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Beverley Ryder
Beverley Ryder is a Managing Director of Ryder Reid Legal and was previously the Director of Administration for the London office of International US Law Firm Mayer, Brown & Platt (now Mayer Brown International) for seven years. Beverley was also a founding member of the London Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. Having identified that the recruitment requirements of US Law Firms were unique in terms of working practices, culture etc., Beverley Ryder, along with fellow Director Ciara Reid, formed Ryder Reid Legal in 1994. They quickly established Ryder Reid as the premier search and recruitment agency in London working exclusively with US and International Law Firms. Beverley continues to be actively involved in headhunting for Executive level roles as well as dealing with the day to day running of the Firm.
Contact Beverley on email@example.com
Ciara Reid
Ciara Reid is a Managing Director of Ryder Reid Legal and has been involved in legal recruitment for US and International Law Firms since 1994. Ciara has extensive experience of recruiting at all levels but is mainly involved in Executive Search carrying out retained searches for Directors of Administration, Office Administrators and Directors of HR, working alongside Andrea Prendergast. Ciara's many years' experience working exclusively with US Law Firms means that she has gained an in-depth knowledge of how they operate and can readily identify the type of candidates who will work best in these busy, demanding environments. Ciara also heads up the day to day operations at Ryder Reid with fellow Managing Partner, Beverley Ryder and ensures that a high level of service is maintained for both clients and candidates alike.
Contact Ciara on email@example.com
Leticia Formosa
Leticia Formosa joined Ryder Reid Legal in 2006. She was promoted to the role of Head of Interim Legal Division in 2007 and became a Director of the company in 2011. Leticia specialises in recruiting Fixed Term Contract Associates and Contract Lawyers or Temporary Paralegals for purposes of document review/eDiscovery, litigation matters and investigations. Often these contract and temporary positions require highly specialist skills, including a wide range of linguistic skills. Over the past nine years, she has gained an enviable reputation in this area and Ryder Reid is now the preferred supplier to many of our US and Global Law firm clients. Leticia offers a 24/7 service and continually strives to deliver the highest standard of service by placing value on both her client and candidate relationships.
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Andrea Prendergast
Andrea Prendergast, Director and Executive Search Consultant, joined Ryder Reid Legal in March 2008 bringing with her a wealth of recruitment experience. She started her career in Liverpool in 2001, recruiting support staff within the Legal, Finance & Property sectors before relocating to London in 2007, to specialise and recruit solely for Law firms across London and Europe. Andrea is responsible for overseeing the Legal Marketing and HR divisions as well as specialising in the recruitment of senior management and executive level positions, ranging from Manager and Director level to Office Management and Compliance. These searches are often on a retained basis and require executive search and headhunting methods. Working closely with the Managing Directors, Beverley Ryder and Ciara Reid, Andrea consistently maps the law firm market and often spends her time networking and building strong relationships. Andrea is an integral member of Ryder Reid Legal.
Contact Andrea on firstname.lastname@example.com
Callum Smith
Callum Smith joined Ryder Reid Legal in December 2006 initially working as a recruitment consultant both on the Finance and Interim Legal Division. During that time, Callum developed strong relationships with both clients and candidates alike but in 2011 he decided on a career change. He wanted to combine his recruitment knowledge with his strong financial and organisational skills and became the Office Manager at Ryder Reid working closely with Directors on day to day operations to ensure Ryder Reid remain the leader in the US law firm market and continues to provide a high level of service to candidates and clients.
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Steve Cooper
Steve is a Senior Consultant and has been working in legal recruitment since 1996. Initially, Steve recruited for UK law firms before finding his niche recruiting solely for the US market in 2000. He joined Ryder Reid Legal in 2003 where his extensive experience and impressive track record has ensured that he has continued to flourish within the US and International legal market. Steve's in depth knowledge of US Law Firms means he has a great understanding of how they work, the culture and an appreciation of the calibre of candidates required to be a success. Steve has a very transparent approach to recruitment which is popular with both clients and candidates alike and, over the years, has developed expert knowledge in the recruitment of Paralegals/Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Receptionists, Facilities and Business Support staff.
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Dominique Cook
Dominique Cook is a Senior Consultant with over 8 years recruitment experience. Prior to joining Ryder Reid, Dominique worked with a boutique agency in London recruiting senior level executives. Since joining Ryder Reid Legal several years ago Dominique has become a specialist in recruiting for the IT and Finance sectors within legal. Having worked in both an accounts department and providing IT support and training in her earlier career (she is MOS qualified), Dominique has a good eye for spotting talent in these areas. Due to the rapid expansion of the IT and Finance desk over the past few years, Dominique is now focused on senior and executive level roles whilst still overseeing junior and mid-level roles - which are now being covered by Kate Gallagher. She has also been instrumental in expanding our international remit and has had fantastic results recruiting at all levels across the EMEA region. Dominique has a professional and pragmatic approach and provides cover for Senior Management and Executive level positions in London as required.
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Kerry Channing
Kerry Channing started her recruitment career in 2007 as a consultant at a boutique legal agency in the City where she specialised in sourcing Business Support Staff for the legal sector. She subsequently moved out of legal to broaden her experience and gain insight into a different market - again working on general support roles but for private equity and investment management firms. She recruited for a wide spectrum of positions there, from executive assistants to marketing and senior management roles. However Kerry missed the legal market and was delighted to join Ryder Reid Legal in 2012. Working alongside Andrea Prendergast on the Marketing and HR desk, Kerry recruits for Marketing & HR positions up to Manager level. Her professional, personable manner and natural tenacity allows her to build strong relationships while striving to achieve the best outcome for clients and candidates alike.
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Neil Gibbs
Neil Gibbs started his recruitment career in 2008 and has spent the last seven years specialising in sourcing legal secretaries/PAs and business support staff for both UK and International law firms in Central London. Neil has a comprehensive and expert knowledge of the London market and whether a client is seeking a new member of staff or a candidate is wanting to move to a new job, he will always take the time to listen to individual needs. He provides the same exceptional recruitment service to all law firms whether large or small and with his friendly, approachable and honest manner, he believes, that outstanding customer service to both candidates and clients is at the heart of his success to date. Having recently moved to Ryder Reid, he is now responsible for permanent support staff vacancies, including Legal Secretarial, Reception, Paralegals and Facilities.
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Keira Couzens joined Ryder Reid Legal in 2010 - she has a natural aptitude for recruitment and quickly made a big impression with candidates and clients alike. Keira has made full use of her organisational and people skills as a Consultant and worked on the Interim Legal desk before moving to the Business Support Temp Division. She has a warm bubbly personality and gives 100% to every task with no client requirement being too difficult – indeed she relishes a challenge. Keira is currently responsible for temporary business support positions alongside Aimee Burton but because of her previous experience on the Interim Legal Division she has recently expanded her remit to recruit Contract Lawyers and Temporary Paralegals for purposes of document review. Keira is now a senior member of the Ryder Reid team and offfers a 24/7 service to her clients and candidates alike.
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Kate Gallagher
Kate Gallagher is a Law LLB Graduate, who started her career in a large educational recruitment agency sourcing teachers and support staff. After 2 years within the education sector, she welcomed the opportunity to move into the legal recruitment market and to combine the knowledge gained during her law degree together with her recruitment skills. Whilst Kate's main focus at Ryder Reid is recruitment for permanent support staff including Legal Secretarial, Reception, Paralegals and Facilities staff, her remit has recently expanded to include recruitment of junior to mid-level Accounts and IT roles - with an excellent success rate. Kate's knowledge of the US legal market is rapidly expanding and we continue to receive positive feedback from her ever growing client base who thoroughly enjoy working with her.
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Gemma Coyston
Gemma Coyston has been working with Ryder Reid Legal for several years and is a Consultant in Ryder Reid's highly regarded Interim Legal Division. She works closely with the head of the division, Leticia Formosa, to recruit Contract Lawyers and Temporary Paralegals for purposes of document review. Gemma also recruits Fixed Term Contract Paralegals for our law firm clients to work as generalists across various practice areas. She is highly skilled in sourcing and identifying suitable candidates for even the most challenging of requirements. Her dedication and perseverance means that she always produces positive and quick results. Gemma is building a strong reputation in the Interim Legal market and has excellent working relationships with both clients and candidates alike.
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Evie Perry
Contact Evie on firstname.lastname@example.com
Aimee Burton
Aimee Burton is a Law LLB graduate with two years' experience working as a paralegal for a leading UK law firm. Prior to joining Ryder Reid Legal, she worked at a boutique legal recruitment agency in London recruiting all areas of business support for UK law firms based in the City. She works closely with Keira Couzens to recruit temporary business support positions including Secretarial, Reception, HR, Facilities, Marketing, IT and Finance roles. Aimee also recruits Contract Lawyers and Temporary Paralegals for the purposes of document review. Aimee continues to expand her knowledge within the US and international legal market and is looking forward to developing and progressing her career within Ryder Reid Legal.
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Laura Lucia joined Ryder Reid in 2011 and after several successful years working as a Consultant within the Interim team, transferred to our Permanent Division where she focussed on Business Support roles, including Legal Secretarial, Reception, Paralegals and Facilities. Laura's attention to detail, strong sense of ethics and excellent working relationships with clients and candidates alike meant this was a smooth transition. She also has a very good understanding of the needs of International law firms and our various client cultures. Laura's role has recently progressed to also include executive search for HR & Marketing positions.
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Ryder Reid Legal LtdValiant House4-10 Heneage LaneLondonEC3A 5DQUnited Kingdom


