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HONG KONG (SE): An announcement by the freshly-minted consul general from The Philippines, Antonio Morales, that the number of Filipino migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong has topped the 200,000 mark, may indeed ring well in the ears of government officials that are busily mooting plans to import up to around 600,000 of them.
But enthusiasm for their articulated gratitude for the enormous contribution that these temporary workers make to life in the city, must be tempered by the recognition that in proportion to the importance of what they contribute to the welfare of the local people, they place only a tiny drag on the public purse.
However, Morales pointed out at a financial literacy graduation ceremony held by the CARD-MRI Hong Kong Foundation in the Bayanihan Centre in Kennedy Town on April 29, that the sharp spike in numbers also represents a huge challenge, as those who benefit from the labour of migrants offer no long term opportunity or career path to them.
Consequently, each and every one must face the eventual reality of having to return home for good, something which few manage to prepare themselves for well.
While offering an opportunity for people to prepare for this eventuality is the challenge that the Philippine micro-credit organisation, CARD-MRI, has taken on, what it discovered in its initial research on the situation of migrant workers in the city back in 2009 and 2010 was far from encouraging.
Morales announcement came as a reminder of the enormity and the increasing urgency of the task that lies ahead.
While CARD's track record in the city is impressive and its achievements since the inception of its local outreach read well, the volunteers, who have built up an impressive expertise in developing educational modules out of the migrant experience of finances, are acutely aware that they are involved in a challenge that keeps getting bigger.
The original investigating CARD representatives quickly discovered debt is one of the major scourges that burdens most migrant workers, partially because many are in big debt from recruitment fees when they arrive and partially because of the tendency to avail themselves of the easily available credit in the city when the seemingly ongoing extraordinary needs arise.
"Mounting pressures to meet the needs of the families left back home… reinforce the cycle of indebtedness," the initial investigating team discovered.
The team concluded, "There is hardly any success story to prove that the sacrifices of separation from loved ones, long working hours, their de-skilling, the normalised discrimination faced daily—are fulfilling the dreams they dream for themselves and for their loved ones."
While this is a common frustration among migrant workers, it is also common knowledge among their families back home and it was at their behest that the biggest micro-credit organisation in the Philippines was prompted to begin its initial outreach in Hong Kong.
CARD's initial enquiries and surveying revealed that migrant workers, despite being on average a well-educated group, have little or no knowledge about the significance of financial freedom and money management.
"A financial goal for many of them is very short-sighted: to get out of deficit spending while not disrupting their remittances to their families back home," it observed.
Helping people to break the debt cycle through better financial management is the daunting task that CARD undertook when it tentatively ran its first seminar in 2012. But for a group observing what it saw as problematic from the point of view of professional people, the further challenge was to get under the skin of the culture of the migrant worker to effectively address the issue.
First steps did not flourish, but salvation came in the form of a handful of highly talented workers capable of translating their own experience into an educational model using what is recognised as by far the most effective way of passing on knowledge—peer mentoring.
CARD worked slowly and carefully, cementing a strong base line before launching what has proven to be a highly successful way of reaching out. Successive groups of graduates have discovered that financial literacy is not just about money, but also about their way of life, thinking, acting, decision-making, approach to relationships and learning who they are.
They have learned the positives that can come out of improved communication with families by involving them in financial planning, as well as better relations with spouses through the realisation that there can be light at the end of what can seem like a long, dark tunnel.
The bubbly excitement present in the room as graduation certificates were being presented was testament to the joy of learning, especially the joy of learning that there is hope.
But financial literacy is not just about dollars and pesos. As Sylvia Basilio said in reflecting on her experience, "I learned that using money well is as much part of gratitude for the gift of the resources we receive from God as anything else."


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Serger Trunk Show
This event is one of our Montavilla Sewing in Lake Oswego Grand Opening Events! From 10/15 - 10/20, we will have different events each day to celebrate the grand opening our new Lake Oswego location! Come join us!
Click here to check out our other Grand Opening events!
Join us and Rosemary Keene, Wonderfil thread representative and instructor of our well loved Sue Green Baker Serger Retreats, for an eye opening free trunk show featuring surprising items you can make with your serger.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Class, club, and event fees are nonrefundable. You must cancel 72 hours before the first session of the class, club, or event to receive store credit or apply the fee to another class, club or event. However, if the instructor or Montavilla Sewing Centers has to cancel a class, club, or event, you have the option for a store credit or full refund. Students must bring their own machines to all classes, unless otherwise noted. We request that you do not bring children or guests to the classes. Thank you!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Swaziland News Sources Online.
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Swaziland Radio Stations Communities Broadcasting ? || Radio Swaziland ? ||
Swaziland News Sites and Newspapers Gov sz || Times co sz || Observer org sz || Business-Swaziland com ||
Regional & Global Search Engines, Social Networks, Utilities for Communication >>
Add This to Favorites. I Explorer. Add This to Favorites, Chrome etc.
All news in one place - Watch TV Channels, Listen to Radio Stations, Read Newspapers Online Free !


text:
Roberts Service Plumbing & Heating Co., Inc.
Where Service is More Than Just Our Middle Name
1445 S. Third St.
(269) 683-8549
Heating Equipment
Inline Duct Booster Fans
Radiant Tube Heat
Electric Thermal Storage (ETS)
Sterling Commercial Heating Products
Sterling Heating Products
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Sterling Model QVSF
Cooling Equipment
Air Conditioning
Air Quality Products
Dust Got You Cleaning All The Time?
Duct Cleaning
High Efficiency Filters
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Air Sterilization
Humidity, Too Little or Too Much?
Air Quality Monitoring
'Water-Smart' Products
Low Water Use Toilets
Toto Toilets
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Solving Sewer & Drain Problems
Video Drain Inspections
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Sump Pumps
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Hot Water Recirculation Systems
Frozen Water Lines
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Common Drain Cloggers
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A Non-Technical Explanation of How Air Conditioning Works
Understanding Air Conditioning
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The Chicago Story
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(269) 683-8549
Union Pier
(269) 469-9101
(269) 683-8549
Union Pier
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Toto Toilets
Drake Two Piece Toilet, 1.6 GPF
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G-Max: Quiet, powerful, commercial grade flushing performance
Upgrade with a SoftClose seat, or a Washlet
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Five Year Limited Warranty
High profile round close coupled toilet with 12" rough-in. Low consumption (6 Lpf/1.6 Gpf) siphon jet flushing action.
Tank with lid, fittings, chrome plated trip lever, less seat
UltraMax One Piece Toilet, 1.6 GPF
Sleek high profile one piece toilet
G-Max: Quiet, powerful, commercial grade flushing performance
SanaGloss: Super smooth, ion barrier glazing cleans your toilet bowl with everyflush
Complete with SoftClose seat, or upgrade to a Washlet.
Fast Flush: Wide 3" flush valve is 125% larger than conventional 2" flush valves.
Wider, 2 1/8" computer designed, fully glazed trapway
Large water surface
Five Year Limited Warranty
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Sleek high profile elongated one piece toilet with 12" rough-in. Low consumption (6 Lpf/1.6 Gpf) siphon jet flushing action.
Tank cover, fittings, chrome plated trip lever and SoftClose seat included.
Vespin Two Piece Toilet, 1.6 GPF
Contemporary design, close coupled toilet
Skirted styling with concealed trapway for easy cleaning
G-Max: Quiet, powerful, commercial grade flushing performance
UniFit Rough-in: Easy to install 12" UniFit rough-in. 10" and 14" rough-ins also
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Wider, 2 1/8" computer designed, fully glazed trapway
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Tank with lid, fittings, color matched trip lever, mounting covers, less seat.
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The toy comes from a deceased collector. So I can not get more information.
You probably have parts of the painting that have been repaired. I'm not sure about that. The item "Antique Distler Uncle Wiggily´s Crazy Car. Tin Plate Germany from 1928" is in sale since Monday, March 12, 2018.
This item is in the category "Toys & Hobbies\Vintage & Antique Toys\Tin\Vehicles". The seller is "pepe96paz0054" and is located in CABA- Buenos Aires, buenos aires. This item can be shipped worldwide. tinplate


