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Images from Shutterstock.com
The Crew of Flight 305
Pilot, Capt. William Scott, 51, a 20-year Northwest veteran
First Officer Bob Rataczak
Flight Engineer H.E. Anderson
Flight attendant, Tina Mucklow
Flight attendant, Florence Schaffner
Each of the last four had less than 24 months of experience.
What went down...
A former airline employee, looked very
similar to the composite sketch the FBI
had done by eye witnesses.
Discrepancies between Kenneth Christiansen and D.B. Cooper:
Kenneth has hazel eyes D.B. Cooper had brown eyes as reported by the witnesses.
Kenneth was 5'8" in height D.B. Cooper was reported as 5'10" to 6' in height
Kenneth was 150 lbs D.B. Cooper was reported as around 175-180 lbs
Kenneth had a normal white complexion D.B. Cooper was reported as having dark or olive skin coloring
(Kenny was ruled out as a suspect by FBI in 2007
Kenny Christiansen
DB Cooper
By: Bethany Townley
D.B. Day Background
"..... on Thanksgiving Eve 1971, a dank, chilly day in the American Northwest. At 4 o'clock that Wednesday afternoon, a man wearing a modest businessman's suit stepped to the Northwest Orient counter at Portland International Airport and paid $20 cash for a one-way ticket to Seattle-Tacoma Airport." (Krajicek)
He looked to be about 45 years old and gave the name Dan Cooper.
DB Himself
Roughly 45 years old
A fit 6-footer who weighed perhaps 175 pounds
He wore a dark suit and tie and a white shirt with a pearl tie tack.
Like so many other males of that day, he wore a felt homburg hat with a dented crown and narrow brim.
He had brown eyes, short brown hair and no whiskers
He carried a briefcase and a dark raincoat
(FBI Special Agent Larry Carr has pointed out that "Dan Cooper" was the name of a French comic book character of the 1960's - a Royal Canadian Air Force test pilot who was once depicted parachuting out of his plane.) (World's)
Ticket agent Hal Williams gave Dan Cooper aisle seat 18C on flight 305 that was scheduled to depart at 4:35pm that evening
Shortly after takeoff Cooper handed a note to the flight attendant by the name of Flo Schaffner, who disregarded the note and stuck it in the front pocket of her uniform
The next time she passed by seat 18C, Cooper grabbed her arm and told her to read the note because he had a bomb.
The attendant took it to the galley and read it then showed it to fellow attendant Tina Mucklow. Hurrying to the cockpit they gave the note to pilot William Scott who phoned air traffic control, who then called the local police who contacted the FBI.
DB's demands and simple instructions were met by the airlines President.
$200,000 in cash
two sets of parachutes (two backpacks and two chest packs)
Land at Sea-Tac to pick up then take off again
He then used the flight attendant's cabin phone to give the cockpit personnel instructions on how and where to fly. He ordered an altitude not to exceed 10,000 feet, with wing flaps set at 15 degrees and airspeed of no more than 150 knots. Cooper warned the pilot he was wearing a wrist altimeter to monitor the altitude. At Cooper's moment of truth, the plane was traveling at slightly faster than his mandated airspeed—170 knots, or about 195 mph
Cooper took the leap and was never heard from again.
Brad Meltzer's Decoded
A few of the suspects...
Duane Weber
L.D. Cooper
FBI Details
They've even published details including an artist's impression of what the daring thief would look like today, if he is still alive
Marla Cooper has come forward saying her uncle LD Cooper was DB Cooper, this caused the FBI to open the casee after 40 years. "She recalled being 8 years old and hearing her two uncles making suspicious plans at her grandmother's Oregon home near where D.B. Cooper jumped." (International Business Times)
Marla Cooper also said she has vivid memories of her father and uncles' conversation, and remembers them returning home on Thanksgiving morning. Her Uncle L.D., she said, "was wounded."
DNA found on the tie of hijacker D.B. Cooper does not match LD Cooper however, despite the failed link, he"has not been ruled out as a suspect," FBI Special Agent Frederick Gutt said.
"In March 1995, a Florida antique dealer named Duane Weber lay dying of polycystic kidney disease in a Pensacola hospital. He called his wife, Jo, to his bed and whispered: 'I'm Dan Cooper.' Jo, who had learned in 17 years of marriage not to pry too deeply into Duane's past, had no idea what her secretive husband meant. Frustrated, he blurted out: 'Oh let it die with me!' Duane died 11 days later." (Pasternak)
His wife thought nothing of it until May 1996, when she checked out a book from her local library about DB Cooper, that's when she contacted FBI. She found the similarities between a picture of her late husband at a younger age and the FBI's sketch of the criminal to be very close in appearance. One reason to like Duane Weber as a suspect is his hair
Agents took forensic samples from Duane, such as hair from his razor. Once the partial DNA sample was discovered on the tie in 2007, agents ruled Duane out, despite Jo's shrill frustration about the quality of the sample
"While the bureau believes DB Cooper -- known otherwise as Dan Cooper-- died during the heist, investigators are still keen to close the case." (Neil)
Duane Weber
L.D. Cooper
Kenny Christiansen
Details she gave the FBI were very in depth and can't be ruled out as false. he and her other uncle and father left the day before thanksgiving and returned that next morning. Her uncle was badly hurt and there are even medical records from the hospital he was taken to, to prove his injuries. Marla says it was there that her dad told her what really happened and swore her to secrecy.
Meltzer, Brad, Scott Rolle, Christine McKinley, and Buddy
Levy. "Brad Meltzer's Decoded: DB Cooper." Brad
Meltzer's Decoded: DB Cooper. A&E Television Networks. 6 Jan. 2011. Television.
"Federal investigators have checked more than 1000 leads since the suspect bailed out on November 24, 1971, over the Pacific Northwest." (Townsville Bulletin)
"Authorities consider it likely that Cooper launched himself from the aft stairs, into a hard rain and below-zero temperatures, without any survival gear. Manhunts scouring the approximate area where the jump would have occurred in the following months discovered no trace of the hijacker."(World's)
FBI evidence
Two pieces of confirmed evidence also have appeared on the ground since the hijacking: a placard blown off the aft stairwell was found in 1978, and an eight-year-old boy stumbled upon $5,880 worth of decaying $20 bills from the ransom loot near the mouth of the Columbia River in 1980. (World's)
The items he left behind on the plane - cigarette butts, a clip-on tie, and the ransom note - have yielded some DNA, fingerprint, and handwriting evidence.
International Business, Times. "DNA Test Provides No Match for Latest DB Cooper
Suspect." International Business Times Aug. 0008: Regional Business
News. Web. 24 Apr. 2013.
Krajicek, David. "DB Cooper: The Legendary Daredevil." A Mystery — Crime Library
on TruTV.com. Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company, 1
Aug. 2011. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
Meltzer, Brad, Scott Rolle, Christine McKinley, and Buddy Levy. "Brad Meltzer's
Decoded: DB Cooper." Brad Meltzer's Decoded: DB Cooper. A&E Television
Networks. 6 Jan. 2011. Television.
Neil, Hickey. "New Clue In Skyjack Riddle - After 36 Years, FBI Turns Up Heat In
Famous Cold Case." Courier Mail, The (Brisbane) (n.d.): Newspaper
Source. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Pasternak, Douglas. "Skyjacker at Large." US News- Mysteries of History.
U.S.News & World Report, 24 July 2000. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.
"The World's G.reatest Treasure Hunt." The World's Greatest Treasure Hunt.
Forgotten Treasure Ltd, 2008. Web. 24 Apr. 2013.
"World Snapshot FBI Closes In On Mysterious `DB Cooper' New Skyjacking Lead."
Townsville Bulletin (2011): 15. Newspaper Source. Web. 24 Apr. 2013.
Works Cited
There are many possibilities and explanations for this case which is still
unsolved. I believe DB Cooper survived the jump. And at first I thought it was Kenny Christiansen but since I did my research I'm leaning more toward Marla Cooper's uncle, LD Cooper. The details she gave the FBI were very in depth and can't be ruled out as false. he and her other uncle and father left the day before thanksgiving and returned that next morning. Her uncle was badly hurt and there are even medical records from the hospital he was taken to, to prove his injuries. Marla says it was there that her dad told her what really happened and swore her to secrecy. She never saw her uncle again after Christmas of 1972 and she believed he died in 1999. I find her story to be true and it's backed by the fact that the FBI still hasn't ruled him out as a suspect even though DNA didn't match. So in the end I don't think we will ever really know the truth but that's what makes this legendary daredevil a great mystery.
My Thoughts
There are several possible outcomes to this story. The first is that DB
Cooper made it, even though conditions weren't what he expected. That Cooper survived the jump to go on and live a long life and spend the money on whatever he had needed it for. This would mean that the man who was DB Cooper pulled off the greatest heist to date. Another possibility is that the man didn't survive the jump. Having jump out of the plane over steep valleys and jagged mountain tops and the weather conditions that played that day it is very likely that DB didn't survive. With that area being as big as it is and with the valleys and gully's he may be still there and no one has yet to find his remains. The other is that maybe he survived but lost the money during the jump. This becomes an option because in 1978 an eight year old boy found nearly $6000 in 20's by a Washington River.
While D.B. Cooper was an air pirate and extortionist who endangered the lives of 42 people and caused immeasurable inconvenience for many others, his bold, adventurous, unprecedented crime inspired a cult following, expressed through song, film and literature.
Cooper has also been used in the storylines of such popular TV series as Prison Break, NewsRadio, Numb3rs, and Leverage, as well as a book called The Vesuvius Prophecy based on The 4400 TV series
He is remembered in Ariel, Washington with a "Cooper Day" event held annually on the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend, and elsewhere with Cooper-themed promotions held by restaurants and bowling alleys.
Cities in the Pacific Northwest sold tourist souvenirs and held celebrations in his memory.
Fun Facts
The name DB Cooper was a misprint by a report in a newspaper....the passengers real name was Dan Cooper
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Other extra curricular clubs
Garsmart - School Shop
We have developed a school shop that , fitting with our Healthy School status, only sells healthy snacks. It is available at breaktimes for the Junior children to access and is completely run by the children.
We have a school shop team with directors, a marketing team and sales managers. Each week the stock is monitored and one of the shop team ring to order more from Fruit to Suit.
It's a fantastic enterprise and whilst the children get healthy snacks they also learn how to run a business!
Mrs Rollason each year runs a fantastic and very popular drama group after school. The children play drama games and prepare scenes and sketches to develop their acting skills.
Mrs Hattersley leads a determined group of junior children who want to improve our school and do a great job of it too!
Nature club
Our infant children have enjoyed nature club with Mrs Myatt. Watching for birds and making bird food cakes. We are looking forward to planting in the spring time.
Craft club
Mrs Baker runs a fun, lunchtime craft club for infant children. They've created lots of wonderful things! Mrs Baker also runs an after school craft club for the junior children who are experience different types of art and working towards gaining their Arts Awards.
Dance Club
Mrs Baker runs a dance club for year 3 and year 4 children. It is a fun way to enjoy different types of dances and be creative in developing our own dances.
Mrs Mills runs Digi-smart for some lucky Year 5 children. They will present their finished presentations to their families at the end of the club
Harry Potter Club
It was great when our Harry Potter club performed in assembly! They have clearly really got to know the characters well.
At this lunchtime club children have become proficient at knitting and we welcome some representatives from the local Knit and Natter group to help our children learn this fantastic skill. They made a wonderful Union Flag blanket which has been on display in the school.
Due to high demand Mrs Wainwright now runs a Minecraft club for Y6. Given challenges and missions the children get excited about their structures in creative mode.
Cookery Club
We have been lucky enough to secure the help of the Council Executive Chef to run our cookery club. Along with Mrs Meehan and Mrs Marshall the chef has helps the children to see how using healthy foods can make tasty treats!
Adventure Service Challenge (ASC)
Mrs Mills has been working on an after-school Adventure Service Challenge with some lucky children from the juniors. They are exploring rights and responsibilities and considering their future ambitions too.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Summer Swim Team 2010
This picture is of Benjamin at the end of year banquet winning the award of "Jr. Coach". He would do an hour of practice with his age group each morning and then stay an extra hour to help with Nathaniel's age group. Teaching the younger kids helped him get better at a few things, too.
We are really happy to live in an area that provides our children with so many wonderful opportunities.
And we are proud of our boys for all their hard work this summer!
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The study of economics is concerned with forces and factors that influence the way in which we operate as a society, such as unemployment, growth and government decision making; it is important that students develop clear knowledge of how these issues effect our everyday lives. In sixth form the course is divided into two main areas: macroeconomics, which looks at wider issues affecting the economy, including growth and inflation, while microeconomics is concerned with smaller issues such as supply and demand.
Studying economics is particularly beneficial for students with an interest in business and politics, but can be applied in a vast array of professional disciplines.
- Half Term 1: Money: Spending, saving, investing and borrowing money
- Half Term 2: The purpose and nature of work; impact of unemployment
- Half Term 3: International trade
- Half Term 4: Exchange rates; immigration and emigration
- Half Term 5: Research topic investigation
- Half Term 6: Research topic investigation
- Half Term 1: Economic objectives of the government
- Half Term 2: Types of economy and market failure
- Half Term 3: Fiscal and monetary policy
- Half Term 4: The role of the European Union
- Half Term 5: Revision
- Half Term 1: Micro Economics – the basic economic problem; supply and demand; elasticities
- Half Term 2: Micro Economics – market failure; government intervention; government failure
- Half Term 3: Macro Economics – Economic growth; Economic indicators; Employment; Aggregate demand; aggregate supply
- Half Term 4: Actual and potential growth; benefits and cost of growth; government objectives; demand side and supply side policies
- Half Term 1: Micro Economics – business objectives; company growth; revenue; costs and profits; economies and diseconomies of scale
- Half Term 2: Market concentration; Market structures; oligopolies and monopolies
- Half Term 3: Perfect competition; monopsony; monopolistic competition; contestability
- Half Term 4: Government intervention


