text:
The Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), produced by IUCN and the World Resources Institute, provides a flexible and affordable framework approach for countries to rapidly identify and analyse forest landscape restoration (FLR) potential and locate specific areas of opportunity at a national or sub-national level.
Discover the ROAM Online Step-by-Step Guide here: www.forestlandscaperestoration.org
In a nutshell
- The ROAM methodology was created in 2014. The on-line guide has been available since 2016.
- It can provide vital support to countries seeking to move forward with developing restoration programmes and landscape-level strategies.
- It also enables countries to define and implement pledges to the Bonn Challenge target to restore 150 million hectares worldwide by 2020, thereby helping interested nations meet existing international commitments under CBD, UNCCD and UNFCCC.


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GraVVITAS – helping blind people access graphics
Information graphics–diagrams, maps, plots and charts–are widely used. Reading, using and creating these graphics are important skills that most of us take for granted. However, for those of us who are blind or have severe vision impairment access to such graphics is severely limited, restricting effective participation in the workplace, limiting educational opportunities, especially in art and design, mathematics, and science and technology, and constraining enjoyment of popular media including the web. Lack of access to maps and plans of public spaces and buildings also contributes to one of the most disabling consequences of being blind: the difficulty of leaving the safety of home and having to find one's way in a new environment.
The GraVVITAS (Graphics Viewer using Vibration Interactive Touch and Speech) project is developing new computer technologies that are designed to work on an iPad and will (at last) provide people who are blind or have severe vision impairment with fast, inexpensive access to a wide variety of information graphics at home, at school and at work.
GraVVITAS aims to present graphics to people who are blind or have vision impairments by using multi-touch screens, such as iOS devices, augmented with haptic and audio feedback.
It has four major components:
- GraViewer (Accessible graphics viewing application): The core of the GraVVITAS project is an app that present information graphics on the iPad. As the user explores the screen with their ngers, a mixture of speech and non-speech audio allows them to hear the graphic they are touching.
- GraAuthor (Accessible graphics authoring tool): A web-based graphics authoring tool allows teachers, friends or family members to quickly create accessible graphics suitable for display with GraViewer.
- GraCalc (Accessible graphing calculator): An accessible graphing calculator built on top of GraViewer. Simply specify a mathematical function and its line graph will be displayed on GraViewer.
- GraGame (Accessible games): For those who want a little fun, we have also built games designed for blind people that are built on top of GraViewer. These are a great way to learn to use GraViewer.
GraVVITAS also includes a wearable device that provides haptic feedback. It is used in the GraVVITAS system as an input and output device. This device has been further developed as touchRing at SensiLab.
GraVVITAS was awarded an honourable mention in the prestigious 2012 Touch of Genius Award given by the National Braille Press of USA.
The GraVVITAS project is conducted at the SensiLab research group at Monash University.
GraVVITAS is currently under the commercialization scheme at Monash University as RaisedPixels Pty. Ltd. GraViewer iOS app is now available at Apple AppStore as RaisedPixels Reader.
Selected publications featuring the GraVVITAS system:
- Goncu, Cagatay, Madugalla, Anuradha, Marinai, Simone, Marriott, Kim; Accessible On-Line Floor Plans; Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on World Wide Web 2015.
- Goncu, Cagatay, Marriott, Kim; GraCALC: An Accessible Graphing Calculator; Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility 2015.
- Goncu, Cagatay, Marriott, Kim; Creating eBooks with Accessible Graphics Content; Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Document Engineering 2015.
- Goncu, Cagatay, Marriott, Kim; GraVVITAS: generic multi-touch presentation of accessible graphics; Human-computer interaction–INTERACT 2011.

