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Reasons to invest
Quick links
Strategy overview
We are looking for quality companies underneath Wall Street's radar, rather than shooting stars. We focus on compounders.
Why US SMID Equity?
The strategy was launched in September 2012 to invest in small- and mid-cap US companies. Our approach – developed over our 30 years – is consistent through the economic/investment cycle, and has, in the past, delivered good risk-adjusted returns.
The strategy is deliberately long-term focused, with a three- to five-year average holding period. We believe this is an important factor in generating alpha from small- and mid-caps: such an approach is necessary to capture the market-share-gain phase of successful smaller businesses, and to take advantage of market short-termism.
As a founding member of the UN PRI, ESG has always been at the heart of our ethos. Today we continue to be a key proponent of stewardship and, through our dedicated business, EOS at Federated Hermes, we have one of the largest stewardship teams of any asset manager globally.
How we invest
Investment philosophy
We believe:
- Quality should be at the heart of the investment process. Ownership of companies with a durable competitive advantage can provide better downside protection and generate higher compound returns over time.
- In holding a stock long enough for the company to achieve its potential. Capital appreciation occurs not only from the elimination of a discount to intrinsic value, but also from intrinsic-value growth itself.
- That positive risk-adjusted returns are best and most consistently generated by concentrating risk on stock selection and not seeking to generate returns by taking regional and sector positions.
Investment process
- Meeting with management,
- Our watchlist
- Screening.
The criteria used to define quality are:
- Durable competitive advantage
- Sustainable growth
- Management integrity, talent and vision
- Strong balance sheet
- Cash generation
- Capital discipline
Research is generated internally and supplemented with information from sell-side brokers. When a potential investment has been identified, we will write a detailed report on the company, outlining the investment case together with the risks. The report analyses a company's competitive advantages, the industry structure, the management and the company's corporate and social responsibility record. We also perform our own ESG research at the stock level, actively incorporating ESG factors in their assessment.
The portfolio is constructed with between 40-70 holdings. Position sizes are determined with reference to fundamental risk, quantitative risk, upside to target price, contribution to tracking error and liquidity.
Product information
For the latest performance and vital information – including prices, key facts, identifiers and ratings
Read our latest portfolio perspectives


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Herewith a partial translation of the statement.
The Louette Plan for AFP Must Be Withdrawn
"Lacking support inside the company, AFP CEO Pierre Louette is hoping his salvation will come from elsewhere, and notably from compliant media outlets. The aim being to push through his plan to turn AFP into a 100% state-owned company. He has recently been given a boost thanks to a media blitz by several newspapers and a radio station, which let him express himself freely while deliberately neglecting to give a fair say to company staff members and the unions who are against his plans.
The media campaign, which gave our CEO free rein even on the state-owned France Culture radio station, was in fact set up by a PR company.
.../... One of the articles, in the Sunday paper Journal du Dimanche on October 18, even bore the triumphant headline: "The New AFP Is Up and Running", while Luc Evrard, who has a business slot on the popular Europe-1 radio station, stated baldly on October 22 that AFP was "a judicial UFO", concluding his piece by saying "AFP is going go get new statutes".
Such bluster shows that there is deep concern among the agency's top management over a project which is not only extremely unpopular within AFP, but is also beginning to raise serious doubts in government, including in the ruling UMP party.
In the National Assembly - the lower house of the French parliament - the vice president of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the UMP deputy Michel Herbillon, admitted recently that there was "a lot of resistance and opposition to the reform being planned" by Pierre Louette. And speaking before the same committee, Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand himself said he wanted to "take a bit of time" before making a decision on AFP
Shortly before that, a former CEO of the agency, Claude Moisy, wrote an opinion piece in the daily Le Monde to express his reservations about both his successor and his plans. Agence France-Presse was "a truly hybrid company, which should not exist in a market economy, but which has nevertheless been functioning for the past fifty-two years," Moisy wrote. If the French state "wants AFP to retain its place in the world, it should shoulder its responsibilities," he concluded.
The SNJ-CGT supports the struggle being waged by AFP's staff and trade unions, which are opposing a purely ideological reform of the company's statutes aimed at turning AFP into a 100% state-owned firm with the legal structure of a joint-stock company. The said changes being in fact a mere prelude to a privatisation, as is the case with the French postal service, La Poste.
There are ways to let AFP develop within the framework of the 1957 statutes, which have been called 'The Statutes of Liberty'. A round table conference should be convened to discuss them; the CGT will contribute to that process.
Last but not least, the CGT journalists' union expresses its support for the struggle being waged by staff and unions against insecure and temporary labour contracts at AFP.
Montreuil, October 27, 2009
- The main SNJ-CGT site (French only): https://snjcgt.fr/

subset: commoncrawl


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Warmer days and brilliant bouquets are around the corner. But for allergy sufferers, springtime is no picnic. Those joyful transitions can also translate into an annual ritual of sneezing, sniffling and itchy skin. The first step toward relief is to identify your position on the rash spectrum and to remember that pollen in the air is only one factor in the skin irritation equation.
About 8% of adult Americans get hay fever, but skin rashes that may be related to it often go unnoticed during spates of sneezing, tearing and other annoying symptoms. Hives can result from hay fever—the first symptoms will be itchiness and red patches, or eruptions that look more like welts than bumps, with clearly defined edges. The surface of the skin will appear swollen. Along with a rash you may also experience undereye puffiness and dark circles, known as allergic shiners.
While the cause of atopic dermatitis (AD), or eczema, is not clear, it can grow worse from hay fever. More common in infants and young children, AD appears as patches of dry, bumpy skin, especially on the face, scalp, hands and feet, and presents other symptoms, as well, including oozy blisters, ear discharge or cracking, and lizard-like skin changes that appear as a result of constant scratching.
Besides hay fever, several other factors can make your skin itch. During summer months, watch for heat rashes and exposure to poisonous plants. And don't forget seasonless allergies to body products, cosmetics and/or laundry detergents. In fact, the leading cause of allergic dermatitis is fragrance, which includes plant extracts and essential oils as they can also cause potential problems for fragrance-sensitive people.
Unfortunately, these rashes can be exacerbated by hay fever, with the primary symptom being generalized itchiness. Add scratching and you can end up with a full-blown rash.
Common advice points to antihistamines or even steroids for relief, but new research indicates that the important role microbiota plays in keeping skin healthy may eventually offer other solutions. A study comparing normal skin with diseased skin (as in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis) shows distinct differences in their microbial diversity. Normal skin not only has high microbial diversity, but also displays a great deal of variation from person to person.
Dr. Martin Blaser, a leader in the field of microbiome research, identified certain bacterial patterns that seem to be associated with psoriasis. These patterns signal an imbalance in patients' microbial communities—what scientists call dysbiosis.
While scientists struggle to help us find ways to restore host-microbiota homeostasis, there are simple lifestyle changes you can make now to help.
Season change is unavoidable, but it's possible to calm irritated skin. Heed these tips to help control the discomfort of spring allergies. And, if at all possible, do not stop and smell the flowers.
Have a question or need more information about how this applies to your specific skin concerns? Click here to get personalized advice from our estheticians, or browse our Product Recommendations.


