain but I notice the trails of water , mud, coats & wellies strewn around the utility or back house, so it does make quite a uphill struggle when it is so wet outside. Takes alot of energy to keep telling your children to put their wellies back & hang up your coat but I think it is paying of slowly all the nagging that I do. Dogs are far easier to train than children but would not be with out the the rascals & you get back what you put in & my oldest two boys now even if I say so myself are turning into very nice young men whos company & conversations I really enjoy they are 10 & 9 years old.
Took Charlie back to the vets today to check the wart like thing on his eye. I have been putting antibiotic ointment in his eye now for about 10 days & it has amazingly shrunk down that you can only just see it but on examination by the vet she can still see 2 small veins supplying it & what we think is that when he injured it a while ago as it healed some foreign cells have now grown causing this growth so I am keeping on with the eye ointment & it will be reassesed by the vet again in a fortnight & if it is not completely gone then Charlie will be seeing the eye specialist.
Lucy who is now around 35 days pregnant is starting to get quite big & is already showing discomfort after eating so will be splitting her meal now to twice a day .
Click on photos below to see full size.
Rain, Fireworks, Rugby & who's top dog
Weather has been a bit damp the last few days which is never good when you have hairy dogs as the other evening with rain hammering down & me outside the back door dressed in waterproofs enthusastically calling for them to come out of the house for a walk they all gave me a look of " are you mad woman ". Did get them out eventually though but you know it is not good weather when even your dogs do not want to go out in it. We go through loads of towels this weather as you really do not want aload of wet Cavaliers rampaging through your home, luckily all are flooring is either wood or ceramic which is a real help in the war against dog hair & accidents.
Managed to load all the children up with husband & go to the bonfire & firework display at Torrington Rugby Club we did all get abit wet & cold but the overall feeling was that the children enjoyed it & the youngest was awe struck watching it as it was her first firework display & she is 20 months old now. Then on Sunday the two oldest boys were both playing for Barnstaple at Bideford Rugby Club so up early to do the dogs & although abit cold but at least the rain stayed away & I had a morning watching under 9s & under 11s rugby which I quite enjoyed.
Yesterday though it rained most of the day & the temperatrure has decided to drop so there is a chill to the rain now which seems to go to the bone. The dogs were happy for a short sharp exercise & Pupster really enjoys the rub down when he comes in with his funny old growling he does whether he likes it or not. Pupster has established himself now firmly has top dog since Smidge tragically left us back in the summer ( see "In Loving Memory" page ). Notice in the photo below how he is positioned above Millie & Smidge this is not just chance just like Smidge he now positions himself when resting in a look out or dominant position. It is quite interesting to see him develop within the pack as when you lose a high ranking member of a dog group it can unsettle the balance slightly but if you are a strong human leader & you have a dog pack member who can quickly come up & take over from the the dog that is gone things stay settled. My husband works for someone on a Dairy Farm who keeps working collies & working spaniels. A while ago their old dog died who was the one who kept order but after his death two of the dogs have kept fighting which did not happen when the old dog was alive & now because they seem not to be able to sort out a pecking order they have had to take one away from the farm to live with the owners father. This just shows how within a domestic dog pack that losing a dominant member who keeps order can unsettle the rest of the pack if another dog can not establish order quickly after the other dog goes. A top dog can be very subtle in how they exert their athourity with just a glance or stance they can convey their leadership.
Lastly Lucy is really blooming & is now around 35 days in pup, she is already obviously showing & is sleeping loads & I am having to be careful that she does not put onto much weight as she is abit of a pig & could easily get abit portly which would not be good for her when giving birth.
Click on photos below to see full size.
Amy updates us on Florrie
Amy sent me thse lovely photos of Florrie today & that brightened the cold overcast day up. Florries Mum is Bonnie & Dad is Charlie. Florrie has inherited her Mum & Dads confident temperment & charm as Amy says that she happily greets anyone or dog regardless of size with tail wagging & with those looks who could resist. She is the double of her Mum & Amy says that they could not imagen their family without her now. That is probably the most loveliest thing to hear, when the pups you have bred go off into the world naturally you worry & when you hear that they have become a valued member of their new family you feel you have done them justice. Thanks Amy & family for your great update for Florrie & will look forward to seeing & hearing from you in the future.
Today has seemed a long one as have not really stopped until now to type this. Have been to the vets this evening to scan the two girls Lucy & Cleo to hopefully confirm whether they are in pups.
Lucy has been confirmed in pups carrying at least 5 to 6 pups. It still amazes me when you see a scan of a feotus what ever species & to see Lucys little pups wriggling around was so wonderful. Three of my children came to watch & they where also amazed to see the little pups inside Lucy & the vet could actually measure the length of one as 2.3 cm which is a good size at 28 days, so we think Lucy may have taken from her first mating which would make her around 32 days in pup. At this stage a couple days makes alot of difference. I was actually getting pretty sure she was in pups even at this early stage so will be hoping for arrival of these pups around the first to second week in December.
Although dogs are very fertile creatures it is not unusal for a dog not to concieve & there can be many reasons why, the bitch may of been mated to early or to late, the dog may just not be compatable with the bitch or it can be a hormone problem & the bitch or dog may simply be infertile. A bitch not taking on her first time would not really be to much of a concern but if you try a couple more times with no luck & changing the stud dog it may be a hormone fertility problem so it may be wise to have the bitch sterilised as she may be more prone to problems that can occur within the womb like pyometra which is a very serious womb infection or cancer of the womb or fallopian tubes.
Its Bonfire night tonight but for us living rurally we do not have problems with fireworks & are dogs but tonight in Devon I think Bonfire night will be a very damp afair we hope tomorrow is better as we are taking all the children to Torrington Rugby Club at 7pm for their display done by the Torrington Cavaliers who do alot of fund raising for local charities & is usually a very good firework display & has alovely family atmosphere. It will be are youngests first firework display & so far all are children at a young age have loved & watched their first firework display with that wonderful look children have when they see something for the first time & are astonished by it. Fingers crossed for a dry day tomorrow.
Scanning tomorrow ! Unseasonally warm !
Tomorrow this time I will know if Lucy is in pups as she will be going to the vets to be scanned at 28 days since last mating. I am pretty sure that Lucy is in pups & I will be shocked & disappointed if told otherwise. With Lucy it is more to know roughly how many pups she is carrying due to alot of interest in this litter & not wanting to hold people on & disappoint them. As it is an exciting time waiting for your little bundle especially when you are with us from the conception & it is always a hard phone call to tell someone when the pups are born that they can not have their little bundle.
Had a visit from Pippa & holly this evening & got a lovely photo of Pippa & Lucy together & you could almost think they are sisters but their not. Pippa though is half sister to Charlie are stud dog they have the same father.
