text:
Improper Fractions and Mixed Numbers
Lesson 2 of 8
Objective: SWBAT understand the relationship between improper fractions and mixed numbers.
Do Now
The Do Now is based on the previous day's lesson on Simplifying Fractions. This is a quick assessment of how much students have understood and retained.
Simplify the following fractions. Show your work.
1. 63/108
2. 36/84
After about 7 minutes, we will review the answers. I will randomly select 2 students to show their work on the board. If other students used a different strategy, we will discuss their method.
Overall, I want to see if students use the divisibility rules in simplifying fractions and if they are able to simplify the fractions completely.
Vocabulary Review
Most students have seen improper fractions before, so we will formulate a definition together. In your own words, what is an improper fraction?
An improper fraction has a numerator that is larger than or equal to the denominator.
I will select 8 students to come up to the board and write their own examples based on the definition. The students I select will be lower level math students who I need to assess their ability to write an improper fraction. For the visual learners, I will share an example of what an improper fraction looks like. Improper Fracions.png
Some students will be familiar with a mixed number. I will ask these students to share their ideas. This will lead to the definition.
A mixed number is an integer and a proper fraction combined.
I will select 8 more students (lower level math students) to come up to the board and write an example of a mixed number. For the visual learners, I will share an example of a mixed number. Mixed Number.png
*Do not erase the students' examples on the board, they will be used throughout the lesson.
Resources (2)
Resources (2)
Mini Lesson
Using one of the student's examples of a mixed number written on the board, I will work through converting it to an improper fraction. Students have the option of writing down the steps in their notebooks, but I always recommend that they do so.
Mixed Number to an Improper Fraction
Ex. 1 - Change 4 1/7 to an improper fraction.
Step 1 - Multiply the denominator and the integer.
For this example, what numbers should I multiply?
Step 2 - Add the numerator to the product of step 1.
How can you show your work?
Step 3 - The denominator stays the same.
Using one of the student's examples of an improper fraction written on the board, I will work through converting it to a mixed number.
Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number
Ex. 2 - Change 39/8 to a mixed number.
Step 1 - Divide the denominator into the numerator.
Step 2 - The quotient will be the integer part of the mixed number.
Step 3 - The remainder is the new numerator.
What happens if you don't have a remainder?
Step 4 - The denominator stays the same.
How can you check your work?
Independent Practice
Students will complete the remaining student created problems on the board; changing the improper fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa. This activity helps motivate the lower level math students because their examples are being used.
I will encourage students to compare answers and check one another's work. As students work, I will circulate throughout the room, observing students' work. The most common mistakes made by students are in their basic multiplication and addition.
After about 10 minutes, we will review the answers together. I will select students to share their answers and explain their steps.
Lesson Review
I will post a visual representation of an improper fraction and mixed number. Visual Representation.jpeg Students will have to explain what fraction it represents and why.


text:
Bridge Pointe Landing offers life at a more relaxed pace, with an abundance of personal comforts and unsurpassed quality of life. Our apartment homes are surrounded by a park-like setting offering an array of outdoor activities. Residents can choose from 3 inviting apartment home floor plans. Offering our residents a brand new state of the art fitness center and club room. Only minutes from downtown Corpus Christi, you'll enjoy the convenient location without the traffic. Enjoy kayaking, windsurfing, birdnwatching and fishing in the nearby coastal waters. Visit Bridge Point Landing, you'll be glad you did.
6-Month, 12-Month
Open Today
Management is rude. Maintenance takes forever to fix things and when they come they let themselves in your house whether it be early in the morning or later at night. The maintenance has also been drunk on the job.
Nasty apartment!..The maintenance dont care and the office personnel dont even care or they would insist they clean commodes etc..wish I could attach filthy commode pics!!..etc!!..Too much to mention!..I did apt management for 20 years and when maintenance said unit was ready...I went with pad and pen...and if not cleaned properly...BACK you go!!...This is ridiculous!!!..My mother just moved here today!!.....dont move here

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Related Posts Of Wolf Wedding Rings
Faux Wedding Ring Sets
Camo Wedding Ring Sets With Real Diamonds
Camo Wedding Ring Sets With Real Diamonds | Welcome for you to my own web site, within this occasion I am going to teach you in relation to Camo...
Faux Wedding Ring Sets
Faux Wedding Ring Sets
Black Opal Wedding Rings
Black Opal Wedding Rings | Welcome to the weblog, on this time period I will demonstrate with regards to Black Opal Wedding Rings. And now, this is the first...
Kay Jewelers Wedding Rings Sets
Kay Jewelers Wedding Rings Sets | Delightful to be able to the blog, with this moment We'll teach you in relation to Kay Jewelers Wedding Rings Sets. And now,...
Wedding Rings For Both
Wedding Rings For Both | Allowed for you to the blog site, in this particular moment I'm going to provide you with with regards to Wedding Rings For Both....
Anchor Wedding Rings
Anchor Wedding Rings | Delightful to our website, within this time I'll teach you with regards to Anchor Wedding Rings. And from now on, this is the initial picture:...
Wedding Rings At Kay Jewelers
Wedding Rings At Kay Jewelers | Pleasant for you to my blog site, in this particular moment I'll provide you with regarding Wedding Rings At Kay Jewelers. Now, this...


text:
Composer Information
Gustav Holst was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite The Planets, he composed a large number of works across a range of genres, although none achieved comparable success. His distinctive compositional style was the product of many influences, including the English folksong revival of the early 20th century.Holst's absorption of folksong, not only in the melodic sense but in terms of its simplicity and economy of expression, helped to develop a style that many of his contemporaries, even admirers, found austere and cerebral. This is contrary to the popular identification of Holst with The Planets, which Matthews believes has masked his status as a composer of genuine originality. Against charges of coldness in the music, Imogen cites Holst's characteristic "sweeping modal tunes mov[ing] reassuringly above the steps of a descending bass", while Michael Kennedy points to the 12 Humbert Wolfe settings of 1929, and the 12 Welsh folksong settings for unaccompanied chorus of 1930–31, as works of true warmth. [source from Wikipedia]


text:
Bande de filles (Girlhood) This coming-of-age drama examines life for teenage minorities disadvantaged Parisian suburbs. Marieke struggles for self-expression and autonomy in a home ruled by an abusive brother, with the help of a group of girls.
Giving to Virginia Tech | Bookstore | Jobs at Virginia
Tech | Contact Us | Equal Opportunity
Privacy Statement
| Principles
of Community | Acceptable Use Policy | Accessibility
© Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University


text:
I spent some time with Dan last weekend, and what I learned in ONE HOUR could save my life, if an unfortunate situation ever presents itself. Don't wait for something to happen before you invest in yourself and your safety! No matter your age / gender / fitness level, EVERYONE should know how to protect themselves! - Sarah S.
I just completed the self defense course. I learned so much in this intense interactive training. Coach Dan brought so much more awareness into my reality. We got to see first hand how application of these techniques is effective and possible. I was skeptical, but when I was playing the attacker role and my partner used the technique that Coach Dan taught, I ended up on the ground despite my best efforts. This was at the hands of someone smaller than me.
This course could truly save your life.
- Geri W
Led by 2nd degree black belt and certified taekwondo instructor, Dan Miller, the Burg Fitness Self Defense Course™ is a reality-based self-defense system, effective at preparing you for the real world. It's easy to learn regardless of your previous experience.
The clinic is held over the course of a weekend (a Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday Morning). Each class will run between 2-3 hours, and will cover self-defense techniques including: situational awareness, striking, blocking, escapes, weapons defense, ground defense, and real life scenario training.
Unlike most self-defense systems that rely on strength, speed, and coordination, the techniques in the Burg Fitness Self Defense program build upon the functional movements you're already performing at the Burg Fitness studio. You'll learn how to employ body position, technique, and timing, so regardless of age or athletic ability, you can make them work against larger opponents.
Each session will be broken into several segments focusing on the psychology and motivation of attackers, primal responses to threatening situations, stances, kicks, strikes, blocks, immobilization techniques and technical self-defense skills, and then application of those skills in real life scenarios. Each session will review and build upon previous sessions.
In addition to technical self-defense skills, we will work on situational awareness, self-confidence, and "finding your voice".
Three (3) - two to three hour classes as follows:
* Please arrive 15 minutes before class time. All classes are conducted in athletic clothes.
227 14th Street North
St. Petersburg, FL 33705


text:
|In stock
Up! Denim are the perfect skinny jean. This pull on jean, with flattering waist band, allows for a smooth, flat surface. Do not worry about buttons and bulges in this pant.
75% Cotton, 23% Polyester, 2% Spandex
Care Guide
Machine Wash Cold Separately |Do Not Bleach |Tumble Dry


text:
VacationRentalPros.com, VacationHomeRentals.com and Vacation Rentals by Owner are a few good sources for finding oceanfront vacation condominiums in Florida. Some resources specialize in properties located in specific areas of Florida, while others have condos available in many locations throughout the state.Continue Reading
Vacation Rentals by Owner claims to have over 75,000 available rentals in Florida, as of 2015. Many of the properties are oceanfront condos. The company's website allows users to search for specific travel dates as well as sort searches by the desired location, price, a specific number of bedrooms, total sleeping capacity and booking type. Most of the properties are operated by the owners, but bookings and payment can be processed through Vacation Rentals by Owner. Typically, travelers can pay by credit card or eCheck or use the secured HomeAway Payments system when available.
Vacation Rental Pros specializes in properties located in St. Augustine, Flagler Beach, Palm Coast, Venice and Siesta Key. It has a large selection of beachfront accommodations, and every unit is equipped with a washer and dryer, dishwasher, all linens and free wireless Internet service.
VacationHomeRentals.com has oceanfront properties available in many of Florida's beach areas. The company offers its Happy Renters Guarantee that protects vacationers for up to $10,000 should their rental fail to meet expectations.Learn more about Geography