subset: commoncrawl


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Postdoctoral Researcher Policy Manual
A Postdoctoral Researcher is an individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path. At the University of Chicago, the postdoctoral experience emphasizes scholarship and continued research training. The Postdoctoral Researcher conducts research under the general oversight of a faculty or other mentor in preparation for a career in academe, industry, government, or the nonprofit sector. In many disciplines postdoctoral work provides essential training for individuals pursuing academic careers and may include opportunities to enhance teaching and other professional skills.
Postdoctoral Researchers contribute to the academic community by enhancing the research and education programs of the University. The University strives to provide a stimulating, positive, and constructive experience for the Postdoctoral Researcher by emphasizing the mutual commitment and responsibility of the institution, the faculty and other researchers, and the Postdoctoral Researcher.
A Postdoctoral Researcher is an individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path.
At the University of Chicago, the postdoctoral experience emphasizes scholarship and continued research training. The Postdoctoral Researcher conducts research under the general oversight of a faculty or other mentor in preparation for a career in academe, industry, government, or the nonprofit sector. In many disciplines postdoctoral work provides essential training for individuals pursuing academic careers and may include opportunities to enhance teaching and other professional skills.
Postdoctoral Researchers contribute to the academic community by enhancing the research and education programs of the University. The University strives to provide a stimulating, positive, and constructive experience for the Postdoctoral Researcher by emphasizing the mutual commitment and responsibility of the institution, the faculty and other researchers, and the Postdoctoral Researcher.
This policy defines and sets forth terms and conditions relating to the appointment of Postdoctoral Researchers. It applies to both:
- Postdoctoral Scholars (PDS), who are employees of the University and
- Postdoctoral Fellows (PDF), who are paid stipends by extramural agencies either directly or through the University.
Postdoctoral Fellows, however paid, are not employees of the University.
Postdoctoral appointments are temporary positions with fixed end dates intended to provide a full-time program of advanced academic preparation and research training. A postdoctoral appointment is not intended for long-term, indefinite, or career appointments, or for short-term appointments where the primary goal is to advance a principal investigator's research. Postdoctoral Researchers train under the direction and supervision of a faculty or other qualified mentor in preparation for academic or research careers. In addition to pursuing advanced preparation in research, Postdoctoral Researchers may be approved to engage in other activities to enhance teaching and other professional skills. To be the instructor of record in a course, a Postdoctoral Researcher must hold both a Postdoctoral Researcher title and an appropriate teaching appointment. Ordinarily, Postdoctoral Researchers are not permitted to serve as principal investigators on contracts or grants sponsored by agencies external to the University.
updated: January 2010
A faculty or other mentor is responsible for guiding and monitoring the advanced training of Postdoctoral Researchers. In that role, the mentor should make clear the goals, objectives, and expectations of the training program and the responsibilities of the Postdoctoral Researcher. The mentor should regularly and frequently communicate with Postdoctoral Researcher, provide regular and timely assessments of the Postdoctoral Researcher's performance, and provide career advice and job placement assistance. Requests by mentors for initial appointment of a Postdoctoral Researcher must be accompanied by a mentoring plan. The plan will be reviewed to assure that the activities fall within the Definition above.
The Provost has the authority to approve appointments and reappointments of Postdoctoral Researchers and to establish policies and guidelines that supplement this present policy. The Provost may expressly delegate to divisions and schools the authority to appoint, reappoint, or terminate Postdoctoral Researchers, all in a manner consistent with the requirements set forth below.
The title of a Postdoctoral Researcher appointment is determined by the requirements of the funding agencies.
Postdoctoral Scholar
An appointment is made in the title "Postdoctoral Scholar" when (1) the agency funding the salary requires or permits the appointee to be a University employee, or (2) whenever University discretionary funds are used to support the position. In their capacity as Postdoctoral Researchers, Postdoctoral Scholars are University employees.
Postdoctoral Fellow
An appointment is made in the title "Postdoctoral Fellow" when the Postdoctoral Researcher has been awarded a fellowship or traineeship for postdoctoral study by an extramural agency and the fellowship or traineeship is paid through a University account. In their capacity as Postdoctoral Researchers, Postdoctoral Fellows are not University employees.
Postdoctoral Fellow – Paid Direct
An appointment is made in the title "Postdoctoral Fellow – Paid Direct" when the Postdoctoral Researcher has been awarded a fellowship or traineeship for postdoctoral study by an extramural agency and the agency pays the fellowship or traineeship directly to the Postdoctoral Researcher, rather than through the University. In their capacity as Postdoctoral Researchers, Postdoctoral Fellows – Paid Direct are not University employees.
Appointment Criteria
Appointment as a Postdoctoral Scholar requires a doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., M.D.) or the foreign equivalent. Normally, individuals cease to be eligible for Postdoctoral Researcher positions seven years after the award of the degree. This requirement may be waived in special circumstances, such as when the individual has changed fields or had a career interruption.
An offer of employment as a Postdoctoral Scholar is conditional, subject to:
- satisfactory presentation of documented evidence of personal identification and authorization to work in the United States, as required by Federal law;
- appropriate evidence of having received the doctoral degree or other appropriate terminal degree; and
- approval by the cognizant dean.
In cases where an offer of a Postdoctoral Researcher position is extended to an international candidate, the offer is contingent upon the candidate's having a valid visa. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that he or she is at all times in compliance with requirements of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS - formerly called the Immigration and Naturalization Services or INS). For the duration of their relationship with the University, Postdoctoral Researchers are likewise responsible for ensuring compliance at all times with BCIS requirements. All candidates are screened for eligibility to participate in Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs as required by our corporate integrity agreement with the federal government, and also in compliance with the Homeland Security Act of 2003.
Terms of Service
Postdoctoral Researcher appointments are temporary, have fixed end dates, and are subject to the following rules.
Appointments are typically made for a one-year term, renewable for up to three additional years until a fixed end date. Renewal for a fifth year requires a documented academic justification, a vote of the departmental faculty, and approval by the cognizant dean.
Extension of appointment beyond a total of five years is possible only when warranted by special circumstances, and requires documented academic justification, a vote of the department, approval by the dean, and approval by the Provost.
The total duration of an individual's postdoctoral experience may not exceed seven years, including postdoctoral work at other institutions. By exception, the Provost may grant an extension when justified by extraordinary circumstances, or when it has been documented that in the field or sub-field it is the norm that a third postdoctoral position precedes securing a faculty position in a comparable institution.
It is within the University's sole discretion not to reappoint a Postdoctoral Scholar (PDS). Reappointment normally is contingent upon various factors including but not limited to satisfactory performance (including compliance with all applicable University policies), work authorization, availability of funding, and programmatic need. If the University decides not to reappoint a Postdoctoral Scholar after the fixed end date, his or her employment will end at that time and no further notice will be provided to that effect.
Salary and Stipend
Effective December 1, 2016, minimum salaries for all Postdoctoral Scholars must be at least $47,478 per year ($3,956.50 per month).
Units are responsible for establishing the criteria for determining the salaries of individual Postdoctoral Scholars within the norms of the unit. Such criteria may include, but are not limited to, the individual's qualifications, experience, performance as a Postdoctoral Researcher, funding availability in the discipline, and competitive salaries and stipends paid by other universities.
When a salary is established for a Postdoctoral Scholar, equity among all appointees in the three Postdoctoral Researcher titles within the academic unit shall be taken into consideration.
Provision of Minimum Pay Level for Externally Funded Fellows
When extramural agencies establish stipends at a rate less than the unit-established pay minimum, and the University elects to proceed with such an appointment, the unit is required to provide additional funding to bring the pay level of the Postdoctoral Researcher up to the established minimum. The mentor is required to arrange the additional funding before the appointment start date.
Exceeding the Maximum
The maximum salary for a Postdoctoral Scholar is $85,000. The Provost may approve a salary for a Postdoctoral Scholars or stipend for a Postdoctoral Fellow above the top of the authorized scale in exceptional instances.
Stipend Supplementation
A Postdoctoral Researcher in the Postdoctoral Fellow or Postdoctoral Fellow – Paid Direct title may have his or her stipend supplemented with additional funding beyond the scale minimum. Supplementation must conform to the terms of the fellowship or traineeship and, if paid with University funds, be paid in the Postdoctoral Scholar title. The sum of stipend and salary may not exceed the maximum of the scale and must be consistent with University criteria for determining the appropriate pay level of an individual Postdoctoral Scholar.
Annual Pay Increases
Salary increases may be given annually to Postdoctoral Scholars on the basis of merit in accordance with established procedures.
Increases to Postdoctoral Fellows should be provided in accordance with the provisions of the extramural funding agency.
Effort Percentage for Postdoctoral Scholars
Appointments to the Postdoctoral Scholar title are full time, based on the expectation that the Postdoctoral Scholar will be fully involved in scholarly pursuits. In special cases, upon written request of the appointee and concurrence of the mentor, the Provost may grant an exception when the appointee is unable to make a full-time commitment for reasons of health, family responsibilities, or employment external to the University. Such a request must take into account extramural funding agency requirements, if any.
When a reduced-time appointment has been approved, the mentor and Postdoctoral Scholar shall sign a written agreement specifying the reduction in hours of work and concomitant responsibilities and compensation.
Teaching by Postdoctoral Researchers
Postdoctoral Researchers are of three kinds, determined primarily by the funding agency that supports the appointee. Their eligibility to teach, whether as instructors of record with the rank of Lecturer or as assistants, likewise follows the kind of funding.
Postdoctoral Scholar (PDS)
Because Postdoctoral Scholars are in a full-time program, at 100% effort, they may not teach except under the following conditions:
- If teaching is required by the source of funding and is part of the program of training, then after appointment as a Lecturer (or other role) has been approved, the PDS may teach for no additional compensation, since the compensation for teaching is included in the regular salary. Mentoring of the teaching must be part of the mentoring plan.
- If teaching is not part of the scope of work, then only if the source of funding allows a reduction of effort on the grant of 33% for one quarter for a Lecturer (some part of that for a TA or CA) may the PDS be appointed as Lecturer (or hired as a TA or CA). The compensation for the teaching effort should be the standard rate for an ad hoc Lecturer (or TA or CA): the salary rate for the sponsored research portion of the PDS's appointment need not be the same as the salary rate for teaching.
Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF)
PDFs are supported on stipends, and may do no work for the University in exchange for that stipend, or as "volunteers." They may not do part-time teaching as a Lecturer or in another role except under the following conditions:
- If the funding source agrees to allow the PDF to do part time teaching in addition to the training program while retaining the full stipend, the PDF may accept an offer of a teaching (or TA or course assistant) position. A normal for-credit Lectureship is considered to be 33% effort. Units must use this benchmark when communicating with the source of funds regarding the PDF's intention to accept a job offer from the University.
- The PDF's participation in or teaching of a course must be relevant to his or her training as a scientist-educator.
- A teaching role may not be undertaken merely to supplement the PDF's stipend or offered to help a department cover its teaching responsibilities.
- University policy does not allow PDFs to reduce effort in order to take a teaching role.
PDF - Paid Direct
These individuals may be hired for any job open to the public, and only through processes open to the public. Compensation must be comparable to what is paid to qualified people who have no existing relationship to the University.
Process for PDS and PDF part-time teaching assignments