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Over a year after Danger Room first reported on the Defense Department's plans to buy Russian helicopters in a no-bid sweetheart deal, a U.S. senator is now demanding that the Pentagon put a stop to such purchases all together.
At issue are a series of ad hoc decisions that were made to buy Russian helicopters for Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, much of it financed by U.S. taxpayer dollars. In a letter sent yesterday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Republican Senator Richard Shelby blasted the Pentagon for its handling of the Russian helicopter disaster, which has included delays, cost increases, andquestionable deals. Shelby wrote:
*The United States has spent $807.2 million on the purchase of Russian-made Mi-17s. Prior to this acquisition, no requirements were defined, no analysis of alternatives was completed, and no other airframes were considered. Of even further concern, there is no predictability of funds to support the Russian helicopter procurement. Multiple Services are involved in this procurement effort and yet there has not been a single aviation program management office appointed to oversee this program. In fact, it took two months of requests from my office to receive material on the subject.
The Pentagon's nearly billion dollar purchase of Russian helicopters has been a mess largely created by the Army's Threat Systems Management Office (TSMO). The group chose to route no-bid contracts through ARINC, a communications and engineering firm that had almost no prior experience buying Russian helicopters, and Air Transport Europe, a small Slovak firm best known as an ambulance service. (Air Transport Europe insists it is licensed by the Moscow-based International Aviation Committee, but the Russian helicopter design bureau does not list the company as a certified overhaul facility.)
Shelby says the entire Russian helicopter strategy has been a total failure, citing in particular the ARINC contract for Iraq. "Eighteen months later, the $345 million U.S./Iraqi acquisition contract is nearly a year behind schedule and the cost of airframes has skyrocketed," Shelby wrote in his letter to Gates.
The question now is whether the problem is really Russian helicopters per se, or simply a mismanaged acquisition strategy. For Shelby, the answer is clear. "We should provide the Iraqis and the Afghans with the optimum helicopter for their lift requirements," he writes. "We cannot do this by basing our decisions on false assumptions, a total lack of requirements analysis, and the Russians."
Shelby, who is from Alabama, certainly has constituent reasons for questioning the choice of Russian helicopters; his home state is a hub for helicopter manufacturing. It's also not clear whether immediately stopping Russian helicopter purchases now is in anybody's best interest (except perhaps Sikorsky's and Bell's). Mi-17s have been bought for Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan for a variety of reasons – some of them sensible – including availability, price, and capabilities.
But Russian helicopters are only cheaper and better if they actually get delivered. Tragically, no helicopters have been delivered under the ARINC contract for Iraq, even though all the money was paid upfront. Another 10 helicopters bought through ARINC for Afghanistan are also nowhere near delivery.
[Photo: U.S. Army]


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ShareThe other day, NPR wrote a feature article about a unique program at John Bowne High School in New York City. Despite being in the heart of one of the biggest metropolises in the United States, John Bowne runs an agricultural program for upwards of 500 students. Known as "Aggies," these students "grow crops, care for livestock and learn the rudiments of floriculture, viticulture, aquaculture, biotechnology and entrepreneurship."According to NPR, such a program is an excellent addition to the high school curriculum because agriculture is a booming industry. The students who participate in the program will accumulate a wide variety of hands-on experience with which they can land a job in the agriculture sector, a job which may even pull their families out of poverty. But while this is a great reason to encourage such a program, I think there's a deeper reason why more schools – both urban and rural – should consider a similar one. In a nutshell, such a program promotes what one might call a "chore culture," a culture which instills hard work, responsibility, and the knowledge of basic skills which today's society has lost. (Read more.)
'The Raising of Lazarus' by Rembrandt
5 days ago


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No Ads Please, We're European
Or are we? With the announcement of the UK's referendum on EU membership this is a very pertinent question. And this current political debate is mirrored somewhat in within the autonomous state of Adland. Mobile operator Three has just announced that it will become the first major European network to adopt Ad blocking, the first decisive operational stance taken within this much debated current hot topic in advertising.
This protectionist, anti-interference stance of "no" may be aligned to the position of a famous local politician, prior to his more commercial First Minister phase at least, and more currently of Boris Johnson, but ideologically it is founded closer to that of Fidel Castro, with a desire to blunt outsider capitalism to ensure perpetuation of the existing system.
Mobile ad blocking software is the product of an anti-establishment movement and thereby inherently unregulated. Through this step Three have essentially brought such technology under a state/network controlled system, thereby minimising the risk of unexpected and unforeseen problems. The full reasons stated are:
- That customers should not pay data charges to receive ads. These should be costs borne by the advertiser;
- That customers' privacy and security must be fully protected. Some advertisers use mobile ads to extract and exploit data about customers without their knowledge or consent;
- That customers should be entitled to receive advertising that is relevant and interesting to them, and not to have their data experience in mobile degraded by excessive, intrusive, unwanted or irrelevant ads.
The subject of how mobile platforms can be successfully monetised through advertising has been one of consideration for a number of years and with the rise of the smartphone, complete with their large high definition screens and video capability seemingly brought solutions primarily in the form of interstitial and VOD pre and mid rolls. Their future, on mobile at least, now appears threatened.
This move echoes the view of some marketing commentators that many mobile, and indeed digital advertising formats are too intrusive. But why the fuss? Interruptive advertising in the middle of Television and Radio programming is not questioned as negatively impacting on the user's experience, so why so on mobile? It's the individual personal communication aspect of mobile where differences arise alongside the greater concern of morality. It's also the manner of enforcement and the lack of choice in the serving of these messages, they MUST be viewed, the Platform insists.
Many major European political powers previously adopted an ill-conceived, repressive, zero choice approach through one party fascist and communist states and all are now thankfully a footnote in history. So maybe it's only inevitable these formats will follow a similar path. As visually domineering and unavoidable as they are, malcontent amongst some is possibly an obvious reaction, with Three in response not necessarily taking a stance in principle, but seeing their own commercial opportunity of differentiation. Even better than taking a stance in principle, is the perception of doing so, a chance for corporate to be cool, that most potent of commercial forces. Che Guevara after all has sold a lot of T Shirts.
I doubt there will be a referendum on this debate, just much debate itself, but the next move of the major mobile operators will be telling if not decisive. Regardless, it appears the immediate future of mobile marketing remains to be one of confusion and a lack of clear direction. The question of the EU looks somewhat simple is comparison.


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Hi I was wanting some info on the section of Whakatane river from Ngahirama hut down to Ruatoki road.
Assume it is grade 1-2 maybe some grade 3? Was planning a inflatable kayak fishing trip for 3-4 days dropping in at the hut with a chopper and floating down.
Any tricky bits? If someone has done this trip any info would be appreciated.


