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4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 1997
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/06/1997
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Paid Work: Changing industries, changing jobs
Over the past few decades the Australian labour force has changed substantially. The shift in labour demand arising from new technology, microeconomic reforms (such as tariff reductions, industrial relations reforms and changes to standards and regulations) and internationalisation of product markets have all contributed to this change. Another factor affecting the demand for labour has been the adoption of new management strategies that emphasise work force flexibility, particularly increased use of part-time and casual employees. Employment has grown significantly in the service sector, particularly in the property and business division and the accommodation, cafes and restaurants division. On a smaller scale, changes in home life have led to an increased demand for services to replace in part those traditionally carried out within the home, such as child care and meal preparation. Along with this growth in the service sector there has been a decline in employment in production industries like manufacturing and mining1. In addition to changes in the relative shares of people employed in different industries, changes in processes and products within industries have led to a shift in the sorts of jobs that employers now offer. These jobs generally require employees with a greater level of skill. Technology has been one of the main agents of change. Computerisation, mechanisation and automation have been incorporated into the work place with the common result of reducing the need for labour and creating new types of jobs1. Another major influence on industrial restructuring has been government economic policy. Generally, the Australian economy has always been vulnerable to the world economy, particularly to commodity prices and overseas competition. For most years since the early 1970s Australia has spent more on importing goods and services than it has earned from exporting them (known as a goods and services deficit). This led to government economic initiatives in the 1980s aimed at creating a more efficient and less sheltered manufacturing sector that could earn export dollars. These initiatives included gradual cutting of tariffs, floating the Australian dollar, liberalisation of foreign investment and allowing foreign banks into Australia2. PROPORTION OF ALL EMPLOYED PEOPLE IN THE PRODUCTION AND SERVICE INDUSTRIES Source: Labour Force, Australia, Historical Summary 1966 to 1984 (cat. no. 6204.0) and Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6203.0).
The decline of employment in production industries In 1966, 46% of all employed people in Australia worked in production industries: on the land or sea, down mines, in the factories or on building sites. Now, 30 years later, that proportion has diminished to 28%. During that 30-year period nearly all employment growth has been in the service sector, which increased from 2.6 million to 6.0 million workers. The number of workers in production industries remained at between 2.0 and 2.5 million. The production industries were, and still are, mainly the reserve of men working full time. Overall, women occupied 23% of production industry jobs in 1995-96, only 1.5 percentage points more than in 1985-86. In comparison, women occupied 43% of jobs overall in 1995-96, four percentage points more than in 1985-86. Manufacturing has been the major employer among production industries since the 1940s. However, by the mid 1970s employment in manufacturing started to decline. The main cause of this was a slowing of growth due to the world-wide effects of the rise in oil prices in 1973-74. At the same time new social reforms, wage rises, and a devaluation of the dollar saw a great increase in the rate of inflation. These changes affected all sectors of the Australian economy, particularly manufacturing, which had to face increasing competition from the newly industrialised countries of Asia3. Australian manufacturers had been protected from international competition by high tariff barriers since federation. However, by the mid 1960s this was increasingly seen as a retrograde policy that was leading to inefficiency and stagnation. The need for reform led to government economic initiatives in the mid 1980s that included gradual cutting of tariffs and liberalisation of foreign investment. These were intended to create a more efficient and less sheltered manufacturing sector that could earn export dollars2. Since 1985-86 the overall number of people employed in the production industries has remained relatively static at about 2.3 million. During the period 1985-86 to 1995-96, the construction industry grew, gaining about 123,000 workers (26% growth). This growth largely offsets the declines experienced in the other production industries. The greatest reduction in employment occurred in the electricity, gas and water supply industries where the number of workers decreased by 63,300, a decline of 44%. During the period 1985-86 to 1995-96 overall employment in manufacturing industries continued to decline. The number of workers employed decreased by 1.5% (17,400 workers). The largest percentage decline occurred in the textiles, clothing, footwear and leather industries, the core manufacturing industries in the early part of this century. Employment in this group declined by 18% (22,200 workers) between 1985-86 and 1995-96. Employment in machinery and equipment manufacturing also declined, by 10% (26,300 workers). The greatest percentage gain in workers, 25% (16,100 workers), occurred in the non-specific group of other manufacturing which includes the manufacturing of prefabricated buildings and furniture. The only other manufacturing groups to increase their employment levels were printing, publishing and recorded media manufacturing (14% increase, 13,200 workers) and food, beverages and tobacco manufacturing (12% increase, 19,500 workers). EMPLOYED PEOPLE BY INDUSTRY 1995-96 AND CHARGE SINCE 1985-86
The growth of employment in service industries The growth of employment in the service sector is not a recent phenomenon. The sector has grown steadily throughout the century, from about 50% of employment in the early part of this century3 to 72% in 1995-96. This pattern of growth is also found in other industrialised countries4. Factors contributing to this growth include the increase in part-time and casual work and the increase in services that replace work previously done in the home, such as child care, cleaning, gardening, maintenance, food preparation etc. Another important influence has been the recognition that many sectors of the service industry have the potential to earn export income5. For example, there has been vigorous promotion of Australia's tourism and education industry. (see Australian Social Trends 1995, Overseas students, and Travel and tourism). Between 1985-86 and 1995-96 the number of workers in the service industries increased by 31%, an increase of 1.4 million jobs. The service industries employed slightly more females than males (51% female in 1995-96). Overall, part-time work was more common in service industries, with 29% working part time compared to 13% in production industries. However, part-time workers were not evenly distributed across all service industries. There were higher concentrations in industries such as accommodation, cafes and restaurants (45% part time) and in the retail trade (42% part time). Increased employment in the service sector has been the major impetus to the recent growth in part-time employment, particularly among females (see Australian Social Trends 1994, Trends in part-time work). The service industry with the highest employment growth was property and business. The number of workers in this division grew by 76%, an increase of about 344,100 (this division includes services such as property operators and developers, real estate agents, technical, computing, legal, accounting and marketing services). The second fastest percentage growth (67%, 152,300 more workers) occurred in the accommodation, cafes and restaurants division followed by the cultural and recreational services division (48%, 60,900 more workers). Although the retail trade ranked sixth in percentage growth (29%), it ranked second in the actual number of new jobs, 279,000.
Source: Labour Force Survey (unpublished data). The effect on occupations All these broad patterns of industrial change have an effect on the jobs available today. This employment shift has, in general, reduced the opportunities for blue-collar workers and increased the opportunities for white-collar workers. Over the period 1985-86 to 1995-96 most employment growth occurred in white-collar occupations. The number of workers in white-collar jobs increased by about one million while the number in blue-collar jobs increased by about 100,000. This difference was spread across most industries, with nearly all industries having a reduced proportion of blue-collar workers. The electricity, gas and water supply and the government administration and defence industries experienced proportionally the largest decreases: 15 percentage points and 7 percentage points respectively over the ten-year period. However, it was the manufacturing sector that actually lost the most blue-collar jobs over the period (71,200). The top ten fastest-growing occupation groups between 1985-86 and 1995-96 reflect the increased demand for white-collar workers as opposed to blue-collar workers. The greatest percentage growth (an increase of 91% or 102,800 workers) occurred in the personal service worker classification (this group includes child-care workers; enrolled nurses; dental nurses; home companions and aides; travel stewards and tourist guides). In rank order, the next four fastest growing occupations were business professionals (90%, 143,600 more workers); medical and science technical officers and technicians (86%, 18,400 more workers); miscellaneous professionals, which includes economists, psychologists, librarians, education researchers and other social scientists (59%, 21,500 more workers); social professionals, which includes social workers, counsellors, lawyers and ministers of religion (51%, 26,000 more workers). Conversely, the majority of the occupation groups in which employment shrank over the same period were low-skilled occupations or those that have been affected by the impact of technological and economic change. The greatest proportional decrease in employment occurred among miscellaneous clerks such as teachers aides; personnel clerks; legal and related clerks; and postal clerks and officers. This group had declined by 41% (70,800 fewer workers). The next four occupation groups in which the relative number of workers decreased the most were construction and mining labourers which decreased by 19% (26,100 fewer workers); metal fitting and machine tradespersons decreased by 15% (19,400 fewer workers); machine operators decreased by 13% (20,700 workers) and farmers and farm managers by 11% (29,200 workers). Unless workers receive training the inevitable result of the shift towards a more skilled labour force is that those without skills are left out or marginalised. Skilled people have lower unemployment rates than unskilled people (see Australian Social Trends 1996, From school to work; and Australian Social Trends 1997, Education and employment). The demand for workers with particular skills is reflected in the relative distribution of previous occupations among unemployed people. In general, unemployed people with previous occupations that required high skills represented the minority of unemployed people while those with lower skill levels represented the majority of unemployed people. TOP 10 FASTEST GROWING OCCUPATION GROUPS(a), 1986-87 TO 1995-96
Source: Labour Force Survey (unpublished data). TOP 10 FASTEST SHRINKING OCCUPATION GROUPS(a), 1986-87 TO 1995-96
Source: Labour Force Survey (unpublished data). OCCUPATIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE'S LAST FULL-TIME JOB(a), 1995-96
Source: Labour Force Survey (unpublished data) The future? Over recent years government education policy has been directed at encouraging students to complete their secondary education and to go on to tertiary level studies. The relatively high Year 12 apparent school retention rates in the 1990s compared with the 1980s, and the increasing number of students completing tertiary studies reflects the success of these policies (see Education - national summary table). This will result in a more highly skilled labour force over the coming decade (see Australian Social Trends 1997, Education and employment). Some organisations have examined aspects of the likely future labour force. The then Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) published a report6 making projections of the future labour force and the former Economic Planning and Advisory Commission (EPAC) issued a report7 that comments on the major issues facing the labour market of the future. The DEET report concluded that continuing globalisation of the economy would be a major influence on the Australian labour force. Manufacturing would need to become increasingly competitive by improving productivity, but it would not provide major new opportunities for employment. Those employed in the manufacturing industries would need to become more skilled or update their skills to cope with new technologies. The report suggested that the service sector would continue its dominant role in providing new jobs. Endnotes 1 Economic Planning Advisory Commission 1996, The Changing Australian Labour Market, AGPS, Canberra. 2 Dyster, B. and Meredith, D. 1990, Australia in the International Economy in the Twentieth Century, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne. 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics 1988, 'Development of manufacturing industries in Australia', Year Book, No. 71, cat. no. 1301.0, ABS, Canberra. 4 OECD July 1992, Employment Outlook, OECD, Paris. 5 Bureau of Industry Economics 'Australia's service sector and international trade in services - an overview', Information Bulletin, No. 14, 1988. 6 Department of Employment, Education and Training 1995, Australia's Workforce 2005: Jobs in the Future, AGPS, Canberra. 7 Economic Planning Advisory Commission 1996, Future Labour Market Issues for Australia, AGPS, Canberra.