Lecturer appointments (but not teaching assistant or course assistant jobs) must be in an appointive unit. Before the start of the quarter in which the teaching role is to begin, and before offering the PDS or PDF the appointment, the unit must obtain the approval of the Provost. In addition to the usual documentation, recommendations for appointment must include:
- a memo from URA confirming that the specific plan for teaching is consistent with the funding source;
- a copy of the notification sent to the funding source (not needed if the teaching salary is already in the SOW), including, when appropriate, the PI's description of how he or she will assure that a PDF's part-time work does not jeopardize the quality or quantity of time devoted to the research training; and
- a copy of the mentoring plan that explains how the teaching activity will be mentored.
General Conditions
- No PDS or PDF may teach more than one course per year as a Lecturer.
- Teaching in any role by a PDS or PDF must be in an area closely related to the PDS's field, must be in furtherance of his or her training as a scientist and educator, and must be mentored.
- The principles in this policy with regard to our obligations to funding sources are applicable to all forms of additional effort by PDSs and PDFs.
Notice of Appointment
A Postdoctoral Scholar shall be provided a written notice of appointment, which shall include the mentor's name, begin and end dates of the appointment, whether the appointment is renewable and the conditions for renewal, salary amount, source of funding, and work eligibility requirements for U.S. citizens and non-citizens. A copy of this present document and a summary of benefits, or corresponding website information, shall accompany the appointment notice. The Postdoctoral Scholar is required to accept the appointment in writing.
Postdoctoral Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows – Paid Direct must accept in writing the terms on the Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment form.
Annual Reviews
To foster a Postdoctoral Researcher's career, the mentor shall conduct an annual review with the Postdoctoral Researcher. A written evaluation will be provided to the Postdoctoral Researcher upon request. Divisions and schools may require the following for such reviews:
- An assessment of the Postdoctoral Researcher's progress to date, strengths, areas needing improvement, potential for a research career in the discipline, and a summary of expectations and activities for the following year;
- That a written summary of the review shall be provided to and signed by the Postdoctoral Researcher;
- That a review will be conducted whenever a salary increase is proposed for a Postdoctoral Scholar. (Fellows' stipends normally rise each year, as the funding agency determines.);
- That any written evaluation will be maintained by the division, school or other central office.
Equal Opportunity, Nondiscrimination, and Diversity
The University of Chicago is a community of scholars dedicated to research, academic excellence, and the pursuit and cultivation of learning. Committed to an academic environment that provides equal opportunity, the University of Chicago promotes a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences among faculty and other academic appointees, staff, Postdoctoral Researchers, and the student body. Unlawful discrimination, including harassment, compromises the integrity of the University and violates its principles.
In keeping with its long-standing traditions and policies, the University of Chicago considers students, employees, applicants for admission or employment, and those seeking access to programs on the basis of individual merit. The University, therefore, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or veteran status, and does not discriminate against members of protected classes under the law. The University of Chicago Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct can be found online here. The University's process for resolving complaints made against faculty, other academic appointees, and postdoctoral researchers under the Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct, can be found here.
Units are encouraged to use departmental or laboratory Web sites to post postdoctoral positions to promote equal opportunity for all candidates. Units should strive to have an inclusive, supportive environment that provides postdoctoral training opportunities that maximize and value the potential of all Postdoctoral Researchers.
Corrective Action, Discipline and/or Dismissal
- The University may impose corrective action, or dismiss a Postdoctoral Researcher when, in its reasoned judgment, the Postdoctoral Researcher's performance or conduct merits the action. The University may take other action consistent with requirements of any applicable extramural funding agencies.
- Each division or school may establish and issue additional procedures for instituting corrective action and dismissal of Postdoctoral Scholars in accord with applicable University policies and with the standards and procedures set forth in this section.
- Corrective action, designed to identify and correct problems that affect a Postdoctoral Researcher's performance, is the institution of one or more of the following:
- Counseling or verbal warning,
- Written warning, which is a communication that informs the Postdoctoral Researcher of the nature of the inadequate performance or misconduct; requirements for continuation in the training program; and the probable consequence of continued inadequate performance or misconduct.
- Reduction in salary for a stated period of time. The amount and duration of the reduced salary or stipend shall be specified.
- Suspension, which is removal from the training program without pay for a stated period of time. The terms of a suspension may include loss of normal privileges, such as access to University property and parking, IT and library privileges.
- Depending on the situation, any or all of the above forms of corrective action may be repeated, omitted, or taken out of sequence; however, notwithstanding anything in Sections 5-8 immediately below, the University has the right to initiate immediate termination if, in its reasoned judgment, such action is warranted (e.g., a situation involving workplace violence, misappropriation of or compromise to research data). Each case is considered on an individual basis and normally involves advance consultation with decanal academic and administrative personnel
- Dismissal is the termination of a Postdoctoral Researcher's appointment initiated by the University, before the appointment end date, when, in the reasoned judgment of the University, the Postdoctoral Researcher's conduct or performance does not justify continuation.
- Before instituting corrective action, discipline, or dismissal, informal efforts to resolve the problem should be made, where appropriate and practicable.
- A Postdoctoral Researcher may be placed on immediate leave with pay, without prior written notice, for the purpose of reviewing or investigating conduct that in the University's judgment requires removing the Postdoctoral Researcher from University premises. While on such leave, the Postdoctoral Researcher's return to University premises without written permission may create independent grounds for dismissal. Such leave shall be confirmed in writing after it is instituted and may include interim loss of other privileges (e.g., IT access).
- Except as set forth in Section 4 above, before initiating the actions of suspension without pay, reduction in salary, dismissal, or other actions consistent with the requirements of extramural fellowship agencies, the University shall provide a written notice to the Postdoctoral Researcher. The notice shall state:
- the intended action and the proposed effective date;
- the reason(s) for the action, including a description of the inadequate performance or misconduct and any warnings that have been given;
- the Postdoctoral Researcher's right to respond either orally or in writing within five calendar days of the date of issuance of the written notice;
- the name of the person to whom the Postdoctoral Researcher should respond.
No notice is required for counseling, a verbal or written warning, or suspension with pay.
A Postdoctoral Researcher who receives a written notice shall be entitled to respond, either orally or in writing, within five calendar days of the date of issuance of the notice. The response, if any, shall be reviewed and considered by the administration.
If the University decides to implement the corrective action or dismissal following the review of a timely response, if any, from the Postdoctoral Researcher, the University shall issue, as soon as practicable but normally within five calendar days of the decision a written notice to the Postdoctoral Researcher of the decision and the effective date of the corrective action or dismissal.
This written notice normally may not include an action more severe than that described in initial notice.
A copy of the written notice shall also be placed in the Postdoctoral Researcher's personnel file.
Upon written request and before expiration of any time limits stated in this section, the Provost or his or her designee may grant extensions, as appropriate.
Statutes contained in the University Statutes related to termination of employment that are applicable to "Faculty and Other Academic Appointees" do not apply to Postdoctoral Researchers. Likewise, termination- and discipline-related personnel policies for staff employees (e.g., policies U208, U703, U704, etc.), do not apply to Postdoctoral Researchers. When authority to appoint Postdoctoral Researchers has been expressly delegated by the Provost to a dean, the Provost is not required to approve dismissal. The Provost will not review an action of dismissal unless he/she agrees to do so upon the request of the cognizant dean.
Sick Leave
A. Postdoctoral Researchers are eligible for paid sick leave of up to twelve days per twelve- month appointment period. Except as noted below, sick leave does not carry over between appointment periods, and any balance remaining at the time the Postdoctoral Researcher's appointment ends is forfeited.
Postdoctoral Researchers with appointments of less than twelve months are eligible for sick leave in proportion to the appointment period; for example, a Postdoctoral Scholar with a six- month appointment is eligible for up to six days of sick leave.
For "Postdoctoral Scholars," unused sick leave shall be carried forward to subsequent Postdoctoral Scholar appointments.
Sick leave may be used for absences for the Postdoctoral Researcher's own medical care, treatment, diagnosis, or preventive medical care. It may also be used for absences due to a Family Member's (as defined below) illness or injury or to care for a Family Member receiving medical care, treatment, diagnosis, or preventive medical care. Postdoctoral Researchers may also use Sick Leave if they or a Family Member are a victim of domestic violence or a sex offense or if they need to care for a child whose school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency. Absences of less than one full day are not deducted from a Postdoctoral Researcher's Sick Leave allotment.
For the purposes of this policy, "Family Member" means a Postdoctoral Researcher's child, legal guardian, ward, spouse under the laws of any state, domestic partner, parent, spouse or domestic partner's parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or any other individual related by blood or whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. A child includes not only a biological relationship, but also a relationship resulting from an adoption, step-relationship, and/or foster care relationship, or a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis. A parent includes a biological, foster, stepparent, adoptive parent, legal guardian of an employee, or a person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor child. Please note that this definition of "Family Member" does not apply to any other University policy, except where stated.
B. Unless the extramural funding agency has different sick-leave requirements, Postdoctoral Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows – Paid Direct are also eligible for paid sick leave of up to twelve days per twelve-month appointment period, subject to the guidelines above.
Time Off
Postdoctoral Scholars do not accrue vacation time. Postdoctoral Scholars are expected to take time off each academic year in the periods between quarters, up to four weeks per year. If, however, the Postdoctoral Scholar's research program involves work during these periods, it is expected that the mentor will approve equivalent time off at another mutually agreeable time. Unless the extramural funding agency contains provisions to the contrary, Postdoctoral Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows – Paid Direct are eligible to take time off under these same conditions. Any time off balance remaining at the time the Postdoctoral Researcher's appointment ends is forfeited.
Leave Policies
Childbearing, Parental, and Family and Medical Leave
Postdoctoral Scholars may become eligible for childbearing leave, parental leave, and for family and medical leave. See Personnel Policy U522.
Postdoctoral Scholars who have been Postdoctoral Researchers for 12 continuous months but who are ineligible for FMLA because they were Postdoctoral Fellows during any part of the 12 months before the date on which the requested leave is to begin, may request up to 12 consecutive weeks of unpaid leave for the birth of the employee's child.
Childbearing, parental, and family and medical leave policies for Postdoctoral Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows – Paid Direct are subject to the requirements or limitations of the extramural funding agency.
Official holidays for Postdoctoral Researchers are those administrative holidays published in the University Calendar.
Jury Leave
See Personnel Policy U504.
Military Leave
See Personnel Policy U517 and U518.
Retirement Plan Membership
"Postdoctoral Scholars" are eligible for staff retirement benefits. "Postdoctoral Fellows" and "Postdoctoral Fellows – Paid Direct" are ineligible for University retirement plans.
Benefits Plans
All Postdoctoral Researchers are eligible for designated health-care and other benefit plans through the University of Chicago Postdoctoral Researcher Benefit Program.
Other Policies
Other Personnel Policies applicable to Postdoctoral Scholars include but are not limited to U103,U201, U206, U401, U402, U514, U521, U601, U603, U604, U606, and U1004. An index of all Personnel Policies may be accessed here.


