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Exclusive: DSGi stops offering in-store credit to customers
In the same week that Best Buy opens its first UK outlet, Bitterwallet has learnt that all DSGi stores - Currys, PC World and Currys Digital - will not be able to offer payment plans for purchases, for up to six weeks. Two sources at the electrical retailers have independently confirmed that customers will not be offered credit for the time being, after the company's retail sales agreement with HFC Bank was ended.
In other words, all goods bought at DSGi stores must be paid for in full by the customer at the tills, until the issue is resolved.
According to our initial source, a member of staff at PC World, an internal memo was circulated on the company intranet stating it would take up to six weeks to be able to provide credit through a new provider; upgrades are required to the Eclipse till system used in DSGi stores, and staff will need to be retrained to use the new online systems.
A member of staff at Currys Digital has since confirmed the story, stating that after trading ends today, the retailers will only be able to accept payment in full for any goods purchased, and that this would be the situation "for at least four weeks, until the new credit proposition is in place."
The implications for DSGi are serious; the company will lose a substantial amount of its revenue normally derived from credit agreements, on top of consumers deserting their stores in favour of the likes of Comet and John Lewis, where they can still purchase larger items on credit.
24 comments
- From E.NOOO I was hoping to buy an out of date Compaq laptop at an inflated price at 40% APR today.
- buymorebodIt's true, but please don't overstate the real impact - credit sales probably account for less than 5% of the true sales. Annoying, yes but ultimately not that big a deal, especially when you allow for the proportion of 'buy now pay in x months' deals, which don't make the company much money.
- Gadget 4.I'm amazed such a big retailer would allow this happen, this must be a massive part of their income so to allow it to happen at all, let alone for 4-6 weeks is incredible. A business of this size should surely have had procedures in place to replace the facility with another one before it ran out.
- AlexI can believe they are 5% of the total number but not 5% of the total revenue. It tends to be high ticket items that are bought on credit. I bet the total is more like 40% of revenue.
- CodifyWow. Guess they'll have to change their Fives program to Fours for the moment.
- NogharObviously it's a cunning plan by DSGi to help the UK economy by discouraging punters from buying yet more crap on credit. It couldn't possibly just be an enormous cockup. Not from a company this professional, slick, well-managed etc...
- ZombiniI'm guessing this won't be such a great loss, since it'll push up the number of people taking out the mobile broadband/free laptop offer. That offer's not tied to HFC, and the company gets a big chunk of change from the mobile companies for selling these contracts.
- SquidSo Fives will go like this (if I damn can remember) What brings you into this dump today? Are you thinking of buying by cash, card or our non existent credit system that we forgot about that we can not offer you?
- buymorebodAlex: 5% of cash sales - do you really think 40% of revenue comes from credit applications? Do you have any clue about retail? On average it takes about 15 minutes to process a credit application (at this time, it is just an application) - it's not guaranteed and regularly these applications get 'referred' which then take at least 15 minutes for a decision to be made. It would be unsustainable and impractical to have a process that could take 30+ minutes to arrange payment for any item and that's AFTER the sales process has concluded which may have taken 15+ minutes as you are demoing and test driving the possible options. Finally, until HFC have confirmed payment, there is NO guarantee that the finance will be approved. Ask anybody in any consumer retail store (JL, comet, currys etc.) and they'll tell you a recent story where they've had the perfect sale (big ticket item, all the KPI's, insurance, attachments etc.), spent alot of time with the customers only for the credit to get blown out at the last minute. Unfortunately that's sales, but it happens. It is not a business model that you want to happen for 40% of your sales - you can cope with 5%. Codify: Why should 5's change? Surely it's more relevant now? "Are you thinking cash or a monthly amount?" Monthly? We're currently not offering any instore credit facilities, so you'll have to settle on a credit card, is that OK? Saves a huge amount of time, not selling to people who can't pay for it and from a customers point of view, saves time choosing a product they then can't purchase.
- Joe S.This reminds me of the £116,674 compensation DSG and HFC were successfully sued for: http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/A187_04.html buymorebod - monthly will also start referring to their broadband deals, rather than credit or broadband. I would also say credit sales amount to more than 5% of revenue. I would say that for high ticket items, a credit agreement was around 1 in 5 sales. Each store was targeted to get *at least 1 credit agreements per day* when I was there. That's 665 per day (Based on 665 stores) over 4-6 weeks... 18620 to 27930 transactions. In many cases, that's going to be 18620 - 27930 lost sales. I sort of feel sorry for DSG now.
- AlexMaybe 40% was an overestimate, but I still think 5% is definitely an underestimate in revenue terms. Either way its a lot of potential sales lost in a company that has tiny margins. Its going to hurt.
- buymorebod'Monthly' already should include the Mobile Broadband solutions - it's the easiest entrance to selling MBB you'll get, but is obviously only relevant to PC sales. 5% is not an underestimate. It is what our average sized store currently takes. It is 5% of sales by value. On average taking of £100k per week or so, credit sales represent £5k. Yes, over 650 stores and over 4 weeks, that's alot of money but the overall effect will not be as serious as Bitterwallet are trying to make out. Remember sales in the UK last year were £4.2 billion
- PC B.[...] morning we told you that all DSGi stores – including PC World and Currys – are unable to offer credit to customers, from the end of today and for up to the next six weeks. That means no payment plans will be [...]
- spunkywill affect the small high street stores a lot more, thats where all the poor people shop
- paynowbuylaterwhen a target was given for HFC finance it was 6% revenue , as far as i know that KPI hasnt been around for a long while. it was certainly under 1% of revenue sales when i was there, and i believe that interest free options actually cost to set up, the banks always make their bit?
- businessmanJoe Smith that DSGI story is a fantastic read "Damages are reasonably calculated at £116674" lolzor
- spunkywhoever at the top level of dsgi didnt handle this with a max of 1-2 weeks handover, is fucking clown shoes. dixons group really dont need anymore bad press
- Tom H.As an employee to DSGi in a PCWorld outlet let me shed some light… From what we have heard DSGi have signed a new contract with Barclays who will offer a lower rate of interest and more payment options to our store customers. What these methods are will remain unknown until Barclays come into play in 6 weeks down the line. The reason for the gap in finance during the transition is HFC's overall thoughts on the matter. Eclipse, our instore terminal system where we process customer orders will disallow us to process any new transactions for finance as of this weekend due to HFC pulling the plug as a result of hearing about the new contract with Barclays. Furthermore, as we have been told HFC are pulling out of consumer finance entirley due to DSGi brining in the most finance deals… This is not to say that existing customers will lose their payment plans entirley and be required to pay in one go, as its far from it… HFC, under contract are to keep all existing customers for the duration of their plans. We have been informed that the 6 week process is whilst Eclipse and the Barclays Network are equipped to talk to one another so that we can process credit checks and credit agreements within store, like we have been able to do previously under HFC. We are being told to inform customers to purchase their new goods, be it a TV, Blueray or top of the range machine on a Credit Card where possible and should you wish to take out a credit agreement we are asking customers to retain receipts and return in 6 weeks for a full refund and we will start a credit agreement on that date for the price of their purchased goods. (What date is currently unknown and don't quote me on this offer as it comes from our instore managers.) Hope this helps you understand why we can't offer you finance at this time. And yes, DSGi HQ – I have used a fake name in this instance.
- AnonActually, as a DSGi employee I can confirm that we will be going to "LaserUK" to supply our credit, formerly known as "Creation Finance", who supply a lot of stores with finance. This move was made because HFC are exiting the consumer credit market, which, gave Currys the perfect reason to move to somebody with a higher acceptance rate, as HFC only accepts 60% of applications put through. LaserUK are also big on store cards...
- JohnFinance rates at DSG are 2.2% for the year, lower at PCW and higher for Currys. Although PC World may suffer a little more as their credit mix has a higher propotion of Buy Now Pay Later deals and their average credit deal is higher with customers buying higher ticket and so higher margin items that will now be lost. Currys on the otherhand will suffer the loss of the "I need a washing machine now as my is broke and I don't care how much I pay as long as I can have it now 'cos I've run out clothes" emergency purchase. A major plc throwing away 2% of its UK stores Turnover for 6 weeks as it needs to "update its systems" before using a new provider is somewhat economical with the truth or we badly need a new IT department. Saying that we do as every system we have is crap anyway!
- mahmoodThis will be final nail in the coffin i tell you its great they are loosing money business and lots of cusotmers and JOHN LEWIS COMET Best Buy and others are making great profit which is good news for them bless.. DSGI will hopefully Melt down one day and get taken over by Best Buy who will make it a more nicer store to shop in where you are not pressured into buy Cost price 20 pence leads at £100 each when are just as good as £1 lead from Pound Land. I tell you they are crooks and must be sued and put into adminstration or taken over by Wal Mart Best Buy or Some other firm. Good Riddence to them
- Aventura A.[...] Exclusive: DSGi stops offering in-store credit to customers … [...]
- Asharfirst of all John Lewis, Comment and Argos are offering credits with 27%- 30% interest rates and DSGi stores are offering 19.9% APR and if the purchase is over £1,500 the APR drops down to 9.9% which is unbeatable at the moment in electronics retailers. So, DSGi is still the market leader, you guys just need something to criticise, thats it.
- scary m.I just couldn't depart your web site before suggesting that I extremely loved the standard info a person provide to your visitors? Is going to be back continuously to check out new posts