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Escorted TourFinland and Russia
From $2,485 USD
August 2 - August 6, 2019
5 Days / 4 Nights
Fairy Tale Baltics, escorted tour to Finland and Russia, features highlights of Helsinki, by Allegro train to historic St. Petersburg, city of the Czars.
The Fairy Tale Baltics, 5-days escorted tour to Finland and Russia. Explore Finland's capital city Helsinki, often called the "Daughter of the Baltic", with many sights and attractions; Suomenlinna, one of the world's largest historical maritime fortresses is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Journey by high-speed Allegro train from Helsinki to historic St. Petersburg. Visit the Hermitage Museum, Peter & Paul Fortress, Pushkin and St. Isaac's Cathedral.
August 2 - August 6, 2019
Guaranteed departure 2019:
August 2 - August 6
- from $2,485 per person in double room
- from $3,035 single room
- 4 nights Helsinki - St. Petersburg
- 4 nights accommodation in centrally located first class hotels
- Rooms with private facilities
- Scandinavian breakfast buffet daily
- Daily 3-course or buffet dinner
- Packed lunch on train Helsinki - St. Petersburg
- Train Helsinki - St. Petersburg
- Coach transfers between hotels and railways stations
- 3-hour city tour of St. Petersburg
- Visit to Peter & Paul Fortress, St. Isaac's Cathedral
- Visit to Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace
- Pushkin, Catherine's Palace
- Hydrofoil from St. Petersburg to Peterhof
- Entrance to Lower Parks and Grand Palace
- 1 hour guided canal tour
- Folklore show at Nikolaevsky Palace
- Snacks during intermission
- Dinner at local restaurant
- All entrance fees as per itinerary
- Transportation by modern deluxe coach with reclining seats and seat belts
- English-speaking tour escort throughout
- Luggage assistance at all hotels while with the group
- Transfers airport/hotel first & last days of tour*
Not Included
- International airfare & airport taxes
- Airport taxes
- Russian Visa fee
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal insurance / personal items
- $25 Service fee
Please note
- *Transfers to/from a different airport than the one mentioned in the tour program may incur a supplement.
- Please inquire about our favorable airfares on Icelandair or SAS.
Day 1 ARRIVAL HELSINKI (D)
Transfer from Helsinki Vantaa Airport in connection with your flight arrival. Dinner and accommodation at the Hotel Haven, a first class hotel centrally located. Your tour escort will meet you at 18.50 hrs (before dinner) in the hotel lobby.
Haven Hotel ****+
Day 2 HELSINKI - ST. PETERSBURG (B, L, D)
Breakfast followed by transfer by coach from hotel to railway station. Departure from Helsinki on train "Allegro" for St. Petersburg. Lunch box on train.
Arrival in St. Petersburg. Coach transfer from railway station to hotel combined with 1 hour's guided boat cruise along the Neva River and visit at St. Isaac's Cathedral.Welcome dinner including shot of vodka and 1 glass wine, and accommodation at Ambassador Hotel, a four star hotel located in the city center, near the famous Mariinsky Theatre.
Ambassador Hotel ****+
Day 3 ST. PETERSBURG - PETERHOF (B, L, D)
Buffet breakfast at hotel. The day begins with a transfer to Neva River cruise harbour for cruise by hydrofoil to Peterhof, including Grand Palace and Lower Parks with fountains. Lunch at local restaurant.
After lunch, tour of the world-famous Hermitage Art Museum and the State Rooms of the Winter Palace. Return to hotel. Dinner and accommodation at Ambassador Hotel.
Ambassador Hotel ****+
Day 4 ST. PETERSBURG - PUSHKIN - FOLKLORE (B, L, D)
Buffet breakfast at hotel and transfer to town of Pushkin followed by a visit to Catherine's Palace, including the famous Amber room. Lunch at local restaurant.
After lunch 3 hours tour of the city by coach with local English-speaking guide. St. Petersburg is a city of outstanding architectural beauty, famous for its magnificent palaces, cathedrals, fountains and bridges. The tour includes sights as the Square of Arts, the Russian Museum, the Cathedral of Our Saviour on the Spilt Blood, Griboedov canal, Nevsky prospect, the Palace Square with the Winter Palace, the spit of the Basil's Island, the Menshikov Palace, the Senate Square, and the Bronze Horseman. A visit will be paid to Peter & Paul Fortress.
This evening you will be taken to see a colorful Russian Folklore show at the Nikolaevsky Palace, with snacks during the intermission. Dinner at the Dostoevsky Restaurant or similar. Accommodation at Ambassador Hotel.
Ambassador Hotel ****+
Day 5 ST. PETERSBURG (B)
Your tour ends after breakfast at the hotel with transfers to St. Petersburg Airport to connect with homeward flights.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Background
Credit unions are important institutions of financial intermediation in both Hawaii (HI) and Puerto Rico (PR). Most credit unions in HI are federally insured (FICUs). The Puerto Rican government insures most credit unions in PR. This study compares only federally insured credit unions. This limit might introduce a severe sample selectivity bias if the object were to compare credit unions generally. The goal of this paper, however, is to compare the performance of FICUs specifically to study the determinants of efficiency and the effect of the higher level of development of the state vs. the lower level of development of the US territory on performance.
Significant differences exist between FICUs in HI and PR. Credit unions in HI are almost twice as large as credit unions in PR. Those in HI also have on average more experience, a lower delinquency rate and a larger membership base than in PR. Yet, the number of FICUs in PR remained stable throughout the time frame of this study (December 1998-December 2000) while it declined in HI. This fact relates to the topic of this study given the observation by Berger and Humphrey (1997) that lower levels of efficiency in the banking system are associated with bank failure.


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I Owe it All to Brazzers
The other night before bed my wife wanted me to get off because it was the last night that I was allowed to before I provide specimen for our new baby-to-be. I wasn't really in the mood, and neither was she (which is typical after a long day with our kids hanging around).
She grabbed out the iPad which typically means that she wants to watch a little adult TV (if you know what I mean). I don't really care. As long as I know she's into, I like it.
As she's laying face down across our bed surfing for a good scene, I grab out a butt plug. I typically choose which hole I'll use it on. But tonight I grabbed the lube and slowly started putting in her pussy. However, this isn't any regular butt plug. This is a glass one. One where you can see everything that's being penetrated.
As I looked up to see what she was watching, I noticed it was a Brazzers threesome. Two girls and a guy. Which is right up her alley.
I continued to penetrate her with the plug. When I knew she was really getting into it, she propped up her ass in the air for me to get a better view of her back-side. Whoa… what a wonderful delight.
After a few more moments she whispers… 'now it's your turn'. I promptly mounted her. After a few more moments she wanted the plug again. However, I told her that I wanted to share her with the plug. So I grabbed a bit more lube and stuck the plug in. Then with a little care I managed to get myself in as well. As she loosened up I was able to go faster and faster while she was sharing her pussy with me and the plug.
I had to finally pull out; otherwise, I was going to cum and I didn't want to end so quickly. For the next few minutes I just watched her play with herself with her ass propped up and thrusting the plug in and out.
When I finally felt like I had recovered, I slowly started sharing her pussy again. This time she asked me to stick my finger in her ass. Triple Stuff!! Now this was tight.
As you can imagine, I couldn't last much longer, and neither could she. We both came and it was an awesome session together. After we were done I asked her when she got a membership to Brazzers, and she grabbed the iPad to show me this Brazzers discount site. She went on to tell me that she was just browsing the internet and really didn't consider getting one until she saw she could get a one month membership for $9.95. So she decided, 'what the heck'. All I can say is, 'I owe it all to Brazzers'.
JP Slender
Hi, my name is JP, but my friends call me Slender. I guess it's because I weigh 200 lbs. at 6 feet 3 inches.


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We have redone our bathroom and primed the walls in preparation for paint.
Unfortunately when pulling up the masking tape, the paint didn't stick fully to the wall and seemed to pull away from the wall. Reminds me a little of cling wrap.
1.) Did we apply to thick?
2.) Anything to do with us painting over older plaster walls instead of drywall?
We ran a razor along the edge of the edge of the masking tape to pull off but we still have some paint that has pulled up. Should we just spackle over this or sand?
Thanks :D


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About hobsons|choice
The hobsons|choice business itself is built upon over 40 years of experience and each element of a client's interaction with us is continually refined to make certain it delivers the very best customer experience.
From a client's initial contact with hobsons|choice via our website or exploratory phone call, to their first foray into our Bath, Swindon or Winchester showroom to meet one of our Design Consultants, to the final completion of their new kitchen or bathroom we deliver service excellence. This is achieved through the demand for the highest quality design and installation craftsmanship, the very best products and rigorous process reviews and quality checks.
Read our Company Brochure


