text:
#60 Mona Tavakoli- Percussionist for Jason Mraz, Raining Jane and More!
Today's guest is Mona Tavakoli, who is a great percussionist that also released her own signature series cajon.
Upcoming gigs, events and festivals to check out...
The "A Great Night in Harlem" event at the Apollo on Friday April 20th. The Scott Kettner Summer Music Retreat (Episode #9) takes place in Philadelphia July 27-29. He also operates the World Drum Lessons (dot com) website. You can find a couple of the lessons and promotional codes below.....
If you are interested in a possible music career with any one of the multiple Army bands or ensembles, you can click on this link HERE. You can also listen to Episode #11 or Episode #8 to hear more about what is necessary to be in these bands and some of the duties that get performed once you are in one of these ensembles.
Our iconic recording this week is "Que Venga el Alba" by Paco De Lucia from the Cositas Buenas album featuring the great cajon player, Isráel Suárez "El Piraña".
Music News this week.....
The nominees for the Songwriters Hall of Fame have been announced. Gamble and Huff are the chairs of the Songwriting Hall of Fame. The corporation for public broadcasting could lose 97% of its funding. Gibson guitars could go bankrupt. Why you should know everything you need to know about your YouTube channel. 3 ways to increase your engagement with your Facebook page. Ludwig Göransson uses a 92-piece London orchestra and a 40-voice choir as well as traditional African percussionists for the score of the Black Panther movie. This is a pretty witty/awesome observation about the movie.....
Below is a transcription of Fergie's version of the national anthem if you'd like to play along.
Here's a version that the Remix God Suede did to make it more interesting. In case you forgot, here is the Beyonce version from the Obama inauguration.
The song leading into the interview with Mona is called "Oh Song" by Raining Jane.
Mona grew up in San Jose home of the Sharks and close to where the Santa Clara Vanguard is based.
Here is an example of some Persian dancing with Zills (finger cymbals)
The Non-Profit that Mona runs is the rock and roll camp for girls in L.A. Mona has IT Band syndrome and it made it difficult do to some physical activities.
Mona joined Raining Jane after being seen playing the cajon. You can catch them on tour and see where they will be at by clicking HERE. Raining Jane and Jason Mraz collaborated together to create the album Yes!
Waitress the musical was mentioned and written by Sara Bareilles and for a limited amount of time also co-staring Jason Mraz. Also mentioned is the Duo Decibel System with Mona and Jason. Shoutout to Michael Bram who plays drums with Jason in the full band where Mona plays percussion.
We mentioned the rock and roll camp for girls in L.A., but they are all part of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance. Tom Tom Magazine is a publication for female percussionists, and they host the Hit Like a Girl Contest.
Mona released a signature series Cajon called the MT Box and premiered it at NAMM.
Mona also sometimes plays with the Iranian carooner, Ebi (Hamedi)
Jose Gonzalez, Bob Marley are in Mona's current rotation
Rush's YYZ was the life changing album for Mona. And here are some songfacts about the song.
Here's the section of Curb Your Enthusiasm referring to the LOL.
Mona's big splurge was a DW snare drum while she was an R.A. in college.
The song leading out of the interview with Mona was called "Out of My Hands" by Jason Mraz.
Mona's sponsor shout out is to: DW Drums and Hardware, Latin Percussion, Remo Drumheads, Roland Electronic Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, Sennheiser Microphones and Vater Drumsticks and Mallets.
You can follow Mona on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


text:
Phone: 910-347-2738
Degrees and Certifications:
BS History BS Biology
Mrs. Ruth Evilsizor
Welcome to the 2018/2019 school year. This will be my forth year at DMS but my sixth year teaching within the Onslow County. I look forward to teaching your child the seventh grade Science curriculum. My classroom is always open to guest speakers that have worked in a field they feel would be interesting to students and aligned with our curriculum. Please contact me if you are interested in being a guest speaker. This year will mark a new change, as I will only be teaching Science and AVID. It will be hard not directly teaching Social Studies, but that doesn't mean historical information does not have a place or find its way into my science lessons. Finally, please note that email is the best way to contact me, but know that I will not respond while classes are in session.
Bachelors of Art from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Certified Secondary Education in History, Biology, Middle School Social Studies and Science.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Clothing storage ideas – Home Salt Storage Ideas This is little known to mess
Read article
Mudroom storage ideas – If you have a mudroom in your home, it's one of
Garden tool storage ideas – Pipe clamps are very useful devices for use in
Is small garage storage ideas that will help you keep your garage organized. There
Kayak storage ideas – Kayaks provide a great way to experience lakes and
Garage bike storage ideas – If you accidentally store your car in the garage,
Service Truck Tool Storage Ideas – This measurement system hides enough
Mail storage ideas– In the digital age, it rarely receives paper mail. And
Entry storage ideas can be important in homes with children, especially during the
Camper Storage Ideas – The biggest benefit of buying an emergent caravan can
Copyright © Find and save ideas about Bed inspirations


text:
I just was sent an invitation by Abuja Literary Society that this CEO/founder will be hosted on July 31 in Abuja for his book, then I thought to talk about him here. Having read his book, "How Stupidity Saved My Life" some years ago, and attended one of his book readings at Silverbird Galleria Abuja, I am excited he will be back again on his book tour as well as speak about his newest venture Okada Books Site and App. Go ahead to see what he wrote about himself on his BLOG.
Okechukwu Ofili is a leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources in education and business. He runs the popular blog ofilispeaks.com and is the author of several books including the controversially brilliant "How Intelligence Kills: Our Dangerous Addiction to Respect, Religion, Intelligence and Lots More" where he argues against the status quo and pushes us to challenge the norm by thinking differently!
In addition to writing and speaking, Okechukwu is the founder/owner of okadabooks.com, a fast growing and easy-to-use mobile book reading app (MTN 2013 app of the year) for the African market.
In the professional world, Okechukwu Ofili is a full time design engineer with a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Houston. However, in his alternative and more FUN world he is an artist, author and speaker. The friction ignited when his two worlds collide gives birth to the imaginative drawings and unconventional articles featured daily on his ofilispeaks.com blog site.
His blog articles are known for their humor, honesty and creativity in challenging the status-quo of work, life and family. They have consistently been featured in numerous online blogs including bellanaija, ynaija and FABmagazine.
The blog's content has subsequently been utilized in the publication of 3 uniquely distinct books: How Stupidity Saved My Life, How Laziness Saved My Life and How Intelligence Kills!
Bloggers, you see what he did by blogging? It's time to take this thing like serious business.


text: Casey and Dean asked me to meet them at their wedding venue, a winery in St Helena, which is where we their elegant winter wedding will be held. I am so looking forward to being part of this couple's big day. They are so sweet, kind, and not to mention photogenic! Congratulations on your engagement and cheers to your upcoming wedding!


text:
No Glory for Heroes
Posts Tagged 'Fighting'
Tekken 7 Trailer Released
May 19th, 2017 by Simon Stevens
Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition Review
February 6th, 2014 by Simon Stevens
Clash of the Titans
Click to continue reading "Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition Review"
Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale Review
December 7th, 2012 by Derek "Digi" McRoberts
Can Sonys free for all pummel the opposition?
Click to continue reading "Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale Review"
Mortal Kombat (PS Vita) Review
June 8th, 2012 by Greg Giddens
Handheld kombat at its finest.
Soul Calibur V Review
February 3rd, 2012 by currierox
The soul still burns.
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II Review
November 9th, 2011 by Sam Turner
Those sound like fighting words.
Click to continue reading "BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II Review"


text:
This hypnosis session + binaural music session, is a very special tool to allow you to push the boundaries of your mind. It will help you completely open up the possibilities that lie within the most amazing computer in the world - the human mind. It is designed for anybody who wishes to experience amazing new levels of creativity, perfect if you are a writer, artist, musician, student, or simply just a dreamer wishing to come up with that one big idea to set you up for life. The program works in 2 main parts, both contained on separate MP3 tracks for your convenience.
This is a hypnotherapy session spoken by Giovanni, recorded in full high definition audio with a special brainwave entrainment background soundtrack. It is designed to activate through direct suggestion & metaphors, the limitless potentials within the deeper parts of your mind, and allow you to bring these to your conscious attention whenever you need to.
This part of the program contains no spoken word or subliminal messages, just brainwave entrainment frequencies of binaural beats, trance tones & nature sounds. It is designed to be listened to at a low volume through headphones when you are in the process of creating something or coming up with ideas. The music will entrain your mind into a specific 10Hz level of Alpha trance, a state of brainwave resonance where your creative mindset is heightened. This is what is referred to as the zone of 'Super Learning' during the spoken hypnosis session, & using this track you will be able to put your mind into the exact level of trance conducive to focus, concentration, freedom & the flowing of information.
This was the very first product I bought from Giovanni. If you haven't already done so, listen to the free audio sample. That alone sold me, and when you dig down deep into your unconscious through the track, you will be AMAZED! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Ph: 1300 658 064 (Australia)
Copyright © 2015 Resonanz Recordings. All Rights Reserved. | Website by Imagine If Media | Privacy Policy


text:
The Nasdaq composite index rose 114.85, or 3.4 percent, to close at 3,499.58, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 24.76 to 1,407.81.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 178.19 to 10,545.97, led by United Technologies, which rose $3.75 to $63.50, and Intel.
At the close of regular trading, the chipmaker was up $9.50, or 9 percent, at $115.56. Intel said it will begin hosting data broadcasts, the latest element in its strategy to get into the services business.
Microsoft rose $1.69 to $67.88. The company proposed its own resolution to its antitrust case in response to the government's proposal to break up the software giant.
The CNET tech index gained 83.22 to 2,762.49. Winners edged out losers, with 78 of the 99 stocks in the index rising, 18 falling and three remaining unchanged.
Of the 18 sectors tracked, semiconductor companies posted the biggest gains, climbing about 7 percent. Server hardware makers were the day's largest losers, slipping a slim 0.8 percent.
Entremed was the Nasdaq Stock Market's largest loser, falling $12.63, or 30 percent, to $28.88 on a volume of 2.5 million shares, nearly six times its average daily volume.
Among members of the CNET tech index, Computer Associates International and Micron Technology posted strong gains.
Micron rose $7.69, or 15 percent, to $57.94, while CA climbed $7, or 16 percent, to $51.50. CA said it will report fourth-quarter earnings, which it expects to be in line with analysts' estimates, after the markets close May 15.
VeriSign fell $4.25 to $116.75, Nextel Communications dropped $2.13 to $97.81, and Conexant Systems dipped $1.25 to $40.63
The Philadelphia semiconductor index jumped 56.84, or 6 percent, to 965.78, led by LSI Logic, which gained $4.56 to $47.56, and Micron.
Xerox president and chief executive Rick Thoman has submitted his resignation, according to reports. The company's shares fell $1.75 to $25.75.
Online music company MP3.com has offered an olive branch to the record industry, agreeing to remove all major-label content from its controversial My.MP3.com service. The stock rose $1.38, or 12 percent, to $13.25.