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The Status of Women project at National Council of Jewish Women Australia NSW will be showing the movie "Brave Miss World" at NCJWA NSW in Woollahra, in the morning and evening of Thursday 30 April as part of our Status of Women program.
We are partnering with Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia, and proceeds will go 50% to Haifa Rape Crisis Centre whom we have supported as a National NCJWA project for several years, and 50% to Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia.
Miss Israel Linor Abargil was abducted, stabbed and raped in Milan, Italy, at age 18. She had to represent her country in the Miss World competition only six weeks later. When to her shock she was crowned the winner, she vowed to do something about rape. The film follows her from the rape, to her crowning and through her crusade to fight for justice and break the silence.
Karen Wills OAM, Executive Officer Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia, will speak about the work in Australia to support those who suffer from sexual assault and domestic violence.


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Wild, J. A. and Milan, S. E. and Davies, J. A. and Dunlop, M. W. and Wright, D. M. and Carr, C. M. and Balogh, A. and Rème, H. and Fazakerley, A. N. and Marchaudon, A. (2007) On the location of dayside magnetic reconnection during an interval of duskward oriented IMF. Annales Geophysicae, 25 (1). pp. 219-238. ISSN 0992-7689
PDF (art_839.pdf)
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We present space- and ground-based observations of the signatures of magnetic reconnection during an interval of duskward-oriented interplanetary magnetic field on 25 March 2004. In situ field and plasma measurements are drawn from the Double Star and Cluster satellites during traversals of the pre-noon sector dayside magnetopause at low and high latitudes, respectively. These reveal the typical signatures of flux transfer events (FTEs), namely bipolar perturbations in the magnetic field component normal to the local magnetopause, enhancements in the local magnetic field strength and mixing of magnetospheric and magnetosheath plasmas. Further evidence of magnetic reconnection is inferred from the ground-based signatures of pulsed ionospheric flow observed over an extended interval. In order to ascertain the location of the reconnection site responsible for the FTEs, a simple model of open flux tube motion over the surface of the magnetopause is employed. A comparison of the modelled and observed motion of open flux tubes (i.e. FTEs) and plasma flow in the magnetopause boundary layer indicates that the FTEs observed at both low and high latitudes were consistence with the existence of a tilted X-line passing through the sub-solar region, as suggested by the component reconnection paradigm. While a high latitude X-line (as predicted by the anti-parallel description of reconnection) may have been present, we find it unlikely that it could have been responsible for the FTEs observed in the pre-noon sector under the observed IMF conditions. Finally, we note that throughout the interval, the magnetosphere was bathed in ULF oscillations within the solar wind electric field. While no one-to-one correspondence with the pulsed reconnection rate suggested by the ground-based observation of pulsed ionospheric flow has been demonstrated, we note that similar periodicity oscillations were observed throughout the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system. These findings are consistent with previously proposed mechanisms of solar wind modulation of the dayside reconnection rate.
|Item Type:
|Journal Article
|Journal or Publication Title:
|Annales Geophysicae
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|Faculty of Science and Technology > School of Computing & Communications
Faculty of Science and Technology > Physics
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Trinity Church (formerly Sovereign Grace Church of Cleveland) was launched in January, 2000 by Don DeVries, from Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD, and a group of families from Northcoast Community Church. As a part of Sovereign Grace Ministries, the church was planted with the desire to experience an authentic Christian community established on the good news of the gospel. Since its launch, the church has sought to embody the God-centeredness of Reformed theology and the passionate pursuit of God emphasized in the charismatic community. In 2006, Don DeVries returned to Covenant Life Church, and Darren Lander assumed the role of Lead Elder. The church initially met in local schools, first in Garfield Heights and later Westlake, before renovating a teen nightclub in North Olmsted in 2010.
In 2011, the church welcomed members of Covenant Community Church of Grafton, Ohio. In 2012, the church made the difficult decision not to affiliate with the newly-reorganized Sovereign Grace Ministries. This precipitated the name change from Sovereign Grace Church to Trinity Church in 2015. The name was chosen as an expression of our mission statement: To make disciples who live for God's glory, love as Christ's people, and labor together in the Spirit's power.


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Call our quote line
Because our policies have been designed by practicing vets, you can imagine that they have been conceived to avoid the many pitfalls so frequently experienced with other policies. For example, our policies are all 'lifelong' with 'per condition' limits which "re-charge" every time the policy is renewed. If your pet is unlucky to suffer from multiple unrelated conditions the limit applies to each and every condition, such that, in theory, your pet has limitless total cover.
For example, with our Premier Plus policy, your pet can benefit from £5,000 cover per condition every year, but if your pet was unlucky enough to suffer from 4 unrelated conditions you could benefit from a maximum of £20,000 cover per year.


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Vinh's Restaurant9/06/2010 09:40:00 PM
I spent a night in Orlando and decided to go get some food for lunch the next day. Didn't really know what I was going to eat so we happened to end up at Vinh's Restaurant, which is a typical vietnamese restaurant or pho restaurant. The place was clean and neat, nothing too homely but nothing too modern. During the time I went in there wasn't much of a crowd but it wasn't empty at all. My friend and I ordered some appetizers and two bowl of pho the both of us.
I can say now. I was pretty darn disappointed in the food. The service was alright, but somehow our waitress kinda blew up at one of the owner or manager for whatever reason so it made an awkward feeling in the middle of our meal. The appetizers (egg rolls and spring rolls) were okay, the egg rolls was good to eat but the spring roll was filled with 90% noodles and there was barely any meat or shrimp inside. Plus the peanut sauce was super watered down so there wasn't much flavor. The pho was just horrible. My friend and I agreed that we were done and felt sort of sick. I barely ate any of my pho, there was probably 80% of the dish still inside that bowl. The noodles were overcooked so it was somewhat smushy, the broth tasted very salty (even after I squeezed 3 pieces of lime into it), and the meat was just too soft. I stopped eating not because I was full but becase I lost my appetite.
I certainly wouldn't come back to this place and now I realize why my parents didn't take me here to eat pho before. The price is over 2 dollars more then the normal bowl of pho I would get here locally (which taste better). I normally don't do such harsh reviews for the heck of it but when a place really sucks. IT REALLY SUCKS.
Vinh's Restaurant
1231 East Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 894-5007