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Revit Conversion ServicesImage to Revit | PDF to Revit | CAD to Revit
BimSrv provides Revit Conversion Services.
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BimSrv provides comprehensive Revit Conversion Services including CAD to Revit Conversion, Paper to Revit, Sketchup to Revit or from virtually from any inputs you provide. These may be photographs, PDF or TIFF Drawings, or even Google Earth, we can convert them to accurate 3D Revit Models.
BimSrv's team of graduate professionals understand buildings so are able to comprehend details that may not be clear in the inputs you provide and can interpolate to create accurate 3D Revit Models. Read a Case Study on how BimSrv delivered accurate 3D Revit Model from Google Earth, Photographs and incomplete CAD Drawings.
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Fracking-related chemicals may ultimately cause infertility. This has been proven by research done by scientists.
About 15 million Americans live within the confines of a one-mile wide radius where oil and gas from unconventional means are mined from the earth's depths.
Among some of the operations that are carried out are directional drilling into the earth's crust and hydraulic fracturing. The latter is commonly known by the epithet of "fracking". This releases some of the natural gas stored in the rocks beneath the earth's crust.
The effects of fracking on human health and development are not known with any surety. Yet, now studies are emerging that show that fracking causes certain harmful chemicals to be released into the environment that have an adverse effect on reproductive functions.
So far the deleterious effects have been observed in lab mice. Whether humans show the same susceptibility remains a moot point. It all depends upon the quality and quantity of exposure to the caustic chemicals.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) tend to imitate and impede the normal hormones of the body. These hormones are responsible for respiration, reproduction, metabolism and growth not to mention a ton of biological activities that go on within the bodies of ordinary individuals.
The evidence is here. It points towards a possible connection between chemicals released from fracking and fertility levels in human beings. At least in rodents, the nasty side effects of chemicals released from fracking and drilling activities are very real.
Even the smallest amount of exposure causes very abnormal functioning as far as the homeostasis and metabolism of the mice were concerned. The study involved mixing 23 different oil and gas chemicals in four different concentrations.
This was done to match the liquid gunk found in waste water and drinking water of many human communities. These were situated very near to the sites where fracking and drilling operations took place on a regular basis.
When pregnant mice were given these until they gave birth the full-fledged consequences of fracking and drilling chemicals came to the fore. The female offspring of these pregnant mice were compared to other female mice that had not been treated with the toxic chemical-laced water.
The exposed group had more reproductive abnormalities. Not only was the ovarian follicles damaged but the pituitary and general reproductive hormones were disrupted on a fundamental level.
The male mice were furthermore subject to low sperm levels. Thus these fracking chemicals had negative effects on both male as well as female mice.


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Established in 1974, the company has developed from a traditional brick and ceramics manufacturer to becoming a State-owned multi-sector group in building material production, infrastructure development, industrial parks and residential and business properties.
The Ha Noi-based company has 38 subsidiary and affiliate companies nationwide, of which eight are operating in the field of investment and infrastructure, 26 are manufacturing building materials and four are involved in trade and training.
The corporation made its initial public offering in February 2014 of 77 million shares, equivalent to over 25 per cent of its charter capital, but sold only a quarter of those shares. The Ministry of Construction still holds a 91.5 per cent stake in the company.
The ministry has told the corporation to reduce its building material companies to two and divest capital from its other three businesses.
At present, eight subsidiaries are listed on the stock exchange or traded on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM). However, many of them have suffered poor business performances and face the risk of being delisted.
Viglacera Dong Trieu (DTC), Viglacera Thang Long (TLT) and Viglacera Ba Hien (BHV) have all been kicked off the exchange. DTC and TLT moved to the UPCoM, while BVH is now traded on the over-the-counter (OTC) market.
Viglacera Ha Long 1 (HLY), Viglacera Dong Anh (DAC) and Viglacera Tien Son (VIT) have been given warnings by the Ha Noi Stock Exchange.
According to market insiders, profit margins in the construction material sector have fallen to only 5 per cent of turnover, while the domestic industry is still facing difficulties due to oversupply and sluggish growth in the real estate sector.
In 2014, including before and after equitisation, Viglacera earned VND8 trillion ($367 million) in combined revenue and VND454 billion ($20.8 million) in pre-tax profit.
The corporation plans to hike its charter capital to VND3.07 trillion ($140.8 million) this year through a private issue to reduce the State holding from 91.5 per cent to around 75 per cent. — VNS


