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Online security is more important now than ever before, because so much more of our lives rely on the different internet services we use.
That's why we've put together this list of the top ten things you should avoid doing on the web to avoid being hacked or getting a virus on your computer.
10. Visiting low quality websites
A lot of websites on the internet are low quality websites and some are even malicious and look to install viruses onto your computer.
That's why it's important to consider the quality of the website you are about to visit before you access it.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid any outright dubious looking websites (e.g. gambling, torrent, free video sites, or free software sites).
If you really do need to access them, we recommend accessing it using a mobile or tablet devices as they are much harder to infect than desktop computers.
Even then it's a good idea to have an anti-virus app installed on your phone just in case.
9. Not updating the software on your computer
A crucial step to making sure your computer is secure is making sure that the software that you have installed is up to date.
With any type of software, the risk of them having security issues is almost a certainty.
If you don't update the applications that you use, you won't get the software patches that the developers have released to fix security issues they have found.
That dramatically increases the risk of your computer being infected. It also means that the older the software on your device, the more security bugs your device is likely to have.
We know that updating each application one at a time can be a headache, which is why we recommend Ninite Updater (https://ninite.com) to our clients.
Ninite Updater can update most of your applications all at once, making it simple to make sure you're secure. There are now many other tools that do this for you; Ninite Updater is just one of the oldest.
Note: Some anti-viruses do provide auto update because it's suck a key important security feature; it's a good idea to check and see if your anti-virus application already provides this as a service.
8. Not using two-factor authentication for key online services
Most important online services nowadays will off you the ability to setup two-factor authentication, as it's a very secure way of making sure that the only person who can access your account is you.
The easiest way of explaining two-factor authentication is that it requires you to have a device with you to manually allow any attempt to login to a service.
Usually this is in the form of an app on your smartphone that will popup a window asking you to authorise the login attempt when you try to login to your bank/email account/etc.
That means that if anyone wants to login to your account, they will require both your login information and a physical device that you have on you to gain access.
Here is a list of services that will often allow you to setup two-factor authentication on them:
- Email accounts
- Online banking accounts
- Password management services
- Website management systems
A common form of two-factor authentication is "SMS verification". It is used widely because it doesn't require you to have any special device, it only requires that you have a phone capable of receiving text messages.
SMS verification is great as most providers can set it up, even if they only know your mobile phone number. This is why Google offers it as their default authentication method.
Note: If you travel overseas and have SMS verification setup, you will want to make sure you can receive SMS messages to make sure you can still access your accounts.
7. Using public WiFi connections without encryption
Public WiFi is a great service that many businesses offer, as it means that you can access online services without having to worry about it contributing to you mobile data plan.
The large security issue with public WiFi is that unless you are using SSL for your email accounts and on the websites you access, malicious people can potentially snoop (look at) what you're receiving/visiting.
That's why it's important to make sure your email accounts are setup to connect to your server using SSL.
That's also why it's important to make sure you are accessing websites via SSL/https.
If you connect to your email account or visit a website via SSL, your connection to the email/website server will be encrypted and no person on the same network will be able to look at the information you are sending and receiving through them.
Note: You can tell you are accessing a website via SSL through the padlock symbol to the left of the website URL and because it will show "https://" at the start of the website address.
Another way of making sure that your internet traffic is secure is through the use of what's called a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
A VPN will funnel all of your internet traffic through another internet connection, and encrypt every bit of data between you and them.
They are often cheap (at less than $10 p/m) and often offer detailed privacy guarantees, which means they are a smart purchase for the privacy and security concerned user.
6. Saving your internet banking password in your browser
It shouldn't be surprising to say that one of the most important login details that you have are your internet banking login details.
That's why it's important to make sure they are not saved in insecure ways on your computer. For instance, in the past a lot of browsers would save the passwords you stored on your computer without protecting them using encryption; meaning that if any virus got onto your computer, then they would be able to steal all the passwords you had saved easily.
Now most browsers do have security measures in place to stop that sort of thing, but as those types of login details are so important, we still don't think it's best practice saving them that way.
The best practice is to just rely on your memory for any important service that you need to login to, or, if you have to write the password down, alter it in some way you will remember. Combining this with some sort of confirmation (eg SMS) for larger transfers is just good common sense.
5. Sharing your passwords in plain-text in emails
Within a business, sharing passwords with co-workers is often necessary.
That's why it's important to make sure the method you use to share them is secure and won't leave you vulnerable later on down the road.
A common way people share passwords is through emailing them to their colleagues; the problem with that is that people often leave those emails in their email accounts after reading them.
If your email account is hacked at some point in the future, hackers do scan your email and will have access to any logins you've sent or received via email. One of the techniques bad guys use once they have access to your email account is to search through your email mailbox looking for saved passwords, they then try these everywhere to see if they can break into your accounts.
The best practice for sharing passwords within a business is to use a password management tool like LastPass (https://www.lastpass.com), which can be setup to share login details to various employees without the risk of having these details compromised through an email account being broken into. Alternatively, alter the passwords, or have part sent by email and part by text, depending on the importance of the password.
Note: It's worth deleting any passwords you have receive via email after you have saved them in a password management tool (and remember to clear out your deleted messages!)
4. Keeping passwords in a spreadsheet or text document on your computer
One unfortunate practice we've noticed some people doing is saving their passwords on their computer in a text or word document.
You should never do this! Just like the email password issue, if someone infects your computer with a virus, then they will have all of your passwords within easy reach.
This is one of the first things a hacker/virus will look for once they have gained access to your computer; it's just asking for trouble! In this day and age, you need to remember that even your own computer is not secure. Major businesses have been hacked using this sort of technique.
We understand that sometimes managing/remembering your passwords and login information can be difficult, but due to this difficulty many services have been created to allow you to use different passwords for each site, whilst not having to remember them all.
One of those services is LastPass, which we use internally and wholeheartedly recommend.
It helps you use good, random passwords for each website that you need to login to, whilst only requiring you to remember one secure password.
Within teams LastPass is great as well as it allows you to share access details with team members, without necessarily giving them the passwords themselves (it can be setup to auto-fill into a website, but not show them what the password is directly).
It also allows you to update the passwords to services and make sure everyone has the new login details automatically.
3. Not having an anti-virus program installed on your computer or phone
These days it doesn't matter if you've got a Mac or a PC, both are highly vulnerable to infections.
Even mobile devices are vulnerable these days as they are being targeted more and more due to how widespread they are. Security professionals tend to think the iPhone ecosystem is a little more secure than the Android space, but the jury's out on that one – and it changes all the time.
Modern anti-virus programs can stop infections before they start and a good anti-virus program will nearly always protect you from most security incidents, which is why having one is an important step to making sure your devices are secure.
Now whilst a paid anti-virus program will protect you more than a free one most of the time, there are good free alternatives out there if you are on a tight budget.
One of those is Avast Antivirus (https://www.avast.com).
Avast is a paid anti-virus application that also offers the basic level of protection for free, so if you don't already have an anti-virus application installed, we highly recommend using it.
2. Using easily guessable passwords
This is a point that should be self evident; if you use a password that is easy to guess then your account is more likely to be broken into.
A common method hackers will use to try and steal a password is called "brute forcing", which is a method of using a program to try a lot of passwords over and over to try and gain access to your account.
This becomes an issue when your password is easily guessable, as it severely reduces the time it takes one of those programs to guess your password.
That's why we don't recommend using a password that is something along the lines of a dictionary word followed by some numbers, as that is one of the first things those programs will try.
It's also not a good idea to use your name, your website/business name, or anything obviously associated with you in your passwords. For instance "diana63" will definitely get you hacked – faster if it's your date of birth!
We recommend using a password broken up with numbers and symbols, with a minimum length of eight characters of more.
1. Using the same password and email address on every site
This is definitely the worst habit that you can have when it comes to being secure on the internet.
If your login details are stolen, the first thing a hacker will do is try those on all the other common online services to see if they can gain access to them.
If you do have the same password for everything you use, they will gain access to everything at once and it will be a nightmare to recover from.
The disappointing fact is that this is the most common way that people have their different services hacked.
Now as if that wasn't bad enough, it also means that you are much more likely to run into that disaster scenario.
As much as we would like to think that large companies would have better security on their websites and thus be immune to hacking attempts, large online services sometimes have their servers hacked.
Even large companies like Sony aren't immune from the risk of their websites and servers being attacked.
In these attacks on large companies sometimes user login details are stolen, which means that if you use the same login details those hackers can then gain access to all of your online services (even if you have done nothing wrong on your side to have your details stolen!).
So all of this is to say that it's necessary to use different passwords for each website that you log into.
Remembering all of those passwords is practically impossible, so that's why we recommend a password management tool like LastPass, which can store all of your login details securely and only requires you to remember one primary password.
Have questions about how to secure your website against infections, or anything we've mentioned in this article?
Contact us by emailing our support team!