text:
Williams, Nathalie E., Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Karen A. Snedker. 2018. "Fear of Violence during Armed Conflict: Trauma, Risks, and Resources as Determinants of Fear" Social Science Research 71:145-159. DOI
Allendorf, Keera, Arland Thornton, Colter Mitchell and Linda Young-DeMarco and Dirgha Ghimire. 2017. "Early Women, Late Men: Timing Attitudes and Gender Differences in Marriage" Journal of Marriage and Family. 79:1478-1496.
Pearlman, Jessica, Lisa Pearce, Dirgha Ghimire, Prem Bhandari and Taylor Hargrove. 2017. "Social Contexts and the Living Arrangements of Recently Married Sons: Understanding Factors Driving Household Fission." Demography 54:1425–1449 DOI 10.1007/s13524-017-0588-9.
Axinn, William G., Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Emily Smith-Greenaway. 2017. "Emotional Variation and Fertility Bhavior." Demography 54(2):437-458.
Ghimire, Dirgha J., William G. Axinn, Heather Gatny, and Stephanie Chardoul. 2017. "Preparing a Culturally Appropriate Translation of a Survey Questionnaire." SAGE Research Methods Cases. Retrieved February 8, 2017 (http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526409515).
Ghimire, Dirgha J. 2016. "Social Context of First Birth Timing in a Rapidly Changing Rural Setting." Social Science Research 61:314-329. Retrieved February 8, 2017 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2016.07.001). PMCID: PMC5125526.
Bhandari, Prem B. and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2016. "Rural Agricultural Change and Individual Out-migration." Rural Sociology 81(4):572-600. doi:10.1111/ruso.12106. NIHMSID: NIHMS835527. PMCID: PMC5220587.
Hawes, Armani, William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2016. "Ethnicity and Mental Health." Annals of Psychiatry and Mental Health 4(4):1072.
Axinn, William G., Nathalie E. Williams, Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Kate M. Scott. 2015. "Associations between the Social Organization of Communities and Psychiatric Disorders in Rural Asia." Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 50(10):1537-1545. PMCID: PMC4594883.
Ghimire, Dirgha, J. 2015. "Wives' and Husbands' Nonfamily Experiences and First-Birth Timing." International Journal of Sociology 45(1):4-23. PMCID: PMC4587386.
Ghimire, Dirgha, J., William G. Axinn, and Emily Smith-Greenaway. 2015. "Impact of the Spread of Mass Education on Married Women's Experience with Domestic Violence." Social Science Research54:319-331. PMCID: PMC4607934.
West, Brady T., William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2015. "Evaluating a Modular Design Approach to Collecting Survey Data Using Text Messages." Survey Research Methods 9(2):111-123. PMCID: PMC4551499.
Carter, Neil H., Andrés Viña, Vanessa Hull, William J. McConnell, William Axinn, Dirgha Ghimire, and Jianguo Liu. 2014. "Coupled Human and Natural Systems Approach to Wildlife Research and Conservation." Ecology and Society 19(3):43.
Axinn, William G., Dirgha J. Ghimire, Nathalie E. Williams, and Kate M. Scott. 2013. "Gender, Traumatic Events and Mental Health Disorders in a Rural Asian Setting." Journal of Health and Social Behavior 54(4):444-461. PMCID: PMC3891584.
Allendorf, Keera and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2013. "Determinants of Marital Quality in an Arranged Marriage Society." Social Science Research 42(1):59-70. PMCID: PMC3711098.
Bhandari, Prem and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2013. "Rural Agricultural Change and Fertility Transition in Nepal." Rural Sociology 78(2):229-252. PMCID: PMC3667159.
Binstock, Georgina, Arland Thornton, Mohammad J. Abbasi-Shavazi, Dirgha Ghimire, Yu Xie, and Kathryn M. Yount. 2013. "Influences on the Knowledge and Beliefs of Ordinary People about Developmental Hierarchies." International Journal of Comparative Sociology 54(4):325-344. PMCID: PMC3952150.
Ghimire, Dirgha J. and William G. Axinn. 2013. "Marital Processes, Arranged Marriage, and Contraception to Limit Fertility." Demography 50(5):1663-1686. PMCID: PMC3786027.
Ghimire, Dirgha J., Stephanie Chardoul, Ronald C. Kessler, William G. Axinn, and Bishnu P. Adhikari. 2013. "Modifying and Validating the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) for Use in Nepal." International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research 22(1):71-81. PMCID: PMC3610833.
Piotrowski, Martin, Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Ronald R. Rindfuss. 2013. "Farming Systems and Rural Out-Migration in Nang Rong, Thailand and Chitwan Valley, Nepal." Rural Sociology 78(1):75-108. PMCID: PMC3963478.
Axinn, William G., Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Nathalie E. Williams. 2012. "Collecting Survey Data during Armed Conflict." Journal of Official Statistics 28(2):153-171. PMCID: PMC3571111.
Jennings, E., William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2012. "The Effect of Parents' Attitudes on Son's Marriage Timing." American Sociological Review 77(6):923-945. PMCID: PMC3590910.
Link, Cynthia F., William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2012 "Household Energy Consumption: Community Context and Fuelwood Transition." Social Science Research 41(3):598-611. PMCID: PMC3461177.
Thornton, Arland, Georgina Binstock, Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi, Dirgha Ghimire, Arjan Gjonca, Attila Melegh, Colter Mitchell, Mansoor Moaddel, Yu Xie, Li-shou Yang, Linda Young-DeMarco, and Kathryn M. Yount. 2012. "Knowledge and Beliefs about National Development and Developmental Hierarchies: the Viewpoints of Ordinary People in Thirteen Countries." Social Science Research 41(5):1053-1068. PMCID: PMC3461177.
Thornton, Arland, Georgina Binstock, Kathryn Yount, Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi, Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Yu Xie. 2012. "International Fertility Change: New Data and Insights from the Developmental Idealism Framework." Demography 49:677–698. PMCID: PMC3328099.
Thornton, Arland, Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Colter Mitchell. 2012. "The Measurement and Prevalence of Knowledge of Schema about Family and Development." Population Studies 66(3):329-345. PMCID: PMC3505987.
Williams, Nathalie E., Dirgha J. Ghimire, William G. Axinn, Elyse A. Jennings, and Meeta S. Pradhan. 2012. "A Micro-Level Event-Centered Approach to Investigating Armed Conflict and Population Responses." Demography 49(4):1521-1546. PMCID: PMC3495997.
Axinn, William, G. and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2011. "Social Organization, Population, and Land Use." American Journal of sociology 117(1):209-258. PMCID: PMC3162250.
Ghimire, Dirgha J. and William G. Axinn. 2010. "Community Context, Land Use and First Birth." Rural Sociology 75(3):478-513. PMCID: PMC2945390.
Massey, Douglas S., William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2010. "Environmental Change and Out-Migration: Evidence from Nepal." Population and Environment 32(2):109-136. PMCID: PMC3042700.
Massey, Douglas S., Nathalie Williams, William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2010. "Community Services and Out-Migration." International Migration 48(3):1-41. PMCID: PMC3146299.
Bhandari, Prem, Sunder Shyam Shrestha, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2007. "Sociocultural and Geographical Disparities in Child Immunization in Nepal." Asia Pacific Population Journal 22(1):43-64.
Brauner-Otto, Sarah R., William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2007. "Social Change, Health Services and Fertility Transition." Demography 44(4):747-770. PMID: 18232209.
Ghimire, Dirgha J. and Lynette F. Hoelter. 2007. "Land Use and First Birth Timing in an Agricultural Setting." Population and Environment 28(6):289-320.
Ghimire, Dirgha J. and William G. Axinn. 2006. "Family Change in Nepal: Evidence from Western Chitwan." Contributions to Nepalese Studies 33(2):177-201.
Ghimire, Dirgha, J., William G. Axinn, Scott A. Yabiku, and Arland Thornton. 2006. "Social Change, Premarital Non-Family Experiences and Spouse Choice in an Arranged Marriage Society." American Journal of Sociology 111(4):1181-1218.
Ghimire, Dirgha J. and Paul Mohai. 2005. "Environmentalism and Contraceptive Use: How People in Less Developed Settings Approach Environmental Issues." Population and Environment 27(1):29-61.
Hoelter, Lynette F., William G. Axinn, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2004. "Social Change, Premarital Non-Family Experiences, and Marital Relationship Quality." Journal of Marriage and the Family 66:1131-1151.
Axinn, William G., Lisa D. Pearce, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 1999. "Innovations in Life History Calendar Applications." Social Science Research 28:243-264.
Axinn, William G., Jennifer S. Barber, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 1997. "The Neighborhood History Calendar: A Data Collection Method Designed for Dynamic Multilevel Modeling." Pp. 355-392 in Sociological Methodology, edited by A. E. Raftery. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
Ghimire, Dirgha J., Nathalie Williams, Arland Thornton, Linda Young-DeMarco, and Prem Bhandari. Forthcoming "Strategies for origin-based surveying of international migrants." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
Yabiku, Scott T., Jennifer E. Glick, Elizabeth Wentz, Dirgha Ghimire, and Qunshan Zhao. Forthcoming. "Comparing Paper and Tablet Modes of Retrospective Activity Space Data Collection." Survey Research Methods.
Axinn, William G., Sarah R. Brauner-Otto, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. "Parents' Marital Quality, Children's Educations, and Children's Marriage Timing."
Allendorf, Keera, Arland Thornton, Dirgha Ghimire, Linda Young-DeMarco and Colter Mitchell. "A Good Age to Marry? An Intergenerational Model of the Influence of Timing Attitudes on Entrance into Marriage."
Williams, Nathalie and Dirgha Ghimire. Forthcoming. "Mixed Methods Data Collection in a Comparative International Context: New Technologies, New Opportunities for Social Science in Advances." in Comparative Survey Methodology edited by Timothy P. Johnson, Beth-Ellen Pennell, Ineke A. L. Stoop, and Brita Dorer. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Mneimneh, Zeina, N., William G. Axinn, Dirgha Ghimire, Kristen L. Cibelli and Mohammad Salih Alkaisy. 2014. "Conducting surveys in areas of armed conflict." Pp.134-156 in Hard- to-Survey Populations edited by R. Tourangeau, B. Edwards, T. P. Johnson, K. M. Wolter, and N. Bates. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Williams, Nathalie E., Arland Thornton, Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Linda C. Young-DeMarco. 2012. "Nepali Migrants to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: Behaviors, Plans, and Values." Pp. 155-185 in Migrant Labor in the Persian Gulf, edited by M. Kamrava and Z. Babar. London, UK: C. Hurt & Co. Ltd.
Thornton, Arland, Alexandra Achen, Jennifer S. Barber, Georgina Binstock, Wade M. Garrison, Dirgha J. Ghimire, Ronald Inglehart, Rukmalie Jayakody, Yang Jiang, Julie de Jong, Katherine King, Ron J. Lesthaeghe, Sohair Mehenna, Colter Mitchell, Mansoor Moaddel, Mary Beth Ofstedal, Nobert Schwarz, Guangzhou Wang, Y. Xie, Li-Shou Yang, Linda C. Young-DeMarco, and Katharine Yount. 2010. "Process and Method for Creating Questions and Protocols for an International Study of Developmental Idealism, Developmental Thinking, and Family Life." Pp. 59-74 in Survey Methods in Multinational, Multiregional and Multicultural Contexts, edited by M. Braun, B. Edwards, J. Harkness, T. Johnson, L. Lyberg, P. Mohler, B. E. Pennell, and T. W. Smith. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
Axinn, William G., Dirgha J. Ghimire, and Jennifer S. Barber. 2008. "The Influence of Ideational Dimensions of Social Change on Family Formation in Nepal." Pp.251-280 in International Family Change: Ideational Perspectives, edited by R. Jayakody, A. Thornton and W. G. Axinn. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Thornton, Arland, Georgina Binstock, and Dirgha J. Ghimire. 2008. "International Dissemination of Ideas about Development and Family Change." Pp. 19-44 in International Family Change: Ideational Perspectives, edited by R. Jayakody, A. Thornton, and W. G. Axinn. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Ghimire, Dirgha J. 2003. Review of Harbingers of Rain: Land and Life in South India by A. R. Vasavi. The Journal of Asian Studies 62(3):689-91.
Fehringer, Jessica, Prem Bhandari, Dirgha Ghimire, Jeevan Raj Lohani, B. Dawadi, V. Acharya, and B. Adhikari. 2015. Impact Evaluation of Approaches to Strengthen Health Facility Operation and Management Committees in Nepal: Baseline Report. MEASURE Evaluation Gender, Policy, and Measurement Program (funded by USAID) (http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/tr-15-114).
de Jong, Julie, Dirgha Ghimire, Arland Thornton, and Lisa D. Pearce. 2006. "Developmental Idealism and Changing Models of Marriage." PSC Research Report No. 06-609. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.
Ghimire, Dirgha J. 1994. CARE-Nepal Long Range Strategy Plan, CARE-International in Nepal.
Ghimire, Dirgha J., William G. Axinn and Prem Bhandari. "Social change, Out-migration and Exit from Agriculture."
Ghimire, Dirgha J. and William G. Axinn. "Parents' Socioeconomic Characteristics and Intergenerational Transmission of Marital Behavior."
Ghimire, Dirgha J. "Fatalism, Developmental Idealism and Values and Beliefs Concerning Family Life in Nepal."
Ghimire, Dirgha J. and William G. Axinn. "Social Change, Population, and Environment: Impact of Population on Bio-diversity in a Natural Resources-Dependent Community."
Ghimire, Dirgha J. and Prem Bhandari. "Migration Experience and Health Outcomes in Nepal."
Ghimire, Dirgha J. and William G. Axinn. "Community-Level Ideation and Fertility Transition: Neighbors' Ideas and Transition to Parenthood."