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A hospital floral delivery is one of the most reassuring and uplifting gifts you can offer while a loved one is in the hospital. Are you looking for the best Get Well Soon flowers Wilmington for the hospital? Sending flower delivery to a hospital is simple with Designs By Don Florist, even if you're thousands of miles away. Our local florists are skilled at delivering these unique deliveries and are familiar with the protocols of each hospital in the area. When you order flowers from Wilmington florist, you can be sure that they will be carefully crafted by a local florist and delivered with attention.
We deliver gifts and flowers directly to local hospitals in our Wilmington, including SMG New England Family Practice of Andover, so you can send a special gift no matter where you are. Send flower delivery to SMG New England Family Practice of Andover.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Cheam Rat Services can remove your rat problems quickly, efficiently and discreetly.
Cheam rat pest control services will carry out a full survey on your premises to identify the rodent or rat problem and locate the rat infestation. We will then suggest the most suitable solution for rat control. In normal circumstances an effective rat baiting programme will be outlined and implemented in your London home, shop or business premises. This will include laying a number of baits or rat traps in the identified areas, checking the traps on a regular basis and removing the subsequent material at the end of the treatment.
In addition Cheam Rat Removal Services experience suggest that some business premises may need a more detailed report and programme which may include rat bait plans, COSHH assessments, monitoring reports, and hygiene, housekeeping and proofing recommendations.
Getting rid of rats may seem like an easy task when there are one or two but rodents are notorious for producing offspring at an alarming rate. With an express local London pest controller you are guaranteed a service that is second to none.
Rats not only pose a danger to your health but they can also cause damage to the properties they infest. Our local Cheam rat control experts will not only eliminate the rat infestation, they will also provide advice and rat deterrents to prevent the problem reoccurring.
Cheam Rat Removal Services can deal with your rat infestation today
We offer expert solutions for preventing and eradicating rats from homes and business's, and have a wide variety of clients that include residential properties to shops, restaurants, warehouses, pubs, offices and more.
We carry out intensive treatments and offer service contracts along with a 24 hour emergency rat control call out facility (Which we will respond to rapidly). We have qualified surveyors and technicians in and around London 365 days a year. We will leave a written report on site with details of pesticides used and work that has been carried out.
Our reports will also include any recommendations or advice that will minimise the risk of future infestations. All treatments carried out comply with current health and safety legislation and COSSH.
Rat Control Cental London:
EC1 Clerkenwell Finsbury Barbican, EC2 Moorgate Liverpool Street, EC3 Monument Tower Hill Aldgate, EC4 Fleet Street St Paul's.
SW1 Westminster Belgravia Pimlico, SW2 Brixton Streatham Hill, SW3 Chelsea Brompton, SW4 Clapham, SW5 Earl's Court, SW6 Fulham Parson's Green, SW7 South Kensington, SW8 Lambeth Nine Elms, SW9 Stockwell Brixton, SW10 West Brompton, SW11 Battersea Clapham Junction, SW12 Balham, SW13 Barnes Castelnau, SW14 Mortlake East Sheen, SW15 Putney Roehampton, SW16 Streatham Norbury, SW17 Tooting Mitcham, SW18 Wandsworth Southfields, SW19 Wimbledon Colliers Wood Southfields, SW20 West Wimbledon Raynes Park.
W1 Oxford Street Bond Street, W2 Paddington, W3 Acton, W4 Chiswick, W5 Ealing, W6 Hammersmith, W7 Hanwell, W8 Kensington, W9 Maida Vale, W10 North Kensington, W11 Notting Hill, W12 Shepherds Bush, W13 West Ealing, W14 West Kensington.
WC1 Bloomsbury Gray's Inn, WC2 Covent Garden Holborn Strand.
SE1 Waterloo Bermondsey Sothwark, SE2 Abbey Wood, SE3 Blackheath Westcombe Park, SE4 Brockley Crofton Park Honor Oak Park, SE5 Camberwell, SE6 Catford Bellingham Hither Green, SE7 Charlton, SE8 Deptford, SE9 Eltham Mottingham, SE10 Greenwich, SE11 Lambeth, SE12 Grove Park, SE13 Lewisham Hither Green, SE14 New Cross, SE15 Peckham Nunhead, SE16 Rotherhithe South Bermonsey Surrey Docks, SE17 Elephant & Castle, SE18 Woolwich Plumstead, SE19 Upper Norwood Crystal Palace, SE20 Penge, Anerley, SE21 Dulwich,SE22 East Dulwich,SE23 Forest Hill,SE24 Herne Hill,SE25 South Norwood, SE26 Sydenham, SE27 West Norwood Tulse Hill, SE28 Thamesmead.
E1 Whitechapel Stepney Mile End, E2 Shoreditch Bethnal Green, E3 Bow, E4 Chingford Highams Park, E5 Clapton, E6 East Ham, E7 Forest Gate Upton Park, E8 Hackney Dalston, E9 Hackney Homerton, E10 Leyton, E11 Leytonstone, E12 Manor Park, E13 Plaistow, E14 Poplar Millwall Isle of Dogs Docklands, E15 Stratford West Ham, E16 Canning Town North Woolwich Docklands, E17 Walthamstow, E18 South Woodford.
IG1 Ilford, IG2 Gants Hill, IG3 Seven Kings, IG4 Redbridge, IG5 Clayhall, IG6 Barkingside, IG7 Hainault, IG8 Woodford Green, IG9 Buckhurst Hill, IG10 Loughton, IG11 Barking.
Pest Control North London:
N1 Islington Barnsbury Canonbury, N2 East Finchley, N3 Finchely Central, N4 Finsbury Park Manor House, N5 Highbury, N6 Highgate, N7 Holloway, N8 Hornsey Crouch End, N9 Lower Edmonton, N10
Muswell Hill, N11 Friern Barnet New Southgate, N12 North Finchley, N13 Palmers Green, N14 Southgate, N15 Seven Sisters, N16 Stoke Newington Stamford Hill, N17 Tottenham, N18 Upper Edmonton, N19
Archway Tufnell Park, N20 Whetstone Totteridge, N21 Winchmore Hill, N22 Wood Green Alexandra Palace.
NW1 Regent's Park Camden Town, NW2 Cricklewood Neasden, NW3 Hampstead Swiss Cottage, NW4 Hendon Brent Cross, NW5 Kentish Town, NW6 West Hampstead Kilburn, NW7 Mill Hill, NW8 St John's Wood, NW9 Kinsbury Colindale, NW10 Willesden Hrlesden Kensal Green, NW11 Golders Green.
EN1 Enfield,EN2 Enfield Town,EN3 Ponders End,EN4 Cockfosters,EN5 Barnet,EN6 Potters Bar, South Mimms, Cuffley, Northaw,EN7 Cheshunt,EN8 Waltham Cross,EN9 Waltham Abbey,EN10 Broxbourne, EN11 Hoddesdon,HA0 Wembley,HA9 Wembley,HA1 Harrow,HA1 Harrow,HA2 Harrow,HA3 Kenton,Wealdstone,HA4 Ruislip,HA5 Pinner,HA6 Northwood,HA7 Stanmore,HA8 Edgware, AL1 St Albans,AL2 St Albans, Bricket Wood, Colney Street, Frogmore, London Colney, Napsbury, Park Street, Potters Crouch,AL3 St Albans, Childwickbury, Flamstead, Gorhambury, Markyate, Porters Wood, Redbourne, Sandridge,AL4 St Albans, Colney Heath, London Colney, Marshalswick, Oaklands, Sandridge, Smallford, Tyttenhanger, Wheathampstead,AL5 Harpenden,AL6 Welwyn, Ayot St Peter, Ayot St Lawrence, Digswell, Rabley Heath, Tewin,AL7 Welwyn Garden City,AL8 Welwyn Garden City, Lemsford,AL9 Hatfield, Brookmans Park, Essendon, North Mymms, AL10 Hatfield,WD3 Batchworth Heath, Chandlers Cross, Chenies, Chorleywood, Croxley Green, Heronsgate, Loudwater, Maple Cross, Mill End, Rickmansworth, Sarratt, West Hyde,WD4 Bucks Hill, Chipperfield, Hunton Bridge, Kings Langley,WD5 Bedmond, Abbots Langley,WD6 Borehamwood, Elstree, Well End,WD7 Shenley, Radlett,WD17 Watford, Cassiobury, Nascot Wood, WD18 West Watford,WD19 Oxhey, South Oxhey,WD23 Bushey, Bushey Heath,WD24 North Watford,WD25 Garston, Aldenham, Leavesden, Letchmore Heath,UB1 Southall,UB2 Norwood Green,UB3 Hayes,UB4 Yeading,UB5 Northolt,UB6 Greenford,UB7 West Drayton,UB8 Uxbridge,UB9 Harefield,UB10 Hillingdon.
SM1 Sutton,SM2 Belmont,SM3 Cheam,SM4 Morden,SM5 Carshalton,SM6 Wallington,TN14 Cudham,TN14 Cudham,TN16 Biggin Hill,TW1 Twickenham,TW2 Whitton,TW3 Hounslow,TW4 Hounslow West,TW5 Heston,TW6 Heathrow,TW7 Isleworth,TW8 Brentford,TW8 Brentford,TW9 Richmond,TW10 Ham,TW11 Teddington,TW12 Hampton,TW13 Feltham,TW14 Hatton,TW15 Ashford,TW16 Sunbury-on-Thames,TW17 Shepperton,TW18 Staines, Egham Hythe,TW19 Stanwell, Wraysbury,TW20 Egham, Englefield Green,KT1 Kingston,KT2 Norbiton,KT2 Norbiton,KT3 New Malden,KT4 Worcester ParkKT5 Berrylands,KT6 Surbiton,KT9 Chessington,CR0 Croydon,CR9 Croydon,CR2 South Croydon,CR4 Mitcham,CR5 Coulsdon,CR7 Thornton Heath,CR8 Purley.
CM0 Southminster Burnham-on-Crouch Tillingham, CM1 Chelmsford, CM2 Great Baddow, CM3 South Woodham FerrersLittle Baddow Danbury Latchingdon, CM4 Ingatestone Fryerning, CM5 Ongar Fyfield, CM6 Dunmow Felsted, CM7 Braintree, CM8 Witham, CM9 Maldon Totham Tolleshunt Major Tollesbury, CM11 Billericay Ramsden Bellhouse, CM12 Billericay, CM13 Brentwood East Horndon Herongate Warley Hutton, CM14 Pilgrims Hatch Coxtie Green, CM15 Shenfield Doddinghurst, CM16 Epping Theydon Bois, CM17 Harlow, CM18 Harlow, CM19 Harlow Roydon, CM20 Harlow, CM21 Sawbridgeworth, CM22 Bishop's Stortford, CM23 Bishop's Stortford, CM24 Stansted Mountfitchet.
Rat Control Chelmsford:
RM1 Romford, RM2 Gidea Park, RM3 Harold Wood Harold Hill, RM4 Stapleford Abbotts, RM5 Mawneys Collier Row, RM6 Chadwell Heath, RM7 Rush Green, RM8 Becontree, RM9 Dagenham, RM10 Dagenham, RM11
Emerson Park, RM12 Hornchurch, RM13 Rainham, RM14 Upminster, RM15 Aveley South Ockendon, RM16 Grays Chafford Hundred Orsett, RM17 Badgers Dene, RM18 Tilbury, RM19 Purfleet West Thurrock, RM20
Thurrock South Stifford.


