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Accessibility in Blackboard Collaborate with the Ultra Experience
Linked files are available in English only.
Blackboard is fully committed to ensuring all products and services we deliver are both usable and accessible to all users regardless of age, ability, or situation. In keeping with our strong tradition of leadership around accessibility, our products are designed and developed in accordance with the internationally recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as well as the Section 508 standards in the United States. A third party conducts regular audits of our software to ensure quality expectations are being met and maintained.
More on Blackboard's commitment to accessibility
Best screen reader experience
- Full-screen reader support of all key workflows.
- Global keyboard shortcuts for common actions. There are additional keyboard shortcuts. To learn more, see Keyboard Shortcuts.
- Screen reader support for whiteboard activities and uploaded files, without requiring complex conversions.
- Live closed captioning. To learn more, see Live Closed Captioning.
Collaborate Best Screen Reader Experience
Screen reader browser support
For the best Blackboard Collaborate experience with your screen reader use Firefox® and JAWS on a Windows® system. On a Mac® use Safari® and VoiceOver.
- Windows 10
- Firefox with JAWS v17: Provisional
- Windows 7
- Firefox with JAWS v17: Compatible
- macOS
- Safari with VoiceOver: Certified
- Firefox with VoiceOver: Provisional
Keyboard navigation
Industry standard keyboard interactions are used throughout Blackboard Collaborate. Keyboard navigation patterns differ between browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome), but the interactions within any particular browser are common and consistent.
If you are using a Mac with Firefox or Safari and are having difficulty navigating using your keyboard, review and update your operating system and browser settings. This ensures they are properly configured for keyboard navigation. To learn more, see the following information:
Global keyboard shortcuts have been established for common actions within Blackboard Collaborate. Additional keyboard shortcuts include the following:
- To turn the microphone on and off, press Alt + M in Windows. On a Mac, press Option + M.
- To turn the camera on and off, press Alt + C in Windows. On a Mac, press Option + C.
- To raise and lower your hand, press Alt + H in Windows. On a Mac, press Option + C.
- To move to the next slide, press Alt + Page Up. On a Mac, press Alt + Fn + Up Arrow.
- To move back a slide, press Alt + Page Down. On a Mac, press Alt + Fn + Down Arrow.
- To access the attendees list, you'll first need to reveal the Attendees panel by tabbing to and activating the button labeled "Open Collaborate Panel." If the button is labeled "Close Collaborate Panel," the panel is already open. Next, find and activate the "Attendees" tab with the Enter key. You are now in the Attendees panel. From here, Tab to and press Enter on the "Access list of attendees" button. You can only access this button by using the Tab key. It is only visible when it is focused. Press Spacebar to activate it. If you are a moderator, you can now use Tab to move through the controls for each attendee.
Recording playback keyboard shortcuts
- To pause and play the recording, press Space Bar.
- To repeat and skip the recording by 10 seconds, press the Left and Right arrow keys. Or press Shift + Left arrow or Shift + Right arrow to move the marker on the progress bar by 10 seconds.
- To increase and decrease the volume by 5%, press the Up and Down arrow keys.
Collaborate Panel With a Screen Reader
Using the "button" or link quick keys (B in JAWS or VO + Command + L in VoiceOver) look for the button labeled "Open Collaborate Panel".
If the link quick key in VoiceOver doesn't identify this action, try VO + Command + G to go to the next graphic, or VO + Right Arrow to read the next item until you find it.
Activating this button opens a 'tab list' which works as follows:
- The first tab "Chat" is focused by default. Use the TAB key on your keyboard to interact with the elements within the chat panel including reading and posting messages.
- Use the right and left arrow keys to move through the tabs (Chat, Attendees, Content, and Settings).
- Once a tab has focus you can use the TAB key to move through the elements on the page. Or back to the list of tabs.
- Tab to the "close Collaborate Panel" button to exit out of this experience.
Chat history keyboard controls in Collaborate
Use the keyboard controls at the top of the Chat panel to move between messages. The keyboard controls are only available after messages have been posted in Chat and are only available with keyboard navigation.
- From the text entry field in the Chat panel press Shift + Tab to open the keyboard controls. Or from the Chat with menu at the top of the panel press Tab.
- By default, the focus is on the Next chat message control. Press Shift + Tab to find the Previous chat message and First chat message controls. Press Tab to find the Last chat message control. Collaborate's chat history only has 50 messages displayed at any given time.
- Press Space Bar to activate the control and listen to the message.
- Press Tab to move through the controls and return to the chat text entry field.
Screen reader users can tab through polling and choose an option from the available list. Screen readers only announce the numbers for each choice. Moderators need to make sure attendees know what choice each number represents.
Share content
Application sharing is not currently supported for screen readers in Blackboard Collaborate. If you are using a screen reader, you can share files and a blank whiteboard with your attendees. You cannot share an application that is open on your device. For example, you can't share a Microsoft® PowerPoint® open on your computer.
Share files
Screen reader users can access text from PowerPoint and PDF files shared in the session. This provides an easy way to follow along as slides change.
Moderators and presenters must select Share Files and upload the files to Collaborate for screen readers to access the text.
Audio and video set up
Having trouble setting up your audio and video with JAWS? Jump to Audio Set Up with Jaws in Google ChromeTM.
Having trouble setting up your audio and video with VoiceOver? Jump to Audio Set Up with VoiceOver.
Audio notifications
Collaborate uses audio to alert you to something new. Different notifications have different sounds.
- Mute: Sounds like a series of notes from high to low.
- Unmute: Sounds like a series of notes from low to high.
- Disconnected: Three notes that sound like "Buh da da".
- Inactivity: Sounds like a bounce or spring.
You can choose to turn these notifications on or off.
- Join session notification: Sounds like a boing.
- New chat notification: Sounds like a thunk.
- Hand raise notification: Sounds like "Duh da." Only moderators can hear hand raise notifications.
- Leave session notification: Sounds like "Bing bong."
Video: Audio Notifications in Collaborate
Watch a video playlist about audio notifications
The following narrated video provides an auditory representation of some of the information included on this page. For a detailed description of what is portrayed in the video, open the video on YouTube, navigate to More actions, and select Open transcript.
Video playlist: Audio notifications in Blackboard Collaborate provides an overview of the audio alerts you hear in Collaborate.
Live closed captioning
The Ultra experience includes live closed captioning. This provides an accessible learning experience for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as for students whose native language is different from the moderator's.
Moderators must make attendees captioners. Captioners type what is being said during a session. Other attendees can view what is being typed in real time. You can have multiple captioners for multiple languages.
More on making an attendee a captioner for moderators
Captions entered during the live session are included when the session is recorded. If your session had more than one caption track, only the first available one is captured.
More on session recordings for participants
Being a captioner
As a captioner, you can provide captions for others in your session. This is a role that is assigned to you by a moderator.
There can be more than one captioner in a session. Captioners are identified in the Attendees panel with a Closed Caption (CC) icon by them.
Live closed captioning is not supported in Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean. Users with browsers set to these languages receive an error when they start.
Let's get started
When you are made a captioner you see an alert letting you know that you can now provide captions.
Select Let's get started when you are ready. This alerts other attendees that captions are available. Your captions appear on their screen as you type them in real time.
Selecting Let's get started also opens a text field for you to type what you hear during the session.
Your name is used as the title of your captions by default. It is good practice to change the title to something others can recognize when they view your captions. For example, Closed Captions or Spanish Subtitles.
Do you see the content being shared and want to watch the speaker? Select the picture-in-picture to see the active speaker.
Chinese, Japanese, and Korean browsers
The input process for live closed captioning is not supported in browsers set to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. This means that what you type may not appear how you want. Attendees see all keystrokes, not just the resulting word.
Example: To type the Japanese word "河口", the captioner types "kakou", which appears as "kかkこう". These characters are manually converted into "河口". Attendees viewing the captions see both the typed and converted characters, making the captions difficult to understand.
Set your browser to English to type captions in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
Watch a video about live closed captioning
The following un-narrated video provides a visual representation of some of the information included on this page. For a detailed description of what is portrayed in the video, open the video on YouTube, navigate to More actions, and select Open transcript.
Video: Closed Captioning in Blackboard Collaborate shows you how closed captioning works in Blackboard Collaborate with the Ultra experience.
Recording captions and chat transcripts
Download Collaborate Recording and Transcripts
If the moderator has allowed session recording downloads, you can download recordings and transcripts from the recording player Recording menu.
Open the Recording menu at the top left of your screen.
- Download the full recording
- Download caption transcripts
- Download chat transcripts
You can also download captions from the main Recordings list.
- From Recordings find a recording with Closed Captions (CC).
- Select the Closed caption options menu and select Download captions.
Add Captions to Your Collaborate Recordings
Add captions to your recordings
If you used live closed captioning in your session, there are captions with your recording already!
Add captions to your videos to engage all learners. Captioning video creates accessible content for individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired. Captions can help all students consume the video content. The uses for captions are limitless.
- Anyone working in a noisy environment can read captions.
- Non-native speakers can read captions in their own language.
- Students learning to read can follow along with the speaker.
- Students can see the spelling of terms that will be on a test.
- Anyone can search the session for key terms.
You can upload Video Text Tracks (VTT) caption and SubRip Subtitle (SRT) files to add or replace captions in recordings.
To learn more about VTT caption files, visit W3C WebVTT and Mozilla WebVTT.
To learn more about SRT files, visit the SubRip topic on Wikipedia and How to Create an SRT File by 3Play Media.
- From Collaborate scheduler, select Recordings and find the recording you want.
The Collaborate Scheduler is available in Blackboard Learn and LTI compliant LMS courses. The Collaborate Scheduler is not available in the Blackboard Open LMS Collaborate activity module.
- Select the Recording options menu, and select Add caption source.
- Browse for the VTT file and upload it.
Overwrite captions
Recordings with captions have a Closed caption options menu. Open that menu if you want to overwrite the captions.
- From Recordings, find the recording you want.
- Select the Closed captions options menu, and select Overwrite caption source.
- Browse for the VTT file and upload it.