text:
Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu ★★★☆☆
Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?
If Legend was 3.5 stars rounded up, I think Prodigy would have to be 3.5 stars rounded down. But still 3.5, don't get me wrong.
There was so much about this book that I really liked. Revolutions! Covert operations! Shades of moral grey! More conspiracies! But the pacing was just not doing it for me. The book never really gripped me until the last 80 pages or so. But because it was so late in the book the whole climax felt a little rushed.
That said this was a book that I did enjoy overall. I marathoned this book all weekend and am really glad I had it on hand to pick up right after I finished Legend. As I mentioned in the Legend review, it was so clear that this was a series. Prodigy almost literally picks up right where Legend left off. If you haven't started this series yet, I'd recommend picking up at least these first two books as a set and reading them back-to-back. It helped the overall flow for me.
But with the way Prodigy ends, I'm not entirely sure what exactly we're going to be left doing in Champion? Sure, the ending is open and ambiguous. And there is one final little twist thrown in right at the very end--but that almost seems like an afterthought? And I'm not entirely convinced that the plot of Champion is going to be centred around it?
Another dislike... or maybe you could call it a squick... Some of the "relationships" that pop up in this book (and are in Legend as well) are just really not doing it for me. Day and June are not even 16. Tess is 13, and while I could buy her thing for Day being written off as puppy love, it's sort of presented as almost a legitimate option in the narrative for a bit? And that's just. No. I can't. The same with June and Thomas. Thomas is implied to be Metias' age, right? He's at least 18 but is probably close to a decade older. He's not really a viable option, but the narrative doesn't play the age thing off as all that creepy. Nope. No. Just don't.
Even Anden's thing for June sort of squicks me a bit. Not as much for whatever reason, but she's fifteen.
That said, a lot of that could be fixed with aging some of these characters up. Have June and Day be 18. I'm not sure exactly why they're 15. It's not really that crucial to the plot? Regardless.
One final thing I need to mention, but this time as a total plus. (Highlight for spoilers)
THE COLONIES. Oh my gosh. The digs at capitalism. AH. It was just so good. I had to pause a few times and slap my hand over my mouth. I cannot even explain. It was just so wonderful. Such a good twist!
Overall, still enjoyable, but it's sort of not really meeting all my expectations? I have to wait a bit for Champion now because I'm third on a hold list at the public library. I'll be happy to have read this series, but it's not really shaping up to be a favourite. Which is slightly disappointing.


text:
You can customize the layout and content of your artist store right on that page itself.
Simply click the 'Edit Page' button in the upper left corner of your Prints page and add modules from the 'Suggested Modules' over to the area that represents your store page, in which you can drag and drop them around to customize the layout. Click 'Add this Module' to preview it, then click 'Edit' to customize it to your likes, then 'Save & Preview' it to see how it will look. Click 'Add Now' or 'Cancel' to either add it to your page or not.
All modules support basic HTML text formatting and DeviantArt subscribers can also use DeviantArt specific formatting (shop/deviation thumbnail codes, deviant names and icons, emoticons etc.) to spice up their store even more.
It is important that you take great care in customizing your personal artist store because it reflects you as an artist to each of your potential customers.
Available modules currently include:
All Products
This is the default module and cannot be moved nor removed from the Product Area.
Here, all your available products are displayed in reverse chronological order, from last to first submitted/updated print.
Featured Products
Add up to 3 featured prints to the top or bottom of your Product Area.
These may be the artwork which means the most to you, or just what you believe will sell best.
Add an account of your life to your Shop Sidebar.
If there's a way to connect your artworks and yourself with customers in a personal yet professional way, it's an impressive biography.
Tell visitors how they can get in touch with you in your Shop Sidebar.
Potential customers may have questions regarding yourself, your artworks or the products you sell. Make it easy for them to contact you via e-mail, your personal website etc.
Make an impression with your education history in your Shop Sidebar.
Many consumers feel that an artist who has received secular education in arts has more valuable work. While this is not always the case, it is something to take advantage of when selling your craft.
Show off your awards and proclaim your talents in your Shop Sidebar.
If you are an artist who has received any kind of art related award, it is advantageous for your customers to know this. When you are honored with an award, your artwork has been noticed publicly by other people in general, knowing this causes your customers to have a more confident view of your art.
Custom (Subscriber-only)
Here you can put whatever is important to you and deem relevant for your store that none of the other Shop Sidebar modules cover.
For example, display a special feature, advertise a store sale or point out your best selling products.
Keep the above information in mind when you make use of these options. How you present yourself to your customers has a great effect on how well your artwork sells.
See also: :faq104:


text:
The future of money/
Pelwasha Faquiryan
SVP, Strategic Markets
Elavon, Inc.
What's your story?
Prior to joining Elavon I spent several years at Ingenico where I had the opportunity to interface with the Elavon team, who was one of the strategic partners that I managed. I was immediately impressed by Elavon's culture and the people, from the CEO down to the field sales representatives. I found these individuals to be driven, motivated and on a path to win. So it was a natural progression and a perfect fit for me to elevate my career in payments with Elavon. I've now been here three years and I'm still having loads of fun. I truly believe in the value we bring to customers and am passionate about driving their success.
Alternative Payments are trending like crazy. What's going on with this?
Alternative payments are all the buzz right now as new entrants to market and traditional providers alike try to monetize a frictionless experience across the payments ecosystem.
Our Elavon innovation team is fully plugged in to the many ways consumers are shopping, buying and choosing to pay. We provide merchants and customers with payment acceptance tools that are both convenient and secure.
Technology has made a huge jump with Card and Cash not being the default payment method for shoppers. People are moving to more convenient methods such as their mobile wallets, which means they no longer need to get their physical wallet out and fumble for the right card. Instead they just require their mobile, making payments easy and the shopper journey simple.
A key question to ask is "Where are your customers visiting from?" If they are local or traveling from abroad to stay in your hotel, do you offer their local currency? If a shopper can see how much something will cost them in their local currency, they will be more comfortable making the payment. We may be familiar with card based transactions, but there are hundreds of payment methods around the world, and we are always looking to expand our offerings to best suit our customers.
As a global organization, Elavon is well placed to see the changing face of payments. In Europe we are now offering more than 50 local payment methods for our merchants to provide their shoppers in an ecommerce environment, which we are looking to replicate on our North American platform, as we already support local Canadian payment methods and card wallets today.
As other new alternative payment trends emerge, we always pay close attention to the benefits and risks associated with those trends. We are diligent to introduce only those payment methods that we know are secure and appropriate for our clients, and the broader industry.
Cyber Security is always on everyone's mind. How do you and your team stay alert?
We are managing an inherently dynamic security environment, so we invest in strengthening and maturing our cyber-resilience. Our strategy is intelligence-driven, risk-based, customer-centric, and continually adaptive. This means that we anticipate emerging threats and risks, enable business growth while protecting existing revenue, and safeguard our information and customers and provide solid security solutions.
Cybersecurity is a community effort. Just like the bad guys, we collaborate with the global security community to bolster our intelligence and have unparalleled partnerships with groups such as the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), Payments Processor Information Sharing Council (PPISC), Financial Services Roundtable (BITS), Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council (FSSCC), and the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC).
Elavon is also globally regulated, so have external regulators and examiners that monitor our cybersecurity on a monthly basis. We have adopted global security standards and get annual external attestations for the Payment Card Industry (PCI) and externally certified for ISO 27001. To stay on our toes, our parent company conducts regular, unannounced penetration tests on Elavon.
What's new with Elavon this year? Any new launches?
We are thrilled to announce that we are launching a new product this spring focused on third-party payments for hotels. Our new solution called Converge Hospitality fills a big gap in the industry by allowing third party invoicing and payments through a cloud-based solution. Historically, hotels have had to issue a paper form to patrons who want to pay for an amenity on behalf of a hotel guest, such as a bottle of champagne. That form contains the customer's card number and sometimes a photocopy of the payment card or driver's license, which can be a security hazard if that information got in the wrong hands. Now, hotel staff can instantly issue a digital invoice via email to a third party customer or Meeting Planner. The third party customer can securely pay for an Amenity or Room-Related Charge online directly through the linked invoice – using their credit/debit cards or ACH. Hotels will no longer need to fax, email or take credit card numbers over the phone.
What's currently your favorite to read?
The Beaumont Series
What TV show is your Netflix obsession?
What's your favorite hotel amenity?
What's your go-to outfit to travel in?
Yoga pants, sweatshirt and my converse
What's your favorite restaurant in Atlanta?
Umi's for sushi, Amalfi's for Italian
Do you prefer business travel in New York City or LA?
New York


text:
All Ranges Closed for Quad County Trapshoot
- Sparta Rod & Gun Club 12740 Janus Avenue Sparta, WI, 54656 United States (map)
- Posted in Closures
- Tagged Range Closed
Use the form on the right to contact us.
You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
Scheduled meetings, events and programs


text:
Assembling a bunk bed with trundle bed
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: September 5ASSEMBLING IT!
Later Event: September 8MOVING IT!
Moving The World To A Greener Future
MOVE IT! by bike has been serving New Orleans by moving stuff since August of 2013 using a bicycle and a trailer that can haul 600lbs.
Assembling a bunk bed with trundle bed


text:
No products
New product
Warning: Last items in stock!
Availability date:
This full printed skirt is inspired in Ibiza's 'pueblos' and it is made from light satin organic cotton with a buttoned placket.
100% Organic Cotton
Organic cotton facilitates the future recycling of the product.
Organic certificate by GOTS.
Zero use of harmful material.
Water-based print
Protects the farmers with healthy soils for future generations.
Uses 70% less water.
Reduces the carbon footprint by 22% compared to conventional cotton.


text:
LAS VEGAS, NV. Elvis the Penguin made his stunning debut performance at the Wildlife Habitat on the grounds of the Flamingo Hotel & Casino to rave reviews. Hatched with a natural pompadour, adorable good looks, smoldering eyes, and a beautiful voice, Elvis the Penguin rocked it like Elvis to the excited cheers of adoring fans.
It started out a little shaky during rehearsals inside the penguin exhibit when the little penguin improvised by painting his feet blue to look like blue suede shoes. The rest of the penguins and stuffy flamingos doubled over laughing. Poor Elvis the Penguin was humiliated and it wasn't the only time when things took a turn for the worse.
Earlier in his career Elvis the Penguin had all but given up. Nothing seemed to go right. He was bullied for being different, ridiculed because of his pompadour, and there was a stint in solitary confinement after an attempted escape. He was about to hang it all up and become an ordinary penguin until one of the showgirls visiting the exhibit noticed his pompadour. She said, "Aren't you a charmer. And you have an adorable pompadour! I bet you'd make a great Elvis impersonator."
That was all the encouragement Elvis the Penguin needed to start living his dream paying tribute to the life, music, and legacy of the King of Rock & Roll. Families can follow the entertaining, exciting journey of a brave, ordinary penguin who becomes an extraordinary penguin pursuing his dream in a new children's book.
Elvis the Penguin is Kara Casanova's debut children's book about a unique penguin following his dream and overcoming the obstacles to live it out. The story is both an inspirational and relevant one as it introduces children to Elvis and his legacy. The story line unpretentiously weaves the subjects of anti-bullying, self acceptance, overcoming adversity and the value of enduring friendships. Challenges all children face pursuing their dreams.
Equally important, the story treats Elvis Presley with respect for his contribution to music and American culture. The story is made more unique by the respectful inclusion of Elvis Impersonators/Elvis Tribute Artists captured accurately in the colorful, colored-pencil illustrations by artist Anne Lipscomb. You won't see any caricatures of Elvis in this story, but you will see some of the challenges ETAs must overcome to live out their dream to sing like the King of Rock & Roll.
It's the perfect book introducing the next generation of Elvis fans to the life, music and legacy of Elvis Presley. The book is available through online retailers Amazon, Ingrams, Barnes & Noble, and Good Reads.
Contact Information
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 324-1890


text:
I've been talking shit about the Minority Report TV show since it was announced, mostly because the initial concept is fucking stupid, but also because I don't know if we really need another crime based serial. But hey, maybe a futuristic one? Ehhhh.
The Minority Report TV series got a hefty pilot and series order from Fox back in the fall of last year, and is was just confirmed this past week that things were going ahead. Therefore, we can has a pilot and a trailer!
Shocker of all shockers... I dig it.
A female lead - pardon me, a POC female cop lead (!!), her Asian partner, and the pale male twin that no-one wanted (whomp whomp). The CGI aspects of the film look smooth enough for the money they're spending and something I loved about the original film, the heads up display screens and no-touch VR tech... I'm into it.
My one complaint? Who the fuck styled this wardrobe? Hell no, ladies. No. The guys get glamor with leather jackets and hoodies, but the ladies get awful colors and paper doll dresses? *sigh* At least they have laser pistols.
MINORITY REPORT follows the unlikely partnership between a man haunted by the future and a cop haunted by her past, as they race to stop the worst crimes of the year 2065 before they happen.
Minority Report comes to FOX this Fall.
I might have to check it out.


text:
I have a B1163/W multi-function printer that I set up for my parents to use with their Chromebook which prints through Google Cloud Print. It has been working since October, but last week it stopped working.
Google Cloud Print always shows the printer offline. I can access the printer via the wireless network at their house with no problem. However, when I click the Test Connection button through the printer's Google Cloud Print option, the GCP Connection Test fails with an "Operation Error" when attempting to connect to the google.com Server.
I can print wirelessly to the printer from a Windows laptop that I brought to their house. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Hi Mgtygrond,
Here are some suggestions that I hope will help you:
Same here. It used to work. My B1163w used to work with Google Cloud Print and now it doesn't. And there hasn't been any firmware update for this printer. Any ideas?
So I actually went out and bought a Samsung CloudPrint ready printer and swapped it out. Worked for about 3 days, then did the exact same thing as the Dell. The issue is either on the Google side, or with the interface on the printer to CloudPrint, as both printers have exactly the same interface for that.
I had to break down and get a Windows computer for my folks so I could just hardwire it in. My conclusion is that Google CloudPrint is just not good enough for prime time.
I did ask for help on the Google side and they were not able to resolve the issue either.
Supposedly, it's an expired certificate in the firmware that won't allow it to connect to Google Cloud Print. Until the firmware is updated with a non-expired certificate, Google Cloud Print is useless.
Expired certificate here too on my c2665dnf, since MAY - DELL need to sort this with a new firmware update with renewed certificate, or better yet add a facility in the print server to manage trusted certs,,
Cummon Dell... this is very basic stuff..


text:
Jed's photobook
- by admin
After having lost a lot of photos during typhoon Ondoy last year, we have come to treasure and properly label pictures that we were able to save, digital or otherwise. Last month, I showed my son the photobook I made and he was thrilled. We loved leafing through the pages, as digital as it is. I recently received a notice that the photobook is on its way here. Meanwhile, allow me to share with your a few pages of it.
the cover album
random photos of Jed from birth through 6 months old
Well as lovely as this photobook is, I still love to have one of those nifty digital frames, where I can just plug-in a memory card, even update it with the latest pictures from time to time. It will be a great centerpiece on our wall.