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Trump Dissed The Dogg On Twitter And The Internet Is Losing Its Shit
After catching a clown version of himself in Snoop's new video 'Lavender,' Trump immediately freaked out, and people are pissed that he went after Snoop.
Donald Trump and his Twitter rants spark a lot of attention. But when our current president attempted to insult the one and only Snoop Dogg, everyone lost their minds. After catching a clown version of himself in Snoop's new video 'Lavender,' Trump immediately freaked out. Of course, he did so on Twitter because where else would he go? Now, people are pissed that he would come for Snoop like he did. Meanwhile, Snoop probably doesn't even care.
Donald Trump dissed Snoop on Twitter, and now everyone is mad
If anything upsets Donald Trump, then you will surely hear about it on Twitter. This time, it appears that Snoop Dogg has pissed off our current president.
During Canada's BADBADNOTGOOD's "Lavender" (Nightfall Remix), Snoop shoots down "Ronald Klump," who is obviously playing Trump in the video. For this reason, Trump is freaking out.
Of course, Donald did what he does best and went on a rant on Twitter. Now, people are tweeting their opinions on the matter, and everyone is on Snoop's side.
Speaking of Snoop, there are rumors from multiple sources saying that he is under arrest for conspiracy. But according to Snopes, they are all false.
It's not all about Trump
As can be seen, the video starts off with a white clown-faced family having their morning dose of Snoop Loops. At first glance, it all seems rather humorous. But it doesn't take long until the real message starts becoming clear.
First, you see the police stopping father clown after catching him smoking pot. Before you know it, the cop shoots him for opening his briefcase and revealing his fake pistol.
In case you didn't catch it, this scene is meant to represent the brutal shooting of Philando Castile last July. He was pulled over for a busted taillight, then was fatally shot. His girlfriend recorded the whole thing and put it on Facebook.
Rather than focusing on one issue, Snoop is addressing quite a few with this video. Not just white dominance in the cannabis industry, but also police shootings and mass incarceration.
Of course, Trump himself is a big problem. But even Snoop says that it's not all about Trump,
…police being able to kill motherf–kers and get away with it; people being in jail for weed for 20, 30 years and motherfuckers that's not black on the streets making money off of it—but if you got color or ethnicity connected to your name, you've been wrongfully accused or locked up for it, and then you watching people not of color position themselves to get millions and billions off of it.
It's a lot of clown shit going on that we could just sit and talk on the phone all day about, but it's a few issues that we really wanted to lock into [for the video] like police, the president and just life in general.


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Pop Culture
|Design Discipline
|Ina Saltz
Graphic Design, Pop Culture, Urban Design
About Ina Saltz
Author of Body Type (Abrams Image). Called INSPIRING, SHOCKING, AND VOYEURISTIC . . . Body Type explores the ideas and emotions behind this indelible commitment. From Shakespeare to Radiohead, from Dante to James Joyce, the wide breadth of images and messages provides insight into the human condition. Body Type is not only for tattoo aficionados, but also for all those who love the written word.


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Fresh fruit and vegetables accessible to smaller budgets MONTREAL, April 30 /CNW Telbec/ - Mrs. Johanne Théroux, Executive Director of Moisson Montreal, wishes to invite media representatives to the official launch of the Good Food Box program, an innovative program which renders fresh fruit and vegetables accessible to those in need. The identity of the new spokesperson for the project, a Québec television star, will also be revealed during this event which will be held on Wednesday May 6th at 10:00 am at the St-Raymond Centre in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. The Good Food Box bulk buying service offers access to high-quality produce from local farmers at very low prices to individuals and families who are financially fragile. This is a new food security program being explored to ensure autonomy for low-income households. Driven by Moisson Montreal and supported by several financial partners, this project allows Canada's largest food bank to further the fight against hunger, isolation and exclusion. As the current economic context becomes even more difficult, this essential service will be called upon to continue to grow. When : Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 10:00 am Where : St-Raymond Centre, Upper Lachine West and East Rooms 5600 Upper Lachine, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal What : Official launch of a fresh fruit and vegetable distribution program Presentation of objectives for 2009 Revealing the identity of the star spokesperson Who : Johanne Théroux, Executive Director, Moisson Montreal Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, President and Executive Director, Centraide of Greater Montreal To confirm your presence, please call Michelle Sullivan by telephone at (514) 995-4015 or send her an email at email@example.com About Good Food Box (GFB): Initiated in September 2003 as a food security project serving the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce community, the Good Food Box became a regional pilot project en September 2007 when the operations were transferred from the NDG food depot to Moisson Montreal. Since that day, production has increased from 300 boxes of fruit and vegetables delivered to two boroughs to more than 1000 boxes delivered to 15 boroughs. This project is currently being developed in Laval. http://www.moissonmontreal.org/en/projects.html
For further information:
For further information: Michelle Sullivan, Michelle Sullivan Communications, (514) 995-4015, email@example.com
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Billboard Breakdown – Nov. 23
by Karen
1. Drake – Take Care – 631,000 – Considering Thank Me Later did roughly 447K first week, it is safe to say Aubrey has not hit the sophomore slump.
11. Childish Gambino – Camp – 52,000 – You know, in all actuality, this number may be more surprising than Drake's. Then again, the guy is on TV, so it is not exactly like he is this unknown rapper running around attempting to win people over. Still, congrats to that man on putting up these numbers.
17. Webbie – Savage Life 3 – 30,000 – You damn right I purchased a copy. "Mo Ass" is my SH*T!
24. Mac Miller – Blue Slide Park – 25,000 – If Mac gets to 300K, which it is looking like he will do, that W he took last week will look even bigger. He's got a few choices for singles to run with here, too.
25. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter IV – 25,000 – Wayne may not give a damn about record sales, but that's not stopping people from buying his stuff. With Drake a few weeks away from platinum, Young Money will have two platinum albums since September by the time Christmas rolls around. Not bad. Not bad at all.
33. J. Cole – Cole World: The Sideline Story – 18,000 – 500K is serious in reach. He could be there by Christmas time. I am still patiently awaiting the next single though.
106. Pusha T – Fear Of God – 4,300 – What's really going to be interesting is when he first official debut LP drops. That's what I will be waiting for. Like I said last week though, I'm not mad for Pusha cashing in on the notoriety of this project's name.


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August 17, 1900, Culp, Baxter County, Arkansas
December 12, 1992, Calico Rock, Izard County, Arkansas
Daughter of Jesse Marion Bagwell & Mary Ellen Whaley Bagwell
Married (1) William Edwin Galloway, April 22, 1917, Stone County, Arkansas, and had two sons: Tip & Bud.
Married (2) James Webster "Webb" Fletcher on December 14, 1924, Marion County, Arkansas, and had three sons: Floyd, Jesse M., & Ray.
Married (3) Andrew Jackson "Andy" Branscum, June 10, 1948, Stone County, Arkansas, and no children from this union.
White River Current
December 17, 1992
Minnie Leona Branscum of Calico Rock died Saturday, December 13, 1992, in White River Health Care at the age of 92. She was born on August 17, 1900, the daughter of the late Jesse Bagwell and Mary Waley in Culp.
Minnie was married to Andy Branscum in 1947 at Culp. She spent her life as a homemaker and mother. She was of the Pentecostal faith.
Minnie is survived by: five sons, Ewell Galloway of Blue Hill, Neb.; Lenvil Galloway and Floyd Fletcher, both of Winters, Calif., Jesse Fletcher of Wenatchee, Wash., and Ray Fletcher of Calico Rock; one sister, Mattie Neldon of Winters, Calif.; one brother, Haywood Bagwell of San Antonio, Texas; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, five brothers and four sisters.
Services were held Thursday, December 17, 1992 at 10 a.m. in the Howard Chapel in Calico Rock with Rev. Ronnie McAllister officiating.
Pallbearers were: Leffel Branscum, Harvey D. Branscum, Lewie Branscum, Arvey C. Branscum, Jimmie Ray Branscum and Jerry Branscum.
Burial was in the Heiskill Cemetery at Norfork under the direction of the Howard Funeral Home in Calico Rock.
[Note: When the family placed a gravestone in the cemetery for Minnie Leona Bagwell Galloway Fletcher Branscum they chose to label the gravestone as Minnie L. Bagwell. She had not gone by her maiden name since her first marriage, and she had gone by Branscum for around the last 45 years of her life. The grave marker does list her first two husbands and the sons from those marriages, but it does not include her last marriage to marriage to Andrew Jackson "Andy" Branscum. She is buried beside her second husband Webster Fletcher.
A Second Note: The obituary indicated that the burial was in the Heiskill Cemetery at Norfork. The Heiskill Cemetery is between the Buford and the Buffalo City Communities.]
Contributed on 12/21/08 by maxparnell
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Record #: 126580
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Submitted: 12/21/08 • Approved: 1/13/14 • Last Updated: 1/16/14 • R126580-G126579-S3


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US used stealth drones to monitor Osama in Pak
"Using unmanned planes designed to evade radar detection and operate at high altitudes, the CIA conducted clandestine flights over the compound for months before the May 2 assault in an effort to capture high-resolution video that satellites could not provide," the Washington Post said.
The use of the stealth drones allowed the CIA to glide undetected beyond the boundaries that Pakistan has long imposed on other US drones, including the Predators and Reapers that routinely carry out strikes against militants near the border with Afghanistan, the daily said quoting current and former US officials.
The unmanned aircraft believed to be Lockheed Martin`s new RQ-170 Sentinels were also deployed on the night of the raid providing imagery that President Barack Obama and members of his National Security team appear in photographs to be watching, as US Navy SEALs descended on the compound shortly after 1 a.m in Pakistan.
The drones were also used to eavesdrop on electronic transmissions, enabling US Commanders to monitor Pakistan`s response.
The Post, quoting Pentagon experts, said the new drones represents major advance in the capabilities of remotely piloted planes, which have been the signature American weapon against terror groups since the 9/11 attacks.
The existence of the advanced UAV programme was acknowledged by the US airforce in 2009, two years after it was spotted at an airbase in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The new drones bear the distinct bat-winged shape of larger stealth warplanes and typically use a range of radar-defeating technology. Their undersides are covered with materials designed to absorb sound waves rather than bouncing them back at sensors on the ground.
Their engines are shielded and their exhaust diverted upwards to avoid heat trails visible to infrared sensors.
CIA turned to the new stealth aircraft "because they needed to see more about what was going on" than other surveillance platforms allowed, a former US official familiar with the details of the operation was quoted as saying.
"It`s not like you can just park a Predator overhead ? the Pakistanis would know," added the former official, who, like others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the program.
"The CIA`s repeated secret incursions into Pakistan?s airspace underscore the level of distrust between the United States and a country often described as a key counterterrorism ally, and one that has received billions of dollars in US aid," The Washington Post reported.
Despite all this the CIA never obtained a photograph of bin Laden at the compound or other direct confirmation of his presence before the assault.
But it concluded after months of watching the complex that the figure frequently seen pacing back and forth was probably the al-Qaeda chief, the daily said.