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All this week, WDET is presenting stories about the intersection of President Kennedy and Metro Detroit, in advance of the 50th anniversary of his assassination.
Then-Senator Kennedy stopped in Ann Arbor in mid-October, 1960 – and launched an idea that would eventually become the Peace Corps.
John Greisberger is the Director of the International Center at the University of Michigan. He spoke with WDET's Jerome Vaughn.
As Greisberger tells the story, few people expected to hear a speech that would have a long-lasting impact, least of all Senator Kennedy.

subset: commoncrawl


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At first glance, those who missed Sunday's Jacksonville Jaguars game would think a shutout involving the Indianapolis Colts would be in their favor. But on Sunday the Jacksonville defense returned to Saxonville form. They managed to shut out the Colts 6-0 on their home turf. This put an end to a seven-game losing streak. This had to be a sigh of relief for everyone in the locker room. No one outside the organization would know for sure what caused it, but there was a ton of passion and drive shown by the defense Sunday. This was a reminder to many of the team they had high hopes for going into the current season. The offense may have had their share of changes and struggles, but the defense was there to remind everyone who has really been carrying this team.
Welcome Back Sacksonville, But the Tennessee Titans Aren't to Be Underestimated
For the first time this entire season, Andrew Luck threw for zero touchdowns and one interception. The Colts were on a five-game winning streak that was put to a halt in surprising fashion. After losing back-to-back games, that just felt like they should have had a better outcome, the Jaguars accomplished what they failed to against the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers. But they also played like losing was not an option on the defensive side from beginning to end.
Tough Road Ahead
If the defense really is back, they have their work cut out for them this Thursday. The Jaguars will be taking on an even tougher AFC South opponent in the Tennessee Titans. This team has been like kryptonite to the Jaguars and, going back to last season, the Jaguars are 0-3 when it comes to them. Yes, even when the Jaguars led the way to the AFC championship a season ago, the Titans could still brag about the fact that they were undefeated when it comes to the Jaguars. As the 2018 season started, the Titans became the first team to stop the Jaguars momentum and beat them in an ugly 9-6 defeat. Neither defense allowed a touchdown. But the Titans managed just one more field goal with four minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
Looking Ahead
With a backup quarterback in Cody Kessler behind center, the Jaguars know they cannot rely on their offensive play. And much like has been the case with Blake Bortles, the defense is likely the only formula that will lead to a win. On the Tennessee side, Marcus Mariota is dealing with a hand injury that will not keep him out of the game. But it might be a weakness that the Jaguars defense could look to expose. In Week Two, Mariota was held to just 100 yards passing. So with a short week, the Jaguars will look to carry Sunday's momentum and determination into Thursday's match-up. The Titans will be looking to do the same on their side of the ball. The Titans hope to still land a playoff spot and improve on a .500 record. With some surprising wins and losses, it is tough to say what version of the team will show up Thursday. But then again, the same can be said of the Jaguars based on the season so far. If the defense is here to make a statement, Thursday is an important step to achieving that goal.


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Three HAP Students Receive HIMSS NCA Scholarships
November 20, 2015
Reza Zandinejad, Ilirjeta Krasniqi, and Koyinsola Aladesuru received scholarships from HIMSS-NCA.
Three Department of Health Administration and Policy students have been selected to receive Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society National Capital Area (HIMSS-NCA) scholarships. The students were recognized during HIMSS-NCA's chapter meeting on November 19.
Ilirjeta Krasniqi, a BS in health administration, concentration in health informatics student, received the undergraduate program scholarship, and Koyinsola Aladesuru and Reza Zandinejad, both MS in health informatics students, were recognized with the graduate program scholarships.
The HIMSS-NCA scholarships are merit-based, recognizing students studying the health management, health informatics, or information systems management fields, who are enrolled in a DC metro area accredited university and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.


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Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to join a chemical company in the North West?
CK's Emily Mills is recruiting for a Site Engineer to join a company at their site based in Merseyside. This is a permanent role and a great opportunity to work on a large COMAH site providing project management on all engineering projects.
- The main purpose of the role will be to manage the activities of the engineering department on a daily basis to ensure all allocated works are performed efficiently.
- The role manages and controls construction activities on site, including contractor selection/control, permits, monitoring etc.
- You will be required to ensure that all new plant and equipment (including modification to existing plant) is designed to meet customer requirements (either internal or external) in a cost effective and efficient manner with due regard to current and future safety and legislative requirements.
Find out more about this role here.


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Recent Competition Entry for Space Week - Ollie Hay (11)
Home Learning Portal
Supporting Home Learning
Welcome to Dundee Science Centres Home Learning Portal. Join us for lots of fun to fill your home schooling days!
We are going to bring you a different theme each week with related activities and facts on a daily basis.
All the activities are available on the Home Learning Programme link but you can drop in and out as you require on the Learning Resources link.


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WASHINGTON — In a first-of-its-kind deal for a locality in Virginia, Airbnb is now collecting — on behalf of Alexandria — "hotel" taxes from short-term renters of private residences in the city.
Locally, Airbnb also provides that paperwork shortcut for homeowner hosts in D.C. and Montgomery County in Maryland.
"It makes a lot of sense: The tax is being collected on the front end by the platform, so it simplifies for the homeowners," Alexandria Assistant Director of Finance Kevin Greenlief said.
Short-term rental hosts using other platforms, such as Expedia and Travelocity, need to collect the tax themselves and submit the revenue to the city.
The tax is independent of registry requirements.
Greenlief wants to remind all homeowners offering short-term rentals that they have to register with the city. Registering is free. But failing to do so can cost you.
"If you don't register, there is a penalty of $500," Greenlief said.
Alexandria's Transient Lodging Tax that's commonly referred to as the "hotel" tax is 8.5 percent of the room rental charge plus $1 per room per night.
Airbnb has 510 hosts across the city of Alexandria. Greenlief said it is expected to generate about $100,000 annually. The money goes into the general fund.


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Nude and Black Lace Embroidered Sleeveless Ashley BodyCon Dress. Sheer top with lace embroidered applique and black pencil skirt bottom.
Size Chart: Small (0-2), Medium (4-6), Large (8-10)
NOTE: This dress is made to be fitted. For a more loose fit, we recommend ordering one size up. The top of this dress is actually sheer.


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Here's what's going on in tech.
Apple will replace batteries in iPhone 6 or later models for $29 even if the phone passes a diagnostic test. (MacRumors)
ICYMI in the news about Tim Cook's pay raise, which was reported last week: The Apple CEO now takes private planes only — "in the interests of security and efficiency." (CNN)
There's a 40 percent chance Apple will buy Netflix, according to Citi analysts who say the corporate tax cuts will boost Apple's cash position. (Business Insider)
Amazon will buy Target this year, analyst Gene Munster predicts. (Bloomberg)
Twitter blocks far-right leader who posted anti-Muslim message as Germany tightens hate speech law. (CNN)
Speaking of Twitter and blocking, the social media site temporarily blocked Sheriff David Clarke for tweets that seemed to incite violence against the media. (CNN)
Jia Yueting, CEO of debt-laden LeEco, defies China's order to return to the country, says he's staying in U.S. to raise funds for electric-car business. (Reuters)
Germany to start enforcing law that demands social media sites move within 24 hours to remove hate speech, fake news and illegal material. (BBC)
A kidnapped crypto CEO reportedly released after paying a $1 million bitcoin ransom. (Business Insider)
Photo: Apple's iPhone 6S Plus, 6S and SE are shown on March 24, 2016. (Julie Jacobson/AP)


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Services Offered
For over 20 years, the team at Quest Musique has been passionately serving the music community! We're dedicated to providing musicians with world-class products, while providing the best services possible. We have two retail stores/music schools in Winnipeg, Canada and an online store that serves musicians around the world.
As a division of Quest Musique, Quest Music Academy believes in the importance of individual instruction when learning to play a musical instrument. One-on-one instruction enables teachers to customize their curriculum to the level and strengths of each music student, and to give more focused attention to areas ...