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Wild Life of Argentina
Day 1: Travel from Buenos Aires to Mercedes
Take an overnight sleeper bus to the town of Mercedes
Day 2: Arrival to Mercedes
Transfer to via 4x4 a Hostería Rincón del Socorro
The next three days are spent in the Ibera Marshland, where many delightful activities await the nature lover, such as nature walks, boat trips, horse riding, night safaris. Vizcachas, burrowing owl, crab-eating fox, brocket deer and Geoffroy's cat are just a few of the exciting wildlife present in this area. Accommodation: Hostería Rincón del Socorro. 3 nights
Day 3: Hosteria Rincon del Socorro
Day 4: Hosteria Rincon del Socorro
Day 5: Mercedes to Iguazu
Transfer to Posadas via 4x4 where you will board a coach and Travel to Puerto Iguazu
You will go to St. Georges hotel where you will spend the next 2 nights.
Day 6: Iguazu Falls Argentine side
Pickup from your hotel and transfer to Iguazu Falls
Argentine Falls Tour
Today you will enjoy a full day tour of the Argentine side of the Iguazu Falls. During the tour you will get 'up, close and intimate' with views of this unforgettable section of the Iguazu River. Our guide will show you the hidden gems of this unique National Park in the lower and upper walkways and will take you off the beaten path to show you the best views. Trails through the 210 square mile reserve provide visitors with various views of the Falls, especially the largest one, Devil's Throat. The mist over the Devil's Throat is such that endless rainbows are formed. Expect to get wet today and feel exhilarated with the spray and close contact with the sheer power of the falls. The ecological train ride is included in the tour.
Options available:
Jet boat ride under the falls at a cost of US$75 is available for purchase on day of visit whilst in the park. Return to your hotel St. Georges in the late afternoon.
Day 7:
Yacutinga Lodge
Transfer from hotel to Yacutinga Lodge where you will spend the next 2 nights
Includes Activities and meals.
Introductory explanation about the environmental problematic of the rainforest
- Guided activities (Naturalist English speaking guide + Auxiliary guide during the excursions):
- Half day interpretative walk
- Kayaking along San Francisco stream and Upper Iguazú River
- Night walk
- Guaraní afternoon
- Environmental activities
- Rights to enter the Yacutinga private Reserve
- Naturalist English speaking guide + Auxiliary guide during the excursions
Day 8:
Yacutinga Lodge
Day 9:
Yacutinga Lodge – Buenos Aires – Puerto Madryn
Transfer to Airport to take flight to Buenos Aires and connecting flight to Puerto Madryn
Second Stage
Arrival at Trelew Airport
A chauffeur will be waiting for you to transfer you to your hotel Dazzler Puerto Madryn Lodge where you will spend 3 nights.
Day 10:
Puerto Madryn & Peninsula Valdes
Early morning departure with our bilingual guide who will take you on a full day's tour of the Valdes Peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage site.We will arrive at Isthmus Carlos Ameghino from where it is possible to see at the same time Nuevo and San Jose Gulfs, visit the Interpretation Centre and see the Birds' Island. This is a small island connected to the continent during low tides where visitors are not allowed. A wide variety of birds arrive during their breeding season: seagulls, flamingos, herons, cormorants, ducks and penguins among others. The tour continues to Caleta Valdes where there is an important settlement of Southern Elephant seals. Further along you will arrive at Caleta Valdes, a large natural creek that is home to a colony of sea elephants. After admiring Caleta Valdes you'll continue along the road as it drops suddenly down into a crescent of golden cliffs overlooking a bright blue bay and the small village of Puerto Piramides. Here herds of southern right whales tend to arrive in June. You will take a boat trip around the Golfo Nuevo bay and watch these immense creatures gliding past. The peninsula navigation allows you to get unusually close to the whales. You will even get wet if they jump! While the whales may be seen from late June to mid December, the sea elephants and sea lions are permanent residents. Following your tour you will return to your hotel in Puerto Madryn.
Day 11: Puerto Madryn Punta Tombo
Breakfast Full day Punta Tombo Penguin rockery Punta Tombo is located on the Atlantic Ocean coast, 150 km from Puerto Madryn. During the warm months(September to April) Punta Tombo reserve is home to the world's largest colony of Magellanic penguins. Spending much of their lives in the water, these penguins return yearly to the Patagonian coast to court, breed, and raise their young. Approximately half of the colonies of penguins that nest at Punta Tombo burrow underground. Males arrive prior to the females, preparing and settling into their old nests. When the females arrive, they search out their lifelong mate through a series of calls and a chorus of answers. After an elaborate courtship, the female will lay one egg and both male and female will share the two-month incubation. Once the baby penguin, or chick, hatches, the parents will forage for food, feeding the chick by regurgitation until it can fend for itself. After the chicks learn to swim, the family will return to the ocean and migrate north to southern Brazil. Some Magellanic penguins may migrate 3000 miles round-trip between Brazil and Patagonia. When the immature penguins return to Punta Tombo the following year, they will moult their feathers, and breeding will once again resume. Besides penguins it is also possible to see many other kind of birds in the area. During the transfer to Puerto Madryn, the tour stops at Gaiman, one of the oldest Welsh colonies in the area, where it is possible to taste an excellent tea with homemade cakes.
Day 12: Puerto Madryn to Puerto Deseado
Travel by coach to Puerto Deseado Head south to Comodoro Rivadavia and continue to Puerto Deseado (350 kilometres) - the drive should take approximately six hours. For the next three days you explore Rio Deseado and Isla Pinguino. Both areas are protected nature reserves of great ornithological importance, hosting the only continental settlement of rockhopper penguin, but also the black-browed albatross, brown skua, magenallic penguin, blue-eyed cormorant and southern giant petrel. Accommodation: Hotel Acantilados, 3-nights
Day 13: Puerto Deseado
Day 14: Puerto Deseado
Day 15: Puerto Deseado
Breakfast Travel by coach to Comodoro Rivadavia and on to Airport to fly back to Buenos Aires
- Breakfast
- Meals were indicated
- Transfers as listed
- 3 nights Rincon del Socorro
- 2 Yacutinga Lodge
- 2 nights St. George Hotel
- 3 nights Dazzler Puerto Madryn Lodge
- 3 nights Acantilados
- Tours & activities as listed
Not Included:
- Internal Flights
- International Flights
- Access to National Parks
Net cost per Person: US$2975 on a double basis


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Several photo galleries featured on the web today offer breathtaking views of the natural world. For starters:
Spring Arrives in the UK
BBC Earth has a gallery displaying the burgeoning beauty of spring as it erupts across the UK countryside: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150421-your-pictures-spring-awakened
Iceland's Westfjords
Meanwhile, BBC Travel has images of Iceland's remote Westfjords. It's a place where a bleak, but beautiful landscape meets cold, arctic seas under sullen, slate-gray skies. It is a land where few humans ever venture. http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150204-where-waterfalls-outnumber-people
Chilean Eruption Caught in Photos
Reuters has images of Chile's Calbuco volcano erupting. Some of the images are stunning, others will show scenes familiar to Northwesterners who can remember the Mt. St. Helens eruption of 1980: http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/chile-volcano-comes-to-life?articleId=USRTX19YM3
Poison Dart Frogs Display Their Beauty
While the article is more about the deadly toxins the frogs possess, the images of the amphibians show their exotic beauty. BBC Earth provides: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150422-the-worlds-most-poisonous-animal


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The Western Cape Department of Health had embarked on the journey of an affirmative action programme using skills development intervention in the year 2009 with a measurable result of sustainable employment.
This programme brought about a business case that skills development does have a positive impact on the workforce profile for employment of persons with disabilities. The analysis of the occupational categories of the employees ranges from administration, technicians and associated professionals and the minority of employees with disabilities being in the category of labourers and related work. This numerical target includes all categories of disability.
The focus is on the candidate with a disability who is suitably qualified and has the ability to meet the inherent requirements of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. Though there is a constant move afoot to improve the representation of employees with disabilities in all occupational categories, it remains a challenge due to the lack of skills and competency in specialist areas and the fear of disability disclosure in the workplace.
A skills development intervention has become a key intervention of choice to increase the numerical target, other than disclosure and traditional recruitment and selection, in an effort to achieve the 2% numerical target set by Employment Equity for government departments. A second skills development project funded by the HWSETA, which started in April 2013, will significantly impact on the numerical target in the financial year ending 2014.
The aim of the project is to employ 80% of the learners into permanent positions where they have successfully concluded their learnership/ internship and have been performing duties according to a given job description, performance management and development plan set for them at the beginning of the programme.
On a daily operational level, disability disclosure has further increased the numerical target for disability by 19%. The impact of skills development programmes also boosted the confidence in the existing employees with disabilities, who otherwise would not have disclosed their disabilities due to fear of rejection and stigma.
The increase in the numerical targets for disability has brought on a need to do a comprehensive disability sensitization programme for all senior to middle and line management staff for the financial year ending 2014/2015.
The challenges that remain in the employment of persons with disabilities include environmental accessibility, traditional recruitment and selection processes, fear of disclosure, advocacy and lobbying to create a barrier free working environment for employees with disabilities within the Western Cape Department of Health.
Waseema Herabai – Assistant Director: Special Projects


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Connect with Trew
Trew Rickers, our Executive Vice President brings 27+ years of experience in this industry to the team. His dedication to customer service, pragmatic approach to business, and extensive wealth of knowledge makes him a key addition and invaluable asset to Evolve.
Trew started out as a stagehand at a local arena in Iowa City, where he attended college. After graduating he moved to Atlanta and in 1991 took an entry level position in the audio-visual industry. From there he worked his way up to top executive positions.
In his off time, Trew enjoys spending time with his family and friends, restoring vintage audio equipment, drinking craft beer, and collecting music memorabilia.


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When someone buys an Alabama-made car or an Alabama-grown soybean, that person isn't always an American. In fact, the state says Alabama companies exported almost $22 billion-worth of goods and services last year. The second largest market is China. That's why the trade spat between the United States and China has some folks in Alabama concerned.
It was sparked by President Trump's decision in March to apply tariffs on some foreign-made steel and aluminum. China responded with its own set of tariffs on a range of American products. Both sides have threatened further action.
We explore the stand off with the Alabama International Trade Center's Carolyn Turner, the Alabama Farmers Federation's Mitt Walker and UAB business professor Josh Robinson.
Listen here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play or NPR One.
WBHM Politics is the place for thoughtful conversations about the people, the policies and the issues in and around Birmingham. Join us for special episodes looking at what's at stake in the upcoming Birmingham municipal elections.
Election season is underway in Alabama with party primaries June 5th and the general election in November. We'll talk about the upcoming elections, some of the dynamics at play and a few key races.
We're on spring break this week. In the meantime, support the podcast by donating at wbhm.org. We'll be back with a new episode in April.
The issue of guns and schools has been in the news the past month after a gunman walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people. In Birmingham these issues became very real when a student was shot and killed at Huffman High School earlier this month. We explore the topic through a series of conversations.
When a big-box store closes in a smaller community, that drop in tax revenue can be a big hit to the town. That's a situation Fairfield and Irondale are working through.
The ballot for state elections this fall is shaping up after Friday's deadline for candidates to qualify. There are a notable number of women running for office this year. Alabama's governor and chief justice are both women and they're are running to keep their jobs. The #MeToo movement appears to have encouraged some women to jump into the fray as well.