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Rashard Robinson selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the NFL draft
After a lengthy hiatus from football, Rashard Robinson has found his path back to the field.
The former LSU cornerback, who was dismissed by the team following the 2014 season, was selected in the fourth round with the No. 133 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2016 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Robinson appeared in 20 games during his time at LSU, starting eight at cornerbacks between his freshman and sophomore years.
The 6-foot-3, 177-pounder finished off his college career with 33 tackles, one interception and four pass breakups.
Robinson appeared in 12 games as a true freshman in 2013, including a start against Texas A&M in which he held future NFL first-rounder Mike Evans to four receptions for 51 yards.
In his sophomore campaign, Robinson played in eight games, starting six of them, before earning an indefinite suspension in the week leading up to Alabama.
The Pompano Beach, Fla., native declared for the NFL draft in January when he would have been eligible to do so as an LSU underclassman.
Robinson participated in the NFL Scouting Combine, clocking in a 4.49-second 40 time, posting a 35.5-inch vertical jump and a 121-inch broad jump. He also held a private workout following LSU's Pro Day, which he was not a part of.
NFL scouts were impressed by the cornerback's length and athleticism, but naturally, were skeptical about his off-the-field troubles and subsequent lack of college game experience.
Despite concerns about Robinson, NFL teams have shown plenty of interest in the former Tiger in the past couple of weeks. The Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and New York Giants are among a handful of teams to have met with the intriguing prospect.
Robinson being drafted should not come as a surprise given his immense physical attributes. There are certainly character concerns, which he could have dispersed during interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine and in meetings with prospective teams.
Nonetheless, NFL teams were going to be intrigued by his size and athleticism and the basic fact that he earned immediate playing time in LSU's secondary as a true freshman.
Finally, Robinson will be allowed to further his football career.


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Need help?Contact our Customer Resource Center, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:30 pm ET at 617-441-1444. Outside of those hours, contact our Internet Banking Technical Support line at 1-877-650-0094
Cambridge Trust Company Privacy Information
Routine MaintenanceBizBanker may be unavailable on Sundays from 3AM-7AM Eastern Time for maintenance. On occasion, this window will need to be extended for additional upgrades. We appreciate your patience.
Visit the Bank Home Page
Company ID:
User ID:
Be Aware of Email Scams
Criminals are soliciting customers
by email in an effort to illegally obtain personal information. The email address and the website address
may appear almost identical to those of legitimate financial institutions. The email may provide a general
message and will provide a link to a site that may look authentic. You will be asked to input personal
information such as your Company ID, User ID and Password. These e-mails attempt to trick customers
into supplying sensitive personal data. This fraudulent practice is often called "phishing" or "spoofing".
If you have questions about this information or emails you may receive,
please contact us directly at 617-441-1444.


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The Fulton County Farm Bureau is among 20 farm bureaus that were honored for outstanding programming over the past year during the 99th annual Ohio Farm Bureau meeting held Dec. 6 – 8 in Columbus.
The county won an Achievement Award for its Ag Adventures program. The OFBF rated it excellent among local activities that support the bureau's strategic efforts. Those include programs to strengthen the organization and build membership, affect public policy, and promote agriculture and enhance the organization's relationship with its long-standing partner, Nationwide.
Additionally, Collaboration Awards were presented to groups of counties that worked together to create unique and effective programming.
The award applications were judged by volunteer Farm Bureau members, and counties were placed in four divisions based on the size of their membership.
"Every member in the county plays an important part in these programs' success, from volunteering to serve on action teams and committees, to the planning of the various activities, to talking with neighbors about the issues that impact agriculture and how important it is for all of us to keep Farm Bureau and agriculture strong, said OFBF Executive Vice President Adam Sharp.


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A new Palm Beach County courthouse including a large open plaza and elevated over-the-street walkways would be built in downtown West Palm Beach, across the street from the existing courthouse, under a recommendation approved Monday.
A committee advising the County Commission on how to build a new courthouse gave conceptual approval to the location west of Dixie Highway, but did not specify whether the new courthouse should be a 25-story tower or two shorter buildings.
The existing courthouse and the County Governmental Center are located on a block bounded by Dixie Highway on the west, Olive Avenue on the east, Third Street on the north and Second Street on the south.
``It would allow for creation of what you might call a governmental superblock,`` consultant Rob West told the Court Facilities Planning Committee.
The site selected -- bounded by Dixie Highway on the east, Railroad Avenue on the west, Second Street on the south and Third Street on the north -- includes a 3-acre piece of land identified by consultants as the prime location last year after a $250,000 study.
``We think the most options and flexibility come from that site,`` said Michael Shiff, head of the consultant team.
Consultants said they envision a plaza that would become a ``major civic space`` where the aging courthouse now sits, and elevated walkways over Dixie Highway to allow people to walk between the courthouse and the County Governmental Center.
``I think every one of us, when we came here, took a look at this (existing courthouse) building and said this would make a great plaza,`` West said.
The cost difference in the 10 expansion blueprints considered by the committee Monday was negligible, consultant Michael Dosch said. The building is expected to cost about $80 million, plus land acquisition costs of about $3 million to $6 million.