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This year was supposed to be one of demand recovery for the luxury goods sector, yet with only a few months to go until the all-important festive season, it looks like another lost year. Cyclical factors have certainly not helped: tragic terrorist events impacting inbound tourism, stock market and currency volatility, and downside risks to GDP forecasts in the UK and Eurozone post-Brexit have further weakened European demand. Where emerging markets had previously offset sluggish European performance, they haven't escaped the slump this time: depressed oil prices, tough economic conditions, the weakness of emerging market currencies against the dollar and less demand for lavish gift-giving in China, due to President Xi Jinping's far-reaching crackdown on corruption, have exacerbated the malaise on a global scale.
However, structural factors seem to be the major drivers behind a third consecutive year of uninspiring results characterised by muted revenue growth, volatile demand patterns and margin pressures. This has left many senior luxury goods executives in doubt as to how to create future demand and prompted an unprecedented game of musical chairs across company boardrooms.
After an initial denial of the "new normal" financial situation that emerged after the crash of 2007-08, most luxury companies seem to have accepted the realities of stagnant demand and a potentially lower growth profile. The expression "new normal" should probably be avoided in any case, as it suggests the previous growth cycle of quasi-uninterrupted double-digit revenue growth over the past 15-20 years was "normal". If GDP growth, wealth effects and demographics remain the key factors behind luxury consumption, demand grew exceptionally fast during this golden era — about 2.5 to three times real GDP growth — at a time of aggressive retail expansion, significant price inflation, the rise of a very brand-conscious emerging-markets' middle class and a growing market in China amid a fast-growing economic boom driven by real estate and infrastructure investment.
Luxury brands have to think about how to attract and retain tomorrow's customers
Important structural changes have taken place in the luxury industry over the past few years, impacting demand and requiring companies to adapt. Lower barriers of entry into the luxury market, for instance, have allowed newer brands to establish themselves and led to a more competitive landscape. Examples include the emergence of niche brands in some of the historically high-growth, high-margin categories such as leather goods and watches, and the sustained global growth we are witnessing in experiential luxury, from fine dining to spas and boutique luxury travel.
Retail networks have also become saturated. After more than a decade of significant retail expansion in both developed and emerging markets, there are limited opportunities to add new space; on the contrary, downsizing has already begun and we are seeing, for the first time, store closures in Hong Kong and the smaller cities in mainland China.
Pricing power, a key component of growth, seems to be more challenging than ever for brands as the development of e-commerce has enabled greater price transparency. Currency volatility — in particular a weaker Euro — is only making the problem worse with the price gap for products across regions widening to unsustainably high levels. This provides consumers with greater buying and selling opportunities across regions and/or distribution channels, and facilitates the development of parallel markets (eg. China's personal shopping daigou websites), ultimately damaging brand equity.
As a consequence of austerity across developed markets, "trading-down" shopping behaviour has also had adverse effects. Entry-level luxury price points and categories have outperformed expectations while high-income shoppers have been less ready to spend, raising the question of affordability after more than a decade of aggressive price inflation.
Luxury brands also have to think hard about how best to attract and retain tomorrow's customer base: the millennial generation. Millennials are causing disruption in many respects: they are facing mass unemployment (in particular in Europe), they are more educated than their baby-boomer parents, often more discerning and politically and socially engaged. This underscores the need for brands to address questions of authenticity, provenance and sustainability. Millennials are also digitally enabled and more price-sensitive as they become fully aware of the industry's pricing structure and often reject traditional pricing models, prioritising access over ownership.
Luxury companies have acknowledged the industry slowdown maybe more structural than cynical
The good news is that most luxury companies seem to have acknowledged that the industry slowdown might be more structural than cyclical and have started to adjust business models accordingly. As a start, many brands are taking a more effective approach to increase return on capital outlay. Some are working on enhancing the quality of the existing retail networks through store refurbishments, enlargements, relocations and closures, in the context of an overall reduction in planned capital expenditure. Many are also monitoring and reducing particular administrative, selling and distribution costs, although marketing expenses are still on the rise to support conversion. Leading luxury firms with diverse product portfolios and a global presence are also completely re-thinking pricing architecture in two ways: by reinforcing the product offering in higher-margin entry-level categories (small leather goods and footwear for example) and by reducing the relative pricing gap between regions, in particular on new, seasonal items.
Responding to millennial demands, brands are now looking at ways to increase customer engagement through more personalised customer service, bespoke events, data capture and analysis of customer relationship management tools and social and digital media. Greater focus on training, retention and compensation of sales and back-office personnel will nonetheless be key to maintaining an enhanced service. The industry is also waking up to the sensitive issue of sustainability; successful brands realise they are not just selling a story based on an aspirational lifestyle, but also on how and where the product has been made.
As Bob Dylan sang in 1964, "The times they are a-changin'." Time will tell whether these actions will be sufficient for the luxury industry to return to a more appealing growth and margin trajectory. In any case, changing times represent a formidable opportunity for the luxury industry to reinvent itself and create the right conditions for future demand.


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Evening On Rosewall Hill near St Ives, Panoramic View
A view in the evening sunshine from a tor near Rosewall Hill, Penwith, Cornwall, with St Ives Bay in the distance. The landscape is heather and gorse amongst rocky outcrops known as Tors and is managed by the National Trust.
High quality prints of this image are available in a range of sizes. Please see Print Information for further details, or click on the button below to view the print options for this image.
This image is available for license as stock photography. Please see Stock Information for further details, or click on the button below to view the stock options for this image.
Image Info
|Camera Model:
|Canon EOS 20D
|Date Created:
|Aug 05, 2010
|Shutter Speed:
|1/250 sec
|Focal Length:
|17 mm
Location: Rosewall Hill
County: Cornwall
Country: United Kingdom
Views: 7219
© Copyright Martin Eager 2010-2021


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Why Do Dogs Always Want to Go Outside?
Many dogs always want to go outside and this can be frustrating for dog owners who keep on getting up escorting their dogs out the yard. What's up with these dogs?
Well, if we start looking at the world from our dogs' perspective, there may be many reasons as to why dogs always want out.
Of course, ruling out medical problems is paramount considering that there are several health conditions in dogs that may trigger more outdoor trips.
Medical conditions aside, following are several reasons why dogs always want to go outside.
Possible Medical Problems
When dogs engage in certain odd or unusual behaviors, it's always a good idea ruling out medical problems. For instance, a dog who may be asking to go outside frequently, may be suffering from a urinary tract infection.
Urinary tract infections cause dogs to feel compelled to go potty very frequently. Often, once out, they will squat and produce only a few drops of urine at a time.
Female dogs are commonly affected. Affected dogs may also lick their private areas often and may have blood in their urine. Other urinary problems that may cause increased trips outdoors are the presence of crystals or stones in the urine.
On the other other hand, dogs may also ask to go outside frequently due to the presence of diarrhea. Colitis is a common cause of diarrhea in dogs. When affected by colitis, dogs tend to have a sense of urgency and more frequent bowel movements which often contain fresh red blood and mucus. Dogs with colitis may also be seen straining and producing just a few drops of diarrhea.
And then there are other medical problems not associated with urinary or digestive problems. For instance, dogs who feel hot such as dogs suffering from a fever, may be restless and may seek cooler outside temperatures. The normal temperature range for dogs is 99.5 to 102.5.
Older dogs may seek the outside if it's cooler as they age because they may no longer be able to cool down as well as they did when younger. Age-associated conditions such as painful arthritis or conditions that cause trouble breathing (such a laryngeal paralysis) may also cause dogs to seek cool areas or cool surfaces to lie down.
Cushing's disease is also a condition that may cause in dogs the inability to cope with hot temperatures.
A Matter of Critters
Many dogs whine and act restless asking to go outside because they detect the presence of critters. Dogs have a powerful sense of smell and they can hear things that our ears cannot detect.
If your dog is sniffing the air and pacing, there are chances he caught a whiff of some critter from your air conditioning vents or heating vents or perhaps from the air currents coming through windows or under doors.
Of perhaps your dog's powerful ears detected some noise that is intriguing him. Interestingly, dogs are capable of hearing very subtle sounds such as mice scratching in walls. Did you know dogs can hear lower frequencies than humans?
Regardless of whether your dog is smelling some critter or hearing some distinct sounds, your dog is on a mission to hunt down this pesky intruder.
Despite being fed from shiny bowls and wearing fancy collars, dogs remain hunters at heart. Your dog may be therefore asking to go out to inspect the source of the smells or sounds that intrigue him and he may do so in a very demanding way that is difficult to ignore.
Not all dogs though are drawn to critters at the same level. Some dogs more than others are equipped with higher drives to hunt down animals.
For instance, small terriers (such as Jack Russell terriers, Yorkshire terriers, Cairn terriers) are notorious for wanting to chase after small animals such as mice. And who can blame them? Many of these dogs have a history of being selectively bred to kill rats or other small critters. Read more on this here: Introducing the ratter!
Food for thought: Is there a new dog in your neighborhood or perhaps a cat in the yard? If so, your dog may want to go outside just to learn more about them. Make sure though your dog doesn't harm any visiting cats or kittens!
Are Intact Male Dogs More Likely To be Attacked?
Whether intact male dogs are more likely to be attacked is something important to consider especially if you own an intact male dog or run a day care.
Scotland's "Suicide Bridge," Where Dogs Jump Off
As odd as it may sound, there is a bridge located in Scotland from which hundreds of dogs have jumped off, giving this bridge a bad rap.
Why Does My Dog Yawn When I Kiss Him?
If your dog yawns when you kiss him, you may be wondering what's up with this behavior. Discover why dogs yawn and what it means.
A World of Smells
Many dogs associate the great outdoors with reinforcement. In other words, the outdoors offers them activities and access to stimuli that feel very gratifying to them.
Unlike humans who may enjoy indoor activities such as watching T.V, crocheting in front of the fire or social networking, dogs have very little to enjoy when confined between four walls, unless dog owners offer them things to do.
The outdoors instead offers an ever-changing kaleidoscope of smells. Here's a fact: smell is never the same from a dog's perspective. Every time you take your dog out, there is a change in scenery with new scents that your dog never grows tired of exploring.
As visual beings, this may be difficult for us humans to completely comprehend as we mainly use our eyes to scan the world, while dogs focus on detecting scents and interpreting clouds of odorous particles coming from every direction.
As Alexandra Horowitz puts it, goes a long way. In her book "Being a Dog, Following the Dog Into a World of Smell" she claims: "Each departure from the house brings a new scene, one never visited. Each day, each hour, wears a new smellscape. There is no such thing as "fresh air" to a dog. Air is rich: an olfactory tangle that the dog's nose will diligently unknot."
Engagement in Reinforcing Activities
On top of smells, dogs may also be attracted to the outdoors because they get to stretch their legs and move around. Dogs, being cursorial animals, are known to enjoy walking and romping around and staying in the home doesn't allow much of that.
Some dogs are also prone to wanting to patrol their properties and investigate everything on a random basis. If your dog is prone to barking at cars, people, dogs or animals who approach the fence line, he may be asking to go out every time he hears something.
This can be perceived as a reinforcing activity to dogs (especially bored, under-stimulated dogs) as they interpret their barking as the reason why people, cars and other dogs or animals move away from their properties. These dogs will therefore fall into the habit of wanting to repeat the barking behavior over and over to just send "the intruders" away.
Some dogs like to patrol their properties several times a day and urine mark. Urine marking in dogs is not peeing for the mere purpose of the emptying the bladder, it's peeing with a purpose and that purpose is leaving scent around.
Traditionally, when dogs urine mark, they will engage in what is known as a "raised leg display" where they will balance themselves on three legs while raising the fourth leg and aiming the stream of urine on vertical objects. Intrigued about this? Discover 12 peeing positions in dogs.
In particular, intact female dogs (not spayed) may want to repeatedly go outside to urine mark when they are in heat. Their urine is rich in pheromones which informs male dogs about their reproductive status. Male dogs may smell this scent from quite a distance and may ask to be taken out repeatedly as well.
Dogs Pretending to Need to Potty
Some dogs learn that by going by the door they are granted access to the outdoors and learn to take advantage of the system. OK, OK, let's clarify, it's not like your dog is trying to outsmart you and trick you into thinking they have to potty. Dogs don't think in such malicious, strategic ways. In reality things are much simpler than that.
Dog tend to repeat behaviors that are reinforcing, and therefore, learn that by going to the door, it opens, unveiling all the magical things associated with the outdoors.
On top of that, dogs learn that they get one-on-one attention the moment they walk towards the door. With all this reinforcement, you can rest assured your dog will want to repeat this experience over and over.
So an important question to ask is: Is your dog peeing every time you take her out? If so, it would be best to continue taking her out whenever she asks for it. If she isn't peeing every time she's taken out though, then she's likely asking to go out just to have fun outside.
One thing to consider is that sometimes, when dogs have frequent urinary tract infections they may believe that they might have to go out frequently even if they don't have to.
Do Dogs Need Sunshine to Get Vitamin D?
You may be wondering whether dogs need to spend time outdoors in the sun in order to get enough vitamin D. This issue may feel more pressing recently due to the pandemic and consequent lockdown causing more dogs and more owners to spend time indoors.
Turns out, if your dog is on a commercial dog food that meets the AAFCO standards, he or she should already have obtain a sufficient amount of Vitamin D through the diet, even during the winter months.
This is different from humans who often eat diets that are lacking in this nutrient to the point of requiring supplementation. If you suspect your dog has a vitamin deficiency, discuss with your veterinarian.
Now That You Know...
If you have a dog who always wants to go outside, you may be desperately seeking solutions. Here are a few tips based on various situations..
- Monitor what your dog does when taken outside. Many dog owners let their dogs out but never really gain an insight into what their dogs do once out. What does your dog do exactly when outside? Is he going potty? Is he barking at triggers? Is he going on a sniffing adventure? By putting on your investigative hat, you can discover pertinent information which may help you in the resolution of the problem.
- Have your dog see your veterinarian, especially if he's asking to go out and urinates frequently or has bouts of diarrhea. Also, see your vet if your dog now always asks to go out when before he was happy spending time with you in the home.
- If your dog is peeing frequently or has diarrhea, bring a fresh urine sample or a stool sample along with your dog for his veterinary appointment.
- If you suspect critters in your home or yard, hire an exterminator, preferably one who uses safe and natural pest management options and products that have low or no adverse risks to your pets.
- If there are noises or a new dog moved in town, for the time being, you can try to put on some white noise (radio, tv or fan noise) and see if this can help calm your dog down.
- Make sure your dog receives sufficient levels of exercise, walking, play time, training and mental stimulation. When indoors, offer your dog interactive toys such as stuffed Kongs, Kong Wobblers and Buster Cubes.
- Rotate toys so that your dog never grows bored of them.
- If your dog's passion is sniffing, engage his brain with fun treasure hunt games and canine nosework.
- Tired of your dog asking to go outside, but worried about whether your dog is truly telling you he/she needs to go potty? Here's a way to tackle this issue. Put your dog on a leash and take him to a designated potty area and stay out only five minutes. If he truly needs to go bad, he'll usually rush to potty. If he doesn't go, go head straight back inside and try again later repeating the same process. This should help reduce the behavior of asking to go outside just for the fun of it. Find more tips on this here: The problem with training your dog to ask to out
- When you come back inside, if your dog hasn't gone potty, make sure that you can keep your dog confined to an area where you have a clear view of him and where you can supervise your dog to ensure he doesn't sneak off to pee or poop somewhere. Watch for dog pre-potty signs such as sniffing the floor, pacing, circling, whining.
- If your dog does go potty, reward her and let her off the leash (if your yard is secure).
- Now, something to consider: some smart dogs may learn that peeing in the yard grants them fun time afterward, so they may learn to purposely pee just for the fun of that. In such cases, it may help taking them out first thing in the morning when they are likely to pee, and then spend a good amount of time outdoors until they get tired and bored. Often times, we take dogs inside when they have haven't had the opportunity to sniff around and get tired. This makes the yard super appealing. That's also why dog trainers stop training sessions on a positive note when the dog is having fun, because they want to maintain a good history of fun with training so that the dog wants to do it more and more.
- Start gradually lengthening the times you take your dog out. So if your dog asks to go outside every hour, next time push it to every 70 minutes, then 80, then 90 etc. During the intervals, make sure your dog is engaged in activities that keep her mind off the outdoors.
- If your dog goes to the door despite having emptied her bladder and bowels, you can acknowledge it and say "not now" then call her to you, ask for a sit and encourage her to chew a toy that will help keep her busy for some time.
- Feeding your dog food at the same scheduled times throughout the day can help her elimination patterns become more predictable. It's a good idea to jolt down on a paper when your dog goes potty so to schedule her outings accordingly.
- Last but not least, it may be also helpful training your dog to go potty on command. By doing this, you can ensure that, once sent out, your dog goes potty so that you know she's empty and can hold it until her next scheduled potty trip.