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Tickets for the upcoming Oak Hill Winter Athletic Season are on sale in the high school office from 8:00am – 4:00pm. Previous ticket holders may renew their boys basketball seat from last year until Nov. 14th. All seats that have not been renewed by Nov. 14th will then be available to the public. New season ticket holders may reserve their boys basketball seats starting Nov. 15th.
Ticket Prices for winter season 2018-19
Winter Season Ticket Prices: 10 Event Pass (good for any event): Adult: $42 Student/Senior $36
High School All-Sports passes are on sale for all high school events for the remainder of the school year.
Adult – $60 Senior – $45 Student – $45
General Admission/Per Contest ticket prices will be…. $5.00 per individual for Varsity/JV Basketball.
…. $5.00 per individual for just boys swim or just girls swim
…. $5.00 per individual for coed swim
…. $5.00 per individual for wrestling
…. $4.00 per individual for 9th grade/C Team games


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2017-05-02 - ABB will provide two fast-chargers for Scania electric buses in Östersund, Sweden. The chargers are based on OppCharge, an open interface for the automated charging of electric buses from any manufacturer, and use a pantograph on the infrastructure to connect the bus to the charging point.
With tests set to start in the final quarter of 2017, the two ABB HVC300P fast-chargers will charge six fully-electric Scania buses. The trials will be carried out in collaboration with public authorities, including the City of Östersund, the municipality of Krokom, the Region Jämtland Härjedalen's Public Transport Authority, the publically owned energy supplier Jämtkraft and the Swedish Transport Administration.
The buses will be operated by Nettbuss, a subsidiary of the Norwegian State Railways, NSB, which is the second largest bus operator in the Nordic countries.
The two charging stations will be built at both ends of the 14-kilometer major bus line, powering six buses. With 10-minute charging, the buses will run every 15 minutes, making 100 journeys each day.
ABB's fast-chargers are connected to the cloud for remote diagnostics and management, and receive over-the-air software upgrades to ensure maximum availability.
Östersund Kommun issued separate tenders for the buses and their charging infrastructure. This was made possible by the OppCharge interface, which is compatible with a range of bus models, including electric hybrids.
Östersund was presented with the European Mobility Week Award in 2015 in recognition of the council's work providing sustainable transport options in the city. This project with Scania and ABB will extend their work in sustainable transport.
"The introduction of battery electric buses here is really exciting," says Project Manager Anne Sörensson from the City of Östersund. "They will contribute to our aim of achieving fossil-free transport by 2030."
Frank Muehlon, Head of ABB's Global Business for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, said: "We are delighted to win this project in Östersund and to team up with the much respected bus manufacturer Scania. A key part of our strategy is supporting open industry interfaces like OppCharge so that ABB chargers can be used by all different bus manufacturers now and in the future ensuring true interoperability. We believe this is important for cities and operators interested in electrifying their bus fleet."
The cold climate of Östersund makes it the optimal testing ground for ABB's fast-chargers, which are designed to be reliable in extreme environments.
Anna Carmo e Silva, Head of Scania Buses and Coaches, said: "Östersund, with its seasonal climate of cold winters and moderately warm summers, is the ideal location for testing performance in actual operations. The trials constitute the initial stage in the ongoing development of battery electric buses."
ABB provides charging solutions at the forefront of sustainable mobility and since 2010 has sold approximately 5,000 fast-chargers around the world for passenger cars. Over the past year, ABB has commissioned OppCharge opportunity chargers for hybrid and full electric buses in Bertrange (Luxembourg), Luxembourg City Center, Gothenborg (Sweden) and Namur (Belgium).
About OppCharge
More information on OppCharge via www.oppcharge.org
About ABB
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 132,000 employees. www.abb.com.
About ABB bus chargers
· Easy to integrate into existing bus lines (inverted pantograph enables use of a low-cost and low weight interface on roof of the bus).
· Modular design offering charging power of 150 kW, 300 kW, 450 kW and 600kW.
· ABB's proven suite of connectivity features enables maximum availability, high uptime and fast service response.
· Based on OppCharge and IEC 61851-23, the international standard for fast-charging of electric vehicles ensuring the appropriate safety systems are in place, the electrical design is in accordance with regulations, and the systems architecture and working principle are supported by the wider automotive community in future.
About Scania
Scania is a world-leading provider of transport solutions. Together with our partners and customers we are driving the shift towards a sustainable transport system. In 2016, we delivered 73,100 trucks, 8,300 buses as well as 7,800 industrial and marine engines to our customers. Net sales totalled nearly SEK 104 billion, of which about 20 percent were services-related. Founded in 1891, Scania now operates in more than 100 countries and employs some 46,000 people. Research and development are concentrated in Sweden, with branches in Brazil and India. Production takes place in Europe, Latin America and Asia, with regional production centres in Africa, Asia and Eurasia. Scania is part of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH. For more information visit www.scania.com.
For more information please contact:


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People – Family business dynamics
The personal side to business
Talented people are the backbone of any great business. Having the right people in place can mean the difference between survival and success. Like any business, family businesses must grapple with finding the right people to fill many of the critical roles within the organization….


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Based in Nottinghamshire, BWML have launched their brand new floating homes. Built with the latest technology and constructed to enhance their calm surroundings, these new houses offer an innovative space for buyers.
Rod Grant Head of Retail BWML explains: "Designed and built to last a century, our new floating homes provide owners with a unique twenty-first century living space with underfloor heating, fully fitted kitchen, two bathrooms, two double bedrooms and an outside deck for entertaining, and start at the reasonable price of £169,950."
Affordable Price
The floating homes could be the answer to the housing crisis, with the average house in Nottingham costing £194,412 in comparison. In 2018, house prices increased by 4.4% across the country and as BMWL roll out more floating homes they could be part of the housing solution.
Eco Friendly Living
Located in Sawley Marina on the border of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, these homes enrich their natural environment. Truly unique in delivering a very low carbon footprint, low energy bills and a conscientious lifestyle, the homes are the latest innovation in the market.
Ideal Location
These ethical homes blend into the landscape and the minimalist open plan interior is inspired by their tranquil environment. Set on the river in the private gated area at Sawley Marina, the floating home community is an extremely enjoyable experience that offers a genuine family feeling. In addition, the location provides some of the most scenic views locally and the River Soar and River Derwent are both nearby.
Arrange a Visit to the Show Home
View the full specification at www.bwml.co.uk and then drop a line to the sales agents at www.townsandcrawford.co.uk


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Item Checklist
Roller Blind
Chain Drive Bracket
Pin End Bracket
P Clip (child safety)
Tools Required
- Cordless drill with Phillips head drill bit
- Metal tape measure
- Stepladder
What are you mounting your blind to?
I am drilling into timber: Pre-drill holes and use the provided screws
I am drilling into plaster: We recommend use of the Ramset 10mm Grip Hollow Wall Anchor
I am drilling into concrete, stone, brick or tile: Use a Masonry drill and appropriate plugs, anchors or screws
If you are unsure, please contact us via phone or email so we can advise a solution.
Step 1 - Position
As per your order, determine where your blind is to be fitted
Step 2 - Brackets
Wood screws have been provided, please ensure you have the appropriate screws and drill bit (as specified above) if you are not drilling into wood.
- Place the Chain Drive bracket on the side you want the operating chain as per your order.
- Pre-drill 2 holes and secure the bracket with screws.
- Repeat the process for the Pin End bracket.
Step 3 - Inserting the blind
For large blinds it is best to have a second person help hold the blind in position.
Step 4 - Extending the pin end
- The pin end of our roller blinds has the ability to be adjusted to achieve a greater width if required, which may be helpful if your blind has been miss measured and requires a tighter fit.
- By rotating the clear plastic cog, the pin will extend in 1mm increments (max 8mm extension).
Step 5 - Child Safe Cord Tensioner
Australian Child Safety Laws state that a cord tensioner must be installed if the chain is less than 1.6m from the floor to prevent any risk of strangulation.
- Position the tension device at the bottom of the chain loop, either to the inside of the window frame or in front of it.
- Install the tension device onto frame, making sure that the loop chain hangs with minimal tension.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- My blind is hard to operate or making clunking noises
It is likely that the blind is in the incorrect position in the Chain Drive bracket. Please go to Step 3 "Inserting the blind" and make sure that the end cap has not been rotated out of position. The ACMEDA logo should always be in the 6 o'clock position.
- My blind is tracking to one side
This can easily be remedied by unrolling the blind and placing a 10cm piece of masking tape onto the aluminium tube, on the side you need the blind to go to. Add a couple more layers for thickness until the blind rolls up straight. If this does not fix the problem, please contact us.
- I need to clean my blind
Cleaning the blind only requires a damp cloth. Make sure not to rub too hard as you may damage the Blockout coating.
- My blind has a curve/kink
Due to transport, or the blind being left in one position for a long period of time, a curve/kink may have formed in the cloth. Please let the blind settle and this should fall out over time (warm weather will usually help). Try to rotate the blind to different heights regularly to avoid this occurring.
- I would like the chain on the opposite side
Simply remove the end caps and swap them, along with the bracket positions, to opposite sides.