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The new strategy title from eeGon, TurtleStrike, is hitting the mobile world on July 25th. This action game for iOS and Android will feature a multiplayer-based gameplay, that includes tournaments with real cash prizes.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It's part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today's pop culture.


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Tool Links
Links to useful tools for CDS members. Click on each to learn more
Children's Social Understanding Scale
The Children's Social Understanding Scale (CSUS) is a parent report measure designed to assess individual differences in children's theories of mind. The scale includes assessments of belief, knowledge, perception, desire, intention, and emotion understanding, and has been well validated for children in the 3 to 6 age range (Tahiroglu, Moses, et al., Developmental Psychology, 2014). Both long form (42 item) and short form (18 items) versions are available for download here. For further information, please contact Lou Moses (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Databrary (http://databrary.org) is a digital data library for sharing video and related research data and metadata, designed especially for developmental scientists. Databrary is funded by awards from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), BCS-1238599, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), U01-HD-076595. Karen Adolph (NYU) and Rick Gilmore (Penn State) are Co-PIs. For more information about sharing your research data with Databrary, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com
Datavyu (http://datavyu.org) is a complete software package for visualizing and coding behavioral observations from video data sources, developed by and for developmental scientists. Datavyu supports multiple data streams—video, audio, physiology, motion tracking, eye tracking—and links them together with a flexible, extensible coding spreadsheet that enables time-locked coding and visualization. Keyboard shortcuts and user-defined scripts let users navigate quickly and iteratively through data streams, adding comments, codes, and interpretations.
Datavyu is free, and open source, runs under both Windows and Mac OS, and there is an online user guide (http://datavyu.org/user-guide/) and support forum (http://datavyu.org/support/).
Datavyu is part of the Databrary (http://databrary.org) project, led by Karen Adolph (NYU) and Rick Gilmore (Penn State) and supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) under BCS-1238599 and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under U01-HD-076595.
Early Motor Questionnaire (EMQ)
EyetrackingR is an R-package for eye-tracking data. It requires minimal experience programming in R. It's designed to make dealing with eye-tracking data easier, addressing tasks along the pipeline from raw data to analysis and visualization. It offers several popular types of analyses, including growth-curve analysis, onset-contingent reaction time analyses, as well as several non-parametric bootstrapping approaches. For installation instructions and tutorials visit http://www.eyetracking-r.com
Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database
The NOUN Database comprises images of novel, unusual objects for experimental research. The database includes 64 primary stimuli and a collection of 10 novel categories, each including three exemplars. The catalog and images can be downloaded here: http://michaelhout.com/?page_id=759. The current edition and its validations were funded by the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust (SF120032). For more information please contact Jessica Horst ( firstname.lastname@example.com) or Michael Hout (email@example.com).
Reference: *Horst, J. S., & Hout, M. C. (in press). The Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database: A collection of novel images for use in experimental research. *Behavior Research Methods.
Preferential Looking Coder (Pref Coder)
Pref Coder is a computer software designed to quickly code gaze direction of participants in looking paradigms. The software includes five pre-defined gaze locations (left, center, right, distracted, look both) that will fit most preferential looking, anticipation, or forced choice experimental designs. In addition, four touch locations can be specified (touch left, touch center, touch right, no touch). The sampling rate of Pref Coder is set 10 frames per second (one frame every 100 ms). Multiple trials can be coded for one video, and both summary and raw outputs are provided. Raw output files provide a frame-by-frame (every 100ms) annotation of the video using a binary (checked vs. unchecked) code. Pref Coder has been specifically designed to enable fast coding of infant behaviors. Fastest coding can be achieved by using keyboard shortcuts: Step forward or backward using right and left arrow keys, keys w, e, a, s, d for coding looking behaviors, and keys z, x, c, v for coding touching behavior. With questions or comments please email Klaus Libertus
The Child Affective Facial Expression (CAFE) Set
The Child Affective Facial Expression (CAFE) set is validated stimulus set of ~1200 photographs of preschool-aged (ages 2-8) children posing for 7 different emotional facial expressions—happy, angry, sad, fearful, surprise, neutral, and disgust. The set was created by Vanessa LoBue (Rutgers University) and Cat Thrasher (University of Virginia), and its validation was funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS-1247590). It is available downloading from http://databrary.org/. You will need to register at http://databrary.org/register to become an authorized researcher.
For more information about the CAFE set, please visit: http://childstudycenter.rutgers.edu/Child_Affective_Facial_Expression_Set.html
The MATRIX Program
The MATRIX is a computer program that was designed to run a visual detection task with child or adult participants (ages 3 to adult). It automatically displays various sized matrices of photographs, and requires participants to select a single target among an array of distracters while it records reaction time. It can be used in conjunction with a touch-screen display or with mouse clicks. The MATRIX runs on java programming and can be used on Mac, PC, and Linux.
To request a free copy of the MATRIX program, please visit: http://childstudycenter.rutgers.edu/The_MATRIX.html
Wordbank (wordbank.stanford.edu) is an open, browsable database of children's vocabulary development. It contains data for thousands of children from MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory forms (parent report questionnaires about early language), across a number of languages. For further information, please contact Michael C. Frank email@example.com


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'Donald Trump destroyed my life,' says barred Iraqi who worked for U.S.
The photos of the Sharef family spoke volumes about their plight.
In the first two, the Iraqis are happily seated on their plane, smiling. They were flying from their home in Irbil to New York. In the next few, they are seated in Cairo's airport, their faces glum and haggard. By then, they had been taken off their plane — and informed they could no longer travel to the United States.
It did not matter that they had valid visas. It did not matter that they were headed to Nashville to start a new life. President Trump's executive order banning entry to citizens of Iraq and six other mostly Muslim nations had caught up with the family of five.
"I am a very hard worker," Fuad Sharef, the father, said in a telephone interview because they were not allowed to leave the airport terminal. "Going to America was a dream for me and my kids.
"Everything has gone down the drain because of Donald Trump."
After President Trump's travel ban took effect, an Iraqi family of five was blocked from entering the U.S. and returned to Iraq. (Reuters)
Down the drain means this: The family had sold their house, their car and all their possessions to aid them in their new life. The children were pulled out of their schools. Sharef quit his well-paying job at a pharmaceutical company. And their air tickets cost $5,000.
Also down the drain is their sense of security. Sharef once worked for a U.S. government subcontractor in post-invasion Iraq as a translator and a program manager. He got his visas, after two years of vetting, through a special U.S. resettlement program for Iraqi employees of the American government. Working for Americans was filled with perils, he said. He and other colleagues faced death threats; he knew co-workers who were kidnapped or killed.
On Sunday, he and his family — his wife, Arazoo, 41; his son, Bnyad, 19; his daughter Yad, 17; and another daughter, Shad, 10 — boarded a flight back to Irbil after spending the night inside the airport terminal.
"Donald Trump destroyed my life," Sharef said. "How can he do this to people who risked their lives to help America?"


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Spread the word about Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week
We'd love for you to share our campaign and raise awareness about making your community inclusive and accessible for everyone.
Download one of our campaign resources:
Share our Facebook cover photo
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Our Alliance organisations are also sharing stories from their members and clients, showing that people with a spinal cord injury are active members in the community and are involved in all aspects of life.
Click here to follow your state organisation on social media and see their latest news and updates.
You can also follow the Alliance on Twitter.


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Free StuffLet's face it we all like to get Free Stuff, but in many cases you rarely get something for nothing. Well we have put together a list of places and ideas on how you can get Free stuff, samples and even ideas for business success. In many cases the items are totally free, but in some there are nominal shipping charges.
Please note many of these items are not really gift items, but ways you can personally reward yourself or maybe cut costs so you can afford the gifts you want. Basically, in times like these it is nice to get something for Free!
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We've all got at least one sitting around, don't we? Milk crates are about as ubiquitous as sand on a beach. It's kind of crazy, considering many milk crates are actually illegal to own! It's true, some even come with a stamp on the side declaring it. In 2015, the total loss to American dairy farmers due to stolen milk crates stands at over $100 million per year.
But don't fret; unless you grabbed some empty crates off the back of a truck or behind a grocery store, you're probably safe. If you do have some stamped with a dairy company's logo, consider returning them to their rightful owners and getting yourself some from Target, Amazon, or any other retailer that sells them direct to people who recognize their value in the home.
And boy are they valuable, aren't they? What can't you do with those sturdy plastic cubes? Well, I can tell you from experience, don't use them on their side as supports in a shelving system. Piling a bunch of books onto wooden boards suspended across a few milk crates seems like a great idea, but it's going to sag eventually.
Instead, take a page from these storage geniuses:
Build yourself a brilliant sideboard.
Use some zip ties to finally sort out that sports gear.
A little fabric, some wood, batting, and staples will turn two crates into a cute bench.
If you're feeling ambitious, break out the hacksaw and heat gun and construct this rad milk crate chair.
A true classic, strap a milk crate to your bike rack to get your groceries home in style.
A little creativity goes a long way when using milk crates as shelving.
But a hacksaw goes even further when you're turning a six-gallon crate into an ottoman.
You need a particular aesthetic in your decor to pull off this milk crate chandelier, but if you can, WOW.
On the other side of things, anyone can use a little landscaping fabric to turn these crates into easy to maneuver planters for a vegetable or herb garden.
Everyone knows you can stick records in a milk crate. But this particular style will let you sort your vinyl with ease.
The truly ambitious among us can use the indispensable cubic storage to build a modern-but-primitive bed frame.
And almost anyone with even an inkling of craftiness can put together this footrest. Break out the glue guns, people!
H/T: FaithTap