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For What It's Worth - by Les Gold
Businesses these days talk a lot about figuring out what the customer wants. Well, heres your first lesson: the customer doesnt know what he wants. This book is going to show you how to convince him he wants the thing youre selling.
Les Gold has been in business since age twelve, when he started selling used golf clubs from his dads basement. Now he owns Detroits biggest pawnshop, American Jewelry and Loan, and is the star of the hit reality TV show Hardcore Pawn.
As a third-generation pawnbroker, Gold grew up in the business, dealing with customers who could be unruly and violent as often as they were friendly. He became good at selling just about anything and at buying items for what they were worth. Although he started at his familys small pawnshop, he has now expanded into a fifty-thousand-square-foot former bowling alley, making a thousand deals a day.
On any given day, he could be taking a vintage car in to pawn or chasing down a thief whos just stolen a gold chain from the store. No business school in the world can teach you as much about buying, selling, negotiating, managing employees, dealing with customers, advertising, tracking trends, and predicting the economys ups and downs.
In this entertaining, honest book, Gold takes you inside some of his weirdest, wackiest deals and steals. From the monkey his dad once took in to pawn to the deal Gold made for a stripper pole, he has no boundaries for what he considers to be part of his businessand neither should you.
No place in the world prepares you better for the working world than a pawnshop, and Les Gold takes you inside his shop to share what hes learned from fifty-five years in the most interesting job in the world.

subset: commoncrawl


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Commuting & Rideshare
boston college transportation and parking services
Commuting to and from Boston College and its outlying properties is the same for all who commute in Eastern Massachusetts: difficult. Traffic jams, snow in the winter, potholes in the spring, and lots and lots of people and vehicles. Boston College offers programs to help the commuter, and works in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's Rideshare program.
BC offers preferred parking to commuters, bike racks and facilites for bicyclists, and easy access to the MBTA and other forms of mass transit. The University is always seeking to find ways to reduce the number of drive-alone trips to reduce congestion and lower pollutants produced by commuting.
Therefore, BC includes the following links on its Transportation web site to offer a conduit to students, faculty, and staff members on what is available:
Other helpful links:
- MBTA T Projects
- Maps & Directions to Boston College
- MassPort
- The Ride — MBTA's Paratransit program
- The Weather Channel
Commuter Aid Services
WBZ traffic reports on the threes of each hour (i.e., 1:03, 1:13…1:43, etc.)
|Immediate traffic reports
State Police — Report Emergencies
If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact us.