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Dead Write: A Forensic Handwriting Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)
Special Order - Subject to Availability
When it comes to solving murder, sometimes the pen can be mightier than the sword ...
Handwriting expert Claudia Rose heads to the Big Apple at the behest of Grusha Olinetsky, the notorious founder of an elite dating service whose members are mysteriously dying. Drawn into the feckless lives of the rich and single, Claudia finds herself in a twisted world of love and lies fueled by desperation. But is one among them desperate enough to kill?
Claudia must find clues in the suspects' handwriting before more victims are scribbled into the killer's black book...


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Lamar Odom is finally ready to let go of Khloe Kardashian but he has two requests.
One, he wants the judge to deny the court's ability to award Khloe with spousal support and two, all attorney fees and costs be paid by his soon-to-be ex-wife.
According to E!, Lamar filed his response to Khloe's second divorce request, Friday, (June, 9) in a Los Angeles Superior Court.
The couple cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for dissolving their marriage though Khloe Kardashian's reason for divorcing him now stems from her desire to have her own child.
Khloe and Lamar first filed for divorce in December 2013, but it was called off in October last year as she had to take care of Odom who was recuperating at the Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas after being found unconscious in a Nevada brothel on October, 13, 2015.
In May 2016, the reality TV star proceeded with the divorce a second time after putting it on hold to tend to her soon-to-be ex-husband's health.
Khloe had earlier requested her attorney Laura Wasser withdraw the divorce petition that was awaiting a judge's signature which was granted.
The 32 -year-old admitted in an interview with KIIS FM at the time, "I just thought it was really insensitive to [expetite the divorce]. I get it, I get why it's confusing, I understand all of that. James Harden has been great. He's been very supportive with everything."
"There's of course times where I'm sure he was really uncomfortable about some of the things, but I'm a very honest person and I have nothing to hide and I was very open with how I feel like I had to handle everything with Lamar," she concluded.
Khloe's wikipedia page still bears "Khloe Kardashian Odom".
Lamar Odom will most likely get his requests as neither Khloe nor any of the Kardashians want a messy divorce.


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Why Visa Earnings Continue to Impress Investors
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) reported its fiscal fourth-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Wednesday. The company said that it had $0.90 in earnings per share (EPS) on $4.86 billion in revenue, which compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters of $0.85 in EPS and revenue of $4.63 billion. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.78 and $4.26 billion in revenue.
The credit card giant reported its segment revenues as follows:
- Service revenues were $2.1 billion, an increase of 20% year over year.
- Data processing revenues rose 16% over the prior year to $2.1 billion.
- International transaction revenues grew 20% to $1.8 billion.
- Other revenues rose 3% to $226 million.
During the quarter, payments volume grew 10% over the prior year on a constant dollar basis and excluding Europe co-badge volume from prior year's results. Cross-border volume growth, on a constant dollar basis, was also up 10%.
Total processed transactions increased by 13% to 29.2 billion.
In terms of the outlook for fiscal 2018, Visa expects to see annual net revenue growth of high single digits on a nominal dollar basis and client incentives as a percentage of gross revenues in the range of 21.5% to 22.5%. EPS is also expected to grow at the "high end of mid-teens" on a nominal dollar basis.
The consensus estimates call for $4.00 in EPS and $19.95 billion in revenue for the 2018 fiscal year.
Alfred F. Kelly Jr., CEO of Visa, commented:
Visa ended our fiscal year as we began, with strong growth across payments volume, cross-border volume and processed transactions, which was bolstered by the addition of Visa Europe. We're very pleased with our progress in Europe and will continue to make strategic investments that will further strengthen our franchise there and globally. As we look ahead to fiscal 2018, we are positioned for sustained growth and remain confident in our ability to continue delivering strong shareholder value.
Shares of Visa closed Tuesday at $108.41, with a consensus analyst price target of $117.69 and a 52-week range of $75.17 to $109.26. Following the announcement, the stock was up about 1% at $109.60 in early trading indications Wednesday.


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Am I Back?
December 14, 2015
I wish I could say "I'm back."
But I've thought that so often, and just ended up posting even more rarely.
I'm getting to a point where I miss blogging, though. I can say that much at least. I want to do it again.
I still won't make promises, especially not for long or frequent posts. But I'll try.
I'll try.
In the meantime, have a random picture:
5 Comments leave one →