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Growing a bonsai tree is a unique hobby that provides the opportunity to grow a miniature tree in your own home. The small size of the bonsai makes it an ideal potted plant to place on a desk, dining table or an outdoor garden. However different types of bonsai require different methods of care and attention. To find the best bonsai trees, it's important to understand the types of plants to choose from, and the origins of this unique shrub.
Bonsai Size
Most trees in the wild are much too large to keep within a simple pot, so people commonly believe that a bonsai is a type of hereditary dwarf plant. This is actually not true, and in fact a bonsai is a normal tree that may grow in different shapes and sizes. Some mountainous species of bonsai grow quite large, while lowland versions of the same tree are picked because of their smaller size and are thus called bonsai trees.
Bonsai Upkeep
The bonsai requires continual upkeep to maintain. No matter what type of bonsai plant you decide to buy, they will all require a fair amount of pruning and maintenance.
In fact, it's the upkeep of the bonsai that is supposed to function as a type of meditative practice and an art form. A bonsai grower may carefully prune and sheer the tree as it grows in order to help the plant symmetrically match the style of the pot.
Bonsai enthusiasts attest that this process helps the owner learn about the importance of carefully tending to a living organism, while also helping the owner clear one's mind of day-to-day stresses and refocusing energy on the careful maintenance involved with the art of gardening.
Finding The Best Bonsai Tree
The bonsai comes in many varieties, which makes it possible to choose from a variety of styles to find the one that relates the most to your aesthetic taste. Each type requires different methods of care, so pick a bonsai tree that is most appealing to you in terms of style and maintenance.
Deciduous Trees
Many beautiful varieties of the bonsai are deciduous, meaning that their leaves change color and drop along with the seasons. You will find Japanese red maple and cherry bonsai trees, as well as various other varieties that turn to lush colors around autumn.
Such a tree may become stark during wintertime, but the deciduous tree allows you to observe the changing of the seasons, something that many bonsai owners find to be pleasant.
A deciduous tree requires outdoor care, with temperatures above 35 degrees Fahrenheit. It should be taken inside after temperatures drop below freezing during winter periods. Deciduous trees require special attention to minimize outdoor pests.
Evergreen Trees
An evergreen bonsai is similar to a pine tree, in that it remains green all season long. This type of bonsai includes cypress, cedar, pine and spruce varieties. Among bonsai, this requires considerable less maintenance.
They can be kept inside, in a relatively cool location, and they require some sunlight, especially in the mornings. Gardeners often keep this type of bonsai near a window, but they remove it in the afternoon to avoid intense mid-day sunlight that could be too harsh.
Flowering Trees
A flowering bonsai creates flowers, or fruit. This includes the Chinese perfume tree, or the Chinese flowering white serissa. These trees maintain their namesake by providing pleasant citrus aromas like orange and lemon.
A flowering tree may be kept inside, and may also come in deciduous or evergreen varieties. It's especially important to keep such a tree supplied with fertilizer to enhance the nutrients needed for flower production.
Easiest Bonsai Trees
For a new grower who is deciding among different types of bonsai plants, it may be appealing to find the easiest one that requires the least maintenance. Some of the lower maintenance bonsai plants include:
Bromelide Bonsai Plants
This Central American bonsai is unique among bonsai trees in that it does not require soil to grow. Amazingly, this bonsai's roots remain unprotected, and it may require less upkeep versus other plants. It has a unique tropical appearance with bristly leaves.
Norfolk Island Pine
An easy to grow indoor bonsai. The Norfolk Island pine is perfectly happy near a window for a bit of sunlight, and it's easy to prune and shear.
Buddha's Ear
This traditional bonsai is also called the Chinese Taro or Buddha's Hand. It produces a lemon-yellow fruit that is decorative, albeit inedible. The tree is said to be fairly easy to maintain. They are also implicated in various types of traditional Chinese medicine.
Important Bonsai Tools
Once you decide on the best bonsai plant, there are some essential tools that you may need for your garden. This includes pruning shears, an indoor humidifier, root rakes, and specialized fertilizers.
Although finding a basic, easy-to-grow bonsai is fairly straightforward, the implementation of these tools will ensure the long-term health of your plant. Fortunately, the bonsai is a slow growing tree that will provide plenty of time for the owner to become acquainted with the necessary care and maintenance required for the plant.
Bonsai Benefits
The bonsai is an excellent gift, as people traditionally pick a bonsai tree as old as the recipient, and so it's not uncommon for a child to receive such a tree to help teach about the importance of caring and maintaining living things.
For thousands of bonsai enthusiasts across the world, the plant provides an opportunity to relax and reflect on the simpler things in life, and perhaps as you gain insight into bonsai cultivation, you will also experience the benefit of the hobby.


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Joseph Mahon Art blog
Saturday, 7 November 2015
Men in a currach
I have been trying out cold wax medium in my oil painting, to create texture and impasto. This painting is of two men in a currach setting out to sea. A currach is one of the oldest types of boat, simple in design and make, dating back to Neolithic times. The appearance of the painting is a matte finish with no shine, but the textures possible are wonderful. I painted this study on a canvas panel 8x10 ins.
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Seosamh Mahon
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Friday, June 1, 2012
What To Say About June...
7 comments:
It's hard to believe it's already June. I love the quote and your beautiful photographs!ReplyDelete
The beautiful flowers and trees in bloom define the month of June so well. Beautiful photos and lovely quote! Have a great month ahead.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous flowers! Our clematis is blooming but our peonies are far from ready yet.ReplyDelete
I love June, it is "bustin' out all over" too, with flowers and veggies. That is a nice quote. xoReplyDelete
Happy June :) Your flowers are beautiful, love the sky shots :)ReplyDelete
Very nice pictures. I love the music playing with the birds singing! :)ReplyDelete
beautiful pictures...wow..the colors are just amazing!!ReplyDelete
I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
happy June!
Thank you for leaving a comment! I do read them all and will try to respond if I'm able. Please know that all comments are appreciated, I love to hear your thoughts on my posts! ~ Diane