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24 Amazing black and white photos give a glimpse of China in the 1930s
Just a few days ago, the Chinese Embassy in the United States received a special gift of photos from a retired US Department of State officer, and the embassy has decided to share the fascinating images with the world. The total of 24 black and white photos show various locations throughout China in the 1930s, giving all of us a chance to take a trip into the past and experience daily life in the Republic.
The fascinating photos you're about to see were once owned by the mother of retired US Department of State officer Richard Garrison, who used them to teach American students at the time about life in the Republic of China. The Chinese Embassy was more than happy to accept the wonderful photos, and they have released all 24 photos online so that people all over the world can take a look into China's past. "The Embassy really cherishes this precious gift and will share it with more people in both China and the U.S.," said Minister Wu Xi.
The beautiful photos are definitely worth a look. It really is mind-boggling to see how things were in the past and how different the world is today, in a little over 80 years.
1. The Great Wall
2. A street vendor grinding soy beans
3. Caravan of camels outside Beijing
4. Beijing street
5. The Temple of Heaven in Beijing
6. Hong Kong
7. Transplanting rice
8. Empress Dowager Cixi's Marble Boat
9. Canton street
10. Canton treasury building
11. Unloading tea in the port of Hankow
12. Free milk station in Peiping (Beijing)
13. Foochow Road, Shanghai
14. Nanking vegetable garden
15. Canton University
16. Yangtze River and Witches' Mountain
17. Bride and groom in Canton
18. Macao
19. Giant guarding the roads to Ming Tombs
20. Chapei (Zhabei) in ruins
21. Joss House Tientsin
22. Merchant shop
23. State Square, Victoria, Hong Kong
Which photo was your favorite?
Wu Xin: The Monster Killer
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Gabrielle King, senior biology major
Maryland sea grant REU fellow, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in Cambridge, Md.
With the iconic Chesapeake Bay as her subject of study, Gabrielle King spent her summer months as a Maryland Sea Grant REU Fellow at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES).
A senior biology major from Clairton, Pa., King's main responsibility was to characterize predator-prey interactions between copepod Eurytemora carolleege nauplii and Heterocapsa rotundata, both species that thrive in the Chesapeake Bay area. In order to determine interactions, King conducted grazing and survival experiments that she later presented to her co-workers at the end of the summer.
Spending 40 hours a week at an internship may seem daunting for some students, but for King, she saw it as an opportunity.
"I applied to my internship because I wanted to get real research experience in marine biology," said King. "I read about potential mentors at the program who worked with plankton as well as other organisms, and that piqued my interest. I had zero experience with plankton, so I was really hoping I could do some research with them."
Although not entirely sure what to expect, King felt confident and prepared heading into her internship because of the strong academics she received at Waynesburg University.
"My courses gave me the background in biology that I needed in order to successfully participate in the program," said King. "A general biology background in areas like ecology served as a basis from which I was able to build my research."
Working with an organization centered around sustainability and the livelihoods of people, King was able to recognize the importance of service and relate it back to Waynesburg's mission.
"The knowledge I gained this summer not only fueled my passion for learning, but also contributed to my understanding of the Chesapeake Bay which can be used to help others," said King. "The more we know, the better we can address issues and keep the Bay healthy."


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Strategies for Diversification
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The 'Fine idea' also known as 'Fine stationery' is a Pvt ltd. Company which was started in the year 1995 by Mr. Kalpesh.S.Patel with the capital of Rs.50,000/- and he is the CEO and chairperson of the firm. They provide printing services and are Manufacturers & License of 'Disney' products. Fine Ideas is manufacturer of stationary, print promotion, table mats, mouse pads, packaging, brochures and pamphlet, design items. It is a company along with acting as supplier from Mumbai. The company also gives ideas and concepts for promotional activities. The company runs smoothly and hardly faces any problems. Recently they faced a problem of decrease in sales.
They are willing for diversification of their products, to increase their sales. Should they go for diversification of their products to increase their sales or would it be too risky? This led me to come up with a research question "Should "FINE IDEAS'' consider diversification of their products to increase their sales?"
With the help of primary research and secondary information collected, I used Ansoff Matrix to find the solution to the problem. The main reason for the decrease in sale is an increase in competition. The company is not strong enough to face challenges laid down by competitors. The research will suggest an alternate path of diversification which if company chooses will be worth its survival in the market.
If the company does not come up with quick and appropriate decision then it will have to suffer heavy loss. The research will analyze the position of the company in the market. The result found after analysing the prevailing market conditions and the company's problems is that the firm should consider diversification of their products to come out of this problem of decrease in sales and to re-attain its forecasted sales.
Diversification is part of the four main marketing strategies defined by the Product/Market Ansoff matrix:
Fine ideas pointed out that a diversification strategy stands apart from the other three strategies. The first three strategies are usually pursued with the same technical, financial, and merchandising resources used for the original product line, whereas diversification usually requires a company to acquire new skills, new techniques and new facilities which can be provided by 'Fine Ideas'. The notion of diversification depends on the subjective interpretation of "new" market and "new" product, which should reflect the perceptions of their customers.
The strategies of diversification can include internal development of 'Fine Ideas', acquisition of a firm, alliance with a complementary company, licensing of new technologies, and distributing or importing few products manufactured by another firm. Generally, the final strategy involves a combination of these options. This combination is determined in function of available opportunities and consistency with the objectives and the resources of the 'Fine Ideas'.
Rationale of diversification
There are two dimensions of rationale for diversification. The first one relates to the nature of the strategic objective: diversification may be defensive or offensive. Defensive reasons may be spreading the risk of market contraction, or being forced to diversify when current product or current market orientation seems to provide no further opportunities for growth. Offensive reasons may be conquering new positions, taking opportunities that promise greater profitability than expansion opportunities, or using retained cash that exceeds total expansion needs. The second dimension involves the expected outcomes of diversification: management may expect great economic value or first and foremost great coherence and complementary to their current activities. In addition, companies may also explore diversification just to get a valuable comparison between this strategy and expansion.
Factors of Risk involved for 'Fine Ideas' to Diversify.
Diversification is the riskiest of the four strategies presented in the Ansoff matrix and requires the most careful investigation for 'Fine Ideas'. Going into an unknown market with an unfamiliar product offering means a lack of experience in the new skills and techniques required. Therefore, they will put themselves in a great uncertainty. Moreover, diversification might necessitate significant expanding of human and financial resources, which may distracts focus, commitment and sustained investments for the 'Fine Ideas'. Therefore they should choose this option only when the current product or current market orientation does not offer further opportunities for growth. In order to measure the chances of success, 'Fine Ideas' can also perform different tests like the attractiveness test, the cost-of-entry test and the better-off test. Because of the high risks 'Fine Ideas', may led to failure while attempting to diversify. However, there are a few good examples of successful diversification like Walt Disney moved from producing animated movies to theme parks.
Companies like 'Fine Ideas' diversify for a host of reasons. In some cases, it's a survival strategy. For instance, if the company makes the bulk of its sales at a particular time of year, it makes sense to consider diversification. However, there are plenty of other good reasons for diversification, not least by extending your range of goods or services you can either sell more products to your existing customers or reach out to new markets. This can supercharge the growth prospects of 'Fine Ideas'. And perhaps the biggest reason for doing it is to extend a brand reputation into other markets, with the knowledge that making your business bigger than ever imagined.
The analysis was done by discussing with the owner of the firm about the fall in demand of sales over the time. It was not possible to find the accurate decrease in sales because their firm was only the supplier and the goods then go in the godown of the marketing firm from where the goods were supplied to the retailers and wholesalers. Due to decrease in demand for the existing goods by the people, the goods were logged into the godown of the marketing sector and so they were not accepting the goods coming from the Fine Ideas as they already have stock with them. Henceforth with this analysis of the situation it is clearly pictured that is a decrease in sales for the company.
The discussions took place in a positive manner as the current status proved that it was favourable and appropriate for the company to go for diversification as that was the easiest way out the problem faced by them. Following topic goes out of my assessment but I would like to mention that they have already put their thought and efforts in diversifying their products in some or the other way by starting their new business names as 'Facetoons' which is a similar kind of printing firm but they provide print on mugs, plates, shirts and many more and therefore the business is growing rapidly because of the increasing demand of their new idea. This instance itself proves that it is very essential for them to start to diversify their products but they should not completely close down 'Fine Ideas' because that is their image and reputation in market so they should work under the shade of 'Fine Ideas'.
Fine ideas had been discussing that business strategies expand the scope of reaching goal through diversification into their businesses But, under strict assumptions of risky markets, there is no obvious rational for the company to acquire another. Diversification is a promotion strategy and a form of corporate strategy which is advised for 'fine ideas'. It seeks to increase profitability through greater sales volume obtained from new products and new markets. 'Fine Ideas' can diversify at the business unit level or at the corporate level. At the business unit level they are most likely to expand into a new segment and at the corporate level and it is also very interesting entering a promising business outside of the scope of their business unit.
Concluding by answering to my research question, "FINE IDEAS'' should consider diversification of their products to increase their sales.
When to diversify for 'Fine Ideas'
History tells us it's not advisable to consider diversification until the core business is stable and profitable. If 'Fine Ideas' are still struggling to win orders and build a sales time for the core product, there is a real danger that diversification will take your eye of the ball.
The catalyst is often the realization that growth in the core business is either slowing or set to slow, often because the market for a particular product is becoming saturated.
Diversification strategy for 'Fine Ideas'
'Fine Ideas' can diversify by natural progression. More radically, they extend the brand by offering a much wider range of products that will nonetheless appeal to the same customers. Alternatively, they can use the strength of brand to move into new markets.
Another popular business diversification strategy is to look backwards and forwards along the supply chain for opportunities to tighten your grip on the market. For instance, in the recent past people had seen building societies buying estate agents and computer manufacturers buying resellers. In the US Google has busily acquired the leading web data analysis tools, online advertising companies and the social networks and sites that deliver what they unerringly know their users want.
The cons for 'Fine Ideas'
The company can get a hope for the extended product life cycle. Diversification can put you on the fast track to growth but if the strategy fails it can also burn up money. Expanding the product range and even if turnover increases, the increase in costs could result in a slump in profits. Extend the brand into new markets and there is a danger that it will have no resonance with the newly targeted customers. Thus it's vital to research new markets before diversifying.
'Fine ideas' should also look carefully at their existing business. Do they have the right managers to cope with a divaricating strategy? Should they integrate the diversified business into one company or ring fence the new operation as a business in its own right? And is your organization strong enough to be an umbrella brand where your core values resonate across the group? They should think hard before 'Fine Ideas' commit their finances and precious time.
- http://www.fineideas.in/
- http://www.hotfrog.in/Companies/Fine-Ideas
- Hoang, Paul, Business and management, IBID Press, 2007
- http://www.easilyinteractive.com/blog/uploaded_images/ansoff-779433.jpg
Cite This Essay
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CALA East
CALA East is a satellite hockey club of CALA Edinburgh Hockey Club and is based at Holyrood High School. The club is open to all players in the P5 - S1 school year group.
Our training sessions take place on the Astro pitch at Holyrood High School on Wednesdays, late afternoon between 16.15 and 17.15.
The club is working closely with Active Schools and supported through funding from the London 2012 legacy charity; Sported. We currently have around 50 players registered at the club.