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Google has filed a complaint with European regulators alleging that Microsoft has violated competition laws by waging a proxy patent war against Android. Google hasn't made the complaint available to the press, but a statement from the search giant alleged that "Nokia and Microsoft are colluding to raise the costs of mobile devices for consumers, creating patent trolls that sidestep promises both companies have made."
"They should be held accountable, and we hope our complaint spurs others to look into these practices," the statement said.
While Google itself has not been the target of many Android-related patent lawsuits (and recently prevailed in its fight with Oracle), the company alleges that the threat of lawsuits against companies that manufacture Android handsets are creating an unfair advantage for Microsoft's own Windows Phone platform.
A Google spokesman told Bloomberg that the complaint focuses on the transfer of 2000 patents to a litigious firm called Mosaid Technologies. According to Google, Microsoft has publicly pledged not to assert those patents against competitors, but is now attempting to get around that promise by passing the patents to a third party who is not bound by the same promise. Google says Microsoft and Nokia are entitled to a share of Mosaid's licensing revenues.
The complaint is a "desperate tactic," according to Microsoft. "Google is complaining about patents when it won't respond to growing concerns by regulators, elected officials and judges about its abuse of standard-essential patents, and it is complaining about antitrust in the smartphone industry when it controls more than 95% of mobile search and advertising," the Redmond giant said in a press statement.
A Nokia spokesman called the complaint "frivolous," insisting that it was not abusing standards-essential patents and that Microsoft and Nokia manage their patent portfolios independently.
The EU is investigating Motorola Mobility, which was recently acquired by Google, for allegedly abusing standards-essential patents related to mobile phone technology.
Florian Mueller, a blogger with financial ties to Google's opponents, claims that the United States International Trade Commission has already dismissed similar charges.
Legal scholars have told Ars that patent thickets are uncharted territory for antitrust law. In an interview last year, Michael Carrier of Rutgers-Camden Law School pointed to potential collusion between Microsoft and Nokia as an antitrust trouble spot. However, he said, "the Department of Justice is sometimes slow to catch up to the realities of how patents are used in the industry." That might be why the fight is largely playing out in the European Union.


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Deans Move On
Business and Park schools will be seeking new leaders.
Park School dean Dianne Lynch and School of Business dean Susan West Engelkemeyer both recently left the College. Engelkemeyer took the position of dean of the Charlton College of Business at the University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth, and Lynch is the new president of Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, the second-oldest women's college in the nation.
The energetic Lynch came to Ithaca College in 2004. During her tenure the Park School developed a new degree program in documentary studies and production; established the endowed Park Center for Independent Media; added more than 20 interdisciplinary minicourses; and established the Park Partners Program, which pairs graduating seniors with successful alumni. During a national search for her successor, longtime professor of strategic communications Diane Gayeski '70 will fill the role of interim dean.
Engelkemeyer, who joined Ithaca College in 2005, headed the School of Business as it earned initial accreditation by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and attained a 17-year high in undergraduate first-year student and all-time high in MBA enrollment. She was also instrumental in the success of the fund-raising campaign that resulted in the new LEED platinum–certified home of the business school, the Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise. During the search for a new dean, Department of Management chair Mark Cardano will serve as interim dean.


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ARLINGTON, Texas, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Dan Bailey kicked a trio of field goals and Tony Romo tossed for 283 yards Sunday in the Dallas Cowboys' 16-10 victory over Tampa Bay.
Romo went 25-of-39 through the air with an interception while DeMarco Murray compiled 38 yards on 18 carries in the defensive struggle.
Miles Austin led the Dallas receiving corps with five catches for 107 yards as the Cowboys (2-1) rebounded from a 27-7 loss to Seattle last week.
The Buccaneers (1-2) were stymied by Dallas' coverage against Josh Freeman, who managed to complete just 10-of-28 passes for 110 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Doug Martin paced the Bucs with 53 rushing yards on 19 carries.


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More information
UK orders under £75
DPD two day delivery - £3.99
UK orders £75 or over
DPD two day delivery - free delivery
Orders outside of the UK
Prices will be displayed at checkout and are dependant on carrier costs
Please note that shipping supplements will be incurred for overseas delivery on heavy items such as golf bags, travel bags and other oversize items. This charge will be added to your shipping cost upon checkout.
Free UK returns
We have free UK returns on all UK orders over £100, including all UK shoe orders which now receive FREE returns. There will be a Tracked 24 Royal Mail returns label with your order confirmation form within your parcel, which can be peeled off and placed on the parcel, then returned at your local post office, free of charge. Returns for UK orders under £100 will need to be arranged using a carrier of your choice.
International returns
All returns from outside of the UK are the responsibility of the customer, for further information please see our full returns information.
General Information
Returning items are the responsibility of the sender until the parcel has been received by the returns department at TRENDYGOLF, it is advisable to obtain a receipt of postage or add a tracked service to the parcel so that you can track the progress of your return.
Please enclose a note with the reason for the return, your order number, and the item you wish to return. Items must be returned in original packing with all tags. We will only accept returned items unworn/undamaged.
For any questions on products including fit or fabrication please contact us :
Telephone : 44 (0) 845 680 6479
Email: [email protected]
Calvin Klein Golf
Calvin Klein Golf has become the premier choice for golfers who want to stand out from the crowd on the course.
It blends clean and modern aesthetics with the highest quality performance materials to deliver a product that not only looks superb, but feels exceptional to play in.
Calvin Klein Golf is also the Official Apparel Supplier of the Ricoh Women's British Open since 2014.