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A modal About the Finder dialog box appears! Click here to see if you can figure out how to make it appear.
Month: November 2009
Last week I presented to my team at Lime Wire Agile and Scrum in all it's most excellent glory. Jason Herskowitz, Lime Wire's VP of Product Management, and I ran though all the major Agile elements and vocabulary words. The best part of the presentation was questions asked by developers, testers, system admins, product managers, and even a couple of chickens. Many of these guys and gals have been the victims of bad Agile programs. It seems easy to play the Agile game but it isn't. The most critical path to successful Agile isn't to follow all the rules–it's to follow all the principles.
The Agile Manifesto's 3rd principle, Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale, seems to be often ignored. You can not really ignore a principle. A true principle is a law of nature, like gravity or the axioms of geometry. If you ignore the principle of gravity you're going to get hurt. If you ignore the principles of Agile your project is going to fail.
I don't know why the delivery of working software is often left out of the plan. Perhaps it's that to recognize the truth of this principle requires more than just a thin patina of Agile paint on a waterfall process. Most Bagile (Bad Agile) processes do not understand that a milestone without working software delivered is a milestone not met. In Bagile working software is mutated into "ready for QA" or "all P1 bugs closed" or "works on my machine".
I'm not taking an extreme view of working software! It's just that "done" should mean "nothing more to do!" I've lived through the bitter experience of discovering that done doesn't mean working software. Nothing is more discouraging than having to wait weeks for a so-called completed project to be ready for release.
If you think about it, delivering working software in this complex world of clouds, grids, restful APIs, and P2P networks, is daunting. It may even feel wasteful to go though all the effort to get the components integrated and tested every couple of weeks.
But true working-ness means you can get feedback before every iteration from actual flesh and blood users. Feedback like this is invaluable to avoid wasted effort.
True working-ness means you can focus on the future and get rational priorities for your backlog with each sprint.
True working-ness means if you want to go on vacation, you leave things in a good state and others can pick it up while you are gone.
True working-ness means true achievement. It's pretty hard to make lasting, solid achievements in general, but delivering working software frequently means you have made a concrete difference in the life of your users today.
There is a 14th century English saying that taught me the same the principle as a kid: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
I nearly lost all my data a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I was in no danger at all of losing my data but the terribad UI of Apple's Time Machine and Time Capsule made me think I did! Apple's backup solution is like a good looking school yard bully with a hidden inferiority complex.
I used to back up everything manually and it was messy. To be fair Apple seemed to conserve all that backup mess with the Time Capsule wireless base station/terabyte network drive and its slick Time Machine backup application. It just seemed to work: No settings, no maintenance, no hunting for the disk with the 3rd season of Buffy on it.
On the rare occasion when I did need a missing or deleted file Time Machine made it easy, and entertaining, to find (nothing like zooming back in time to give lulz).
One evening last week my MacBook Pro died and upon restart got stuck at the kernel panic screen. I took it Tek Serve in NYC (where they are a million time smarter than Apple's Genius Bar) and learned that a fresh re-install of Mac OS X was the solution.
To make a long story short, when I connected my revived MacBook Pro to Time Capsule it restored a backup from 4 months ago! That's a generation in Internet years! Also it took over 12 hours! I was aghast!
With grim determination I started the whole process over and tried to get support from Apple. But nothing helped until I just gave up and accessed Time Machine to confirm it was operational. And lo and behold: There was my data from the previous week. Right up to 30 minutes before the kernel panic attack!
Just before I joined Apple I got some coaching from Bruce Tognizzni (I was designing a set of never-to-be-released apps for Letraset back in 1991). Tog explained that good user centered design doesn't just hide complexity–it enables the user to navigate it. Time Machine and Time Capsule are bad user centered design according to this definition since they are pretty faces and not much more.
I can't think of any better example of user centered design than the original Mac OS (version 3) and apps like MacPaint and MacWrite. And since you can't run it anymore (but you can see screen shots at the Vintage Mac Museum) I decided to bring the Mac OS 3 back to life in flash. Embedded above is version 0.1 of the Mac OS 3 Flash Sim. It don't do much but I promise to whittle away at it as time permits. I'll post the source code shortly as well. Right now you can selected the trash can and pull down the apple menu.
It's funny but the constrained yet expressive capabilities of the original Mac OS are much more like the user experience of the iPhone and iPod Touch then the current Mac OS X. There is something to be said for the power of limitations.