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There are currently no job openings available at this time.
Lynwood Park Lodge is interested in skilled, committed and compassionate people for our team. We have a positive, goal-driven work environment and provide competitive compensation. If you want to be part of a growing group that provides a valuable and high-quality service and if and if you appreciate the reward of working with seniors, we invite you to submit your resume to email@example.com.


text: Goggles for Guppies is the official equipment distributor for the Make a Splash initiative. A 501(c)(3) charitable corporation, founded in 2011 by Southern California twin swimmers Chris and Matt Hales, Goggles for Guppies is a volunteer organization that distributes donated swim equipment to underprivileged children while providing community service opportunities for athletes, intermediate, and high school students who need to fulfill their community service requirements for graduation. Goggles for Guppies solicits donations of swim gear such as swimsuits, caps, goggles, fins, and kickboards, and distributes this equipment through the Make a Splash Local Partner network, encouraging underprivileged, at-risk children to learn to swim. http://www.gogglesforguppies.org/About-Us.html


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Bega AgTech Days bring technology and farming industries together
The Bega AgTech Days will be the first of their kind in the region, tapping into the technological revolution taking place on farms across the globe.
AgTech, as the name suggests, is the space where new digital technologies meet agriculture and on-farm practices.
It encompasses data collection, business modeling, genetics, transport and productivity in the agriculture industry, to name a few examples.
On March 28 and 29, industry leaders and startups will meet with farmers and tech designers in Bega to discuss the possibilities of this global movement on a local level.
READ MORE: Tech-connected cows a link in farm network
Event organiser and IntoIT Sapphire Coast founder Liam O'Duibhir said the Bega AgTech Days is an attempt to shift the AgTech industry from metropolitan to regional areas.
"Most AgTech comes out of metro areas, but we're lucky in Bega because we've already got a thriving IT community to draw upon," he said.
"A lot of people in software are increasingly aware of the challenge and opportunity of agriculture, and here we are in proximity to the farms where this technology is being tested and applied."
Jess Pearce of the Far South Coast Development Group and Young Dairy Network supervisor Greg Duncan are excited about the potential the Bega AgTech Days can offer the next generation of farmers.
"Our work is all about attracting and retaining people to the dairy industry," Mr Duncan explained.
"So often we are catergorised as 'just farmers', but a multitude of skills are needed on farm, and digital technology is the next one."
READ MORE: Pambula Lake leads NSW Oyster Tech trial
Ms Pearce said there was a lot for farmers to learn from the tech industry, and vice versa.
"Collecting farm data can be really labour intensive, so I want to know how technology can help me increase productivity and make more informed decisions," she said.
"But we're also here to share our knowledge with the tech types who don't have farm experience, for example, most probably don't realise that cows get easily spooked by drones."
AgTech consultant and Agthentic founder Sarah Nolet said hosting the AgTech Days in Bega would overcome some of the challenges she had faced at her AgTech workshops in Sydney.
"It's the tyranny of distance, while we get a good turnout at each event, there is only ever two or three farmers in the audience," she said.
"It makes sense that there are not a lot of farmers in our audience, it's unlikely they would be in Sydney in the first place, but it means we miss out on that potential to collaborate."
Ms Nolet said developments in AgTech are about up-skilling the agriculture industry.
"We're exploring what the skill set of the future farmer may be, and how humans and technology can compliment each other," she said.
"But obviously there is a huge onus on the tech designers to make their products accessible, you need to be able to use them with dirty hands, or with low or no internet, they need to be tailored to their environment."
Mr O'Duibhir hopes that the Bega Valley can earn a name for itself as a regional AgTech hub.
"We've already got some really great projects on the go and some very bright minds in both software and agriculture, so I'm excited to see what comes from the event," he said.
"I'd like our area to be pioneers of regional AgTech, there is already national and international attention on us from the recent success of Bega Cheese, so I think people will take notice."
The Bega AgTech Days will include a range of seminars and speakers, including Bega Cheese CEO Barry Irvin. For the full schedule of events and locations, visit the Bega AgTech Days website.


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ALSO FROM Judy Lytle comes this page, the front of the Ludington Daily News for July 3d.
From Judy's note: "I'm attaching today's front page of our July 4th outer-wrap which we print on 45# brite white with all the holiday activities and try to fill the 4 pages with quarter page ads. Anyway, I think newsroom designer Mark Steigenga did a beautiful job on it."
FROM ED: I agree. Mark did do a beautiful job. The page is exciting to look at—and even the nameplate was massaged to make the design work. A bit daring but I like the risk. The pink screen might have been faded a bit more behind the type to make the text more easy to read but this is a page I'd submit for contests. Coming from me, that means a lot! Nice going, Mark.
Your thoughts?


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19 Feb How veterinary practices can deliver a 'red carpet' customer experience
At Moneypenny, we often talk about rolling out the 'red carpet' for our customers. What we mean is delivering the kind of service that makes everyone feel like your biggest and most important client. A VIP. It's this experience that wows customers, and not only keeps them coming back but will ultimately grow a business and its reputation too. Stephanie Vaughan-Jones, Commercial Manager at telephone answering specialist Moneypenny, identifies five key ways that veterinary practices can deliver a 'red carpet' experience for their clients…
- Take a walk in your clients' shoes
With owners and their pets at the front desk, staff in and out of appointments and the phone ringing before you even open the doors – it can be difficult to stay on top of it all in a busy veterinary practice.
Competition, however, is on the rise and clients both deserve and expect the very best experience. So, if you do just one thing, make it this: step into your clients' shoes. Mystery shop your own practice, look at everything objectively and become your own client. Call your reception, send an email, use your website, get in touch on Twitter, send a friend into your practice in person. Think of every possible touchpoint there is for your practice and see how it works and how it feels.
Take note of any areas you were proud of and any areas that could be improved. What impressed you? What would you think if you were a new or existing client? However busy you are, the insights that you'll gain from taking time to do this will be worth their weight in gold.
- The little things are the big things
Long after people have forgotten what's been said or done, they will remember how they were made to feel. In the veterinary sector – where emotions can often run high – this is particularly true. That's why the little things can so easily become the big things. Remembering a patient's name, for example, and that of their pet can make a huge difference. Or using their preferred method of communication and taking the time and care to listen and address any concerns they may have.
Customers want to be nurtured, to feel special so aim to surprise and delight clients at every opportunity. These small touches of expertise, understanding, kindness and consideration make a huge difference and more often than not are the very things that inspire customers to share their experience with others. By going above and beyond, you aren't just impressing one person, but an infinite number of people in the future too.
- Consistency is King
As with many things in life, good things come to those who wait. That includes winning the trust of your clients. It may take a number of positive encounters with a practice before a consumer begins to trust them. Successful practices understand this. They know that customer service is a long game; that the benefits won't always be apparent overnight, but that building loyalty and strong client relations is the key to long-term success. They also appreciate that relationships like these are built through steady and consistent service at every point of contact.
So, think of your own practice and how it's run on a daily basis; and then consider the following. Is the level of service you offer the same at every interaction? How does this represent your practice as a brand? Is every patient greeted at the front desk like they are your most important client? Is there someone available to always answer the telephone, with a warm and caring manner? Do you respond to clients' queries when you say you will?
If the answer to the above isn't yes, then it may be time to consider ways you can improve each of these elements. Consistency and reliability fosters trust and helps to build that all important bond between a client and business. This is equally important when it comes to existing customers as well. A client should never hang up the phone or leave your practice thinking 'that wasn't my usual standard of service'. It takes a long time to earn a person's hard-won loyalty and a few minutes to lose it, so treasure their confidence and do everything you can to keep it.
- Listen, listen, listen
Any practice, no matter how big it has grown or how busy it is, will soon stop if they fail to put their customers first. This, can, of course, be a challenge with other demands around you, but listening – and I mean, really listening – to clients is the key to ensuring this doesn't happen.
We've all been guilty of not fully paying attention at some point; nodding and making all the right noises but sticking with our original preconceived ideas without opening our minds to the alternative. The most successful practices though will listen to their clients at every opportunity and gather as much honest feedback as possible. Yes, it might be painful to hear at times but also hugely beneficial. Never assume that you know what your clients want. What worked well last week or even today may not work tomorrow or in two months time, so listen, recognise when things need to change, and act on it.
- Exceed industry standards
In today's customer-centric world, simply meeting expectations isn't enough; you need to 'wow'. So, if you haven't done so already, take a look at your competitors and compare how you measure up.
What services do they offer? Can you book an appointment online, for instance? Is there anyone to pick up phone calls once the doors close at 5.30pm? No? Herein lies your opportunity to exceed the 'norm'. In today's market, the onus is on the business to win the client over – not the other way around. And the rewards of this are there to be reaped.
Word quickly spreads about extraordinary service, and those recommendations are priceless. Practices that raise the bar are inevitably the ones that rise to the top. Not only do they surpass their own expectations of what constitutes good service, but also the industry's standard. This can be enormously powerful.