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This is my grandson who lives in Japan. He reads and writes Japanese, but is just learnng English.
In order to "really" read, you have to be able to pronounce "non-sense" combinations of letters that you have never seen before. In our program, we show you how to divide your word and read all combinations of letters!! Here is a short clip of one of our students who is starting our program. Most of our purchasers are adults… but anyone who needs help with reading is the right age to begin our program!
JohnAt this time I want to tell you thanks for putting together your program, and allowing me to finally grasp the ability to not only read, but find great pleasure in it. It's been an emotional transition.
I ordered your course a couple of months ago, and if you would have told me that I would be able to read today as well as I do, I would not have believed it. I am 39 years old. I have spent my life not being able to read. Out of fear and desperation, I searched to find help, and stumbled across your program.
At this time I would like you to know that I have just read my first book from cover to cover, "Life Strategies" by Dr. Phillip C. McGraw. After four weeks of studying your material, I was able to read and understand what I read. I have never been able to enjoy reading a book until now, and prior to this time spent needless energy covering up my inability to read. I'm even starting to pursue furthering my education.
Thank you for your program, and the ability to read.
RobbieI have watched the ABC Read reading program, and they are wonderful! I have always thought that phonics was the only way to teach children or adults how to read. I was thrilled to see that someone has put together a thorough reading program that included memorable visual characters. I will enjoy sharing this program with others.
JudyYour program has really helped me. As far as I am concerned it's the best reading program out there. I have always had trouble pronouncing words and your program has changed that. God bless you.
RuthI want to take a moment and thank you for your reading program. I love it and the pictures. Our school mandates that we use another reading program, but somehow I will definitely use your pictures and DVD reading program wherever I can.
LindaMy son loves these DVD's and so do I. You were right about them!
MarilynI am very grateful for my job as a model. There is a lot of competition in this line of work, and I have always been fearful of someone finding out that I was a poor reader. At parties that I have attended, they have played games that required reading board cards. While playing the game, I was always worried about having to read out loud a card with a word on it that I would not know. After embarrassing myself a few times, I knew that I had to find a way to become a better reader.
While on the internet, I noticed your program, and I thought I would give it a try. After finishing your program, I have since found out that I was not the only one who needed help with reading. I now find myself helping others read words they do not know!!
I am so glad I improved my reading skills. I have more confidence in myself.
TinaI received your program. I think its PERFECT! I have been searching for all the reading rules for so long, and I am thrilled to find your program. We will have a lot more learning time this summer vacation. I really expect great results for my son. We have already worked on it and my son is learning and liking it. Although when the DVD said that the lessons will take 30 hours, he thought he would have to do it for the next 30 hours… straight! I laughed so hard.
J.J.Thank you again for being the catalyst for my success in reading. Your DVD series is great. I have always struggled with what to do with the vowels. Not knowing the vowel sounds and blends was my biggest obstacle. What worked best for me was to hear the letter sounds at the same time I read the words. Being able to play the information over and over again, helped me to grasp the concept of blending sounds. The pictures were also helpful in helping me to visualize the sounds.
When looking for a program on the internet, I found several reading programs out there. What stood out for me on your website was "self taught reading program", which would allow me to pursue my goals in private. (I was too embarrassed to ask anyone I knew for help.)
If you would identify me as "John", I would not have any problem with your using my letter on your website. I would prefer you not use my full name, or give out my e-mail address, but I would be glad to respond to anyone's questions if you send me their e-mail address.
L. KirbyThe program is great. I give it an A+ in my book. I love how I am learning how to understand the sounds. A program like this is very hard to locate. The cards work so well with the DVDs. The pictures on the DVDs and the flashcards help the person with a learning problem. I can review the program many times to help me understand. There is lots of material to learn, and I can do it at home. There is no rush to complete the program.


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So Julia Child is trying to tell us that homemade mayo is easy? Pfff… yeah right…okay… fine, she was right. In fact, she was more than right. To continue on our cooking spree for week 12 of the Julia Child Challenge, we opted to try making Julia's homemade mayonnaise in a food processor. Now this is the REAL way to make a class act mayo. Let's get to the recipe before all of your sandwiches start to feel lonely.
Julia's Mayonnaise in the Food Processor
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon prepared mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Big pinch of fresh ground pepper
- 2 cups of excellent extra virgin olive oil ** High quality oil is essential here, we made a batch with a lower grade, and wow, you really can taste the difference **


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Stump Teapot - White
Our Stump Teapot remains one of our most popular teapot styles. With 18 oz capacity, it's just the right size to hold enough tea for a second cup. It comes complete with an extra-fine 0.3 mm gauge stainless steel infuser and lid. This teapot is ideal to brew loose tea such as rooibos (which often flows through other infusers) to a large-leaf oolong. The ceramic teapot with hinged stainless steel lid, and stainless steel infuser are dishwasher-safe. Not for use in the microwave, or on the stovetop. The stackable design allows you to save space in your cupboards if you store multiple teapots.