text:
'RHONY' Cast Will Return For Season Six With A New Housewife
HollywoodLife.com can EXCLUSIVELY tell you that all six of your favorite ladies will be back for season six and there's going to be a new lady of Manhattan!
Get ready for your favorite Big Apple divas! HollywoodLife.com has spoke to a source very close to the cast who tells us that Ramona Singer, Aviva Drescher, Sonja Morgan, LuAnn de Lesseps, Heather Thomson and Carole Radziwill will all be back for season six. But there's a new housewife coming to town.
Exclusive Scoop On 'RHONY' Season Six
Our source tells us: "All of the women are coming back. But the contracts haven't officially been sent out. There will be another housewife, 100%. If you're ever wondering who will be cut, it's usually the woman who sits on the end during the reunion."
Hmm, that would mean that Heather Thomson and Countess LuAnn are in danger. But our source says the ladies will be back.
Ratings We're Great Last Season
We've told you that ratings are so-so but this is why having a new cast member would shake things up!
When we first reported that there's going to be a new season we got a statement from Bravo: "Nothing has been officially decided yet about a 6th season of Real Housewives of New York City."
The Aviva & Ramona Feud
We've always told you that these two women truly can't stand each other. That was evident on season five when Ramona told Aviva: "You're a viper, you make up stories, I feel very badly for you." Adding that Aviva made Ramona feel like she had "diarrhea."
At the time we told you that Aviva apologized for calling Ramona and Sonja white trash. We're looking forward to seeing more of this feud continue next season!
We've reached out to Bravo for comments on season six and the new housewife and are waiting to hear back.
Watch: Ramona Singer On Brandi Glanville's Vangina Surgery
More 'RHONY' News:


text:
Few people have heard of coal gasification, which is the process of creating synthetic natural gas out of coal by setting it on fire and injecting it with oxygen and water. But even fewer people have likely heard of underground coal gasification, which is the process of doing that while the coal is still deep underground.
Some of the people that are hearing about it the most are in Campbell County, Wyoming, where an Australian company's proposed underground coal gasification project is just one step away from becoming the only one of its kind in the country.
Local residents and environmental groups are fighting the project, saying it is an untested process that only promises to contaminate their already dwindling water supply with deadly benzene. If approved, the project — located in part of a major regional aquifer — would likely receive federal exemption from the Safe Water Drinking Act, a law that protects the quality of drinking water.
On Nov. 14, the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council will review Linc Energy's application for a "state research and development" license to drill thousands of feet into Wyoming's portion of the Powder River Basin. Unlike most areas where coal is accessible in a mountainside or somewhat near the surface of the ground, the coal targeted by Linc's project is buried so deeply that regulated surface mining is impossible.
The UCG process is able to tap into that coal via a process that, according to a 2012 article in Forbes, "captures the imagination."
[UCG] involves drilling two wells — at some distance from each other — into the coal seam. The first well supplies oxidants (a mixture of water and air or water and oxygen), which are injected into the location where the process is actually occurring. The second well permits the syngas produced to escape under pressure to the surface. This gas contains approximately 80% of the original energy content of the coal, and is a combination of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane.
UCG is largely an experimental process, but has been touted by coal companies as a clean coal technology that combats climate change by trapping underground most of the harmful gases emitted by regular coal burning. UCG plants only emit carbon dioxide, which according to a 2010 paper by UK's Newcastle University, makes it perfect for pairing with carbon capture and storage (CCS). CCS is the process of capturing carbon dioxide emissions before they are emitted into the atmosphere and storing them deep underground.
If, however, UCG is not paired with CCS, it could result in massive carbon emissions, according to an article in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. "If an additional 4 trillion tonnes [of coal] were extracted without the use of carbon capture or other mitigation technologies atmospheric carbon-dioxide levels could quadruple," the article said, "resulting in a global mean temperature increase of between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius."
Newcastle University's paper advocated that UCG paired with CCS is a way to mitigate climate change effects from fossil fuel burning, but also noted that projects where coal seams were located next to prolific aquifers were extremely likely to experience groundwater contamination from benzene.
In fact, groundwater contamination from benzene is one of the main reasons that a UCG project has not happened in the United States in almost two decades. In the late 1970s, the U.S. Department of Energy conducted three pilot-scale test burns in Campbell County at a UCG project known as Hoe Creek, which caused benzene contamination in the area's groundwater.
That contamination from the test burns allegedly cost the federal government $10 million and took 23 years to clean, according to a protest letter from a Wyoming family that lives near the proposed project. Linc's proposed license is also for a test burn — the project would only go into commercial production if successful.
Following the Hoe Creek project, the EPA conducted a study in 1999 of so-called "in-situ" coal mining processes and concluded that "most, if not all, in-situ fossil fuel recovery operations initiated in the last 20 years appear to have caused some ground water contamination."
The drilling for Linc's proposed project would take place in the Fort Union Aquifer, which is frequently used to supply water for homes, ranches and municipalities. The portion of the aquifer that Linc wants to use for the project is currently not used for drinking water purposes, but The Powder River Basin Resource Council — the organization leading the protest of Linc's application — has said the portion "contains good quality water that could be used as a future source of drinking or livestock water in the near future."
The Wyoming State Climate Office pegs its state as the fifth driest in the nation, citing "a near decade with warm temperatures and relatively little precipitation [that] has left us very vulnerable."
According to EPA representative Richard Mylott, Wyoming's Environmental Quality Council will hear protests from citizens and environmental groups on Thursday and then decide whether it wants Linc's project to be exempted from the federal safe drinking water law. The project must receive an exemption to proceed, Mylott said.
"If and when we receive an application for an aquifer exemption, EPA will thoroughly review technical information regarding resource production, extraction activity, and the adequacy of measures — both during and following production — to prevent the movement of contamination from the exempted production zone to underground sources of drinking water," Mylott said, adding that EPA will also take public comments into consideration.
PRBRC attorney Shannon Anderson said companies have long coveted the too-deep-to-mine coal in Wyoming's Powder River Basin — one of the most coal-rich areas of the country — but the EPA has never let any of the applications go through.
"The EPA has always told us that [UCG] is a non-starter, yet the company and state agency are moving ahead," Anderson said. "I don't know what's happening behind the scenes, but I know there is a lot of political pressure from the company."
Anderson went on to say that Linc, the Australian USG company that just recently pulled out of its Australia test project because of regulatory agencies stalling them, has hired Wyoming's former governor David Freudenthal and former attorney general Bruce Salzburg to represent them in permit proceedings before the state environmental council. Both now work for Crowell & Moring LLP, an international law firm.
As the Democratic governor of the state, Freudenthal staunchly advocated for large federal investments in clean coal technologies, saying the federal government has been underestimating the need to pour money into CCS research, integrated gasification and studies of the liability. "No matter what we do, we're going to be dealing with coal going forward," Freudenthal has said.
Freudenthal still deals with coal in a big way. In addition to his counsel position at Crowell, he made $182,325 — $147,500 in cash and $34,825 in stock awards — in 2012 for serving on the board of Arch Coal, the second-largest coal company in the country. Fruedenthal still serves on the board, most recently buying 3,650 phantom securities from the company in October. In total, Freudenthal has bought 23,958 in Arch Coal securities at a current price of $4.11 per share, making his total direct interest in the company a little under $100,000.
As for Linc, the Australian company most recently decommissioned its UCG plant in Chinchilla, Australia, citing environmental roadblocks from the state government. Linc Energy CEO Peter Bond told ABC News that regulators in the company "have favored the coal seam gas industry and made it hard for UCG to establish itself."
"We're given a totally unfair and unreasonable deal," Bond told ABC, adding that the company was not given a "reasonable opportunity for due process or even a fair go."
Bond is now aiming to spin off the company's coal business on the Singapore stock exchange.


text:
Proficient Application Development Company
We helps customers succeed by developing and supporting innovative mobile application and software projects that solve business problems. Each customer is different. Our approach is to understand the specific needs of each project and then apply our services and expertise appropriately. We provide a value driven mobile app development and software development service by experienced programmers, project manager, consultant and designer.
The ever-changing business challenges and need for latest technologies is impulsive software companies to constantly optimize, innovate and cost-efficient their business processes so that they persist of competition, help growth and expand their service offerings.
Quality development on any board and add a momentous value to your business, professional or personal gain.
Well done is better than well said.
We assist our customers throughout the entire software development life cycle which includes turn idea to Software requirement specification, Project Management, Systems Analysis and Design, Development, Implementation, Training and Application maintenance.
We Consult
Whether you need a technical specialist to support your development team, a Mobile app experts, .Net experts, or a high performing team, our consultants will work with you. We generally develop using Scrum, an Agile Development methodology, but our consultants have wide multinational experience, and will easily adapt to the team they join.