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For Deskjet 2652 software download, you can visit the official website and download the software from there. Make sure you enter the right printer name and model number to avoid mistakes in the downloading process.
Also checkout – Envy 5055 printer wireless setup
How to setup Deskjet 2652
Start with Deskjet 2652 setup by turning on the router and operating system. After that, you have to verify whether your printer and computer connected on the network.
Once you are done with the setup of a printer, mount paper in the input tray and also insert the printer cartridges. To manage the setup the wireless connection of your printer to the computer, you have to provide an accessible way.
On the control panel of printer, tap 'Wireless Icon. You will see a wireless summary appearing on the screen.
Click on settings and then tap the 'Wireless Setup Wizard'. After that, you have to follow the onscreen instructions for Deskjet 2652 setup.
Now, you need to download the software for your printer. So, go for the Deskjet 2652 software download.
After that, disconnect the USB cables from your printer. If required and when prompted, you need to click on ' My printer is not shown to choose the Deskjet 2652 printer.
Tap to continue and select the 'Wireless Network' as a connectivity option.
Click continue and follow on-screen instructions to complete Deskjet 2652 setup.
Printer Toll free Number for 24/7 Support


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What students say about ALA ?
ALA is a great place to study Japanese.Their excellent staffs are totally focused on making your learning experience a success by furthering your speaking skills to the utmost, while at the same time making sure your reading and comprehension skills stay on track, too. The reception staffs are extremely helpful with anything that relates to your life in Japan. Please forgive me for stating the obvious here, but life in a foreign country is so much more fun when you can communicate in the target language. And this sure is the place to learn it
I've been studying at ALA since last July.Before I came to Japan from Mongol, I had my expectation of studying abroad for the first time. However, at the same time, I felt a little bit anxious such as; "will I be able to live in Japan by myself?" or "will I be able to study enough not to let my parents' trusts down?".Well, my anxiety has flown away after I started to go to ALA. Even more incredibly, I got a scholarship of ALA thanks to the amazing teachers.I really think that the way of teachers' instructions is easily comprehensible.For instance, they use original pictures to explain a vocabulary to make us easy to understand. They give us the lessons with enthusiasms.They taught not only the Japanese language but also important tips in my life such as daily troubles in Japan, future goals, etc.I have learned a lot from their advice which we can't learn from any textbooks.I will keep trying my best for the future with this great ALA experience.
ALA is the best Japanese Language School. I liked going to the school everyday and see my classmates. The class was always homey atmosphere but we studied Japanese hard. Especially I liked about the school was teachers. All the teachers are kind and very professional. Thank you !
Let me share with you my awesome experience with studying Japanese language at ALA. I've come to ALA with high hopes they'd help me turn from someone who had no knowledge on the language at all to someone who could converse with Japanese people not having to "play charades" or act out every word I want to say. Basically, I just really want to be able to express myself fluently in Japanese. And I tell you, ALA did not disappoint. Teachers have made learning Japanese so easy and fun for beginners like me. The teachers have been very engaging and would go out of their way to make sure you fully understand the lessons by heart. Their style of teaching is impeccable and you could easily apply all learning to your daily life in Japan.In my 6-month stay with ALA, I am now able to do a lot more than just exchanging greetings. With confidence, I can now do shopping, get groceries in the supermarket, order food at a restaurant, ask for directions and even give directions, and of course, introduce myself properly to a Japanese I've met for the first time. I can just talk about my hobbies, my hometown, etc. I can now carry a basic daily conversation and make sure I get across what I want to say. Traveling around Japan has just become even more enjoyable! ALA, doumo arigatou gozaimashita!


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'Tis the season for sorts of wonderful things including a list of all the things I believe in for Christmas.
Well, I believe in advent calendars. Misteltoe, trains and nativity scenes. I believe in sending cards and getting cards. I believe the "from" on the tag should always say Santa.
Well, I believe in the Christmas candles from "The Market". Lights on the house, glitter and Christmas China. I believe in reading the Christmas story from Luke on Christmas Eve. And I believe in re-reading a "Christmas Carol" so I know all the buildings in my mom's Dicken's Village.
Well, I believe in opening your presents Christmas morning instead of Christmas Eve. Christmas pajamas, wreaths and bows. I believe in having cinnamon rolls and coffee on Christmas morning and I believe in stockings that are loaded down with goods.
Well, I believe my mom's traditions are the right ones. Big bows, pretty paper and white twinkle lights. I believe in the candlelight service on Christmas Eve. I believe in singing Christmas carols as loud as possible. And saying "Merry Christmas" even to complete strangers.
And well, frankly, I believe in the Christmas spirit.


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Comprised of a team of communications, computer and embedded system engineers, this department focuses on projects requiring specialized integrated hardware<->software solutions. The development team has a wide range of expertise and previous projects include FM Radio Subcarrier Data Transmission System, GSM-based telemetry systems, LED sign board fabrication, VoIP and others.
Formerly focused solely on embedded system solutions, the department has widened its expertise to include cloud-based applications, telemetry, and power electronics.
Since 2005, the Integrated Solutions division has been involved heavily in VoIP-related projects, particularly based on the Asterisk Open Source PBX and Digium TDM Cards. Research efforts in this area include development of a Hosted PBX/Call Center Platform, development of an embedded asterisk server using mini-itx processors, and development of various web-based voip applications.
In 2006, EACOMM Corporation partnered with Indigo 21 to form Elisha Telecom Ltd. Elisha Telecom aims to provide a comprehensive VoIP offering encompassing A2Z termination, hosted IP-PBX solutions, VoIP Training, CTI development, and supply of various VoIP hardware and software to a worldwide market.
Touch Screen Kiosks
EACOMM leverages its market leadership in Interactive Multimedia Development into providing a turnkey fully integrated touch-screen kiosk solution for its clients. Previously deployed projects include museum kiosks, exhibit kiosks and download/purchase kiosks.
The popularity of tablet based computers has revived the interest in touch-screen based applications and EACOMM has developed several business-oriented tablet-based applications as well.
Cloud-based Application Hosting
EACOMM currently hosts over a hundred websites and web applications from all over the world in its various servers. All our web servers are located in world-class data centers in the USA and the UK giving us access to the bleeding edge of network technology and very high bandwidth capacity; thus ensuring that our clients are given the fastest and most robust Internet connections possible.
All our hosting packages are 'managed', meaning dedicated support personnel are available to help and assist you in maintaining your websites and servers. As such, you have no need to learn the complexities of web hosting or hire or contract network or computer engineers as our staff are ready and willing to assist you as and when you need it allowing you to focus on your core business.
EACOMM offers a wide range of hosting solutions in both Linux and Windows-based servers. EACOMM offers low-cost shared hosting, medium-range virtual private servers all the way to more expensive dedicated server solutions. Through our hosting partners we can also offer Content Delivery Network (CDN) storage solutions for clients requiring rapid file access for a global audience.
Visit http://hosting.eacomm.com for more details.


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Floyd Lavine
Floyd Lavine is a Berlin-based DJ and Producer
What or who is your biggest inspiration? My biggest inspiration is my mother. She is courageous, has gone through a lot and managed to survive. She still has a great sense of humour .
What are your biggest or proudest achievements? My proudest achievement is to be able to do what I love for a career. To be able to have friends and family that I love and value .
What are you motivated by? I'm motivated by love, by sharing and being a human and also by being authentic.
Favorite song right now? Deep Aztec feat Dumama - Healing Frequecies
Favorite song of all time? Haha that's difficult to pick to be honest. Let me say - Hugh Masekala - Stimela ( The Coal Train )
Guilty pleasure song? Kyle Minogue - Slow
What is unique about their music taste? (everyone has a unique music taste) The groove is undeniable and fir music is about capturing a mood.


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6 interesting facts about the American mining industry you didn't know
The American mining industry places an important role in our lives as it impacts our daily lives from cell phones to utensils and the cars we drive. We rely on valuable metals, minerals, and resources that are recovered from mining the earth.
Today, there are hundreds, if not thousands of mines that are being excavated all over the world. Here are six interesting facts about the American mining industry you didn't know.
- With the total amount of gold that was mined, nearly 65% is used in jewelry, 20% as coins and 15% in electronics. A standard television requires over 30 different minerals while cellphones need 40 minerals.
- The United States has the largest reserve of coal and the second biggest producer of gold and copper. The U.S. Export of Minerals accounts for nearly $6 billion a year.
- The average citizen uses 37 million pounds of metals, minerals, and fuel during a lifetime. This also includes 1.8 ounces of gold, 6 tons of aluminum, 1,000 pounds of lead and zinc. A newborn baby requires a lifetime of 1.3 million pounds of sand, stone, gravel and cement along with 33,000 pounds of iron, 1,500 pounds of copper, and 28,200 pounds of salt.
- Gold is the most easily material to mold of all metals as it is used to being drawn out without breakage. Just a single ounce can be stretched to nearly five miles long. The greatest gold rush in America started when gold was discovered in California in 1848.
- The investment in training, technology, and equipment has made America the safest mining industry in the world.
- The U.S. is today's largest product of silica, salt, sulfur, phosphate, magnesium, and lithium.
Have any of your own? Comment us below!