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Apollo Milton Opeto Obote (December 28, 1925 - October 10, 2005), Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President from 1966 to 1971 and from 1980 to 1985, was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda to independence from the British colonial administration in 1962. As a student he was expelled from Makerere University, of which he was later Chancellor, for taking part in a strike. Moving to Kenya, he became involved in the Kenyan independence struggle, which prepared him to return to Uganda to start a branch of the Ugandan National Congress and assume a prominent role in the independence movement. Unlike in Kenya, this was a peaceful struggle. After engineering a strategic alliance with Mutesa II of Buganda's royalist party, he entered the Legislative Council in 1957. Following independence, the alliance won the 1962 election. He became Prime Minister while Mutesa was appointed President. In 1966, he removed Mutesa from the Presidency, and, having appointed Idi Amin as army chief, suspended the constitution. Pursuing broadly socialist policies, which made him unpopular among European leaders, he moved towards a one-party, centralized state. He abolished provincial government and also the traditional kingdoms, including that of his former ally. His personal lifestyle and lack of real progress under his rule alienated many Ugandans.
While attending a meeting of the British Commonwealth in 1971, he was overthrown by Idi Amin, whose oppressive rule ended in 1980. Obote spent the intervening years in Tanzania as the guest of his friend, Julius Nyerere. Following Amin's fall, he again stood for the Presidency and won. The fact that Nyerere had troops stationed in Uganda may have contributed to a his electoral success. Allegations of voting fraud were rampant. His second rule was marred by repression, which reached greater heights than it had during his first term. Many civilians died as a result of the Ugandan Bush War. He did negotiate help from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund but his attempts to crush the opposition coalition, the Ugandan Popular Front, ended in a guerrilla war between government forces and the National Resistance Army. In 1985, as a presidential election approached, he was toppled in a coup. He went into exile, living in Zambia and South Africa. Partly due to weak democratic foundations, a legacy of colonialism and party due to lack of a tradition of service in the public interest, Obote was a victim of personal ambition. He deluded himself that he was always right and that what was good for him was automatically good for Uganda.
Milton Obote was born at Akokoro village in Apac district in northern Uganda. He was the son of a local chief of the Lango ethnic group. He began his education in 1940, at the Protestant Missionary School in Lira, and later attended Gulu Junior Secondary School, Busoga College and eventually at what later became Makerere University studying English, economics and politics. At Makerere, Obote honed his natural oratorical skills, but was expelled for participating in a student strike (Obote claimed he left Makerere voluntarily. He worked in Buganda in southern Uganda before moving to Kenya, where he worked as a construction worker at an engineering firm. He tried to obtain grants to study overseas but was unsuccessful. While in Kenya, Obote became involved in the Kenyan independence movement. After returning to Uganda in 1956, he joined the political party Uganda National Congress (UNC), and was elected to the colonial Legislative Council in 1957, having formed a local branch of the party.[1] In 1959, the UNC split into two factions, with one faction under the leadership of Obote merging with Uganda People's Union to form the Uganda People's Congress (UPC).
In the run up to independence elections Obote formed a coalition with the Buganda royalist party, Kabaka Yekka. This alliance was strategically significant because the Baganda were wealthy and numerous but "wary of being absorbed into a state which might be dominated by their traditional enemies in the north and west of Uganda" and Obote was from the North.[2] With Bagandan support, his own position was considerably strengthened. The two parties controlled a Parliamentary majority and Obote became Prime Minister in 1962. In the election, Mutesa's party won 21 seats while Obote Peoples Congress won 37. Other parties won 33, which gave the alliance a majority.[3] Obote assumed the post on April 25, 1962, appointed by Sir Walter Coutts, then Governor-General of Uganda. The following year, the position of Governor-General was replaced by a ceremonial Presidency to be elected by Parliament. Mutesa, the Kabaka (King) of Buganda, became President, with Obote as executive Prime Minister.
As prime minister, Obote was implicated in a gold smuggling plot, together with Idi Amin, then deputy commander of the Ugandan armed forces. When the Parliament demanded an investigation of Obote and the ousting of Amin, he suspended the constitution and declared himself President in March 1966, allocating to himself almost unlimited power under state of emergency rulings. Several members of his cabinet, who were leaders of rival factions in the party, were arrested and detained without charge. In May the Buganda regional Parliament passed a resolution declaring Buganda's incorporation into Uganda to be de jure null and void after the suspension of the constitution. Obote responded with an armed attack upon Mutesa's palace, which ended when Mutesa was forced into exile. Obote had ordered Amin to storm the king's palace. The relationship between the two men had already broken down, with Mutesa cultivating the support of the army chief, Shaban Opolot whom Obote removed, promoting Amin. In 1967, Obote's power was cemented when Parliament passed a new constitution which abolished the federal structure of the independence constitution, and created an executive Presidency. Moehler points out that the parliament at this time mainly comprises members of the UPC whose terms had expired, so had no legitimacy or legal authority.[4] Obote set about dismantling the traditional kingdoms, removing any rival to his own authority. When he convened parliament to promulgate the new constitution, he surrounded the chamber with soldiers and informed members that they would find copies of the constitution in their mail boxes.[5] Commenting on the difference between the 1962 and 1966 constitutions, Mutibwa describes the first as characterized by "compromise, tolerance and pluralism" and the second by "anger and unitarism."[5]
In 1969, there was an attempt on Obote's life. In the aftermath of the attempt all opposition political parties were banned, leaving Obote as an effectively absolute ruler. He set up a personal security service to surround himself with the protection he needed to survive real and imagined assassination plots. The years of Obote's rule as President from 1966 to 1971 were on the whole quiet years in Uganda's history. A state of emergency was in force for much of the time and many political opponents were jailed without trial, but life for ordinary citizens was comparatively uneventful. Some economic growth occurred, although this was not spectacular. His one-party rule displeased overseas donors while lack of substantial progress at home began to alienate the people, as did his extravagant personal life-style. After receiving several honorary doctorates, he started styling himself "Dr." In 1969-70, Obote published a series of pamphlets which were supposed to outline his political and economic policy. "The Common Man's Charter" was a summary of his approach to socialism.[6] A proposal on new election procedures was supposed to end tribalism (allegiance and favoritism for one's own ethnic group. The government took over a 51 percent share in major private corporations and banks in the country in 1970.
After 1966, Obote's regime was openly dependent on control of the army. Idi Amin, who sided with Obote in 1966, was rewarded by promotion to Army commander, despite his near-illiteracy and the availability of trained officers. Starting in 1969 strains became visible between the two. In January 1971 Obote was overthrown by the army while attending a Commonwealth conference in Singapore, and Amin became President. Published works on the coup have asserted that Western Governments were at least aware of, and may have aided, the coup in the context of Cold War politics and the "red threat."[7] Obote fled to Tanzania.
In 1979, Idi Amin was ousted by Tanzanian forces aided by Ugandan exiles. By 1980, Uganda was governed by an interim Presidential Commission. At the time of the 1980 elections, the chairman of the commission was a close associate of Obote, Paulo Muwanga. Muwanga had briefly been the de facto President of Uganda from May 12 to May 20, 1980. Muwanga was the third of three Presidents who served for short periods of time between Amin's overthrow and the setting up of the Presidential Commission. The other two presidents were Yusuf Lule and Godfrey Binaisa.
The elections in 1980 were won by Obote's Uganda People's Congress (UPC) Party. However, the UPC Party's opposition believed that the elections were rigged, which led to a guerrilla rebellion led by Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army (NRA) and several other military groups. The Tanzanian forces were gradually withdrawn, possibly because Uganda was unable to repay the expensive cost of their intervention, estimated as $600 million.[8]
Approximately 100,000 people died as a result of fighting between Obote's Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) and the guerrillas.[9] Amnesty International and the Red Cross reported numerous Human rights violations.
Obote did negotiate funds from the World Bank and the IMF agreeing to increase agricultural production and even he invited political exiles and Asians to return to Uganda and repaired strained relations with other African states. The terms he agreed with the IMF, though, included devaluing the currency, which effectively wiped peoples' savings out overnight.[10] This may have indicated his growing self-confidence; he allowed his opponents to form themselves into a united anti-UPC Popular Front. Soon, the UPF had an armed wing, the Ugandan Resistance Army and the guerrilla war broke began.
On July 27, 1985, Obote was deposed again. As in 1971, he was overthrown by his own army commanders in a military coup d'état. This time the commanders were Brigadier Bazilio Olara-Okello and General Tito Okello. The two men briefly ruled the country through a Military Council, but after a few months of near chaos, Museveni's NRA seized control of the country.
After his second removal from power, Obote fled to Tanzania and later to Zambia. For some years it was rumored that he would return to Ugandan politics. In August 2005, however, he announced his intention to step down as leader of the UPC.[11] In September 2005, it was reported that Obote would return to Uganda before the end of 2005.[12]
On October 10, 2005, Obote died of kidney failure in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.[13] Milton Obote was given a state funeral, attended by president Museveni in the Ugandan capital Kampala in October 2005, to the surprise and appreciation of many Ugandans, since he and Museveni were bitter rivals. Other groups, such as the Baganda survivors of the "Luwero Triangle" massacres during the civil war, were bitter that Obote was given a state funeral.
He was survived by his wife and five children. On November 28, his wife Miria Obote was elected UPC party president. One of his sons, Jimmy Akena, is a member of parliament for Lira.
When Obote rose to power, he was a "charismatic politician" who seemed to personify the hopes of the young nation, even of the whole of Africa.[13] Uganda had achieved independence without an armed struggle and with an economy in place that, at the time, was relatively healthy. Although the commercial sector was dominated by South Asians, there was "no alien white settler class attempting to monopolize the worth of the cash crop economy" and "In Uganda, it was African producers who grew the cotton, the coffee that brought the highest standard of living" said Akbar Godi, a Ugandan member of parliament on the country's 45th anniversary. In fact, the country seemed to be "a model of stability and progress."[14] What went wrong? Idi Amin constantly blamed the British for Uganda's problems. On the one hand, Uganda was well situated to thrive economically, which makes it difficult to blame the departing colonial power for the ruined economy that followed independence. In fact, the British had deliberately encourages an African-led agricultural sector. Leaders such as Obote, once in power, spent more on the military, on personal security and on suppressing opposition than they did on education, health care and agricultural development. At the same time, they lived an extravagant lifestyle. What can be laid at the blame of the departing colonial power was that the British did not properly prepare people such as Milton Obote for leadership.
The British had established a legislative council in 1921 but the membership, which was appointed, consisted of whites and Asians and it was not until the 1940's that the first three Africans were nominated. The Northern province was ignored, while the Baganda were given a permanent seat. Instead of members on the Council regarding this as a privilege, it was seen as a right. Nor did members see their role as one of self-less service to promote the good of the whole state; they aimed to protect the interests of their own province, or clan.[15] Mutibwa identifies a personality change in Obote after his rise to power, which transformed him from a "frank and sincere" man into someone who believed not only in the his "own destiny" but also in the "rightness of everything he did."[16] He could not tolerate dissent, or opposition. The repressive measures he took stemmed from this personality transformation. His centralization of governance and attempts to end the autonomy and power of local elites, was also influenced by the ideas of Kwame Nkrumah who believed in dismantling the traditional institutions, such as the Kingdom of Buganda, that in his view would hinder the development of national unity.[17] Obote spoke about "One Nation, One People, One Parliament." Where he went astray was in his conviction that he symbolized the nation, the people and parliament. He systematically dismantled the traditional kingdoms of Buganda, Ankole, Bunyoro and Tore removing any rival to his own central authority.[18] Genuine, pluralist democracy was not given a chance to flourish. If the British had nurtured and fostered a tradition of public service, a more solid foundation would have existed on which the post-independence leaders could have built. Once in office, the attraction of being a head of state and of living extravagantly was too great to resist.
In 1963, Obote was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law from Long Island University in the United States and in 1964 he received the same degree from the University of Delhi, India. After this, he always styled himself "Dr." When Makerere, founded as a College in 1922 was upgraded to a University in 1970, Obote became its first Chancellor. When Amin took over, he appointed himself Chancellor but Obote was reinstated from 1981-1985. Both men enjoyed the status of "Chancellor" but neither did much to develop the University, dubbed the "Harvard of Africa." During the 1970s the buildings were neglected and from 1978 until 1986 the medical school lost recognition from the United Kingdom General Medical Council.[19]
|Preceded by:
|President of the Uganda People's Congress
|Succeeded by:
Miria Obote
|Preceded by:
Benedicto Kiwanuka
|Prime Minister of Uganda
|Succeeded by:
Otema Allimadi
post abolished 1966–1980
|Preceded by:
Edward Mutesa
|President of Uganda
|Succeeded by:
Idi Amin
|Preceded by:
Presidential Commission of Uganda
|President of Uganda
|Succeeded by:
Bazilio Olara-Okello
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I was frustrated by the radio, I have it on all day as I work and it seemed like every station had exactly 12 songs that they played over and over again. Katie suggested I tune in CKUA, and I did briefly as I got an ear full of very obscure classical lute music. The more I listened the more I noticed that they don't repeat any music and play everything from classical lute solo's to Corb Lund and rap. The other things I noticed was there is no news, no mindless banter by a bunch of talking heads and mostly no opinions, or advertising. I tuned every radio I own to this station.
This blog is not about mindless banter, (or is it just that?) it is about the thought process behind avoiding mindless banter and how I stay in touch with a world that is about as out of control as it could be. We are endlessly barraged with fears and cures: You have this problem, buy this to solve it. And it's not just products, it's opinion: Here is the problem, this therefore, is the sensible opinion, all others have to be wrong, because this is how sensible people think.
This is how climate change skeptics are kept under control and religious opinion is held to a minimum. It is basically refined censorship by public outing. A friend of mine recently made a comment on twitter about how being an MLA was the best job most MLA's would ever have. It was a GREAT job, I'd probably never do it again, but it was great. He was vilified for his opinion. Now you might agree with him or not, but opinion is never wrong. The reason I am being so selective in how I ingest and now post to media is a lot of my opinions are a lot harsher than his, but so long as the thought police stay busy manning photo radar I'm pretty much free to think what I want. Which includes not buying into manufactured discontent.
Some things make me go hmm, like the Canadian media filming so called refugees from New York stepping through a muddy ditch on their way to safety in Canada. The hmm, part was a lot of the footage was filmed from the American side of the border as I guess the camera angle was better. Absorb that: This isn't about a not my president movement, this is about creating a nonexistent refugee crisis in Canada. Hell we could solve the problem by fixing the broken fence or installing an electric one. Refugees don't show up at the border with visa gold cards and Mountain Equipment Coop luggage. Point being, there is no such thing as an American refugee, just send them home, we don't need to process them or feed them, we need to hand cuff them and escort them back to the taxi that dropped them off. If we shot one the problem would be solved. These people aren't escaping oppression. They are escaping a duly elected Republican they didn't vote for.
But our media colleagues, who tend to kind of morph together have whatever opinion is on the teleprompter or handed to them by the advertisers, have us thinking we have a refugee crisis with Americans desperate to escape a duly elected Republican President they don't like, we don't.
Our own system is no better, I have only ever had two conversations with party politicians where they had anything good to say about the other party. Those two, by the way, were Ralph Klein and Pam Barrett.
So by divesting myself of the background noise of media, I am free to form my own opinions, look for good stories and find inspirational acts by others and there are lots today for example:
- Kirsten Palten, a Swede, just ran 1,840 km across Iran to prove it was safe, it was.
- There is a nun in the USA who, at age 86, has competed in 40 Ironman triathlons. They call her the Iron Nun and for those of us who went to catholic school they were all Iron Nuns.
- Heterosexual men in Holland are holding hands in support of LGBTQ people, that's nice.
The point is: I don't have the disease and I don't need the cure. There is a very good reason my TV has an off button and I have an MLB and Netflix subscription. So long as the beer is cold, the Cubs are winning and Longmire making new episodes, I'm happy.
My solution to all this is, for me, called mindfulness and like Kirsten Palten demonstrates, the truth is not the same as the story we are being fed. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, it's much simpler than a conspiracy, the Buddhists call it Monkey Mind, the inability to focus on what matters because we are being bombarded by useless things disguised as important things.
If your house is on fire, you have an important thing to think about. If you are mad because Sarah Hoffman called Brian Jean a sewer rat, you are thinking about a useless thing.