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Federal Financial Aid for Degree Applicable Courses
Federal Regulations mandate that federal aid cannot be awarded for classes that do not count toward a student's academic program. If a student is enrolled in courses that do not count toward his or her degree, certificate, or other credentials, they cannot be used to determine enrollment status unless they are eligible remedial courses.
FAQs: Federal Financial Aid for Degree Applicable Courses
For answers to questions specific to your enrollment, you may email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Crime & Punishment: Bitcoin Criminals
Crime is changing. Law enforcement has better tools and more information. Investigators solve cases now with DNA, cell phone location, and social media posts. At the same time, crime has become more sophisticated. Drug dealers and thieves have adopted technology designed to make detection impossible. As with crime throughout the ages, though, criminals are still making false assumptions about what can be discovered and are simply making old fashioned mistakes.
Recently, media reported that thousands of computers had been infected with ransomware. To put it simply, ransomware is code that prevents you from using your system until a ransom is paid in Bitcoin.
Bitcoin is a virtual currency that appears to be favored by cybercriminals. Several fascinating cases involve the use of Bitcoin. But we can see from the fact that the cases were solved that Bitcoin isn't foolproof for the criminal.
What Is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is a virtual currency that has gained wide acceptance. It is not backed by any government or bank but maintains value because users are willing to trade for it and convert it into traditional currency. Bitcoins can be purchased through an exchange using traditional currency.
The system is designed to be anonymous. The bitcoins are sent to a user's Bitcoin address, which is an individual code or a key. Bitcoin transactions are recorded on something called a block chain, which is essentially the ledger or the way to keep track of the bitcoins that have been issued. The block chain does not record any personally identifying information. The anonymity, of course, is very attractive to cybercriminals.
Silk Road
The Silk Road was a "dark web" forum for buying, selling and trading that was set up to be anonymous. Its founder and operator was the Dread Pirate Roberts, later discovered to be Ross Ulbricht. Many of the transactions involved illegal drugs. You would think that a person who set up a website that openly sold drugs would be caught quickly or at least driven out of business quickly.
That wasn't so with the Silk Road because of technology. First, the marketplace was set up to use the TOR network that was set up to hide the Internet Protocol addresses of the users and thus allowing anonymity.[1] Second, the transactions were conducted with Bitcoin, which at least at the time was believed to be untraceable. When developing the Silk Road, Ulbricht first offered hallucinogenic mushrooms that he'd grown. Use expanded exponentially.
The government claimed that Silk Road operated like an illegal eBay.[2] The Silk Road operated for several years and served as the vehicle for millions of dollars of illicit transactions.
Apparently, anonymous online drug dealers were kept honest through a series of user reviews.
Finally, through a careful and detailed investigation that included obtaining cooperation from others involved in operating the Silk Road, the government learned the identity of the Dread Pirate Roberts.[3] Agents found him in a public library in San Francisco, logged in as the administrator of the Silk Road. They seized his laptop. The forensics on the laptop provided much of the evidence used to try and convict Ulbricht. He was indicted in federal court in New York for engaging in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy, computer hacking and money laundering. The indictment alleged that the Silk Road was the "most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet" and was "used by several thousand drug dealers and unlawful vendors to distribute hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services to well over a hundred thousand buyers worldwide" and to launder hundreds of millions of dollars. Ulbricht was also alleged to have solicited the murder of several individuals he believed posed a threat to the Silk Road.[4]
Unfortunately for Ulbricht, he kept a text file on his laptop that detailed many of his activities operating the Silk Road.[5] As noted by the Second Circuit, "[a]s the site began to garner significant interest in 2011, Ulbricht wrote in his journal that he was "creating a year of prosperity and power beyond what I have ever experienced before. Silk Road is going to become a phenomenon and at least one person will tell me about it, unknowing that I was its creator."[6] That probably did not help him at trial.
Ulbricht's theory at trial was that he had devised the Silk Road as a free-market, libertarian experiment but divested himself of any ownership or control and that there were several Dread Pirate Roberts who operated the Silk Road.
The jury took just a few hours to convict. Ulbricht received a life sentence after the court held him responsible for several overdose deaths from Silk Road drugs.
But that isn't the interesting part. The interesting part is the greed that gripped some of the brilliant investigators who took down the Silk Road. After Ulbricht was tried and convicted, two of the agents who worked on the investigation were arrested and charged with extorting Ulbricht and stealing from the Silk Road. The agents got caught up in the activity they were investigating. The affidavit in support of their arrest warrants reads like a crime novel.[7] Carl Force was a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, and Shaun Bridges was a Secret Service agent. They served on the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force. Force was the lead undercover agent who was in communication with the Dread Pirate Roberts. Bridges was the computer forensics expert. During the investigation (and acting on his own), Force created several online aliases to communicate with the Dread Pirate Roberts and extorted money from him in exchange for not providing the government with certain information. One of the personas was "French Maid." Dread Pirate Roberts sent French Maid $100,000 in Bitcoin. Force also stole much of the Bitcoin he received while acting undercover. He even figured out how to steal approximately $300,000 worth of Bitcoin from another user. When one of his own accounts was frozen, he fraudulently stamped his supervisor's name to a subpoena and directed the company to unfreeze his account.
Bridges if anything was even more fascinating. He gained access to a Silk Road administrator account as a result of the arrest of a Silk Road employee. Silk Road then suffered a sizeable theft of bitcoins, which were moved to a Japanese digital currency exchange. Bridges formed a company, opened a Fidelity account in the name of the company, and then transferred more than $800,000 from the exchange. Two days after moving this money out of the exchange, he served as the affiant on a seizure warrant for that same Japanese exchange.
When Ulbricht was arrested, his computer contained communications with Force that Force had never memorialized. Force also used encryption on the communications that were not turned over to other law enforcement.
Both agents were charged and pled guilty to various federal felonies. Bridges is serving a 71-month sentence and Force, 78 months.[8]
On May 31, 2017, the Second Circuit affirmed Ulbricht's convictions and life sentence.
Dr. Evil Likes Bitcoin, Too
Next on our Bitcoin hit parade, we move from the Dread Pirate Roberts to "Dr. Evil," later discovered to be Michael Brown, whose conviction was confirmed by the Sixth Circuit on May 15, 2017.[9] I recommend reading the opinion if for no other reason than Judge Sutton's storytelling. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Brown, acting as "Dr. Evil," sent flash drives to the Franklin, Tennessee, offices of Pricewaterhouse-Coopers and the Williamson County Republican and Democratic Party headquarters, containing encrypted files. Dr. Evil claimed that the files contained Mitt and Ann Romney's tax returns that he had allegedly hacked from the accounting firm. All the parties had to do to prevent Dr. Evil from releasing the encryption code was deposit $1 million in — of course — Bitcoin into accounts he specified.
Dr. Evil made some errors. The Secret Service was able to find text in the unallocated space of the drives, indicating files that had been deleted. Investigators linked the text to an email address Brown had used. The best part is that the drives also contained images of cats that turned out to be Brown's neighbor's cats. So the case also presents an issue of cat identification. When the agents obtained a search warrant, they learned that Brown's internet browser had bookmarked the Bitcoin addresses he provided in the extortion letters. Brown is serving a 48-month sentence.
Anonymous but Traceable
So, Bitcoin is not infallible for criminals. In fact, because Bitcoin is digital, it leaves a trail that law enforcement will ultimately be able to follow. The Second Circuit succinctly described Bitcoin as "anonymous but traceable."[10] The federal government has already brought a number of cases against Bitcoin traders who helped others illegally shield their identities and avoid registration or reporting requirements. Expect more to come.
- TOR stands for The Onion Router.
- United States v. Ulbricht, 31 F. Supp. 3d 540, 547 (S.D.N.Y. 2014). After this column was drafted, the Second Circuit affirmed Ulbricht's convictions and life sentence. United States v. Ulbricht, No. 15-1815-cr (2d Cir. May 31, 2017).
- The Second Circuit opinion discusses both the technical aspects and the law surrounding the use of Pen/Trap orders that allowed the government to monitor Ulbricht's IP addresses; the search warrants for his laptop and Facebook and Google accounts.
- Brief of the Appellant, United States v. Ulbricht, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Case 15-1815, Document 30, Jan. 12, 2016.
- The story is told in fascinating detail in "The Rise & Fall of Silk Road, Part I," Wired.com, https://www.wired.com/2015/04/silk-road-1/ and Part II, https://www.wired.com/2015/05/silk-road-2/
- Slip op. at 15.
- United States v. Carl Mark Force IV, et al., N.D.Ca., No. 3-15-70370, Criminal Complaint and Affidavit, available at https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/30/criminal_complaint_forcev2.pdf.
- United States v. Bridges, N.D.Ca, No. 3:15-cr-00319.
- United States v. Michael Mancil Brown, No. 16-6291 (6th Cir. 5/15/2017), available at http://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/17a0105p-06.pdf.
- Ulbricht, Slip. Op. at 4.
- See, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-us-attorney-announces-charges-against-bitcoin-exchangers-including-ceo; https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/detroit-man-pleads-guilty-case-involving-bitcoins.
WADE DAVIES is the managing partner at Ritchie, Dillard, Davies & Johnson PC in Knoxville. He is a 1993 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law. The majority of his practice has always been devoted to criminal defense. Davies is a member of the Tennessee Bar Journal Editorial Board.| TBA Law Blog


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Kahuna LM-7800 Massage Chair
Seen This For Less?
We'll Beat It!
Call: 888-346-3220
Get Payments as low as
$94/month. Learn More
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Kahuna LM-7800 Zero Gravity Massage Chair
- Quad-Style Massage Roller
- L-Track Massage System
- Computer Body Scanning
- Full-Body Air Compression Massage
- Automatic Programs
Kahuna LM-7800 Massage Chair Product Features
One-Piece, No Assembly Required
Unique to Kahuna massage chairs, you don't get a bunch of boxes of pieces and have to assemble the massage chair. When you order one of these, you get one box, with the massage chair already assembled. All you have to do is take it out of the box and plug it in. No other massage chair brand that we carry has anything like this.
Quad-Style Massage Roller
Four massage heads work together to provide a more human-like massage motion that feels like a human hand massaging your back. This style of massage is able to more accurately mimic a kneading and shiatsu motion that the human hand makes when providing a massage.
L-Track Massage System
This deep tissue massage chair allows your massage to reach from high up on the shoulder all the way down to the upper thigh, greatly increasing the surface area of your massage as well as providing additional support in the lumbar, neck and shoulder areas. This also allows the massage roller to separate the individual discs in your spine to allow important nutrients to flow more freely throughout your spine, improving the overall health of your back.
Space-Saving Technology
With as little as 3 inches behind the chair, the Kahuna LM-7800 can fully recline into the zero-gravity position thanks to its incorporated space-saving technology. As the Kahuna LM-7800 reclines back, the base slides forward so that when not in use and your deep tissue massage chair takes up as little of your important living space as possible.
Dual Foot Massage Rollers
The Kahuna LM-7800 massage chair has included dual foot massage rollers in the footrest of the ottoman. These massage rollers provide a kneading massage to the soles of your feet that deliver much-needed relief to an often neglected area. The foot massage rollers can be turned on or off by using the remote.
Computer Body Scanning
No high-end massage chair is complete without computer body scanning technology. When you sit back and start your first massage program, the massage rollers will glide up your back, and map your shape, the unique curvature of your spine, as well as the height of your shoulders so it knows exactly where you are in the chair and can adjust the massage accordingly. Without this feature, the massage chair would just be guessing and following a pre-programmed routine, which may or may not massage you the way you like.
Zero Gravity
Zero gravity has been an important addition to the massage chair world ever since its creation by NASA, a couple of decades ago. When you are reclined back and your legs are raised above your heart, your joints and spine can more easily decompress which allows all of the surrounding muscles to more easily relax. This improves the overall sense of relaxation and can induce a weightless feeling in some users. An additional benefit of zero gravity technology in this deep tissue massage chair is that it focuses the majority of your body weight on the backrest which in turn improves the penetration of your deep tissue massage. The Kahuna LM-7800 massage chair offers three stages of zero gravity to choose from. This allows you to customize your position as well as your massage.
Full-Body Air Compression Massage
Throughout the massage chair are high-quality airbags that provide the entire body with a compression massage that is designed to promote blood flow as well as muscle relief in the extremities. 38 airbags placed in the arms, shoulders, hands, hips, legs, and feet work together to extend your back massage into a full-body experience. Parts of the airbag system even work with the back massage rollers to improve their effectiveness. By grabbing you and pressing you into the backrest of the massage chair, your back massage will reach deeper into those hard to reach muscles, leaving you completely relaxed and revived.
Heat Therapy
Heat therapy is vital to a truly relaxing massage experience and this heated deep tissue massage chair delivers. Heating elements placed in the lower lumbar area of the Kahuna LM-7800 backrest provide a relaxing heat to the often tight muscles of your lower back. This feature allows the Kahuna LM-7800 to loosen up knots in the lower back that are the main cause of lower back pain and discomfort. Heating pads have been included in the calf and foot area as well to provide a soothing full-body heat that helps you melt away stress.
Intuitive LCD Remote
Simple, easy to use, and it makes sense. That is the only way to describe the remote for the Kahuna LM-7800 massage chair. Easily recline into the perfect position for you, and make any fine adjustments you like to your massage experience then lay back and relax as the massage chair does the rest of the work. This remote is designed to get you to the massage program and adjustments you are looking for quickly and easily so you can get back to enjoying your massage.
Automatic Programs
The LM-7800 massage chair is pre-programmed with 4 automatic massage programs. (Labeled simply I, II, III, IV). Each program focuses on a different section of the body, and are ideal for different situations. The first focuses mostly on the lower body and helps relax and relieve muscle tension. The second massage program focuses primarily on the upper body, including the neck and head area, this program is a deep tissue, anti-stress massage experience. The third is an odd combination of reflexology massage on the soles of your feet combined with a hip and lower back massage, as well as a neck massage. The final program is the "yoga" program which is designed to provide a Thai stretch massage to your whole body to help relieve those hard to reach muscles beneath the surface.
Massage Techniques
There are four massage techniques that provide four very different styles of massage. These techniques are Shiatsu, Thai, Swedish and Ka-Huna. Ka-huna is unique to kahuna massage chairs and provides a number of excellent benefits including anti-stress, sleep aid, and relaxation. It is the perfect massage style to use right before bed given the level of relaxation it provides.
Adjustable Leg Rest
Control the extension of the leg rest at the push of a button on the remote. This allows the LM-7800 to accommodate taller users by giving them much more room to stretch their legs and enjoy their massage a bit more. Extending the leg rest in this fashion will keep the airbags in the leg rest massage the correct muscles.
Kahuna LM-7800 Massage Chair Review
Check out our Kahuna LM-7800 Review.
Kahuna LM-7800 Massage Chair Manufacturer's Warranty
5 Year Extended Warranty
With the 5-year extended warranty package, parts and labor are covered for 5 years with included in-home service. Supplement the manufacturer's warranty and really protect your investment in your massage chair by ensuring it is covered against breakdown for 5 years. This is easily the best value when it comes to your warranty options.
Kahuna Product Manufacturer's Warranty
Kahuna's warranty is one of the longest in the industry. With the purchase of a Kahuna massage chair you will get their 10-year limited manufacturers warranty, in addition to your FREE 5-year in-home service warranty that covers parts and labor for five years.
Optional 5-Year Extended Warranty
MassageChairPlanet.Com offers an optional 5-year extended warranty package that covers parts and labor for a full 5 years with included in-home service. Go above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your investment. This is easily the best value when it comes to your warranty options.
Customer Product Reviews
Massage Chair Planet?
ONE STOP SHOP - We have designed our site to be a one stop shop for everything you need to know about massage chairs and about the models we carry!
FINANCING OPTIONS - We offer financing through a few different companies. Give us a call at 888.346.3220 for more information or visit our massage chair financing page for more information.