text:
In May 2008, "Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul" opened at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, the first stop in a two-year tour of the United States. The nearly 230 artifacts in this exhibit were thought to be lost forever, casualties of the years of warfare, looting, and destruction that followed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, and the rise of the Taliban in 1996. Instead, most of them had been secretly hidden in crates in the Central Bank within the presidential palace in Kabul.
The initial discovery and excavation of these treasures by an intrepid band of archeologists, their heroic safeguarding by Afghan museum guards and bank officials during the years of turbulence and war, and their recent rediscovery and cataloguing in 2004, are part of the exciting modern-day story that this exhibit tells.
Afghanistan, situated in the heart of central Asia, was for centuries one of the major crossroads for trade between China, India, and the Mediterranean world. The cultural riches of northern Afghanistan, known in antiquity as Bactria, reflect contacts with Greece, Iran, Mesopotamia, India, China, and the northern steppes. Bactrian artists absorbed the artistic traditions of these diverse lands and developed their own distinct styles.
The works on view span Afghan history from 2200 BCE to 200 CE, and come from four archeological sites: the Bronze Age site of Tepe Fullol; the Greco-Bactrian city of Aї Khanu, founded by followers of Alexander the Great who conquered the region in the fourth century BCE; the trading settlement of Begram, which flourished in the first and second centuries CE; and the roughly contemporary necropolis of Tillya Tepe or "Mound of Gold," where a nomadic chieftain and members of his household were buried with thousands of gold objects and ornaments, popularly known as the "Bactrian Hoard."
The exhibit, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, is organized by the National Geographic Society and the National Gallery of Art. After its Washington, DC, run, it traveled to museums in San Francisco, Houston and New York.
The National Gallery web feature includes a "timeline of treasures," a downloadable exhibition brochure, an educational guide for ages 8-12, and an audio of the remarks by the curator Frank Heibert at the press preview. The National Geographic Society Web features include an interactive map of Afghanistan with video segments on each of the four archeological sites.
EDSITEment has a number of related lesson plans on the ancient Greeks and on the cultures of the Silk Road with interactive maps for all ages that can be used in conjunction with a trip to the exhibit, a screening of the National Geographic video, or with two websites.
Pair of pendants depicting "The Dragon Master," 1st Century BCE, 1st Century CE. From the traveling exhibit of the National Museum of Afghanistan.


text:
Split Step Stool
Written by Katie on April 26, 2018. Permalink
If you're going to have a step stool, you might as well make it this one. Why? Well, it's made of molded steel- that's what gives the split-legged design its sleekness and strength- and it's very minimalist. So minimalist, in fact, you could even leave it out all the time as a resting spot for books or a special plant. You'd not say the same for any other step stool you find at the local hardware store, would you?
Purchase Information:Price: $210.00
Available from: MoMA Store


text:
Ratchet & Clank Trailer (2016)
"Ready to kick some asteroid!" 13 April 2016 Adventure, Animated, Action 94 mins
Ratchet and Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way they'll learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one's own identity.
Watch the official Ratchet & Clank 2016 trailer in HD below or find more Ratchet & Clank videos on Vidimovie.


text:
5 things you can expect to see at Park Shin Hye's Asia tour this month
For Park Shin Hye, meeting with fans is her utmost honor. This month she is hosting first two installments of her Dream of Angel tour in Tokyo, Japan, on March 15, and in Shanghai, China, on March 28. Based on her Asia tours since 2013 and a myriad of talk concerts, you can expect to see these 5 things at her upcoming tours.
1. Lucky few will get to see her up close and maybe get a hug
At her birthday party in Seoul, South Korea, on February 14, Park Shin Hye played games with the fans, giving them hugs and and taking selfies with them. At other talk concerts, she's given handmade presents to fans.
"To be able to host Asia tours is my utmost happiness. I felt tired when I rushed preparing for the tour right after ending [Pinocchio], but I had fun on stage," Park Shin Hye said in an interview with Asia Today.
2. She's curious to know what you like about her
She loves her fans and wants to get to know them. "When I finish a drama, I feel pressured for the next one. But when I see the eyes twinkle (at the fan meetings), I am invigorated to work on the next drama. So I tell my fans, 'I want to enjoy this moment with you,'" Park Shin Hye said in the interview. At the birthday party last month, she listened to fans say which dramas and characters she played they liked the most.
3. She will sing for you
As her fans, we all know she's a great singer. She has been singing for the soundtracks of her dramas since 2009. Last year, she released two single albums, Arm Pillow and My Dear (Flower). At a 2012 talk concert in Japan, she played the guitar and sang. At other talk concerts, she's even danced to K-pop!
4. She wants to share her plans with you
Park Shin Hye loves to share her plans with fans. At the birthday party, fans listened to her thoughts on her latest drama Pinocchio with actor Lee Jong Suk, her future plans, Mr. Right, and dreams.
5. You will have fun
After all, you'll be with Park Shin Hye, the prettiest, trendiest Korean actress. She will be overcome with joy to be with you. You will get to know her in person and fall in love with her all over again. Sadly she hasn't hosted any tours in North America, but be sure to check DramaFever News regularly for her upcoming tour schedule.
Watch Park Shin Hye and Lee Min Ho's Heirs below:
What do you think of her upcoming Asia tour? Tell us in the comments below!


text:
June 9, 2008
OMSA alerts members on VSO rule change
OMSA (the Offshore Marine Services Association) has sent its members an update on the recently released USCG interim rulemaking affecting Vessel Security Officers on vessels subject to the STCW convention. They will now be required to have a Coast Guard endorsement by the on their mariner credentials, showing they have completed a Coast Guard accepted VSO training course.
Under current regulations, mariners who serve as VSO's do not require Coast Guard certification and are self-certified through the vessel owner/operator and job experience.
The new rule--which only affects those mariners on vessels subject to STCW--goes into effect June 19, 2008 , but mariners will have until July 1, 2009 to obtain an endorsement. .
"The good news," says OMSA, "is that for those members who have completed the VSO training through OMSA's program with Hudson Trident/DNV, this program satisfies the Coast Guard's new requirements mentioned in this rulemaking."
OMSA says that any member that has received training other than the OMSA approved VSO training program should check with the training provider to see if it meets the new Coast Guard requirements. If it does not, mariners will have to complete a short refresher course to comply with the new requirements.
The Coast Guard is still in the finalizing stages of determining how mariners are going to receive this endorsement for their credentials. In recent discussions with the Coast Guard, OMSA was told that the Coast Guard is trying to set up the process of mariners receiving their VSO endorsements through the mail. OMSA will stay in touch with the Coast Guard throughout this process.
OMSA is also in the process of setting up Train-the-Trainer courses for VSO's during this summer. This topic will be discussed further at the Security Committee at the next OMSA Quarterly Meeting on July 17 th .
OMSA is working with the Coast Guard to produce a smooth transition and will be sending comments in response to this interim rulemaking. For a copy of these comments, the interim rule or questions regarding the Train-the-Trainer courses, please contact Sarah Branch at (504) 734-7622 or [email protected] .


text:
Jamie Oliver proudly showed off his first son and said he was "shocked" to have a little boy.
His wife Jools gave birth to Buddy Bear Maurice at 6.10pm on Wednesday after what she described as a "hard and fast labour".
The celebrity chef said his family was now complete as he stood with his four children and wife outside the Portland Hospital in central London.
Asked how he had chosen his son's name, he pointed to his wife, who shrugged her shoulders and said: "I just like the name Buddy, I thought it was sweet."
He was given the name Maurice after Jools' late father, who died in 1997 after a stroke.
The unusual choice of name is in keeping with family tradition. Buddy's older sisters are Poppy Honey, eight, Daisy Boo, seven, and 18-month-old Petal Blossom Rainbow.
While the girls appeared delighted with their baby brother, Jamie admitted he was shocked to have had a boy.
Kissing his son on the head, he said: "I never thought for a moment I would have a boy. All you can ever dream of is having a healthy child and that's the best thing in the world. In a way it would have been easier to have had a girl. We're not prepared for a boy - there's no blue in the house.
"When I saw the crown jewels it was a big shock. It's really nice to have a boy."
Asked if he hoped the baby would follow in his culinary footsteps, he said: "I don't know. I'm not going to push him into it. My dad didn't push me."


text:
Many people (including teachers, principals, and school boards) incorrectly believe that prayer is not allowed in the public schools.
Prayer is, in fact, not only allowed, but is a protected form of speech. This
applies throughout the public school system -- before during and after school --
in school busses, at the
flag-pole, in the cafeteria, etc. It is allowed in student- organized and
student-run religious clubs, (if any secular clubs are also allowed.) Student-led, student-organized prayer may be allowed at special, one-time school
events, like graduation ceremonies. However, it is not normally
permitted in the classroom as part of the teaching
schedule, or at repeated events like athletic games.
The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is a two-edged sword. On one hand,
it protects students' free speech rights. With relation to prayer at public
school games:
However, public school officials cannot be involved in the delivery of a
prayer. To do so would be a violation of the principle of separation of church
and state. That principle prohibits school officials from:
Court rulings seemed to have agreed that:
As in most situations involving religion and the public school system,
a gray area exists. The case described below, Santa Fe
Independent School District in Texas, demonstrates the state of tension
that exists between the two clauses of the First Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution. The school organizes sporting events, and reserves a
time-slot before the game begins for a student to make a statement. This
has always (or almost always) been in the form of a religious invocation -- an historical tradition
in Texas.
In its 2000-JUN decision of Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe,
the U.S.
Supreme Court decision decided that public schools cannot
constitutionally organize school prayers at games and similar regular events.
Sponsored link:
Contrary to public opinion, prayers are not banned at public school
sports events. However, prayers based on a single religion and which form
part of the game schedule are prohibited. A prayer or similar recitation
at the start of each game is probably possible; however, the format would
have to be changed in order to make it constitutional.
The U.S. Supreme Court has defined three criteria that must be used to
determine whether an involvement between church and state (or religion and
public schools) is constitutional. It is often referred to as the "Lemon
test" because it was stated in the court's ruling in Lemon v. Kurtzman,
"Every analysis in this area must begin with consideration of the cumulative criteria
developed by the Court over many years. Three such tests may be
gleaned from our cases.
First, the statute must have a secular legislative
second, its principal or primary effect must be one that
neither advances nor inhibits religion...;
finally, the statute must not foster 'an excessive government
entanglement with religion.' "
Two methods by which a prayer, invocation, or similar recitation could be
scheduled are:
Although these procedures have not been assessed by the Supreme Court, they
would probably be constitutional since:
These solutions would not promote any one religion over other religions; they
would would not
promote religion over a secular life style or vice-versa. They would appear to be
constitutional. However, getting students, parents, the public and the school
board to agree on such an arrangement would probably be quite
impossible. Many would object to the reading of non-religious texts; others
would object to non-Christian prayers being read.
Home page >
Christianity >
Christian history > Prayer >
Schools > here
Home page >
Religious law > Schools > here
Copyright � 1999 to 2001 incl., by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Created 1999-NOV-7
Last updated 2001-DEC-3
Author: B.A. Robinson


text: WC: Yes, this article will poke fun at the Call of Duty culture. Yes, some of you will be upset at me and probably wall hack the crap out of me. I'm ok with this. Also, many of the Call of Duty games are so similar that I'm not going to address them (the first 3 games improve upon each other but really aren't their own games like later games in the series, a problem many games that follow a certain historical event run into). However, I will do my best to at least please 17% of everyone who reads this article.