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Forging methods are an important consideration when making any wellhead or pressure vessel component. Here are five common forging methods for API wellhead component manufacturing:
Open Die Forging
In open die forging, metal is compressed but not constrained between two flat die with no pre-cut profiles. Open die forging is a very versatile method and can be used with nearly all forgeable alloys. It is often used for large parts weighing over 200,000 pounds.
Seamless Rolled Ring Forging
To craft forged steel rings or other seamless rolled rings, manufacturers use open die forging to punch a hole in a circular piece of metal, creating a doughnut shape. The metal "doughnut" is then heated and placed on a roller to shape and expand the ring.
Impression Die Forging
Impression die forging, also called closed die forging, uses a die with cavities to compress the part and restrict metal flow, forcing the metal into a particular shape. Impression die forging can create very detailed parts in symmetrical and nonsymmetrical shapes.
Cold Forging
Cold forging is a variety of impression die forging that uses temperatures between room temperature and several hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Manufacturers may use cold bending, cold drawing, coining, or extruding to create a range of shapes. Cold forging is especially useful when making shaft- or cup-shaped parts or bent configurations that weigh less than 10 pounds.
Precision Forging
Another type of impression die forging is precision forging. In precision forging, material is carefully measured so that little or no metal overflows out of the die during the forging process. Precision forging can create highly detailed parts with thin sections that require little or no finishing.
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Volume 4, Number 1 (2018) pp 1-12 doi 10.20448/807.4.1.1.12 | Research Articles
Language as a prime instrument of communication has remained the oldest among both traditional and new media. Iwuchukwu (2006) has raised some salient issues relating to the strategic role of language, especially the indigenous language towards poverty alleviation in Nigeria and ultimately achieving the first Millennium Development Goal; Eradicating Extreme Poverty and Hunger by 2015. FADAMA is a major World Bank assisted project in Nigeria aimed at reducing rural poverty, increasing food security and contributing significantly to the achievement of a key Millennium Development Goal (MDG) objective. This paper focuses on the FADAMA project in Nigeria, (covering 1, 2, and 3), examining the role of indigenous languages and communication in its execution. It will further highlight the positive and negative effects of the deployment and non-deployment of appropriate languages and communication tools in the implementation of the project as well as its overall performance. Our methodology will include the analysis of FADAMA field reports 1, 2, and 3; oral interviews with a sizeable number of the vulnerable group that constitutes the target population from at least one (1) state in each of the six geopolitical zones that make up Nigeria. Our claim is that effective and appropriate harnessing of indigenous language and communication will significantly contribute to the overall success of the FADAMA project in Nigeria.
Keywords: Language, Communication, Poverty, Eradication, FADAMA
Citation Godwin C. S. Iwuchukwu; Patrick U. Ineji; Emmanuel Inyang (2018). Language, Communication, Poverty Eradication and the Fadama Projects in Nigeria. Global Journal of Social Sciences Studies, 4(1): 1-12.
Copyright: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
Funding : This study received no specific financial support.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
History : Received: 10 February 2017 Revised: 27 December 2017/ Accepted: 4 January 2018/ Published: 10 January 2018
Publisher: Online Science Publishing
In Nigeria, the term FADAMA is an Hausa name for irrigable land usually low lying plains under laid by shallow aquifers found along major river systems. In addition to providing a source of water for livestock during dry season, FADAMA also support large and diverse residence and transient wildlife including herbivores, carnivores and migratory birds. The enormous potential of this land is partially underdeveloped. The FADAMA, a world bank assisted project aims at sustainably increasing the income of FADAMA users. it also aims at enhancing the productivity and wellbeing of Nigerian farmers while reducing poverty and increasing food security.
The FADAMA 1 which was only experimented in five (5) states and Fadama II which involves twelve (12) states projects successfully refined approaches for improved utilization of these lands and implemented an innovative Local Development Plan (LDP) . The Fadama III aims at increasing the incomes of Fadama land and water resources users on a sustainable manner. By increasing their incomes, the project will help reduce rural poverty, increase food security and contribute to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal (MDG). The paper examines the interplay of language, and communication in the achievement of the poverty alleviation (eradication) driven Fadama project in Nigeria.
Several works have been done on the Fadama project in Nigeria. They include Ango et al. (2012) who examined the socio-economic impact of Fadama development programme on the participating farmers of the two zones of Kebbi State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority. The work shows that the majority of the participating farmers were males and were within the age range of 20-50 years with farm sizes of 2 -3 hectares. It also showed that most of the participating farmers were involved in the planning and execution of the programme and only registered farmers of Fadama Users Association were found to benefit from the provision of the agricultural inputs of the Fadama development programme.
However, they restricted their work to the socio-economic impacts without looking at the linguistic and communication which this paper focuses on.
1.1. Statement of the Problem
The strategic role of language as a quintessence of man and medium, of communication cannot be ignored or overemphasized.
According to Essien (2010)"Language is both a cultural index and the expression of that index. When you learn a language, you are entering the cultural domain and terrain of the native speakers of that language, you get to understand the belief system, the taboos, the totems, the values, the ethos, the fears and hopes, the foods and the traditions, the clothes, the ceremonies, the names and the naming system and whatever identifies the people by ways of their mental and creative outputs, religions, literature and the arts in general, economic well-being, education etc." Waisboard (2001) links up Development communication to the application of communication strategies and principles in the developing world. Nigeria being one of the developing world (nations), and anchoring on both postulations on language and communication, some pertinent questions arise. These include,
The problem of this research basically therefore, is to profer answers or solution to these questions.
1.2. Rationale /Significance for the Study
The rationale for the study is to demonstrate the fundamental role of language in any poverty alleviation or eradication initiative like Fadama. Furthermore, it highlights the imperative of commendation in achieving the Fadama project in Nigeria as well as the most appropriate media for use. It tends to proffer solutions that may make for the optimum realization of the Fadama project in Nigeria and by extension help in alleviating poverty.
1.3. Scope of the Study
The study covers all aspects of the Fadama project in Nigeria, i.e. Fadama III which is on-going because of the complexity and size of Nigeria, it is not possible to obtain Fadama reports from all the 36 states in Nigeria and Abuja the Federal capital territory. We however, restricted ourselves to the six geo-political zones in Nigeria and picking reports from each state of the zone. We also interacted with some officers of the Fadama state project offices. Our focus is on the language(s) used in the projects facilitation in the various zones/states as well as the communication strategy and media. Our evaluation of the success of the Fadama is narrowed to these areas rather than the technical, political or other considerations.
The National FADAMA Development Project in Nigeria can best be communicated through diffusion of innovation. Literally, diffusion of innovation is the spreading of new ideas and methods of doing things (innovations) to a large audience with the aim of eliciting a desired (positive) change. It entails making an innovation clear, popular and acceptable to a particular group of people, such that, they willingly accept this new idea or way of doing things and practice it without compulsion.
Diffusion of innovations theory as propounded by Rogers in 1962 posits that when new innovations are introduced, they pass through a series of strategies before being widely adopted. First, most people become aware of them, often through information from the mass media. Second, the innovations will be adopted by a very small group of people often referred to as innovators or early adopters. Third, opinion leaders find the innovation useful and encourage their friends or followers and finally, after most people have adopted the innovation, a group of late adopters often make the change. Rogers found that this process applied to most American agricultural innovations.
Baran and Davis (2010) view diffusion of innovations as a source-dominated theory that sees the communication process from the point of an elite who has decided to diffuse specific information or an innovation. In diffusion of innovations, the mass media merely act as catalysts, while change agents and early adopters assist through opinion leaders to draw attention to the innovations.
In the National Fadama Development Project in Nigeria, change agents in this case government officials coordinating the project lead the diffusion efforts; they go into FADAMA communities and directly influence the elite (early adopters), traditional rulers and hierarchies (opinion leaders) in the communities. The project coordinators sometimes use the mass media to sensitize people on the FADAMA project.
2.1. Language as Development Tool in the FADAMA Project
Bodomo (1999); Essien (2003) and Iwuchukwu (2005) have all lamented the neglect of indigenous languages in the search for development in Africa. According to Bodomo, in their search for solutions to the development problems of Africa, students of Africa have often ignored linguistics and other socio-cultural resources. He identified two basic reasons for this: he narrow interpretation of the concept of development only in terms of economic indicators (GDP, GNP) and other economic notions such as income per capita as determinants of societal well-being and the general misunderstanding of the role language plays in the society. He maintained that only a comprehensive interpretation of development as the sustainable socio-cultural, economic and technological transformation of a society, will appreciate the relevance of language in the development process. In agreeing with Bodom, Essien (2003) states that "development programmes would be seriously flawed as has been the case in Nigeria and the new nations of black Africa, if language were not considered a major component of such programmes". However, development paradigms outside Africa did not ignore language. Iwuchukwu (2005) tend to sum up this position by maintaining that Africa's underdevelopment is significantly linked up with her neglect and non-development of her linguistic resources. A continent that seeks and hopes to develop using alien languages. The case cited by Bodomo of some students of Agriculture extension services in Ghana who on graduation and posting to the rural areas, got shocked and could not deliver because their training excluded language. Agriculture extension students being trained to work among predominantly illiterate farmers in rural areas ought to have been equipped with adequate language and linguistic knowledge to enable them succeed.
The FADAMA is a development oriented project in Nigeria meant to alleviate poverty, reduce hunger and increase the income of the rural and vulnerable people etc. These target group are predominantly illiterates, it is proper therefore that appropriate language and communication media be used to mobilize them for active participation, capacity building and information dissemination. Our concentration is that FADAMA handlers in Nigeria who ignore appropriate language and communication media choice will tend to record a less significant impact than otherwise.
2.2. Communication and Development: The FADAMA Imperative
2.2.1. The Concept of Communication
Communication is a very broad concept and varies depending on the theoretical frames of reference employed and the intention of the source (the intention of the communication encounter in the entire process). From a very broad perspective, communication can be understood as the sharing of experience which implies that all living organisms share experiences but what is unique and distinct about human communication is the superior ability to create and use symbols. Human communication can therefore be defined as the process of creating a meaning between two or more people. Human communication is concerned with efforts to make significations or meaning and symbols are used to express ideas and feelings. A symbol can be defined as representing something used for or regarded as representing something else (Tubb and Moss, 1991).
A symbol may be understood to mean any human behaviour, either verbal or non-verbal to which meaning may be attached, Ineji (2003). In their book "The Functions of Human Communication: A Theoretical Approach cited by Watson and Hill (1997) examined 126 definitions of communication and noted the differences but agreed on the common denomination that communication is a process. They however, concluded with their own definition that Communication is the production of symbolic contents by an individual, according to a code with anticipated consumption by other(s) according to the same code.
One crucial attribute of communication is that it elicits a response which implies that communication is an intentional behaviour. When a source encodes a message which is sent through a channel to a receiver, he expects to get a specific response(s).
Jurgen Ruesch shares a similar view that communication is "all those processes by which people influence one another (in values, communication and culture). Watson and Hill (1997) summed up the totality of communication functions based on many and varied listings made by communication analysts into eight functions which are central to the understanding of communication: instrumental (to achieved of obtain something; control (to get someone to behave in a particular way); information (to find out or explain something); expression (to express one's feelings or put oneself over in a particular way); alleviation of anxiety (to sort out a problem ease a worry about something); stimulation (response to something of interest), and role related (because the situation requires it).
This paper holds the view that communication is deliberate and purposeful and specifically directed at the target audience to elicit specific response with the intention to achieve pre-determined goals by the source or communication.
2.2.2. The Concept of Development
The concept "development" lacks precise definition and remains nebulous and contentions without unanimity of agreement in both theoretical perspective and application. This controversy derives directly from the development views nurtured and propagated by scholars based on difference frames of reference which constitute the fulcrum of human behaviours. This presupposes that scholars from the polar worlds- the Western world typified by Western Europe and North America (developed Nations) and the third world nations are diametrically opposed to each other in their understanding of the concept of the development. While the West, the modernist nation tenaciously hold that the third world nations must purge themselves of traditionalism to pare way for meaningfully development, scholars of third world orientation are adverse to this view but hold that meaningful and sustainable development must take into consideration, the peculiar conditions and circumstances which retard their development before any progress can be recorded.
Citing Rodney (1973) in his book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Opubor (1985) says:
Development in human society is a many sided process at the individual level, it implies increased skill and capacity greater freedom, creativity, self discipline, responsibility and maternal well being. The achievement of any of the aspects of personal development is very much tied in with the state of society as a whole.
Dudley Sears, the British economist is also reported by Opubor (1985) as saying that development involves the creation of opportunities for the realization of human potentials. This implies that development plan should include efforts geared toward the reduction of poverty, unemployment and inequality. An understanding of development in the light of these three indices- reduction of poverty, unemployment and inequality are at the front burner of the FADAMA project in Nigeria. As a developing country, Nigeria is still engulfed with abject poverty, increasing and unabated outrage of unemployment and high level of inequality where the society elites have cornered the greater part of the nation's resources for personal gain while the greater majority of the population wallow in abject poverty in the midst of plenty an inexplicable paradox which remains unraveled.
2.2.3. The Interface Between Communication and Development
Communication is development imperative. There can be no development without a conscious efforts on the part of development agents (change agents) to harness the necessary communication tools to mobilize the target communities to prepare them both mentally (psychologically) and physically for the desired development. Once the state of mind is ready, development can occur with little or no hindrance or encumbrances. The corollary is that a fusion of communication and development is imperative for development goals to be attained. Thus, development communication or communication for development becomes an essential requirement for participatory meaningful, and result oriented development goals. Development communication also known as development support communication (DSC) in concerned with communicating the development message and can be understood as the use of all forms of communication in the promotion of development at all levels of a society.
Okunna (2002) says, Development communication can also be defined as the art and science of human communication applied to the speedy transformation of a country and the mass of the people.
Communication is therefore exposed to confront the numerous problems staring the African continent and the mass of the people.
Communication is therefore expected to confront the numerous problems staring the African continent and Nigeria in particular namely; problems of poverty, illiteracy, disease, corruption, ethnicity, religious crises, and or work in partnership with development (social change) agents to arrest further decay in the system.
Development is synonymous with participatory communication which involves activities or a process of dialogue and interaction in which communities and other stakeholders increase their understanding of each other's knowledge and priorities and work to identify mutually acceptable approaches and solutions to identified problems which is predicated on the creation of a conducive atmosphere for development to take place (Ineji, 2012).
A proper understanding of development should discard the notion of proponent's of modernization theory which holds that the goal of development communication interventions should aim to imbue the people with modern values and information, through the transfer of media technology and the adoption of innovation and culture that originated in the Western World. The truth is that a proper understanding and appreciation of the people's circumstances is necessary and creates appropriate atmosphere for development efforts to be accomplished with minimum encumbrances.
The essence of communication in development is to engender community participating by generating an acceptable condition and enthusiasm to embrace the envisaged change among the target population. Lending credence to this view Ndolo (2011) explained that development communication:
Entailed a process by which an idea is transferred from a source to a receiver with the intent to change behavior. Usually the source wants to alter the receiver's knowledge of some idea, create a change attitude towards the idea, or persuade him to adopt the idea as part of his regular behavior.
It has become glaring that the application of the modernization theory to development initiatives particularly as it concern's project identification and execution in the FADAMA Project in Nigeria is inappropriate and incongruous and calls for the application of the traditional model by intervention (change) agents where the anticipated change is perceived as a process where participants create and share information with one another in order to reach a mutual understanding and successful execution of projects.
If the FADAMA Project is rightly understood as a project that is dear to the lives and survival of the community in question, it would engender in members, pride of ownership, commitment and enthusiasm to execute the project to a logical conclusion. In this respect, the collaboration between the intervention (development agents) and the benefiting community would be enhanced. Perhaps, not taking this into consideration accounts for failure of several development interventions. The key issue which should not be undermined in development initiative is participation of the community, hence, the importance of interpersonal channels of communication in decision making process at the community level is very crucial in the FADAMA Project initiative.
2.3. Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger
In May 2000, the United Nations met and initiated the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all the member states of the UN and other international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. Top on the list (Goal 1) is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. The goals are basically to encourage development by improving social and economic conditions in the world's poorest countries.
Nigeria's National FADAMA Development Project was initially designed to promote simple and low cost irrigation technology. The widespread adoption of this innovation allowed farmers to increase production. An evaluation of the first phase of the FADAMA project revealed that the full realization of the project benefits was hampered by some specific shortcomings in design and implementation, including lack of involvement of project client in project planning, the project was limited to crop production ignoring downstream value addition activities of marketing and processing, and ignoring of other FADAMA resource users. The Federal Government of Nigeria impressed by the achievements of the initial phase of the project approached the African Development Bank and the International Development Association of the World Bank for support in expanding the achievements of the project in size and scope. To achieve this, the second phase was designed with a focus on community-driven development with maximum participation of stakeholders at every stage of the project cycle. This phase emphasized poverty reduction, private sector leadership and client participation. The FADAMA development project currently incorporates a shift in development strategy from public sector domination to a community-driven development approach.
The FADAMA project has been stretched to cover irrigation, infrastructure, crops and livestock, forestry and fisheries and interventions of major donors. Its major objective is to reduce poverty by improving the living conditions of the rural poor and to contribute to food security and increased access to rural infrastructure. It is meant to enhance agricultural production, productivity and value addition to enhance agricultural production, productivity and value addition for small holders and rural entrepreneurs in the Fadama areas on a sustainable basis. The implementation of the Fadama project so far has significantly improved the wellbeing of participating FADAMA resource users, and farmers have to an extent realized increased incomes as a result of producing crops both during the rainy and dry season in the Fadama, thereby reducing hunger and poverty.
3.1 Reports (Data) From FADAMA Zones In Nigeria
Nigeria is divided into six geo-political zones. These include North East, North West, North Central, South South, South East and South West. Because of the complexity and diversity of Nigeria, and the constraint of time, we could not get data from the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory. We rather chose one state from each of the zones. Two states representing two zones are presented in each Table as shown below;
|Table-1. FADAMA III Feild Report For North-West And South-South, Nigeria
|North West
Kebbi State
|South South
Cross River State
|1. Language used in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building
|2. Is the language used in 1 above most appropriate especially for the vulnerable group?
|3. If the language in 1 above is not most appropriate, which language will be most appropriate?
Arabic/ English
|4. What communication strategy is adopted in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building?
|Diffusion of innovation strategy
|Trado-Modern Communication (TMC)
|5. Which media are used in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building?
|Mass Media
Traditional Media
|Traditional Media
Mass Media
|6. What are the most appropriate media for sensitization, mobilization and capacity building especially for the vulnerable group?
|A combination of Traditional Media, Mass Media and New Media.
|Traditional media
Mass Media
New Media
|Source: Field Work, March, 2013.
|Table-2. FADAMA III Feild Report For South-East And North-East, Nigeria
|South East
Ebonyi State
|North East
Taraba State
|1. Language used in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building
|2. Is the language used in 1 above most appropriate especially for the vulnerable group?
|3. If the language in 1 above is not most appropriate, which language will be most appropriate?
|4. What communication strategy is adopted in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building?
|Diffusion of innovation model
|Diffusion of innovation model
|5. Which media are used in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building?
|Mass Media
Traditional Communication (TC)
|Mass Media
Traditional Communication (TC)
|6. What are the most appropriate media for sensitization, mobilization and capacity building especially for the vulnerable group?
|Traditional Media (TM) Mass Media (MM)
New Media.
|Traditional Media (TM) Mass Media (MM)
New Media.
|Source: Field Work, March, 2013.
|Table-3. FADAMA III Feild Report For South-West And North-Centraal, Nigeria
|South West
Ogun State
|North Central
Niger State
|1. Language used in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building
|2. Is the language used in 1 above most appropriate especially for the vulnerable group?
|3. If the language in 1 above is not most appropriate, which language will be most appropriate?
|4. What communication strategy is adopted in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building?
|Diffusion of innovation
|Diffusion of innovation
|5. Which media are used in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building?
|Mass Media (MM)
Traditional Communication (TC)
|Traditional Communication (TC)
Mass Media (MM)
|6. What are the most appropriate media for sensitization, mobilization and capacity building especially for the vulnerable group?
|Traditional Media (TM) Mass Media (MM)
New Media (NM)
|Traditional Media (TM) Mass Media (MM)
New Media (NM)
|Source: Field Work, March, 2013.
From the data presented above, we discover that in the FADAMA III programme, the government facilitators of the programme tend to adopt English Language as the official language for the mobilization, sensitization and capacity building workshops for the Fadama Community Association (FCA) and the Fadama Users Groups (FUGs). This tends to derive from the fact that English is both the second and official language in Nigeria used both in administration and for pedagogical instructions.
They also no doubt draw from and make skeletal or complimentary use of the indigenous languages as well as Nigerian languages, but not in official capacity. We further discover, that this is not most appropriate because in some of the states as Niger, Taraba, Kebbi and Ebonyi States representing the North Central, North East, North West and South East zones of Nigeria, a significant percentage of the Fadama participants do not have formal education. i.e are illiterates. For example, according to Ango et al. (2012) many findings of research conducted revealed that the majority of the people of Northern region of Nigeria normally enrol in quoranic schools before enrolling into Western education. This makes majority of them having quoranic education even in the absence of Western education.
Specifically, the Fadama iii field report from Kebbi State indicate that 64% of the Fadama participating farmers attended quoranic schools and 35.8% only had formal education. In such circumstances, the adoption of English as the official language with complementary role for the mother tongue is glaringly inappropriate. For example, in the case of Kebbi State, it is most appropriate for the mother tongue-Hausa as well as Arabic to be adopted as the official language for the programme while English becomes the complementary language. This tends to be the case in Niger State. The mother tongue such as Igbo, Yoruba should be adopted as the official language for the Fadama (III) in Taraba, Ebonyi, and Ogun States while English is the complementary language.
For the case of Cross River, the Nigerian pidgin is added to the mother tongue because of the linguistic complexity in the area. Though the Fadama (III) is recording some measure of success, the point is that there will tend to be more significant success recorded when the mother tongue is incorporated as the official Fadama language. For the farmers to imbibe and acquire the technology taught and provided by the Fadama facilitators, it must be in the language they are more proficient in. Our suggestion tends to suggest the jettisoning of the present scenario where adhoc interpreters and translators in the mother tongue are recruited for a few hours and discharged.
In terms of communication, it is observed that the states represented are using both the diffusion of innovation strategy and the trado-modern strategy. They are also using both the mass media and the traditional media for mobilization, sensitization and capacity building programmes. This has been effective. Communication media used in sensitization, mobilization and capacity building is appropriate and this include production and distribution of information bulletins, production of FADAMA jingles and airing them in both English and local languages on both television and radio. Also used are documentaries on FADAMA activities on both television and radio. To achieve this purpose, 30 minutes FADAMA half hour, FADAMA is specially allotted.
Also, special talks on project implementation procedure have been employed by project coordinators. Other strategies include Agric show and exhibition to show case FADAMA products among others.From the foregoing, it can be safely said that effective communication strategy has been employed in the FADAMA (III) project in Ebonyi State of South East, Nigeria and farmers are adequately sensitized and involved fully in all ramifications of the FADAMA project. However, we observed that there has been no incorporation of the new media such as the mobile phones, internet, social networks etc. This is why the media they are using tend not to be the most appropriate. While there are states with significant percentage of Fadama farmers being illiterate, there are also states such as Ogun with some significant percentage of literate Fadama farmers.
Furthermore, because the growing unemployment in Nigeria, graduates of universities and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria are enrolling into the Fadama programme. Such literate segment of the Fadama farmers could be reached, mobilized, and sensitized with the use of the new media. SMS texts could be used to pass-on information. They could access the internet and browse through sites as well as upload or download information from the site. Power-point presentation of workshops, seminars, proposals etc could be more interesting, enticing and persuasive to this group. The Fadama facilitators should also embrace and incorporate the new media as one of the mediums for mobilization, sensitization and capacity building. The social networks could facilitate obtaining information and feedback from the participating literate farmers over given issues in a record time and at a cheap cost.
The Fadama project in Nigeria is a collaborative effort by both the Federal Government of Nigeria and the World Bank to increase the income of the rural farmers, reduce poverty and thereby attain the Millennium Development Goal (1); Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. The Fadama project took off in Nigeria on experimental basis with five states in the first part and twelve states in the second part. The success recorded led to the current FADAMA III being implemented in all the 36 states of Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Assessing the implementation of the project in six selected states representing the zones in Nigeria reveal that appropriate language has not been adopted. In the case of language used for mobilization, sensitization and capacity building, it can be said to be a case of first being last and last being first. The appropriate language policy in the country where English displaces the indigenous languages has impacted on the implementation of the project to such an extent that English language which should be complementary, is the major tool which the mother tongues which should be the major tool, is scarcely used, even in states where 64% of the participating farmers have no formal education. The mother tongue being the best medium of education and or skills acquisition as approved by UNESCO; scarce or adhoc or non-use of their mother tongue for mobilization, sensitization and capacity building, obviously puts them at a disadvantage while there is a commendable use of the diffusion of model strategy as well as the merger of the modern and traditional forms of media, we observe however, that the new media has not been effectively utilized, especially in view of some emerging segments of the Fadama farmers. We believe that the incorporation of the new media with the media already being used will make for a most appropriate media for the facilitators and greater success for the Fadama project. Our claim is that effective and appropriate harnessing of indigenous languages and communication media will significantly contribute to the success of the Fadama project in Nigeria.
5.1. Recommendation
Since Fadama is a World Bank assisted project, there must be some conditions prescribed by them to be met by the participating countries/groups. Both the World Bank and UNESCO are all affiliates of the United Nations Organization. UNESCO had recognized the use of mother tongue and the right of the citizens to be educated, mobilized and sensitized in the language they are more proficient in. Such conditions should be attached to the implementation of the Fadama especially as it pertains to the illiterates and vulnerable groups.
Right from the conception to the execution, there is need to make provision officially for indigenous language translators as well as language and communication experts who will be involved in the sensitization, mobilization and capacity building for the Fadama associations and groups.
Government facilitators of Fadama programmes in Nigeria must be made to include language and communication experts who will incorporate the most appropriate language to be used in any given sensitization or capacity building workshop and make use of the new media, especially to the literate segment of the Fadama groups or farmers.
Ango, A., A. Illo and F. Jibrin, 2012. Socio economic impacts of FADAMA development programme on the participating farmers of the two zones of Kebbi State agricultural and rural development agency (K.A.R.D.A). Science Education Development Institute 2(6).
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Watson, J. and A. Hill, 1997. A dictionary of communication and media studies. 4th Edn., London: Arnold.