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Who's the Indian in The Social Network?
By Prashant Agrawal
"The Social Network" opened last week to rave reviews, Oscar buzz and a big box office. This is the type of movie that actors give their right arms to star in.
Given the movie is at least loosely based on the Facebook story, there is an Indian character that plays an integral role in the narrative: Divya Narendra, a Harvard student who tussled with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg.
An Indian doesn't play Mr. Narendra in the movie. Instead, he is played by Max Minghella, who has Italian, Scottish and Chinese ancestry, according to his Wikipedia profile posted on http://www.maxminghella.com/
This past summer, "Prince of Persia" and "Airbender," two big-budget Hollywood movies, caused a stir by casting white actors in the roles of South Asian and Middle Eastern actors. The producers of those movies explained the casting by saying these were movies based on video games and comics where the ethnicity of the characters isn't known. That explanation was more plausible with Airbender, where no ethnicities are mentioned in the comics, than the descriptively named Prince of Persia.
But The Social Network is a movie based on real people. Mr. Narendra is of Indian descent. In an interview, he said he was "initially surprised to see a white actor play him on screen."
A Google search turns up a picture of Mr. Narendra next to Mr. Minghella. The differences are striking. Mr. Minghella, son of the legendary director Anthony Minghella, is significantly shorter and he appears to weigh a fair bit less. He also looks significantly lighter-skinned than Mr. Narendra.
Which brings up another issue. Many photographs not related to The Social Network show Mr. Minghella as a rather pale young man. But in pictures of him as Mr. Narendra, he appears darker. There's another one that puts all the cast members together with their real-life personae; in this one, Messrs. Narendra and Minghella appear to have about the same complexion.
Was make-up used to darken Mr. Minghella for the part? A spokesman for Sony Pictures said in an email it was not.
Good, because we don't need white actors deliberately darkened to play Indians.
But here's the real question: Why was Mr. Narendra played by Mr. Minghella in the first place?
We are not questioning Mr. Minghella's acting talent. But there are plenty of Indian-origin actors to play the roles of Indians in movies. Kal Penn, Aziz Ansari, Maulik Pancholy, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Manu Narayan, Adhir Kalyan and Naveen Andrews are all actors who could potentially have played Mr. Narendra.
Pat Moran, an Emmy-winning casting director, says in an interview that in general those in charge of casting try to match the ethnicity of the actor with the ethnicity of the character.
"As a casting director, I would look like an idiot if I sent you a Caucasian for an Indian role," he told me. "If I am casting a role for a Hispanic character, my obligation is to go through all the Hispanic actors I know, before I go to other characters."
The Sony spokesman declined to comment on why Mr. Minghella was chosen to play Mr. Narendra or whether actors should be ethnically matched to their roles. But he noted, "The person who loves Max in the movie the most is the real Divya Narendra."
Efforts to reach Mr. Minghella were unsuccessful.
It is ironic that the makers of a film about Facebook couldn't find an actor of Indian descent to play Mr. Narendra out of the 20 million-plus Indians on Facebook. They had pictures right in front of them.


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Weird California - By Joe Parzanese
Avila Beach Spirit
Pirates Cove
Avila Beach, California
According to local urban legend, there's a ghost that wanders around a cave out at Pirate's Cove, the local nude beach. He appears on full moon nights and appears to wander by the cave as if he can't leave it. When he sees someone, he smiles at them, and looks like he is going to speak before fading away. The story states that his name is Mikey and that he fell off the cliff there.
Follow WeirdNV.com!
Last Edited: 2012-11-09


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Included in your booking
Don't see an amenity you're looking for? Ask the host, Alexandra
Northwest Washington, Washington, DC
Cancel for free within 24 hours
Don't see an amenity you're looking for? Ask the host, Alexandra
Our loft is a bespoke private events space, a magical backdrop for memorable events tucked away quietly above a beer garden. Whether hosting a your best friends, your future in-laws or your colleagues, we've hosted anything from speaker series with a former presidential candidate to a best-man speech, and everything in between. Our team provides personalized service with exceptional attention to detail, from the initial planning stages to seamless day-of management. Located in the thriving Shaw neighborhood steps from the convention center. The Loft is easy to get to, but feels far away, like your own private enclave of enlightened elegance. With a vibrant ambiance, sophisticated yet warm aesthetic, the space is unique among the traditional D.C. event venues. - 80 capacity for a cocktail reception - 40 for a seated dinner - 34 for a team retreat What comes with the space: - Tableware + glassware - High and low top cocktail tables - Chairs - Rectangle tables - Votive candles - Flower vases - Wifi - Bose Sound system - In house food and beverage curation Additional services: - Floral design - DJ - Photobooth
There is no outside food or beverage allowed as we do all catering on-site. We do not allow smoking or confetti.
All ages
Guests may cancel their Booking until 7 days before the event start time and will receive a full refund (including all Fees) of their Booking Price. Guests may cancel their Booking between 7 days and 24 hours before the event start time and receive a 50% refund (excluding Fees) of their Booking Price. Booking cancellations submitted less than 24 hours before the Event start time are not refundable. Learn more
Krystina C. booked a production for 8 people
I used this space for an interview shoot. Host was quick to respond while prepping/planning remotely (I'm in LA). I wasn't on site for this project, but it seems everything went well!
Christopher J. booked a production for 4 people
Great location, Pleasant staff, No complaints.
Michael C. booked a production for 12 people
The space worked well for our shoot. Being above a café also proved very convenient for beverages and supplies when needed. Catering went off without a hitch. Very glad we booked here. The loft looks great on camera!
Tom D. booked an event for 40 people
Excellent space and wonderful hosts! Perfect venue for our technical meetup. We'll be using this place again for sure!
Amina A. booked a production for 15 people
This is such a beautiful space. We used this space to film a video- the atmosphere was perfect and the selection of tables and chairs were great as well. However- if using this space for filming, it may not be the best for audio considering the foot traffic coming in and out as it is a part of the beer garden. The natural light coming in trough the windows and the exposed brick walls with the wooden beams look even better than the photos posted online!
Zuberoa M. booked a production for 4 people
The space is beautiful and Alexandra is nice and responsive but the shoot has been difficult from the beginning to the end. We had to made several adjustments that probably created confusion in both parties specially regarding starting time.


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Andrew Loniak
Technology Support Guru in Gilbert, Arizona
Andrew Loniak
Technology Support Guru in Gilbert, Arizona
I am a Disaster Recovery Technology Support Expert at Loniak Consulting currently living in Gilbert, Arizona. My interests range from technology to amazingly roasted coffee. I am also interested in volunteering, camping, and education of businesses on how to not be a victim.
You can click the button above to view my portfolio over at LinkedIn. If you'd like to get in touch, feel free to say hello through the Apps below.
#BDR #Security #NoJoke


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Add Us In
Add Us In Initiative
Add Us In (AUI) was a demonstration project designed to identify and develop strategies to connect the underutilized labor supply of youth and adults with disabilities, with demand from small business entrepreneurs, particularly businesses in underrepresented and historically excluded communities. The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) awarded competitive cooperative agreements to eight AUI grantees (four in 2010 and four in 2011) to explore the intersection of disability with race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, and gender; factors that can influence employment disparities. Consortia were led by regional grantees and comprised of representatives from small businesses; the workforce development system; and diversity, disability, and youth organizations
Historically, most employment and disability programs, projects, and outreach have focused on larger, national businesses. However, small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms and employ half of all private sector employees. AUI tapped the traditional engine of U.S. economic growth - small businesses - to improve the labor force participation of people with disabilities.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses are responsible for half of the employment in the United States: "While small and large firms provide roughly equivalent shares of jobs, the major part of job generation and destruction takes place in the small firm sector, and small firms provide the greater share of net new jobs." (Headd, Brian. "An Analysis of Small Business and Jobs." U.S. Small Business Administration, Washington, D.C. March 2010. p.3. http://archive.sba.gov/advo/research/rs359tot.pdf Accessed 10/31/2011) In fact, small business generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade. Further, according to the SBA report, small firms tend to fill niches in the labor market that are underserved, giving added importance to the role of small businesses in the employment of persons with disabilities.
According to the American Community Survey (ACS), more than 10 million civilian, non-institutionalized Americans from ethnic and racial minorities have long-lasting disabling conditions or impairments. Connect that to the labor force participation rate for people with severe disabilities which was about 30 percent for whites, 21.2 percent for Latinos or Hispanics, and 17.8 percent for Blacks or African Americans, and the critical need for AUI becomes more clear. In short, AUI sought innovative solutions to address employment disparities for people with disabilities.
AUI represented the first major initiative aimed at linking demand from targeted small businesses with the supply of underrepresented and underserved individuals with disabilities. Despite the growth of minority-owned small businesses in recent years, large businesses have a better record of hiring people with disabilities than small businesses. Increasing the capacity of small businesses to recruit, hire and retain people with disabilities has the potential to substantially boost the rate of employment for persons with disabilities. Add Us In consortia tackled this unique challenge through a consortium-based systems change approach.
Add Us In Consortia
Add Us In Reports and Briefs (Selected)
- Disability and Small Business Fact Sheet
- Add Us In Expert Strategy Meeting Report
- National Diversity Forum Final Report
- Small Business Stakeholder Engagement Meeting Report
- Disability Inclusion and Business (Survey Results)
- "Ban the Box": The Intersection of Disability, Employment, and Criminal Background Disclosure
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations. Contact JAN via phone at (800) 526-7234 or (877) 781-9403 (TTY) or online at AskJAN.org. Specific online resources include Start with JAN: Resources for Small Business
DOL's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) also offers a range of resources to assist employees and employers in learning about work issues. These include:
- Small Business and Disability Employment: Steps to Success (Toolkit)
- Building an Inclusive Workforce: A Four-Step Reference Guide to Recruiting, Hiring, & Retaining Employees with Disabilities(Printed copies are available from ODEP's online order site.)
- The Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE)
Add Us In Consortia
The ODEP-funded eight Add Us In consortia were led by the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Kansas City, Mo.; the Integrated Recovery Network in Los Angeles, Calif.; the Workplace Inc. in Bridgeport, Conn.; the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.; the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois in Chicago, Ill.; the National Organization on Disability in New York, N.Y.; the World Institute on Disability in Oakland, Calif.; and TransCen, Inc. in Rockville, Md.
Each AUI consortium was unique in structure and focus, according to the needs of each community, and leadership. AUI consortia varied in size from 4 to 17 members and the composition included universities, vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, business organizations, disability organizations, LGBTQ organizations, juvenile justice, workforce, and other government agencies. Consortia employment outcomes encompassed internships or summer jobs, customized employment, competitive employment, and entrepreneurship.
Most grantees were implementing a general model that had parallel tracks in engaging businesses and preparing clients, culminating in matching client skills to employer needs. However, AUI outcomes were not only jobs and employment, but also increased awareness, capacity, and systems change. ODEP was particularly interested in capturing effective practices and strategies.
Each consortium explored different elements and approaches to determine the best way to increase the capacity of small businesses (resulting in changes in awareness, policy, or practices around disability hiring): Improving approaches made by business/job development professionals operating in the workforce system for employment of people with disabilities, influencing business and industry associations and co-opting them into the mission of viewing people with disabilities as potential valuable talent, and providing candidates with disabilities access to additional specific housing, health, support, education, and employment program resources to secure employment.