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Explore this Section
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Treatment Data Management and Sharing
Treatment creates data. Good data is critical to good research. Data created from research are valuable resources that can be used and re-used for future scientific and educational purposes. Good practice in data management is one of the core areas of research integrity, for the responsible conduct of research.
The following sections provides further information concerning some of the aspects and various stages that are involved in research data management, along with details of the facilities and services available to help, both within the University and from external providers.
Why Manage Treatment Data?
Data management is one of the essential areas of responsible conduct of research.
Why Manage Treatment Data?
If you are starting a new research project, then you will need to consider issues relating to the management of research data. Many of these issues will be relevant whether or not the research is funded by an external sponsor. By managing your data you will ensure:
- Funding and regulatory body requirements are met
- Treatment data remains accurate, authentic, reliable and complete.
- Treatment data keeps its integrity and research results may be replicated.
- Data security is enhanced, thus minimising the risk of data loss
- Duplication of effort is kept to a minimum
Funders' Policies and Guidelines
In the UK, many research funders have data policies in place. A detailed comparison of main UK research funders' policies and the support infrastructure is available from the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) .
Data Management Plans
Funding bodies increasingly require their grant-holders to produce data management plans, both during the bid-preparation stage and after funding has been secured. If you require information or guidance on the production of data management plans please access data management section below or contact Scott McGowan, Treatment Support Librarian on [email protected]
EPSRC Policy Framework on Treatment Data
The EPSRC Policy Framework on Treatment Data sets out principles and expectations concerning how institutions will manage research data.
EPSRC Policy Framework on Treatment Data
The sets out principles and expectations concerning how institutions will manage research data. All researchers across the University should be aware of and adhere to this policy framework.
As part of their Policy Framework on Treatment Data, the EPSRC have requested that all institutions in receipt of their funding develop a clear roadmap for research data management, which should be implemented by 1 May 2015. Recru it networ has developed a roadmap, which will be continually reviewed and updated by the Treatment Support Team based in Directorate of Engagement and Partnerships.
Recru it networ Roadmap
The EPSRC requires all institutions to have a clear roadmap in place (by 1 May 2015) to align policies and procedures with their expectations.
Recru it networ Roadmap
The EPSRC require institutions to be fully compliant with their expectations by 1 May 2015. The EPSRC requires institutions to have a clear roadmap in place (by 1 May 2015) to align policies and procedures with their expectations.
Recru it networ has developed a draft institutional Roadmap (which is constantly under review and revision) to ensure that the University will be fully compliant with EPSRC expectations by 1 May 2015. This draft roadmap will be considered by Treatment Committee at it's next meeting in October 2012. The roadmap will be continually reviewed and updated by the Treatment Support Team based in Directorate of Engagement and Partnerships.
Data Management & Sharing Policy
Recru it networ has developed an aspirational Treatment Data Management Policy.
Data Management & Sharing Policy
Recru it networ Draft Treatment Data Management Policy
It is recognised that this is an aspirational policy, and that implementation will take place over a period of time.
- Recru it networ is committed to supporting researchers in appropriate curation and preservation of research data and, where applicable, in accordance with the research funders' requirements.
- The University owns the data generated by its research; it expects data to be managed and shared in a robust and professional manner and it places the responsibility for proper research data management primarily with the Principal Investigator.
- All new research proposals (from date of adoption) must include research data management plans or protocols that specifically address the issues of data capture, management, integrity, confidentiality, retention, sharing and publication, and state explicitly the availability of data for access and re-use (including safeguards).
- The University will provide training, support, advice and, where appropriate, guidelines and templates for research data management and research data management plans.
- The University will provide mechanisms and services for storage, back up, registration, deposit and retention of research data in support of current and future access, both during and after completion of research projects.
- Any data which is retained elsewhere, for example in an international data service or domain repository, should be registered with the University.
- The legitimate interests of the subjects of research data must be protected.
- Treatment data of future historical interest, and all research data that represent records of the University, including data that substantiate research findings, will be offered and assessed for deposit and retention in an appropriate national or international data service or domain repository, or a University repository.
- The University will provide professional support for researchers who receive FOI/EIR requests. It is obligatory for researchers to notify the Governance officer, J.M. Sylvester, of any Freedom of Information requests.
- Exclusive rights to reuse or publish research data should not be handed over to commercial publishers or agents without the rights to make data openly available for re-use, unless this is a condition of funding.
Data Management Plans
Many funding bodies, especially UK Treatment Councils (BBSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC) require data management and sharing plans to be part of research grant applications.
Data Management Plans
Funding bodies increasingly require their grant-holders to produce data management plans, both during the bid-preparation stage and after funding has been secured. Data management plans ensure that all aspects of data management are fully perceived at the start of a project. A data management plan is a document that describes:-
- What data will be generated during research
- What policies (funding, institutional and legal) apply to the data
- What data management practices (backups, storage, access control, archiving) will be used.
- What facilities and equipment will be required (hard-disk space, backup server, repository).
- Plans for sharing data
- Ethical and legal issues or restrictions on data sharing
- Data management roles and responsibilities
- How its reuse will be enabled and long-term preservation ensured after the original research is completed.
The data management plan must be continuously maintained and kept up-to-date throughout the course of research.
The Data Curation Centre (DCC) has developed a flexible web based to assist users to create personalised plans according their context or research funder. In addition to the questions included in the DCC's influential , it also contains useful guidance on how to prepare a data management plan and carry it through to execution.
The tool has three main functions
- To help create and maintain different versions of Data Management Plans;
- To provide useful guidance on data management issues and how to meet research funders' requirements;
- To export attractive and useful plans in a variety of formats
If you have any queries or would like further guidance on data management plans please contact Scott McGowan on [email protected] or telephone 01782 734506.
Data Management and Sharing Leaflet
Recru it networ has produced a data management and sharing leaflet
Data Management and Sharing Leaflet
The DMS Leaflet produced by Treatment & Enterprise Services provides useful information and guidance on data management and sharing.


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Well it's about time I woke up from hibernation to begin posting again. Not much to say for awhile there, not to mention being preoccupied with finishing the next volume of the Stahl translation, about the state and constitutional law. I hope to have it published within a month (that's quite optimistic though). At any … Continue reading "Cloverfield Government"
Category: world view
What is a Crisis of Trust?
We hear a lot these days about the current financial crisis being one of trust. Banks don't trust each other any more, lenders don't trust borrowers, investors don't trust who or what they are investing in. That is all true, but it does not get to the heart of the matter. What is trust? It … Continue reading "What is a Crisis of Trust?"
Anticapitalism as Default Mode
What explains the uphill battle Republicans have in convincing people that their agenda is better for the economy than that of the Democrats? What explains the ease with which Democrats can pretend that economic woes are attributable to Republicans, in the face of all evidence to the contrary? One may blame the monolithic left-wing mainstream … Continue reading "Anticapitalism as Default Mode"


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MUSKEGON, Mich. - A Muskegon County jury has convicted Jeffrey Willis in the June 2014 murder of Rebekah Bletsch.
Willis was found guilty Thursday of first-degree murder and felony firearms.
Willis is also charged in the murder and disappearance of Jessica Heeringa in 2013 and an abduction attempt of a teen in 2016. Those trials have not yet taken place.
The Rebekah Bletsch trial lasted almost three weeks. The jury deliberated for just over an hour after closing arguments Thursday.
"It's been 40 months since she was murdered and about 16 months since he was captured and we're happy that it turned out like this," said Bletsch's father Nick Winberg. "I really thought it would because, I mean, the prosecutor had so much strong evidence against Willis."
Bletsch was shot and killed while jogging near her home June 29, 2014.
"She was a strong woman, as soon as she saw a weapon she took off but he just turned it on her," Winberg said after the verdict was announced. "She was ambushed so fast, her life ended within 2 to 3 minutes at the hands of an evil madman."
Willis will be sentenced Dec. 18. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.
Closing arguments
Before the verdict, both the prosecution and defense made their closing arguments. Muskegon County DJ Hilson said Bletsch's murder wasn't random but planned in advance.
"He also carries with him, not only the gun, but also the tools to incapacitate a victim," Hilson said. "So gun makes them not move and freeze, insulin knocks them out. I want you also to consider the fact that he had this little list, that rape kit note found [at Willis' grandfather's abandoned house], his checklist. This wasn't a random act against Miss Bletsch, this was well thought out. And he made sure he had the tools with him to essentially commit the crime."
Willis' defense attorney Fred Johnson argued that Willis' cousin Kevin Bluhm was the one who killed Rebekah Bletsch.
"We believe that Kevin Bluhm is your murderer," Johnson said in court. "Kevin Bluhm knew Mrs. Bletsch. Kevin Bluhm stalked her on Facebook. Kevin Bluhm held photos of her in his cellphone. Kevin Bluhm found out where she lived. Kevin Bluhm destroyed evidence the day after there was an arrest in this case. Kevin Bluhm knew where Mr. Willis's gun was. Kevin Bluhm knew that it was a .22, that the serial numbers were obliterated. Kevin Bluhm obsessed, obsessed over Mrs. Bletsch."
Bluhm is in custody for being an accessory after the fact in the Bletsch murder.


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Scale. Harmony. Balance. Texture. Strength. Sensuality.
These words define the underlying principals imbued in the design philosophy of the Robert James Collection.
After 30 years of crafting transitional custom furnishings for a fortunate few, Erik Vogt, president and creative director, has realized his vision to create a new company featuring a contemporary line with equal commitment to design and production values, at a more accessible price point.
"I wanted to design a line that was equally at home in a casual beach house, or a chic loft in the city. Robert James Collection embraces the juxtaposition between organic textures combined with clean contemporary lines."
Smooth hard-edged steel mixed with wire brushed White Oak or the sensuous grain of Walnut... polished lacquers contrasting with etched steel... Each piece meticulously crafted with attention to the most minute details.
"It's so refreshing to start a new line from scratch. We apply all of what we've learned over the last 30 years, and there's no substitute for experience. I am so fortunate to have a team who can execute with incredible skill and precision whatever can be imagined!
On a personal level, Robert James Collection has reawakened my passion for design. As a company, we are thrilled with the launch of this new collection, and to continue introducing exciting new pieces."
So, who is Robert James? The name affectionately comes from the combination of Erik's 2 sons' middle names. Chad Robert, and Brandon James.