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The figs from my secret trees (okay, not such a secret, they're behind the place where I do Pilates) are mostly brown, small and sweet, not a variety I've been able to identify. Last year when I was drowning in them, I paired them with goat cheese and fresh rosemary for this fig tart. You might really want to call it fig pie, but either way, it's fig delicious and fig unusual. I brought it to work last summer and got lots of compliments.
Note: I like this simple press-in crust made with olive oil for this fig tart, because it's easy and the olive oil flavor augments the rosemary. If you prefer a different crust method, by all means use it.
Fresh fig tart with goat cheese and rosemary
- 2 cups chopped fresh figs, any variety
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup milk or cream
- 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
Mix the chopped figs in a bowl with 1/2 cup of the sugar, the lemon juice, 1 Tbsp of the chopped rosemary, and the cornstarch. Let sit about 30 minutes; the sugar will draw the juices out of the figs and make a syrup.
In a pie plate or 8-by-8-inch baking pan, stir together the flour, salt, the remaining 1 Tbsp rosemary, and the remaining 1/4 cup of the sugar with a fork. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil and milk or cream with the same fork. Pour the olive oil mixture into the flour mixture and bring the dough together with the fork; do not overmix or the crust will be tough. When all the ingredients have been incorporated but the dough is still crumbly, use your fingers to pat it up the sides and into the bottom of the pan.
In a small mixing bowl, mash the goat cheese and lemon zest with a little bit of warm water, just to thin it a little. Spread the goat cheese mixture over the crust. Pour the figs on top, with their juices.
Bake the tart 45 minutes or until the crust is browned around the edges and the fig mixture is bubbling at the sides. Let cool fully before slicing and serving. The pieces may not come out neatly, but they will taste divine nonetheless.


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Richard Bush (@RichardBushIII) retired from the Brookings Institution in 2020, after 18 years as a senior fellow and serving as director of its Center for East Asia Policy Studies. Bonnie Glaser (@BonnieGlaser) is director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ryan Hass (@ryanl_hass), a former foreign service officer, served on the National Security Council in the Obama administration and is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
A growing chorus of officials and experts in the United States has been raising alarm about the risk of a Chinese attack against Taiwan. Adm. Philip S. Davidson, the United States Indo-Pacific commander, recently handicapped the threat of a Chinese assault on Taiwan as "manifest during this decade, in fact, in the next six years." China is preparing to invade and unify Taiwan by force, the thinking goes, as soon as it gains the capabilities to do so. Such doomsday predictions deserve interrogation.
China's actions no doubt have earned scrutiny. In recent years, Beijing has grown impatiently aggressive in pursuit of its ambitions. China has drawn blood along the contested Indian border, threatened Vietnam, expanded its military presence in the South China Sea, increased the tempo of its operations near the Senkaku Islands and trampled Hong Kong's autonomy — to say nothing of the atrocities it is perpetrating against its own citizens in Xinjiang and elsewhere.
Beijing also is investing considerably in military capabilities that could be employed in a Taiwan contingency. China has gone on a naval shipbuilding surge in recent years, surpassing the U.S. Navy by a count of hulls. Robert S. Ross of Boston College estimatesthat the Chinese Navy already has more than 300 ships, while the U.S. Navy has around 280.
China is marshaling its full range of capabilities to intensify pressure on Taiwan below the threshold of conflict. People's Liberation Army forces now operate all around Taiwan. They also have been conducting highly publicized amphibious assault exercises and air penetrations of Taiwan's air defense identification zone at the highest frequency in nearly 25 years.
Contributing to Beijing's unfriendly treatment of Taiwan was its perception that the Trump administration showed stronger support for the island's government, thus reducing any incentive that Taipei had to submit to its demands. Trump officials took initiatives mainly in the diplomatic and security realms, and they did buoy Taiwan's confidence. The Biden administration has shown broad continuity in support for Taiwan during its first months.
As troubling as the trend-lines of Chinese behavior are, it would be a mistake to infer that they represent a prelude to an unalterable catastrophe. China's top priority now and in the foreseeable future is to deter Taiwan independence rather than compel unification. Beijing remains confident in its capacity to achieve this near-term objective, even as it sets the groundwork for its long-term goal of unification. Indeed, based on polling on attitudes regarding defense, we believe the people of Taiwan already are sober to the risks of pursuing independence.
China's leaders also have employed sharp rhetoric, though some of it has been exaggerated. Too much is made of President Xi Jinping's declaration not to pass down cross-strait divisions to future generations. Every Chinese leader since Mao Zedong has projected determination to unify Taiwan with the mainland. Xi is no different. And Xi, now 67, will not likely be around to see if Taiwan is unified with the mainland by the putative deadline, the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2049.
While it is true that some in China have concluded that time is no longer on China's side and Beijing should use force to compel unification, Xi has resisted such pressure. In the latest five-year plan, launched this year, Beijing reaffirmed the policy guideline of pursuing "peaceful development of cross-strait relations," continuing a line tracing back to the era of Hu Jintao, China's president from 2003 to 2013.
Beijing has its own incentives to avoid war. Foremost among them is that any attempt to take Taiwan by force would very likely invite a military conflict with the United States. Such a conflict would be difficult to limit from escalating or spreading beyond the Taiwan Strait.
Under such circumstances, Beijing could not be assured of absolute victory, and anything short of quick and absolute unification would risk undermining Chinese Communist Party legitimacy at home. China's use of force against Taiwan also would poison China's image in the region and the world, alert neighboring countries to the threat China poses to stability and lead to diversion of resources and focus from Xi's pressing domestic priorities.
Given the unattractiveness of these options, it is little surprise that China has chosen a different path. In recent years, Beijing has unveiled a broad range of tools to deter Taiwan's independence and gradually weaken the will of the people of Taiwan to resist integration with the mainland.
China has targeted Taiwan economically, sought to induce a brain drain of Taiwan's top engineers to the mainland, isolated Taiwan on the world stage, fomented social divisions inside Taiwan, launched cyberattacks and undertaken displays of military force.
Beijing's goal is to constantly remind Taiwan's people of its growing power, induce pessimism about Taiwan's future, deepen splits within the island's political system and show that outside powers are impotent to counter its flexes.
Its approach is guided by the Chinese aphorism, "Once ripe, the melon will drop from its stem." This strategy may require more time than war, but it would come at less cost and risk to Beijing.
Coercion without violence is not just a threat; it's an everyday reality. China does pose a kinetic threat to Taiwan, and Taiwan and the United States must strengthen their capacity to deter war. But the proximate threat is not just military, it's also psychological.
Hyping the threat that China poses to Taiwan does Beijing's work for it. Taiwan's people need reasons for confidence in their own future, not just reminders of their vulnerabilities.
If American policy makers want to help Taiwan, they will need to go beyond focusing on the military threat. They need to modernize the U.S.-Taiwan economic relationship, help Taiwan diversify its trade ties and provide platforms for Taiwan to earn dignity and respect on the world stage.
Some of the work necessarily will be security-focused, but that is the start, not the end, of what needs to be done. Beijing will object, of course. But a focus on economic and diplomatic initiatives lies well within the United States' one-China policy, as successive administrations have defined it.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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William Morris Waterproof Saddle Cover - Blue
The Strawberry Thief is from a piece of classic William Morris cloth and each of these covers are cut uniquely. This style comes in beige, blue and dark blue. It is also available in Slim Fit for a narrow bicycle saddle.
We also make a lined zipper pouch of the same textile which is a perfect fit for this cover.
This bicycle saddle cover is splash-proof inside and out, so can be used to either cover the saddle to protect the saddle or added before you mount your bike (enjoy the ride) and it will protect you from a wet or sticky saddle. As with all our covers, this lovely cover is handmade with three layers of textile: a water resistant base, an insulating middle layer for added comfort and a robust waterproof top layer made of oil cloth. For best care clean with foam detergents.
Choose options