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Wolf Alice are a self proclaimed indie/grunge band four-piece from Camden, England, whose debut album, 'My Love Is Cool' was nominated for the 2015 Mercury Music Prize. Now, we all know awards aren't everything and sometimes the best albums are overlooked by critics, but that LP was pure dynamite. Grunge and indie don't begin to do them justice, they're so much more than those two genres.
Just to get my baggage out in the open? I'm a massive Wolf Alice fan and have been since I discovered them in-between Jamie T and Pixies tracks a few years ago: I've seen them live, I've got T-shirts and posters, I woke up at 3am and waited for four hours outside of a record store one April to buy a 7" b-side that only had 350 pressed into existence. I'm not just a fan. I'm a committed one. 'My Love Is Cool' and their EPs prior provided the soundtrack to my life for the past couple of years, and I eagerly awaited this second album ('Visions of a Life').
I clicked on 'Yuk Foo' the second I saw it had been put up on YouTube. Finally! A new Wolf Alice song! Yet.. for all of my excitement I was disappointed. Where was the originality? Yeah, it was surely different for the band who've had their vicious moments but hadn't yet come close to the snarling riot-grrl that was 'Yuk Foo', but to me it sounded just like Bikini Kill. Or Jack Off Jill. Or L7. Or a string of other girl-led punk bands from the 90s. It sounded just like Bikini Kill, but it wasn't Bikini Kill, and there was it's fault. It sounded as though Ellie Rowsell (the lead singer) and her cohorts were dressing up and playing pretend – "oh I can be scathing just like Kathleen Hanna" – and that to me, was disappointing. Where was the band who I simply adored for their original style, their interesting lyrics (what was interesting about "I don't give a shit" being repeated over and over?), their variety? Yes, like we already established, Wolf Alice hadn't attempted riot-grrl before, and 'Yuk Foo' is definitely different in that way, but how was it different from music already existing? The thing that made 'My Love Is Cool' so special and genuine was the fact that I hadn't heard anything like 'Turn To Dust' and 'Your Loves Whore' from any other band. Going from tracks like 'Silk' to 'You're A Germ', it was varied but all were high quality. Upon first listening I couldn't consider 'Yuk Foo' up to par. I was annoyed in a very silly way, how could this band I love so much not be as great as they once were? I disagreed with NME, Clash, and The Guardian who all adored it. Obviously it was just of popular opinion to like Wolf Alice, so like Wolf Alice they would, whether or not the album was actually any good. Where were the honest critiques? I wondered. I chalked it up to the band being one of the classic My-First-Album-Was-Amazing-So-I-Can-Never-Live-Up-To-It types.
Fast-forward a month later to the release of their second single from 'Visions Of A Life': 'Don't Delete The Kisses'. I had listened to 'Yuk Foo' over fifty times and suddenly I would find myself humming it while at work. Suddenly it was good and addictive. Suddenly maybe those critics were right. It was a sudden fondness, you might pick up on. I won't apologize for my first thoughts on the single, but I can tell you I've had a definite change of heart. Now let's jump to 'Don't Delete The Kisses'. From other Wolf Alice tracks you mightn't expect a love song, one might expect something sad and forlorn, romantic but in a heartbroken way. This is where they surprise you. Never expect anything from this band. "What if it's not meant for me? Love." Filled with self-doubts and a giddy nervous sort of energy, it ends happily, like a cheesy movie or how you'd want your life to go. In sum, the four minute track is synth-heavy and aerial, the sort of song that makes you want to take flight. I listened to it over and over again (I'm still listening too much) and was pleased that I revered it on first listen. Sometimes first impressions are important.
Two other tracks were released prior to the release of the album this past Friday (Sept, 29th via Dirty Hit), 'Heavenward' and 'Beautifully Unconventional'. Both provided something different when put up against their predecessors for comparison and leave you going, "are you sure this is on the same album?" That's my favorite sort of album though, as I'm sure it is most people's. 'Heavenward' is a shoegazing tune reminiscent of the Stone Roses 'This Is The One' (speaking of bands with great debut's), and 'Beautifully Unconventional' has a fairly self-descriptive title and tune I'm finding stuck in my head on at least a weekly basis.
Listening to 'Visions of a Life' in it's entirety was a pleasurable experience, though one filled with anxious lyrics detailing those bite your fingernail moments in life. 'Sky Musings' sees Rowsell pondering about a plane crashing – one she's on – while 'Formidable Cool' provides guitarist Joff Oddie room to shine.
Upon first glance 'Visions of a Life' is wonderful, but give it second try, or even a third, and you'll be hard pressed to not think this band is breaking free from the pack and moving on to recognized greatness. What I said about dressing up and playing pretend? Wolf Alice doesn't have to dress up and play, they'll have their own wannabes soon enough.
Score: 10/10
Key Tracks: 'Don't Delete The Kisses', 'Sky Musings', 'Formidable Cool', 'Heavenward'