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Project Prioritization Steps
Before you can truly prioritize a business initiative, you have to know the cost and how it will meet business requirements, among other criteria.
My colleague Don Tennant has been wired in to the rising tide of worker dissatisfaction over the past couple of years as we try to emerge from the economic downturn. He's written that layoffs will come back to bite employers and how failure to properly reward high performers will, too.https://o1.qnsr.com/log/p.gif?;n=203;c=204663295;s=11915;x=7936;f=201904081034270;u=j;z=TIMESTAMP;a=20410779;e=i
From talking with Rick Dacri, a human resources consultant and author of the book, "Uncomplicating Management," he listed increased turnover as one of the top 10 workforce challenges of 2011.
A recent survey by job-placement firm Manpower bears that out. The survey found that 84 percent of workers plan to look for a new job in 2011, compared with 60 percent in the survey a year ago who said they would. They're tired of heavy workloads, cost-cutting, little opportunity for advancement and skimpy raises or bonuses-that is if wage freezes have been lifted at all. That doesn't mean there will be new jobs for all those people, but it does speak to their willingness to jump ship.
And that dissatisfaction extends to your key people, warns veteran management adviser and author Ram Charan in a Wall Street Journal interview. He advocates doing more to keep your top talent and rigorous quarterly reviews of key players to keep them and the company as a whole on track.
What can you do? In a Washington Post piece, Gilad Chen, a professor of management and organization at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, likens dissatisfaction to a stock:
If a stock you own is losing value, you will likely think it'll continue to drop in value and decide to sell now. The same goes for employees' view of their jobs-when they experience declining job satisfaction, they expect to become even less satisfied with their jobs in the future, and hence decide to leave their jobs.
He says you have to turn that perception around, because the inverse is also true. First measure satisfaction. Then any small improvement you can make will help. If you can't dole out raises or bonuses, try other performance-based incentives. Give employees more challenging, interesting work. But he warns "make sure you strike a balance and don't overload employees." He advises employers to make a commitment to improving satisfaction and to space out incentives at various intervals to maintain momentum.
He urges workers to tell their bosses they'd like a more challenging assignment as a route to improved engagement with the job.
And I think George Herrmann makes a good point in this Salt Lake Tribune article. He's executive vice president of Right Management, a part of Manpower.
... prioritize. Equip employees with decision rules to be able to identify what is important so they can focus their time appropriately. But remember that empowerment turns to abandonment if leaders aren't providing road maps for people to use in the decision process.


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Peugeot Vehicle Health Check
As a vehicle ages it's important to regularly check its components for any wear and tear. Which is why our Peugeot trained technicians will carry out a comprehensive health check every time your vehicle is in our workshop for service, maintenance or repair work.
Having a Peugeot Health Check can:
- Find problems early to avoid vehicle failure and costly repair bills
- Help to prevent small problems affecting your driving pleasure
- Provide you with peace of mind that your vehicle is in the best condition
What is included:
Our Peugeot trained technicians will carry out a full visual inspection of your vehicle. This includes key items such as:
- Bodywork
- Braking components e.g. brake pads & discs
- Tyres
- Exhaust
- Steering & Suspension
- Lights
- Fluid Levels
- Battery
- Windscreen wipers
- Ancillary drive belt
Plus, you'll also benefit from our Peugeot Service Promise - striving to offer you the best possible service experience.


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If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
~ John 8:36 ~
We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.
~William Faulkner ~
Hello friends. (smile) I encourage you to reset and unplug from time to time. It brings a freshness and renewal from the day-to-day challenges in life. (smile)
Everyday, we are free to choose the mercy and grace that God provides. Yesterday, I rejoiced because I was free to enjoy a day, of my life, without the things and stuff that causes me to rush. (smile) Praise The Lord!
How about you? Do you ever feel rushed? It's a beautiful thing to realize it will get done and the world will keep turning, if it doesn't. It just might be late. Praise The Lord, it will get done!
How many times do we rush because we think ______________ (fill in the blank). We are free to walk by faith and remember Romans 8:28, how God can work all things out.
Praise The Lord, for those things and stuff, He has broken the bondage of and set us free.
Wahoo, I am free from rushing. (smile)
Faith, in God, compliments being free, to choose living, with His mercy and His grace in every situation. Free from worries. Free from doubts. Free from the woulda, coulda, shoulda. That's practicing living free. (smile)
Friends, be blessed today knowing we are free indeed! (smile)