Holly & Pippa live with my Mum in the annexe which joins are bungalow. I look after both & walk them for my Mum as she is not so mobile & in return they give comfort & company to my Mum but the visit across the patio this evening is a sign of how mild it is for the time of year as my Mum has had her doors wide open & we have had are doors wide open out onto the patio because it is so warm so all the dogs have been going from annexe to bungalow playing & sleeping. Doors are shut now as I write this & Cavaliers are snuggling up in their beds & settling down for the night now.
Click on photos below to see some photos of the pack taken today.
Charlie & Dolly doing fine after dental. Charlie nearly 5 & in good heart. Millie & Smudge go AWOL
Charlie & Dolly are fine today after their dental treatment yesterday. Modern anaesthetics are quite amazing & recovery is so much quicker from them. Years ago the aneasthetic could take a day or two to get over but most dogs these days would be around & consious in a couple of hours after surgery.
Charlie scratched his eye bad a couple of months ago & it seemed to be getting better & then I noticed a small lump appearing where the injury on his eye had been. Yesterday whilst under aneasthetic for his teeth was a chance for the vet to have a good look at this lump & it looks like it is a small wart like thing so Charlie will be seeing the eye specialist at the end of the month to check it out further, as it does not seem to cause him any discomfort or noticeable problems with his sight but is abit of a worry if it is growing still & might effect his eye sight. Charlie is also fastly approaching 5 years old in January & yesterday by listening with a stethescope he has no sound of a heart murmer but it is recommended at 5 years to have their heart scanned & examined by a cardiologist so he will have this done in the New Year so this will be a nerve wrecking test to have done as it is really putting your head on the block but unless we do these tests & compile medical data from as many Cavaliers as possible it will be hard to improve health noticeably in them. Hopefully if Charlie has no signs of heart disease in the Mitral Valve he will then go on the list for Cavaliers over 5 years with clear hearts so then anyone with him in their Cavalier breeding will be able to look him up & know that his line has a lesser chance of early onset of Mitral Valve Regurgatation or Heart Murmer so hopefully helping future Cavaliers bred to stand a chance of better health.
Had some fun this afternoon. Just given the dogs their last run of the day & started to mess about chasing my two oldest boys about to suddenly realise Millie & Smudge seemed to of disappeared. We live very rurally & have lots of lovely woodland areas for the dogs to disappear into. So as soon as I noticed luckily my Mum lives in the annexe so she kept an eye on my younger children whilst myself & my second son & child came with me to find them. I must say I could of done without the extra exercise but actually I have to say I enjoyed going in hot pursuit of my two renegade girls. Alfie & me soon found them, as after tracking my dogs in this area for years I tend to know which way they go & just hope they have to stop & check ( when a dog stops on a scent when it goes weak) so I get a chance to catch up & they can hear me call. They greeted us with great excitement thinking that we where all going on a night hunt but I am afraid I had to return to feed the troops. I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of this world & to look down the Taw Valley at dusk with the soft hoot of an owl & the eery call of a vixen ( a female fox ) is truly priceless. Thankyou Millie & Smudge for making me see the wood for the trees.
Tinkerbell & family say "Hello"
Always a lovely surprise when you turn on the computer & go to emails & see recieving emails in the corner & then an offer from Amazon comes up but then you see 2 on your inbox & you scroll down to see the email address of someone who has one of your pups & then you notice the attachment symbol so you click on & there is Tinkerbell.
Tinkerbell is from Dolly's recent litter of 7 Cavapoo pups & she is abit special because she was so small born but never needed any help from us & is a little fluffy star. Rachel, Darren & family sent me the lovely photos today of Tinkerbell below & they said that she basically loves everyone & everything. This is their first family dog so they are in a learning phase & I have apoligised to them about not warning them how long it would take to walk anywhere when you have a pup as cute & friendly as a Cavapoo. Rachel has also asked for tips on housetraining. You should give lots of praise when the pup goes in the right place & making sure that you put them out when they wake up & at least every couple of hours. It is said that a pup can not really hold its self until around 9 months old, so it is making sure you are also consistent & like a small baby routine will help. Do not get very upset when they have an accident as this will only make a puppy timid & possible secretive when it has its next accident. Some pups are very quick to get in a routine but some take a little longer but the penny will drop eventually if you keep being consistent & give lots of love & encouragement.
As you can see below that Tinkerbell has made sleeping partners of the children & cats. Thanks for the up date Rachel. The children & I really enjoyed these photos & we will be eagerly waiting to see & hear how Tinkerbell is getting on in the future.
Ysabel's little girl Primrose who we kept back from Ysabel's litter of all girls is nearly 11 weeks old now & had her second vaccination this morning at the vets as I also dropped Dolly & Charlie of to have a dental done today. Dolly & Charlie we aquired as adult dogs both of them had plaque on their teeth at an early age & today I took them in to be put under sedation to have this plaque build up removed.
Dogs teeth can be helped to be kept clean by brushing them just like a human but lots of dogs do not like this process, so ways to minimilise plaque build up is to make sure your dog eats a good healthy diet trying not to allow them to eat sugarey treats such as biscuits & food from your plate or in my case my childrens plates & to allow access to things to chew on like raw hide chews & butcher bone, also there are lots of chew bars & bone that can be found in your local pet store or supermarket.
If your dog gets alot of plaque still get it removed by your vet as a very big build up will end up with your dog with rotten teeth, gum disease & even worse liver or kidney damage because the muck coming away from really bad teeth will end up in their stomach with the body struggling to process it through its system & then slowly posioning them.
Got a sleepy photo of Smudge below she is nearly 6 months old now & is such a lovely girl & is best mates with Primrose who she plays so gently with. Smudge gave us a scare a while ago when she had a week of having seizures but after blood tests etc we still did not know what was causing them so the next thing would of been a MRI scan but we decided to give her time & she has been 2 months now without a seizure & is on no medication. We think now that maybe she had a blow to the head which may of caused a slight bleed & her body has been able to repair with hopefully no lasting effects. So fingers crossed every day she goes without a seizure is another day into the clear.
Bobby is now 9 months old & is a very pretty handsome young man who has really started to notice the girls & has now mastered cocking his leg with out nearly tipping over.
Took some pretty photo's last night of Ysabel & Primrose together. Primrose is crated at the moment & Mum happily sleeps with her & still lets her have a little suckle at nearly 11 weeks old. Around 14-16 weeks we stop using the crate & a pup is strong enough & confident enough to sleep with the rest of the pack in the dog beds in the kitchen & utility. Crates are good if used properly. To shut a dog or pup in a crate all day or for very long periods in the day is cruel & all you will end up with is a very timid or aggresive dog who will lack social skills. We use a crate for pups from around 4-6 weeks of age until around 14-16 weeks for their safety & as a tool to teaching house training. Primrose & Ysabel are only shut in the crate last thing at night when it is sleep time, otherwise in the day they can go in & out at their free will & when Primrose & Ysabel want to sleep the crate is were they go through choice because they see it as their den.