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Things to know about kid's activities
As humans, we happen to be extremely affectionate, emotional and we cannot deny the fact that we feel things very deeply. While this holds true for a majority of people out there, the simple fact of the matter is that parents, particularly new parents take the crown in this regard. In most cases, you find them so sensitive in matters related to their babies that are willing to scarify their wishes. Though it is quite admirable how most parents think about their children and how they are on the toes always willing to bring some form of happiness in their kid's lives. As a parent, the ways in which you care so much about your children is a testament to how responsible a person you are. Being a responsible parent calls for you to take every step possible to ensure that your kids live happy and successful lives.
However, there is a lot of time for those days to come, so it is better for you to focus on today and think about how to make your child participate in useful and productive activities. In the age of the internet and flawless connectivity, making your kid to socialize and get involved in outdoor games is perhaps the biggest challenge of them all. As an adult, you obviously have work related responsibilities, which is why you should make your kid visit summer camp or some other activity place. Keep in mind that there are several team building companies in Abu Dhabi, so take a peak in some of these opportunities and choose the best one for your kid. Here is more on this:
Activities Matter
It is true that activities matter for all of us but they do so more for children. Knowing that your kid requires all the attention he/ she can get especially during the early years of their lives make you think deep. You will spend time discovering new and innovative ways on how to make your kid feel the true happiness. Of course, they'll be happy when they indulge into activities they love to do. This is recommended to all those parents who are perhaps on a hunt for appropriate kid's activities planned out by event management companies in Abu Dhabi. Upon finding one, or more, they'll immediately prepare to get their kids to the place. Though it is a good idea and shows just how much you love and care for your kid. But, it is always a better idea to do some research before making assumptions on which activity is good or bad for your kids.


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If you want a DACA fix, get on board with border security: Rep. McSally
I support helping the DACA population. But we can't incentivize more illegal immigration and find ourselves in the same situation in the future.
The debate over border security and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a President Barack Obama policy that prevents undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children from being deported, has dominated the news cycle in recent months. The news coverage of the House's immigration legislation has been convoluted and confusing. Let me explain what we've been trying to do.
I'm one of nine members of Congress who represent a border district. I'm the border security subcommittee chair — a first for Arizona — and my constituents are confronted daily with the dangers of a porous border, where cartels are trafficking drugs, people and whatever else fills their bank accounts. To combat these violent criminals, I have made it my mission to fight for more resources, infrastructure and a better border security strategy.
Last September, President Donald Trump appropriately pushed Congress to deal with DACA, and I started working with a group of Republican House members to devise a solution that would fix our broken immigration system and secure our border. We introduced the Securing America's Future Act in January.
Bill for a better future
The bill, the first in the House supported by the president, would provide $38 billion for border security enforcement including the border wall, technology at the ports of entry, access roads and additional boots on the ground. The bill would also close loopholes being exploited by cartels, stop family separation while enforcing the law, end the visa lottery system and chain migration, and provide a legal status for DACA recipients.
It is extremely difficult to get agreement on these complex and often politically charged topics. We felt this bill provided the best solution to protect our borders, close loopholes, and fix DACA.
More:Republican opposition to DREAMers is irrational and ridiculous. What the heck is their problem?
Donald Trump is using his power to dehumanize people who aren't white. It can be fatal.
Trump's immigration policies might not help Democrats in November elections
I have also consistently shown — with my votes, words and actions — that I am willing to support a legislative solution for the DACA population. But any solution must be combined with fixing the root causes of why we have a DACA population in the first place. We can't incentivize more illegal immigration and find ourselves in the same situation in the future.
More of the same is unacceptable
Over the past few years, hundreds of thousands of people have disappeared into the shadows illegally after falsely claiming asylum and taking advantage of other loopholes that exist in our legal immigration system. This "catch and release" vulnerability in our laws is insane, and Congress must act urgently to fix it. If we do nothing, we will just have more of the same — and that is unacceptable.
Securing America's Future Act failed by fewer than 20 votes on June 21, and a similar bill also supported by President Trump, where the generosity provided for DACA recipients was expanded, failed by a much larger margin.
I voted yes on both bills and was the only member among the nine in Arizona's congressional delegation to do so.
Though I prefer a solution closer to my bill, we must do something to keep our communities safe and stop the insanity of what is happening at the border. I've been working since I first arrived in Washington to solve this issue — and I'm going to keep fighting till we get the job done.
Martha McSally is a Republican U.S. representative for Arizona's Congressional District 2. This column first appeared in The Arizona Republic. Follow her on Twitter: @RepMcSally.


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Spreadsheets are an essential business and accounting tool. They can vary in complexity and can be used for various reasons, but their primary purpose is to organize and categorize data into a logical format. Once this data is entered into the spreadsheet, you can use it to help organize and grow your business.
Business Data Storage
A spreadsheet is an easy way to store all different kinds of data. These data types can include financial data, customer data and product data. Excel spreadsheets can support more than a million rows and more than 16,000 columns, so you'll have plenty of space to store a huge amount. That's what makes them ideal for database creation.
Accounting and Calculation Uses
Businesses across the world use spreadsheets to keep track of their business accounts. You can enter formulas that will do all of your business calculations as you go without the expense of using accounting software. Spreadsheets will do all the calculations for you, which saves you having to do those calculations manually.
Budgeting and Spending Help
Keep track of your business spending on a spreadsheet. You can create custom budget spreadsheets to manage your income and your expenditures so you don't end up with any surprises when it's time to file your tax return.
Assisting with Data Exports
Spreadsheets can be used to contain data that has been exported from other systems. Sometimes online data management systems don't present data in a format that is easy to read, or it is difficult to access the data offline.
Data Sifting and Cleanup
Use your spreadsheets to identify inaccuracies and duplicates in your data. With a spreadsheet, it's easy to get rid of unwanted or low quality data. This is especially necessary in relation to customer data, which you are required to keep up to date and accurate.
Generating Reports and Charts
Use spreadsheets to report trends or make business forecasts. These reports can be made available to everyone at the company; they can take the time to analyze the data for themselves. It's easy to make comparisons between sets of data. You can pivot tables to showcase particular aspects of your data as well, which is necessary when you've got huge amounts of data to sort through.
Data in a spreadsheet can be used to create charts that can then be used for reporting. You can create graphs and pie charts that condense the data in a format that's easy to read at a glance. It's a fantastic feature that can be great for business presentations that require you to showcase lots of data in a short time.
Business Administrative Tasks
Use spreadsheets for the creation of receipts and invoices. You can also use it to do business related forecasts and plan ahead for the future.
These are some of the common purposes spreadsheets are used for, but there are additional ways you can utilize a spreadsheet to achieve your business goals. Configure them to your needs, and tap into all the ways you can use this simple yet effective tool.


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This is one insipid op-ed piece at the New York Times. Raw emotional appeal, no argument and a whole lot of nanny state dreamin'.
From the (very weak) link:
We hear about these sketches of carnage between market updates and basketball scores — and shrug. We're the frogs slow-boiling in the pot, taking it all in incrementally until we can't feel a thing. We shrug because that's the deal, right? That's the pact we made, the price of Amendment number two to the Constitution, right after freedom of speech.


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Today, Maxene Magalona and Rob Mananquil are finally tying the knot at a beautiful beach wedding in Boracay. The couple welcomed their guests yesterday in a Coachella-themed dinner party with all their closest friends and family flying in for the occasion.
However, there was one noticeably absent face from last night's crowd, that being Maxene's sister and matron of honor, Saab Magalona-Baccaro.
In an Instagram post, the Cheats singer and mom-to-be revealed that she will be unable to attend the wedding due to her pregnancy. "Today my maid-of-honor gets married and, as her matron-of-honor, I'm so sad that I can't be with her physically," she writes. "I recently learned that I'm not allowed to travel anymore until after the twins' birth."
Saab publicly announced her pregnancy last September, which means she could be around four to five months pregnant as of writing. She continues, "I really wish I could be there [at the wedding], but with her big and selfless heart, she [Maxene] told me not to worry about it because the safety of my babies is what's most important. I love you, [Maxene], and I am currently crying buckets from Manila. (I'm also wearing my matron-of-honor dress in bed like a crazy woman. It's the hormones.)"
Even though the sisters are spending today apart, their closeness prevails. They are still by each other's side, albeit virtually, for two big milestones in each of their lives—marriage and motherhood. Sending hugs to you, Saab!
Hey, Preview readers! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitter to stay up to speed on all things trendy and creative. We'll curate the most stylish feed for you!


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March 5, 2019
U.S. Department of Labor Fines Pennsylvania Construction Company
$208,560 for Exposing Employees to Trenching Hazards
WARMINSTER, PA - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Etna Construction Inc. – based in Warminster, Pennsylvania – for exposing employees to excavation hazards at a worksite in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company faces $208,560 in penalties.
OSHA determined that the company failed to install protective systems inside the excavation area; provide a safe means of exit from the excavation area; correct excavation deficiencies; and instruct employees on recognizing excavation hazards. The employer also failed to ensure employees wore hardhats to prevent head injuries and did not properly guard protruding reinforced steel.
"Employees can be seriously or fatally injured in a matter of seconds when a trench collapses," said OSHA Philadelphia Area Office Director Theresa Downs. "Trench-related injuries are preventable when employees are trained properly, and the required protections are in place."
View OSHA's Construction Hazards Prevention Videos on trenching and soil classification.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to help ensure these conditions for American working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
# # #
Media Contacts:
Joanna Hawkins, 215-861-5101, email@example.com
Leni Fortson, 215-861-5102, email@example.com
Release Number: 19-330-PHI (osha 19-14)
U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The Department's Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the Department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).