text:
Michael HINES b. 1831 Ireland d. June 28, 1890 Cleveland, OH
married Bridget FLANIGAN between 1854 -1859.
She was born 1837 in Ireland & died December 07, 1904 Cleveland, OH
Patrick, Minnie & Martin were three of their five children.
Contributed on 1/25/09 by JnROKeefe
Email This Contributor
Record #: 85340
On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in Ohio, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this genealogy archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.
Submitted: 1/25/09 • Approved: 2/9/09 • Last Updated: 8/13/15 • R85340-G85338-S3


text:
George North has his sights set on England after giving his father David another reason to leap out of his seat.
The player his team-mates call Man-Child is growing up fast as a performer, precocious enough to slot anywhere into an international back-line and still keep scoring.
On Friday, North – starting his first game at centre – scored his 18th Test try to send Wales on their way to a 27-6 bashing of France at the Millennium Stadium.
A year ago, he did the same from the wing out in Paris – a try remembered as much for its significance as for the scenes that followed when North senior, overjoyed but under-restrained, ran on to the field to hug his son.
This time, there was no paternal pitch invasion, but North, 21, revealed he had responded to coach Warren Gatland's mention of family in his attempt to re-stock Welsh passion after the impotent defeat in Ireland.
North said: "A lot of people talk about the honour for their family of wearing the jersey and that's something that's massive for me.
"I want to make sure I make my family and friends proud. I want to put my own stamp on the jersey.
"People talk about the players who have gone before and what they have done in that jersey. I want to add my name to that history and put the pressure on the next guy to wear the shirt after I've gone.
"I forget that I'm still only 21. A few boys call me The Man-Child and I think that myself, sometimes."
North is well on his way to the historical landmark of 58 Welsh tries, held by Shane Williams, but a closer piece of history beckons for Wales if they become the first team to win three successive Six Nations titles.
That feat is very much alive after the France win, with a trip to Twickenham and a home game against Scotland still to come.
He added: "We've done everything we can. We've now got to wait on a few other results and hopefully they will go our way which would liven up the Six Nations.
"England will be a tough fixture, but we know we've given ourselves a chance.
"England present different challenges.
"Twickenham is a difficult place to go, but we'll have a couple of days to re-group and do a bit of homework, then get back into it."


text:
Schneider Electric Recalls 1 Million Square D Safety Switches
The power can stay on when the safety switch handle is in the "OFF" position.
Polaris Recalls RZR XP 1000 Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) Due to Fire Hazard
Polaris Recalls RZR XP 1000 Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) Due to Fire Hazard. If the exhaust silencer fatigues and cracks, the heat shield may not manage heat.
H-E-B Recalls 2.5 Million Halogen Lightbulbs
The halogen light bulbs can shatter while in use in a lamp or light fixture.
Kidde Recalls Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms Due to Risk of Failure to Alert Consumers to a Fire
A yellow cap left on during the manufacturing process can cover one of the two smoke sensors and compromise the smoke alarm's ability to detect smoke.
CPSC Launches Pool Safely Facebook Page
Follow Pool Safely on Facebook and join our community of parents and water safety professionals as we work to reduce childhood drownings.
InSinkErator recalls 1.4m SinkTop Switches for Garbage Disposals
Water can get into the power module, posing a fire hazard.
8:30 To 5:00
Bethesda, MD
Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle Hosting the 2018 North America Consumer Product Safety Summit
10:00 To 3:00
Bethesda, MD
Public Meeting – Amendment to Fireworks Regulations; Opportunity for Oral Presentation of Comments
10:00 To 12:00
Rockville, MD
Scott Ayers Attending the ASTM F15.45 Teleconference on Candle Incidents


text:
Here's a list of a few things that relate to Linux...
1.) Linux changes constantly. Therefore Linux becomes easier, better, more cutting edge, and more fantastic with every iteration of upgrade.
Take Ubuntu for instance, Canonical promises a new desktop and server release every six months. So what might not have worked in 7.04 is likely to work in 7.10, and so forth for every upgrade. I have a Dell Inspiron 2650* laptop with a Netgear PCMCIA network adapter, for which I had to load the beastly (overstatement here) ndiswrapper to make it work in Ubuntu 7.04, the wireless then worked fine. But then like magic, when I reloaded Ubuntu 7.10 in an upgrade, the Netgear PCMCIA network adapter worked perfectly from the LiveCD through installation. What happened was that someone simply posted the problem to ubuntuforums.org and then the devs fixed it, which leads me to my second point.
2.) The more people that use and believe in Linux, the better it gets. Here's the cycle, awesome people develop and make Linux work, the user masses download the Linux and use it, the users squawk about problems they have with the Linux, then the devs fix the Linux and release the next version very rapidly. It's a model that's based on making the OS better (as opposed to other Operating Systems that are driven most by making more profit for the business people than actually making a better product and faster), which leads me on to my next point.
3.) If you adopt Linux, it will change your life. Use and realize Linux, I mean really give it a thorough shot, and a little switch in your mind will actuate and a light will turn on (you may even hear some glass shattering). When the light turns on, you will experience a change in the way that you view and use technology. It is then that you will realize how powerful technology is, as a means for enabling us all as humankind. At this point you might just get a little irritated by the way that certain overly-powerful companies are trying to limit your technological brain. Regardless of your reaction, the change will eventually set in and nothing will be the same (technology wise) the way you know it.
These are only a few points for making what is considered (inaccurately in my view) a big change, but believe me, give Linux a sincere and honest try and you will discover what I'm talking about.
So now we just have to get software companies and the media to actually acknowledge Linux and the hardware providers to include it and support it....I aim to do just that. Join me.
*As for newer hardware, I recently booted up a brand-new hp 6510b (little computer that competes with vaio) laptop at work with the Ubuntu 7.10 LiveCD and everything including wireless, sound, etc. worked perfectly without further modification.
Shannon VanWagner
A Man with a mission: Enable Humans with Technology the GNU/Linux way! Disclaimer: This is my personal web blog. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not necessarily those of my employer.
Friday, January 25, 2008
A Couple of Things About Linux
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
For Ubuntu Linux, Cisco provides the anyconnect VPN client. But why not connect with the simplistic, FOSS, and Network-Manager-integrated, &...
Update - 7/9/2017 SIMPLY TRY THIS METHOD INSTEAD : Try building the driver by running this in the terminal (ctrl+alt+t): sudo apt-ge...
Looking around on Google (or whatever one's favorite search engine); one can usually find everything they need in terms of tips for ...


text:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Marinate tomatoes in balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
In a heavy saucepan on stovetop, saute onions over medium heat in butter and olive oil until transparent. Pour cooked onions into the piecrust and top with pimento cheese. Cover pie with tomatoes, then top with crushed butter crackers and Parmesan.
Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy!
A viewer or guest of the show, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. It has not been tested for home use.
Check Out Our
Get a sneak-peek of the new Food Network recipe page and give us your feedback.See it Now!