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Darkness and Light in Heart of Darkness
- Introduction
- The two worlds where Marlow travels
- Marlow as a symbol of light
- The gray areas described as 'false light'
- Conclusion
- Works cited
The battle between light and darkness is being waged right now, in every corner of the earth. This war has been fought since time began. In every realm of society, opposites counterbalance each other. The balance of powers in the government allows the American people to have a say in the political happenings of the country, while the balance of mass and gravity keeps Earth in orbit around the sun. A balanced diet keeps a person healthy, while a balanced scale portrays equality and justice in the world of lawmaking and law enforcement. In the realm of physics, action and reaction are required to obtain balance, proving it cannot be acquired by mere passiveness. The necessity of balance is also true of every other set of opposites. This proposal, deemed by Florence Ridley as ?the balance of opposites, a core of faith versus hollowness?light versus darkness,? is inherent to the meaning of ?Heart of Darkness?
[...] This darkness is seen in the grove of death and the somber oil sketch of the woman in black at one of the stations. The Company itself is a whitewashed sepulcher, dealing out sickness, slavery, and death under the guise of civilization. By the end of his tale, Marlow knows the Company for what it is- a whitewashed tomb. In the book of Matthew, Jesus says, to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outsides but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean? (Mt. [...]
[...] The constant struggle between light and darkness depicted in ?Heart of Darkness? is just one illustration of the balance of opposites present in the world. In the many symbols of light and darkness in this story, Conrad portrays the vast, vain attempt of the darkness to overcome the light. The symbolism embodied in the teetering balance of light, darkness, and the whitewashed façade of hypocrisy gives the narrative an imagery of gloom and a depth of meaning that provokes any curious mind to consider it. [...]


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Tina C.
- October 28, 2019
"My 14-year-old started struggling in school in fifth grade when he was put on many different medicines. He has had a roller coaster of moods and issues since. His old school was not understanding or helpful. Then he started Y.A.L.E. in eighth grade and it has been great! The staff is wonderful and go above and beyond to help my son stay in school and be successful. They keep me informed of how he is doing at all times and are very patient and understanding. He really likes everyone there and will continue at Y.A.L.E. through high school."


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[this article has been viewed 1881 times.]
Friday, April 9th, 2004 [letter to the editor]
Religion means that which is practiced by people affiliated with one of the many religions ranging from Catholicism, through Islam, to Hinduism, to Buddhism and beyond.
Spirituality means, to quote Nancy McGaraghan (Weekly, April 7), "that which infuses my life" or, to quote Abraham Heschel, "the ecstatic force that stirs all our goals. When we perceive it, it is as if our mind were gliding for a while with an eternal current."
Was he on LSD? No mention of ethics.
Ron Bracewell
Santa Fe Avenue,


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Planning to get dental implants? Before you do that, it is important that you know everything about it first. And this article will be a guide for you which answers the most common questions about it.
What Should You Ask The Dentist Before Agreeing To Dental Implants?Missing teeth can be highly traumatic and it is important to get them fixed as soon as possible. Such a situation will lead to many problems and you can avoid them in most cases by getting dental implants. The problem is that most people know nothing about implant dentistry. They start learning only when they actually need teeth to be replaced.
One of the most important decisions that you will ever make is who will handle the procedure. There are many dentists out there but only some have the necessary skills and experience to guarantee a good income for the dental implant. With this in mind, always be sure that you ask the following questions during your initial meetings with the considered dental surgeons.
For How Long Have You Been Performing Implant Dentistry?Dental implants have been around for only a limited time, even if the popularity is incredibly high at the moment. You most likely know that the implants were initially developed during the sixties but the truth is that it is only in the past few years that popularity skyrocketed. It is really hard to find dentists with years of experience to back up the claims that they make.
You want to talk with the dentists that offer implant dentistry services and learn as much as you can about personal experience. If the dentist only now finished training and did not actually perform many procedures in the past, it is better to look for someone else.
Patients should always ask about dentist training, completed procedures number and experience. Obviously, there is no real number that you should look for but based on the information that you receive, you can get a pretty good idea about how great the considered dentist is.
What Is Your Current And Past Success Rate?Statistics show that dental implant success rate is of around 98%. The problem is that the doctors that do not have a lot of experience will need to admit to numbers that are not at all as impressive as the general rate. That normally tends to happen when there is no access to brand new techniques or technologies that achieve the best possible patient outcome.
Dentists that only offered dental implants for a few years will normally not be able to answer such a simple question. The response will normally be evasive and you will hear that everyone was satisfied. That is quite normal since problems rarely appear after the procedure. Do be sure that this is a question that is answered. In the event that the doctor cannot answer, it means that there is not much experience to back claims.


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Follow Paul Donovan
Detailed policy (from some)
- US Federal Reserve tightening is on the agenda again. This week several Fed presidents have suggested that the Fed's balance sheet should be considered. Quantitative policy tightening could be just as significant for the economy as monetary policy tightening. A more detailed policy debate seems to be underway within the Fed.
- US Fed Chair Yellen implicitly criticized the incoming administration by voicing her support for financial regulation (which Trump has said he would repeal). Yellen was optimistic on the near-term economic outlook, consistent with policy tightening (be that monetary or quantitative).
- UK Prime Minister May is to give a speech next Tuesday, offering details on the UK's departure from the EU. Currently, the government's public stance amounts to little more than the soundbite "Brexit means Brexit". This will be enlarged upon, perhaps offering something as radical as "Brexit really means Brexit".
- Today's data is mainly American. Producer prices indicate corporate pricing power at a time of rising labor costs (companies mainly sell to other companies). The Michigan opinion poll of consumer confidence is likely to be little more than noise, given the political climate and the media sensationalism of news (fake or otherwise).