Put a couple photos of Pupster in giving me a funny look & then falling back to sleep. He is 6 & due to losing his mate Smidge who was 13 earlier this year he is are oldest dog here & is a lovely old grumpy thing. He has been castrated so is a pure pet & he is an old growler. He has a funny old growly thing he does whether he is happy or grumpy. Got to love him though as he also is a real hunter & is brilliant at locating & digging up moles on are lawn & will dig out & dispose of rats like a Jack Russell.
Will have to go & pick up Dolly & Charlie now as vet has just rung & they are ready to come home. Have booked Lucy & Cleo in for Friday for their scan to see whether they are both pregnant so will be keeping fingers crossed for Friday.
Please click on photos to see full size.
"The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you,but he will make a fool of himself, too."
― Samuel Butler
Me (Jane) with Puddin' and Teagol, waiting patiently to flush a patch of kale, December 2019
Hello, I am Jane!
January 2020


text:
Ok kids, I now present to you the world famous…BURT REYNOLDS…again!
Here he is in all his glorified glorehh! You like his new bars? Those are the On-One Midge bar. I think I bought the last one since I checked this morning, they were out of stock.
This bar tape you see, it's the On-One Micro Fiber Bar Tape. Easy to install, comfy on the hands, legit on the looks. The tape it self makes the bike look uber-fierce.
I say that it's almost done because I'm having chain skipping issues. Could be the chain I'm using because the line is perfect. Basically what happens is when its on the stand, it works fine. But as soon as I put pressure on the pedals, it skips.


text:
Privacy policy
This privacy policy sets out how the Alpha Plus Group uses and protects any information that you give the Alpha Plus Group when you use this website.
You can download the full Privacy Policy here.
The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) includes rules on giving privacy information to those whose data is held (data subjects) by an organisation (the data controller). These rules are more detailed and specific than in the DPA and place an emphasis on making privacy notices understandable and accessible. Data controllers are expected to take 'appropriate measures' to ensure that this is the case.
The Alpha Plus Group Limited (company number: 438111), as the data controller, interprets this as using very clear language to outline each of the responsibilities for each of the data subject groups.
The purpose of this policy is to inform on how the schools and colleges that are part of the Alpha Plus Group collect and use personal data on pupils. This notice will also inform which third parties the school or college may share your personal data with.
The registered office of Alpha Plus Group is 50 Queen Anne Street, London, W1G 8HJ. The Group's Data Protection Officer can be contacted at this address, by telephoning 020 7487 6000 or by emailing email@example.com.
The Alpha Plus Group is the data controller for all schools and colleges within the Group and will only process your personal data in accordance with this privacy policy notice and in accordance with the current Data Protection legislation (which includes the Data Protection Act 1998 or, from the date it comes into force, the General Data Protection Regulation).
The group takes it duties and responsibilities under the Legislation extremely seriously and will only keep your data for as long as necessary bearing in mind the purposes for which your personal data is collected. Further information on how long we retain data can be found on our Data Retention Policy available from our Data Protection Office at the above address. We are registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) with the registration number Z5215334.
This notice may be updated from time to time to ensure continued compliance with current legislation and to reflect best practice.
The types of personal and sensitive personal data the school or college may process include:
- Name and contact information such as address, email and telephone number of the pupil, parent, guardian and fee payer
- Pupil date and country of birth, ethnicity and country of domicile, passport number or national identity card details and visa status
- Information relating to pupil education history such as previous schools and education institutions, courses completed, dates of study, attendance records and examination results
- Information relating to fees such as banking details, scholarships and bursaries
- Information which may assist with provision for the appropriate medical and pastoral care of the pupil such as any disability, medical, or dietary issues. This may also include information about family or personal circumstances where this is relevant to the assessment of suitability to receive a bursary
- A photograph of the pupil will be kept. This will be for identification purposes only and we will seek consent for any other usage
When you first contact the Group, for example at education fairs and events, by telephoning us or looking at our websites, you may be invited to complete an Enquiry or Application form. This information will be recorded and may be followed up by our Marketing and Admissions departments on order to provide you with further pertinent information or to further your admission process.
Through the course of the admission process personal data is recorded by the group to enable the school or college to care for the pupil and to fulfil its contractual obligations in the delivery of studies. It may also be collected to fulfil legal obligations and /or the regulatory duties that it owes to its regulators and to other third parties.
The primary method the Group uses to collect personal data throughout this time will be from the information contained on the application form and associated documents completed when joining the school or college along with:
- Information provided whilst the pupil is attending the school or college relating to their studies
- Information received from previous places of education (whether part of the Group or not)
- Information generated during the course of studies and time at the school (e.g. attendance, academic achievement, behaviour or safeguarding information)
- Information provided by the Home Office or other third party in relation to status as a home or international pupil
- Information provided by a third party in relation to funding (for example for bursaries or scholarships)
The primary use of the personal data we collect is to support the learning and development of pupils during their time at schools or colleges in the Group, whilst ensuring the wellbeing and safeguarding of the pupils.
We will process personal data because it is necessary for the performance of a contract with you, or prior to admitting pupils, in order to take steps towards entering into a contract with you.
We will use your data in order to:
- Communicate with you before enrolment of a pupil, as part of the admissions process
- Provide suitable provision and services for the pupil following admission
- Deal with any feedback or concerns you may have
- Provide educational services which may not be set out in our Agreement but which are nevertheless a part of our academic and educational mission
- Monitor and evaluate the performance and effectiveness or our school/college
- Carry out research and statistical analysis
- Maintain and improve the academic, corporate, financial, estate and human resource management of the school/college
- Promote equality and diversity
- Seek advice on our rights and obligations, for instance where we require our own legal advice
- Recover monies owed to us
- Fundraising purposes
To comply with our legal obligations we may use your personal data in order to:
- Meet our compliance and regulatory obligations, such as compliance with anti-money laundering laws and safeguarding requirements
- For the prevention and detection of crime
- To assist with investigations, including criminal investigations carried out by the police and other competent authorities
We may also process your personal data where:
- It is necessary for medical purposes (e.g. medical diagnosis, provision of health or social care or treatment, or a contract with a health professional
- It is necessary to protect the vital interests of the pupil or another person
- We have a legitimate business interest to do so
- We have the specific or where required explicit consent of the data subject to do so
Where we believe there is a legitimate interest we may also contact parents or pupils to promote our services (e.g. providing information about events happening in school or college, summer school, new school openings or other events) on matters such as openings on waiting lists at sister schools, opportunities within the Parent Teacher Associations or friends of the school, or for Alumni events and activities. You may request to be excluded from data being processed in this way.
Some of the personal data the Group processes will be "sensitive personal data". This category of personal data will be subject to additional protections. Sensitive personal data is defined as information about racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or similar beliefs, trade union membership, physical or mental health or condition, sexual life, or commission of or proceedings for any offence committed or alleged to have been committed.
This information may be processed for one of the reasons set out above.