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Wine Chiller - Loon
Ceramic Pottery Wine Coolers
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text:
16 aThese things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not bbe offended. 2 They shall cput you out of the synagogues: yea, dthe time cometh, ethat whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God fservice. 3 And these things will they do unto you, gbecause they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But hthese things have I told you, that when dthe time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And ithese things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now kI go my way to him that sent me; and lnone of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6 But because I have said these things unto you, msorrow hath filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, nthe Comforter owill not come unto you; but pif I depart, qI will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will ||rreprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 sOf sin, tbecause they believe not on me; 10 uOf righteousness, wbecause I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 xOf judgment, because ythe prince of this world zis judged.
12 aI have yet many things to say unto you, bbut ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, cthe Spirit of truth, is come, dhe will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and ehe will fshew you things to come. 14 He shall gglorify me: for hhe shall receive of mine, and shall fshew it unto you. 15 iAll things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that hhe shall take of mine, and shall fshew it unto you. 16 kA little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and lye shall see me, mbecause I go to the Father.
17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, nA little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. 19 Now Jesus oknew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, nA little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall pweep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but qyour sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A rwoman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have ssorrow: but I will see you again, and tyour heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And uin that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, wWhatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, xthat your joy may be full. 25 These things have I spoken unto you in ||proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in ||proverbs, but I shall shew you yplainly of the Father. 26 zAt that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27 For athe Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have bbelieved bcthat I came out from God. 28 cdI came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and ego to the Father.
29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, fnow speakest thou plainly, and speakest no ||proverb. 30 Now are we sure that gthou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this hwe believe that hithou camest forth from God. 31 Jesus answered them, kDo ye now believe? 32 Behold, lthe hour cometh, yea, is now come, that mye shall be scattered, nevery man to ||ohis own, and shall leave me alone: and pyet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that qin me ye might have peace. In the world rye shall have tribulation: but sbe of good cheer; tI have overcome the world.
About King James VersionThis King James Version is based upon the Pure Cambridge Edition first published around 1900. It has been carefully typeset to remove any typographical errors and accurately reflects the original text. |
Support Info | kjv1900 |


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I don't normally devote an entire post to a single news story or article, but this one deserves it--and moreover follows directly from my previous post regarding the centrality of Bahrain's Sunnis in dictating the direction of the political crisis. Writing in Al-Watan, Faysal al-Shaykh warns, "Bahraini Sunnis, watch out!" (Arabic here):
It has become crystal clear that what happened in Bahrain [i..e, the uprising] bears no relation to the Arab Spring movements. It was a sectarian and discriminatory movement led by deeply sectarian political forces that do not recognize any other components in society. [But now t]hey want to show the world that their alleged revolution is supported by the sweeping majority of all Bahrainis from all sects and that the change they are demanding is a popular one. ...Those bastards! Attempting to "win[] the sympathy of Sunnis" by noting that in fact all Bahrainis share similar political and economic grievances? By noting "rampant corruption," "the housing problem," and "[poor] living conditions?" How could they?
Therefore, their current tactic is based on winning the sympathy of Sunnis by dwelling on common grievances which consist in discontent with living conditions, the rampant corruption in state sectors, the housing problem and rising prices. Their objective is to drive Sunnis to discredit the measures that seek to protect Bahrain according to comprehensive and wider criteria and not narrow and petty considerations that could have cost the country a lot hadn't it been for the proper and clever treatment of the situation so as to show the international community what is really happening inside Bahrain.
He continues,
This is a key point about which loyal Bahrainis have to be vigilant. After the failure of their coup attempt, those people changed their strategy. Instead of continuing to focus their confrontation between them and the state, notably its security bodies, they are now trying to pull another element in the conflict with the state. Today, they are exploiting the feelings and emotional mood of Sunnis by showing that any action or initiative made by the state tends to neglect the loyal citizens' rights and ignore their demands.Wait, what!? What's the opposition doing now?--demonstrating that "the state tends to neglect [Sunnis'] rights and ignore their demands?" Those sons-a-bitches!
And a final warning:
We have to beware of falling in the quagmire of emotions and impetuous reactions, otherwise it would us a regime capable of securing the pillars of a civil state against the ambitions of those who seek to establish an entity controlled by a single category whose propensities cause a lot of distress to those with different sectarian or political affiliations and you can take the northern state an example for the hellish existence led by political opponents.Indeed, watch out, Bahraini Sunnis, or else you might actually make progress toward realizing your longstanding political demands. And isn't that exactly what the terrorist Ziono-American-Hizballah alliance wants you to do?
Yeah, I guess it is.
Update: The New York Times reports on the lingering tensions at the University of Bahrain one year after the battle of the camel.
Update 2: A popular thread on the pro-government Sunni forum is calling for a televised debate involving Sunnis and Shi'i activists, pro- and anti-government. And in a related poll, 70% of forum-goers support the idea. Maybe another indication that at least some Sunnis are coming around to the idea that the opposition may not be the devil after all? All I have to say is: "Bahraini Sunnis, watch out!"
Update 3: The always-readable Simon Henderson reports to Foreign Policy from on deck the Fifth Fleet's USS Abraham Lincoln, currently on anti-Iran duty in the Persian Gulf.
Update 4: Bahrain police reform you can believe in.
Update 5: The Saudi worldview, via al-Hayat.
Update 6: How about that police reform? A protester (and citizen journalist) killed by plainclothes security forces shooting live rounds from a civilian car. (The Interior Ministry is appealing for "witnesses," presumably some that would confirm that the bullet came from a car with an Iranian plate.) It will be ironic if the state's own thugs prove responsible for its losing the Formula 1 race, now only weeks away.


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In the unfortunate circumstance that a homeowner is past due on their monthly mortgage payments, they pave the way for a "foreclosure" on their property. In today's market, banks and other lenders do not turn to foreclosure to take away the homes of homeowners who are in arrears. Instead, they perform a "Power of Sale" which is wholly different from a Foreclosure.
What is a Foreclosure?
Foreclosures are laborious, grueling, and costly to both the lender and the homeowner and often take over a year to complete. Due to the inefficiencies associated with the Foreclosure process (e.g. court process), lenders invariably lose money. This is because any Foreclosure requires the lender to sue the homeowner in court, and then await court processing to issue judgment.
It requires the legal process of "foreclosing" on the homeowner's right to sell their home in order to pay off their mortgage.
What is a Power of Sale?
To avoid this problem, lenders have restructured their mortgage contracts to eliminate the inefficient court process in the event that the homeowner is in arrears. The newly structured mortgage sets the lenders as a "Trustee" with the right to sell off the property - thus, they have the Power of Sale. Nevertheless, there are certain contractual limitations on when they can do this.
Under the Power of Sale system, in other words, the role that the courts used to play has been largely replaced by the trustee. All the lender needs to do is inform the trustee that the borrower (the homeowner) has defaulted on their mortgage. The trustee then uses the Power of Sale to sell off the home and recover the lender's money. In short, a Power of Sale can be very fast.
Often, the home may be sold within weeks and this often presents a great investment opportunity as these properties are usually sold below market value.


text:
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2014 -Today with Bob Reif at Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
Great day today at the speedway.
Bob Reif |
Glamping With the DRR Racing Crew |
Crash Course back in 2001 |
You win some, you lose some, you wreck some. |
These open wheel drivers are like fighter pilots, flying in a gymnasium. The crashes fans remember, but drivers remember the near misses, but nobody remembers who finished second but the guy who finished second. For the record, New Zealand's Scott Dixon was runner-up this time.
The weather was hot in America's Midwest after an emotional tribute to last year's winner Dan Wheldon, the popular Englishman whose thrill of speed overcame the fear of death and in fact, actually died horrific crash in Las Vegas in October.
2009-2008 Same Shirt_Different Day
May 2009 |
May 2008 |


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Auto Technician Opportunities - Decatur, IL
Company: Belle Tire
Location: Decatur
Posted on: July 3, 2024
Job Description:
Text "Belle" to 22633 to apply!
$5,000 Sign On Bonus. (Bonus of $1,250.00 which will be paid every
3 months for your first year of employment. Note that you must be
employed and maintain a full-time status at the time the bonus is
paid in order to be eligible.)
Are you a skilled Automotive Technician / Mechanic looking to grow
your career? We have a great opportunity available at Belle Tire!
We offer top pay and great benefits. Apply today!
The Automotive Technician is committed to providing the highest
quality of repairs and service necessary to satisfy the customer.
They should be ambitious, hard-working and work well in a team
environment. You must be state certified (Applicable in Michigan
Only), knowledgeable and have experience in areas covered by the
ASE certification programs (Engine Repair, Drive Train/Axles,
Suspension/Steering, Brakes, Electrical, Heating/Air Conditioning
and Engine Performance, Light Vehicle/Diesel).
Job Details:
What you'll do:
Performs vehicle repairs (Engine Repair, Drive Train/Axles,
Suspension/Steering, Brakes, Electrical, Heating/Air Conditioning
and Engine Performance).
Maintains an organized and safe work environment
Other duties as assigned by manager
State of Michigan Mechanic Certification; (Applicable in Michigan
18 years old
A valid driver's license is required for this position
A minimum of 2 years of automotive repair experience with emphasis
on under-car repairs, braking systems and alignments
High school diploma, GED, or vocational certificate is helpful
Ability to lift an object weighing up to 75 pounds
Varying work hours, Monday through Saturday. Workshop environment,
with heavy physical requirements and long periods of standing.
Job Benefits:
Paid weekly - commission based
Company contributions to 401k
Product and service discounts
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Keywords: Belle Tire, Decatur , Auto Technician Opportunities - Decatur, IL, Engineering , Decatur, Illinois
here to apply!