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all styles of this brand
NOTE: Next Day and 2nd Day Air are not available for this item.
Now you can check to see if an item is in a store near you and even reserve that item for pick-up. Simply click "Find at a Famous Footwear Store", follow the easy steps to reserve online and we'll take it from there.
A go-to for spring and summer, this sweet sandal with on-trend accents and a comfy insole check off all the warm-weather must-haves.
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7 Reasons Why a Pillow is the Best Gift
Scientists have identified three of the most stressful events in the life: getting married, getting divorced, and moving. In a tremendous oversight, gift-giving is not even in the top 10.
Avoid the anxiety of trying to recall something — anything — your giftee might have hinted at and just get them a Casper pillow. Here's why:
1. One size fits all.
A standard size pillow fits every bed. You don't have to worry about small, medium, or large.
2. Everyone sleeps.
When you gift someone a pillow, there's no danger of foisting a lemon on them that won't get used. This isn't a Veggettii or Eggstractor. Even the most experienced insomniac has to sleep some time — and you might actually help them get more of it.
3. There's no color choice or preference.
Unlike October parties and shotgun weddings, white is always appropriate. Your friend, family member, or coworker has already agonized about matching their sheets to their comforter to their wallpaper. You can't go wrong with a Casper pillow. Especially because it'll slide into their pillowcase away from their critical mother-in-law's eye.
4. No one will talk about a pillow behind your back.
Pillows are harmless. That horrible smelling candle, ugly picture frame, or random gift card can't be said the same about though.
5. Even the pickiest person will like it.
The Casper pillow was designed to be universally comfortable. Your giftee can sleep on their back, side, stomach, or a combination of all. We created a pillow that's supportive and comfortable in every position — no matter how much they toss and turn.
6. You might be able to fix their relationship.
No waking up in the middle of the night means no cranky mornings. Now if you could only get their significant other to stop hogging the blanket.
7. You don't have to go to the store.
It's so easy to order a Casper pillow. You can do it in a minute or less. It arrives at your door in days. And it's way cooler to show up with a big blue and white striped box than a flimsy pastel colored envelope.


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By integrating your phone system with your Salesforce CRM, your service organization can dramatically improve customer care.
You will be able to route incoming service calls to the right agent and help your agents resolve problems more quickly by providing them with information about the caller.
During this webinar you will see a live demonstration of NewVoiceMedia ContactWorld for Service and learn how Salesforce and NewVoiceMedia can help you improve fist contact resolution rates and drive down handle times.
You will learn how to:
- Provide automatic screen pops with caller information
- Use Salesforce data to dynamically route calls
- Route based on case owner
- Implement post-call surveys
- Use call recording and quality assurance
- Improve service levels with native Salesforce reporting


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Bernard Lukey, Yandex EU:
We are Europe's largest Internet company working in Europe's lagest market
The Runet 2012
Download «The Runet 2012» report
Russian "Internet and Childrens" legislation.
Draft Bill no. 89417-6, passed by the lower house of Russia's parliament, has raised of a lot of argument.
Russia moves to 54th place in Network Readiness Index
Russia has moved two points up in the World Economic Forum's Network Readiness Index (NRI), taking the 54th position. Published since 2001, the Index measures countries' readiness to use the opportunities offered by modern communications technology.
Internet development hindered by "half of Russian laws" - experts
Almost half of all Russian laws that regulate the work of the Internet endanger its further development, experts at the Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC) have stated. According to RBC daily, the experts are particularly concerned with the recent laws that provide for blocking sites with illegal content.
Lawmakers want to block sites for 'homosexual propaganda'
As Russia's parliament is debating a law banning "propaganda of homosexuality among children" some lawmakers have come forward with an amendment that would allow the authorities to shut down websites caught spreading such 'propaganda' without a court's decision. "No adult must impose their sexual preferences to a person under 18 years of age. Propaganda of homosexuality must be classified as information, inappropriate for children", said Elena Mizulina, head of Family, Women and Children Affairs committee of the State Duma.
.RU domain turns 19
Russia's country code top-level domain .RU is celebrating its 19th birthday. The domain zone officially opened on 7 April, 1994.
Yandex home page gets new layout
Yandex has switched to a new front page layout, twelfth in the history of Russia's leading search engine. The new layout is "lighter, more streamlined and functional, and presents information in a way that is more convenient" a message from Yandex said.


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Field Hockey: Saints Cruise Past Bermudian in D3 Playoffs
On Tuesday, the Berks Catholic Field Hockey team took on Bermudian Springs at Lower Dauphin in a district playoff matchup. The Saints who finished the regular season with a (15-5) record earned the #8 seed in the District 3 AA playoffs. Bermudian Springs (14-3-1) earned the #9 seed. It would be the Saints who proved victorious on Tuesday evening behind strong ... Read More »


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Merchants all around the earth settle for on the net visa cards for charging the shoppers and receiving payment in lieu of any acquire created by them. The online visa cards can be employed for personal as well as business enterprise uses eta canada. Those who want to get them can certainly apply online only and obtain the visa playing cards as per their prerequisites. One can also obtain about many of the providers also, on-line only. There's an official site of the visa playing cards via which each of the individuals who want to receive the them or some other aspects about the products and services and in some cases how to get it, can go online to this website and obtain the card.
When you go browsing towards the formal web page, see the many sections very carefully and obtain info about every one of the visa credit rating cards regarding what all could well be demanded to receive them along with the details about reward. When you have every one of the data about each individual card just click on within the area "view rewards". This is certainly to validate the assorted cards for which you have the many ideal skills. In this article you'll get each of the aspects about bank which would issue you the visa card you want and yearly percentage level that you choose to could be finding.
After searching by all the info and being contented simply click on "Apply Now". Before clicking on this very carefully test each of the related presents of that particular visa card. Any time you click here you can get into the connected web page which includes the appliance variety within the issuing lender. You will have to fill the shape and follow the action by phase treatment as will probably be guided. There are actually some banking companies that approve the appliance the moment it is actually despatched and other folks acquire a few days and then the applicant receives a letter from the lender or a mail, which would acquire about two months or perhaps a month.


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Our company has been servicing Corporate and Commercial customers for over 15 years. We began as Quick Fix Maintenance in 2001, providing general building maintenance. Our expansion into larger commercial projects has led to the evolution of our branding, and we are now known as Q Services Building Maintenance.
We now look after maintenance and commercial projects for well over 100 businesses. The majority of our customers are within the Sydney Metropolitan radius, however we cover as far South as Wollongong, west to Penrith and North to the Central Coast. We work in both the corporate and commercial spheres. Our customers range from small business, high profile corporate, large industrial/commercial to government institutions/departments.
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Ever After High: Raven Queen
Played 966 times
Ever After High: Raven Queen game information:
Guess what ladies Theres a new show in town, and its smokin hot This fantastic new show is called Ever After High, and tells the story of the most famous children in the world the children of your favorite fairy tale characters. These teenagers are like any normal teens, only that they have a legacy to carry on. They are all super excited about their legacy, except some of them, whose parents are not exactly the good fairy tale type. In this fabulous makeover game called Ever After High Raven Queen, you will have the opportunity of meeting Raven Queen, who is the daughter of the Evil Queen.
How to play:
Use the mouse
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text: Research agendas often fail to take the specific needs of women into account. Women represent half of the student population, but hold only 10% of the senior positions in academia and even less in the industry. Women face obstacles to their scientific work because of their gender, and as a result are under-represented in the sciences and in the decision-making bodies concerned with scientific issues.If society as a whole is to better understand and accept the developments in science and technology, specific measures must be taken to address both the under-representation of women in science and the lack of attention paid to gender differences within research.In 1999, the Commission launched an action plan on women and science, which set out a strategy to promote research by, for and about women, in cooperation with Member States and key actors.New actions will be further underpinned by reinforcing measures that are already in place. The Helsinki Group on Women and Science will continue to provide the framework for pooling national policy experiences and exchanging good practice and will set out a comprehensive strategy for longer-term cooperation. The Gender Watch System will be stepped up to improve integration of the gender dimension within the Framework Programme and research policy in general.In direct compliance with Commission policies, MUGEN is dedicated to raising and promoting gender equality issues, through integrating activities in its Joint Activities Programme (JPA). Through a designated "Gender Awareness Plan", MUGEN is actively looking to educating all members of the Network on the "gender dimension of the research content" as well a s"the promotion ofr gender equality by encouraging women's participation in research".Relevant Links