Information concerning a pupil's physical or mental health may be disclosed within the Group so that a proper level of care and facilities may be provided. It will only be sent to individuals who need to know this information to provide support.
In addition, sensitive personal data may be collected to meet government requirements, to monitor our equal opportunities policies and to ensure that under-represented groups receive appropriate support. This information may also be collected and retained in anonymised format for statistical purposes.
In processing personal data and/ or sensitive personal data, the school or college may have reason to share personal data and/ or sensitive personal data with a third party. Where this is required the third party will have been assessed to ensure they have appropriate procedures in place to protect the data, and only the data required to fulfil the specific purpose shall be passed.
Some of these circumstances are as follows:
- Disclosures connected with safeguarding and SEN support – e.g. local authorities, educational psychologist or speech therapist
- School nurse (where the school nurse is not direct employed by the group)
- CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service)
- The local authority – as and when required under education legislation
- The Department for Education (DfE) as required under legislation
- Other agencies or organisations when required under regulatory legislation only
- Where a bursary or scholarship has been applied for the funding organisation – such as the Gold Standard Trust
- For international pupils with the Home Office where required
- Catering and boarding suppliers – for example, to ensure that allergies can be taken into account preparing meals
- IT suppliers – to allow the creation of accounts for various IT systems used within the group
- Where we consider there to be a risk to yourself or others we may share limited information both internally and with relevant third parties (for example Ambulance, Police, NHS trusts etc) to ensure appropriate support is available
- Examination boards\assessment centres
- Exit\destination schools
- Where we have your consent we may share data with Marketing service providers for the purpose of creating marketing assets (e.g. brochures, promotional videos)
Sensitive personal data will never be shared outside the Group without the explicit permission of the data subject other than under those conditions specified under Data Protection Law such as to protect the vital interests of the data subject another person, or under law or court order.
On conclusion of studies, the school or college will retain a certain amount of personal and financial data, including some sensitive data, to meet regulatory and legal requirements. We will also keep an archive of information linked to pupil records such as records on achievements at the school or college, to allow us to respond to any future requests you may make for information after leaving. Full details of our Retention Policy can be found on our website.
On leaving the school or college, pupils will become members of the Alumni. Where applicable some personal data from pupil records will be transferred to the Alumni database. This may include items such as contact details, sporting interests, and academic details.
We believe there is a legitimate interest in using this this information is used is to keep you in touch with the school, staff and peers. Where this is not required the data subject can opt out and via the Alumni system can remove data and opt out as required.
You have a number of rights in relation to your data under the data regulation. These are:
- The right of access: You may request a copy of the personal data that we hold on you.
- The right to rectification: You may ask us to correct any information we have about you that you believe is incorrect.
- The right to erasure: You may ask us to delete information that we hold on you. Please note that we cannot delete data required to be kept for our legislative and regulatory compliance.
- The right to restrict processing: You may ask us to not process or limit the use of your data in some instances. Please note that we may not be able to comply with requests that contravene our legal and regulatory obligations.
- The right to data portability: You may ask us to transfer the data to another organisation in format that makes it easy for them to use.
- The right to object: You may object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to any or our particular processing activities where you feel this has a disproportionate impact on your rights.
Please note that the above rights are not absolute and we may be entitled to refuse requests where exceptions apply under existing Data Protection regulations.
Where you have given consent to our processing data and wish to withdraw it please contact the Group's Data Protection Officer. Please note that where our processing of your personal data relies on your consent and where you then withdraw that consent, we may not be able to provide some or all of our services to you and/or it may affect the provision of those services.
The Group will endeavour to be transparent about its processing of your personal data. However, should you have any queries you may address them to the Group's Data Protection Officer.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner (https://ico.org.uk/concerns) if you have any concerns in respect of the handling of your personal data by the Group.


text:
2012-13 Yearly results & Champion!
It is a bittersweet day around here at the Gameday blog. The results for the season are in, and that means that we crown a new champion as we put the season to bed. I found it interesting that both last year's bowl champion (Tony Reali) and last year's season champion (Jesse Palmer) both were not in the competition. Tony Reali had no picks this year, and Jesse Palmer only had ten picks (going 7-3 overall). This year, Ryen Russillo was on top of the leaderboard going 18-5 (78.26%) but 23 picks is not enough to be a champion around here. Therefore, I am proud to bring you this year's grand champion: Tom Luginbill at 58-17 (77.33%). We had a handful of experts going into bowl season who were within reach of the coveted 80% barrier for the season. Big names including Tom Luginbill, Lou Holtz, Pat Forde, Mike Bellotti, Colin Cowherd and so on. Pat Forde had been on a tear this year sitting at 75.84%, but tanked the bowl season going 18-17. Lou Holtz was at 75% even, but only picked two bowl games and got them wrong. Cowherd and Bellotti both had a shot, but average finishes weren't enough to boost them over the top. Tom Luginbill was at exactly 80% headed into bowl season, but a 6-4 finish dropped him a few points which was still good enough for the gold. Below you will find the full slate of results for the year, with the minor experts listed below (those who only picked a few games).
Our rookie of the year has to be Dari Nowkhah coming in at 72.6% in his first season here. He took on the hosting duties on the new ESPN show College Football Daily, which is the spiritual successor to the greatly missed "Palmer & Pollack", and he did pretty well. Mark Schlabach did nicely this year at 64.41%, which was good enough to bring him up from last place in the all-time rankings (now taken on by Mike Greenberg after a disastrous bowl season). Celebrity guests on Gameday did pretty crappy, so let us shame them at 55.65%. Brian Griese is our anti-rookie of the year at 57.45%. Last but not least, I really do have to give props to Lou Holtz. In years past he has picked Notre Dame to win virtually every game they play, and this year he went bananas at 72.58% right. I would have loved to have seen how smug he would have been if ND won the championship, but oh well. I'm sure he'll be back next year to pick them every game.
Thanks for reading; its been a great season. Check back next August when things get going again. Who knows, maybe this offseason I'll write some bonus material here too.