text: Hello everyone, just joined the forum and invested in the CG product line. I have always enjoyed cleaning my vehicles, but never went full hardcore, until now. I ordered a bunch of stuff and can't wait to use it. I might try it out today, my truck has some pretty good scratches from off roading tht need correcting. Wish me luck


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An attractive rectangular chrome face plate and minimalist controls ensure that the Aspire Twin Concealed Thermostatic Shower Valve, with Built-In Diverter, complements any modern bathroom or shower room. Constructed from brass, with modern ceramic disc technology, square handles give you finger tip control of the temperature and flow of water to a fixed shower head, or a slide rail kit, tub filler or body jets.
Safety comes as standard with a pre-set maximum temperature and an anti-scald device.
Hudson Reed Aspire Twin Concealed Thermostatic Shower Faucet Valve Details
?Dimensions (H x W): 8½" x 4¾"
?Durable, dependable and with the luxury of a solid brass rough-in valve
?Brass handles and face plate
?Chrome finish
?Ceramic Disc Technology
?Pre-set maximum temperature (104ºf)
?Automatic anti scald device
?Suitable for water systems between 2 - 75 psi pressure
?½" NPT Inlets and Outlets Compatible with standard US plumbing connections
?Suitable for combi boilers, gravity fed systems, unvented mains pressure systems and for shower pumps
?Please note: This valve can supply only one outlet at a time


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Set Street View
Hec Substation
Attractions » Historical and cultural » Historic structures & features
Latitude:-41.1344 Longitude:147.8097
No Ratings Held
Write a Review
See a Mistake?
Remove POI?
Link to this page
Use the map below to help position the Point of View to provide the best Street view. Note the location of the Street View position does not effect the position of the Point of Interest.});


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5 Economic Conditions Progressive CFOs Must Heed. Insights from global economist David Hale
CCH Tagetik has commissioned David Hale, renowned global economist and advisor to Fortune 500 Companies, to provide his insight into the top economic conditions that will impact business, particularly the Office of the CFO, in the near future.
Topics will include:
- The negative impact of investment decisions currently being made by CFOsGeo-economic shifts that will change emerging market and offshoring strategies
- Global and local regulations that will continue to impact the CFO agendaTechnology trends that will influence CFO strategy and decision-making
- Answers to your specific questions


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ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y., April 23, 2014 — Dr. Chris Mackowski, professor of journalism and mass communication at St. Bonaventure University, has edited a pair of new Civil War books related to the war's most prolonged campaign of fighting and maneuvering, which took place 150 years ago this spring.
The 1864 Overland Campaign pitted Federal commander Ulysses S. Grant against Confederate commander Robert E. Lee in a series of major battles that included some of the most notorious names of the war: the Wilderness, the Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor. The campaign opened May 3, 1864, and lasted until June 16. During that time, the Northern and Southern armies engaged in an unrelenting series of fighting, maneuvering, and marching across more than 70 miles of central Virginia.
The two books are part of the Emerging Civil War Series published by Savas Beatie. Mackowski serves as managing editor of the series.
The first book in the pair, "No Turning Back: A Guide to the 1864 Overland Campaign," is by Robert M. Dunkerly, Donald C. Pfanz, and David R. Ruth. Dunkerly is a historian/ranger with Richmond National Battlefield Park; Pfanz is a retired historian/ranger with Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park; Ruth is the superintendent of Richmond National Battlefield Park.
"The two parks encompass most of the areas where the campaign's severest fighting took place, so the three historians know the ground intimately," said Mackowski. "They've worked those battlefields for years, so few people can offer a better explanation of the stories that unfolded there."
"No Turning Back" provides an overview of the entire Overland Campaign. "Grant had vowed that there would be 'no turning back' once he had set upon his course, which proved to be a significant change compared to previous Federal commanders," Mackowski said. "Most of the time, the armies would fight and then disengage, and they'd spend a couple months recovering, resupplying, and reinforcing. Grant changed that routine. He knew this was a war of attrition, so he didn't want to give Confederates the chance to catch their breath. He wanted to wear them down – so he kept up unrelenting pressure for weeks."
"No Turning Back" is formatted like a driving tour that follows a course set up by the Virginia Civil War Trails system. Pictures offer a view of the action for readers who follow along from the comfort of their living rooms.
The second book of the pair, "Hurricane from the Heavens: The Battle of Cold Harbor," is by Daniel T. Davis and Phillip S. Greenwalt. Davis and Greenwalt are co-authors of "Bloody Autumn: The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864," which Mackowski also edited as part of the Emerging Civil War Series. Davis is a historian for the U.S. Army and Greenwalt is a historian for the National Park Service; both have worked at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, where the Overland Campaign opened.
"Hurricane from the Heavens" focuses specifically on the actions of the campaign's culminating engagements, including an infamous assault by Federals on June 3, 1864, in which Ulysses S. Grant lost 7,000 men in less than half an hour. "I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made," Grant wrote in his memoirs years later.
Along with his work as editor, Mackowski contributed a pair of appendices to the book: "Cold Harbor in Memory" and "On to Richmond."
"People who know anything about Cold Harbor typically know about Grant's ill-fated assault, which contributed to his reputation as 'Grant the Butcher,'" Mackowski said. "Ironically, Lee lost as many men in the same amount of time during Pickett's Charge, but he's typically remembered as a tragic hero for it, not as a butcher." The appendix goes on to explore that dichotomy.
"On to Richmond" offers a quick glimpse at some of the Civil War-related sites in the former Confederate capital.
"The Emerging Civil War Series is intended to offer reader-friendly overviews of some of the war's most compelling stories," Mackowski said. "These are books people can pick up if they want something quick and well-written, so we really try to hook them and keep them engaged. Hopefully we provoke their interest enough that they'll continue to explore these stories on their own."
Mackowski has been with the university since the fall of 2000. He is a recipient of the university's Faculty Award for Professional Excellence in Research and Publication. Aside from his work as managing editor of the Emerging Civil War Series, he is also co-founder of the blog Emerging Civil War. He is the author of several books on the Civil War, and his articles have appeared in numerous magazines.
About the University: The nation's first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. We are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.
Application forms, procedures and additional information
There are many ways to experience
St. Bonaventure for yourself
Learn more about the programs that interest you