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Ruth Gordon
Happy Tuesday!
I hope this finds you all doing an extremely well. After an incredible trip out West, I jumped into a new week with both feet on the ground. Yesterday was a very productive day for me.Steps are being made towards the next phase of my life. I love the above quote. There are people all around who want to create the facts for you. Those naysayers will be negated. Either you're on my team or you are not. One team that I desire to be a part of is the David Friedman team. David is truly one of the most positive people I have ever encountered. He is a prolific songwriter, a coach and teacher, and author, and he has a film that will be premiering at the Tribeca film Festival later this year. I was thrilled when he consented to take the time for this interview. Ladies and gentlemen, today I am celebrating David Friedman.
As with all my blogs, and to quote a very wise good witch, it is always best to start at the beginning. I asked David to tell me about the first show that he remembers seeing as a kid. David's response was surprising. He said it was so long ago that he doesn't remember. It's so strange that someone so see to musical theater would not remember what his first show was. But he thinks that because musicals have just always been a part of his life, and he started seeing them before he could remember them.The first one he is aware of his Peter Pan on TV with Mary Martin.That, of course, was in the day when you couldn't take being so you had to watch it when it was on, and you could only see it once a year.
He remembers that extraordinary sense of anticipation and excitement and being in front of the TV at exactly the moment it started so as not to miss a moment.
David believes his first time on stage was playing the Mad Hatter in the sixth grade production of Alice in Wonderland. David says that although the casting is probably quite predictive of who he was to become.He did play the guitar, studying started at the age of five, so he also saying and recitals and other related activities. He also made recording at five of him singing.He clearly had talent and great pitch and interpretive flare, although he had a tendency to breathe in the middle of words.
David cannot remember his first professional job, but he does know that the first time he ever conducted an orchestra was on Broadway! He had played an audition for a singer for Mitch Leigh for Sarava. Mitch notice David and asked him to play more auditions. Mitch then asked David to assist him. He then asked David to be rehearsal pianist and he tried his hand at of vocal arrangements any appointed him vocal arranger, and then Mitch gave David the position of assistant conductor in the second week of rehearsal even though David never conducted an orchestra or had done a Broadway show in his life. He had however conducted choruses.And then the conductor was fired and after interviewing a bunch of well-known Broadway conductors, Mitch turned to David and offered him and said," You're the most qualified for the job" and hired him as conductor. This happened in the men's room of Broadway dance rehearsal studios. It's not what you think, David has never slept with anyone to get a job… David says he would have in a minute, but nobody ever asked him to.
David's thoughts on arts in education
David Friedman
What makes you cry out of the blue when you see or hear it?
What makes David cry are expressions of true friendship over circumstances.Like the scene in Sex and the City were Maranda is getting married and Samantha finds out she has cancer. Maranda is at her own wedding, but when she finds out her friend has cancer, she sits down with her and really listens to her and pays attention to her rather than saying," You've ruined my wedding". David found himself weeping at this, and he always tries to be that kind of friend.
David's thoughts on Carol Channing ( all my blogs focus on Carol Channing's Foundation for the Arts). I'm also campaigning for Carol Channing to receive the 2012 Kennedy Ctr. honors. I would like your thoughts on all of the above
David thinks that Carol is a unique, once in a generation (or once in several generations) talent who has devoted her life to entertainment and should be recognized for creating an extraordinary persona who is given the world so much laughter and so much to look at.
David's most recent appearance
David's next appearance
David is doing the Sunday talk at the Center for spiritual living in Sarasota, Florida, followed by a book signing of his book, The Thought Exchange-Overcoming Resistance to Living a Sensational Life and a thought exchange workshop afterward.
|David and his partner, Shawn Moninger
I asked David what one change he would like to see in today's industry. He said he would like to see it more artistically based and less money based. That seems to be the ongoing thread through most of my blog interviews. He is finding that Broadway has become about such enormous amounts of money that getting a show on is about so much more than having a great show. It has to be a show that will reach the lowest common denominator, and it has to be a show that people will think they can make money from. This is all well and good, but what happens is, it relegates so much art to the regions and makes getting to Broadway mostly a financial transaction.
Barry has always been David's kind of songwriter and he thinks he is one of the most underrated musicians in the world, although certainly not under popular-he sells out where ever he goes. And if you desire to see screaming adoring fans go to one of his concerts.
David grew up with the Supremes.He went to their concerts every time they were in New York, and had the extraordinary honor of having Diana have a quadruple platinum hit with his song, " Your Love".
I asked David what he thinks ultimately made him become an entertainer. He says that's an interesting question. Just as happens in metaphysics, David thinks his original reasons for becoming an entertainer, not the reasons he has now. He thinks he did it for attention and fame and fortune, but has morphed into so much more. It's now about exploring the infinite beauty and possibilities in the universe, and sharing that with others. It's so much more fulfilling, and so much less pressured. It doesn't matter if he's a star. It matters that he has this world of emotion and thought an infant possibility available to him at all times.
David says that he is happy at this point he has right now in his career, but not content. There is so much more that he desires to do, so many dreams he's more than fulfilled, but so many he hasn't. He would like to have a show on Broadway, and at the moment has five shows poised to do that. 8 million bucks anyone? He's currently working on three CDs of him singing his own songs, which has taken him over two years to do because of so many other projects. He would love the Thought Exchange to go global in a big way, as he would like to share how it's changed his life with the entire world.. He looks forward to performing Listen To My Heart around the country, and he looks forward to the things he didn't even dream about or know about or know weregoing to happen that he hasn't even expected.
I asked David if he had all the money in the world that he needed, would he continue working. his response was absolutely. He says he would probably do a lot more shopping, put a gorgeous lap pool on their property, and Shawn and he would go to the theater more, but other than that, he doubts that he would change anything. David works with wonderful people. He loves creating, he loves music, and he has an ideal partner because he has the awareness that Shawn is a mirror of him is a mirror of him (David) who he needs to work on. They have three gorgeous homes and a wonderful cat. . He would show more and Shawn would have more shoes.
I asked David what he does to maintain his skills. His response is WRITE, WRITE, WRITE, PERFORM, PERFORM, PERFORM.
If David could travel anywhere in the world and spend some time there, it would be Italy. David speaks Italian, but he would love to perfect it. He would probably take a villa on the water in Italy for a year, and write there.
When I asked David what he would ask God if he could right now, his responses that he feels God is the invisible observer so that he is, so he feels that he can ask anything at any time and simply listen for the answer. He supposes what he would ask is what happens after this.
The last stage show that David saw was Lucie Arnaz at Feinstein's and she was more spectacular than ever-and that's pretty spectacular! Read my blog about that night. I was there too and I more than agree!
The book that is on David's nightstand right now is a book of Double crostics. His passion!
Please visit David' website and Midder Music.
Thank you, David, for the gifts you give to the world!
Please do what YOU can to be more aware that words and actions DO HURT...but they can also heal and help!
Follow me on Twitter If you've seen one of my appearances/shows, add your thoughts to my guestbook at www.RichardSkipper.com
Tomorrow's blog will be...YOU TELL ME! I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS!
Thank you, to all the mentioned in this blog!
|with Ruby E Drash, Sia Furler
Here's to an INCREDIBLE day for ALL...with NO challenges!
Now, GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TODAY!
Become A Facebook friend of mine!
Please contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING and HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
Richard Skipper, email@example.com
Alison Burns
Buy The Thought Exchange Today! Tell David I sent you!


text: Updated 2016 Although Niger's natural beauty and desert landscape make it a geographically appealing location, the violence and fighting that plague many regions of the country make it somewhat less appealing for the casual traveler looking for a safari. Traveling to Niger is not recommended, although it's not the most dangerous place in Africa and it's not like you need to be accompanied by UN troops or anything. Start with Niger Travel Facts.


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I'm active on several StackExchange sites, and a moderator on two of them. With the increasing number of SE sites it's getting more complicated to keep an eye on the stuff I'm interested in. The stackexchange.com tag filters are a good start to be able to monitor several sites at once, but they can't yet replace visiting the main SE sites.
The important stuff I'm missing when I only look at a tag filter on stackexchange.com are
- flags on sites I moderate
- suggested edits
and the not so important, but nice-to-have stuff that is missing is
- question information like number of votes and views
I tried already to use tag filters to monitor my favorite sites but they just can't replace visiting the sites themselves yet, especially for a moderator. The part I absolutely need so that tag filters could serve as a standard way to keep track of my sites are flag counts. At the moment I'd still need to regularly check on the site itself to see if there are any flags, making the tag filters far less useful to me than they could be.
My subjective impression is that the way people use the SE network varies a great deal between users, so I doubt that there can be a one-size-fits-all solution to this. For example the SO mods probably would not want to have the flag number displayed anywhere else, they don't have to check SO itself to know that there are lots of flags, there are always flags there.
Ideally, visiting stackexchange.com should be enough to see all the relevant information for me for the sites I'm interested in and the sites I moderate. It might make sense to make the site more configurable, to allow users to select what they want to monitor and customize the site even beyond just tag filters.


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Move over James T. Kirk, a retiring mind left to its own, totally uninterrupted and undiminished possession, goes beyond the final frontier. My fist size chunk of grey matter becomes my private Intergalactic Teleporter. I am the Queen of Flashback and Flash dancing memories!
Mind you, minding me, is a mix of guilty pleasure and alarming revelations. My mind jumps back to things half thought, wishful imagination and unsolicited information that hungers for a future that I have yet to charter with certainty. Some memories are surprising, others are stunners.
In 1968, I decided to stop wearing sanitary belts with Kotex as large as manhole covers.
(One of my friends did call them just that). These pads were like riding in a saddle. If you were a bleeder like me, an accident could gush out at any moment from back or front or both. One day I CHOSE to switch and use a new way to sop up my oozing womanliness. I got me a box of compressed cotton, less conspicuous, for the modern woman, TAMPONS. Proud of myself, I swaggered home with a variety of sizes that promised "going with the flow" like a real natural woman. I decided to become an expert: I practiced taking care of business with my new hygienic tools that severed the legacy of taking the rag off the bush.
I loved peeling off the thin wrappers of the tiny little feminine things. Holding my breath, stilling shaking legs, I pushed Tampon number one up a chute never travelled. It was a bit snug but not uncomfortable. It pulled out easily enough. I was fascinated that something no bigger than my pinkie could swell, clog and hold back my monthly monsoon. So, Tampon number two, a larger size, was inserted. I walked around with my secret intact. I did a happy dance! It did not move! Who would know? I was now a woman of mystery. "Oh really" TAMPON number three, the largest, asked my body. Then it sucked up all mystery, ritual and moisture. No amount of pulling released the dry knot of cockeyed liberation from my body. You know you have a friend for life when your girlfriend comes to your rescue, respectively demonstrates a surgical skill for removing a foreign object, and does not ask any questions.
In 1975, I lived with a cannibal and two Jesuses. I lived commune style in a large Victorian House off Portobello Road in London. The cannibal lived in the basement. We seldom interacted and rarely spoke to each other. I only went downstairs to bar-b-que on a homemade grill on hotter summer days. He never licked his lips over sizzling ribs with my secret sauce. He didn't stand around telling me stories or appeared hungry as I made plates to sell to homesick Americans on Portobello Road. He always seemed sleepy and slow and quite possibly satiated. I wondered who he had eaten. However my pervasive shyness and southern sensibilities told me that was too personal of a question to ask.
On the other hand, it was impossible to not get personal with Jesus the Pure (as he was blond) and Jesus the Dark (who was a bit mangy looking). They lived in the hallways on separate floors. They were drawn together like magnets. They constantly fought and had to be pulled apart. Depending on who interrupted their epic battle, one or the other and sometimes both got thrown outside. They would fly at each other and use fists, feet and teeth. They never said a word as they delivered and received punches that knocked holes into walls, shattered glass and broke stairway banisters. Neither ever preached nor sang the gospels in the presence or absence of the other. My guess was that the forces of light and dark was really an on-going universal struggle.
Later, I discovered, "For F**** sake keep Jesus out" written on the walls, just as I opened the door for a visitor. Under that somebody had scrawled, "Which one?" More written, "They both can go to hell". The visitor and I stared at the wall. I had a nagging sense she thought I had wrote it. I was an 22 year old colored woman far from my Southern Los Angeles home and the very racist, newly integrating America.
I wonder how these two very specific memories serve me. What are the lessons? Are they worth keeping or sweeping? Am I in the throes of another individuation process? I survived the parallel journeys from girl, maiden to crone and colored to black to American of African descent. As an Elder, I am racing towards the finish line to get to my fullest humanity. I am going into a deeper space. I pray to enjoy and remember.
Amoke Kubat is a writer, artist and community elder living and working in North Minneapolis, Minnesota. http://amokekubat.com