Ryen Russillo: 18-5, 78.26%
Tom Luginbill: 58-17, 77.33%
Matt Stinchcomb: 12-4, 75%
Pat Forde: 310-110, 73.81%
Ed Cunningham: 8-3, 72.73%
Dari Nowkhah: 106-40, 72.60%
Lou Holtz: 45-17, 72.58%
Mike Bellotti: 65-25, 72.22%
Lee Corso: 128-50, 71.91%
Colin Cowherd: 99-39, 71.74%
Woody Paige: 5-2, 71.43%
Trevor Matich: 70.65%
Christian Fauria: 84-36, 70%
Jesse Palmer: 7-3, 70%
Kirk Herbstreit: 125-54, 69.83%
Mel Kiper Jr.: 30-14, 68.18%
Charles Arbuckle: 41-20, 67.21%
Brad Edwards: 42-21, 66.67%
Kevin Carter: 10-5, 66.67%
Matt Millen: 4-2, 66.67%
Jason Sehorn: 49-25, 66.22%
Jennifer's Picks: 144-74, 66.06%
Mark Schlabach: 38-19, 64.41%
Desmond Howard: 92-52, 63.89%
Robert Smith: 97-56, 63.40%
David Pollack: 69-40, 63.30%
Mike Golic: 24-14, 63.16%
Dan Hawkins: 15-9, 62.5%
Danny Kanell: 23-15, 60.53%
Todd McShay: 52-35, 59.77%
Mark May: 46-32, 58.97%
Brian Griese: 27-20, 57.45%
Celebrity Guests: 69-55, 55.65%
Tim Cowlishaw: 5-4, 55.56%
Ivan Maisel: 3-3, 50%
Skip Bayless: 5-7, 41.67%
Chris Fowler: 2-3, 40%
Mike Greenberg: 13-22, 37.14%
Andre Ware: 1-3, 25%
Scott Van Pelt: 5-0, 100%
JA Adande: 3-0, 100%
Bob Ryan: 3-0, 100%
Kevin Blackistone: 2-0, 100%
Samantha Steele: 1-0, 100%
Jackie MacMullan: 1-0, 100%
Michael Smith: 4-1, 80%
Brock Huard: 3-1, 75%
Bill Plaschke: 0-1, 0%
2012-13 Bowl Season: Results & Champions!
We've had the boys down at the Gameday lab tallying picks, crunching numbers and doing things in labcoats and the results for the 2012-13 Bowl Season are finally in! As with every year, there is some discretion used by our board of trustees (i.e. Me) as to who actually wins, and how to interpret the results. First, our bowling results are below for your review presented in alphabetical order by first name:
Brad Edwards: 1-0
Charles Arbuckle: 1-0
Christian Fauria: 1-0
Colin Cowherd: 22-13
Dari Nowkhah: 1-0
Danny Kanell: 1-1
David Pollack: 3-4
Desmond Howard: 8-2
Ed Cunningham: 8-3
Ivan Maisel: 3-1
JA Adande: 1-0
Jackie MacMullan: 1-0
Jennifer's Picks: 25-10
Jesse Palmer: 3-1
Kevin Carter: 7-3
Kirk Herbstreit: 5-3
Lee Corso: 7-3
Lou Holtz: 0-2
Mark May: 2-0
Mark Schlabach: 23-12
Matt Stinchcomb: 0-1
Mel Kiper Jr: 0-1
Michael Smith: 0-1
Mike Bellotti: 6-4
Mike Golic: 21-14
Mike Greenberg: 13-22
Pat Forde: 18-17
Robert Smith: 25-10
Ryen Russillo: 1-0
Scott Van Pelt: 1-0
Skip Bayless: 1-1
Stephen A. Smith: 1-0
Tim Cowlishaw: 5-3
Todd McShay: 21-14
Tom Luginbill: 6-4
Trevor Matich: 0-1
Urban Meyer: 0-1
Woody Paige: 1-0
While we have 30+ bowl pickers, we only have a few competitors who qualify for the championship due to the amount of games picked. The eligible competitors are Colin Cowherd, Jennifer, Mark Schlabach, Mike & Mike, Pat Forde, Robert Smith and Todd McShay. Each of them picked the full slate of bowl games, while everyone else just chimed in for a few games. Before crowning a champion, let me also explain the curious case of one Todd McShay. On this year's Bowl Mania Special on ESPN, prior to any of the bowls kicking off, he picked all of the games with his confidence points. In his picks from this special, he went 22-13. On his ESPN.com Bowl Mania group, he picked a slightly different slate of games with a few being different, but also went 22-13 on his Bowl Mania group. The reason he is being dropped to 21-14 in the official record is because on the Rose Bowl pregame show, he came on about ten minutes before kickoff and boldly declared that he was changing his mind and called for Wisconsin to upset Stanford. Maybe you thought nobody would notice, but listen up McShay: I am here to hold you accountable. Therefore, you will be entered into the record going 21-14 for all eternity.
One last piece of business before we crown our champion. Please make sure to shame Mike Greenberg for going 13-22 on bowl picks. That is an all-time low as far as I know, and he was the only person to have a losing record. Now let us crown our champion… or should I say champions. This year, Robert Smith and my girlfriend Jennifer both put up 25-10 records in picking Bowl Games, and thus they will be our first ever BOWL PICK'EM CO-CHAMPIONS!!! Congratulations to the both of you. Jennifer has already received her congratulatory fruit basket. Robert Smith, if you are reading this, please be on the lookout for the congratulatory cheese platter I have sent you. It was a great bowl season, and we will be back soon with the yearly results!
2012-13 Bowl Season: BCS BIG BOARD BONANZA!
The day has finally arrived folks. Tonight is a very bittersweet night for college football fans and insane gamblers alike, as we crown this year's champion and put the sport to bed for 8 months. For this reason, we must make the most of it and savor every minute of today, which also means it is time for Cole's BCS BIG BOARD BONANZA WITH PICKS AND OTHER THINGS!!! I will be updating all day long burning up the DVR to make sure I get you the updates on who is picking which team in tonight's big game. I will be taking you right up to kickoff where we will *HOPEFULLY* get one more headgear pick from Coach Corso before college football hibernation. So make sure you check back throughout the day because who knows how things will develop.
With a current tally of 36 votes, our panel of experts is currently sitting at 24-12 in favor of Bama over Notre Dame in tonight's game.