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- Fast, convenient learning without any out-of-office time lost;
- No travel-related expenses or complications;
- The perfect affordable way to update yourself rapidly on current laws.
10 Rules to Use in Tennessee Civil Lawsuits - On-Demand
Webinar now available on-demand.
Use this on-demand webinar to learn ten Tennessee civil rules to use in your practice.
Lawyers must play by the rules. If you don't know the rules, your opponent may be able to get the upper hand. On the other hand, if you know the rules, you can use them to your advantage. You can better serve your clients, while saving time and money.
For example, utilizing the rules to the maximum may allow you to gain the dismissal of some claims or defenses, freeing your time to concentrate on fewer claims or defenses. Effective use of discovery can also narrow the issues and aid you in proving your case or defeating your opponent's case.
Presenter Brandon Bass reviews ten Tennessee civil rules to use in your practice right now. Don't miss it! Get this on-demand webinar today!
Webinar Agenda:
- Holding your opponent to discovery responses
- Methods to dismiss claims and defenses
- Effective ways to establish damages
- And more!
Order this advice-rich On-Demand webinar risk free.
10 Rules to Use in Tennessee Civil Lawsuits — is just $107.
Because this is an on-demand webinar you enjoy:
If you ordered an on-demand webinar, your access instructions with link to download all materials will be sent to you via email within 24 hours of the program airing. Please add firstname.lastname@example.com to your safe sender list to ensure delivery.
About Your Presenter:
Brandon Bass
Law Offices of John Day, P.C.
Brandon Bass is a Shareholder in the Law Offices of John Day, P.C. in Brentwood, Tennessee. Mr. Bass focuses on helping people who have been badly injured or lost a loved one. His core practice areas include products liability, medical malpractice, and trucking lawsuits. His experience in products liability lawsuits includes industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals, automotive and tractor-trailer defects, and defects in construction materials. He has also assisted victims of medical malpractice in recovering for their losses from doctors and other health care providers. Mr. Bass has significant experience in trucking lawsuits, including cases involving tractor-trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles.
Mr. Bass serves on the Board of Governors for the Tennessee Association for Justice, and is the organization's Amicus Curiae Committee Chair. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice, serving on the Board of Governors of its New Lawyers Division, as well as the Tennessee and Nashville Bar Associations. He has been a member of the John Marshall American Inn of Court in Williamson County. He frequently writes on personal injury and wrongful death legal issues. In addition, Mr. Bass has served as Associate Editor of the Tennessee Trial Law Report – Tort Edition, a monthly newsletter on tort law, evidence, civil procedure and trial in Tennessee. He was formerly Associate Editor of the Tennessee Tort Law Letter.


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At the launch of the ten year anniversary of G'Day USA John Travolta leapt on stage and did an impromptu duet of Yesterday with Keith Urban.
Surprising? No, that's typical of these parties over the last decade.
G'Day USA 2013 was launched with a bang by Qantas with a Spirit of Australia cocktail party in Los Angeles for a swag of Aussie stars.
A red carpet lined the entrance to the Montage Terrace in Beverly Hills and singer Keith Urban was guest of honour.
A judge on American Idol, he performed an acoustic set starting with Flame Trees by Cold Chisel reminding everyone just how it should be done. The crowd sang along.
He and wife Nicole Kidman have both been nominated for Golden Globes, announced on Monday (Australian time).
Urban - who received a nod for co-writing the song For You - and Kidman received two acting nominations for The Paperboy and HBO biopic Hemingway & Gelhorn, are over the moon at being able to share the experience.
"It's not lost on us how amazing it is. For the both of us to be nominated at the same time is just magical," he said.
Qantas ambassadors John Travolta and Miranda Kerr fronted up. Kerr's husband Orlando Bloom was not with her further igniting rumours about their marriage.
Travolta said his affinity with Australia is as strong as ever. "It's been a long love affair. Australia gets me," he said. TV presenter Laura Csortan MC'd the night.
Other guests included actors Axel Whitehead, Callan McAuliffe, Phoebe Tonkin, Bella Heathcote and Anthony and Jonathan LaPaglia. The next big event is the G'Day
USA black tie gala where Paul Hogan and Rose Byrne will be honoured.
Shelly was a guest of Qantas and Swisse for G'Day USA.
Shelly Horton is Chief Columnist of Life&Style


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1+ months
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Princeton, New Jersey
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a collaborative national center for fusion energy research. The Laboratory advances the coupled fields of fusion energy and plasma physics research, and, with collaborators, is developing the scientific understanding...
1+ months
BC Hydro
Burnaby, British Columbia Canada
Job Title: Engineering Team Lead (Transmission Lines) Job Number: BCH-R-8753-191030E1 Job Location: Burnaby (Edmonds), British Columbia, Canada ____________________________________________________ We're BC Hydro and we have a big job to do. Keeping the lights on for over 4 million people acr...
1+ months
American University
Washington , District Of Columbia
Summary/Objective The role of this position is to provide a safe, functional, clean, efficient and attractive living and learning environment. The electrician is a skilled, licensed DC Journeymen responsible for evaluating, repairing and replacing a variety of electrical facility components, to en...
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SEAM Group
Work Remotely
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Valuation of Damages
Strzelecki v. Blaser Lakeside Indus., 139 Mich. App. Ct. 1191 (1984)
Campins v. Capels, 461 NE2d 712 (1984)
Griffin v. G.M.C., 380 Mass. 362 (1980)
Krasnecky v. Meffen, 777 N.E. 2d 1286 (2002)
A Woman's Worth: Gender Bias in Damage Awards
Proving Partial Loss of Earning Capacity
Ten Mistakes Adjusters See Attorneys Make
Explaining Pain
Seeking Recovery For Loss of Enjoyment of Life
Rule 51 –Instructions to the Jury


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This brand runs true to size. To ensure the best fit, we suggest consulting the size chart.
This season, make space in your closet for some exciting cuts, catwalk-inspired designs and finest tailoring. Take your pick from our curated edit of Sbuys clothing line and give your style a streamlined feminine touch.