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someone who can access your facebook page and then proceed to relay information to another facebooker who, does not have access to your info or is blocked.
what? my girl found out i was talking to an ex girlfriend on facebook someone two facebooked me. ive been the victim of a mother fuckin two timing
by howareya79 March 18, 2011
buy the domain for your travel vlog


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Troy (Director's Cut) DVD|
Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom star in this jaw-dropping epic about the famous siege of the ancient city of Troy.from£9.39 | RRP:
* Excludes Voucher Code Discount Also available Used from £4.69
- 01 October 2007
- Wolfgang Petersen
- Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox
- Warner Bros
- Warner Home Video
- 156 minutes
- Director's Cut, PAL
Average Rating for Troy (Director's Cut) [2004] - 4 out of 5
(based on 1 user reviews)
Troy (Director's Cut) [2004]David Porter
The theatrical cut of Troy is an entertaining film, one which on first viewing is enjoyable, even primarily on a surface level. I own the original DVD which includes the theatrical cut and on repeat viewings will regularly find myself skipping scenes or even whole chapters to the more enjoyable sections of the film.
The scenes which fail upon repeat viewings aren"t ones that would first come to mind, namely the epic battles staged in front of the formidable Trojan wall or any scene involving the cowardly almost irritable Paris (Orlando Bloom).
Now Directors Cuts aren"t always what they say they are, often an excuse for another DVD of the same film with only a few deleted scenes added back into the cut of the film with little or no effect on the impact or story being told, rather than the intended vision the director fore sore when making the film, and due to outside influences wasn"t able to release it theatrically. Thankfully Troy DC falls into the latter category. This cut includes a large amount of additional footage, has been re-edited and the musical score has been re arranged and altered. The changes made in director Wolfgang Petersen"s cut add a whole new dimension to the already enjoyable film, and creates a story worthy of its billing, "epic".
The story arks of the characters are now more rounded, the motivation for decisions they make seem rational and make sense, even supporting characters are fleshed out to create a great ensemble piece.
Achilles journey through the film is now more epic and fully realized with moments that once fell flat have real weight and meaning. Brad Pitt"s performance (one physically he clearly was born to play) is now something more than the superficial vacant stare and pout of the original version, creating a real drive to the character of Achilles and the understanding of his desire to create his own legend.
Every actor"s performance benefits from the new cut; however Brian Cox"s Portrayal of King Agamemnom and Orlando Blooms Paris that benefit the most. The Former is now a much more layered performance than the originally portrayed almost ham like king, with a greater understanding of his unease and dislike of Achilles. Orlando Bloom"s portrayal of Paris is still one of a coward much lesser in stature than his brother Hector, but the scenes between Paris and Helen of Troy now go further to justify why he risks his countries safety for the love of one.
The character action sequences of the original where always impressive, now with a sense of violence and ferocity instilled, however the large scale battles fought between the Trojans and Greeks seemed to fall flat, now there brought to life with new footage. The scale seems much grander and the brutality and consequence of war clearly evident, scenes are now littered with the real horror and violence these battles would clearly have brought upon the people involved.
On a final note (no pun intended) the music now fits better, none of the musical themes jump out at you and by saying you don"t notice the score at all is the biggest compliment to a film score one could give. It supports the film throughout and enhances the story rather than detract from it.
This film is now the epic of this great legendary tragedy it always promised to be, however the biggest tragedy is that few will see the real vision of Wolfgang"s work unless they pick up this vastly superior cut on DVD. Highly recommended!
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Can you tell a Red-eared Slider from a Hamilton's Turtle? How about a Bengal Slow Loris from a Javan one? Or a critically endangered Bali Myna bird from the White-bellied Myna, found in abundance throughout Indonesia?
If the answer is no, fear not. You are not alone. With thousands of different species (and sub-species!) of birds, small mammals, reptiles and more, distinguishing them can be challenging; particularly when some are protected from trade, and others not.
The solution to this complex issue is in your pocket. Already available for Android devices, the groundbreaking wildlife identification app, WildScan, has recently expanded and can now be downloaded straight to your Apple iPhone.
Available in English, Thai and Vietnamese, this user-friendly tool helps you identify more than 350 endangered species commonly traded illegally across Southeast Asia. Freeland is currently expanding the app to Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia, and will release a version in Africa later in the year.
WildScan has already been downloaded over 1,300 times, and while in high demand by frontline law enforcement officers throughout Southeast Asia, the app is also an effective tool for locals and tourists who want to play their part in identifying endangered species in trade, and reporting wildlife crime to relevant authorities.
Whether you're at the Denpasar bird market in Bali, Chatuchak in Bangkok or Tung Choi Street in Hong Kong, you can contribute to the enforcement of laws designed to protect our planet's precious, and diverse, wildlife. It's a quick and easy way to do your bit in the fight against endangered species trafficking.


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0330 123 1135 Mon - Fri 8:30am - 5:00pm
The EnviroFold wooden loft ladder is a 3-section superior quality ladder that boasts two handrails for safety and ease of use and is designed to fit snugly between standard 600mm UK joists. Made from seasoned timber, the EnviroFold will not warp, split or shrink. The door is easy to operate thanks to a sprung counterbalance mechanism and positive door lock. The ladder is easily adjusted to fit and then finished with purpose designed feet to protect the stiles and your flooring. The EnviroFold is fitted with a rubber draft excluder that is tested to EN 12207, the internationally recognised air-seal standard. The 26mm deep fully insulated trap door also helps minimise heat loss, has concealed hinges and is finished in white on both sides to blend seamlessly into your homes decor. The EnviroFold will require some assembly before first use. [Dimensions: Floor to Floor 2.9m, loft opening 1150 x575mm, case size 1130 x 550mm, frame height 115mm, treads depth 82mm]
|Product SKU
|Max Floor to Floor Height
|Hatch Case Size
|Max Swing Clearance
|Opening Size
|1.130 x 0.55m
|1.15 x 0.57m
|Additional Handrail
|Extension Kit (Extends floor to ceiling height to 3.51m)
good quality for the amount of money but the instructions could have been a bit clearer. On one image the springs look to attach from the inside and on the next it looks like from the outside, a bit confusing?? Would have been easier and cheaper to show this in photographs and saved someone have to draw all the components.
would recomend to anyone
Good product, installed by joiner very easily
Easy to install
This is a standard product. Orders received by 4:00PM (Telephone Orders by 5PM), that are in stock ship the same day for next day delivery to UK mainland destinations (England, Wales, Southern Scotland). Orders to out of area locations will take longer. Please see the delivery tab for more information. Deliveries are made between 8AM and 6PM Monday to Friday, except on Bank Holidays.