Brad Edwards:
Bama over Notre Dame (College Gameday Radio 1/7)
Charles Arbuckle:
Bama over Notre Dame (Road to the BCS 1/6)
Christian Fauria:
Bama over Notre Dame (SportsNation 1/6)
Colin Cowherd:
Bama over Notre Dame (The Herd 1/7)
Danny Kanell:
Notre Dame over Bama (CFB Daily 1/7)
Dari Nowhkah:
Bama over Notre Dame (ESPN.com podcast)
David Pollack:
Bama over Notre Dame (BCS Countdown 1/6)
Desmond Howard:
Bama over Notre Dame (BCS Countdown 1/6)
Ed Cunningham:
Bama over Notre Dame (ESPN Bowl Mania Special 12/9)
Ivan Maisel:
Bama over Notre Dame (espn.com preview 12/3)
JA Adande:
Bama over Notre Dame (ATH 1/7)
Jackie MacMullan:
Bama over Notre Dame (ATH 1/7)
Jennifer's Pick:
Notre Dame over Bama (Upset Special)
Jesse Palmer:
Bama over Notre Dame (BCS Countdown 1/6)
Kevin Carter:
Bama over Notre Dame (ESPNU BCS Bowl Preview 12/13)
Lee Corso:
Notre Dame over Bama (BCS Pregame show 1/7)
Lou Holtz:
Notre Dame over Bama (CFB Live 1/7)
Mark May:
Bama over Notre Dame (CFB Live 1/7)
Mark Schlabach:
Bama over Notre Dame (College Gameday Radio 1/7)
Matt Millen:
Bama ovre Notre Dame (CFB Live 1/7)
Matt Stinchcomb:
Notre Dame over Bama (Final Verdict 12/3)
Mel Kiper Jr.:
Notre Dame over Bama (ESPN.com Podcast)
Michael A. Smith:
Notre Dame over Bama (Numbers Never Lie 1/7)
Mike Bellotti:
Bama over Notre Dame (ESPNU BCS Bowl Preview 12/13)
Mike Golic:
Notre Dame over Bama (Mike & Mike 1/7)
Mike Greenberg:
Notre Dame over Bama (Mike & Mike 1/7)
Pat Forde:
Notre Dame over Bama (Forde Yard Dash 12/13)
Ryen Russillo:
Bama ovre Notre Dame (SVP 1/7)
Robert Smith:
Bama over Notre Dame (First Take 1/7)
Scott Van Pelt:
Bama over Notre Dame (SVP 1/7)
Skip Bayless:
Notre Dame over Bama (First Take 1/7)
Stephen A. Smith:
Bama over Notre Dame (First Take 1/7)
Tim Cowlishaw:
Notre Dame over Bama (ATH 1/7)
Todd McShay:
Bama over Notre Dame (The Herd 1/7)
Tom Luginbill:
Bama over Notre Dame (ESPNU BCS Bowl Preview 12/13)
Trevor Matich:
Notre Dame over Bama (College Gameday Radio 1/7)
Urban Meyer:
Notre Dame over Bama (BCS Pregame show 1/7)
Woody Paige:
Bama over Notre Dame (ATH 1/7)


text:
Podcast – JT Krul
We talk to Soulfire and Captain Atom writer, JT Krul about the differences in working for a large vs. smaller comic book publisher, writing distractions and the process of writing a prose novel vs. comic book scripts.
Listen to the entire interview below.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:50 — 50.2MB)
Have a question about writing you'd like answered? Send us an EMAIL! Or Tweet it to us at @ScriptsScribes.
I invented the Frappucino. My dream is to visit Dollywood. Sometimes I host a podcast on writing @ScriptsScribes. Only one of those things is true.
Latest posts by Kevin (see all)
- Podcast – Christopher Encell - November 25, 2019
- 20Q with Christopher Encell - November 25, 2019
- Podcast – Chris Cook - September 6, 2019


text:
The new mayor of Venice has officially banned books on the subjects of homosexuality and disability from the city's schools, prompting a wave of criticism. The city official made the blacklist promise during his mayoral campaign.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has banned a total of 49 books, including the French title "Jean Has Two Moms," which centers around a wolf family with two mothers, a statement published Wednesday on the mayor's website says.
The blacklist unleashed a wave of criticism, with some organizations launching public readings of the banned books.
Several libraries are also encouraging people to read the banned titles, posting signs such as "blacklisted books, be a rebel, read them," AFP reported.
Defending his move amid the flurry of criticism, Brugnaro said he will "not be intimidated," adding that "parents need to educate their children on these things, and not schools."
Brugnaro promised to ban the titles during his campaign leading up to the June elections.
Tensions within Italy
The move comes less than one month after hundreds of thousands of Italians gathered in Rome to rally against gay marriage. During the protest, many of the demonstrators shared the same views as Venice's new mayor.
"In my children's schools they are talking about families made up of two fathers or two mothers, without asking parents' permission," Giuseppe Ripa, 41, told AFP at the time. "It's dangerous and wrong."
But while many believe the government is overstepping its authority by teaching children about homosexuality and going against the foundation of the "traditional family," others believe that homosexuals are being deprived of their rights by the Italian government.
Laura Boldrini, president of the country's parliament, tweeted in May that being European "signifies recognizing rights."
Others throughout Italy agree with Boldrini, and have put pressure on the Italian government to legalize gay marriage, following Ireland's historic 'yes' vote in the world's first marriage equality referendum.
Prime Minister Renzi supports the push for marriage equality, and the Italian senate is currently examining a civil union bill which Renzi hopes will be enacted before the end of July.
Same-sex couples currently have no legal status in Italy, although some mayors have begun adding gay unions performed in other countries to city hall records.
East-West divide
While Italy continues to be divided on the topic of homosexuality and gay marriage, that same disagreement is occurring all across Europe.
The division is most easily seen between Eastern and Western European countries.
Gay marriage is legal in several Western European nations – the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, France, UK, Estonia, Slovenia, Finland, Luxembourg, and Ireland.
Meanwhile, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland are considering marriage equality legislation, and gay marriage will be legal in Finland by March 2017.
The legalization of gay marriage has been largely backed with broad public support in Western European nations.
According to a 2010 European Social Survey, more than 80 percent of respondents in France, Germany, Spain, and Great Britain agree that "gay men and lesbians should be free to live their own lives as they wish."
Meanwhile, most Eastern European countries are overwhelmingly opposed to such laws.
The same poll revealed that the Czech Republic is the only Eastern European country where the majority (65 percent) of citizens strongly agree that "gay men and lesbians should be free to live their own lives as they wish."
The amount of support drops from there, with Lithuania, Ukraine, and Russia providing the lowest rate of approval.
Meanwhile, a 2013 European Social Survey found Albania to be the most homophobic country of all the countries polled, with 53 percent stating their opposition to gays and lesbians "living free as they wish."
That same year, a survey from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights revealed that one-quarter of European homosexuals surveyed said they had been subjected to attacks or violent threats in the past five years. Most of those took place in Eastern Europe, mainly in Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria.
In the past, the Netherlands spurred controversy when its foreign minister reportedly stated that Russian homosexuals should be considered for asylum. However, he later said his remark was misinterpreted and not "directed at Russia."
French fury at gay marriage
Although gay marriage is legal in France, opponents throughout the nation have been very vocal against the legislation.
A 2013 World Values Survey found that the country was the least tolerant Western European nation when it comes to homosexuality, with 28.8 percent of the population stating that they would not want a gay neighbor.
That number was in stark contrast to other Western European countries; only 3.6 percent of Swedish people and 7.4 percent of Spaniards had the same response.
The country has seen several large gay marriage protests in recent years, following the 2013 legalization of homosexual unions, with demonstrators accusing the Hollande government of "family phobia."
Survival Shield X-2 is back! Get the next generation of super high-quality nascent iodine at 40% off now!


text:
Willie Reed is taking advantage of his opportunity.
Starting for the second time in place of the injured Hassan Whiteside, Reed posted career highs of 22 points and 18 rebounds in Miami's 99-90 loss in Phoenix Tuesday, the first of a six-game road trip.
The 6-foot-11, 245-pound Reed shot 11 of-16, was active and also did his typical dirty work of setting screens and playing defense. He had two blocks and eight of his rebounds were on the offensive end.