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The news broke this morning that Europe's premier youth tournament, spanning across the season, would not take place this year after it was revealed they were concerned about funding for the tournament. Continue reading
Aston Villa are the first side through to the NextGen Series quarter finals after a 2-1 victory over last year's runners-up, Ajax. Continue reading
This week's NextGen Series fixtures turned into a goal-fest as 15 goals were scored over four games. Aston Villa celebrated a win over Scotland's Celtic whilst Liverpool narrowly lost out to last season's NextGen Series victors, Inter Milan. Liverpool missed a lot of young players because of their Europa League tie with Young Boys on … Continue reading
Manchester United are amongst a number of clubs chasing Ajax starlet Viktor Fischer. The 17-year-old finished joint top scorer in the inaugral NextGen Series tournament this season level with Barcelona's Jean Marie-Dongou. Fischer's highlight in the tournament came in the semi-finals as Ajax thrashed Liverpool 6-0. Fischer was effectively unplayable on that night. He was … Continue reading
It took a penalty shootout to separate Ajax and Inter Milan in the NextGen Series Final. Leyton Orient's Matchroom Stadium hosted the tie which saw some of Europe's most elite youth players the opportunity to shine. Lorenzo Crisetig scored the winning penalty for Inter as they were crowned the first ever NextGen Series champions. Both sides … Continue reading
Liverpool's dreams of reaching the final of the debut edition of the NextGen Series have been dashed as they were taught a lesson by Dutch outfit Ajax. The Reds went down 6-0 against the renowned academy last night in St Helens Langtree Park. Liverpool kept the tally down throughout the first half but still went into … Continue reading
Liverpool and Ajax both enjoyed emphatic wins in this weeks round of NextGen Series fixtures. Liverpool played away from home but managed to blast four goals past Molde FK of Norway without any reply. Ajax meanwhile had a home tie against Turkish side Fenerbahce where they won 5-1. Liverpool's performance was inspiring and promising for the … Continue reading
Denmark assured their place in the semi-finals of this year's European Under 17 Championship thanks to a 2-0 victory over England. Viktor Fischer scored his second goal of the tournament and Kenneth Zohore his first to secure the win for the Danes. England's hopes of retaining their title have been dealth a huge blow and … Continue reading
After the first round of games, Denmark find themselves top of the group thanks to a 3-2 win over Serbia. The hosts found themselves ahead but Denmark's class showed as the game progressed. Vojno Jesic grabbed the first goal on the half hour mark for Serbia but they were quickly pegged back as Denmark scored … Continue reading


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Blackstone, StanChart PE In Race For Redington Stake - Blackstone and Standard Chartered Private Equity are vying to acquire a large chunk of the promoter stake in Redington India Ltd, one of the country's oldest and leading distribution firm of telecom and IT products. Singapore based NRI conglomerate Kewalram Chanrai Group is set to dilute just under 15% stake to one private equity investor for roughly Rs 500 crore. Chanrai holds around 30% stake in the Chennai-headquartered Redington India which reported Rs 17,459 crore turnover in FY11. Chanrai was paring Redington stake to focus on the other business ventures such as Olam International, the Singapore-listed $10 billion commodities giant. (Times of India)
Fidelity, Emami Group Join Race For Sterling Hospitals - Kolkata-based Emami Group and U.S.-based Fidelity International are among a growing list of suitors for private-equity firm Actis Advisors' majority stake in Sterling Hospitals. Actis has appointed investment bank JM Financial to sell its 80% stake in Sterling Hospitals in the next three months. Emami controls AMRI Hospitals, which had revenues of Rs 250 crore in fiscal 2011. The advisory team of Fidelity Growth Partners, the private equity arm of Fidelity, met Sterling executives last week. Sterling has three multi-specialty tertiary care hospitals at Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Rajkot in the western state of Gujarat. (Wall Street Journal)
KK Modi Eyes 51% In Godfrey Phillips - The KK Modi group is set to wrest majority control in cigarette maker Godfrey Phillips India (GPI) from American tobacco major Philip Morris as the Indian business house leads the company's charge into non-cigarette segments such as beedi and chewing pan masala , potentially to the discomfort of the foreign partner. GPI, a Rs 3,000-crore publicly-listed company, is a joint venture between the Modis and Philip Morris who each held 36% stake originally. Last year the Modis pick up an additional 11% stake from the foreign partner last year, taking up their holding to 47%. (Times of India)
Wipro Joins Race To Buy Banking Arm Of Misys - Wipro Technologies has joined the race to acquire the banking arm of Misys, a UK-based software product vendor. The Azim Premji firm, unlike Infosys or TCS, does not have a core banking product, and is looking to plug the gap. Misys sells software products to banking, treasury and capital markets, has over 1,200 customers, including the world's top 50 banks. The banking division raked in revenues of £162 million, down 14% over 2009. American firms like Sungard, Fidelity National Information services and Fiserv are some of the frontrunners Misys while Indian firms like Infosys, TCS and HCL are also in the fray. (Financial Express)
Narayana Hrudayalaya To Raise PE Funding For Dental Clinics - Nearly three years after raising a record $100 million from private equity funds to expand its presence in multi-specialty expansive hospitals in 5-6 cities in India, Narayana Hrudayalaya is once again tapping the private equity route to expand its presence in the neighbourhood speciality clinics space. The Bangalore-based Narayana Hrudayalaya is looking to raise $15 million to expand its network of dental clinics and has set up a wholly-owned subsidiary for this foray. The company has around 30 dental clinics as of now and it aims to scale this up to 200 in three years time.(Business Standard)
Cholamandalam Sells Pledged Shares In MIC - Cholamandalam Investment and Finance has sold a portion of promoters stake in MIC Electronics pledged with it in the open market. Venkata Ramana Rao, the chairman and managing director of MIC Electronics, had pledged 58.6 lakh shares (representing a fourth of his holding in the company) with Cholamandalam Investment as per a disclosure made to the stock exchanges. The total number of shares outstanding for the company is 10.24 crore. Out of the pledged shares, Cholamandalam has sold about 20.55 lakh shares in open market transactions on May 26, June 20 and June 21 and has raised Rs 3.1 crore. (Economic Times)
WinWind, Suryachakra To Rope In Strategic Partner In Project - WinWinD Power Energy and Suryachakra Green Power, that have come together to set up 250 MW wind energy farms, are set to close finances for the phase one within two months and possibly rope in a strategic partner. WinWinD Power Energy, part of the Finnish WinWinD Oy Group, and a constituent of Chennai-based Siva Group, and Suryachakra, will set up wind farms at Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, with an investment of $350 million (about Rs 1,575 crore). Suryachakra would have 54%, WinWind 20% and the balance with a strategic investor. (Business Line)
PSU National Building Picks Managers For IPO - The Indian federal government has selected Enam Securities and IDBI Capital to manage its planned sale of a 10% stake in National Building Construction Corp. through an initial public offering. National Building Construction Corp., a heavy engineering company, is wholly owned by the Indian government. (Wall Street Journal)


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Olufunsho (first name), but i go by david. 24y/o african male. Second year, at West virginia school of osteopatic medicine.
B.Sc. in biology. Did cardiovascular research through out undergrad and a year after graduatoin. I am heading towards surgery, i hope i find a better alternative because the life-style scares me but not enough to deter me.
that's all!


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We know, Butler fans, today has been rough. A coach with heaps of success and potential left after just three seasons with the Bulldogs.
We're sorry.
But not that sorry. Because as a direct result of your coach leaving, a great Twitter thread was born. It started with a dreary post from Butler Blue III.
Yep. Sad.
More Butler coverage: Will Butler stay in the family again?
Doyel: Holtmann told me, 'There are some jobs you have to take.' Ohio State was one.
Twitter reacts: Chris Holtmann heads from Butler to Ohio State
But while the Butler masses weeped with their bummed bulldog, the folks running Ohio State's Brutus Buckeye account saw a window of opportunity. They could get some retweets and a humblebrag out of 140 characters.
You know...— Brutus Buckeye (@Brutus_Buckeye) June 9, 2017
This would look great on you! 🏀🌰#GoBuckspic.twitter.com/vZLTFfdS2u
Fans didn't like it.
A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.
Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:
And then things got pretty awkward.
On second thought, @Brutus_Buckeye, in light of recent events, don't even bother showing up. #YouKnowWhatYouDid#Awkward#DeadToMe#NACMA17https://t.co/JNlsq3SooS— Butler Blue III (@ButlerBlue3) June 9, 2017
But Blue has been through this before. He knows how to cope.
Please expedite: 4600 Sunset Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46208 https://t.co/B1ElP4hvjT— Butler Blue III (@ButlerBlue3) June 9, 2017
Follow IndyStar reporter Dakota Crawford on Facebook and Twitter: @DakotaCrawford_.
Here is Chris Holtmann's path to Butler and his accomplishments as the Bulldogs' men's basketball coach.