text: On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 7:58 PM, Joel Jaeggli <joelja at bogus.com> wrote: > The following statement from 2011-5 is incorrect or at a minimum chooses > to deliberately rule out one option. > >> Service providers are currently presented with three options for >> obtaining sufficient IPv4 address space for NAT444/IPv4 extension >> deployments: (1) Request allocations under the NRPM; (2) share address >> space with other providers (this proposal); or (3) use address space >> allocated to another entity (i.e. 'squat'). Of the three options, >> option 2 (this proposal) is preferable, as it will minimize the number >> of addresses used for IPv4 extension deployments while preserving the >> authority of IANA and RIRs. > > Which is use RFC 1918 space. The fact that there are conflicts with > addresses used in gateways in no way invalidates the suitability of > private scope ip addresses for use in a private scope. Creating new > private scope ranges which gateways do not treat as such has it's own > liabilities and at a minimum that needs to be acknowledged and balanced > against threat of collisions. Hi Joel, The sentence which preceded your quote addressed your issue: "A recent study showed that there is no part of RFC1918 space which would not overlap with some IPv4 gateways, and therefore to prevent address conflicts, new address space is needed." The three options apply to solutions which prevent address conflicts: RIR allocations, the ISP-shared address space in this proposal and squatting space unlikely to become routed on the public Internet (e.g. space used by the US DoD SIPR and JWICS networks). Regards, Bill Herrin -- William D. Herrin ................ herrin at dirtside.com bill at herrin.us 3005 Crane Dr. ...................... Web: <http://bill.herrin.us/> Falls Church, VA 22042-3004


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Gynecologists in Honolulu, HI
Ko'olau Women's Healthcare
At Ko'olau Women's Healthcare, in Honolulu and Kailua, HI, we pride ourselves in offering a complete line of the most advanced and least invasive treatments for a wide variety of gynecologic conditions. From contraception to menopause we thoroughly discuss all of the options to help you make the best decisions to meet your individual needs.
General Gynecologic Care
GYN Surgery and Procedures
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Other GYN Services
Learn more in our health library.


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Salt Lake City: Mueller Park to North Canyon
String together two scenic canyons, several campsites, long vistas, and local landmarks like Rudy's Flats and Elephant Rock on this 9.2-miler.
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ Sign up for Outside+ today.
Trail Facts
- Distance: 14.9
Rolling Hills
Location: 40.8400611877441, -111.815979003906
A notch in the green-clad foothills provides view of the valley. ©Michael Trottier
Rudy's Flat
Location: 40.8401298522949, -111.811988830566
Trail crests where conifer stands and campsites provide respite on Rudy's Flat. ©Michael Trottier
Tunnel of Oaks
Location: 40.8460845947266, -111.815788269043
Passing through the dense tunnel of oaks
©Michael Trottier
Emerald Hills
Location: 40.8547630310059, -111.816513061523
An afternoon shower approaching
©Michael Trottier
A ribbon of green
Location: 40.8559226989746, -111.825103759766
A raccoon stripe lingers from an underground natural gas line
©Michael Trottier
Pines and Peaks
Location: 40.8612785339356, -111.833541870117
An opening gives views of rolling Wasatch topography
©Michael Trottier
Trail and Trees
Location: 40.8602828979492, -111.836601257324
Hiking through lush, mossy canopy
©Michael Trottier
Location: 40.8637084960938, -111.836601257324
Cross footbridge and hike W
Location: 40.863899230957, -111.838401794434
Bear L @ Y
Location: 40.8604393005371, -111.836700439453
Trail zigzags E under mixed hardwoods (mule deer terrain)
Location: 40.8610496520996, -111.834297180176
Continue on persistent, moderate ascent
Location: 40.8553199768066, -111.825698852539
Cross natural gas pipeline, a clear-cut stripe from WY to NV
Location: 40.8542404174805, -111.817001342773
Trail splits: Go L uphill to bench overlooking Big Rock (locally called Elephant Rock). This cream-colored 100-ft.-tall rock sits alone with a small footpath leading N to the base
Location: 40.8453407287598, -111.815902709961
Continue up a green tunnel of oaks
Location: 40.8393211364746, -111.811897277832
Rudy's Flat: High point with flat campsites under conifers and fine views of Wasatch Range. Hike W into North Canyon
Location: 40.8392181396484, -111.815498352051
Excellent W view of North Canyon draining into Salt Lake Valley
Location: 40.838550567627, -111.827598571777
Quietly proceed downhill to a hangout for local moose
Location: 40.8416481018066, -111.8291015625
Continue straight
Location: 40.840950012207, -111.831703186035
Turn R onto gnarly off-road trail
Location: 40.8464393615723, -111.853500366211
Follow North Creek to trailhead; pick up shuttle or retrace to trailhead


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Important (and exciting) changes for this year's raffle!
Why: The school tour program takes a VYOA musical group to area schools in the state on a given day, including transportation. It introduces school kids to an orchestra of peers and to the idea of playing a musical instrument that they perhaps never thought of. It's an important outreach program for the VYOA that helps the community and the VYOA at the same time.
This program was canceled 6 years ago due to budget cuts. In 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 I organized fun runs to try to help bring the school tours back and keep focus on the program. The Fun Runs were successful and the tours are up and running again. This year, I am holding another run to help keep the school tour alive.
All the orchestras and choral groups went on tours to schools around the state over the past 3 years and they have been greatly successful.
When: Sunday Oct 4, 2015 . You can pre-register in advance using the link below or at 9:00AM in person. (RAIN or SHINE)
You will have to check in at the run in either case so we know who is there. The race is at 10AM
What: 5k walk/run (No Wheels please)
Where: Colchester, VT at Elley-Long Music Center Ethan Allen Avenue
Cost: $10 under 18, $15 18 and over, $40 Family (Any Size). Tax Deductible 501(c)3.
Who: Anyone can come to this walk/run to support the VYOA
Donated items from area businesses will be raffled off at the end of the run with each paid admission. Everyone has a chance to win.
You can Pre-register with the link at the bottom of the page
If you have any questions or for more information email me at [email protected]


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Please report your payment to Water Billing at 989-837-3341 or
to avoid termination of service if your account is currently up for shut off.
Utilities Services
Confirm account
Provide the following information to create an account.
Account Number
Including any dashes (ie. 002923-001)
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Your full last name
© 2022 City of Midland
City of Midland's home page