text:
5 ways PR and marketing pros can make a statement
Enter the Media Relations Awards by April 15 and receive recognition for your exceptional PR, marketing and communications work.
There are no "participant" ribbons in media relations. Earned media placements are hard-earned, and viral campaigns are a rare concoction of skill, sweat, preparation and luck.
Here are five of the many ways PR, marketing and communications pros can make a statement:
1. Your op-ed piece turned heads. You had something to say, and you said it. It was a risk, but it paid off, and now journalists are calling you. You're the center of attention, and you're using your 15 minutes to bring awareness to your product or cause.
2. Your social media campaign went nuts. The hashtag, video or innovative idea was ingenious, and everyone recognized it. Your target audience couldn't stop talking about it. Even your mother knew about it. Your engagement has spiked, and the consequences will be long-lasting.
3. Your crowdsourced content saved big-time money. Your competitor spent millions on an ad packed with Bond villains, fancy cars and explosions. You tweeted your fans, asking them to take a few selfies, and the "shares" went through the roof.
4. Your spokesperson caught on in a big way. Maybe she's a show-biz icon, or maybe he's just Internet-famous. Maybe you introduced your public face to the world. Your Flo, William Shatner or Most Interesting Man in the World gave your brand serious cred, and it's translating into numbers that the bosses love.
5. Your new product or service took off with wild success. Nothing was modest about your product launch. It soared off the launch pad. It broke the sound barrier. It's gone, and you're riding it to the moon (and the bank).
If your work in media relations got you noticed, you deserve recognition. Enter PR Daily's 2016 Media Relations Awards, and you might be rewarded for these daily heroic feats and more. Any work completed between Jan. 1, 2015, and Feb. 17, 2016, is eligible for an award in one of 22 categories, including a Grand Prize.
See all the categories, and enter now.
Mark your calendar: The final extended deadline for the Media Relations Awards is April 15.
Enter one category, or enter them all! Just enter before the deadline.
What does a winner look like? See the 2015 champions.
You can follow this event at #PRDAwards.
Ragan.com Daily Headlines
Sign up to receive the latest articles from Ragan.com directly in your inbox.


text:
ICAC Releases Northern Hemisphere Stats
The Cotlook A Index fell to around 90 cents per pound towards the end of May 2013, and the China Cotton Index (Type 328) fell to 19,350 yuan per ton, or 142 cents per pound, during the same period.
Assuming the current Chinese reserve policy continues as announced by the government, the Cotlook A Index is projected to average 88 cents per pound in 2012/13 and 115 cents per pound in 2013/14.
Overall, planting in the Northern Hemisphere for 2013/14 is progressing well, an estimated 29.8 million hectares of cotton area is forecast in 2013/14. As a result, global cotton production is forecast to drop from a record of 27.8 million tons in 2011/12 to 26.4 million tons during 2012/13, and further to 25 million in 2013/14.
Cotton planting in China for 2013/14 is almost complete. All planting is expected to be completed by the first week in June. In 2013/14, Chinese cotton planted area is projected at 4.6 million hectares, a 15% reduction from ten years ago; and production is forecast at 6.7 million tons, the second lowest crop in a decade.
In India, cotton planting this season has been normal, but the monsoon will determine if last season's area can be maintained. In 2013/14, record cotton area is projected at 11.9 million hectares, up 51% from 2003/04; and cotton production is projected at 6.2 million tons, more than double the 3 million tons of production in 2003/04.
In the United States, cotton was planted at a rapid pace in the month of May. In 2013/14, U.S. cotton area is projected at 3.4 million hectares, a 30% reduction from ten years ago, and cotton production is projected to decline from 4 million tons in 2003/04 to 3 million tons in 2013/14.|
In Pakistan, cotton is being planted at a good pace in Punjab and Sindh. In 2013/14, cotton area is projected at 2.9 million hectares, and cotton production at 2 million tons, the same as the previous season and similar to the 10-year average.


text:
Kentucky is all the rage among the headlines lately. This time it isn't the basketball team causing the attention, it is the actions of a clerk. It is the center of a debate as to whether the Supreme Court of unelected officials has the right to completely disregard the sovereignty of the state. With all of this attention, there has been an incredible amount of bias against the state. I have watched people who are passionate about freedom to marry who they want and hatred towards intolerance, speak a myriad of unintelligible slurs against the citizens of this state.
"We are inbred."
"We are racist."
"We are uneducated."
"The only good thing to come from Kentucky was an empty bus."
Isn't that funny. I mean these people preaching intolerance sure have a funny way of expressing kindness and love toward the vast population of Kentuckians.
One could note that Abraham Lincoln did in fact come from Kentucky, as did Muhammad Ali, Whitney Young Jr., Robert Penn Warren, and Cassius Clay. All prominent activists against racism, intelligent contributors to society.
I can only presume that people who slander the citizens of my state, have never actually set foot onto the soil here. Is it all peaches and cream? No sir, but my goodness, it does have an amazing allure.
I wasn't born in this state. However, I have lived here for the majority of my life. In that lifetime, I have had the privilege to travel to other states and countries, but there truly is no place like home.
Having lived here for over 20+ years, I have never met a person married to their relative. This is odd though right, I am quite the social butterfly, aren't all of my neighbors inbred? Actually, no they are not. My neighbors are many other things though. They are able to fix a broken vehicle, they can remove a fallen tree from the road, they can grow and hunt for their survival. Oh and they can make clothes if need be, build a fire without a lighter, and know how to make shelter to weather a storm. In fact, should the stock markets crash; there wouldn't be any rioting and violence, they'd just get on with their day making due and surviving with awesomeness.
You see, in my home, my children get to breathe fresh air. We do not value materialistic things, instead we value working the land and helping our fellow man. My kids can go outside and play, they know what hard work is and how fulfilling it is to eat food they have grown from a seed. Many of my neighbors know the same amazing feeling.
My water heater blew up in my house last year, and my neighbor came over with his son to help me. He didn't act like it was a burden, he didn't bring his smart phone over to ignore my needs and check his facebook every five minutes. He just came to help.
I can go to the grocery store with all five of my children, and I don't have to worry about leaving my purse in the cart while shopping from my detailed list. At night there aren't any people trying to break into my car in order to see what they can get, and people aren't sizing up my home. Crime happens everywhere, but at least here, people have some respect towards others. Men still open the doors for women, people I don't even know wave at me when I'm driving down the road, and if my hands are full someone almost always offers to help me.
My husband builds computers from scratch. He's most definitely not the uneducated fool that we are so often described as. There are many people with a high intellect here, but you know, that just doesn't seem to matter. What I notice most are the people here who actually care about someone other than themselves. I notice that instead of being repulsed by the presence of my two children with Down syndrome, people embrace them with kindness and acceptance. No one looks at another man's ripped jeans and dirty t shirt and thinks of him as a piece of trash.
The state is home to some of the most beautiful sights. The hills, the mountains, the farms, the skies, the caves, the lakes, the horses, the love….it cannot be accurately portrayed through words. It is a feeling of peace and contentment that a person just has to be here to feel. Kentucky is home to many of the poorest counties in America, and yet many of the residents (myself included) wouldn't trade their home for anything. We aren't standing in the streets ranting and raving against the government because we have two grocery stores, and neither of them carry a variety of fresh produce. The food deserts that are described by mainstream media are here, but the government and media attention is not.
You see the thing about Kentucky, is that we have bore the brunt of criticism and jokes for a very long time. It's okay. People around these parts are made of much more than superficiality. They don't really care what other's have to say about them, it isn't going to stop them from being who they are, and it isn't going to stop them from living their life.
They've got work to do anyway.


text:
Northeast Tarrant
Lawsuit could hamper Tarrant County protests over property value
A pending lawsuit in another Texas county may put some taxpayers at a disadvantage this year when filing a protest with the Tarrant Appraisal District over the value of their homes, businesses and other property.
Last week, TAD officials reported that the value of residential property in Tarrant County has increased about 14 percent this year, which could trigger a significant number of protests.
The lawsuit in Travis County District Court has put a clamp on historical data that can be used as factual evidence in a protest hearing with the appraisal district.
We're dedicated to fighting this. We're not backing down one bit.
Bill Aleshire, open-government attorney
"This is a big threat to taxpayers in Texas and especially to taxpayers here in Tarrant County," said Bill Aleshire, an Austin open-government attorney who was hired to try to pry loose the information on behalf of a client.
"We're dedicated to fighting this," Aleshire said. "We're not backing down one bit."
The Tarrant Appraisal District's attorney, Todd Clark, said TAD has provided "a great deal of information" to satisfy the requirements under the law. Any further data release is tied up in the lawsuit, filed in September by the district's software licensing vendors, Clark said.
In October, a Travis County district judge granted a temporary injunction ordering that the data be withheld.
The software and cost data providers, including Thomson Reuters and Marshall & Swift/Boeckh, say the information is proprietary and its release would cause the entities "substantial competitive harm." TAD holds a licensing agreement with Marshall & Swift/Boeckh for its cost data. Thomson Reuters incorporates that data to provide appraisal software to TAD.
"At this point, my client can only sit and wait for the process to conclude," Clark said. "We will participate in the process fully, but we have to let the process continue."
John P. McDonald, Marshall & Swift/Boeckh's Dallas counsel, did not respond to requests for comment.
Appraisals sent
Last year, property values in Tarrant County went up 5 percent, in part because problems with the new software prevented the district from accurately appraising some properties in the county.
Of the county's 600,000 real property owners, 5 to 10 percent, on average, file a protest hearing every year, tax experts say. The Star-Telegram reported in October that 65,000 protests had been filed, down from 71,000 in 2014.
Appraisers say the problems have been addressed going into this appraisal season.
We will participate in the process fully, but we have to let the process continue.
Todd Clark, attorney for Tarrant Appraisal District
Last week, TAD mailed notices to residential property owners whose values are going up more than $1,000 this year. Property owners with homestead exemptions are protected from increases of more than 10 percent, said Jeff Law, TAD's chief appraiser. TAD has about 580,000 residential accounts.
All other property owners should receive notices by May 15.
Owners then have until May 31 to file a protest to counter "any adverse action" by the appraisal district, which includes a change value or exemption status or incorrect owner name.
The protest is filed with TAD's review board, which is a three-member panel of appointed public officials who settle the appeals similar to a court of law.
The Appraisal Review Board must provide the property owner 15-day notice before a hearing.
During an appeal, the chief appraiser has an opportunity to present his or her findings. The owner also has that opportunity.
It is then up to the Appraisal Review Board to make a final determination.
The basis of an appeal must lie on an owner's ability to make an argument that the chief appraiser's office made an error. To do this, the owner typically provides evidence of values based on comparable data of properties.
'Proprietary interests'
In April 2015, state property tax agent Susan K. Bawcom asked TAD for the data in question under a request she made under the Texas Public Information Act. Bawcom, of Creative Data Consulting of Austin, said every year she asks for the same data from large state appraisal districts, like Tarrant County.
"I get this information from the major appraisal districts in the state of Texas on a regular basis," Bawcom said. "I get it from Dallas County, from Travis, Bexar, Williamson County."
The data in question includes such things as essential square footage, improvements, quality, conditions and other components that make up value, Bawcom said.
Bawcom, like other property tax agents, mostly does business with commercial entities who own large swaths of property valued in the millions. Those owners seek to hire experts like Bawcom to seek tax relief.
After Bawcom filed her request, TAD did not immediately release the data.
Instead, Law sought a legal opinion from the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over whether the data was subject to disclosure by law. Law told Paxton's office that Marshall & Swift and Thomson Reuters could object to the release of the data based on "proprietary interests."
Data 'kept secret'
In August, Paxton's office ordered TAD to release large portions of the data. TAD's vendors responded by suing TAD and Paxton's office.
Bawcom then hired Aleshire to intervene on her behalf to try to pry the data loose. She said she was shocked when the data "was kept secret." She said she can't adequately represent property owners without such basic data.
"As a practical matter, how can I cast any doubt on a value if I can't get the information of how the appraisal district arrived at the information?" Bawcom said.
Aleshire said the data includes "crucial details that you need to attack the chief appraiser's values when they make a mistake."
Clark, who represents TAD, said the appraisal district will do whatever is ordered by law.
"It's up to the court to let us know what our obligations are," Clark said.
State law requires that all valuations be fair and equitable.
Yamil Berard: 817-390-7705, @yberard