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Use SmarteX-P Combination Push-Fit Fittings for connecting various combinations of Copper Tube and PE-Xb Pipe.
We will gladly assist with returns and exchanges of this product in accordance with our returns and exchanges policy
Shop wherever you are, whenever you want.
Visit our Shop Online page to learn more.
Where you find a competitor's lower price on the same stocked item, we'll beat it by10%
Excludes trade quotes, stock liquidations, commercial quantities and MarketLink products. Same in-stock item available for same-day delivery or collection, including GST and delivery charges.


text: It's tried and true: life has its ups and downs. Based invariably on experiences and emotions, we have good days and not so good days. You may have faced a loss or a victory, received a job promotion or been fired, woke up feeling mellow or with a heart full of sunshine: all motions of life. The love we give ourselves should be a practice of all times. Our love should not be abandoned when the tide is high; that may in fact be when we need it the most. I am a firm believer in love being a verb because when love is felt, it is expressed. While we may express it differently, we express it nonetheless. While we do not love perfectly, we love nonetheless. We, in our imperfection deserve love too. Most importantly, our love. Give yourself a big hug. Right now. Show you some love. Whether actually wrap your arms around you, get you some dessert, treat yourself to a manicure, wear that dress: in however you best express it and need it today, show you some love.


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Match Attax Extra 2015/16 New Signings (Black back with Blue & Green border) 2016
Issuer: Topps (UK)
Condition: Mint
* These are original and NOT reprints
Description: As the title suggests the players in this set had all been newly signed in the 2015/16 season and as with other Match Attax Extra sets the players are given points for defence and attack and the blue/green bordered backs give the logo of their new team and position played. Amongst this batch are West Ham's Sam Byram, Watford's Mario Suarez, Alberto Paloschi of Swansea, Liverpool's Steve Caulker, Everton's Oumar Niasse, Bournemouth's Lewis Grabban and Emmanuel Adebayor of Crystal Palace. This was produced in connection with other 2015/16 Match Attax Extra sets (see our website). The cards are size 88 x 62mm. Number of cards in set: LT28
Abbreviations used for Number In Set:
EL = Extra Large; LT = Large Trade ( size 89 x 64mm); L = Large; M = Medium; K = Miniature.
Price for complete set: Only £6.00
You may also be interested in:
Below are sets that you may also like to look at
Match Attax Extra 2015/16 Update Extra Boost (Black back with Blue & Green border) 2016
Topps (UK) - LT20 in set
Match Attax Extra 2015/16 Managers (Black back with Blue & Green border) 2016
Topps (UK) - LT20 in set
Match Attax Extra 2015/16 Squad Updates (Black back with Blue & Green border) 2016
Topps (UK) - LT68 in set
Match Attax Extra 2015/16 Rising Stars (Black back with Blue & Green border) 2016
Topps (UK) - LT20 in set


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Day camps are offered when schools are closed, according to the Seattle Public Schools calendar.
The fun and learning continues during the holiday season!
Registration for Summer Day Camp begins on April 7, 2020. School Age summer break camps are offered in weekly sessions.
ARC and its 36 advisory councils raise support through fundraising events, grants and generous contributions from dedicated individuals and businesses throughout our community. These funds allow us to offer program scholarships and improve service delivery, ensuring equitable access to high quality programming for all Seattle residents.


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Going Raw Update – Day 6
I've been pretty pleased with my results so far. Here is an update on my 30-day raw trial. Weight Loss This morning I weighed 192.4, for a net loss of 6.2 pounds since beginning the trial. Six pounds in six days is really exciting to me! I hope this continues long into the trial. I skipped exercising the last few days but I went back to the gym this morning and did a one hour aerobic workout. It felt good. Usually on weekdays I'm sort of rushed because I have to get home in time to make the kids their


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HAYDEN JOHNSON 8th Nov 2018
IPSWICH'S strong population increase has gone up another notch, with the city's growth rate soaring higher.
According to Ipswich City Council's latest Planning and Development Quarterly Activity Report, the population of Ipswich has cracked the 215,000 mark. The report for July to September confirms the city's high population growth rate is continuing - now soaring to 5.38 per cent. An extra 2858 people called Ipswich home in the quarter, increasing the city's population to 215,391.
Ipswich had surpassed the 210,000 mark in the January to March quarter earlier this year. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures have consistently ranked Ipswich as one of the fastest-growing cities in Queensland and in the top 10 nationwide.
The population hotspots are Spring Mountain, South Ripley, Redbank Plains, Ripley and Bellbird Park.