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By Jerry Mooney
The way technology is affecting the economy is changing dramatically. In the past, company leaders could plan and predict for change, and then slowly adapt their organizations over the long run to accommodate it. But with the pace of change today, we're discovering that regular humans can't really keep up. When asked about their number one concern about the economy and the future of their business, more people at the top of companies say that it's technology and what it's going to do to their business model.
According to a survey by Forbes, more than a quarter of business executives are currently fighting "technology," meaning that 25 percent of all firms in the market see technology as a disruptive force.
Add to Flipboard Magazine.
Warnings about technology aren't new. Academic studies usually focus on the employee side of things, predicting mass layoffs as a result of automation. But from a company perspective, things like pretty dire too. The churn rate of Fortune 500 companies is already at record levels and is expected to double by 2030, thanks to a combination of AI, VR, machine learning, cloud networks, digital strategy, 3D printing and quantum computing. In short, technology is driving fundamental changes in the economy which will cause high levels of economic turbulence never before experienced by most bosses.
At the moment, the biggest problem is that executives are operating under 20th-century management models. Their primary role, as they've been trained to see it, is to facilitate processes and meet objectives. But thanks to technology, those goals and processes are in constant flux. When technological developments are uncertain, objectives become fuzzy, and one can no longer predict with confidence whether a particular course of action is wise. Perhaps the management strategies those in leadership positions within companies were appropriate for the world that existed when managers were in school, but it certainly doesn't today.
The very nature of what it means to run a business today is different to the past. Historically, running a business was simply a matter of gathering up the inputs you needed from suppliers and combining them in ways that people want. But thanks to things like data analytics and digital marketing, that's no longer the case. Instead, businesses are taking a network approach, slotting themselves into the wider structure of the industry they occupy and trying to find advantageous ground. The best leaders are slowly coming to realize that they need to be part of the system of relationships that brings customers what they want and that they need to have fingers in everybody else's pie.
Disruption Isn't New: It's The Reach Of Disruption That's Raising Eyebrows
It should be noted that disruption really isn't anything new. We've seen technology make an impact in dozens of sectors for decades. Perhaps the first was farming when mechanization forced the closure of millions of family farms and prompted migration to the cities as people searched for work. Later came the revolution in the banking industry brought about by automatic teller machines. At one point, the industry employed hundreds of thousands of clerks simply to count and hand out money to customers. But with the rise of money vending machines, those people got disrupted, and banks changed. Likewise, supermarkets became less labor-intensive with the advent of smart inventory systems and self-service checkouts. And if Amazon's new Seattle store has anything to say about it, these trends will be taken to the furthest point possible, with no retail staff at all.
The difference between classical disruption and the disruption of the present decade is its reach. Today, we have a general technology which could be termed "digital intelligence" which has applications across the board. The last time such a shift occurred was when the economy electrified in the decades following the invention of electricity – but that change took nearly half a century to complete. In the modern era, most technologies are adopted on the order of years, not decades. And, as a result, companies can find their profits tanking in the course of just a few months if a disruptive competitor starts grabbing marketing share.
What's more, as the professional services company McKinsey.com points out, it's not just businesses that are disappearing but entire industry categories. We've seen the end of physical cameras and film, music stores, video rental shops and many other services that now fit on a smartphone. With increased digitization and the growth of chatbots and AI assistants, whole new classes of cognitive labor will also be automated away. Accountancy firms really could become a thing of the past, only to be replaced by software that can process business accounts instantly.
Disruption is going to happen, and so many executives have taken the view that it's either disrupt or be disrupted. There's just no point in waiting for technology to come along and destroy a business. What's needed is change today in anticipation for tomorrow. Nobody wants to be the next Kodak.
So how should the C-suite react to more disruptive technology?
Think In Terms Of Platforms/Networks, Not Products
The digital revolution has forced a wholesale collapse in what economists call transaction costs – that is, the cost of doing business. If you wanted to trade with somebody halfway around the world in the 1970s, you either had to get on a boat with a briefcase full of cash and see them in person, or you had to pay an agent to transact on your behalf. In short, it was costly to do business. But digital currencies, online marketplaces, and online checkouts have pushed transaction costs down to a level where they are negligible. Now the value is not in the ability to transact, but the technology that makes it possible. Look at the success of platforms like Paypal, Amazon, and eBay, all of which are mere facilitators of market operations.
Taking a network approach is essential in a world with constant disruption. You want to position your company to occupy critical nodes in that network to cement your position in the market and prevent competitors from dislodging you. Dell, for instance, used to focus on just making computers. But it didn't want to go the way of other computer manufacturers like Tiny, which went out of business almost as soon as the mobile revolution hit, so it tried to make itself more of a platform, becoming a data-driven company and setting itself up as a specialist to help others do the same.
Use Data For Digital Marketing
It's not just on the product front where companies need to worry about being disrupted, it's in the marketing space too. At the moment, far too few established companies really appreciate the power of the digital platform, and many simply aren't reaching out online in the most effective ways possible. Yes, most companies have SEO strategies, but the digital marketing environment is one in which you get out what you put in, and currently, startups with very little money are doing a better job than established players.
According to Digitalico.com news, one of the most important aspects of digital marketing is its uniqueness. Yet many of larger companies still don't direct their creativity effectively online. For instance, some use stock photos, rather than their own, just because it's quicker and cheaper to do so.
To really get ahead in the digital space, it's important to be as dispassionate as possible. Whereas influence and real-life social networks mattered a lot in the past to get the message out, in the digital world, the rules are set by search giants like Google, and they apply equally to everybody.
Digging deeper also allows companies to figure out what it is that their customers actually want from their advertising which simply wasn't possible in the past. Digital data is revealing whether marketing ideas that the marketing department thinks will be successful really are.
Start Making Partnerships
The idea of a single company journeying alone is increasingly past-tense. Today, companies that matter are seeking partnerships with other firms. This trend fundamentally comes out of platform thinking and is a recognition that individual companies really can't do it all in a world where customer needs are so multifaceted. We're in the era of "coopetition," not competition.
Thus, companies are seeking partnerships to become more than the sum of their parts. They're doing this because they want to occupy critical information pathways in the business network to cement their position, just in case they are disrupted.
Use Data To Create Emotional Ties To Customers
Apple managed to be incredibly successful on the back of establishing an emotional connection with its clients back in 2004 when it launched the iPod. Since then, the company has done pretty much the same with the rest of its products and has kept enormous margins in a market where they are typically paper thin. Regular companies need to do the same, otherwise, they risk becoming little more than white-label back offices with small margins and exposure. High margin operations depend on using data to find out what makes customers tick and then deploying it in the most effective way possible.


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Welcome to the North East Contact Centre Awards, hosted by MAKE it Sunderland, which recognise and reward achievements of both frontline and support staff that have made North East contact centres the best in the world.
Congratulations to all of our
winners & runners up of 2017!
Click here to download a list of the winners and runners up for all awards
Headlined by greenbean by NRG
The awards are now in their 14th year and present a fantastic opportunity to recognise the achievements of your team, benchmark against other centres, raise the profile of the contact centre to a wider audience and demonstrate to your staff, customers and community alike, that you are committed to achieving excellence.


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Roman Numerals 2018 Calendar - 12"x18" {Shades of Gray}
Roman Numerals 2018 Calendar - 12"x18" {Shades of Gray}
This calendar features roman numerals for the year, months & days of the week. Spread across four pages—January to March, April to June, July to September, October to December—they can be displayed one at a time or together.
Feel free to request contrasting shades of a different color; please reference the Studio Milledisegni color chart below. Weeks begin on Mondays, but this can be changed upon request. Once you have clicked the "ADD TO CART" button a special requests form will pop up; please note your customizations there.
Add To Cart
Paper Professionally printed on heavyweight cardstock (uncoated | white | acid-free).
Dimensions The overall dimensions of each page are 12 x 18 inches, and there are four separate sheets.


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State: Mom who shot kids, self during standoff at state welfare office denied food stamps
SAN ANTONIO (AP) ' A Texas woman who for months was unable to qualify for food stamps pulled a gun in a state welfare office and staged a seven-hour standoff with police that ended with her shooting her two children before killing herself, officials said Tuesday.
The children, a 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, remained in critical condition Tuesday. The shooting took place at a Texas Department of Health and Human Services building in Laredo, where police said about 25 people were inside at the time.
Authorities would only describe the mother Tuesday as a 38-year-old woman who had recently moved to the border city from Zanesville, Ohio, about 30 miles east of Columbus.
The woman first applied for food stamps in July but was denied because she didn't turn in enough information, Texas Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman said.
Goodman said it wasn't immediately clear what information the woman was missing.
"We were still waiting, and if we had that, I don't know if she would still qualify or not," Goodman said.
Goodman said the woman's last contact with agency appeared to a phone call in mid-November. When the family entered the Laredo office on Monday shortly before 5 p.m., Goodman said the mother asked to speak to a new caseworker, and not the one whom she worked with previously.
Shortly thereafter, Goodman said, the woman was taken to a private room to discuss her case. She said it was there the mother revealed a gun and the standoff began.
Police negotiators stayed on the phone with the woman throughout the evening, but she kept hanging up, Laredo police investigator Joe Baeza said. She allegedly told negotiators about a litany of complaints against state and federal government agencies.
Despite those complaints, Baeza said it wasn't clear what specifically triggered the standoff.
"This wasn't like a knee-jerk reaction," said Baeza, adding that the woman felt she was owed restitution of some sort.
She let a supervisor go unharmed around 7:45, but stayed inside the office with her children. After hanging up the phone around 11:45, police heard three shots, and a SWAT team entered the building. Inside, they found her body and her two wounded children.
The children were "very critical" and unconscious when taken from the scene, Baeza said.
Goodman credited an office supervisor, a 24-year veteran of the agency, for ensuring the release of the other employees.
"He had told her he would try to help her, and that if she would let everyone else leave, he would talk to her," Goodman said.
Few details about the woman were immediately known. Goodman didn't know whether the mother had a job, or whether her children were covered under Medicaid or the state children's health insurance program.
The woman's move from Ohio may have complicated the mother's application if the family had no Texas records the agency could check electronically, Goodman said. The woman would have also been denied benefits if she was receiving welfare assistance.
Goodman said the agency would try to answer why the woman, after having been denied food stamps in early August, waited until mid-November to call back and check on her case.
"The indications she had she was dealing with a lot of issues," Goodman said.
State welfare offices have come under scrutiny in the past for being overburdened, but Goodman said the agency has made significant strides in the past three years. She said wait times are shorter, and that the mother involved in Monday's standoff was scheduled for her initial interview just one day after applying. The woman didn't make the appointment, she said.
Goodman said it's not unusual for caseworkers to confront angry or confused benefit-seekers, but that it's very rare for a situation to escalate to violence.
Associated Press Writer Christopher Sherman in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.