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Slavery in Nepal
Unsafe Migration
Nepal's economy depends on people leaving home. Money sent back by Nepali workers in overseas jobs makes up one-quarter of the country's national income.
Many seek construction and domestic servant job opportunities in Persian Gulf countries. Others head to Malaysia and Indonesia, where manual laborers are in demand. Some even head to India to work in circuses.
For many job seekers, the journey leads to dehumanizing abuse. Women are forced into numerous forms of prostitution. Men are brutalized at dangerous work sites.
As migrants in foreign lands who've been tricked with false contracts and had their passports taken, Nepalis are especially vulnerable. They suffer horrific violence and violations of their most basic human rights. Escape is virtually impossible.
Exploitation at Home
Social, cultural, and economic systems of marginalization in Nepal lead to poverty, neglect, and enslavement of Nepalis at farms and in quarries as forced laborers and in bars, restaurants, and massage parlors as forced prostitution sex slaves.
Families lacking resources to cope with financial shocks, such as medical emergencies, find themselves enslaved in debt bondage. Children are pressed into service beside their parents, carrying heavy loads of stones that weigh more than they do.
The structures and mechanisms for holding government officials and slave holders accountable under Nepali law are often missing or weak. Vulnerable communities lack an understanding of their rights and how to avoid the risks that lead to slavery.
Communities are often atomized and lack both community-based anti-slavery organizations and non-governmental agencies that serve as protectors and advocates. There has been inadequate investment in building the capacity of local civil society organizations that can work on behalf of enslaved or at-risk communities.
Our Solutions in Nepal
Community-based approaches are needed to sustainably eradicate slavery.
Community organizing provides a vehicle for rights education, where slaves and vulnerable people can recognize the illegality of their situation and make plans to assert their freedom.
An organized community turns slaves and vulnerable people into human rights activists and a population of marginalized people into a movement that can leverage significant and lasting change.
Our Nepal program has four main approaches.
- Community Empowerment and Safe Migration Education. We work in rural communities as they bring trafficked children home and find ways to end trafficking in their villages. Free the Slaves builds and reinforces a grassroots movement of community vigilance committees in the most affected communities. These committees make demands of public officials and slave holders, spread awareness of trafficking and slavery risks and human rights, challenge harmful norms within the community, and assist in rescues, returns and reintegration of slaves. We also support vocational training and income generating activities for members of the committees. Small loans or seed investments are given to survivors with business ideas such as mobile shop carts, fishing boats, and bicycle taxis. The terms of the loan are more favorable to the survivors than they would get from many other local micro-credit programs and are targeted at formerly enslaved women.
- Empowering Women and Girls in the "Entertainment" Industry. We strengthen and unite women and girls in the restaurants and dance bars of Kathmandu so that they can escape and prevent sex slavery. Self-help groups help women and girls find jobs where they will be safe, properly paid, and treated with respect. These groups pressure business owners to pay fair wages and prevent customers from abusing workers, file cases with the police, help women collectively save money in a revolving fund, and gain access to health care, counseling, and educational support.
- Advocate for Tougher Law Enforcement. We help the Nepalese government improve its laws and actions against slavery. Our advocacy efforts are aimed at improving the country's National Plan of Action Against Trafficking, ensuring slavery is better defined in the constitution, and promoting ratification of the United Nations Protocol Against Trafficking.
- Enlist International Organizations. We train field staff for large anti-poverty development projects so that they can identify slavery and trafficking and help prevent community members who are migrating to work from being enslaved.
Read our Community-Based Model for Fighting Slavery for in-depth details of the Free the Slaves global strategy for freeing slaves and ending the conditions that allow slavery to persist. Or watch our animated video that takes you through the model, step by step.
Read our report about the need for regional collaboration among South Asian anti-slavery organizations. Read our literature review on slavery in Kathmandu's "entertainment" industry in Nepal.
Read our co-authored research report on anti-trafficking efforts in post-earthquake Nepal.
Our Results in Nepal
- More than 25,000 people in 2015 were educated on human trafficking risks and ways to stand up for their rights to resist slavery in their home communities.
- More than 100 government officials were trained in 2015 on their duties to enforce anti-trafficking laws.
- More than 1,200 at-risk individuals and 80 slaves or slavery survivors received services from FTS or our front-line partners in 2015.
See a global Google Map of the communities where we work here.
Our Partners in Nepal
In Nepal, our current and previous partners have included:
- Women Skill Creation Center: WOSCC is based in one of Nepal's most trafficking-prone districts and advocates for stronger anti-slavery policies, organizes women against domestic violence, and provides vocational training, access to education, and counseling to girls returning from slavery in India and local children held in domestic slavery.
- Gramin Mahila Srijansil Parivar: GMSP is a village-based women's anti-trafficking movement that reduce women's economic vulnerability to trafficking and helps freed slaves challenge the stigmas they face and rebuild their lives.
- Shakti Samuha: It's the first organization in Nepal established and run by survivors of trafficking. Shakti Samuha organizes women in Jhapa and Bardiya Districts to resist slavery and provides education and support so women can safely migrate overseas for work and avoid traffickers.
- Alliance Against Trafficking in Women and Children in Nepal: AATWIN is a coalition of more than 20 Nepali anti-slavery organizations providing a voice in the national capital for activists working in disparate and remote areas of the country. AATWIN adopts a common agenda that focuses the advocacy of the anti-slavery movement on tangible steps that can be undertaken collectively.