text:
Cleaning the Removable Filtration System - Portable Dishwasher
Possible Solutions
The below pictures depict what your dishwasher's spray arms may look like:
Cleaning your filter
Your dishwasher's triple filtration system minimizes sound, optimizes water and energy conservation, while providing superior cleaning performance. Throughout the life of your dishwasher, the filter will require maintenance to sustain peak cleaning performance.
The triple filter system consists of 2 parts, an upper filter assembly, and a lower filter.
- The upper filter assembly keeps oversized items, foreign objects, and very fine food particles out of the pump.
- The lower filter keeps food from being recirculated onto your dish load. The filters may need to be cleaned when:
- Visible objects or soils are on the Upper Filter Assembly.
- There is degradation in cleaning performance (that is, soils still present on dishes).
- Dishes feel gritty to the touch.
It is simple to remove and maintain the filters. The chart below shows the recommended cleaning frequency.
Very Hard Water
If you have hard water (above 15 grains), clean your filter at least once per month. Building up of white residue on your dishwasher indicates hard water. For tips on removing spots and stains, see the "Troubleshooting" section in your Owner's Manual.
Filter Removal Instructions
- If the water filter area (bottom of the dishwasher) gets larger food particles or foreign objects (toothpicks, broken glass, olive pits, etc.) around it, they should be carefully removed by hand and discarded before removing the filters. If foreign objects drop into the filter area, the dishwasher could have further issues.
- Turn the Upper Filter Assembly ¼ turn counterclockwise and lift out. Note that you may have to move the spray arm to remove the filter, especially if you have the X style shown above.
- Separate the upper filter assembly by gently pulling apart.
- Clean the filters, as shown.
Cleaning Instructions
IMPORTANT: Do not use a wire brush, scouring pad, etc. as they may damage the filters. Rinse filter under running water until most soils are removed. If you have hard-to-remove soils or calcium deposits from hard water, a soft brush may be required.
Filter Reinstallation Instructions
- Please note the previous illustrations, place the lower filter under the locating tabs in the bottom of the dishwasher, so the round opening for the upper filter assembly lines up with the circular opening in the bottom of the tub.
- Insert the upper filter assembly into the circular opening in the lower filter.
- Slowly rotate the filter clockwise until it drops into place. Continue to rotate until the filter is locked into place. If the filter is not fully seated (still turns freely), continue to turn the filter clockwise until it drops and locks into place.
NOTE: The upper filter assembly arrow does not have to align with the arrow in the lower filter as long as the filter is locked.
IMPORTANT: To avoid damage to the dishwasher, do not operate your dishwasher without the filters properly installed. Be sure the lower filter is securely in place, and the upper filter assembly is locked into place. If the top filter assembly turns freely, it is not locked into place.
Still need help? Contact us or schedule service.
Please contact us or click below to make an appointment from our preferred list of service providers for service on your appliances.
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text:
1131: Math
Math |
Title text: As of this writing, the only thing that's 'razor-thin' or 'too close to call' is the gap between the consensus poll forecast and the result. |
In another election-themed comic (this one posted the day after the 2012 U.S. presidential election November 7, 2012)—(see also 1122: Electoral Precedent, 500: Election, 1127: Congress, and 1130: Poll Watching)—this comic shows a bar graph representing expected (see note below) electoral college votes in the election, including a dotted line indicating the 270 electoral votes needed to win, a span of projections ("Forecast"), and the actual result.
The forecast range is to the right of the 270 line, showing that the blue candidate Obama (the Democratic candidate is the blue candidate and the Republican candidate is the red candidate according to a convention used since the 2000 election) was always projected to win by statisticians like Nate Silver and others. The only question among these people was by how much he was going to win. (The Electoral College votes are expectations until each state's voting results are announced early in November, and the electors actually vote in December and may change the situation somewhat.) Randall is attempting to use this particular election to imply that polling data accurately indicates the likely outcome of a presidential election. However, the close match between prediction and result in this one election could be a coincidence; the outcome of U.S. presidential elections frequently differs from projections. Notably, in 1948, the Chicago Tribune printed a headline which turned out to be false and in 2016, polling data indicated that Clinton would defeat Trump.
By contrast, most of the media was calling the election too close to call, with some news outlets actually projecting a Mitt Romney win. Essentially the large number of Republican pundits who helped increase the pressures of right wing self-referencing media denial, the tendency of media to give any issue at least two dramatically or fictionally equal voices (for supposed "fairness") regardless of the relative merits of the two sides, and the desire to present the election as a suspenseful "horse race" resulted in a lot of talking heads (i.e. pundits) disbelieving the polls. These factors shaped the "too close to call" narrative, leading to the punch line of this story:
You don't need to believe in science or statistics for it to effectively describe or predict reality. The progressively more radicalized elements of this era are known for disregarding scientific or statistical consensus which reflects reality but does not conform to their world view. However, many of them were correct in their belief (in defiance of statistical data to the contrary) that Donald Trump would be elected in 2016.
For those unfamiliar with the US Presidential electoral process: Unlike other political offices, the election for president is not a direct election. Instead, each state is apportioned a certain number of "Electoral College" votes based on the number of House of Representatives seats (which is based on population) and Senate seats. For the most part (and there is perennial discussion on whether this should be changed) the candidate that receives the most popular votes in a given state receives all the Electoral College votes for that state. With 538 electoral votes total, receiving 270 Electoral College votes ((half of 538) + 1) is sufficient to be declared president-elect. For this reason, sometimes one candidate actually receive more popular votes (more people voted for the candidate) but have fewer Electoral College votes. This happened three times in the nineteenth century with elections of John Quincy Adams in 1824, Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876 and Benjamin Harrison in 1888. Then it did not happen again until the election of George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump in 2016.
The title text is a subversion of what everyone else was saying at that time: that the election was unpredictable. Pundits often declare events to be "too close to call" when poll results are remarkably close; Randall is saying that the only thing that is "too close to call" is the difference between the results and the predicted results, as the outcome is all but certain.
- [A frame with a bar chart showing 58% blue and 42% red. A header shows a range between 53-63%]
- Forecast
- [An arrow below the chart is pointing at the line between the blue and the red sections of the chart with a heading]
- Result
- [Below the frame is a caption]
- Breaking: To surprise of pundits, numbers continue to be best system for determining which of two things is larger.
I really like the term "dramatically equal." - Kieran
Sorry, I don't know how to upload the correct image. - Artod
- Picture downloaded from xkcd, uploaded to the wiki with the correct license and "xkcd" added to the filename as a prefix, then filename changed in page source to correct image. Hope this helps in the future! - Coombeseh (talk) 10:36, 7 November 2012 (UTC)
- Can somebody please explain further? I guess the joke is about the forecast? thank you --184.108.40.206 14:17, 7 November 2012 (UTC)
Randall's on the nose again. This is why I just turned off all media yesterday, especially toward the end of the evening. Unless you're up for contrived suspense, it's really just tediousness lived through: barely five minutes of "news" per hour, the remaining "empty" time filled with the drone of talking heads waxing obnoxious about irrelevancies. This morning, the results are in, and I'm no worse for not having endured the conjectural drivel... -- IronyChef (talk) 15:25, 7 November 2012 (UTC)
- As a note, the title text is referring to the consensus polls, including those at fivethirtyeight.com, which were referred to in the previous episode. Another interpretation of the "numbers" comment is that the predictions based on polling numbers and proper statistical analyses of those, rather than mere punditry and opinion, were always the best predictors of what was going to happen in this election. So not only could numbers retroactively tell us who won (based on actual votes) but numbers when used as individual data points with variance and sample sizes, and combined into an aggregate, were far more effective in telling us prospectively who was going to win. 188.8.131.52 18:11, 7 November 2012 (UTC)
Numbers continue to be best system for determining? -- 184.108.40.206 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- Yes and no. In news stories (see newspaper headlines for an example), this is a typical format. You didn't notice the "To surprise of pundits" part that came first? 22.214.171.124 00:57, 8 November 2012 (UTC)
- I believe the previous entry was addressing the missing article "the" in the caption. mwburden 16:17, 4 December 2012 (UTC)
- So was the answer. The caption, like many news headlines, omits the articles. "To [the] surprise of pundits, numbers continue to be [the] best system..." 220.127.116.11 15:45, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
For more critical relevance, he texted along these lines yesterday to one of the more prominent non-Nate Silver analysts, Prof. Sam Wang of the Princeton Election Consortium -- 22.214.171.124 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
I wish Randall had made the bar 538 pixels wide (it's only 400ish). - Frankie (talk) 11:52, 9 November 2012 (UTC)
"Explain the title text." What's there to explain? 184.108.40.206 22:18, 7 February 2018 (UTC)
I removed the tag, and expanded the title text explanation.
Polling data gave trump a 30% or so chance of winning. That is more than it gave Romney, and probably a better chance than a lot of democrats thought he had. Probably not Douglas Hofstadter (talk) 13:58, 23 September 2018 (UTC)
- Statistical analysis of the polling data by FiveThirtyEight gave Trump a much better chance than it did Romney; but that was due to a number of factors not picked up by pundits, like the high number of undecideds in the run-up to the 2016 election, and that Nate Silver's models (correctly) showed the Electoral College as favoring Democrats in 2012 and Republicans in 2016 in case of a close popular vote. Raw nationwide polling numbers, without that statistical analysis, didn't look good for Trump. Pelosujamo (talk) 00:35, 5 August 2019 (UTC)
- Nate Silver and most other analysts vastly underestimated the high levels of misogyny prevalent in the USA that caused Hilary to lose to Trump. -- The Cat Lady (talk) 20:43, 19 September 2021 (UTC)