text:
Use people's talents to the full
A diverse organisation has more opportunities
to explore its full business potential. An organisation made up
of diverse ages, and particularly mixed age teams, will have access
to a wide range of abilities, experience and skills. Such an organisation
is more likely to be alive to new ideas and different possibilities
than one made up of a more homogeneous group in terms of background
and experience.
Retain "Corporate Knowledge"
Employees with extensive knowledge of an organisation
will provide an invaluable resource in future business developmentexperienced
employees know what works and what doesn't work, can prevent repetition
of mistakes and "re-invention of the wheel."
Two-thirds of senior managers say their organisation
suffer a knowledge gap when people retire early.
Get closer to customers and understand their needs
Business managers need accurate and unbiased
information about existing and potential customers. An age diverse
workforcereflecting an age diverse customer basecan
deliver more successful marketing and service delivery strategies.
Develop New Markets with success
Organisations which attract a diverse workforce
and are alert to their skills, talents and experience are in an
excellent position to identify, reach out and develop new markets.
Make the company more attractive to investors
Increasingly investors now judge corporate performance
by less traditional measures such as social and environmental
responsibility and consideration of stakeholders (including employees).
Being a good employerproviding both training opportunities
and equality of opportunity for all, now generates interest from
EFA research reveals that those organisations
which take age out of their early departure strategies enjoy an
enhanced corporate image and reputation.
Make the company more attractive to customers
and clients
A poor reputation as an employer also acts a
disincentive to customers. Customers and clients are increasingly
likely to prefer dealing with a company which not only practices
fair employment policies but also ensures that its suppliers and
contractors have fair employment practises.
Benefit from a better business environment
Equal opportunity, particularly the inclusion
of all ages in wider employment and business strategies (particularly
given current demographic change) contributes to a more stable
society (and market for goods and services) with the potential
for strong economic growth.
Avoid the costs of discrimination
Discrimination can be expensive in terms of
money, lost opportunities, staff morale and business reputation.
By 2006 employees will be able to make claims on the basis of
unfair age discrimination. In addition to financial costs, such
cases bring further negative effects such as:
Government and employers now have less than
six years in which to shape and prepare for age discrimination
legislation. But while legislation has a role to play in challenging
age prejudice and stereotypes, on its own it is not enough to
tackle age discrimination.
It will be making a clear "business case
for age diversity" which will have the greatest impact on
employers. By demonstrating to employers that basing employment
decisions on the grounds of ability NOT age, and employing an
age diverse workforce, employers:
There continues to be an urgent need for more
costed evidence of the benefits of age diversity. Throughout 2001,
EFA will continue investigating and presenting evidence, and promoting
the benefits our members have found in their mixed age workforces.
The EFA has developed a series of induction
workshops designed to introduce members and non-members to age
issues and to the above age diversity benefits. We would be happy
to feedback on employer responses to the issues through oral evidence.
EFA recommends that major promotion of the business
case for age diversity is critical to addressing issues around
age discrimination.
Any age discrimination laws will only truly
be effective if employers are convinced first by the business
C. In what circumstances (if any) is the use
of age as a criterion for the recruitment and retention of employees
While the EFA campaigns to ensure recognition
that an individuals ability to do a job is the primary consideration,
we recognise that there are circumstances where even direct age
discrimination may be seen to be justifiable.
We list below examples of some of the circumstances
in which it may be argued that direct discrimination on the grounds
of age should not necessarily be unlawful but may be justified.
These circumstances have been considered in the EU directive upon
which UK law will be based.
The EFA have begun to debate these issues in
a series of seminars with member employers.
i. In protecting younger or older workers
Laws already exist to outlaw the employment
of people below a certain age. Indeed, without this exception
in UK age discrimination laws, any law would be inconsistent with
the Young Workers' Directive and the UK may face claims from children
excluded from employment opportunities for age discrimination.
ii. To promote vocational integration
Possibility contentious, but there may be circumstances
in which some would argue that age discrimination was legitimate.
For example, employers seeking an age-diverse workforce might
specifically seek employees of an age group under-represented
within the workforce. This may however be addressed through legitimate
positive action.
iii. The need for a reasonable period of employment
before retirement
This is a particularly difficult issue, and
perhaps only relevant where mandatory retirement remains lawful.
It is not difficult to see the argument that if an employer had
a mandatory retirement age of, say, 65 and a candidate who was
64 years and six months old applied for a position, it would be
legitimate to turn them down on the basis that there was only
six months before their retirement.
However, based on the research that shows that
older workers closer to retirement are likely to remain in employment
longer than younger workers who are likely to remain for a shorter
period before exploiting the training that they have been given
and moving to a competitor, great care should be taken with such
an exception. The dangers of such an exception can be seen from
an early sex discrimination employment tribunal case, where an
age limit of 32 for appointments in the Diplomatic Service (which
indirectly discriminated against women) was held to be justifiable
as the Tribunal accepted the employer's arguments that it took
25/30 years to reach senior position in the services and there
was a mandatory retirement age of 60 (Leavers v Civil Service
Commission (1986)).
iv. Age as proxy for performance.
In other jurisdictions, cases relating to the
justification of age discrimination have often involved arguments
that age represents a fair proxy for performance in some jobs
and, as such, is a "bona fide occupational qualification".
The argument would proceed that, in a minority of cases, it can
be established that there is a reasonably close correlation between
age and the particular skills or levels of fitness needed for
a particular post. The argument would continue that it is legitimate
for the employer to rely on this correlation rather than testing,
possibly at great expense, each and every employee for performance
or fitness. Cases on this issue in North America have often involved
jobs such as fire-fighters, air traffic controllers, airline pilots
and police.
v. Bona fide seniority plans.
In this case, the argument goes that employers
need to engage in staff planning. If, say, an employer employs
five accounts clerks all of whom are in their mid to late 50s
then it is argued that it would be legitimate to prefer a younger
candidate for a vacancy since the existing staff are likely to
be retiring within a relatively short space of time. It is claimed
that it would be undesirable to find oneself needing to recruit
an entire group of workers at one time or to find oneself without
experienced workers to train new recruits.
There are clearly contentious issues around
developing exceptions and provision in age discrimination law.
Age can sometimes impact on the ability to do a job. We can therefore
expect considerable debate as age discrimination laws are developed
for the UK.
Clearly UK employers must be involved in such
a debate as they are familiar with effectively managing a workforce
and with the criteria required for different jobs of work.
EFA recommends that employers are closely involved
in developing age discrimination laws to ensure they are clear,
relevant and workable.
D. How effective is the Government's code
of practice in promoting age diversity in the workplace?
Launched in June 1999, the voluntary Code of
Practice for Age Diversity in Employment sets out a series of
principles for tackling age discrimination and promoting age diversity
in the workplace. The Employers Forum on Age was involved in the
development of the Code which aims to help employers, employees
and applicants by setting a standard for employment practice.
We welcomed its launch as a positive step forward in promoting
age diversity.
Almost two thirds (63 per cent) of EFA members
are using the Code of Practice on Age Diversity[13].
Given the purpose of the Code is to change employer
practice, awareness levels amongst employers and its impact on
employment practice is critical to its success.
EFA research reveals disappointing results on
the Code's impact and we look forward to comparing our research
with the Government's own two year evaluation programme.
i. Awareness Levels
Since its inception the EFA has stressed that
the Government must ensure the Code had a high profile, with a
sustained communications and marketing campaign in order to impact
on employers. This was particularly important given the "voluntary
nature" of the Code, that is, that employers were free to
embrace or ignore it's recommendations.
The EFA have monitored awareness levels through
survey of employers. We have also conducted a survey of a business
sector and a geographical region.
(a) Nation-wide Survey of Employers1999[14]
The research of 100 small and medium sized businesses
showed that:
Even among those who were aware of the Code,
there was widespread misunderstanding of what it was about:
(b) Geographical SurveyWest Midlands (EFA
and Age Concern Birmingham)2000[15]
(c) Sector SurveyIT Sector (EFA and Silicon.Com)
In a survey of 1,400 IT professionals almost
three quarters of respondents (72 per cent) were unaware of the
Voluntary Code of Practice for Age Diversity.
Further CBI and other surveys have produced
comparable results.
The result of the three surveys reveal a disappointing
level of awareness, confusion over what the Code is about and
whether it is legally binding.
ii. Impact on Employment Policy
Survey findings also reveal low impact on employment
policy. Indeed recently a CBI Employment Trends publication revealed
that while "50 percent of employers they surveyed were aware
of the Code, only 9 per cent were using it.[17]
(a) Geographical SurveyWest Midlands (EFA
and Age Concern Birmingham)200015
These findings are consistent with other surveys
and demonstrate that the Code has had little impact on business.
The EFA believes the Code has been limited in
its effectiveness because it is:
Survey results indicate much more work needs
to be done on promoting the Code of Practice. Our experience would
suggest that stimulating employer interest in the Code and in
translating awareness into action will require greater promotion
not only of the business benefits but of changing demographics.
The failure of the Code of Practice and its publicity campaigns
to effectively link changing demographics with day to day issues
such as skills shortages and retention problems is a major contributor
to its low impact on employers.
In the West Midlands survey the findings demonstrate
that while employers recognise we have an ageing populationfew
understand the impact that changing demographics will have on
the workplace.
Employers clearly understand that the UK population
is ageing:
But there is little evidence of their understanding
the impact this will have on their business:
The DfEE themselves (including equal opportunities
minister Margaret Hodge MP) have publicly acknowledged their concern
as to the low levels of awareness of the Code. An indicator of
this concern is the investment of £50,000 in the EFA/Age
Concern Training pilot SME awareness training programme which
is currently underway[18].
Feedback from EFA's Induction workshops also
demonstrates that the Code has failed to greatly enhance awareness
of age diversity.
The findings of an EFA straw poll[19]following
the launch of the Code disappointed those who saw the Code as
a viable alternative to legislation.
The EFA would also suggest promotion of the
Code has failed to ignite employer interest because it has focused
too much on older workers. Members of the EFA continue to emphasise
that age discrimination affects all employees at all ages, and
that age diversity is the key issue of interest. Focusing at one
end of the spectrum is not an approach that will inspire UK employers
As we have mentioned earlier the definition
of "older" or "younger" worker is fluid according
to which industry or individual workplace culture you are looking
at. Linking promotion of the Code with findings from sector surveys
will bring home key messagesthe surprising age levels at
which discrimination can commence can serve to shock and inform
both individual and employers on this issue. The EFA IT Survey
2000 is a good example, this survey found a significant proportion
(9 per cent) of IT professionals think that the term "older
worker" can be applied to someone 35 years old or younger
(although the majority think that it begins to apply at age 35)[20].
In summing up, the Employers Forum on Age believe
that the Code of Practice is a key and useful document. The experience
gained in creating and promoting the Code will be invaluable to
the effective introduction of age discrimination laws by 2006.
Promotion and evaluation of the Code, the collation
of new good practice and associated documents will assist the
Government and employers, campaigners and Government as they work
together to shape effective and workable legislation.
The EFA recommends further resources are put
into promoting the Code as a way of preparing UK employers for
age legislation.
Successful promotion will depend a continued
high profile communications strategy linking demographics with
the business case for age diversity. Forthcoming legislation should
also make employers more responsive.
E. In what ways do other Government policies
such as the new deal help or hinder older workers, especially
unemployed job seekers?
The EFA welcomed the launch of New Deal 50+
as significant because it marked the first Government-backed programme
specifically supporting older people's opportunities for training
and work.
The fact that there is no cut-off at age 65
is positive in that it recognises the right of those over the
existing retirement age to take up new opportunities.
New Deal 50+ may be viewed as a valuable vehicle
for culture change because the investment in over 50's sends a
clear message to both employers and participating individualsthat
over 50 year olds are both able to work and need to work. As skills
shortages bite, this scheme promotes older workers as a valuable
resource to employers. The success and contribution of those placed
with new employers through this programme will significantly contribute
to making the business case for employing older workers.
The EFA also welcome the creation of a pool
labour for employers seeking to source experienced and mature
In practice however, New Deal 50+ fails to address
the huge increase in economic inactivity rates, particularly those
for older men because it does not cover those people currently
classed as economically inactive and not on any form of benefit
(some 1.5 million people). Nor does it provide, in the event of
the job or new business folding, as assurance of a return to the
previous level of benefits. These factors may be a disincentive
to individuals. Furthermore, people who have been made redundant
or have only just registered for benefits have to wait six months
before qualifying.
A criticism however is that the structure of
the whole New Deal scheme, in so much as it draws arbitrary distinctions
between the employment needs of different age groups, itself contributes
to a culture of age discrimination.
The EFA recommends incorporating the business
benefits of age diversity into the promotion of New Deal Schemes.
F. Is there a case for anti-discrimination
legislation, and if so, what provisions should it include?