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Sparking Anger
By Margaret Ronald
Lisa dug up the first skull just before sunset, as the last
light streaked the stony earth of the garden. Her hands recognized
it before her eyes did, and she jerked away, rocking back onto
her heels so violently she almost hit the patio.
behind her, the sound of an angry string section started up again.
Lisa shook her head — she'd gotten used to Mrs. Kostianaya's
single-minded musical tastes, but she didn't have to like them
— and rubbed at her eyes. But the skull remained where she'd dug,
staring up at her through a fringe of weeds. One eyesocket was
clotted with dirt; the other gaped sightlessly at her. I don't
believe it, she thought, but reached forward nonetheless and brushed
the earth away.
A hand touched her shoulder. Lisa yelped and pulled the skull
free, curling it against her stomach. Later she would wonder at
the strength of her response, how she had first moved to protect
"You're still out here?" her mother asked. "It's
getting late."
Lisa forced
herself to relax. "You're home just as late."
"Work ran over." She crouched beside Lisa, awkward
in her business attire. "You've done some good work here.
I don't think even Nanna could have done better."
Lisa abruptly
remembered what she was cradling against her body. "Mom
—" She lowered the skull till it rested on the ground. "Is
— is this sort of thing usual?"
Her mother
gave the skull a brief glance. "What, a lump
of gravel? I should think so. This garden probably used to be an
old driveway. I'm surprised you can get anything to grow."
"Gravel," Lisa repeated. She set the skull down. It
could look like gravel, in the dimming light . . . but it wasn't. "Mom,
I think . . . I think maybe I'm cracking up."
Her mother
rose to her feet, brushing off her skirt. "It's
only been a week, Lisa. You can't have cabin fever already; you've
got two more to go."
I just go out once? Just to the store with you?"
"No." She helped Lisa up. "I'll
talk to Mrs. Kostianaya, though. Maybe we can see about borrowing
her plot, since she doesn't
seem to use it. That'll give you some more work, keep your mind
off things. And maybe I'll ask her to go easy on the Mussorgsky;
she's playing it so loud I can hear it out here."
Lisa tried to smile, but she felt the skull's mute gaze on her
back all the way inside.
In the morning,
Mrs. Kostianaya's plot was occupied by a sagging storage shed. "She must have ordered it recently," Lisa's
mother said. "Oh, well. I'll talk to her anyway."
Lisa didn't answer. Mrs. Kostianaya had been playing her one
song over and over, this time till midnight, and she'd started
up again at eight o'clock. Before her suspension, Lisa hadn't noticed
how often Mrs. Kostianay played her music, but now with TV, computer,
and headphones all off limits, it was close to driving her nuts.
She worked on this week's homework as long as she could stand to
be inside, then fled to the garden.
But Mrs. Kostianaya
was there first, having left her music still playing. Lisa tried
not to scream. "Morning, Mrs. Kostianaya," she
said through her teeth.
"Rotten, stinking hulk! Sulfur-smelling piece of junk!
What do you think you're doing here?" Mrs. Kostianaya hobbled
closer to the shed and whacked it with her cane. "Stupid thing," she
panted, "dragging me down, don't you understand? I can't afford
you! I have to look after myself!" She kicked at the sagging
clapboards and lapsed into a spate of feeble Russian.
She's talking to the shed, Lisa realized. Christ, that's
sad. "Mrs.
Kostianaya, are you all right?"
Mrs. Kostianaya
cast a glare over her shoulder, then stumbled back as if shocked
to see Lisa there. "You can't take it," she
said. "I'm an old woman. I'm weak. I don't have any to spare."
Before Lisa
could speak, the old woman burst into tears, gave the shed one
last kick, and hobbled away. The shed creaked and
slid a little, like a cowering dog. Lisa glanced at it. "Don't
you fall down," she muttered. "Mom'll pitch a fit if
you crush her seedlings."
It didn't answer, and Lisa felt a dull burn of shame. It wasn't
fair to make fun of Mrs. Kostianaya; she was, like she said, old
and weak.
One doesn't necessarily follow the other, she thought angrily.
Nanna was old, but she wasn't weak. Not by a long shot.
But Nanna was dead, years dead. She eyed the skull on its perch
at the edge of their plot. It hadn't changed, save that daylight
made it impossible to mistake for gravel. So I'm cracking up, she
thought. At least I won't be the only crazy in the building.
By noon she'd
dug up five more skulls, the shock fading with each one. Her
mother returned home on her lunch break and came
out to see the garden. "Is there a reason," she asked, "why
you're putting little dirt mounds all around my garden?"
Lisa looked
at her, at the jawless skulls, and back. "Rocks," she
lied. "There must have been an old driveway here or something."
"I wouldn't doubt it. Still, keep at it. You've got my mother's
touch; you can make anything grow." She let her hand rest
on Lisa's shoulder.
Lisa smiled
at the earth. "Thanks. I'd — I miss Nanna,
"So do I, sweetie." She let go of Lisa's shoulder,
wrapping herself once more in the iron courtesy her job required. "See
you later."
Nanna had
made everything grow. Her old house had been surrounded by green
things, even in winter. That, plus her sometimes abrasive
attitude, had put people off, but Lisa had loved it. "So they
think I'm the witch in the woods," Nanna had laughed with
her one Halloween. "Who cares? I like being the witch in the
woods. Maybe the men don't look at me any more, but now they listen
to me."
Lisa held her hands up. Where the shadow of the shed covered
them, they looked old. Old as bone.
"I heard from Ronnie Coleman's mother," Lisa's mother
said as she passed the potatoes. "She says his hand's healing,
and he should be able to practice with the football team in the
"That's too bad," Lisa
Her mother
sighed. It was difficult to see her face; the overhead light
had lost a bulb again, and the remaining one was inadequate,
sinking half of the table in shadows. "You'd prefer it if
he never played again, wouldn't you?"
you put it like that, yes."
Her mother was silent for a moment, and the echoes of earlier
conversations spoke for her. How could you break his hand? What
on earth were you doing, trying to kill him? But all those
had been said, and said again, until they'd sunk into the walls
the apartment like mildew. "I take it," her mother said, "that
you haven't started your essay on nonviolence yet."
She dug at
the tablecloth with one ragged fingernail. "No."
won't let you back without it. Even if you finish your suspension."
"I don't
care. It's a stupid topic."
A hint of
iron came into her mother's voice. "And one you
could stand to learn more about."
"I have learned more about it," Lisa said, spearing
a potato on the end of her fork. "You got me all those stupid
Her mother
shook her head. "Being stubborn is not going
to make it any easier when you go back —"
She shoved
her plate back and got up. "I'm not hungry any
more." Her mother covered her face with a shaky hand, but
didn't call her back.
The TV started
up not long after, its drone the only thing to counteract Mrs.
Kostianaya's music. >From the sound, it was
one of the courtroom dramas that Lisa and her mother both loved,
but Lisa stayed in her room. No TV during the suspension, and if
she was out there, that meant none for her mom as well.
She lay down, wrapped her pillow over her head, and imagined
that it was Ronnie Coleman's skull in the garden, the stupid surprise
on his face when she broke his hand now eternally wiped away. But
as her eyes began to close, the image changed, and it was her skull
instead, eyesockets burning with a corrosive light.
The twelfth
skull was the one that gave her trouble. This one had a jaw attached,
though "attached" wasn't quite the
right word for the way it hung askew. When she poked at the skull
with her gardening fork, it spun and bit the fork, snapping the
tines straight off.
Lisa didn't think, just reversed the fork and whacked the skull
with it. The skull rocked to one side, and when it came to rest
looked almost chastened. She set it with the others, jaw dangling
over the border, and examined the damage.
The fork was unusable, and the common shed lacked any replacement.
She cussed for a while, mostly because it felt good to cuss where
her mom couldn't hear her, then came out and gave Mrs. Kostianaya's
shed a long look. There was no sign of Mrs. Kostianaya herself;
the shades were drawn tight, and if Lisa listened hard enough she
could hear the Mussorgsky again. What is that piece? she thought.
Not the Fantasia one. The one the marching band mangled at their
concert last year, along with Swan Lake arranged for drums and
Whatever, so long as it keeps her from looking outside.
The shed's windows were opaque with grime. Lisa squinted at one
of them, trying to make sense of the vague shapes within, then
gave the doorknob a tug. To her surprise, it swung loose in her
hand, and a musty, swampy smell enveloped her.
Her eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness, taking in the
meager furnishings. A hearth took up the far end of the house,
and beside it a contraption of wooden frames woven with cobwebs
listed to one side.
This isn't a shed, she thought as she stepped inside. This is
someone's house.
In the center of the room was a big stone tub, round and as high
as Lisa's waist, with a long lump of the same kind of stone in
it, polished smooth. Pestle, she thought, and a mortar, like the
kind Mom uses for rosemary. But why so big . . . or maybe I've
gotten small . . .
A dark stain lay at the bottom of the mortar. Lisa stared at
it, then, as a hollow wind swept around her, turned and fled.
Once outside, the sunlight burned away some of her panic away.
She bent over and braced her hands on her knees, breathing slowly.
"So this
is where you've been."
She jerked upright, one hand snatching up the trowel from the
patio table before she could think. A lumpy boy stood on the far
side of the fence, hands in the pockets of his letter jacket. His
sneer, if nothing else, was familiar. Her memory extended a name:
Jason something, junior varsity. Oh, hell, she thought.
Jason's grin
widened. "Coleman's not happy with you."
"That's funny," Lisa said. "I'm very happy. Only
way I could be happier is if I'd broken both his hands." She
stepped to block his view of the skulls, very aware of their gazes
at her back.
The grin disappeared,
but the sneer remained. "Coleman's
got plans for you," he said, taking a step closer to the fence. "Teachers
can't help you, principal won't, and you can't stay with the other
girls forever, no matter how they're acting. Once you get back,
we're coming for you."
"See if I care," she shot back, then paused, replaying
his words. "They're not giving in any more, are they?" she
said. "The other girls aren't putting up with your bullshit
any more. Not after they heard what I did."
Jason's face
twisted in momentary fury and was insufficiently covered by his
attempt at scorn. "They will once we're done
with you," he spat. "The whole team wants a piece of
you for what you did to him. It'll be just like with that little
slut, only you'll be awake for the whole thing."
Lisa threw
the trowel overhand as hard as she could. It grazed his arm —
her aim was off — but he yelled as if it'd broken a
bone. "You tell them that when I'm done with them, they'll
wish I'd just broken their hands!" she shouted. "You
tell them that I'm going to smash open their empty heads and kick
their balls so hard they'll be tasting scrotum for a week! You
tell them —"
"Lisa!" Her mother stood framed in the back door. Lisa
swallowed her words, choking on them. Her mother glanced at Jason. "Are
you all right? Get inside, Lisa."
Seething, she did so. The apartment was dull and quiet, so quiet
that she could hear the placatory tone of her mother's voice. She
kicked the garbage can over, then cursed and spent the next few
minutes cleaning up the mess.
Her mother
came in just as she got the last of the potato peels. "I
convinced him not to tell his father. That's all you need right
now, another mark on your record."
mark — Mom, did you even hear —"
"I didn't need to hear it, Lisa!" She dropped her purse
on the counter and placed her hands flat against the tabletop. "You
can't afford this, and neither can I! Do you know what I found
out today?"
Lisa took
a deep breath. "All right," she said. "What
did you find out?"
Pierce. Two months ago. His father said he lost three teeth."
Lisa exhaled. "There was this freshman girl," she said.
Her mother's expression didn't change. "He kept spiking her
punch when she wasn't looking. It was her first party, so she didn't
know what it was supposed to taste like. Two more and she'd have
been out cold, and he'd have dragged her off to the back room."
Her mother
nodded slowly. "Glossing over for the moment
the fact that you were at a party with alcohol — without my knowledge,
apparently — can I ask why you then found it necessary to attack
"So he
wouldn't do it again."
did she thank you for coming to her rescue?"
Lisa glared
at the floor. "No." But they're not giving
in now. Not after I showed them how to fight.
Coleman's got plans for you.
Her mother
sighed, then dragged a chair from behind the table and sank down
into it, rocking as its uneven legs took her weight. "Lisa,
you're turning eighteen this summer. You're not going to be a juvenile
any more, and if you keep doing this sort of thing then you can
be arrested for assault."
what Todd did — what he had planned wasn't assault?"
Ronnie Coleman assault anyone?"
No, Lisa thought. He just slipped something into his
girlfriend's drink and then passed her around to the rest of
the football team. But Sherri had begged her not to tell anyone, and so Lisa stayed
"Lisa, I understand you have these . . . chivalrous impulses.
But you have to hold yourself back. You have to keep something
for yourself. You may already have ruined your chances to get into
a good college; please don't make it any worse." She took
a breath, then paused and held out her hands. "There are nicer
ways to go about defending people."
"Nice? Nice?"
"Somebody has to be willing to be nice," her mother
insisted. "Otherwise it just becomes a vicious cycle."
being nice to Dad get you any more child support?"
Fury blazed
in her mother's eyes — and just as quickly burnt out. "No. But it meant that he couldn't have me declared unfit
to raise you." Her lips were thin and bloodless. "I had
to make that choice, Lisa. I don't regret it one bit."
"And I don't regret beating the snot out of Ronnie Coleman.
Or Todd Pierce. Or anybody else." She stomped over to the
door. "Fuck nice, Mom."
are not going outside this apartment —"
just going to the fucking garden!" Her voice broke
on the last word, and she slammed the door behind her.
Mrs. Kostianaya
was on the stairs. Lisa sniffled furiously. "What
do you want?"
"You've got the right of it, girl. I know, I hear." She
pointed her cane up the stairs. "Come."
Lisa glanced over her shoulder, but the door remained shut.
"Nice." Mrs. Kostianaya snorted as they went upstairs. "You
think the rest of those girls, the ones like you, all got out of
the woods being nice? Nice isn't same as blessed. Nice I could
stand; I could never stand blessings." She unlocked the door
and waited for Lisa.
Her apartment was as crammed full of things as the hut had been
bare. Black and gold lacquered boxes lined every shelf, brilliant
with firebirds or dancing women or men stumbling through snow.
A tiny, staticky TV garbled at her from the corner, almost lost
among the swags of red cloth hung over the wall. Tea sets jostled
each other for room on the shelf above it. It didn't look as though
anything had ever been thrown away in this apartment, and few things
looked used.
Mrs. Kostianaya
stumped past her, then spun and glared at Lisa. "You
turn your back. I don't want you seeing where I keep it."
Obediently, Lisa turned to face the wall. A stereo system at
least as old as she was took up most of a bookshelf, and above
it another lacquered tray showed an old woman riding in something
like a tiny boat or bathtub, whacking the air with a stone club
. . .
"Found it," grunted Mrs. Kostianaya. Lisa turned to
see her sitting in a recliner, a box as long as her arm across
her lap. Stuffing from the chair sprayed out to either side of
her head, giving her the look of a mad scientist or a broken-haloed
angel. "Every time you came to me, you and the other Vassilisas,
you asked for fire. Fire for your stepmother, fire for your stepsisters,
who'd let their light go out. Always I had some to spare, so you
could go home with a skull full of flame, ready to burn away the
badness. Always I sent you back to get rid of you and your blessings,
sent you with your fire and your learning."
Lisa was ready to leave, but the word skull kept her. She edged
forward, away from the clinging draperies, but stopped when she
saw Mrs. Kostianaya flinch back.
"I know you could take it." Mrs. Kostianaya clutched
the box, her long nails scratching at it like maddened mice. "I
know you could do it, take the house and the fire and all. But
you won't. Because you Vassilisas, you know youth better now. Once
you choose the fire, is no going back. No youth, no mother, no
children, no man, only the fire."
She sighed
and stroked the box's lid. "Your mama has it
right. You have to keep something for yourself. I know, I hear.
Don't you look shocked!" She thumped the box and raised a
clawlike hand. "Used to be I could hear anything in my woods,
anything I wanted to. . . But she has it right. I thought, one
day the fire will all be gone, the beautiful, stupid girls will
take it all, and I won't have any . . . I won't go begging like
them. I won't. I deserve it. They don't."
Lisa stirred. "Why?"
Mrs. Kostianaya
blinked, then looked down. "They don't.
Because they're stupid. Did stupid things."
"Doesn't mean they don't deserve — what you've got to give." Lisa
paused, not entirely sure what she was arguing for. "Being
stupid shouldn't mean a death sentence."
"Pfah." Mrs. Kostianaya worried at her lower lip. "Because
I'm old. That's why I deserve it. Sick of giving. I wanted one
for me." She turned the box toward Lisa and opened it. "So
I kept one for me."
Lisa looked
into the box. It was full of gray dust. For a second fragments
swirled together to form what might have been the orbit
of an eyesocket, but it collapsed in on itself, too tired to move. "That's
. . . very prudent of you."
Always hated prudent. Always hated nice. Always hated you." She closed the box with a snap and dumped it on the
floor. "Give me the days when I could fly," she muttered,
getting up and shoving past Lisa to the stereo, "when generals
came to me for flawless schemes, when warlords stabled my horses.
I worked so hard, I deserve this now, I'm old and weak . . ."
The too-familiar cadence of Mussorgsky thumped from the stereo.
Lisa glanced at the record sleeve where it lay, the pseudo-Russian
drawings. Pictures at an Exhibition, it read, and two-thirds of
the way down the name of a movement had been circled.
The little hut on hen's legs. The house of the old witch.
"Go away, Vassilisa," Mrs. Kostianaya said. Tears ran
down her face, sinking deep into the creases. "Go away and
stop reminding me what I was."
Lisa closed the door behind her, not soon enough to avoid hearing
Mrs. Kostianaya's dry, cracked sobs.
She lay awake till late, staring at the ceiling and trying to
think. Her mother hadn't come out of her room when she returned,
but the sound of the TV started up shortly after Lisa closed her
bedroom door.
You have to keep something back. For college. For yourself.
Nanna didn't keep anything back. Nanna said and did what she
Nanna's dead.
She closed her eyes and pressed her hands over them. Something
whistled outside her window. She got up to look and saw Jason out
in the alley. He grinned. We'll be waiting, he mouthed. Lisa pulled
the blinds over the window without speaking.
Eleven o'clock came and went. Her mother had fallen asleep on
the couch again. Lisa went out and pulled a blanket over her mother,
but left the TV on.
" I'm sorry, Mom," she
said. Her mother smiled and snuggled deeper into the blankets. It's not enough, she thought.
She'll never know you were sorry.
I'll know. She kissed her mother on the forehead, then stood
up, hearing a new murmur, this one from outside.
The skulls were waiting for her. Someone had put them on stakes
now, in a circle around the hut, or perhaps they had grown that
way. No — not a circle, she realized. There was a gate, a gap,
leaving the circle incomplete. Some of the skulls had grown jawbones;
all could speak. Where is my daughter? cried one. I trusted my
husband, where is my daughter?
Years of taking fists to the stomach, the
arms, the face, said
another, and when I finally slapped him they arrested me instead.
I was careful. I thought if I was careful I'd be safe. I didn't
know he'd follow me to work. I didn't know he'd wait for me just
inside the parking garage.
The other skulls sobbed, shouted, snarled like dogs. Like bitches.
Lisa glanced back at the dark apartment building, but there was
no response from it.
Once you choose the fire, there's no going back.
The men don't look at me, but they listen.
Someone has to be willing to be nice.
"No," Lisa whispered, and the skulls paused to hear
her words. "Someone has to be willing to be angry."
She stepped into the circle, through to the door of Mrs. Kostianaya's
hut. The dirt around it was furrowed and scratched, as if the hut
had been restless in the night. A wooden stake as long as her arm
barred the door. Lisa looked at it for a long moment, then put
her hands to her jaw.
This is a dream, she thought as her face began to pull away,
leaving another, different face behind. This is not a dream.
It hurt, but no more than her knuckles had hurt after Ronnie
Coleman or Todd Pierce. No more than sex had, the first time, and
like sex, she had the sense of giving up something — not her virginity,
but something more. Tears leaked from her eyes, but they evaporated
She pulled one head away, now a skull with shreds of her hair
clinging to it, and gingerly touched the wrinkled face beneath.
Her face now.
Yaga, the skulls murmured, yaga.
"Yes," she
whispered in her new voice, hoarse and cracked but no less strong.
She took the stake from the hut's door and
jammed her old skull atop it. Fire bloomed in its eyesockets, throwing
diabolic shadows across the yard, and the skulls screamed in glee
as fire sparked in them as well.
She looked back once, first at the flickering television glow
through her mother's window, then at the curtains of Mrs. Kostianaya's
windows, pulled tight against the world. Sometimes you have
to be the witch in the woods. So they'll remember. So they know
has fire to give them. The hut's door opened to her, and she entered.
They'll remember me, she thought as her hut lurched to its feet
and stalked away, fire following it.
Ronald's fiction has appeared in Realms of Fantasy and Ideomancer.
She is an alum of the Viable Paradise workshop and a member of the
Boston Area Science Fiction Writer's Group. Originally from rural Indiana,
she now lives outside Boston.
Questions or Comments: firstname.lastname@example.com
Web design by Clarkesworld