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London, England, 15th April 2024, ZEX PR WIRE, Neurahub, a leading generative AI startup, has recently announced the imminent launch of their revolutionary Telegram app, powered by state-of-the-art generative AI technology. This platform is set to transform the landscape of content creation and problem-solving by offering users a novel AI-enhanced experience, while using the Telegram Instant Messaging service.
With a comprehensive suite of advanced AI services already live on the web platform, https://neurahub.app/, they have articulated a clear vision on their path to dominate the generative AI market.
The application offers a magnitude of tools, enhancing their vision of becoming the "Ultimate, All in One AI Platform."
A Revolutionary Telegram App
The app is central to the Neurahub project, merging multiple features into a quick-use Telegram mini app, for on-the-go content creation. At its core, it offers compatibility with Telegram, combining various functionalities to enhance the user experience.
The Telegram mini app includes a robust set of tools, including cutting-edge image generation, AI writing tools for tweet generation, blog posts, blogs, captions and more, along with an AI chat assistant offering from nutrition to parental advice. Voice-Over, Defi and File Analyzer rounds up this first to market Telegram integration.
Neurahub also offers tools for social media, email marketing, content creation, and monetization. Additionally, its user-friendly interface utilizes multiple vendors and large language models (LLMs) for seamless content generation.
The app also caters to coders by supporting over 20 programming languages and facilitating e-commerce development. Features such as responsive web design and CSS generation further enhance its utility.
Project Features and Native Token
The Neurahub platform is feature heavy, packing a punch with a plethora of tools at the users disposal. Its generative AI offering includes multiple text generation options for social media, blogs, meeting summaries, grammar check and more.
Images are easy to create and detail-rich with two image engines available for use.
Coding has never been easier, allowing users to prompt their idea in over 20 programming languages.
Anyone fancying a chat with a Language Pro or Interior Designer can look at different AI chats at the user's disposal.
Decentralized tools include chart analyses, latest news, Solidity contract scanners and more.
An Advanced Dashboard offers insights and analytics to monitor user activity. The platform supports multiple languages and allows for the creation of unlimited custom templates.
Users can access a support platform through the dashboard. The project's native token has a total supply of 100 million, with 75% allocated to liquidity. This commitment forms the backbone of the ecosystem, with another 20% designated for growth and marketing efforts.
The remaining 5% is reserved for the team, with a 3-month cliff and linear unlocking over 12 months. Transacting the token through Uniswap, a leading DEX on the ETH blockchain, levies a 5% tax, which is applied to marketing and development costs.
Overall, this token design is structured to ensure the stability and growth of the Neurahub project. The substantial liquidity pool and a dedicated team focused on growth and development are significant assets.
About Neurahub
Neurahub is a newly founded platform that integrates AI and Web3 technologies into a seamless and intuitive interface. With the launch of its revolutionary Telegram bot, it aims to meet a broad spectrum of user needs.
The platform's ability to generate content, including code and text, helps users enhance their productivity and creativity. The project's native token plays a crucial role in its ecosystem, supported by a well-defined distribution plan for future growth.
Over and above sharing 50% of platform revenue, the team offers an in-platform affiliate program, further enabling users to earn revenue by recommending Neurahub to others. For more information about Neurahub, visit the official website or join its social media channels.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Economy Lane journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.


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CLIENT: Runners RV
Genex Marketing is proud to work with a variety of clients in multiple industries throughout Western Canada.
We work to forge lasting partnerships with our clients and strive to deliver measurable results that they value.
We offer a wide spectrum of cutting-edge planning, marketing and branding solutions.
Our services are tailored to our clients' needs so no matter what your goals are, we can help you get there.
If you'd like to know more, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Contact Us


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The 'Build Content' button is located near the top of your 'Course Area'. This tip deals with the difference between the first two links in 'Create': 'Item' and 'File'. Essentially, you create an 'Item' if you would like the flexibility to create a list of links or attachments, add images and notes, etc. Creating a 'File', on the other hand, only uploads ONE file at a time, such as a pdf of one of the Lecture Notes in a series, and is used if you want to release the contents on a specific dates.
This is how the pages appear when you use 'Item' vs. 'File'.


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Pursuant to Section 3 in the Term of Genius Service, Please find the description for Genius's Privacy Policy as below, which may be further stipulated or modified from time to time in this website without prior notice.
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We collect information from you when you respond to a request for information. In order to make the best possible use of the service, you and/or company have to create agenius account.
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We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you access your personal information. Although We will protect your personal information, however, there may be loopholes for information processing on the Internet. As a member, you agree to take the risks yourself inherent with online data transmission.When you use our websites, We will not be responsible for any service failures resulting from direct, indirect, additional, unexpected or deliberate damage. If some part of this service or any other related our Web experiences temporary disconnection, time delay, failure to transmit or restore data, or any loss resulted from infiltration by any third party, you agree not to claim any compensation from Our Web, and its related enterprises.
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text: Yard Waste Disposal Operation Page Content Lee County began the horticulture processing and recycling operation in August 2003. The vegetative waste processing operation provides a means for managing yard waste in a manner that reduces disposal. The operations is located on a five-acre asphalt area providing all-weather access. Lee County directs incoming trucks to the designated area to unload, segregate the yard waste and non-processible materials, and maintain the unprocessed and processed yard waste stockpiles. A contractor is used to grind the yard waste to meet certain size specifications, and Lee County staff hauls the mulch for use in their compost operations. Additional mulch is delivered to five sites throughout Lee County for free use by residents. Quick Links More ›› No


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Grand Riviera Princess® All Suites Resort & Spa All Inclusive
The Grand Riviera Princess is a 5-star hotel in Riviera Maya with one of the best beachfront locations in the area, allowing guests a comfortable and unique way of enjoying the fine sand and clear waters. Only 10 minutes from Playa del Carmen and the Municipality of Solidaridad, 40 minutes from the airport, and near all of the most interesting and exciting attractions.
Grand Riviera Princess offers you 674 rooms for your vacations in Riviera Maya, all of them outstanding for their elegant design, spaciousness and facilities for all the family. Some of them also have very convenient, direct access to the pool. For our most discerning guests we have Platinum rooms and Laguna Villa Suites. The Platinum rooms are located in an exclusive beachfront area and provide all of the facilities and amenities exclusive to the Platinum Zone. For larger families we have the Family Club Room Pool Access, ideal thanks to their exclusive services and spaciousness. The hotel also has several function rooms, making it perfect for hosting fun-packed family parties, celebrations or meetings.