It is usually argued that bringing about true
culture change requires legislation. The answer however is rarely
so simple. Both Sex Discrimination and Racial Discrimination laws
have arguably had limited cultural impact decades after implementation.
Experience from overseas also suggests age discrimination
legislation is patchy in effectiveness. Though the jury is still
out on the recently introduced age discrimination in employment
legislation in Australia, New Zealand and Eire, in the US which
has had legislation since 1967, there is still little conclusive
proof of its effectiveness.
The EFA's employer members have always held
mixed views on legislation. In the past half our members supported
legislation (partly because it provided the opportunity to ensure
age diversity policies were given proper recognition internally),
other members, however, viewed formal law as unnecessary.
One positive impact of legislation might mean
"age discrimination" is recognised as an issue. It would
ensure age discrimination is awarded its rightful place alongside
gender, race and disability and that those who suffer such discrimination
have equal right to redress.
Following ratification of a recent EU Directive
the debate over whether to legislate or not is no longer relevant.
The UK is now obliged to introduce anti-age discrimination laws
by 2006 which comply with Council Directive 2000/78/EC ("the
To some extent debate over the provisions of
UK law is redundant. UK anti-age discrimination laws must be consistent
with the UK's obligation under the Directive. UK law must, therefore,
follow the model established under the Sex Discrimination Act
and Race Relations Act set out in the Directive.
UK law must outlaw four types of age discrimination,
namely discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and
(a) Direct discrimination
That is discrimination which occurs when a person
is treated less favourably than another on the grounds of their
age (ie but for being of a particular age they would not have
been subjected to the detriment to which they had been subjected).
(b) Indirect discrimination
This is discrimination which occurs where "an
apparently age-neutral provision, criterion or practice puts persons
of a particular age at a particular disadvantage compared with
other persons not of that age" (ie has a disproportionate
disadvantageous affect on people of a particular age).
(c) Harassment and victimisation
These latter two forms of discrimination, namely
harassment and victimisation require little comment. These laws
will follow the framework with which we are already familiar in
the fields of race, sex and disability discrimination.
The key issue for the UK Government will be
the circumstances in which it will allow age discrimination to
be lawful. These can be roughly divided into four key areas:
The EFA will be engaging in a wide-ranging consultation
exercise with its members regarding their views on these issues.
1.1 Mandatory retirement ages
In theory, mandatory retirement could effectively
become illegal. This would have significant impact on employers.
The Government is under no legal obligation
to either include or exclude mandatory retirement from domestic
laws and could consider allowing employers to set their own mandatory
retirement ages (retirement at which will not amount to age discrimination).
The Government would also be able to consider setting its own
rules, for example, that mandatory retirement at 65 would not
be unlawful.
There are cogent arguments both for and against
excluded mandatory retirement from age discrimination laws.
There are strong social and economic policy
reasons for encouraging workers to work longer. It is also the
case that many individuals who have passed their normal retirement
ages are perfectly able to fulfil their duties and responsibilities
and that there is no rational reason for enabling an employer
to exclude them arbitrarily from employment.
However, it may also be argued that mandatory
retirement enables employers to manage a flow of new employees
into the workforce effectively in a predictable manner to allow
them to manage recruitment and staffing levels.
Without mandatory retirement ages, employers
would need to rely on poor performance as a reason for dismissing
workers who were finding the responsibilities of their post difficult
to fulfil as they approached traditional retirement ages. This
would put pressure on many older workers unnecessarily. It is
argued that in many cases these employees would otherwise be allowed
to work through to their mandatory retirement.
It should be borne in mind that mandatory retirement
ages in the UK workforce are often linked to State pension ages.
These were fixed many decades ago and the improved health, working
conditions and diet of today's workforce mean that workers are
likely to remain fit and healthy to a far older age.
1.2 Genuine occupational requirements
Provisions might also need to consider where
age constitutes a "genuine and determining occupational requirement"
which is legitimate and proportionate. In such cases discrimination
should not be unlawful.
The UK Government will have the choice between:
Example: One obvious circumstances where age
would constitute a genuine occupational requirement would be selecting
an actor to play a character of a particular age. It would clearly
be legitimate to require that such actor be of a similar age to
the character whom he or she was portraying. In the Race Relations
Act it is legitimate to seek candidates from a particular racial
group where "the holder of the job provides persons of that
racial group with personal services promoting their welfare, and
those services can most effectively be provided by a person of
that racial group." It may be argued that there are circumstances
where personal services are being provided to a particular age
group where it might be, arguably, legitimate to require an employee
of that particular age group. An example might be that it would
be legitimate to require a youth worker providing services to
teenagers to be within a particular age group. However, on the
contrary, it might also be argued that employers should seek the
best employee and that an older worker is no less able to empathise
with and obtain the confidence of teenagers than a younger worker
closer to their age.
1.3 Justification of direct discrimination
Under the UK's sex and race discrimination laws
direct discrimination can never be justified. However, Governments
are entitled to provide that direct age discrimination may be
lawful where the difference of treatment is objectively and reasonably
In drafting domestic laws the UK Government
must consider:
As with other similar types of legislation,
the Government could set out detailed Guidance on when direct
age discrimination may be lawful if it chooses option (b) or (c)
However, whichever provisions are enacted employees
will want a degree of certainty and to know what they can and
cannot do.
1.4 Justification of Indirect Discrimination
UK law must also include provision for indirect
age discrimination where such discrimination would be lawful when
it can be objectively justified by legitimate business aim.
It is unlikely that UK domestic age discrimination
laws would go any further than the provisions within the Directive.
The Government may wish to provide Guidance on when indirect discrimination
can be justified in this way.
Such guidance would have to cover both provisions,
criterion and practices which disproportionately disadvantage
younger workers as well as those which disadvantage older workers
for example the issue of experience.
For example, if an employer requires candidates
to have at least five years experience in a particular field this
criterion is likely to "disproportionately disadvantage"
younger workers who are less likely to have been in a position
to acquire such experience. Employers may then find themselves
being challenged to justify experience requirements for jobs.
Requirements for professional experience or
seniority in service for job candidates is specifically anticipated
by Article 6(I)(b) of the Directive.
An example of a criterion which might disproportionately
disadvantage older workers would be a requirement for a candidate
to be, say, "a recent graduate". An employer may seek
to justify such a requirement by saying that it required employees
that who were up to date on current thinking in a particular discipline.
On the other hand, it might be argued that, in such circumstances,
the employer themselves should be assessing how up to date the
particular candidate is and not relying on potentially discriminatory
requirements such as this.
Those familiar with indirect sex and race discrimination
claims will be used to employees of a particular group comparing
the effects of a requirement or condition on workers in that group
compared to those outside of it. Age Discrimination is more complicated
in that it is not possible to ascribe individuals to particular
"groups". There is no accepted line between "older"
and "younger" workers. The definition in Article 2(b)
of the Directive refers to persons of "a particular age".
But guidance will be needed as to relevant "groups"
or "pools".
The Government would need an audit of existing
employment laws to ensure that any which discriminated on the
grounds of age were brought into line with the Directive. The
most obvious example which comes to mind is the payment of larger
statutory redundancy payments to older workers than to younger
The provisions of UK age laws will no doubt
create intense debate. We can anticipate considerable argument
over exclusions that may be viewed by some as legitimising age
discrimination, and by others as the only way to make age law
The EFA will contribute to this debate through
extensive consultation with members on the different provisions.
However, we would wish to reiterate that age
discrimination laws will fail to address age discrimination in
employment unless they are clear and user friendly to employers.
Given the relative complexity of age issues, comprehensive guidance
on what employers can and cannot do, will be critical.
Age discrimination laws and guidance must also
be accompanied by widespread promotion of the business benefits
of age diversity and the UK's changing demographics.
Some consideration must also be given to Government
plans to support UK age laws through the introduction of a Commission/organisation
to monitor its effectiveness.
The EFA recommends ongoing promotion of the
business case for age diversity, public debate on changing demographics
and widespread consultation with employers on creating workable
law in the run up to the introduction of legislation.
Promotion of the business case for age diversity,
case studies of good practice and public debate on changing demographics
will also need to continue well after UK age laws are introduced.
The Employers Forum on Age is well placed to
submit evidence to this inquiry on the basis of the combined experiences
of 170 employers who are working to address age discrimination
and promote age diversity, together with the extensive research
we have conducted into age and employment issues.
Members of the Employers Forum on Age welcome
the Employment Sub-Committee's Inquiry into Age Discrimination
in Employment and the interest that parliamentarians are now taking
in this important issue.
Age Discrimination in employment clearly exists.
However, it will only be accepted as a major business issue if
it is recognised that age discrimination can affect anybody, at
any age and at any stage of the employment cycle.
Action to address age discrimination will only
be effective if:
The Employers Forum on Age have developed three
key messages which, if accepted, will help ensure age discrimination
in employment is addressed.
1. Only the business case for age diversity
will convince employers to address age discrimination in employment
Ageist attitudes and culture among UK employers
will only be challenged if they are presented with a very strong
business case for age diversity. A culture of minimum compliance
should be avoided.
2. Individuals and employers have equal responsibility
for neutralising age in employment
While Government and employers are key players
in creating a framework for and facilitating positive culture
change in employment practice, individuals, who themselves contribute
to the stereotypes of age, also have a role to play. They have
a responsibility to maintain their employability and reverse the
early retirement culture which has grown up within the public
and private sectors.
3. Government must translate its commitment
to age diversity from words into action
Finally none of these major shifts in attitude
will take place if the Government, as the foremost employer in
the UK, is not more visibly seen to translate their commitment
to age diversity into action by: setting the standard; sending
the right messages; providing employers and employees with incentives
and guidance; and changing current rules on eg flexible retirement,
unfair dismissal.
Members of the Employers Forum on Age will be
delighted to submit oral evidence on specific issues and share
their experiences with the Committee.
1. The members of the Employers Forum on
Age recommend that the Select Committee Inquiry takes account
of the three key messages of this submission, namely:
The members of the Employers Forum on Age would
like to recommend the following individuals to submit oral evidence
to the Select Committee:
Sir Howard Davies, Chairman of the Employers
Forum on Age, has shown his unwavering commitment to age diversity
issues since the launch of the EFA in 1996.
As Chairman of the Financial Services Authority
and previously Deputy Governor of the Bank of England and Director
General of the Confederation for British Industry, Howard Davies
is ideally placed to speak on behalf of EFA members.
James Davies is a Partner in Lewis Silkin's
Employment Department. James's particular interests are in discrimination
law, European employment law and Transfer of Undertakings. James
writes regularly on employment matters in the national, legal
and personnel press, and also for the Employers Forum on Age.
He speaks regularly on the subject and sits on editorial boards
of a number of employment law publications.
Denise Walker is Chair of the Employers forum
on Age Membership Advisory Group and Head of Corporate Personnel
at Nationwide Building Society, Denise is accountable for developing
the employment environment in Nationwide including strategies
for employment contracts, organisation design, pay and benefits
(including pension provision), health and safety, equal opportunities
and leading negotiations with the Nationwide Group Staff Union.
Her approach is based on flexibility. She aims to increase choice
for employees across the Society which she believes will help
the business meet the needs of its' members. Nationwide Building
Society were the winners of the DfEE sponsored Personnel Today
Award for Age Diversity.
Keith Faulkner sits on the Employers forum on
Age Leadership Group and is Company Secretary of Manpower PLC
and Director of Public Affairs. His responsibilities include Manpower's
links with professional bodies, the trade unions and Government
departments and working with major client organisations on development
of HR strategies.
Ray Baker is Employee Relations Controller of
B&Q. He is responsible for the innovative policies that B&Q
are famous for and also for their ongoing development. B&Q
are the most famous employer in the UK vis a" vis older
workers and have contributed greatly to the age and employment
Keith Handley is Director of Change Management
for the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. He is
currently a vice-president of SOCPO. He chaired METRA's Older
Workers Campaign Group "Age No Barrier" and has
been involved in a number of high profile national age awareness
campaigns over the past few years. Keith is a member of the EFA's
Members Advisory Group and regularly speaks on age discrimination
Richard Worlsey is the author of the seminal
work Age in Employment (1996) and has led the Carnegie
Third Age Enquiry for many years. He is a recognised expert in
this field.
The secretariat of the Employers Forum on Age
will be happy to assist and offer guidance to the Inquiry in any
way possible.
Employers Forum on Age
January 2001
Employers' Awareness of the Code of Practice, EFA 1999 Back
Regional Survey, EFA/Age Concern Birmingham, 2000. Back
Ageism in the IT sector, EFA./Silicon.com 2000. Back
CBI Employment Trends Survey 2000. Back
Promoting Age Diversity in SME's, EFA/ACT/DfEE. Back
Employer Awareness of the Code of Practice, EFA 1999. Back
Ageism and IT, EFA/Silicon.com, 2000. Back