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Ouch! Things Just Got Bad For Camille Cosby
Well Camille Cosby has been trying to stop the inevitable from happening, and it's happening this Friday. Camille Cosby will be forced to speak, via deposition on the events that happened surrounding the case against Bill Cosby. Last month, Bill Cosby had filed a motion to stop the deposition from moving forward. The attorneys claimed that the 71-year-old Camille "has no involvement with the facts or allegations underlying this case." However, on Sunday night, U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni denied the motion, ruling that Cosby will be deposed.
According to PageSix;
Bill Cosby's wife will be deposed Monday in the defamation lawsuit brought against her husband by seven women who allege he sexually assaulted them.
Camille Cosby, 71, is scheduled to meet with plaintiffs' lawyers –answering questions under oath–at the Springfield Marrriot in Massachusetts after courts ruled Friday and Sunday that she must give testimony.
Bill Cosby's lawyers had argued that Camille "has had no involvement with the facts or allegations underlying this case."
They said her testimony would serve "no purpose other than to harass and embarrass her."
Allegations of sexual abuse against Bill Cosby, 78, have swirled for decades, with Camille Cosby largely standing by her hubby's side.
But in recent months, as the heat's been turned up on the once-beloved comedian, Camille Cosby has taken a much lower profile and not uttered a peep about the salacious allegations.
Plaintiffs Tamara Green, Therese Serignese, Linda Traitz, Louisa Moritz, Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis, and Angela Leslie have filed suit against Cosby in a Massachusetts federal court late last year, claiming he sexually abused them decades ago.