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Hercules dans le pays
Mac White
Posted on October 23, 2014
Hercules strength is legendary, as a god playing in a human world, his might was beyond compare. This figure of Hercules played an important role in the iconography of 17th-18th-century France. The French accepted the legend that the Trojan Hercules had been the tenth king of the Gaul. A Gallic Hercules – who was also the god of eloquence – was celebrated in honor of François I. Furthermore, Henri IV and Louis XIII lent their features to the hero.
At Vaux le Vicomte, his image, a once-gilded, full scale copy of the Farnese Hercules, sits resolute against the horizon as a representation of the thought of man´s ability to conquer and shape nature during this age. This was a project of such grandeur and scope, it involved and reflected the height of architecture, art, critical thought, and technology, while exhibiting a balance between the brute force required to reshape the land at this scale and the delicacy, articulation and placement of the finished elements in such a refined manner.
"Masters at play" is how I reflect on the composition as a whole, where the architect, garden designer, and artists have all come together to create a cohesive masterpiece. Le Vau´s powerful design is displayed in the presence of the chateau …
… while the painter Charles Le Brun, who would come to specialize in images of Hercules, decorated with these images on the ceiling of the Salon d'Hercule at the château of Vaux-le-Vicomte in honor of the wealthy finance minister Nicolas Fouquet.
All of this is reinforced by Le Notre's ability to shape perspective and a play a game of optical gymnastics in his manipulation of the grounds and gardens. This sense of control is seen though the representation of a garden that was the embodiment of "Devine Reason".
Subtle tricks are being played on your eyes, guiding your procession through space from entry, past the Hermes standing guard at the gate …
… up to and visually throughout the ground floor of the estate, across the terraced levels of gardens and walks, above the surprise of the cascade and canal to the manifestation of Hercules in the distance.
As I walk along these gravel paths, my mind wanders back to an age when Moliere's comedy ballet Les Facheux was making its debut in the garden as a gift in honor of King Louis XIV's visit and when this infamous grand fete and sumptuous feast ultimately the undoing of its owner a mere three weeks after.
It is rare when a sculptural object can command the landscape. One might imagine the mounted statue of the Marcus Aurelius at the Piazza del Campidoglio, but this is contained by the surrounding architecture, allowing their forms and detailing to shape the space and focus on the monument. At Vaux – Hercules, frozen in bronze in a rare moment of repose, leaning on his knobby club and basking in the comfort of labors success – draped with the pelt of the Nemean Lion, and holding the apples of the Hesperides, but concealing them behind his back cradled in his right hand. Atop his pedestal, he purveys the surrounding composition of gardens and their shaping walls, allees and paths, fountains and natural water features, as though it has all been laid at his feet.
He is both the focus and foil, a god as man with equal stature to the chateau and the world beyond.


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Leaders are chosen by God,Mahama replies Akufo-Addo
Former President John Dramani Mahama says it is only God who chooses a leader, not President Akufo-Addo as he wants Ghanaians to believe.
Addressing the Chiefs and people of Somanya in the Eastern Region last week, President Akufo- Addo played God by saying that the NDC would remain in opposition for a long time.
Addressing delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Bekwai on Monday, Mr. Mahama played down Nana Akufo-Addo's comments, pointing out that God is bigger than everyone, including the President.
"When we started our campaign, the President said he would not respond to presidential aspirants but he has since started responding to us. At Somanya he said NDC would not come to power again, but I say that he is not God, as only God chooses a leader and God is big. So we are hopeful that NDC will win the 2020 general elections," he said.
Touching on the difficulties facing small-scale miners, Mr Mahama called for expedited action from the government to enable them start their work again.
Mr Mahama also bemoaned government decision to abandon the Bekwai Hospital, which was started by the NDC government, even though funding was secured for its successful completion. He has therefore called on the government to pay the contractor for work to continue.
On the upcoming flagbearership elections, Mr Mahama told the delegates that Ghanaians are looking up to the NDC for redemption in the 2020 general elections, as the NPP government has brought untold hardships to the people.
He therefore urged the delegates to vote for him to enable the NDC wrestle power from the government. He has also promised to work hard to provide jobs and reduce the high cost of living in the country, when elected.


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Dead student graduates
Merl Grove High brings closure to bitter 35-year saga over abandoned school-leaving ceremony
Executive editor — special assignment
Merl Grove High School last Saturday staged a historic graduation ceremony, hoping to bring closure to 35 years of anger and bitterness among students whose school life ended abruptly, after their graduation ceremonies were abandoned in 1983 and 1984.
Twenty-eight former Merl Grove students, now grown women and physically a far cry from the teenage misses of three decades ago, marched up to receive their school-leaving certificates, as family members and friends cheered lustily.
The graduation ceremony brought to a climax a week of activities of Homecoming Reunion 2018 and Founders' Week marking the 94th anniversary of the founding of Merl Grove by Nathaniel Speid and his daughter Miriam Speid. The school is owned by the Associated Gospel Assemblies.
"The decision to stage this ceremony was a unanimous decision of all the members of the board of the Associated Gospel Assemblies present, to provide redress for what happened in the past," Merl Grove Principal Dr Marjorie Fullerton told the Jamaica Observer before the start of the event.
But Fullerton's brief statement masked the quiet but stiff opposition among some in the school and church community who did not believe in the cause that supporters contended would help to heal the over-three-decade-old wound that alienated scores of embittered students from the school.
Outstanding past student, Ambassador Aloun N'dombet Assamba, who gave the vote of thanks, said Fullerton could not say it but she knew that the principal had experienced serious obstacles on the way to the graduation ceremony. She thanked the school's management and board members led by Chairman Anthony White who backed the principal and handed out certificates at the ceremony.
Detractors hold that the incident took place many years ago and the women should have been able to get over it and move on. That appeared to have been easier said than done and on the night the shrieks of delight said it all.
It would not be women if there were no tears at such an emotional moment, but on an otherwise sombre Saturday evening the tears were mostly of joy, tinged with the sounds of unmistakeable celebration that filled Karram-Speid Auditorium on Constant Spring Road, St Andrew.
There were stories within the main graduation story in a script that could not have been made up. Back in 1983, amidst feverish plans for the annual graduation ceremony, a fund-raising barbecue was held at the school. A few Merl Grove girls were caught in compromising positions with some boys from other schools.
The Merl Grove management, then under the leadership of Enid Kerr and Barbara Martin, supported by the board, opted for the harshest punishment they could find: cancel the graduation of 1983 and 1984. No school-leaving certificates were presented.
That decision would unleash 35 years of pain, bitterness and alienation among the majority of the estimated 200 girls who believed the good should not have had to suffer for the bad.
The sentiment was supported by a now-retired member of the 1983 teaching staff who attended Saturday evening's function.
"Many of us thought the punishment was too draconian. Did we protest enough? No," she said, asking for anonymity.
It was a moving moment when one of the former students, Cerene Betancourt, graduated posthumously, having died on January 24, 2011, aged 45. Two of her daughters — Katana Phillips, 29, and Kazumi Perkins, 20 — and two grandchildren, Kymarley Carr, 3, and one-month-old Kazemiro Bhalai were onstage to receive her certificate.
Perkins said she was 14 years old when her mother died. "Attending the graduation is a joyful event for us because I know that my mother would have wanted to participate and would have wanted her children to celebrate her success," she told the Observer.
Betancourt's cousin, Vivienne Betancourt-Powell, upon learning that the special graduation ceremony would be part of activities of Homecoming 2018, wrote, on behalf of the deceased past student, to chief organiser Andrea McDonald-Black, president of the Northeast American Chapter (NEAC) of the Merl Grove High School Past Students' Association.
An administrative assistant at Glen Christian's Carimed, Betancourt-Powell, who herself graduated Merl Grove in 1987, is related to Cerene Betancourt on both her mother's and father's sides as the child of one of two brothers who married two sisters.
McDonald-Black of the NEAC graduated in 1971 but first heard the story of 1983 from a member of her executive, Arlene Muirhead, the valedictorian at Saturday evening's all-white affair. She unhesitatingly agreed that the graduation, though belated, was the right thing to do and both worked tirelessly towards it.
The group of graduates included Norma Lattibeaudiere-Dixon, who was in the class of 1975 but dropped out because of pregnancy after one term in fifth form. She had served as prefect and outstanding athlete before her pregnancy. Lattibeaudiere-Dixon could not hold back the tears as she was also honoured for outstanding contribution to the school as a past student.
Mississippi-based Yvonne McDonald recounted that her mother Odelyn Binns was even more affected than her when the 1983 ceremony was cancelled. "I was the first of her children to attend high school and she was really looking forward to the graduation ceremony."
Both Florida-based Binns and McDonald's daughter, Trecia-Ann Williams, a nurse who also attended Merl Grove, were present at the special ceremony.
A moment of silence led by 1983 student Georgia Kallawan-Miller was observed for past students "who have passed on and would have wanted to be here today". On behalf of the Canadian chapter of the Past Students Association, founder Claudette Cameron, a key personality behind the event, heartily congratulated the graduates and those who worked to make the ceremony a reality.
In her valedictory speech, Muirhead described the graduation ceremony as "a peace offering" from the board and the principal of Merl Grove".
"Let us now put this unfortunate and painful chapter to rest and come together to keep the legacy of Merl Grove going," she said to prolonged applause.
Master of ceremonies Tony Patel of Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation fame, recalled his time at Merl Grove High before the school became an all-girls institution. Guest speaker Damion Crawford was well received for his speech on who is the independent Jamaican.
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