text:
Today's plans to up-end fear:
Press in to Jesus.
Seek Him with my whole being.
Promises I hold onto today as I "press in" (above my fear):
"If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)
If I'm pressing in to Jesus, I can't be pressing in to other things, including fear.
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." I John 4:18 (NIV)
Jesus is perfect love, and so as I press in, fear will flee. (But maybe not without a fight – so I must persevere!)
In this case, fear is a tactic from my enemy to bind me in chains – deal with it as such.
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 (NIV)
I don't have to press in with my own strength. I have a powerful, compassionate Ally to defend and protect me, if I choose to take shelter within his walls:
"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him." Psalm 91:1-2 (NLT)
When I take shelter within his walls, I will find the rest I long for:
"Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
Pressing into Jesus allows me to exchange the backpack of fear for the gift of rest.
The promise is for any who will press in.
Thank you for doing this with me,
Loving you,
Robin <3


text:
What Are Your All-Time Favorite xoVain Articles?
It's gonna get sappy up in here.
I cannot get enough of color sticks, the handly little beauty balms that can be used on the cheeks, lips, eyes or wherever you want. The make application easier and cut down on the number of products you have to lug around with you. When you're going out at night with only a little purse, it's a lot easier to carry a color stick than your entire makeup bag, and it leaves room in your clutch for all of those numbers you're going to get! I'm looking out for you on all fronts.
I've got a bunch of my favorite new color sticks, all in great colors for spring and summer that I can't wait to share with you.
Let's start with the new newcomer that I've been gagging over lately, NARS Matte Multiple, $39.
NARS is the Queen Bee of multi-use sticks and I love them for it. They already had 15 shimmery shades and now they've introduced seven matte colors!
I got mine in Anguilla, a natural-looking pink. The stick blends in really well, but I can also build it up, in the event that I'm feeling dramatic. You might expect the finish to be similar to a matte lipstick, but the color is more more understated than that.
Since matte textures are so often drying, I was afraid that the Matte Multiple would be hard to work with, but not so -- it glided around my cheeks easily. I only needed a little bit to get the perfect amount of blush, and it didn't flake or dry out my skin in the least. After all was said and done, it felt and looked like powder.
Next, we have what is possibly my favorite new beauty product of 2014 thus far, Maybelline Master Glaze, $9.99.
I was so excited when I saw that my favorite drug store beauty brand was releasing a color stick that I seriously wanted to end my life right then and there because it's clearly not going to get any better than this. Master Glaze is available in six shades, plus three limited-edition shades were released for spring and are still available. Four more limiteds just dropped for summer and three of them are great nude shades for darker skin tones.
But is Master Glaze worth my dramatics? Yes. The great thing about it is that it's very creamy and highly pigmented, so you get a lot of color payoff even when you use just a little bit. I also love that it has a touch of pearly sheen so it's like a highlighter and blush in one. Master Glaze is great whether you're looking for a hint of color or when you're ready to really bring it.
Maybelline sent me three to try out, and I included a photo of myself wearing each of them below because I don't think the internet has quite enough pictures of my face yet.
Just Pinched Pink, which is a beautiful dusty rose:
Pink Fever, a fuchsia:
Coral Sheen, I'll let that one speak for itself.
I'm head over heels.
I am ALSO patiently waiting for them to release more pearlescent shades, maybe a champagne or a silvery rose for some real all over highlighting action.
My last new favorite multitasker is Josie Maran Argan Color Stick, $22, available in five shades. Josie Maran is one of the few beauty brands that I trust with all my heart and will try anything from, and once again, it didn't disappoint.
And look how pretty it is! That rose gold tube? Death.
It goes on very sheer, almost like a tinted lip balm and allows you to wear just a bit of color or layer it up while still letting your skin show through and look natural.
This balm also has just a bit of shimmer, but not enough to send me running -- it's far from a glitter stick.
In true Josie Maran fashion, the color stick is infused with argan oil which you can never go wrong with. Though this is the sheerest stick, the color stays where you put it so once you decide how much is right for you, you're good to go all day. Thanks, Josie!
Our last multi-use product is Sonia Kashuk Dewy Luxe Lip & Cheek Balm in Charmed, $9.99.
I thought this was another color stick, but wait, watch this.
A liquid! Hi haters!
Just LOOK at that neon orange! I gasped. So as you can imagine it applies differently than the others. It's a little stickier at first, but after the short dry down period you don't even know it's there. Though it seems quite bright, the liquid is sheer enough that it applies as a nice coraly, poppy orangey pink. I love how it looks on your lips as well.
It feels like a balm but looks like a stain, the bright balm makes your pop, looking natural, but somehow better.
Are you into color sticks? Which ones are your favorite? Tell me and I'll take them for a spin. What are you wearing on your face right now? I want to know everything! Let's talk in the comments.
Tynan is smearing things all over his face on Twitter @TynanBuck.