text:
Westlake Porter Public Library has a new, easy to use eBook and eAudiobook service! The cloudLibrary has great new titles for all ages and links up to your WPPL account.
Use cloudLibrary on many devices, including:
- Apple devices (iPad, iPhone)
- Android tablets and phones
- Kindle Fires
- PCs and Macs (transfer to your Nook or Kobo e-reader)
The set-up is simple – download the app, log in one time with your Westlake library card, and then you are set to read eBooks and eAudiobooks anytime, anywhere! Check out up to 10 titles at a time, and keep them all for 21 days, when the titles automatically expire from your account.
We added the simple and intuitive cloudLibrary to respond to your feedback and keep up with the ever-growing demand for eBooks.


text:
Boy: "Warden Uncle, how many colours are there?"
Warden Uncle: "Red, Blue, Yellow. Green…"
Boy: "What does green colour look like?"
This Bronze winner at the Cannes Lions 2007 in the category Film is my absolute favorite. This is art and although it's about blind children this video makes me happy. Film shows a collage of blind school kids playing Holi (the Indian festival of colors). It ends with an appeal to donate one's eyes.
The video is from the Eye Bank Association of India. Their mission is to continuously educate general public about preventing blindness caused due to corneal disorders and wherever cure is required facilitate availability of cornea in the shortest possible time. The Main Objective is to create awareness about eye donation and act as a resource center for all eye banks in India.
67 people (including the creators of this film) have agreed to donate their eyes after seeing this film. The number of donors kept on increasing with every passing week. By the end of the 4th week 1325 people had pledged to donate their eyes.
Update: The video is removed several times from YouTube. The version above is without subtitles.
The low quality version below with subtitles.
Eye Bank Association of India
Additional credits:
Executive Creative Director: Raghu Bhat/Manish Bhatt
Creative Director: Raghu Bhat/Manish Bhatt
Copywriter: Manish Bhatt/Raghu Bhat/Gajraj Rao
Art Director: Manish Bhatt/Raghu Bhat/Gajraj Rao
Agency Producer: Subrat Ray
Production Company: Code Red Films, Mumbai India
Director: Gajraj Rao
Producer: Subrat Ray
D.O.P/Lighting Cameraman: Amitabha Singh
Music – Artist/Title: Rajat Dholakia
Other Credits: Lyrics: Gopal Datt


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Colloquium Archive
Ligia Mihut
Name: Ligia Mihut, English Department
Presentation Title: "The Party,
Ceausescu, Romania: Literacy Education and Ideologized Textbooks in Communist Times (1971-1989)"
Date: October 17th, 2013
In the last two decades (1971-1989) of the Communist regime in Romania, literacy education was authoritarian, collective, and regimented guided by army-like principles (Persu, 1998). Modeling the Soviet example, "the fight against illiteracy" campaign, in the words of President Nicolae Ceausescu, was central to the constitution of the "new socialist man." This ideology originates with Lenin's own proclamation that "the illiterate person stands outside politics" (Arnove & Graff, 1987). Considering literacy's central place on the Communist agenda, I explore how textbooks and extracurricular literature deployed specific themes—nature, Romanian history, family, and the Party—to advance affinity for the patria (engl. homeland). Acknowledging that for the most part, the state failed to turn school children into political, class-conscious citizens, I argue that the effects of this monologic discourse produced a blended literacy model that combines certain national elements with global 21st century literacies. To advance this claim, I rely on literacy histories with Romanian immigrants and archival work conducted in Romania comprising a collection of school textbooks, magazines, and Party minutes of the Propaganda and Agitation Commission. The case of literacy in Romania also points to issues of class, national discourse and structures of feelings that shape the literate experience. These are contemporary concerns that must be addressed as we continue to engage in dialogs on diversity and global perspectives in writing and literacy studies.