"I love seeing a guy like Willie have that type of effort against a former All-Star center in Tyson Chandler that's a great role model for him in this league, somebody that's done it over the course of his career with just effort, tenacity, with diligence," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "And Willie is very diligent."
Reed has 26 points and 20 rebounds while shooting 13 of 19 in two starts for Whiteside, who has a retinal contusion in his right eye. He was averaging 3.9 points and 4.0 rebounds in his first 26 games.
Reed, 26, said nothing changed offensively at Phoenix other than the numbers just happened to come.
"I thought I played just as hard as I played last game or any other game this year," he said. "If I keep continuously working, working as hard as I can, things are going to work out for the best."
[Mailbag: Should the Miami Heat make a move for Paul Millsap?]
[Bovada: Heat's NBA, conference, division championship odds keep dwindling]
Reed was signed to a two-year $2.2 million deal (with a player option next year) during the summer because he's a lunch-pail guy who enjoys doing the work that often gets overlooked like set screens, block shots, rebound and play defense. He also brings energy to the Heat's second unit.
"I'm a shot blocker, I'm a rebounder, defender," he said. "But I can also play offense and continuously working on it to make sure my offensive game gets better and better every single day."
The Heat are waiting for Whiteside to be cleared to fly. If it comes in the next week, he will catch up with the team on this trip. In the meantime, Reed will continue to man the middle.
"Every single day all he does is work with Juwan to try to get better," Spoelstra said about Reed's time spent with assistant coach Juwan Howard. "Work at his craft to earn his minutes, earn his opportunities and what he always has had is the effort and the motor. But working at other things now makes him be more skilled on both ends of the court. When somebody puts in that much time you're very happy for him when he's able to produce like that."
The Heat (10-26) continue their trip tonight in Sacramento.
[Want more Heat news sent directly to your Facebook feed? Make sure to like our Heat Facebook page]


text:
Located within the Pool Gardens, guests may choose from either a patio or 2nd floor suite with a view overlooking the pool.
Understated elegance abounds with crystal chandeliers, soothing electric fireplaces, rain showers and oversized whirlpools.
King Bedding
(Due to proximity to the pool, children are not permitted in this accommodation type)Reserve Lodging Now


text:
On Screen
SM:tv live
About The Show
SM:TV Live (an abbreviation of Saturday Morning Television Live) was a British Saturday morning children's television programme, first broadcast on ITV1 on August 29th 1998 and last broadcast on December 27th 2003.
The programme featured an audience of children, competitions and cartoons, and consistantly beat similar offerings from BBC1 in the ratings, ultimately causing the BBC1 show 'Live and Kicking' to be axed.
After the departure of original hosts Ant McPartlin, Declan Donnelly and Cat Deely, H and Claire co-presented the programme with Brian Dowling and Tess Daly.
H and Claire joined the programme on the 13th April 2002. During their stay they took part in various comedy sketches including 'Casually', a parody of hospital drama Casualty, 'Big Bother', a parody of Big Brother and 'Table Footballers' Wives', an unusual twist on the TV drama Footballers' wives.
Although the ratings for the programme increased during H and Claire's stay, the duo decided to 'concentrate on their music career' and hosted their last show on the 12th October 2002. H and Claire had struggled to promote their music on channels such as BBC1, due to their SM:tv contract.
The last show was broadcast on the 27th December 2003, and featured all of the previous presenters, apart from H and Claire who were not mentioned at all in the programme.
H and Claire leave SMTV
By BBC Newsround. Posted 9th October 2002.
H and Claire have quit SM:tv to concentrate on their music careers. This Saturday will be their last show. The former Steps pals started co-hosting CITV's Saturday morning show when Ant and Dec left in April.
They had a laugh with Brian Dowling and Tess Daly, but reckon it's just too hard to fit in the TV show with their pop career.
Claire told The Sun newspaper: "We've had a great time presenting SM:tv but our pop career has always been our first priority. It's hard work juggling both - there just aren't enough hours in the week."
In the meantime, Robbie Williams' best mate, Jonathan Wilkes, will take over. He stood in for the pop duo when they went on holiday recently.
H and Claire to present SMTV
Posted 20th March 2002.
Former Steps stars H and Claire are to be the new presenters of SM:tv Live. The pair will take over from James Redmond and host the show with Brian Dowling and Tess Daly.
Claire said: "I'm so excited and can't wait to get started. It's a dream come true." Brian added: "I'm really excited - they're a great laugh."
The pop duo have also recently signed a £4 million deal with WEA records, whilst James Redmond was recently sacked from SM:tv after a newspaper article said he was bored with interviewing pop stars, although Redmond has claimed he had nothing to do with the piece.
Producers will be hoping for a ratings boost. Audiences have fallen since Ant and Dec left. The cheeky Geordies were named best presenters at the Royal Television Society awards on Tuesday night.


text:
Nene Valley Medical PracticeClaytonOrton GoldhayPeterborough PE2 5GP, PE2 5GPTel: 01733 366600
GENERAL INFORMATION – a new way we book appointments
Procedure for Patients
• Call us on 01733 366600 and ask to make an appointment.
• Our Reception Team will ask you for your name and your telephone number. If you need to speak to the Doctor urgently because it's an emergency, please state this straight away.
• You will be asked by the Receptionists to give a brief description of what your health problem is; you don't have to give this information if you prefer not to, but if you do it will help the Doctor to prioritise calls and decide in which order to call patients back.
• If your condition can be dealt with by our Nurse Practitioners then you will be offered an appointment by the Doctor or Nurse Practitioner with them if appropriate. They can diagnose, treat and prescribe as necessary for upper respiratory tract infections, coughs, sore throats, ear complaints, eye infections, skin conditions, rashes, minor urinary conditions, gastric upsets, allergic reactions, common childhood illnesses or any other minor illness/injury.
• If you want to talk to a specific Doctor, please tell the Receptionist and wherever possible they will arrange it.
• The Doctor will call you back as soon as they can and you can talk to that Doctor about your health problem. If you want them to call back between certain times, then tell us and where possible we will arrange that.
• If the Doctor thinks you need to come into the surgery to be seen, or if you would still like to come in, they will make an appointment for you.
Face to face appointments and telephone consultations can still be booked in the usual way for all Nurses; it's just appointments for the Doctors we are changing.
Why we are changing our Appointments System
Patients have told us, through our patient questionnaires and via our Patient Groups, that sometimes they find it frustrating and difficult to get the appointment they need, when they need it. By offering telephone appointments in the first instance and giving advice this way, we can make sure that everyone is able to speak to or see a Doctor on the day that they call or on the day that they choose.
Many people don't need to come into the surgery to be seen at all; their problem can be dealt with by telephone. This gives their Doctor more time to see those people that need appointments in the surgery. Because their Doctor is the one making the appointments, they can judge how much time they might need and give them a long or a short appointment. This also helps appointments to run to time and means patients are more likely to be seen on time. We also know that when people make an appointment close to the date that they call, they are more likely to keep the appointment.