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Nissan took three SI swimsuit models for an O-face-inducing ride down the famous Vegas strip in three 2009 370Zs. That's a whole lot of forced weight loss in one video, ain't it?
We have one thing to ask - Can we play the part of the passenger seat belt next time?


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3) Why not include a small gift?
A popular choice for any occasion.
Go Deluxe, Fabulous or Amazing and our florists will add extra flowers to create that WOW factor!
Flowers presentation may vary due to seasonal availability. Please view our substitution policy for details.
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ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – A Pakistani court postponed a hearing Saturday on whether to grant bail to a Christian girl accused of burning pages containing Quran verses in a case that has heightened religious tensions.
Muslim lawyers demanded she remain in jail during a tense hearing that included a shouting match with the judge. They provided a list of reasons she should be detained, including questioning whether the girl gave her lawyer the power of attorney.
A judge ordered investigators to get more details on her power of attorney, and postponed the hearing to Monday. Before Saturday, a decision was supposed to come Thursday, but was deferred so authorities could answer questions about her medical history.
"All these are the delaying tactics by the lawyers of the complainant to keep the girl in jail," said her lawyer, Tahir Naveed Choudhry.
Pakistani authorities have come under pressure to guarantee her safety in a country where those accused of blasphemy have been killed by the public in the past.
Her lawyers dashed into a car and sped off after the hearing for safety reasons. The girl, named Rimsha, did not attend.
Choudhry, has sought bail, saying she is legally a minor and should be reunited with her parents rather than kept in a jail with adults.
He cited a report by an independent medical board stating that the girl is 14. The doctors who examined her also concluded that her mental age was lower than her chronological age. She also suffers from Down syndrome, he said.
But on Thursday, the lawyer for the man accusing the girl questioned the legal validity of the board's report. The lawyer, Rao Abdur Raheem, said the seven-doctor board was mandated by local authorities, not by court order.
As a result, the court adjourned until Saturday to allow time to verify the medical report.
Police have said that the girl is illiterate and has not attended school. They said last week that she had told them that she had no idea that there were Quran verses inside the documents she alleged to have burned.
The court faces a difficult decision amid concerns that if she is released on bail, she could be at risk from Muslims angered by the allegations against her.
Choudhry, a leading member of the Christian community, said the girl is too young to stay in prison and would be safer joining her relatives, who are in hiding.
"She was crying in the jail and missing her parents," he said.
Choudhry says he expects the trial to last as long as two years. She would remain in custody for its duration, if bail is denied, he said.
If she is tried as a minor, she might receive a milder sentence if convicted. As an adult, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for blasphemy, the lawyer said.
She was accused by a local resident of burning pages containing the Muslim holy text after she gathered paper as fuel for cooking in Islamabad, according to the authorities.
The lawyer has said nobody actually saw her burning the papers.
The case has sent hundreds of Christian families fleeing from the area for fear of violence, her lawyer said.
About 150 people gathered on August 17 — the day she was arrested — in the area where the neighborhood's Christian population lives and threatened to burn down their houses, police said.


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A former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter has filed a lawsuit against a sexual performance gel company and claims that the gel permanently damaged his penis, TMZ reports.
Waylon Lowe, 32, is suing Kama Sutra Pleasure Balm Prolonging Gel after purchasing their product at a sex store in Philadelphia (it should be noted that some sources, including Philly.com report the Lowe is suing the sex store).
The gel is supposed to desensitize the penis and enhance stamina but the athlete says the gel ruined his man parts and that he can no longer ejaculate.
TMZ writes, "He lathered the gel on his junk and then covered it with a Trojan Magnum latex condom and began having sex with his fiancée." They didn't have sex for long, however, as they were interrupted by their baby's crying, coming from the next room. While the mixed martial arts fighter's fiancée went to check on their daughter, Lowe says he started "experiencing excruciating pain in the penis," TMZ says. He then took off the condom and says, "he was horrified to see a significantly swelled penis."
The athlete went to the emergency room and suffered "catastrophic and permanent damage." He also says he has permanent scarring and disfigurement, permanent loss of sensation, permanent loss of functioning, permeate nerve damage and can no longer ejaculate.
He is suing for at least $50,000. TMZ notes that Lowe "strongly insinuates in the lawsuit" that the damage was a result of putting the condom over the gel, even though the label says it's fine to do so.
Officials from the Kama Sutra Company told TMZ that the athlete has no lawsuit and that their product has worked safely without any problems for four decades. According to Philly.com, the sex shop where Lowe bought the gel has removed the product.
Lowe filed his lawsuit on May 14.


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7539 Hwy 11 North, Lumberton, Mississippi 39455
Total inspections: 1
Last inspection: June 20, 2006
Classification: Petroleum Refining
Last enforcement: Unknown
Formal enforcement: 0
Informal enforcement: 0
This facility has not been out of compliance in the past 12 quarters.
View detailed information from the Environmental Protection Agency. Note: There are no mandated limits for power plant discharges into waterways for many common chemicals such as arsenic, lead and mercury. However some facilities are monitored for these pollutants by state regulators and report the findings to the E.P.A.