text:
TagsABU Sissy Diaper Age Regression Aww…So Cute Baby Bottle baby clothes Bambino bondage Boobies! Breast Feeding crib Cuddlz Cushies DC Amor Diaper Change Diaper Pooping Diaper Punishment Diaper Sex Diaper Wetting enema Fabine First Diaper Giant Bear Girl-Girl HIgh Chair knee high socks Made To Orgasm masturbation Molicare Mommy Onesie Pacifier Pampers pigtails play yard POV Safari by Rearz Snuggies Spanking Spoiled by Rearz Super Dry Kids Teen Tena Slip Maxi thumb sucking tickling Vibrator
Recent Comments
- LukeBryan_ObsessionLife on Sweet Little Amanda Makes A Messy While Playing & Sucking On Her Paci
- LukeBryan_ObsessionLife on Sweet Little Amanda Makes A Messy While Playing & Sucking On Her Paci
- Tyler on Baby Tara Messes Her Diaper While Playing In The Play Yard
- sweetscent on Little Summer Wets Her Diaper & Masturbates With Her Hand In It While Laying On The Giant Teddy Bear
- Eric on Teen Hottie Anastasia Has Fun Emptying Her Baby Bottle Into Her Diaper!
Breast Feeding Archive
Mommy Abby Rubs Alyssa's Diaper Until She Orgasms While Breastfeeding HerPosted on October 31, 2016 | No Comments
Got Milk? Get Breastfed By Gorgeous Sunshine! POVPosted on May 10, 2016 | 1 CommentHer breasts are full of milk. Are you ready for your feeding? Cum suck on these perfect nipples!
Tiny Little Alyssa Gets Rocked, Breast Fed, & Story Time & More Until She Falls AsleepPosted on December 16, 2015 | No CommentsSuch a cute and fun video! Its time for Alyssa to get ready for beady-bye. Natalia's gonna rock her to sleep in her lap in the rocking chair. Alyssa's so […]


text: Our heavenly Lavender will please even the most devoted lavender connoisseur. Created in the softest shade of purple, this bar will rejuvenate, relax and calm your soul. Each Vermont made Pure|Energy Apothecary bar is triple-milled for luxurious lather that is perfect for hands, bodies and faces of all ages. In today's hectic world, time is a commodity - every bath or shower should be an escape for your soul. Relax with Lavender. Because everything really is all about the energy we bring into the universe, we care about you and our planet. Each fine Pure|Energy Apothecary (5oz) bar is 100% plant based, moisturizing, sulfate free, phosphorus free, phthalate free, gluten free, paraben free, cruelty free (never tested on animals; only on our beloved humans), and lovingly made in Vermont.


text:
The newly opened Langtang Tamang Heritage trek is wonderful trekking in the Langtang region towards north of the Kathmandu valley. This trek gives the opportunity to get insight into the lifestyle, culture and religion of the ethnic Tamang people. As it is believed that they migrated in Nepal from Tibet many years ago. As this ethinic group is famous for their hospitality and their friendly behavior. This trekking region is the off the beaten trekking region where you find less tourists. This trekking region offers the combination of the Tamang culture and picturesque scenery and healing baths in natural hot springs. During the Langtang Tamang Heritage trek you also get opportunity to enjoy the magnificent views of the snow clad mountains like Langtang range, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal etc.
Tamang Heritage Trek begins from Syabrubesi after 7/ 8 Hours drive from the Kathmandu valley. In this trek you cross the various Tamang settlements like Goljung, Gatlang, Thuman, Timure and Briddim. There are many beautiful Buddhist monasteries on the way. Therefore it is a great chance to know the lifestyle of the Buddhist monks in the monasteries. En route you also enjoy the spectacular views of Langtang Lirung, Langtang Kerung, Ganesh Himal and more Langtang Himalayan ranges. In addition the Lush alpine meadows, forested valleys and high mountain ridges, blooming rhododendron forest, walking in the Langtang national park where you can encounter rare wild animals and birds attracts every trekker who visits this region. Tamang heritage Trek can be done throughout the year. However, best seasons to go for the Langtang Tamang heritage trek trekking are autumn and spring season.
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 2: Kathmandu sightseeing
Day 3: Scenic drive to Syabrubesi (1462m.)
Day 4: Syabrubesi to Gatlang (2238m.)
Day 5: Gatlang to Tatopani (2607m.)
Day 6: Tatopani to Thuman (2338m.)
Day 7: Thuman to Briddim (2337m.)
Day 8: Briddim to Lama Hotel
Day 9: Lama Hotel to Langtang village (3430m.)
Day 10: Langtang village to Kyanjin Gompa (3870m.)
Day 11: exploration of the Kyanjin Gompa
Day 12: Kyangjin Gompa to Lama Hotel (2470m.)
Day 13: Lama Hotel to Dhunche.
Day 14: Drive back to Kathmandu.
Services included:
Service not included:


text:
12 million elevators are active today and they do around 7 billions rides day by day up and down – what would happen if elevators not only going vertical but horizontal as well?
Come around and figure it out: The new invented elevator system MULTI by thyssenkrupp increases the capacity by 50% and reduces the footprint of elevators within one building by half. Moreover totally new architectures are possible by going left and right with an elevator instead only up and down.
Use your chance and take part in the workshop of INTEGRA in cooperation with TKMC, the internal management consultancy of thyssenkrupp, and discuss the pros and cons as well as market attractiveness of the innovation MULTI.
Afterwards you get the possibility to get to know the colleagues of TKMC a little bit better and could find out everything about the career opportunities at thyssenkrupp at a dinner and the Schneckenhofparty!
Interested? Apply until October 9th with your CV via: firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: The Getty Rainbow Dana Grant January 28, 2013 Last weekend we had a LA adventure (May's birthday) then spontaneously went to the Getty. So glad we did! It was the most gorgeous, magical light day that ended with this rainbow. From my camera..I've never been so close to a rainbow! From my iPhone!