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Exclusive Interview: Megan Park on The Secret Life of the American Teenager FinaleGabrielle Compolongo at . Comments
Will Grace let loose on tonight's summer finale of The Secret Life of the American Teenager? Are Jack and Grace over for good?
We asked these questions and more to Grace herself (Megan Park) in an exclusive interview, excerpts from which are posted below...
Will Grace finally let loose on the finale?
You'll definitely get a big hint as to what's going to come next season. I would say the next season, when we start back in January, is when Grace really starts to let loose a lot more and some pretty dramatic things happen in her life, that's for sure.
[Photo: ABC Family]
Are Jack and Grace completely over?
No. I don't think it's the end for them. I think there's just such a history, and that's what explored in what we're filming now, and it'll come out next year. There's always going to be something there with them, and I feel like no matter who they're with, they're always comparing them to what they had, and nothing for them has compared so far. Their paths begin to cross again very soon.
Are you Team Ricky/Amy?
I have mixed emotions on that. I think that it would be interesting to see them give it a try. They've never really done the full-on family thing with John and given it a try. I think Amy is going to find somebody else that's probably better suited, they're the ones everyone has been dying to see get together. I think it's going to be difficult for Amy to make it work, though. It's work itself out. Even if they did get together, it would take a lot of work to make it a happy situation.
That's been the one thing that's pretty continuous since the baby was born. He's been really dedicated. He hasn't really done anything to mess that up so far and Amy went to New York, it was hard for him but he took over. He only continues to become a better father, which I really like about the character. Amy is really lucky to have that, for sure.
Tell me about your Lifetime movie, The Perfect Teacher (airing September 12).
It's super intense. It's this story about this girl named Devon, who I play, and she's your average teenage girl, but she's really troubled. She comes from a really interesting family background. Her mom passed when she was young and it's just her and her dad. She becomes madly obsessed with her teacher, who's played by David Charvay, and it's not your normal teenage schoolgirl crush, she takes it one step further and ends up really throwing him for a loop and ending up in every aspect of his life. Getting involved with his child and his ex-wife and all of these things, and she really causes a lot of damage, to herself and to his life. She doesn't know when to stop.
Anything else in the works?
I just finished filming a movie in Utah. It's called Guns, Girls & Gambling, and it's a feature that will come out next year. It's also starring Gary Oldman, Christina Slater, Dane Cook, and Sam Trammell (True Blood). It's the funniest script, so well written. It has twists and turns and keeps you on your toes. Having Gary Oldman and Dane Cook in the same scene is just so funny. It was the most amazing experience to work with all of those actors, and I learned so much. We just finished it, so it should be out sometime next year.


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|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|Andrey Ilinykh <ailin...@gmail.com>
|Why data tripled in size after repair?
|Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:30:04 GMT
Hello everybody! I have 3 node cluster with replication factor of 3. each node has 800G disk and it used to have 100G of data. What is strange every time I run repair data takes almost 3 times more - 270G, then I run compaction and get 100G back. Unfortunately, yesterday I forget to compact and run repair again (at that moment I had around 270G). As result I have 720G on each node. I run compaction again and get a lot of warnings like this WARN [CompactionExecutor:732] 2012-09-26 16:13:00,745 CompactionTask.java (line 84) insufficient space to compact all requested files which makes sense, because I'm almost out of disk space. So, I have two questions. 1. Why repair almost triples data size? 2. How to compact my data back to 100G? Thank you, Andrey
|View raw message


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Headteacher's Curriculum Statement
The BAfB Three-Part Curriculum
Part 1
The corner stones of our curriculum are English, Maths and Science. Every child must master these and they are our priority.
We also have a rich diet of the humanities (history and geography), the arts and technology subjects, all of which are vitally important.
How well we do can be measured by the levels of progress our boys make when they take their GCSEs and final exams.
Part 2
The second part of the curriculum is what we call our entitlement curriculum. We believe that every child has a right to experiences that in the past only the children of the better off could afford.
We will therefore give every child the opportunity to: go to the theatre; watch a live sporting event such as Manchester United playing; stay overnight at our Outdoor Education centre in Buxworth; visit a museum and an art gallery; take the Duke of Edinburgh bronze and silver awards; have a study visit to a University; partake in Works Experience; visit a major industry and the list goes on and on.
How well we do, in part, can be measured by the numbers of boys who go on all these activities.
Part 3
The final part of the curriculum cannot be measured. For this reason governments tend to ignore it but without it you do not have an education, you have at best what you can call schooling. Values.
We will teach our boys through the content of our lessons; through the experiences that we expose them to and through many other means at our disposal, to be compassionate.
They will learn to share not just materially but their skills and attributes. They will value charity and helping others. They will learn that we must live in a sustainable way and not waste the resources of this earth.
There is something called the Golden Rule which goes back through history and is found in every religion.
In short we will teach the boys that 'One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.'
That is the Burnage Academy curriculum offer.
Mr. Ian Fenn, Headteacher
News & Events
Free School Meals - IMPORTANT pls read!!
We encourage all parents/carers to check if their child is entitled to free school meals. Being registered for free... Read more
SSAT Member
Looking Beyond Day-To-Day Pressures and Keeping Ambition Alive. BAfB is a proud member of SSAT - a network connected... Read more


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Yamaha TD2B of Stan Nicholson
Stan Nicholson from Ontario, Canada, still races a Yamaha TD2B! And, at 66 years young he proudly carries the Number 1# on his bike!
Here are his own words:
"Äctually I started racing in the U.K. in 1963 before we moved to Canada in 1967, where I picked-up the racing hobby again in 1971.
I originally bought my TD2B at the end of the 1972 season here in Canada and raced it in 1973 and 74 before retiring from racing for the second time,
having 2 children under 8 at the time.
I started vintage/classic racing in 1982 after importing a Greeves
Silverstone from the UK, as the only time period at the time was for pre-67 bikes. When
the club started a class for pre-72 bikes in about 1985, I managed to track
down my TD2B and bought it back as it hadn't been on the track since 1975.
I have been racing the Greeves Silverstone and the Yamaha continually since then. The
bike is original with matching engine and frame numbers but is a working
race bike, not a restored piece.
As you can imagine, having first raced in 1963, I am not young anymore and
will turn 66 this year, so I am not sure how much longer I will continue to
race. My vintage/classic racing has been pretty successful over the years,
winning the club championship in my class several times on the TD2B and
winning the overall championship in 2008 on the Silverstone, so running
with the #1 plate on both my bikes in 2009".


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Browse a huge range of Kids fashion clothing at Roadhouse Online. Shop our huge range of established and upcoming brands, as well as all the latest styles and trends. Whether you need the outfit to show up the other kids at your next birthday party, or just need an update to your existing gear, get Mum and Dad to get you kitted out to look like them. Roadhouse has you covered.
Roadhouse offers a huge range of kids fashion essentials. Choose from CAT, Birkenstock, Dr Martens, Timberland, Blundstone, Palladium and much more.


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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – U.S. guitarist Jeff Hanneman, a co-founder of the seminal heavy metal band Slayer, died in Southern California on Thursday, the band said in a statement posted on their website. He was 49.
"Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure," the band said.
Hanneman founded Slayer with fellow guitarist Kerry King in the early 1980s in suburban Los Angeles.
Read the rest of the story at Reuters.com.
Photo: Invision/AP


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Throughout CCCADI's history, we have acted as an incubator and springboard for new artistic and intellectual brilliance. For example, we spearheaded 'Transforming the Crown: African, Asian and Caribbean Artists in Britain' which amassed more than 100 works into an exhibition that was simultaneously on-view at CCCADI, The Studio Museum in Harlem, and The Bronx Museum of the Arts. The landmark exhibition became a model for institutional collaboration. We've also presented transcendent talent such as Celia Cruz, Amiri Baraka, Tito Puente, Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, the Mardi Gras Indians and Ghanaian rapper Blitz the Ambassador, among others.
Currently, CCCADI showcases the creative genius of traditional and contemporary Diaspora culture through the following arts exhibitions, festivals and performances:
Our upcoming exhibition Liminal Space brings together artists of Guyanese heritage, who via photography, painting, sculpture, installation, video, textile, and mixed-media, bear witness to what drives one from their homeland as well as what keeps one psychically tethered to it.
Mi Querido Barrio, an augmented reality project and mobile app employing artists and local youth to landmark East Harlem's rich history and cultural legacy.
CCCADI-Lincoln Center-Out-of-Doors Festival partnership ('Heritage Sunday') is an annual dynamic program featuring music and dance performances from around the world.
The Loiza Festival partnership - in collaboration with Hermanos Fraternos de Loiza Inc. celebrates Afro-Puerto Rican culture in East Harlem.


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BST and its Directors have been in the Special Effects industry for decades and in that time have built a solid international reputation based on high quality service, innovative products and fast, efficient, installations in theme parks, theatres, cinemas, museums and science centres Worldwide.
The catalogue of bespoke and off-the-shelf effects manufactured by BST is vast and include a wide range of fire, fog, liquid, smoke, wind, fragrance, lighting, audio and mechanical effects. To see what BST have done in the past please take a look at the Projects and Shop (consumable sales) sections.
BST were delighted to be asked by Merlin Magic Making to design and install the special effects on their new wooden rollercoaster, Wicker Man.
BST provide six giant propane burners which required five dedicated propane tanks storing 10,000kg of propane. In addition, 12 metres of simulated flame was installed in the loading area together with fragrances of burning wood - delivered by BST's latest fragrance system, the CFS-5.
BST were pleased to be asked by Electrosonic and the S S Great Britain Trust to provide sensory effects within the recreation of Brunel's Duke Street London office and the audio-visual experience, 'Brunel's mind'created the ambient aromas associated with the building including the fragrance of Brunel's famous cigars and the smell of the oily steam ships.
These fragrances are successfully delivered using the new BST fragrance system, the CFS-5
BST added to its large range of scent machines with the launch of our own fragrance machine for larger applications:
The CFS-5 is a powerful and programmable commercial fragrance delivery system. CFS-5 is ideal for theme parks, exhibitions and large indoor spaces where an ambient fragrance is required.
TO SEE MORE Including video footage of recent projects across the special effects arena: >> SEE PROJECTS ARCHIVE or CONTACT US if you'd like to discuss a project of your own.