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DetailsThe Helios 8 Cleanburn Wood Burning and Multi Fuel Stove is Defra approved, so can be used to burn wood in smoke controlled areas. It is suitable for most room settings down to it's robust looks and large viewing window. Boasting an efficiency rating of 81% in a compact freestanding design, this stove has a heat output of 8.3 kW.
Line drawing is for illustration purposes only to demonstrate sizesOverall Height (A)584mmOverall Width (B)440mmOverall Depth (C)366mmHeight to Centre of Rear Flue (D)420mmWidth to Centre of Top Flue (E)220mmRear to Centre of Top Flue (F)126mm
Guarantee10 YearsAirwash SystemYesConstructionSteel Body - Cast DoorEfficiency81%Flue OutletTop & Rear (Interchangeable)Flue Size6" (150mm)DEFRA ApprovedYesGrate TypeMultifuel Grate (to burn Wood & Coal)Log Length355mmHeat Output8.3kWSuitable For 12mm HearthNoExternal Air CompatibleNoMore ColoursNoDistance to Combustibles - Sides550mmDistance to Combustibles - Rear550mmBrandFirefoxEnergy RatingA Plus
Liner Pack & Stove Kits
Direct Stoves Offer Free Stove Fitting Kits*
- Stove Pipe
- Register Plate
800mm x 400mm
- Stove Glove
for protection
What's included in the offer:
- 1. Black stove pipe.
- 2. A registration plate is used to seal the chimney opening off from the room preventing dust, soot, dirt and debris falling down the chimney. It also helps to prevent a draft coming down the chimney. We supply a standard 800mm x 400mm galvanised steel register plate with all our stoves. You will simply need to cut the plate to size to fit into your chimney opening.
- 3. We also provide you with a single stove glove that you can use for stoking the fire and adding wood without the risk of personal injury.
*Excludes electric stoves, flueless and balanced flue gas stoves - as these are not required.
Optional Extras.
Carbon Monoxide Detector:
Due to an update to Building Regulations it is now law to have a Carbon Monoxide alarm present in any room with a solid fuel appliance:- The Building Regulations 2000 Approved Document J (2010 Edition) '2.34 Where a new or replacement fixed solid fuel appliance is installed in the dwelling, a carbon monoxide alarm should be provided in the room where the appliance is located.'
Flue Liner Packs:
The flue liner pack consists of; a nose cone, to easily manoeuvre the flue liner into place, a flue adaptor, which connects the stove pipe to the flexible flue liner, Dura Flue flexible flue liner (this is 6" in diameter and 316 Grade) cut to the required length and a 6" pot hanger rain cap, this supports the flue liner from the top of the chimney and also acts as a bird guard and rain cap.
Stove Pipe with Door:
A stove pipe with door or access point, allows the chimney to be swept through the pipe itself.
Stove Glass Insurance:
If you select to take out our stove glass insurance this covers your stove glass for the time period you select. If your glass breaks within that time period we will send you a replacement piece of glass regardless of the reason the glass broke. All we will ask is that you send a picture of the broken glass.
The insurance only covers you for one replacement piece of glass. It doesn't cover you if you break the replacement piece of glass.
All stove glass is covered during delivery and any glass broken in transit to you will be replaced free of charge, without affecting your stove glass insurance.
Please make the relevant selection above when placing your order if you require any of these parts and also select whether or not you require a Carbon Monoxide alarm sending out with your order. Please note that if these parts aren't selected with your order we can't send them for free after your order has been delivered.
- Stove Pipe
Delivery Info
Free 1 Man Delivery
Our "Free Delivery" is a one man service. The goods will arrive on a lorry that is about the size of a fire engine. (Please let us know in advance if you have restricted access.).
The lorry has a tail lift that allows the driver to get the stove/oven off the vehicle, the stove/oven will be packed on a pallet and the driver will have a pallet truck.
He'll be able wheel this as close as possible to your property, if you have a garage he'll be able to wheel it into there for you.
The pallet truck can only be wheeled over a finished surface so it's not possible to wheel it over a gravelled drive nor is it possible to wheel up or down steps.
The pallets are normally about a 1m wide so this is the minimum width gate they can fit through. Please note that the driver is not insured to unpack or carry the stove/oven into your house.
If the goods are showing 24hr or 48hr delivery then this is the quickest time we're able to deliver these items. You'll be asked to select your a delivery date when purchasing the goods.
Please note that it is an all day delivery.
Two Man Delivery (£60)
As the name suggests with our two man delivery service the goods will be delivered by two men. They will carry your stove into the room of your choice where possible. If the hallway is to narrow or they feel that they can't fit it through the doorway safely they might not be able to get it into the room.
They will normally carry it up 1 flight of stairs (if it's safe to do so) but this is at their discretion so if you have a 3rd floor flat please inform us before hand to avoid any issues during delivery.
The two man delivery normally take 5 - 10 working days to be delivered from dispatch. Once the goods are in stock you will be contacted and delivery arranged.
Are you able to purchase additional flue for this as the flue will not be fitted inside a chimney?A:Hi Melissa,
Thank you for your question.
We supply Twin Wall flue systems for homes without chimneys. https://www.directstoves.com/flue-liner-and-stove-pipes/twin-wall-flue-systems.html
Here is the link to our flue design sheets, which show the most popular ways of installing.
https://www.directstoves.com/index.php/downloads/dl/file/name/Flue Design Sheets.pdf/
If you choose a flue style and fill in all the appropriate measurements, our sales team can put together a shopping list and quote for you.
Please send the completed sheet to [email protected]
Hope this helps?
Kind regards,Customer Support answered on 10 February 2020can the Helios be free standingA:Thank you for your question.
Any stove can be free standing as long as it's placed on a suitable hearth meeting the manufacturers requirements and meets any clearances to combustibles stated in the installation guide.CustomerSupport answered on 3 April 2018can you advise whether the register plate comes with the collar and brackets? and whether the flue liner pack comes withflue hanging cowel?A:Hi Sandra,
thank you for your question.
The free register plate is our standard 1000x500mm galvanised steel register plate it doesn't have a hole cut in it your stove fitter would do this and fit it. We don't include fixings as each fitter has their preferred method of fixing them.
The Flue liner pack contains a flue adaptor which connects the stove pipe to the flexible flue liner, Dura Flue flexible flue liner (6" diameter and 316 Grade) cut to the required length and a 6" pot hanger rain cap this supports the flue liner from the top of the chimney and also acts as a bird guard and rain cap.
Hope this helps?
Kind regardsCustomer Support answered on 11 January 2018Do you deliver to Northern Ireland?A:Hi Susan,
Thank you for your question.
Yes we do deliver to Northern Ireland, and it is included in our free delivery area.
Hope this helps?
Kind regards,
CustomerSupport answered on 5 February 2018Hi I am looking at purchasing Helios 8 but I will require installation and the liner. It is for a reception room- and the chimney is over 2 floor- what length do I requireA:Hi Ursula,
Thank you for your question.
The length of liner needed varies from property to property.
My previous 2 storey house only needed 8 metres of liner but my current 2 storey home needed 11 metres.
We recommend getting a Hetas installer to survey your home, they will be able to tell you exactly what you need and will provide you with a "Shopping List" .
Find a Hetas installer near you here - https://www.hetas.co.uk/find-installer/
Hope this helps?
Kind regards,
Customer Support answered on 20 February 2020Does the Helios 8 Cleanburn have overnight/slow burn settingA:Hi Theresa,
Thank you for your question.
The user manual says "THIS STOVE IS FOR INTERMITTENT USE ONLY AND SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN OVERNIGHT."
You can see the complete user guide on the "Downloads" tab on the Helios 8 stove product page.
Hope this helps?
Kind regards,Customer Support answered on 17 December 2018What size hearth is suitable.?A:Thank you for your question.
With any stove you need the hearth to come at least 300mm in front of the stove and 150mm either side. You'd also want about 100mm behind the stove.
I hope this answers your question.
Please feel free to call us if you have any further questions.
Many ThanksCustomerSupport answered on 21 November 2017Is there an option to install a rear heatsheild?A:Hi Alexander,
Thank you for your question.
The Helios 8 has a rear heat shield fitted to it.
The distance to combustibles figure takes this into account, and the stove should be at least 550mm from any combustible materials to the rear.
Hope this helps?
Kind regards,Customer Support answered on 16 September 2019
We know a new stove is a big investment. That's why we offer our Pay on Finance option. Spend just £250 or more online and you can spread the cost over up to 36 months - with 0% interest available on a 6 month plan.
It's as easy as:
- 1Add your
chosen stove to your
- 2Proceed to checkout
and select 'Apply for
Finance' as
your payment method
- 3Place your order and
you will be sent to the
finance application site
What You Need to Know
We want our Pay on Finance option to be as easy to understand and straightforward as possible. We've created the chart below to tell you how much you'll pay back per month.
Finance Example: £379 purchase price
Finance Options Representative
APR (Fixed)
5% Deposit Payments Total
6 MONTHS 0% £18.95 6 months: £59.33
No final payment
£356 12 MONTHS 19.9% £18.95 12 months: £32.68
No final payment
£392.16 24 MONTHS 15.9% £18.95 24 months: £17.46
No final payment
£437.99 36 MONTHS 15.9% £18.95 36 months: £12.45
No final payment
What You Need to Know
Our Pay on Finance option is provided by V12 Retail Finance.
To apply, you just need to be able to meet the following criteria.
You need to be:
At least 18 years of age
A UK resident for 3 or more years
Able to make regular Direct Debit payments
Working at least 16 hours a week or residing with a partner who is
Have a debit/credit card in your name registered to your address
We can't guarantee your application will be approved. Your credit score and existing financial commitments will also be considered.
How to apply
To apply, all you will need to do is fill out an online application form, select your finance option, and add an electronic signature. Once successful, you will be asked to verify your identity by authorising a 50p transaction fee. Please note, our finance is only available online.
How long will it take?
The form should only take a few minutes to complete. You should get an instant answer on whether your finance application has been successful. In some cases, our finance provider may take longer if they need to check certain details before making a decision.
For more information, including a representative example and full terms & conditions, visit our full finance options page before making your purchase.
- 1Add your
Product Downloads(Size: 373.1 KB)Installation guide and user instructions for Helios 8 Cleanburn Multifuel Stove(Size: 374.2 KB)Warranty Conditions of Cover for Percy Doughty Stoves including:
Darwin, Firefox, Gallery, Helios, Penman and Tiger Stoves
(Size: 313 KB)Warranty Conditions of Cover for Percy Doughty Stoves including:
Darwin, Firefox, Gallery, Helios, Penman and Tiger Stoves


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Big and bubbly, our handmade Madeleine tulle bow is available in virtually every color of the rainbow including glitter gold and glitter silver!
Please indicate color choice at check out.
If you are looking for a color that is not listed, please email us for a customized order at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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OverviewDividing the stall floor from the aisle keeps things looking neat. It is easy to do and the horse quickly learns to step over the board.
TipThese photos have captions to express any thoughts I have on the picture. The idea here is for YOU to get ideas, so grab a cup of coffee, darken the room, grab a pen and paper to write notes, and sit back and enjoy. I have more shots and I'll add them later as I have time.
Click on any picture to see it in full size with the captions. Please enjoy and add any questions or comments below.
Please log in to see the pictures and additional content of this topic.
Discussion to follow. If you want me to move this up on the schedule, let me know.