text:
One day very recently my wife and children were outside in a park socializing with another family. I joined at one point, and the husband told me that my wife had mentioned that I was reviewing some new amplifiers, and that she thought they sounded amazing; she hoped I would keep them. When we came home, I watched as she listened on the couch with our daughters to various pieces of music, and I saw her tapping her foot. I never saw that before, let alone hear her praise a component of my audio system!
What were these amps you might ask? They were a pair of Audio by Van Alstine DVA SET 600 Mono Block Solid State Amplifiers at $2499.00 each ($4998/pr.). In a nutshell, each of these mono blocks is a mono balanced version of Van Alstine's recently released and very well received Vision SET 400 Stereo amplifier ($1999 − $2199.00, single-ended input (RCA), reviewed by Audiophilia's Martin Appel who awarded it an Audiophilia Star—and rightly so). This newer DVA SET 600 mono block is Class A/B, rated at 600 watts into 8 ohms and over 700W into 4 ohms; it weighs 36 pounds and is 17" wide, 13" deep, and 7" high. Its power is actually way more than what I just stated (via storing power in capacitors), as according to the Van Alstine specs it offers using burst measurements '775W into 8 ohms and 1500W into 4 ohms'.
My Alta Audio Celesta FRM-2 reference speakers are 4 Ohms. Lucky me. So, with a pair of DVA SET 600 mono blocks you get power galore, and they can even power speakers at 2 ohms.
I attended some of the listening sessions of the SET 400 Stereo amp when Appel was reviewing it, and I was deeply impressed; it is incredible at such a price. At that time, I discussed with Michael Levy (President of Alta Audio) how cool it would be if Van Alstine could make a balanced mono block version. Levy, it turns out, had already been thinking of just that, and after he discussed the idea with Van Alstine, the design was up and running in no time. I was astonished when Levy called me only several weeks later to report that he was burning a pair in and I could review them if I wished after the burn in; about a week or so later. I am grateful to Van Alstine and Levy for allowing me a first crack at reviewing a pair of DVA SET 600s; amazing as they are, I will describe more carefully in this review.
When I spoke to Van Alstine—who has been designing and selling amplifiers since 1967—about the speed with which he built the new DVA SET 600 Mono Block, he explained to me his 'KISS' philosophy of audio design: 'Keep It Simple, Stupid!'. So, he did.
Starting with a SET 400 stereo amp, he used its original stereo wiring to run the + and − with respect to ground signal that would now be handed to it by a balanced cable (XLR) (from one channel (e.g., Left (L), or Right (R)) of a balanced preamp output). For example, if the source is the left channel (L), then + goes to the L+ of the stereo amp and − goes to the R− of the stereo amp. Voila! The stereo amp becomes a mono block with much more power (P) due to the doubling of voltage. In fact from P = V 2/R (voltage squared divided by resistance), the doubled voltage results in a power increase by a factor of 4.
Van Alstine had to modify some other internal things such as using a higher current transformer. But he did not have to redesign all the innards or the chassis. Simple, clever—and powerful. The DVA SET 600 also uses regulated power supplies for all areas of the amplifier including the output transistors. (Note: As a $150 option per mono block, an RCA input can be provided along with the balanced one. This includes a back panel switch to select XLR or RCA input and the necessary phase splitter circuits to allow bridged mode operation with a single ended input.)
The chassis are far from fancy schmancy; simple no-nonsense, metal blocks. The back of each unit is where the black heat sink grills are located, and that was very convenient for me since my audio cabinet (Salamander Designs) has an open back, but its sides and front door cover are not fully open (they are perforated with holes). I placed one unit above the other on separate shelves. The back of each unit also has an IEC power jack (120 Volts); you can either use the stock cord that comes with, or one of your own (I used my own high-end cords). For international use a 240 Volt (50-60 Hz) option is available at additional cost. There are two spades only outputs (1, 2) to a speaker to accommodate bi-wiring as an option (I did not bi-wire). It can be a bit dicey trying to connect with spades if your speaker cables are very stiff or heavy since the posts are on the lower part of the back blocked a bit from above by the heat sink grills—a little patience is needed since you only can connect from below. There is a grounding switch, too, as well as 3 external fuses: a 12A for the main AC, and two 8A for the speakers. Having external fusing is very convenient as many of us know from having a fuse problem with amps for which all fuses are internal, and we are warned not to open the unit ourselves—we must send the amp back to the factory wasting precious listening time and incurring possible shipping costs.
The front face plate is sculpted with a simple, pleasant-looking, two-tone silver/grey 1/4" thick aluminum with a double anodized finish. The front includes a power on/off button and a small blue LED light above it indicating when the unit is powered on. I point out that the temperature of these mono blocks remains remarkably cool even with all the power it delivers. This was a surprise to me.
Further Specifications
Class A/B, biased as Class A at normal listening levels.
The SET name stands for their unique Single Ended Transistor voltage design that utilizes a bipolar transistor front end followed by a MOSFET current amplifier section (using sixteen double-die MOSFET output transistors). Bandwidth is flat from 3Hz to 70KHz.
DC stable. Will not generate speaker damaging DC drift even when driven past clipping.
Uses an oversized high capacity torrid power transformer that is voltage regulated.
Sound Quality
Compared to what I have heard from using other amps in my system (or from hearing my reference speakers on other systems), the soundstage grew in size, particularly its depth, and a more 3-dimensional quality emerged exhibiting extraordinary intimacy, all on a pitch-black background. And there was an increase in minutia and transients exposed in recordings, along with more natural textures and dynamics. Timing seemed faster; more natural. Instruments in the imaging were taking clear advantage of the larger space provided to them and were now appearing with a more locked, pinpoint precision.
The soundstage was very stable, less of the wandering kind (e.g., when I now move into the kitchen, it is less following me along.) The overall presentation was bold, clean, and endowed with exceptional bass control and finesse. (Other amps I am talking about for comparison include some high-end VAC models, Krell Industries, PS Audio BHK mono blocks and my current reference, the Merrill Audio Veritas—all of which are more expensive than the DVA SET 600, some very significantly so.)
Musical illustrations
Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker, (2016), 24/44.1 FLAC, track of the same name. He was 82 years old when he recorded this shortly before his death, with lyrics such as "I'm ready my Lord"; his voice is still out of this world, "Deeper than a Siberian coal mine" (Someone came up with that spot-on description, but I do not know who). The DVA SET 600 soundstage exhibits him larger than life; way up high as if in heaven. Somber but truly outstanding.
Jennifer Warnes, The Well (CD rip, 24 Karat Gold Edition (2010)). So present, smooth; often while she took a breath while singing with her textured alto voice, you could hear it. My current favorite track is The Panther. It really showed off the exceptional sound- stage and 3-D imaging offered by DVA SET 600s. It is intermingled with gentle various acoustic percussive sounds, such as bells and wooden blocks, in addition to snare drum work and then even electric guitar. The various instruments cover all ground; the gentle snare appears vividly to come from way back left in my apartment—in another room, and the bells sweep back and forth across the sound stage strongly suggesting that there is something (a panther?) lurking in your home.
Peter Gabriel Passion: Music for the Last Temptation of Christ (CD rip, (1989)). Some of the tracks, such as Troubled and The Promise of Shadows, have the great jazz-rock fusion drummer Billy Cobham on drums and percussion. Deep/thunderous tom toms. It can be so creepy and haunting at times and one gets the impression of a surround sound like soundstage presentation coming out of just two speakers.
Cantata Domino, track 12 Maria Wiegenlied 24/192 AIFF (from the original 1976 analog master), Naxos (2004). This is the piece that alerted me to something special: the DVA SET 600s were picking up sounds that I never ever noticed before: the compressed air flowing into the pipes from the magnificent pipe (church) organ. It is so immediate on the DVA 600, as soon as the piece starts it is there, and comes back frequently throughout. This was first pointed out to me by Levy when listening to the SET 400 stereo amp. Sounding a bit like white noise, I assumed initially that it was some kind of distortion in the audio system; nope.
Randy Weston & his African Rhythms Trio, Zep Tepi. 16/44.1 FLAC, Random Chance Records (2005). Jazz with African influences. Weston's piano now fits in my sound-stage, so clear and vibrant, and I can hear someone (I suspect the bass player Alex Blake) often talking/whispering under his breath (in addition to the various regular utterances/singing); anyhow, I can hear it! Super rhythmic back and forth between the piano and bass (using a bow, or plucking it, or tapping on it); layered with lively African percussion.
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms, track 7, The Man's Too Strong, CD rip (1985). This one really scared me when it got to about the 1 minute 18 second mark where the electric guitar riff comes blasting at you! Jeez. Is that an example of a burst?
Polarity—an acoustic jazz project by Hoff Ensemble 2L, 24/352.8 FLAC file. This album shows off the the depth of the soundstage—you sense you could start walking towards your speakers continuing behind, and first pass the piano, but then pass by various drums along the way stationed very solidly in place. And the clicking sounds of sticks or gentle bells—echoing off walls that can't be seen. You can figure out the spacial layout of the venue (or at least you sense you can). Astonishing.
Quiet Revolution, an all acoustic, drummer-less jazz trio with Ben Allison (upright bass), Steve Cardenas (acoustic guitar), Ted Nash (tenor saxophone, clarinet). ((2018), Sonic Camera Records). Originally recorded in 2015 as vinyl only on Newvelle Records, this is a just released digital 24/88.2 FLAC file remixed/remastered (mixed and mastered by Ben Allison, Allisonics Studio) and it is truly intimate sounding through the DVA SET 600s; exceptional. The soundstage has Allison further center back, with Nash closer up front right, and Cardenas more center left. But all are behind the speakers in the soundstage. Rich, full, and with life-like clarity. Every nuance and detail can be heard; staccato and legato with beautifully crafted flicking by Cardenas (and the sliding on strings, tasteful little squeaks), air from the clarinet and sax, and the masterful plucking of the bass strings by Allison.
Track 4 The Train and the River written by Jimmy Giuffre in 1957 (The Jimmy Giuffre Trio is the main motivation for this album), playful and folksy, is really a treat, as is Track 6 Bimini with some exotic influences, and Allison does some solo parts (with Cardenas gently in the background) too. Absent clapping, this sounds like a live recording on the DVA SET 600s, and the trio are obviously having great fun.
The Bennie Maupin Quartet, Early Reflections, (CD rip, Cryptogramophone Records (2008)) the track Escondido. The bass clarinet is so intimate and close up; it comes at you including the sound of the blowing of air by Maupin; remarkable.
The DVA SET 600s do not try to pull any wool over your eyes, instead they pull wool out of your ears. And at a price of just under $5000/pr. they have no equal in sound quality that I know of. I would even argue that at double that price, they have no equal; they best some amplifiers that cost significantly more than $10K per pair.
Van Alstine recently told me that the DVA name used in this amp and others in his line of solid state amps is in memory of his late wife, Darlene Van Alstine, who passed away 20 years ago. I can only assume that she would have tapped her foot, too, if she could have heard the DVA SET 600s. My own wife's wishes will be honoured; in our home the DVA SET 600s will stay. Two steps forward, zero steps back. From my perspective, Frank Van Alstine is an unsung hero in amplifier design.
Further information: Audio by Van Alstine
Reference Equipment
Speakers: Alta Audio Celesta FRM-2
Amplifiers: 2 Merrill Audio Veritas Monoblocks Special Edition (SE)
Preamplifier: PS Audio BHK Signature using Tungsram PCC88/77DJ8 vacuum tubes for input stage.
Phono Preamplifier: Pass Labs XP-17 Phono Stage
DAC: PS Audio DirectStream, with Bridge II using ethernet
Music Player: Mojo Audio Deja Vu Music Server-with Linux OS, Roon and Tidal.
Turntable: VPI Prime with Grado Labs Statement v2 Cartridge
Interconnects : Anticables Level 6.2 ABSOLUTE Signature RCA, Anticables Level 4.1 Reference PLUS Xhadow (with cryo option) XLR.
Speaker cables, jumpers, power cords: Waveform Fidelity.
Power generator: PS Audio P12 Power Plant.