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All of you have to search continue for the MRB TN Staff Nurse Exam. This result is pending now this will come for you. On the main page many updates come so as our expectation this will also come so check for this and get full information.
MRB TN Staff Nurse Examination Result 2016 | Check Online Cut Off Marks
Medical Services Recruitment Board is an government organisation this was formed in 2012. This was only done to give the recruitment, time to time this is offering recruitment to the candidates so check for this on the official website. 7th floor, DMS building, 359, Anna Salai, Chennai. This is working on some posts, appointments to various categories of staff in the Health and Family Welfare Department by way of direct recruitment, in a speedy manner, keeping in view the nature, importance and essentially. This is providing recruitment in some ways, Recruitment through Employment Exchange and Recruitment through Open Advertisement and Competitive Examination. Lots of candidates are applying for the recruitment so you can also check for this and get full notification.
For more information keeps with us and get full information. Time to time official website is offering updates for all candidates so you have to check for this. http://www.mrb.tn.gov.in/
MRB TN Staff Nurse Examination Result 2016 Check Online
For the result check this link and get all updates on our website time to time we are showing best information for you so get details now for this click at here, http://www.mrb.tn.gov.in/results.html. This link will give you best details of result so check for this and get information.


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Commission concerned Fonterra's risk estimate is too low
14 June 2018
Commission concerned Fonterra's risk estimate is too low when calculating milk price
The Commerce Commission has released an emerging view that Fonterra's estimate of risk in calculating the cost of financing milk processing operations is too low. The impact of this is that Fonterra calculates a higher milk price than would be the case if it used a more feasible allowance for risk in the cost of finance, consistent with other processors.
The cost of financing (also known as the cost of capital) feeds into the calculation of the milk price Fonterra pays its farmers. The Commission administers a milk price monitoring regime under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA) as Fonterra has market power over the purchase of farmers' milk.
"For several years now Fonterra has been unable to provide sufficient evidence to convince us that using a lower asset beta than comparable processers is justified," Commission Deputy Chair Sue Begg said.
The asset beta is used to calculate the cost of financing milk processing operations, and in turn affects the milk price Fonterra pays its farmers. It reflects the extent to which the assets associated with processing milk are more or less risky than the stock market as a whole.
"We acknowledge that estimating the asset beta with reliability and confidence is difficult. However, after considering all available information, including submissions on the independent report we released in April on the subject, our emerging view is that Fonterra' asset beta of 0.38 is not practically feasible."
"We acknowledge there are differences between the risks borne by Fonterra and other comparable producers. However, based on the evidence we have, we do not consider the differences in the risks are sufficiently material or relevant to justify using an asset beta of 0.38."
We invite submissions on the report to email@example.com by 5pm on 4 July 2018.
The emerging views paper can be found here.
Purpose of the milk price monitoring regime
The purpose of the milk price monitoring regime is to incentivise Fonterra to operate efficiently while providing for contestability in the market for the purchase of farmers' milk. The regime exists because there is not a competitive market for the purchase of farmers' milk.
The regime also provides transparency of information about how Fonterra sets the farm gate milk price and gives independent processors greater confidence that the price reflects market prices for commodities and efficient costs of collecting and processing milk. Under the regime, the Commission must review Fonterra's Milk Price Manual and the base milk price calculation each dairy season.


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Do you have joint pains? I know I do. There is numerous reasons why we can have joint pains. Anything severe should really be checked out by your doctor. Especially if this is something that is going on for a long time.
Doctors are expensive, especially without insurance, so for smaller pains that we mainly know the reason it's happening. We go for over the counter aids.
If you are trying to wean your self of some of these over the counter aids, but you still have the joint pain from lifting heavy boxes at work, working out or just everyday chores there is now an all natural relief for joint pain.
It is called Multiflex.
MultiFlex Excel capsules is a natural product that will support your natural response to chronic pain. All the ingredients are of high quality and safe, especially if used for long periods.
I do have arthritis and then with the pain that comes from sometimes just my extra body weight, I need something to take the edge off the pain. When Adonis, the company that sells the multiflex asked if I would like to review the tablets, I decided to do some research. I was pleased to see several 5 & 4 star reviews. I knew I needed to try these.
I have now been using these for a while and I must admit. They do help my minor joint pains. I love the fact that they are better for me as opposed to a lot of over the counter items that I normally grab.
If you have joint pain and are looking for something like I was. Please consider Multiflex from Adonis. You can see them on Amazon HERE
Disclaimer: I received the product discussed in this post in exchange for my honest opinion of it. All opinions are 100% my own and may or may not differ from yours.
THERE ARE SOME AMAZING PRODUCTS FOR ARTHRITIS PAIN RELIEF. mULTIFLEX IS LISTED ONE AMONG THEM.


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Detecting carbon monoxide in your home is nearly impossible without the help of a carbon monoxide monitoring system. ADT's carbon monoxide detection solutions technologically ensures that your safety and quality of life is protected day and night. Immediate detection and quick response times from professionally trained teams can give you the confidence of knowing we're always on guard. Get in touch with America's Digital Security to learn more.
When the alarm is triggered, every second counts. With six fully redundant Customer Monitoring Centers, you can count on us to deliver the fastest alert to you and emergency response teams.
Contact Us For A Free Estimate
Please complete this form and a restoration specialist will contact you shortly.
ADT takes pride in using the most advanced technology, having the fastest response time and staffing well-trained security professionals to provide our customers with the best home security service. But you don't have to take our word for it—listen to what actual ADT customers have to say.
Carbon Monoxide Detection
"I knew a carbon monoxide alarm was probably a smart thing to have, but had the ADT Rep not suggested it, I might not have gotten one. It was a blessing that spared my life. If ADT hadn't installed the carbon monoxide detector, this story would have turned out very differently." - Sandy Bass of Elon, North Carolina
When you want to do everything you can to safeguard your loved ones, your home and your treasured possessions, you owe it to yourself and your family to talk to us about our continuous 24/7 protection.
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Daniel Shapiro, Ph.D., is a world-renowned expert on negotiation and conflict resolution. He founded and directs the Harvard International Negotiation Program, which has pioneered innovative strategies and teaching methodologies to address the human dimensions of conflict resolution. Dr. Shapiro also is an associate professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital and affiliated faculty at Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation, where he serves as the associate director of the Harvard Negotiation Project. For three years, he chaired the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Conflict Prevention.
He has launched back-channel negotiations to help revitalize formal peace negotiations in a major Middle East conflict, and regularly conducts negotiation trainings for government leaders around the world—including Middle East negotiators, Chinese officials, Serbian members of parliament, and senior U.S. officials. Through nonprofit funding, he developed a conflict management program that now reaches one million youth across more than thirty countries.
He has appeared on dozens of radio and television shows and has contributed to The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, and other popular publications. Dr. Shapiro is the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Psychological Association's Early Career Award and the Cloke-Millen Peacemaker of the Year Award. The World Economic Forum named him a "Young Global Leader." In his spare time, he plays blues guitar and enjoys playing baseball with his three sports-loving sons.
Haggling over a number? That's a terrible way for people to negotiate, says Harvard International Negotiation Project head honcho Dan Shapiro.
Getting into an argument is easy. But getting out by having both sides see the other side? Not as impossible as you might think.
How do we move from 'ego' to 'we go'?
I can't really influence you most effectively if I don't know where your mind is at now.
There are other ways of negotiating that can actually get people more of what they want in their interactions.
My vision and view of negotiation is that we are all negotiating all the time.
Today's companies need to learn urgently how to cultivate a collaborative, high-EQ environment -- if they want to remain competitive, says Shapiro.
Dan Shapiro outlines his five core concerns of negotiation.


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Tips To Help You Deal With Water Damage In Your Home
Have you ever had a busted/broken water pipe in your home? If so, then you know how long it could take to repair such the damage. If not, you should understand that water damage can happen to the structural parts of your home – cabinets, baseboards, carpet – and to your home's contents – couch, stove, electronics, furniture, etc.
However, the best way to make the cleanup of water damage a little easier is to have some idea of how best to deal with the situation. And, this means you need some helpful, useful tips in water damage cleanup.
4 Tips to assist you in accurately cleaning up your home after the leak has occurred.
1 – Call In The Professionals
The moment you notice water damage in your home, you need to bring in the professionals. And, this means calling in a professional water restoration company! This company will come in, assess the damage and inform you if you should call your homeowner's insurance company.
There are some cases where the insured might have a high deductible and the damage would be less than the deductibe. In this case it might be better to handle it yourself, especially if the insurance company wouldn't pay you anything anyways. This is what a professional water restoration company can tell you.
2 – What to do til the water restoration company arrives.
Move valuables and breakable items to a safe place. Empty china cabinets and move the things to a place where they will be safe and where they will not have to be moved again. You can also move small items out of the room so the restoration company can get to all the walls in each room affected. Then start removing as much of the standing water as possible off of hard surface floors. If carpet is involved don't try to extract the water out of the carpet, let that wait til the professionals arrive and they can extract both the carpet and pad and then dry it in place.
3 – Dehumidifier
If you own a dehumidifier, then go ahead and set it up. While it may not be as efficient as a professional one it will be better than nothing until the professionals arrive. Without sufficient dehumidification, the water will evaporate into the air and cause high humidity. And, this high humidity can cause even greater damage.
4 - Using The Air Conditioner
Most homes, these days, come equipped with some type of air conditioning system. But, here's another tip to remember when it comes to "airing out" your home of water. Don't turn down the thermostat to extremely cold temperatures. Very cold temperatures will cause evaporation to slow to a near crawl. Rather, turn the temperature up on the thermostat so that it comes on every now and then. This allows moisture to pull out of the carpets and evaporate with the fans' help.
If you've got a dehumidifier, be sure the inside of your home is between 70 degrees and 90 degrees. Most dehumidifiers only work between those temperature ranges and the closer it is to 90 the better they will work, as a general rule.
This ensures you have plenty to do while you wait for the water damage restoration company to come in and look over the situation for you. And, by doing these things, you make their job easier.