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Data is the new currency in town and all giant corporations, as always, can't have enough of it. Google probably knows more about many of us than we know ourselves! This huge amount of data is processed and analysed to gain insights about the customers and into the functioning of the business and finds application in almost all fields. The information about customers is of particular use to marketers.
Whether the marketers realise it or not, the time for conventional marketing, where the marketing strategy of a brand was based completely on the intuition of the marketer has long been over. While conventional marketing considered the demand of a consumer and created a product to satisfy it, what it lacked was to keep the ever-changing consumer behaviour in mind while doing it. And a major reason for this disregard was the lack of adequate data that could put the marketer into the minds of the consumer to gauge and produce exactly what they need. But the advent of data, or more specifically big data, has filled that lacunae. Big data analytics has revolutionized the field of sales and marketing by improving the marketing efforts in many ways:
1. Identifying the right segment
Traditionally, marketers used to make their best guesses about the demographics of their ideal segment but it not the case anymore. Using big data analytics, the companies can easily determine who is buying, how much and what is being bought. More information about the prospective customers like the websites they visit frequently, social media channels used by them and even the sections of a webpage they are interested in can help a marketer make the right decision.
Identifying and targeting the right segment not only enhances the reach and efficiency of the marketing efforts but also helps the companies in cutting their marketing costs by helping them achieve more with less.
2. Customer Engagement Optimisation
Big Data proves crucial in providing customer level information about where they live, how often they buy and what they want. Analysing how customers interact with the company's online portals and even offline stores turns out to be beneficial in improving the user experience.
The ability to know when and how the customers would prefer to be contacted is imperative in a world where consumers are getting more and more impatient and easily irritable due to excessive marketing efforts being put in by different players in the market.
3. Optimising Performance
Tracking impact and return on investment used to be difficult in traditional advertising. But continuously monitoring and optimising their marketing efforts through measurement, analysis and testing through big data analytics can help companies in making the optimal marketing purchases across different advertising channels.
The level of granularity that can be achieved through big data is what makes it the next big thing in marketing. For example, now we can track the performance of different marketing channels for different segments in different geographies for different age groups and gender and so on.
4. Enhanced Customer Retention
It's very common to see companies deploying loyalty cards, known by many names underlying concept remaining the same, to track a customer's purchases. Loyalty card systems also track which promotions and incentives have been the most effective in encouraging a customer, individual customers or group of customers, in making another purchase.
The system can also help the marketer in identifying which segment of customers is the most influenced due to the deployment of loyalty cards. Data Analytics can also help in figuring out the particular complaints regarding the products which have caused the most dissatisfaction in the consumers and accordingly remedial steps can be taken before the situation gets out of control.
5. Real-Time Personalisation
Big Data Analytics when combined with machine learning algorithms, enables marketers to personalise their offers to customers in real time. A perfect example of this would be the 'customers also bought' section on online shopping websites like Amazon and Flipkart and 'recommended' videos section on Netflix and YouTube. Marketers can now personalise the products and promotions that a particular customer has access to right down to sending personalised offers and coupons to the customer's phone when he enters an offline store. It can thus help in strengthening the marketing strategy of the firm and in integrating the various tactics that the company employs to create an interest for the product in its target segment.
6. Budget Management
By enabling companies to monitor, assess and optimize their marketing campaign for highest performance, big data analytics helps them in better allocation of marketing budgets to get the highest ROI. It also helps the companies understand how their budget allocation among the different marketing strategies deployed in the past panned out to make any changes if necessary. Companies can strategize about the amount of expenditure that needs to be incurred in order to achieve the set goals by analysing the data across the industry and the strategy of the competitors. Data analytics can also help in understanding the changing trend in the consumer behaviour and these future predictions can serve as the yardstick to finalise the budget that needs to be allocated.
7. Predictive Lead Scoring
Lead scoring has long been used by sales teams to rate their hottest leads but predictive analytics on big data can now be used to generate a model to successfully predict consumer behaviour and sales.
Predictive lead scoring takes into account property information of leads, behavioural data, social information and demographics to figure out which properties should be included and how much to weigh each property. The algorithm finds the information customers have in common and the information that unclosed leads have in common to come up with a formula to identify the most qualified leads.
8. Improved content marketing
Historically, it used to be extremely difficult to measure the ROI from a blog post but with the help of big data analytics, marketers can analyse which pieces of content are the most influential at moving leads through a sales and marketing funnel. Analysing content is highly affordable making it easier even for small businesses to implement it. This would prove helpful in highlighting the pieces of content responsible for closing sales.
The use of content marketing is on the rise. As per the Content Marketing Institute's 2017 report, 87% of the companies in U.K. have adopted the practice. But even among those who do, companies analyse only 12% of the data they have available as per a Forrester report. This clearly highlights the need to develop big data analytics capabilities to make the most of data available to them.
9. Market Research
Data is the biggest asset in today's world. It can be used to gather the kind of information which was impossible to collect just a few years back. Marketers can get deeper insights into the minds of the consumers and customize their products accordingly. They can now conduct both qualitative and quantitative market research in a more efficient, quick and inexpensive manner than ever before. Having the capability to process a bulk of data obtained from online and offline survey tools helps in easily implementing customer and focus group feedback.
10. Market Analysis
Access to a bulk of data about competitors and their marketing efforts through new social monitoring tools and third-party vendors enables the companies to have a distinct competitive advantage over the market. This could form a key in devising a short-term and long-term strategy for the growth of the company.
The accessibility of product performance data broken down into various parameters for the company's own product and its competitors helps in analysing and benchmarking where the product lacks and make targeted efforts towards growth.
11. Brand Image Management
By leveraging big data analytics, companies can now easily monitor any reference to their brand across many different online portals, websites and social channels to know about unfiltered reviews, opinions and testimonials about their products and organisation as a whole. The marketers can also find the channels most influencing the brand image of their product and take necessary actions to change it.
Plotting the brand image among different sections and subsections of the customer segments on the perceptual map helps in identifying which points lie away from the desired region and putting in efforts to bring them in.
The applications of big data analytics in the field of marketing listed above, of course, just scratch the surface of what is possible today and what could be in the near future when big data analytics would become accessible and affordable even to the smallest businesses and novice users. It can only be a boon by helping companies in improving their marketing efforts and reaching their customer in much more innovative ways.
Big data analytics has revolutionised the way marketing decisions are made by providing the marketer useful insights about the performance of his/her product. It is now possible to dig deep into how successful the past marketing efforts have been to retain the best ones and replace the lower ones with the help of additional insights from the data. The early movers are going to enjoy the biggest advantage. So, what are we waiting for?
Disclaimer: This article was originally published in the November 2017 edition of Markathon, the marketing magazine of IIM Shillong.


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Manchester Voices
I am currently working with a colleague, Rob Drummond, on a research project investigating and celebrating the accents and dialects of Greater Manchester. It seeks to help us understand the ways in which our use of language makes us who we are, and to uncover the underlying perceptions of accents and dialects from across the ten boroughs of the region. More details can be found on our website and on our Facebook page.
The Accentism Project
Rob and I have also established a project with the aim of uncovering and challenging linguistic discrimination in everyday life. Our site offers information, resources, and current research on topics around the issue of accentism in an attempt to raise awareness of what is, in some ways, the last socially acceptable form of prejudice. Most importantly, it provides the opportunity for people to share their own stories and experiences of language-based bias, prejudice, and discrimination. Information and stories are available on our website and Twitter feed.
Doctoral Research
My PhD thesis, entitled A Social-Psychological Study of Foreign Learners' Attitudes and Behaviours towards Model Varieties of English Speech, explored the relationship between language attitudes and language use amongst second-language (L2) learners of English. In particular, I looked at how Spanish learners of English perceived and produced accent variation in the L2. I adopted and adapted a social-psychological model for attitude-behaviour relations to examine whether learners' pronunciation could be predicted from direct and indirect measures of their language attitudes. A copy of my PhD thesis is available here.
Undergraduate and Master's Research
During my undergraduate and taught postgraduate studies, I did a number of research projects on various topics, ranging from macro-sociolinguistic research on language and nation in the Iberian peninsula and Spain's language academies and minority languages to micro-sociolinguistic research on grammatical gender in French, Gujarati-English bilingualism in the UK, TH-fronting in East Central Scotland and the acquisition of lexical variation amongst Spanish learners of English.


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Headspace Warrnambool provides a free bulk billed GP service at our Warrnambool (incl. Sherwood Park) campus for all students and staff. The following GP Services are available:
Please contact student services to book an appointment with one of our friendly GPs.
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Contact the Student Wellbeing Officer on 0478 332 289 or 0481 916 092.
Our campus libraries are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, giving you access to physical collections, online databases, 143,000 eBooks and 19,000 online videos. You can also make use of our inviting learning spaces, computers, printing facilities and wifi. Our friendly library staff are ready to help you.
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The education pathways team services all of our campuses. Current and prospective students can gain information and guidance on specific courses at South West TAFE, as well as information on job seeking, careers, re-training and updating of qualifications. The Education Pathways Officers can also provide assistance with personal issues, study related problems and can provide local information on accommodation and childcare options.
We are committed to providing equal access to opportunities for students with a disability and ensuring that suitable and reasonable adjustments are agreed upon collaboratively. The support provided to students with disabilities at South West TAFE is organised and monitored by Disability Services. For more information about the assistance and support available, or to make an appointment, please contact Disability Services on 55648720 and ask to speak with a Disability Liaison Officer.
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