text:
Children's paradise
In Wheermolen there is an area of rugged terrain almost as big as 3 football pitches. And of course a children's playground.
There are reed beds, hillocks, water and lots of greenery and plenty of space to do what you want. You can build a cabin, set a fire, cook whatever you like on it and sail with rowing boats or self-made floats. If you need help because you hit your thumb, or because something is going wrong or maybe because you have a good idea, you can always talk to one of the volunteers. There are also two professional guides present every day.
Trimpad 4
Phone number: 0299 421 073
Opening hours
13:00 - 16:00 hrs
11:00 - 16:00 hrs


text:
People go on about multitasking. Usually they trot out the same old chestnut that women are better at multitasking. Usually that's stated as an attack on men to 'prove' that women are better than men at something.
Why people are so insecure that they want to waste time pointing out differences between the sexes to gain some sort of tribal upper-hand escapes me. What people also seem to overlook is that all these things are 'on average'. It doesn't mean that because you're a woman you are going to be better at such and such or worse at such and such. And it doesn't mean that skills such as multitasking and reading maps can't be learnt. There are plenty of women who can read maps better than the average man and plenty of men who are better at multitasking than the average woman.
But multitasking is not a 'great triumph', it's a curse and a scourge to your creativity. Being able to do lots of things at the same time sounds like a great idea in our time constrained world. But when we look at what tasks multitaskers actually do concurrently they are all mundane left-brain tasks. The danger is that such an emphasis has been put on multitasking that it's created yet another benchmark of left-brain prowess that people feel they need to live up to. People are given yet another reason not to concentrate on doing one thing well. People again fail to live in the moment and to take the time to enjoy life, instead packing in as many robotic tasks as possible.
Creative tasks demand full absorption. They require freedom from a mind that is worried about 'getting things done quickly and efficiently'. A painter, sculptor, writer or composer needs to take as long as it takes to create their work. They are not clock watching, cutting corners or doing anything else while they are committed to the creative act. You're not going to generate that killer idea for your business while you run about doing a load of other stuff. Meanwhile your competitor may well have just come up with something wonderful.
My wish for you is to gain access at a conscious level to your inventive, intuitive and imaginative powers that normally go untapped, or only fleetingly accessed in our left brain dominated, verbal, technological culture and education system.
Save multitasking for mindless jobs and spend as much of your life as possible being mindful instead.
For more see:


text:
23568 Intermediate Macroeconomics6cp
Requisite(s): 23566 Economics for Business 2 OR 25566 Economics for Business 2 OR 23001 Principles of Macroeconomics
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 25568 Intermediate Macroeconomics
This subject develops basic economic models as the analytical tools with which to understand macroeconomic phenomena such as economic growth, output fluctuations, unemployment, and inflation and how these phenomenon are interrelated. The subject equips students with analytical skills to examine the impact of these macroeconomic forces on business conditions and to understand and evaluate policy.
Detailed subject description.
Fee information
Information to assist with determining the applicable fee type can be found at Understanding fees.
- Commonwealth-supported students: view subject fees at Fees Search: Commonwealth-supported
- Postgraduate domestic fee-paying students: fees are charged according to the course enrolled in; refer to Domestic Fees Search: Postgraduate and Research
- International students: fees are charged according to the course enrolled in; refer to International Fees Search
- Subject EFTSL: 0.125


text:
BRATISLAVA: Experienced Slovak documentary filmmaker Robert Kirchhoff deals once again with the complicated political history of the region and in the Slovak/Czech coproduction All Men Become Brothers / Všetci ľudia budú bratia he focuses on Alexander Dubček, leader of the Prague Spring 1968 and chairman of the Parliament after the Velvet Revolution. This documentary is currently entering the second phase of shooting and it should be finished by the end of 2019.
BRATISLAVA: Slovak director Jonáš Karásek wrapped shooting on his second feature film Amnesty / Amnestie focusing on the turbulent period around and right after the Velvet Revolution. This Slovak/Czech coproduction produced and co-written by Maroš Hečko is expected to be released in November 2019, on the 30th anniversary of the revolution.
BELGRADE: Stefan Arsenijević started shooting his long-awaited new feature Strahinja as a coproduction between Serbia, France, Luxembourg and Bulgaria in early November 2018. His debut feature Love and Other Crimes / Ljubav i drugi zločini, produced by Art & Popcorn, premiered in Berlin Film Festival's official programme in 2008.
TALLINN: Legendary Estonian film director Hardi Volmer is in post-production with a feature film about the first Estonian filmmaker, The Real Life of Johannes Pääsuke / Johannes Pääsukese tõeline elu, who lived in the first half of the 20th century. Pääsuke filmed a documentary in the most southern part of Estonia, Setomaa, in 1913.
KATOWICE: World-renowned Polish film director Lech Majewski is working on his new drama Brigitte Bardot the Wonderful, based on his novel of the same title. The release is planned for 2020.
ZAGREB: Stanislav Tomic is in development/early preproduction with action comedy Tune-up / Po tamburi. The film is set to be a coproduction between Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Slovenia, and it has already received support from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre.
TALLINN: Estonian director Vallo Toomla is currently filming a portrait documentary under the working-title Marju Lepajõe. Words of the Days / Marju Lepajõe. Päevade sõnad, which will premiere in 2019.
LJUBLJANA: Corporation, the second feature film from director Matej Nahtigal, began filming on 9 November 2018. A 30-day shooting schedule is planned, ending on 23 December.
PRAGUE: The popular Czech actor-turned-director Jiri Madl is completing his second film On the Roof to debut in 2019, a year after originally scheduled.
WARSAW: Małgorzata Szumowska is developing a Polish/German coproduction entitled The Masseur.


text:
Home – Blog – Blog: Government Bodies Must Play Their Part in Securing Against Identity Theft
Sizing up the problem
Identity theft is big business for fraudsters, and a big headache for Government. According to Cabinet Office figures, identity fraud cost the UK economy £1.5bn in 2005. This cost is a double whammy; a significant proportion of identity theft is committed by foreign nationals carrying out their criminal activity from outside the UK. This means that their illegal gains are removed from the UK economy when they are spent abroad.
The number of reported cases has shown a steady rise since it first reached a significant level of public awareness in 1999. The rise still appears to be unchecked, caused by the fact that this is a relatively new crime phenomenon, meaning that police do not yet have sufficient experience to investigate and bring those responsible to justice in a meaningful number of cases. Specialist teams investigating identity fraud (such as that based at City of London Police) do exist, most recently in the form of the new National Fraud Reporting Centre (which aims to amalgamate efforts) but so far these have only used to investigate the most serious cases, estimated to be 1% of total cases reported. Part of the reason for this is that investigations are complex and time consuming, spanning multiple geographies with a complex paper trail. Furthermore, our stringent data protection laws can actually work against us; access for police to information to help identify offenders is often hindered by arduous requirements for regulation of investigatory powers warrants, which are highly time consuming to obtain.
If our police forces are to increase our investigation and detection figures for these offences, the public must accept they will need new training, equipment and procedures, all of which come at a cost. And perhaps more controversially, they need additional legal powers to obtain information to identify offenders in a much more streamlined way. Ironically, to keep our identities secure, we must trust them to those that protect them.
The real life impact of identity theft – worse than being robbed in the street?
Identity Theft has been seen by many as a victimless crime. In many cases, provided the consumer has not been negligent, they will not be liable any financial losses incurred as a result of the fraud, for example, their credit card being used to order goods fraudulently. However, the impact of identity theft goes deeper than simple financial losses. In the more trivial cases, impact may be low, for example if a consumer received confirmation of a loan application through the post that they did not make, it may be a simple matter of a telephone call to the building society to explain the circumstances. However, in the more serious cases, where multiple fraudulent applications have been made to perhaps twenty organisations, the amount of time (and consequent cost in terms of lost earnings) required to contact each one may be very significant.
Frequently, the problem doesn't end there. Credit history is often very adversely affected by the sheer number of credit applications that fraudsters make, and while notes can be added to credit files, credit score invariably suffers as a result. Applications for loans, credit cards, insurance and even mortgages may be denied or have special terms imposed. So while street robbery is undoubtedly a more traumatic experience, cards can be cancelled and replaced in a matter of days. With identity theft, the victim may feel the effects for far longer.
Sharing the responsibility for preventing identity fraud
Until recently, the consumer has shouldered most of the responsibility for prevention of identity fraud. Scare campaigns led by the financial institutions and frightening news stories caused many households to start shredding the myriad of confidential documents that land on our doormats on a daily basis before disposing of them.
However, an increasing number of news stories are starting to emerge, showing that those we trust with our personal information, both private companies and Government bodies are failing to afford this information the protection it deserves. Failures in systems, processes and the human element of operations have led to some catastrophic leakages of data, leaving the consumer at risk of significant inconvenience and expense.
By way of an analogy, if a bank does not transport cash securely, and it is stolen, the bank and the bank alone bears the brunt of the loss, and will take steps to avoid a recurrence to protect itself financially in the future. Not so if that same bank is careless with our personal data and it falls into criminal hands; the full impact of the security failure hits us, as in reality, it will be difficult or impossible to prove that a single security breach causes a specific criminal act to take place. In that respect, identity theft is a strange crime, in that the negligent party may not be the victim.
Increase security voluntarily now, or have it imposed later
The current situation is clearly untenable, in that at present, there is little incentive for organisations to increase the security they apply to personal information because those organisations are rarely the victim. In time, this fact will lead to legislative change, mandating and defining key security requirements and procedures. Penalties will also need to be defined for those that do not comply.
For that reason, now is the time for organisations to get advice on improving security in their people, processes, governance and tools. Doing so now will ease the pain when these changes are inevitably mandated by law, and increase public confidence that personal data is given the level of protection it deserves.
Securing confidential information in government organisations
Government bodies are dealing with confidential personal information that carries with it many of the risks and threats to the individual described above. As the recent furore over the HMRC / NAO leak shows, the cost of mistakes can be very high. The damage caused can very considerably outweigh the perceived cost of removing the risk points. In the highly publicised case, risk analysis factored in "perceptions" like the reliability of the internal government mail service, that should with hindsight have been regarded with pessimism. Hunting for risk points in a complex environment like that operated in many government agencies and departments can be a length process but it is well worth doing.
Briefing people on the need to respect customer confidentiality for it's own sake is very important. Too often, organisations approach confidential information in an "impartial" manner as if the problem is either conceptual or belongs to someone else. Yet as both individual citizens and members of staff we are all threatened by sloppy approaches to security. The mainstay of ensuring secure behaviour is to encourage the right attitudes at all levels of staff and management, for good honest personal reasons.
IT and IS systems can help in the equation and always need to be looked at, but confidential and secure treatment of personal information is not just an IT problem – it is about personal decisions every day at work and the public sector needs to think about the way these decisions are made and how it makes them, not just lean on systemic solutions.