Tel: 366600
Please see Appointments from 01.06.2015. You can book a telephone consultation online - to do this you will need a pin number , please ask reception.
We are happy to see patients anytime during the working day and we do have a limited number of appointments after 6.00pm. Please discuss with your Doctor a mutually convenient time for you to be seen. Some of these after hours appointments may be at another surgery
Is available for general medical queries and medication advice between the hours of 08:00 - 11:30, you can select the doctor of your choice to discuss this with. However if you are in need of urgent medical advice we can arrange for the duty doctor to call you back as soon as they are available.
We participate in the training of medical students who may "sit in" with one of the doctors – your permission will always be sought.
During your appointment a doctor or nurse may need to examine you in intimate areas. In this case you will be offered a chaperone. We will respect your privacy during the examination and will obtain permission before we carry out the examination.
If you are unable to keep an appointment please contact the surgery as soon as possible so as the space can be used for someone else.
Patients who persistently miss appointments without explanations will receive a letter from the surgery. If this continues you may find your name is removed from the practice list.
A telephone interpreting service that connects patients to a qualified interpreter within seconds, this service can be provided in consultations with the doctor/nurse and when booking appointment at the main reception desk.
If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:00 if you require a home visit.
You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed.
You can be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP.
You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby this will between 10-14 days after the birth of your baby.
If you are unable to attend a hospital appointment and you qualify for transport due to being unable to travel on public transport, please contact
0845 603 8117
Please call between 08:00am to 6.30pm make the necessary arrangements.
See link:
You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.
If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).
It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work' (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.
You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.
The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.
For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)
Copyright 2006 - 2020 My Surgery Website | Privacy & Usage | Edit | Staff Home | Site Map | Accessibility | Site T&C's | Service T&C's


text:
May 15, 2017
Get the inside and authentic stories of two fine sorts driving people-powered change and working to double NZ's refugee quota. With beer on the side.
Marianne is a self-described mouthy introvert facilitating genuine people powered change, and transcending the jaded political landscape with citizen-led campaigns. Murdoch founded and leads the Doing Our Bit campaign to double the refugee quota in NZ, from 750 per annum (unchanged for 29 years).
This is episode #44a - part 1 of 2 featuring Marianne and Murdoch. Ep.#44b/ part 2 will be released in a few days time...
Show support:
BizDojo Wellington: Cowork, countrywide.
Collider Wgtn: 'Converge with Wellington's innovation, tech and creative scene.'
Episode support:
Our show supporters on Patreon (US-based crowdfunding site)
Beer support from Annika, brewer at Tiamana Brewery
Show notes and links:
Jingo: jargon +lingo
Beer #1: Witzig: Belgian Witbier with a twist | Tiamana Brew
Mental Health advocate Mike King
People online:
Marianne Elliott: Website | Twitter ActionStation: Twitter | Facebook
Guest co-host: Jennifer O'Sullivan - Improvisor | Producer: Jenniferosullivan.com | Twitter | Podcast: Whats Your Jam
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Show support: Two weeks in creative endeavour is stoked and proud to be supported by BizDojo and Collider Wgtn
BizDojo Wellington: Cowork, countrywide. Ever wondered what powers twice podcast? That grinding background noise at points in episodes? Fine cowork gold in the form of a fully featured and professional coffee machine and grinder to practice your latte and flat white art - to your hearts content.
Collider Wgtn: 'Collider is your opportunity to converge with Wellington's innovation, tech and creative scene. Whether you're connecting to an event in our programme or you're collaborating with a human in the tech hub, Collider aims to help you and your business grow. Collider is delivered by BizDojo and the programme exists due to support from Wellington City Council.'
Thanks generous Patreon supporters including: Quad Chch, Driedfrog Ltd, ErgoStyle NZ, The Beer Library, Dave Lane, and other generous/anonymous patrons.
Bribing innovators, creatives +social enterprisers with (usually) beer, every fortnight from Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Since August 2015.
twice: two weeks in creative endeavour #44a: Jingo | Produced, edited, co-hosted and published by David Binstead, with guest co-hosts. ©43words/David Binstead 2017
twice: iTunes | Pocket Casts | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | RSS
#mentalhealth #wellness #DoubleTheQuota #2gbw #BizDojo #WLG


text:
Default Interface for Private Networking
Will requests from a droplet to a private networking address default to the private networking interface (eth1)?
If not, are there any docs on how to set that up, either by port or destination IP?
I'm having trouble connecting via private network, but public IPs work just fine. Before I re-do the firewall rules, I'd like to know how the requests are being routed.


text:
Why just paint a wall when you can indulge in guilt free Eco Friendly wallpapering? Our striking patterns and textural plains are as pretty as they are sustainable. Using renewable or recycled material, water-based inks and shunning PVC and vinyl we have a varied offering to tempt you. Most popular are our metallic and grasscloth wallpapers which work as beautifully in a modern space as a traditional one.
Please use the Contact form on the right for Eco friendly wallpaper information and ordering.
9 listed
|Chic Outdoor Furniture
This outdoor furniture collection is hand woven using fully recyclable polyweave material which is a blend of polyethylene, anti sagging agents and UV inhibitor... more »
|Eco friendly wallpaper
Why just paint a wall when you can indulge in guilt free wallpapering? Our striking patterns and textural plains are as pretty as they are sustainable. ... more »
|Gracie Headboards
Add a little drama to your bedroom with this fantastic line of shaped upholstered headboards. With the Gracie, we have something to suit every ...... more »
|Custom Lampshades
Don't throw that old lamp away! Rescue it with one of our new custom lampshades. We will make lampshades to any size and any fabric.... more »
|Glow Soy Candles
We love candles, but we hate smoke and the way most candles become really ugly as they burn down. ... more »
|Glow Soy Candles
Our Australian made Glow organic soy candles are hand crafted from 100% pure biodegradable GM free soy wax with cotton wicks that are lead free and non-toxic.... more »
|Custom Eco Lampshades
Please don't throw your old lamp away! Rescue it with one of Eco Chic's custom lampshades. We make lampshades in any size, shape and fabric.... more »
|Gracie Headboards
Eco Chic have a fantastic range of eco friendly plans colours like linen and help as well as a prints that range from fun to sophisticated. You may also order it ... more »
|Eco Chic Outdoor Furniture
Why not add a bit of "eco chic" to your outdoor space...stylish sofas, chaise lounges, sunloungers all teaming with originality and seeming to whisper relaaaaaax. ... more »
Eco Friendly Furniture – Eco-friendly Products – Eco Furnishings – Eco Furniture – Eco Homes – Eco Products – Green Furnishings – Green Homes – Green Sustainable Furniture – Sustainable Eco Homes – Sustainable Furniture