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QuietWarmth Radiant Floor Heating Film is an ultra-thin and flexible radiant floor heating product engineered to deliver the ultimate in thermal comfort by gently warming all types of floating floors with ultra-energy efficiency and low cost consumption (12W per square foot).
• Fast & Easy installation
• No self-leveling mortar needed!
• 0.016" thin (will not raise floor height)
• Can be cut to fit the length of your floor with a pair of scissors
• Disperses fast, more evenly radiant floor heat
• Spot heat - place the mats where you want heat
• Consumes less power than traditional wired radiant heat systems
• For use with floating floors only
All QuietWarmth products are configured with factory attached connections & suitable for all types of renovation or new construction projects. Ideally suited for click-together materials like laminate, solid and engineered wood, luxury vinyl flooring, and floating tile like Snapstone®, Avaire®, and Eclipse®.
(Not intended for traditional tile or glue down floors please see QuietWarmth Radiant Heat Film for Traditional Tile & Glue-Down Flooring)
Click-together materials like laminate, solid and engineered wood, luxury vinyl, and floating tile like Snapstone, Avaire, and Eclipse
QuietWarmth Radiant Heat Film for Floating Floors Installation & Operation Instructions
Step #1 |
Step #2 |
Step #3 |
Sketch Your Layout Allow at least 6 in. clearance between the edge of the mats and the wall. Ensure no cables/wires cross over any of your heating mats. Prepare Your Mat(s) Insulate your cut ends with Kapton Disks. Do not cut off the end with wired connections! |
Install Mats Attach the heating mats to the underlayment using a high quality duct tape. Cut out an area of the underlayment and push the connectors down so they are completely level with the mat. (Some installations may require you to chisel the concrete.) Run each pair of cold leads to the junction box between sections of the underlayment. Run thermostat floor sensor wire from the middle of the heated area to the junction box. You may need to cut a narrow channel in the underlayment to route all your cables in a way that they are level with the heating film. Then, duct tape your wires into place. |
Install Your Floating Floor Finish Connecting Electrical Wire the heating mats to the thermostat control according to the manufacturer's instructions using the 12/2 Romex wire. |
For any installation with multiple mats where the total electrical draw will exceed 15 amps, it will be necessary to install additional power modules, each protected with a Equipment Ground Fault Protection Device (EGFP).
For example, if the total calculated current draw for a large room is 37 amps, a thermostat and two power modules would be required, with no individual power module handling more than 15 amps. The two power modules are controlled by the thermostat. The National Electrical Code specifies that each branch circuit used in conjunction with a heating system must be for the exclusive use of the heating system. Do not connect lights, outlets, etc. to any branch circuit used with the QuietWarmth ® Radiant Heat Film for Floating Floors.
• Do not install in wet areas such as showers.
• Only use in areas considered dry locations by the national electrical code.
• Never fold the heating mats.
• Never install in walls.
• Never install mats under walls, partitions, or locations that will be covered by floor hugging furniture.
Power Lead Wire Gauge | 14 |
Power Lead Length | 15 feet |
Thickness | 0.016" (thinner than a credit card) |
Voltage | 120V |
Wattage per SF | 12 |
Heated Area Size Covered | 15 sq ft |
Brand Name | QuietWarmth |
Safety Listing | |
Warranty from Manufacturer | 25 Years Limited - View Details |
What's In The Box | Roll of 120V (1.5' x 10') QuietWarmth heating film, Kapton discs, Warning lables |
Amp Draw | 1.3 |
Total Watts | 156W |
Size in Feet | 1.5' x 10' |
Size in Inches | 18" x 120" |
Size in Meters | .15 x 3.05m |
Acceptable Floor Coverings | Click-together materials like laminate, solid and engineered wood, luxury vinyl, and floating tile like Snapstone, Avaire, and Eclipse Refer to your floor covering manufacturer's specifications for compatibility |
© Warm Your Floor. 2023. All Rights Reserved.
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text: Peugeot 308 Boot Tray. Special custom-made boot trays. Strong, durable, non-slip, flexible, weatherproof, spill proof and fuss-free. Fits exactly. Designed to prevent liquid spills and unwanted mess from your car interior. An all-round 5cm corner height prevents seepage. Made from Thermoplastic olefin (TPO) material so that can take a high atmospheric temperature and WILL NOT MELT and become sticky under the hot sun. It does not have a foul smell that will affect your health compared to others. Another quality product of Bulwarke.


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Minnesota entered the Union as the 32nd state on May 11, 1858. It is the northernmost of the 48 continental states thanks to the Northwest Angle that juts into Canada. Minnesota is a diverse land of forests, rolling prairies and approximately 15,000 lakes that make up nearly 5,000 square miles of inland fresh water.
According to a 2005 estimate, there are approximately 5.1 million people living in Minnesota, with most of the state's population residing in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Minnesota is noted for its strong broad based economy and as a producer and processor of timber, iron ore and numerous agricultural crops. The state also maintains a reputation for quality education and a high standard of living.


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You haven't seen Zorro until you've seen Douglas Fairbanks Sr. as Zorro in the 1920 silent swashbuckling classic The Mark of Zorro.
Antonio Banderas? Please. A poser (if a charismatic one) in Anthony Hopkins's shadow. Besides, you can't really be the Zorro unless you're Don Diego de [la] Vega, and Banderas is playing someone named Alejandro. Hopkins himself is fine as an aging Don Diego, but Fairbanks already did that schtick in the 1925 sequel Don Q, Son of Zorro, and he had the credibility of having actually been the young, vital Zorro. Don't get me wrong, the 1998 Banderas-Hopkins Mask of Zorro is a fine tribute to the Zorro tradition, but it's a sequel, not a retelling of the classic Zorro story, and neither star is the definitive Zorro.
What about Guy Williams, from the 1950s Disney TV series? Tyrone Power, from the 1940 Mark of Zorro remake? Fine actors both, and fine Zorros. But Fairbanks, also a fine actor, was something else as well: a born action hero, a natural acrobat and stuntman.
I'm a longtime fan of physical performers from Harold Lloyd to Jackie Chan; I appreciate Errol Flynn, Johnny Weismuller, Harrison Ford, and other swashbuckling types. But Fairbanks was in a class by himself. This is nowhere more evident than in the last reel of The Mark of Zorro, which contains some of the most jaw-dropping stunts I've ever seen this side of Jackie Chan, and is possibly the most amazing action set piece I've ever seen in a black-and-white movie, and certainly in a silent film.
The 1920 The Mark of Zorro also outdoes later portrayals of Zorro in its depiction of the hero as a champion of faith as well as justice, and of the Catholic milieu of his native California. Fairbanks's Zorro is well known to his enemies as a defender of priests and natives; as a bombastic sargeant eager to track down the elusive Zorro is told, "Pick on a priest or a native, and — presto! Zorro!" We also see a priest help Zorro elude pursuing troopers, apparently even providing him with a robe to enable him to pass for a friar.
In one striking sequence, a dignified old Franciscan friar, falsely accused of fraud, contemptuously tells the corrupt magistrate, "If I were a supporter of the licentious governor, I would be innocent. I am a robed Franciscan — therefore I am guilty!" The magistrate has the priest flogged for these "treasonous" remarks — an outrage that immediately causes a bystander, well-born but impoverished caballero Don Carlos Pulido (Charles Hill Mailes), to intervene despite the consequences he will surely incur. In a touching scene, we see the priest being carted off to safety, blessing his rescuers with the sign of the cross.
When Zorro hears of the flogging, he is furious. First, he has the magistrate himself flogged in the same manner. Later, turning on a posse of blue-blooded caballeros pursuing him "for sport," he denounces them: "You sit idly sipping wine while the naked back of an unprotesting soldier of Christ is beaten!" This outrage, more than any other, finally turns the tide in Zorro's favor.
Besides being a crusader for justice and champion of faith, Zorro is also a defender of the virtue and honor of women. When a brutal captain (Robert McKim) tries to "force his attentions" upon the beautiful, spirited Lolita (Marguerite de la Motte), daughter of Don Carlos Pulido, Zorro soundly defeats him — and then forces him to kneel and apologize to the young woman.
The Mark of Zorro establishes the pattern for future caped crusaders with dual identities, notably Superman and Batman, the latter of which in particular was clearly influenced by the legend of Zorro. (The Zorro influence is actually explicitly written into one version of Batman's origin story, in which it is the Tyrone Power Mark of Zorro that ten-year-old Bruce and his parents have just been to see on the night his parents are murdered.)
Just as Clark Kent hides behind a mild-mannered facade and Bruce Wayne behind a shallow playboy act, Fairbanks plays Don Diego as a chronically fatigued aristocratic milksop who's quite overwhelmed by any display of vigor or passion, nearly faints at the suggestion of swordplay or violence, and devotes what little energy he has to frivolous drawing-room diversions with his ever-present handkerchief. "I sent him to Spain to study, and his blood turned to water," complains his father, little dreaming what skills his son learned in their native country, or what use he is making of them in California.
But, as Clark Kent later discovers with Lois Lane, this strategically useful pretense has its drawbacks: Beautiful Lolita is attracted to Don Diego's dashing alter ego, but not to the insipid persona he presents to the world. "He's not a man — he's a fish!" she cries out to her parents who view Don Diego pragmatically as a great catch.
Don Diego even has a sort of pre-automotive Batcave hidden beneath his hacienda, a secret subterranean stablehouse for Zorro's black steed, with a hidden shrub-covered portal to the outside world and a vertical passageway up into the hacienda. Even the grandfather-clock passageway from the house to the hero's underground lair was copied by Batman!
Where Zorro differs from Batman or Superman is that his crusade is limited in scope. Like Robin Hood, who gladly quit Sherwood Forest when Richard the Lion-Heart returned from the Crusades and deposed his usurping brother John, Zorro's way of life is an expedient, not a vocation. He opposes an oppressive gubernatorial regime; if and when the licentious governor is removed from power, Zorro is quite ready to toss away his sword and dispense with his secret identity.
The Mark of Zorro was Fairbanks's first swashbuckling role (previously he had been known as a comedian). Audiences responded enthusiastically to the star's new persona, which allowed him to flaunt his considerable athleticism to its fullest advantage. Fairbanks's stunts have lost none of their impact; no subsequent cinematic superhero has ever been half so convincing as his Zorro leaping from rooftop to rooftop, over the heads of his enemies, tumbling in and out windows, soaring over any obstacle in his way, tables, donkeys, pigpens. It's amazing how far we haven't come.
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