text:
Investing For Income
Investment ISAs
Tax FREE Income Ideas
Poor Performing ISA?
High income up to 7% pa
Fixed income - 0.42% per month
Savings - Up to 5% interest
Cash ISAs
Cash ISA Transfers
Fixed Rate Bonds Paying 1.95% pa
Current Accounts Paying 5% pa Interest
Top 10 Tips for 2016-17 ISA season
Annuity Rates
Annuity Services
Compare SIPPs
Car Insurance Quotes - Up to 30% Off
Motorbike insurance - Cover from £75
Temp Car Insurance - Cover 1-28 Days
Van Insurance - Compare over 80 Insurers
Young Driver Car Insurance - Age 17-25
Home Insurance Quotes - Up to 45% Off
Landlord Insurance - Save up to 35%
Holiday Home Insurance - UK & Overseas
Flood Risk Insurance - Immediate Cover
Tenants Contents Insurance
Life Insurance Quotes - From £5 per month
Over 50s Life Insurance - £40 M&S Voucher
12 and 6 Month Income Protection Quotes
Pet insurance - 20% Online Discount
Travel insurance - No age limits
Get a mortgage agreement in principle
How much can you borrow - 5 minute form
Remortgage advice service
Orange broadband packages come in different shapes and sizes to suit you.
Depending on what you're looking for, you can choose from:Orange Home Broadband
Orange Mobile Broadband
Orange mobile broadband has been voted the UK's provider in a recent Government survey, beating the competition to the top for installation, connection, reliability, upload speeds, ease of use, customer service, and billing!
Orange mobile broadband also boasts the UK's biggest 3G network, coming more than 93 per cent of the population – click on the link to apply for Orange mobile broadband online today.
Orange mobile broadband and laptop
See the table below and click on the link to compare Orange broadband deals side by side and apply online:
Fair Investment Company
is rated 4.43 stars by Reviews.co.uk based on 122 merchant reviews
© Copyright 2018 16/08/2018 / 15:03
Fair Investment Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.


text:
|Previous Section
|Home Page
Mr. Milburn: The hon. Gentleman made five substantive points. As for being dragged to the House, I understand that the House will have an opportunity this afternoon and this evening to discuss NHS reform in copious detail. [Hon. Members: "No."] Tomorrow, on a Liberal-Democrat motion, hon Members will discuss health issues and, on Thursday in Government time, they will have the opportunity to discuss changes to structure and culture in the NHS, when we produce our response to the Kennedy report on the inquiry into events at the Bristol royal infirmary.
The hon. Gentleman says that he could not understand the speech that I made this morning. If he spent a little more time talking to NHS staff at home, rather than running down the NHS abroad, he might be able to keep up. As for the issues that the hon. Gentleman raises, yes, we have set out today proposals for greater independence for the highest performing hospitals. He asks how many. I said in my statement and, indeed, in my speech that that would be a matter of voluntary discretion. It would depend on the number of hospitals or primary care trusts that wanted to move in that direction.
The hon. Gentleman always urges on me less day-to-day management, less interference and less centralisation, but he does not seem to like it when it happens. As for the sort of powers, resources and responsibilities that the foundation hospitals and othersthe primary care trusts, toowill have, as I said in my statement, we will discuss those issues precisely with the primary care trusts and the hospitals. As for pay and conditions, I believe in a very simple principle: if NHS hospitals that have done really well and are performing the best in the NHS, providing high-quality care to NHS patients, want to give extra rewards and more pay to the staffwhether a porter or a cleaner, let alone a doctor or a nursewhom they employ, they should be free to do so.
The hon. Gentleman seemed to allude to the internal market. I shall tell him the difference between these proposals and the internal market. The internal market involved using one clubcompetitionto try to lever up standards. It did not induce competition, and it certainly did not lever up standards. The difference is that we now have in place a clear framework of national standards, national service frameworks, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, which evaluates new treatments and new drugs as they come on to the market and into the NHS, and an independent means of inspecting them.
We want to see high standards everywhere, but we also recognise that the NHS cannot be subject to day-to-day running from Whitehall, as it has been for 50 years; it has to have power, resources and responsibilities located in the hands of doctors, nurses, porters, cooks, cleaners and mangersthe people who actually deliver NHS care to NHS patients. The big divide in British politics is between those of us who say that NHS values should be maintained, but its structures changed and the Conservative party, which says that NHS values must be abandoned and that the people must pay for their treatment.
Mr. Frank Dobson (Holborn and St. Pancras): I am reluctant to say what I am about to say or to ask the questions that I am about to ask, but will my right hon. Friend bear it in mind that the fact that some NHS hospitals are outstandingly successful demonstrates that NHS hospitals are capable of doing a first-rate job without their management being franchised to the private sector? Will he also bear in mind the fact that private sector health care managers are unlikely to have appropriate experience, as most private hospitals are small, low-tech and have few, if any, emergency admissions compared with a very large NHS teaching hospital, which probably has more emergency admissions, involving great complexity, than the private sector hospitals' total admissions, and perhaps 1,000 doctors on their staff? Will my right hon. Friend guarantee that absolutely none of those outside managers come from such private sector disasters as Railtrack, Equitable Life, Marconi, or the accountants, auditors or management consultants associated with those private sector disasters?
Finally, will my right hon. Friend at least give some thought to the fact that the public service ethic managed to maintain the national health service through all the Tory years of underinvestment and malignant policies? In those circumstances, would it not be right to give the public service ethic the opportunity to flourish with the extra resources that are now available?
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield): That was an endorsement, wasn't it?
Mr. Milburn: I am glad that the hon. Gentleman is alive and awake for once. [Interruption.] God, Conservative Members are in a tetchy mood todaythey really are. I understand why the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) is tetchy; he has been brought back from his inter-railing holiday in Europe. He is bound to be a bit uncomfortable. However, I do not know about the rest of them.
As far as my right hon. Friend's points are concerned, yes, the NHS has very many outstanding managers. There is absolutely no doubt about that. He has some of them in his area; thankfully, I have some of them in my area, too. It is right that NHS managers should be given opportunities, particularly when they are running high performing NHS organisations that have a track record of success. However, if we have poorly performing NHS organisations, it seems to me highly appropriate that we use the expertise of such managers and garner that for the benefit of other NHS patients.
However, we must also look more broadly than that. What patients everywhereand not just those in some placesdeserve is the best quality management and the
On my right hon. Friend's point about Railtrack, he is right. What the Conservatives did when they sold off the rail network was catastrophic. [Interruption.] My right hon. Friend asked about Railtrack. [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker: Order. There was a request to hear the Secretary of State and we must give him a hearing. [Interruption.] Let me decide whether he is in order.
Mr. Milburn: I know that Conservative Members do not want to hear about Railtrack.
Mr. Speaker: I do not want to hear about Railtrack, either. [Laughter.]
Mr. Milburn: In relation to my right hon. Friend's question, the fundamental difference between what the Conservatives did with the railway network and what we are proposing is that they sold off lock, stock and barrel public sector assets and sold them to the highest private sector bidder. There is no question whatsoever, under any of these proposals, of selling off NHS assets. What we are doing is franchising the management of NHS organisations that are not performing as well as they should.
I could not agree more with my right hon. Friend when he says that the public service ethos should be maintained at all costs. I think that the best way of strengthening the public service ethos is to get the investment in, but to make some fundamental reforms too.
Dr. Evan Harris (Oxford, West and Abingdon): Is not the Secretary of State creating a two-tier system of hospitals? The first is for those hospitals that he judges to be performing well and to which this most centralising of Government claim to be giving independence. The Commission for Health Improvement is being charged with inspecting these hospitals based on performance criteria laid down by himpolitical hoops that hospitals will be asked to jump through. The commission will have to examine how well they are doing not whether it is worth their time doing that. In providing freedom to pay more to staff in better-off hospitals that are doing well, is not the danger that they will simply recruit staff at the expense of the poorer hospitals that have been even more under-resourced by the Government?
On the so-called failing hospitals, does the Secretary of State recognise that, by his criteria, hospitals could be judged as failing because they put patients and clinical priority before politics and political targets? They will be judged to be failing if they suffer from the Government- induced crisis of bed blocking due to underfunding of social care and the crisis in the care sector.
The Secretary of State used a comparison with schools. Does he not recognise that naming and shaming to shift the blame from him creates a crisis in confidence that will worsen staff retention in the health service? If it comes to bad managers being removed, he need look no further than himself as the worst manager of a centralising Government who try to micromanage the whole health service.
Mr. Milburn: Thanks for the glowing endorsement. The hon. Gentleman raised, I think, only one substantive
On paying staff the same, I do not know about the hon. Gentleman, but I spend part of my week in the north-east of England and more than half of it in the south-east, and I have noticed a big difference between the two. I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman has also noticed it, but house prices are different, the labour market is different and, by and large, there is full employment down here. To argue that somehow or other we should simply pay everyone the same regardless of the labour market conditions is absurd.
The hon. Gentleman knows that trusts in his area are rightly paying staff more in order to recruit doctors, nurses and other staff. He seems to be arguing for a uniformity that we have not seen for many years in the national health service, but all that would do is plunge NHS trusts in many parts of the country into growing, not diminishing, problems of recruiting and retaining staff.
|Next Section
|Home Page


text:
Sri Lanka Navy
We also wish to state that the Galle Dialog 2014 by the Sri Lanka Navy handled by us with over 50 luxury cars.[ Read More...]
Volleyball Championship
The 10th Youth Boy's Volleyball Championship 2014 from 03rd to 14th September 2014 with 15 teams participating ...[ Read More...]
Defence Chiefs Dialog
The SASEAN Defence Chiefs Dialog 2014 by the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff handled by us with over 15 Mercedes Benz cars.[ Read More...]
Cruise ship - 2014
We also handled a Cruise ship in November 2014 for over 1000 passengers allocating 35 numbers of 45 seater Coaches.