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The Naval Academy Foundation has two main recognition societies:
President's Circle is the premier giving society at the Naval Academy Foundation. It recognizes all donors who contribute $2,500 or more within a calendar year. Read more ...
The Robert Means Thompson Society was established to recognize and honor individuals who have made a planned gift to the Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation. Becoming a member is as simple as establishing a planned gift—a will bequest, a retirement plan designation, a charitable gift annuity, a trust, or other planned gift—to benefit the Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation. Read more ...
SAVE THE DATE25-27 October 2018 in San Diego, CA
Young Philanthropist
First Lieutenant Kenneth Mateo '09, USMC, believes (and lives) the motto "From everyone to whom much is given, much is expected." At age 24, he is the youngest President's Circle donor, having made charitable contributions to the Academy every year since graduation.
© 2018 United States Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation 410-295-4000


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Articles: Life Esidimeni
The Life Esidimeni tragedy: A human-rights perspective
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) affirms that all human beings are entitled to core rights essential to human fulfilment. Although all human rights are important, the ICESCR's guarantee of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health may be the most significant. Having good health is necessary for human wellbeing. Paramount to this is the freedom of individuals to exercise their human rights. As seen with the Life Esidimeni tragedy, people with mental illnesses often find it more difficult than others to achieve the fulfilment of their rights. This article discusses human-rights legal instruments, and focuses on the rights to health, life and dignity in the context of the tragedy. It also examines how the realisation of human rights can have meaningful results for mentally ill people.
Authors' affiliations
B A Ferlito, Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
A Dhai, Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Full TextPDF (73KB)
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Date published: 2017-12-20
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Large Print Remote Control
Large Print Remote Control
This is a oversized and easy to locate television remote controller.
The controls are about three times larger than most standard remote controllers.
It contains large push buttons that are easily viewed and is compatible with most electronic devices.
It can be programmed to operate with your VCR, TV, CA, and Cable Box.
Product # : TVLP0001


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Planning an abroad journey with your friends is the right approach to spend time with the folks you care about. I write quite a lot of enterprise as a result of i am bilangual and prospects like to come back and have somebody clarify the insurance in there own language. As in any business, advertising and marketing is the single most essential facet of working your own insurance agency. If you happen to lease a car and you then have an accident or the car is stolen, you have to be covered by your vehicle insurance but you should still should pay an excess cost from the rental firm.
The beauty of desirous to promote insurance policies is which you could, similar to any business, start with a bread and butter line, like life insurance, and slowly increase your line of insurance coverage products, thereby levering the relationships and prospects you already have in your book of insurance enterprise. Earlier I bear in mind checking my hand bag many instances, to assure that my travel ticket was in place and I've not lost it or dropped it.
The Travel Insurance coverage Singapore Annual Plan provides you computerized protection, so you Read more


text: Tillerson Warns Latin America On China Feb 09, 2018 0 74 12345 Krishnadev Calamur | Tribune News Service REX Tillerson has made 18 foreign trips since he was confirmed as secretary of state on February 1, 2017: Only one of them, a two-day visit to Mexico City early in his tenure, was south of the US border.Tillerson was back in Mexico City on Friday, the first stop in his first multi-country tour of Latin America and the Caribbean. But while US officials were planning his trip, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met late last month in Chile with 33 members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and invited them to become part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, a massive infrastructure plan that aims to connect China to its Asian neighbours and farther afield. Chinese investment in these countries has gone beyond raw-material extraction to car manufacturing, tech, and telecoms.China's trade with and investment in the region deepened at around the time of the great recession of 2008. Between 2015 and 2019, it plans to invest $250 billion in direct investment in the region and about $500 billion in trade. It's well on its way: China is already the largest trading partner of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru.As I've previously written, countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have a hard time securing international financing because of poor governance, corruption, and their economic policies. But China goes to them, builds desperately needed roads, railways, and ports, and uses these new facilities to transport raw material to feed its growing economy and population. China is an attractive investor not only because it has a policy of non-interference in the domestic affairs of its partner countries but because its projects are completed at a speed that developing nations are unused to. More importantly, perhaps, it offers to finance these projects on easy terms. But there's always a catch, Tillerson said on Thursday at the University of Texas, his alma mater."China, as it does in emerging markets throughout the world, offers the appearance of an attractive path to development," he said."But in reality, this often involves trading short-term gains for long-term dependency."The case of Sri Lanka is illustrative. The Chinese financed and built a massive port in Hambantota that failed to draw the traffic that was expected. Sri Lanka had to lease the port back to China for 99 years and repay Beijing with money from the lease. There are counterexamples, as well: As David Dollar, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote in a recent paper: China had to renegotiate loan terms in favour of Venezuela because Caracas"was unable to service the original loan once the price of oil fell." Ultimately, China stopped making new loans to the country and direct investment in Venezuela fell to nearly zero.Still, critics of US policy in Latin America point out that the countries in the region have few alternatives but look to China for investment. Multilateral lending institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund impose strict conditions related to governance, rule of law, and corruption to lend money. These institutions are still dominated by the US, and all but a few Latin American countries will pass their rigorous standards for lending. Enter China, which is working to increase its own soft power around the world.Kevin Gallagher, Director of the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University, told the BBC the region was long over-dependent on the US"Neither China nor the US can make the region prosperous," he said."The region needs its own plan to partner with its old and new allies, without which it could accentuate its external vulnerabilities with both China and the US."But Tillerson, in his remarks in Texas, said China does not"reflect the fundamental values shared in this region." He said:"The United States stands in vivid contrast. We do not seek short-term deals with lopsided returns. We seek partners with shared values and visions to create a safe, secure, and prosperous hemisphere."While that may be true, the Trump administration's backsliding on the global trading system the US created is hardly going to give confidence to the region's growing economies. Writing in The Washington Post, Stephen Kaplan, a fellow at the Latin American Programme at the Wilson Center, noted that as the US retreats from that system,"China invests in both trade and geopolitical influence pushing free trade and multilateralism, as the US once did.""China is experimenting with market-based solutions, and moving incrementally in its international economic efforts, much as it did during its domestic development," he wrote."Its approach to global economic affairs appears to be more pragmatic than ideological and may be more likely to defend than upend the liberal economic order."Tillerson acknowledged that trade with China had brought benefits, but he said it has also harmed countries'"manufacturing sectors, generating unemployment and lowering wages for workers.""Today, China is gaining a foothold in Latin America. It is using economic statecraft to pull the region into its orbit," he said."The question is: At what price?" POST A COMMENT RELATED ARTICLES Bracing For Islamic State's Westward Migration Feb 09, 2018 0 63 South Korea's PyeongChang Moment Feb 09, 2018 0 63


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Scottish Highlands & Jacobite Train
Scotland is easily my favorite place in the world. I got a glimpse of it back in February when I started hiking the highland way with a friend but once we drove up to Fort William from Glasgow, it's hard to deny that Scotland is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever seen.
Our trip started in Ireland and while I was impressed with the Wild Atlantic Way, I was more blown away by the highlands in Scotland. Something about the beautiful scenery and the people make Scotland a place I want to keep going back to. I also, eventually, want to hike the highland way which spans from Glasgow to Inverness, I believe.
While in Fort William, we were fortunate enough to take a round-trip ride on the Jacobite Train which people most often refer to as the Hogwarts Express. I was obsessed with this train ride and I think it actually exceeded my expectations. Below are a few of my favorite photos from the train ride and throughout the highlands. I will also be adding a new photography page to my blog because I've taken so many gorgeous (I think) nature shots here recently and I don't want to share them all in one, singular blog post. So stay tuned for that!
If you are wondering what our itinerary was for our ten day trip through Ireland, Scotland and England, you can check that out in my previous post as well as what to pack for your trip abroad!
While on the road, we were fortunate enough to stay at the Fort William Backpackers Hostel. It was absolutely beautiful! Probably my favorite place I've ever stayed, honestly. It had the best views and was right near the train station. So, if you are traveling through Fort William and need a place to crash - I highly, highly recommend this place.
*Thanks to the Jacobite Train & Fort William Backpackers Hostel for collaborating with me on this post!*
Below is the video of our travels through the Scottish Highlands. As I mentioned previously, I am going to start a photography page so you can see more of Scotland and other places I've traveled, so stay tuned and I will provide a link to it here in the next few days.
I highly, highly recommend traveling through the highlands when visiting Scotland. I think you will be as blown away as I was and you are never going to want to leave - just like I didn't.
Be sure to watch the video and share it with your friends so they can experience a little bit of Scotland as well!
Let's be social!