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Passengers have been warned of train delays this morning after late-running engineering works disrupted southwest London services to and from London Victoria and London Bridge.
Passengers on Southern Railway were told to expect delays, alterations and cancellations on routes to Balham, Clapham Junction, Croydon, Crystal Palace, Mitcham and Sutton.
One passenger waiting at West Croydon said: "We've been told to expect delays of up to 20 minutes, but not much more than that."
>> Get the latest traffic and travel information for your area


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Every IT shop has a mix of Windows and Linux system. Sometime you need to authenticate your Linux desktop system against Microsoft Active Directory service. You can save time, effort and IT infrastructure by sharing authentication server. This article explains how to setup the Linux desktop computers with Active Directory using Samba and winbind.
From the article:
Starting with Windows 2000, Microsoft moved from NTLM to Active Directory and its integrated Kerberos authentication services. Kerberos was considerably more secure than NTLM, and it scaled better, too. And Kerberos was an industry standard already used by Linux and UNIX systems, which opened the door to integrating those platforms with Windows.
Most Linux distributions come with several PAM authentication modules, including modules that support authentication to an LDAP directory and authentication using Kerberos. You can use these modules to authenticate to Active Directory, but there are some significant limitations, as I will discuss later in this article.
=> Authenticate Linux Clients with Active Directory


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New development on Ionia to get underway soon
Brookstone Capital will add new residences and retail downtown.
In addition, the blueprint includes a two-story parking deck. The parking facility wasn't included in the first version of the construction plan; its addition raised the cost of the project from $13.5 million to $15 million.
"The parking garage will serve the retail space and the apartments," said Kara Wood, executive director of the redevelopment authority.
The brownfield plan the authority amended was approved in 2005, but not for Brookstone Capital. The brownfield was awarded to Fulton and Division LLC, which proposed to build a 10-story mixed-use structure on the Ionia site and at 243 Commerce Ave. SW, just around the corner.
That project never went forward, and the authority terminated its agreement with the developer in 2011, but the brownfield designation remained available for the site. Brookstone Capital Principal Karl Chew said he kept a close eye on the property after it received brownfield status.
Of the $15 million the firm is investing in the project, $2.47 million qualifies as eligible activities under the brownfield statute. Infrastructure improvements of $2 million easily make up the bulk of that amount, with another $133,700 going toward site preparation, $321,540 as an acceptable contingency cost, and $10,000 for preparing the work plan the authority approved.
The infrastructure upgrades include new sidewalks and curbs, but the parking deck accounts for most of that spending. Privately funded parking facilities, above or below ground, as part of a project are acceptable activities under the brownfield law.
Wood said the projected tax-increment reimbursement revenue from the project should be around $540,000 and will come from the parking deck and retail space because the residential portion of the project has been granted a payment-in-lieu of taxes, or PILOT. A portion of the project's financing is coming from the state's low-income housing tax credits.
Both the Downtown Development Authority and the City Commission awarded the development a PILOT, and that means Brookstone Capital will pay the city 4 percent of its annual rental income for 35 years instead of property taxes.
Brookstone Capital got similar deals for its projects at 209 S. Division Ave. and 217 S. Division in 2010. Those sites now house the Division Park Avenue Apartments. Serrano Lofts at 17 Williams St. SW also was granted a PILOT then. Awarding one to a low-income housing project is a fairly standard procedure in the state.
The firm's latest project on Ionia is the eighth in the city since 2005.
"The City Commission is very supportive of Karl's work," said Wood, who is also the city's economic development director.
The project's location is a few blocks south of Van Andel Arena and a few blocks north of the new Downtown Market being developed by the DDA and Grand Action Committee. That site also falls within the target area of the DDA's Arena South Visioning Plan, which has a goal of increasing residency in the area, among other objectives.
"We need more residential development. We need more people living there," said Lynee Wells, an urban planner at Williams & Works, a consultant on the visioning plan with Cornerstone Architects and Virdis Design.
Progressive AE designed the Brookstone Capital project and the Wolverine Building Group will manage the construction, which is expected to begin in June.
"They are expecting to complete the project by late summer 2014," said Wood.


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From stem to stern, this handsome extension of the Stanley 36 is a wonderfully successful marriage of traditional lobsterboat and refined cruising yacht. True to its solid Maine pedigree, its design is clean, functional, and beautiful. You will be proud to pilot it into any harbor.
The Stanley 39 is the latest addition to the line of fine downeast cruisers crafted with pride by John Williams Boat Builders. You couldn't ask for a better vessel on which to cruise the New England coast, travel the Intracoastal Waterway, or spend the winter in warmer climes.
Throughout, this exceptional yacht is carefully planned and beautifully finished. The covered cockpit, more than seven feet in length, leads into the salon/pilot house and then forward to two distinctive cabins. Finished in the traditional Herreshoff manner, the interior's bulkheads are Awlgripped in white with varnished Honduras mahogany trim. In the 12-foot long, full-beam salon/pilot house, the steering console is to starboard, with the fully equipped galley located just aft of it. When it's not meal time, covers pull out over the sink and stove to create a handy chart table. Adjacent to this area is a dinette which can be designed to convert to an occasional bunk.
In the forecastle, the private master cabin features a center-line double berth with access from either side. To port and starboard are comfortable seats, as well as a bureau and hanging locker. Just aft of the master is a delightful owner's study whose settee converts to a double berth when a second cabin is needed. When you are not entertaining guests, the half-bulkhead between these two cabins creates an especially open and spacious feeling. When company is aboard, this partition can be fully closed off with curtains, folding doors, or a sliding bulkhead that functions like the roll top of an old desk. In the yacht's head, you'll enjoy the luxury of a separate enclosed stall shower.
No matter where your cruising takes you, you will go there in comfort aboard the Stanley 39. And when it's time to hoist the anchor or cast off the lines, you'll appreciate the convenience of hauling your dinghy onto the boat deck. In this masterful design, every need has been anticipated so that you can enjoy your yachting to the very fullest.
|39′ 4″
|36′ 8″
|13′ 8″
|Cruising Speed
|18 knots
|Top Speed
|23-24 knots


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SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols says he hopes to play for the Dominican Republic after the second round of the World Baseball Classic.
The first baseman and three-time NL MVP had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in October. He would need special permission from the Angels to take part in the Classic.
Pujols told a Dominican radio show that the Angels support him in his goal to play for his Caribbean homeland during the international competition.
He said Tuesday: ``That's why I had the operation in October, to be ready for the Classic.''
Pujols says he's working to strengthen his right leg and expects to be in good condition for the start of spring training.
Pujols hit .285 with 30 homers in his first season with the Angels.