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Vis à vis outdoor table
The Vis à vis collection gives wooden outdoor furniture a new dimension. Teak is designer Cazzaniga's favourite outdoor material, it is natural, soft to touch and extremely durable. When he started to design the collection, he thought of a place where people could be outside and communicate with each other in total comfort. Result was a lounger with royal dimensions and an integrated tabletop that is designed in a way that two loungers fit into each other. The Vis à vis dining table has the same square slats as the lounger's sidetable. The table is available in various dimensions, even an extra-large table of 7 meters is possible !
clean & protect
clean & protectCaring for your Tribù furniture
Seaside or city-side, tropical or Nordic, your Tribù outdoor furniture performs perfectly and keeps its looks year round wherever you are and whatever your weather. To enhance its durability and appearance, we have developed a specialised range of protective and cleaning products. Used regularly, they will keep your furniture looking its best and lasting longer.


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Have you hired landscape contractors to work in your yard at home or in the area around your office? Some people find landscape contractors difficult to work with. However, if you take a few things into consideration, they are not actually hard to work with it all. In fact, many people have great relationships with their landscape contractors because they have taken the time to build a good relationship with them. Here are a few things that you can do to make sure you and your landscape contractors get along.
Start by making sure that everyone is on the same page. You may want to meet with your landscape contractors at the beginning of every day just to ensure that this is true. It helps that have everything written down in a contract. However, there are always details and other things that you just would not put any document like that. Meeting with your landscape contractors regularly will help make sure that everyone knows exactly what is going on and what needs to be done next.
If you have a conflict with your landscape contractors, approach them directly. You should always know who is the leader on your job, so go and find that person and talk to them. If you wanted something done differently than it has been done, be straightforward about that. If you thought that something was going to be different and it has turned out to be, let them know. Most landscape contractors will do everything that they can to work with you so that you can get the landscape that you want. If you are unhappy with something, though, you have to tell them or they won't know about it.
You can do a few special things to treat your landscape contractors well and let them know that you like them. Even simple things, like bringing them a few extra lemonades when you go out to lunch, can go far towards building Rapport and relationship between you. when you have a good relationship with your landscape contractors, it will be easier to figure out any issues and solve any problems that come up well the job is going on.
If you have any problems with your landscape contractors, don't talk badly about them behind their backs. Don't tell other people how awful they are before you talk to them directly. Whether you have a problem with the behavior of employees or something gets done wrong, it's always better to approach the issue directly with the person in charge. Make sure that you approach them politely, too. This will help make sure that they have a chance to consider your perspective and respond based on that.
In the end, landscape contractors are not difficult people to get along with. They are simply human, just like you. When you treat them with respect and dignity, they will treat you the same way in return. This simple principle can go far towards improving your relationship with your landscape contractors.


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Stanley J. "Stan" Duposki, 54, of Ashland died Wednesday, June 27, 2007.
He was born Feb. 16, 1953, in Lodi, to Rudolph and Sophia (Pileski) Duposki.
Stanley grew up in the Litchfield area and lived many years in the New London and Nova areas.
He worked for Modern Poured Walls in Wellington where he was a boom truck operator. He also drove for Ward Trucking in Nova. Stanley enjoyed hunting and he loved to cook.
Survivors include his wife, Tina; his five children, Eva (Troy) Kingan of Jeromesville, Sheri Crowe of Mansfield, Eric Duposki of Mansfield, Jeremy (Brook) Duposki of Greenwich and Tommy Duposki of Savannah; seven grandchildren, Dylan and Jacob Kingan, Cassidy, Corbin and Chloe Crowe, and Jordan and Andrew Duposki; and three sisters, Sheryl Eberhart of Wisconsin, Marie Fowler of Montana and Nancy Murr of Florida.
Friends may call 1 p.m. Saturday, June 30, 2007, until the time of memorial services at 2 p.m. at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, 370 S. Main St., Wellington.
Memorial contributions may be made to aid with family expenses. Online condolences can be given at www.noton-eastmanfuneralhome.com. (T-G 06/29/07)


text: Beautiful family home custom built on 3.3 acre waterfront lot with sea wall, boat dock, 2 fishing piers and a boat launch, saltwater pool and an abundance of patio area, and covered porch! The views are breath taking! Extra open kitchen, Viking Range top, with grill and steel slab griddle. all top line appliances, solid brick floors , wood ceiling, granite counters. Wine cellar, butlers pantry. 10' and 12' ceilings through out. Master and one bedroom down, up 3 additional bedrooms all bedrooms have baths. Extra large bonus room up and a wonderful media room Many extras generator that runs main floor, 3 tankless water heaters, an abundance of storage areas. Cellulose insulation, Low E glass under ground fence for dogs.


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26 Jun Project Spotlight – Maxel Flats, Residential Development
Maxel Flats is a residential development in beautiful downtown Holland, MI. The building is a former 1950's machine shop and was completely gutted before building out the 12 flats. Much of the design included industrial and reclaimed materials which made Forged By Design a perfect fit for the job.
One of the most dramatic changes to the curb appeal of the property was the addition of the steel and reclaimed wood balconies and canopies at the newly created entrances to the flats – all of which were designed and built here in the Forged metal shop.
(above) The balcony and canopy frames during the building process.
(above) The balconies and canopies after we installed them onsite. The reclaimed wood was added after.
(above) Custom steel railings and banisters surround the entire outdoor patio space
(above) A look at the completed outdoor entrances
Exposed original wood ceilings and cement floors laid the foundation for the modern industrial design of the interior of the flats. For the bathrooms we designed, built, and installed steel framed mirrors to match the steel and reclaimed wood vanities. The same steel and reclaimed wood planks went into the simple shelving and towel hooks. (pictured below)
(below) We added simple open plank shelving between the kitchen cabinets for extra storage and to carry the same reclaimed look and feel throughout the interiors. The same wood also frames the interior window ledges. (not pictured)
No trendy residential development is complete with beautiful signage. Take a look at the aluminum signage we designed and created for the exterior of the Maxel Flats building.
This was such an exciting and fun project to be a part of! We love to see reclaimed materials come back to life in a beautiful modern way. The character of this old building combined with impeccable interior design is the perfect backdrop for making our work look good. What do you think?