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The U.S. U17s are cutting an impressive swath of late.
Since kicking off the Nike International Friendlies in December with a loss to Portugal, they've gone 5-0-1 and won titles at both the NIF (remember this mad final against Brazil?) and the Aegean Cup in Turkey over the weekend. The run cemented Haji Wright's status as a wispy up-and-coming lightning bolt at forward (and perhaps earned him a European contract), heralded Joe Gallardo's ruthless efficiency in front of goal, spotlighted Fulham's Luca de la Torre as a mouthwatering prospect in the center of the field and made Danny Barbir look like the future of the center back position.
But creative midfielder and No. 10 Christian Pulisic, the 2013 NIF overall MVP, may be the most impressive of the bunch. He may not have the glitzy academy club next to his name on the roster sheet, and of course his goal totals haven't ballooned his next-level status in the way it has for Wright and Gallardo. But as a creative engine, Pulisic is beginning to separate himself from an otherwise very talented pack.
There are always caveats attached to developing players, and the biggest one is to never heap too much expectation onto a young player's feeble shoulders too early. It's easy to stunt a player's growth if he comes to believe he's achieved developmentally everything he's going to achieve by the time he's 16. But even keeping in mind the factors that should lead us to take everything the U17s do with the appropriate dash of salt, Pulisic's skill set enchants.
In the U17s' 3-0-1 run at the Aegean Cup, Pulisic was especially lively, and that counted double in a 2-1 win over Turkey in a final during which he ran rampant. He assisted directly on one goal, indirectly on another and had both hands clamped firmly on the game's steering wheel.
With that in mind, I'd like to take a look at three of Pulisic's illuminating moments from Saturday's final and push them into the light.
This first video is indicative of Pulisic's comfort navigating in space and peeling back the layers to find teammates in small creases. With three Turkish players crowding his cleaving run down the center third of the field, Pulisic commands the pass with his left and threads it between two defenders (who are not off the mark positionally) to free up a prime goalscoring opportunity. It's a lovely bit of craft that's made to look a lot easier than it is.
Our second clip is as illustrative of Pulisic's motor as it is his vision. He drops a bit deeper here to collect possession, and as soon as he snaps his eyes up vertically the ball is already off his foot, laid perfectly to Pierre da Silva to start a lovely break. Da Silva leads the bank of three forward, and you'd just assume Pulisic's work is done as da Silva preps the cross. But watch the end of the movement. Pulisic is in the box by the time Joe Gallardo collects the pass. That meant Pulisic burned past Luca de la Torre, who had a few strides on Pulisic by the time the ball was out, in order to buttress the scoring opportunity. Impressive on both the front and back ends from Pulisic on a goal he generated on the root level.
Finally, our third snippet highlighting Pulisic's outstanding afternoon. You see the midfielder collect possession with his back to goal about 35 yards out, and his first move is so subtle you almost miss it. His defender did not. Pulisic dummies outside, and the half-second of space that allows him gives him the avenue to cut inside and carve open the defensive belly. Maybe the most impressive thing about his movement is how quick it all is. He takes one touch after getting free and then leads Haji Wright inside with a lovely cut-back ball that set up the eventual game-winner. Hard to stop.
The point here is to draw out the things in his game that make him such an enticing propsect. It's hard enough finding American No. 10s that like to position themselves not only centrally but higher up the field. Creative American players like Luis Gil are far more common – guys who enjoy playing creatively but who settle into more comfortable roles as box-running No. 8s instead of tethering themselves more closely to the strikers.
That's why Pulisic plays with the imagination to such an intriguing degree. At least early on in his developmental career he appears to be exhibiting not only the ability to hold high, but the relish and desire to stay there. A fascinating player to monitor as his YNT career continues to mature.


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Ruland beam couplings are machined from a single piece of material with multiple spiral cuts for higher torsional stiffness and torque capabilities and reduced wind-up when compared to single beam couplings. They operate with zero-backlash and have a balanced design. These six beam couplings have two sets of three spiral cuts allowing for all forms of misalignment. Aluminum beam couplings are made from type 7075 aluminum for longer life. Stainless steel beam couplings are made from 303 stainless steel for increased torque capabilities when compared to aluminum styles. All beam coupling hardware is metric and tests beyond industry standards for maximum performance capabilities. Proprietary Nypatch anti-vibration hardware is used on clamp style hardware in F-series beam couplings. Beam couplings are machined from solid bar stock that is sourced exclusively from North American mills.
Design World's Product Search provides professionals with a quick find referal resource on manufacturer products.


text:
POSTED 3:43PM PST, Sunday — Unless you're completely unplugged from the Linux news media, by now you've heard about the exploit that affected both the Linux Mint WordPress site and the Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon edition.
What you need to know:
- Softpedia provides a solid account and breakdown of events. However, they did miss something…more on that later. If you're into screen shots and the details of the event, check it out.
- ISO Torrents were not affected.
- SSL wouldn't have protected squat. Don't misunderstand, it does protect against OTHER potential attacks, but the initial point of entry was WordPress. Remember the entry point of attack was WordPress, so for this specific attack, Clem's statement below is correct. However, offering anything for download without SSL in play is a special kind of dangerous. Let's hope they keep the site offline until SSL is implemented.
nizzle Says:
February 21st, 2016 at 2:46 am
Doesn't do much good to post hashes on a site that's not served over TLS.
When will *.linuxmint.com go https only?
Edit by Clem: It's planned and I'm hoping it'll happen soon. Please note that this wouldn't have helped here though. You'd be served the exact same hacked information via HTTPs.
- Checksums simply don't cut it, however, end users won't mess with OpenPGP secret keys….unless you force them to. Most people simply don't understand the importance of using them or simply don't care.
- This isn't a new issue. Mind the date of this tweet…clearly Mint's web team needs training or some assistance with security. And then a month later (note the date again) we see things finally being addressed.
- Critical: Mint doesn't release security advisories to trusted alert sites at this time.
- Fixed/irrelevant?: Seven hours ago, I received an unsubstantiated claim that their blogging site was running
WordPress 4.2.2. I can't speak to this, however I can tell you their site as of the time of this post runs WordPress 4.4.2. I'd file this under rumor-mill for now.Pinguy OS' Antoni Norman has confirmed that this rumor is not true after checking through the cache of the site.
How to protect ourselves
As a community, casual Linux users (myself included) are generally pretty complacent. We blindly download anything and everything from PPAs to AUR packages, assuming that nothing has slipped through the cracks. Granted, I believe the AUR receives greater scrutny than the current PPA system, but that's beside the point.
The key things we can do to protect ourselves as end users are:
- Only download ISOs from trusted sources. This means distribution providers need to make sure "trusted download" options are provided. Adding a SSL cert isn't a fix, there needs to be additional measures put into place. Whether or not this means OpenPGP is the solution remains to be seen. I honestly don't think it is.
- Get to know the MD5 signature(s). Before you install a downloaded ISO, verify the hash sum for that ISO. Far from a great solution, at least as an end user you did SOMETHING to protect yourself.
- Locking down your distro locally (for end users). Arch documentation has a solid write up that you should familiarize yourself with. This can help minimize the damage that a exploit can do to your system. So instead of taking the scan and pray approach, use these techniques to prevent the available ground an attack can exploit. Pay special attention to the firewall and root control.
- Keep spare (trusted) ISOs handy locally. This borders on the "security through obscurity" philosophy, but it also means you have safe/functional ISOs available no matter what.
There is no spoon
The fact of the matter is if you can read/write to a system, there is an opportunity to exploit it. All we can do is control the attack surface available and minimize it as much as possible. Remember: Lock it down, keep it patched and pay attention. This is the best advice anyone could hope for coming from the end user perspective.
On the distribution and server side of things, I think this provides us with an opportunity to re-examine how we're distributing Linux ISOs. Yes, minding the IP sources and hash sums are a "fair" place to start. I for one, think we can do better and I would like to see some new ideas. Fact of the matter is, this won't be the first time this happens. And thankfully, due to Clem's rapid response, this event was addressed very quickly. Let's hope some tough lessons were learned here to prevent another event in the future.
For the sake of research, I saved a cached copy of the download page for Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon edition. Every single download for each country is pointing to the malicious IP address. Worse, the mere act of clicking on any of the download links instantly starts the download process – no browsing of the directory. Folks, the current method for downloading ISOs is in need of something a bit more secure.
Why this bitter pill is a good thing – long term
At the end of the day, I see this as a positive. First, I believe that Linux Mint will come out of this stronger than ever. Second, this will force others to take ISO security more seriously. This also provides end users with a stronger reason to pay closer attention to what they're doing.
I don't know how all of this will play out. But two things I do know for sure. The Linux Mint team did an outstanding job dealing with this right away. Also, downloading ISO images from randomly linked mirrors might not be the most secure way to distribute today's modern Linux distributions.


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The Hempel Phase 1
- Developer / Owner: British Land
- Developer / Owner: British Land / Amazon Properties
- Consultant: TF Architecture
Extensive refurbishment and remodelling of 18 -20 Craven Hill Gardens to provide twelve lateral apartments including two superb duplex apartments and three townhouses in a prime area of Lancaster Gate. High level of specification and quality of finishes provides a luxurious and unique residential product.
Development Team:
Developer: British Land / Amazon Properties
Architect: TF Architecture
Contractor: ISG
Structural Engineer: Form
Planning Consultant: Savills
Services Engineer: KUT
Cost Consultants / Project Managers: Gardiner & Theobald
- View on map
- Under Construction
- Borough: Westminster
- Size: 25,000 sq ft
- Type: Residential