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Good dads pass down good things — a strong jawline, a penchant for saving, a well-dimpled half-windsor and, perhaps, an appreciation for automobiles. Some of our dads were gearheads, others were working men who needed good transportation. Regardless, the cars our dads drove remain vivid in our minds, from the sound of the rumbling big-block V8 engine to the stickiness of the hot vinyl seats in the dead of summer.
Our crew took a look back at the cars our dads drove, the wheels that took us just about everywhere and sometimes — for better or worse — were handed down to us. Some cars were loved, others were necessities, but all of them are part of our history and our attachment to motoring. – Amos Kwon
1982 BMW 528e
In the mid-1980s we lived in Milwaukee, and my dad accepted a job south of the border in suburban Chicago, which meant a new 90-minute commute. At first he suffered through it twice a day in a tiny Renault Encore, but it didn't take long before he couldn't take the Encore anymore and wanted something more comfortable for the long drive.
I was in high school at the time and, like most boys my age, had posters of Lambos and Ferraris on my bedroom wall — but our garage, in addition to the Encore, merely housed a very bland Ford Fairmont. When my dad said he was going car shopping one summer night, I tagged along, not knowing that it would change my life.
After some fruitless visits to used car lots around town, we ended up standing in front of a gleaming black 1982 BMW 528e. It was the most beautiful car I had ever been close to. The salesman tossed my dad the keys, and we shared 20 of the most memorable minutes together — driving up and down Highway 100 with the sunroof open and the orange dash lights glowing, smelling the leather seats and listening to that powerful engine.
I had never seen my stoic father light up with glee like he did that night, whooping it up and goosing the gas pedal like a man I didn't know. We drove the Bimmer home that night, leaving the Renault to some other hapless commuter. Nothing was the same afterwards.
I learned to drive in that car, washed it for my dad in exchange for Friday nights with the keys, got in over my head with DIY repair attempts, and managed to crash it. Twice. But it went on and on, like an old family dog, ragged but lovable. Finally, Midwestern road salt had its way with the undercarriage and rusted through the floor pan and fuel lines, so my dad sold it with 230,000 miles on the odometer.
I went on to own a BMW of my own — not to mention a string of other European sports sedans — in adulthood, but I think all of them were attempts to recapture the feeling I got on that warm night test driving that 528e with my dad. And none could ever live up to that. – Jason Heaton
2000 Cadillac DeVille
My dad is a Cadillac man, has been since the '80s (except for a brief Ford stint). The cars themselves blur together over the years — always classic, the interiors always leather. My brother and I were given the privilege of choosing paint color, for which we had a rotation system.
My dad is also a baseball man, and this is why the 2000 DeVille stands out among the rest. Tricked into agreeing to go play catch, my brother and I clambered into the Caddy with our mitts in tow. But my dad missed the exit he was supposed to take. And the next one. And after 30 minutes of enduring our laments, he drove into Shea Stadium, and pulled out tickets to game five of the World Series.
The game itself eludes memory, besides the fact that the Yankees won. But I do remember my dad driving that car — the one he'd driven to countless little league games — packed with snacks, blankets and extra mitts (in case of a lucky fly ball). I replay the day in my head and wondered if my dad smirked behind the wheel when we complained about missing the exit, how he must have wanted to reveal the surprise but held fast. And I remember nodding asleep with my head against the glass window, listening to the gentle hum of the engine, wondering what paint color I'd pick when the next lease came up. – Caitlyn Girardi
1969 Ford Mustang Fastback
My dad loved cars. The kind of love that entailed him tinkering with a 1969 Mustang Fastback nearly every weeknight, and made every weekend involve a visit to the local track. These were summer nights ran by country boys in eastern North Carolina, where a raucous quarter-mile could make memories of a long week in the field fade with impressive quickness.
My dad was born into a family of brothers and sisters that all appreciated the fun in going fast, but he was something special. His cars were faster, stickier and badder than the rest. He routinely toasted his competition at the track, but never let it go to his head. He was a gentleman and a friend, and to this day he loves to grab a wrench and slide beneath a car.
A few decades ago, my dad lost most of his sight in a freak work accident. While it didn't claim his life, it did rob him of the ability to ever drive again. It's proof that life isn't always fair, and I've longed to somehow give my pop the ability to run just one more quarter-mile. Some of the fondest memories I've made with him involve us inside the cab of a car. He taught me to drive a manual in a limited-edition 1992.5 Ford Mustang. We've been glued to our seats together accelerating in a BMW 535i. We've climbed over some pretty insane stuff in a Land Rover. All of it, together. Even when he wasn't driving, I know he was thrilled just the same. – Darren Murph
2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500
When I was a kid, my dad never showed much interest in cars. Having been raised in the Midwest and grown up on a dairy farm, he had a stronger interest in tractors than in speed machines — his unused Allis-Chalmers is a testament to that. I have to give him credit, though — he was always willing to help me indulge in my automotive passion in any way he could.
One such occasion was when I was only 15 years old, with just a couple months of driving experience under my belt. After finishing a round of 18 holes while on vacation in Florida, we passed one of those used exotic car dealerships that seem to litter that state. Seeing the excitement on my face, he pulled into the dealership to let me skulk around. The place was filled with Ferraris, Porsches and Aston Martins, but my dad took an interest in perhaps the most pedestrian car in the joint: a silver 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500. Though admittedly I egged him on, Dad didn't seem the least bit against asking for a test drive.
The SL500 was a modest performer for its time; this was no AMG. Still, as I saw my dad's face light up as he mashed the accelerator, I realized that I had never seen him as enthused about a car before. We pulled into a parking lot where he let me take the driver's seat and I too felt the same childish glee he felt as I stepped on the pedal and listened to the 5.0-liter V8 sing.
Eight years later, my dad will still occasionally say to me, "Remember that Mercedes we drove in Florida? I think I'd like one of those." How could I forget? That was the first day I saw my dad as a gearhead. – Andrew Connor
1987 Porsche 924s
My dad had just received his first bonus, and he went directly to the Porsche dealer in San Francisco and bought a brand-new Grand Prix White 1987 924s off the floor. It was the first new car he ever bought, replacing a brown Toyota Corolla that had no reverse gear. (On my parents' first date, he famously parallel parked the Corolla by opening the door and using his foot, Fred Flintstone style.)
Shortly after purchasing the Porsche, my dad got a new job in New York, and the car came with him. I have fond memories from childhood: sitting in the rear seat, hearing the purr of the engine and feeling the shift shock because my head was too big for my body.
My dad drove that car into the ground. He drove it in and out of the city every day for 10 years. Endless oil changes and a few clutches later, he eventually donated the car. I can only hope that it lives on — and maybe one day, our paths will cross again. At least then I'll be old enough to drive it. – AJ Powell
1985 Audi 5000S
The timing was perfect. I was 15, and literally counting down the days until I could get my driver's permit. My father — whose love for cars was expressed through his racing photography, boxes of Road & Track magazines and supercar posters lining his office walls — finally translated his passion for great cars into a tangible good: an Alpine White 1985 Audi 5000S, with navy cloth interior and a five-speed transmission.
I had never heard of Audi before, and hadn't cared much for cars until the day this machine sat in our driveway. But the Audi changed things.
My father, being generous and loving, offered me his newest acquisition as a test car, manual transmission and all. Weekend afternoons, I'd work on car control with my dad by slaloming between cardboard boxes; I'd perfect my feel for the car's dimensions by steering tires onto specified pieces of newspaper; and I'd struggle through the ever-daunting manual transmission start-and-stop on a hill.
The hours of learning (and frustration) in the parking lot, the laborious oil changes, the detailing, the flying down backroads complete with a Kenny Loggins Top Gun soundtrack, and the times I pushed the car so my dad could pop the clutch to jump start it, all these moments and more all filled my teenage years with the wonder of octane. And then, finally, I came home one summer night to see a practical American replacement sitting in the place of the Audi. It was the end of an era, but one that would never be forgotten. – Bradley Hasemeyer
1977 Chrysler Town and Country Station Wagon
The car that dad drove was the same car that mom drove: a family station wagon. This was the late '70s, early '80s — the last gasp of the station wagon's heyday, before families shifted over to minivans and crossovers. Volvo 265s and Peugeot 505s were de rigueur in the part of New England where I grew up — or, if you were buying American, Ford LTDs and Chevrolet Caprice Classics (with simulated wood panel siding, a cheap imitation of the "Woodies" from the 1930s and 1940s).
But we had none of these, as my sensible father (known as "Papi" in my half-Latino household) opted for his own father's hand-me-downs, usually four-year-old Chrysler Town & Country station wagons. The Town & Country was actually considered upscale compared to the Ford and GM offerings. But nobody drove Chryslers where I lived, much less old ones, and this was a source of embarrassment.
What did I know? I was a kid. I bet I would have found a reason to be embarrassed even if my dad drove a Porsche 928 like my car-enthusiast uncle did. In retrospect, and now that I'm older, I'm grateful for my father's frugality when it came to our family's mobility — because the savings incurred by driving a hand-me-down helped send me to college. Thanks, Papi. – Tom Samiljan
1977 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Station Wagon
My dad's first car, after moving from South Korea to America, was a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle — a white-on-red-vinyl two-door. I never saw the car, but from photos, it was a stunner, powered by a 200-horsepower Turbo-Fire 307 V8 engine. This was the car that he wooed my mother with, despite the fact that she could barely stay awake on dates. (Not because Dad was a bore, but because she worked the night shift at a hospital.)
Though it wasn't an SS, it was a beauty. Dad traded in the white-knight Chevelle when he got married and my brother and I were born; when he did, he went for a bigger coupe in the form of a dark blue fourth-generation 1972 Chevrolet Impala with a 5.7-liter Turbo Fire V8 engine under the hood. Trips to Wrigleyville, picnics at Grant Park and late-night pickups at the end of my mom's shift all remain fresh in my mind, as do the numerous times I fell asleep in the big rear vinyl seats.
Then came the Oldsmobile. It was mandarin orange, had a hood as wide as the deck of an aircraft carrier and felt like it was 30 feet long. In 1977, it cost about $7,000; this was the top-of-the-line Vista Cruiser, after all, with a 6.6-liter Rocket V8 engine. It was to be our road trip hauler for years to come, and we used to load it up with camping gear and enough clothes to last us three weeks on the open road.
That Olds took us to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and everywhere in between. Dad bought a roof box as aerodynamic as a brick wall, and drove on Pacific Coast Highway like he was piloting a Ferrari. It's a miracle we survived. He once T-boned a stalled car with its lights off in the dead of night, and the Vista Cruiser didn't even get dented — thanks to that chrome bumper the size of a parking curb, and the complete absence of crumple zones. That sturdy Oldsmobile, of all the cars my father owned, was his pride and joy. – Amos Kwon


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Seed Oils May Be Best to Lower LDL Cholesterol
If you want to lower your LDL cholesterol, the research is clear about one thing: You should exchange saturated fats with unsaturated fat. If you want to know what you should use to sauté your dinner, that's a harder question to answer. Many of the studies establishing that mono- and polyunsaturated fats are better for blood lipids than saturated fats swapped out one food source at a time, making it hard to tell which of a plethora of vegetable oils might be most beneficial.
Lukas Schwingshackl, PhD, a researcher at the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Berlin, is among a wave of scientists using sophisticated statistical tools to reduce uncertainty about what the mountain of data in the nutrition literature can tell us. In a paper published in the Journal of Lipid Research, Schwingshackl and colleagues used an emerging technique called network meta-analysis to extract insight from published studies on the effect of various dietary oils on blood lipids. The researchers found that seed oils were the best choice for people looking to improve their cholesterol.
To get around the fact that there has been no giant study comparing all available oils, Schwingshackl's team constructed a network meta-analysis showing how different oils and solid fats have in fact been matched up. The researchers rounded up 55 studies dating back to the 1980s that assessed the effects of consuming the same amount of calories from two or more different oils on participants' blood lipids. To be included in the analysis, a study had to compare the effect of two or more oils or fats (from a list of 13) on patients' LDL, or other blood lipids like total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, or triglycerides, over at least three weeks.
Suppose both butter and sunflower oil had been tested against olive oil. The statistical approaches of network meta-analysis enabled the team to infer a quantitative comparison between butter and sunflower oil, even if they had never faced off in the clinic. Schwingshackl explains, "The beauty of this method is that you can compare a lot of different interventions simultaneously … and, in the end, you get a ranking. You can say, 'this is the best oil for this specific outcome.'"
In this study, the final ranking showed that solid fats such as butter and lard are the worst choice for LDL. The best alternatives are oils from seeds. "Sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, and flaxseed oil performed best," Schwingshackl says. "Some people from Mediterranean countries probably are not so happy with this result, because they would prefer to see olive oil at the top. But this is not the case."
There are a few important caveats to the research. For starters, it measured only blood lipids. "This is not a hard clinical outcome," Schwingshackl says. "LDL is a causal risk factor for coronary heart disease, but it's not coronary heart disease." However, he says, it might be difficult to conduct a study comparing those clinical outcomes—to begin with, someone would need to find study participants willing to eat just one type of fat for years at a time.
Meta-analyses run the risk of misleading by combining several pieces of low-confidence data into a falsely confident-sounding ranking. In this case, for example, there wasn't enough evidence to choose a "winner" confidently among the seed oils. What's more, the oils best at lowering LDL weren't the most beneficial for triglycerides and HDL cholesterol. However, with the appropriate caveats in mind, Schwingshackl is optimistic about the potential for network meta-analysis to help researchers synthesize disparate clinical studies in the future.— Source: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology


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Official? Unofficial?
Are these official? We've been asked that exact question countless times in recent months. Like many aspects of life, SoShi merchandise can be categorized into different departments, in our case, three. Official, unofficial, and fanmade.
Official goods are basically goods produced or distributed by the management companies our girls are officially signed under (SM Entertainment, Nayutawave Records, Avex Taiwan, Universal Music), endorsers, or those with full legal rights. This can be broken down further into retail (goods produced for sale) and promotional (goods produced for promotional purposes). These goods may include albums, magazines, posters, calendars, DVDs, food, electronics, and so on… Although we don't know the exact details, our girls do receive monetary benefits from the sales/production of these goods.
With the rising popularity and success of Girls' Generation worldwide, it is inevitable that the market will contain unofficial merchandises as well. These are goods produced by a third party and generally easy to tell apart from official goods due to the poor nature in its quality and design. These goods are in most cases, "cheap", however, the tricky part is that sometimes the items may seem authentic. I've personally witnessed many fans purchase such goods with the mindset that they were purchasing official goods. Please be careful! The girls receive no benefits from the purchase of unofficial goods.
Although quite a controversial topic to many, fan projects have become quite popular and in demand over the past year with one popping out after another. As its name portrays, these are goods made by fans, S♥NES, and may even fit under the unofficial category.
As you can see from our "PROJECTS" page, fan projects are made quite well, some even on par with official goods. Of course, the most popular item seems to be photo books. As pricing goes, these goods are NOT cheap, especially for international fans due to shipping. As popular and in demand as these goods are, our girls receive no profit.
Sadly, the production of fanmade goods has also set forth a "controversial" topic. Are fan sites making a profit off of us? How do our girls feel having fans snap away on their expensive cameras all the time? Are the girls aware that this is happening?! Although, I'm personally a big fan of many fan projects as well, I can't help but think of these questions myself at times. To be honest, if I saw any of the girls near me (
in real life of course), I'd take out my camera and snap away without a second thought ( Okay.. maybe after screaming, spazzing, waving, and yelling Iloveyous. *shrug* Hopefully, the girls are still there by the time I'm done :< ).
I shall end this somewhat long post with something.. pretty. ^^
Published: July 16, 2011
Last Updated: July 18, 2011


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DAVAO CITY, Philippines – An evacuation center where indigenous people who sought refuge in the city stay is not a usual place where retired teachers spend their time.But for a 71-year-old retired teacher, teaching children who fled from their homes in Talaingod and Kapalong Davao del Norte, due to militarization of their communities, is where she finds fulfillment.
She was once a teacher of Magallanes Elementary School for forty-one years, spending most of her time teaching her students the value of education to become what they wanted to be in the future.
Gloria Arcenas or Ma'am Gloria to her students continued her passion for teaching after her retirement in 2014. Before she became a volunteer for lumad children in the evacuation center of UCCP Haran Compound, she devoted her three years of free service as a volunteer teacher of Alternative Learning System (ALS) for out of school youth mostly children of banana plantation workers in Sto. Tomas Davao del Norte.
There, she does not only help the children to review but also 'to reclaim their dreams'.
As a volunteer teacher for the Alternative Learning System, she did it for free.
The Alternative Learning System is a parallel learning system in the country that provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction. When one does not have or cannot access formal education in schools, ALS is an alternate or substitute.
"Teaching is not just a profession for us; it is our passion to guide our children to understand things, for them to have a better future in this cruel world," said Ma'am Gloria smiling.
Her classroom in the evacuation camp is not similar to that ofher previous school. It is hot and crowded.
The classroom is made of coconut lumber and woven bamboo walling to divide the group of children per grade level. Its roofing is made of iron sheet donated by concerned individuals and organizations.
The children sit on improvised chairs and tables made by their parents who volunteered to help build the school. They have a mini library with books mostly from donations.
The place as Ma'am Gloria described is just a 'simple but very important to the evacuees ' to continue their interrupted education.
Her students are not the typical children in the city.
On a normal day in school, her children have no uniform and shoes like most students. Their school materials are limited but 'treasured'. During recess, lumad children usually go to their shanty to drink water or just play.
Most of them have difficulties understanding and speaking 'bisaya' making it difficult for Ma'am Gloria to give instructions and communicate with the children to ensure that they understand the subjects.
Her class is composed of Grade three and four children from morning to afternoon,
Ma'am Gloria's class situation is no different from the other classes in the evacuation camp with only four volunteer teachers available.
She said the mixing of classes is due to the shortage of volunteer teachers in the evacuation camp with a population of more or less eighty children from kindergarten to grade six.
"We double our efforts because it is needed. These children are so eager to learn that's why even if it's difficult we could not stop and just say no. I personally understand why many choose to teach in public or private schools because they also have needs, but these children need our help more. We should be one of them in their plight," said Ma'am Gloria
At her age, Ma'am Gloria do get sick a lot but she said it does not stop her from continuing her passion to help.
Attack on Teachers
As the country celebrates the National Teacher's Month, many of those who have given their life and passion as volunteer teachers for the indigenous people in the mountains experienced harassment and even death.
September 2015, EmeritoSamarca director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV), a self-initiated school for the Lumad indigenous people was killed by members of a paramilitary group. He was found dead in one of the classrooms in the school compound in Han-ayan, Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
August this year, teachers and students of Salugpongan Ta 'TanuIgkanogon Community Learning Center Incorporated (STTICLC) in SitioTibucag, BarangayDagohoy, Talaingod, Davao Del Norte were traumatized after the military conducted an aerial strike.
A series of aerial strikes just 500 meters from the school, shook school buildings and homes as one bomb after another hit the ground as the community was holding classes.
Jocelyn Samora, a volunteer teacher of Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation, Inc. for 11 years in her community in Cogonon, Trento was forced to "surrender" on March 4 this year, along with the members of the Parent Teachers Community Association (PTCA) after being tagged as supporters of the New People's Army.
February this year, the Center for Lumad Advocacy and Services Inc. (CLANS) teacher Jolita Tolino was arrested at her home in Sitio Chiris, Barangay Sangay, Kalamansig town and charged with murder and frustrated murder along with several colleagues and community leaders. This was in relation to an armed encounter between communist rebels and Marines last year that left one soldier dead and nine others wounded. She remains detained at the police jail in Isulan town.
Data from Save our Schools Network in Southern Mindanao showef that there are around 230 volunteer teachers in the region who have been affected by recent attacks in communities and alternative schools such as forcible closure and red-tagging.
There were also 17 teachers and parents who were arrested and detained by state forces from 2016 to present.
Volunteer work, a noble profession
"I know, this is not what others imagine in their retirement but not for me. I am happy to serve others even in my own simple way" said Ma'am Gloria.
When asked if she worries about the threat most volunteer teachers experience in the community, Ma'am Gloria smiled and said; "Being a volunteer teacher is a noble profession. We give children a chance to dream and a chance to fulfill their dreams".
At her age, Ma'am Gloria also wishes to see more volunteer teachers in the future to help those children in need.
Currently, the SOS Network- Smr started the 'Tudlo Ta Ninyo' program where students from different universities and colleges volunteer as weekend teachers.
This program runs as an integration of students to the children in 'bakwit school' as well as to know and understand better the struggle of the Lumads for their right to education, land, and right to self-determination.(davaotoday.com)


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In the above video, the PCA (Property Care Association) explain what Japanese knotweed is, the property problems it can cause and the effective treatments that are available.
The PCA is the government approved trade body for the damp, waterproofing, wood preservation and invasive weeds industries. Members of the PCA are required to meet strict standards to be admitted PCA membership, and this thoroughness ensures that a PCA approved company will provide the most effective Japanese Knotweed treatment.
The Property Care Association (PCA) has produced 'The Code of Practice for The Management of Japanese Knotweed' to provide an in-depth and concise guide to the management and control of Japanese knotweed.
The PCA has worked with the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and had support from the Council of Mortgage Lenders and The Building Societies Association in developing the Invasive Weed Control Group.
Japanese knotweed is a major concern within the construction and property preservation industries. Click on the links below to find out more about why choosing a PCA approved specialist is important, and also what the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) has to say about the problem plant.
Find out more about the PCA and the advantages of choosing an approved specialist like Wise.Why choose a PCA approved specialist
Find out what the RICS think about Japanese knotweed and their advice on eradicating it from your property.RICS View on Japanese knotweed
To speak to one of our experienced and qualified Japanese knotweed experts, call Free on 0808 231 9218 or click to find your local branch.
Alternatively, contact us online using our contact form and a local knotweed expert will get in touch.
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Candlewood Suites Wake Forest is an active member in a number of charitable and non-profit organizations. Below you will find some of the programs we participate in.
CANDLEWOOD CARES Emergency Housing Assistance Program.
Our Candlewood Cares program is simple. We provide a free suite for the night, based on availability. We reach out to the local fire departments in town as well as the American Red Cross.
Give Kids The World Village (GKTW) is a 70-acre, non-profit resort that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. GKTW provides accommodations at its whimsical resort, donated attractions tickets, meals and more for a week-long, cost-free fantasy vacation. Give Kids The World has welcomed over 80,000 families from all 50 states and more than 50 countries.