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Know Your Worth & Get More of What You Deserve
I used to write for a talk show on a tiny cable network. And I was forever astonished by how differently my male and female coworkers talked about their careers. The men were running off at the mouth about whether they'd deign to take a gig with David Letterman or Conan, airily speculating as to whether the salaries (twice what most of them were making) would be sufficient. Meanwhile, most of my female colleagues, who, by the way, tended to work much harder than the guys, were thankful simply to have a job.
Whatever the goal—getting a promotion, earning a higher salary or having more time—women often undervalue themselves. For men, it's pretty much the opposite. "Men are raised to make money—not only for themselves but for women and children, too," says Lauren Zander, chairwoman and cofounder of the Handel Group, an international consulting and coaching firm. "They've been in on the money conversation from the start, so they're at ease with thinking of themselves as worth a certain amount. Women are newer at the earning thing, so it's tougher for us to think this way."
One reason, among many: Even in our supposedly unbiased world, little boys are more likely to be paid for their chores; little girls are more often asked to help out for free, says Sara Laschever, coauthor of Women Don't Ask. It's not too surprising, then, that by the time we're ready to work for a living, we have disparate attitudes about the value of our skills. Men believe they're worth a certain salary, and that it's up to them to get that amount out of their employer, Laschever notes. Women think they're worth what people are willing to pay. In other words, we let others determine our worth, whereas men set their own price.
"Society teaches men that it's OK, even beneficial, to think more of themselves, while women are raised to be collaborative and primarily concerned with other people," says Catherine Birndorf, M.D., clinical associate professor of psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and self's mental health expert. Perhaps that's why, for most women, being seen as greedy is the kiss of death. Many of us tell ourselves that having a big title, prestige in our field or more money isn't all that important to us. Maybe that's truly the case, or maybe it's a rationalization that allows us to take ourselves out of the game before we've even tried to compete. "Women aren't comfortable putting themselves in situations where they might be envied or judged," says Amanda Clayman, a psychotherapist in New York City who specializes in money issues. "We're not socialized to put a premium on things like power."
Yet being powerful has its benefits. The more power you have, the more money you're likely to earn. The more money you earn, the greater your ability to steer your own life. "Money is inherently tied to self-determination," Clayman explains. Earning more per hour means you may not have to work as many hours, which means you can devote more of your time reading, seeing friends or doing meaningful volunteer work. You can buy yourself time away from chores (think housekeeping services) so you have room to breathe, can get to the gym or find fulfillment in other aspects of your life.
First, though, you have to change the way you look at yourself and what you have to offer. We all know the guy who seems blissfully convinced of his own brilliance, even if he's surrounded by smarter and more diligent women. Those smart, diligent women, on the other hand, probably assume they can't possibly be good enough for (a) a raise, (b) a promotion or (c) getting paid actual money for what they've always considered to be an unserious hobby (painting or writing, for instance). "So many of my women clients don't trust that they have the power to get what they want," Zander says. "I'm coaching a senior vice president now who knows she is making less than her male peers in the office, yet she's afraid to ask for more. She needs to come up with a bigger dream, including the financial part."
Thinking bigger means taking bigger risks. "Many women won't ask a question unless they're sure the answer will be yes," Zander explains. "Instead of going for what they want, they go for what they think they can get." But by being passive, women are doing themselves—and their bank accounts—an injustice. The gifted gals I worked with at that TV station would have been embarrassed to even say out loud that they'd like to write for Jon Stewart or Jimmy Kimmel. That self-effacement isn't merely confined to the boys' club of TV writing. A 2007 study from researchers at the University of New Hampshire and Oregon State University revealed that male entrepreneurs are 90 percent more likely to ask for investor financing than women are, even though when women do ask, they're as apt to get it as men are. Think about it: How many female Mark Zuckerbergs do you know of?
I've experienced that dread of hearing no myself. It's embarrassing to admit this, but though I've held four different jobs, I've never negotiated a salary. Not once have I said, "These are my salary requirements." At no point have I ever countered with a number of my own when I've been offered a position. As we all know, raises are calculated as a percentage of your base salary, so if you don't set the best terms from the get-go, you're at a disadvantage for the rest of your career. According to a 2008 report of students graduating with a master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University, four times as many men as women negotiated their first salary out of school. Those who did increased their starting pay by about $4,000. By age 60, that initial negotiation can net men at least $500,000 in added earnings compared with women who have equivalent credentials.
Sexism may be partly to blame, but the numbers suggest that the pay gap between men and women—on average, we get 77 cents for every dollar men earn—has much to do with our reluctance to ask for more, both when we start working and in the years that follow. That's shocking. And this considerable disparity isn't simply a mommy-track issue or a "Well, women choose fields that pay less" issue. A review of findings by the American Association of University Women found that just one year out of college, we're already trailing men: New female grads earn 80 percent as much as their male counterparts do.
A decade later, women fall even further behind, earning only 69 percent as much as men. When you control for factors such as parenting, number of hours worked and whether a field is male- or female-dominated, there's still a gap, albeit a narrower one. (In education, which is predominantly female, we still earn 93 percent of what men do.) All of which means we have to put in more hours merely to stay even with the guys moneywise.
The women I know don't have those extra hours to spare. For one thing, we're more apt to be volunteering in our free time than men are. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 26 percent more women than men volunteer (i.e., do unpaid work). Granted, volunteering is great for the world and the spirit: A 2007 review of 30-plus studies by the Corporation for National & Community Service found that volunteers felt less depressed, more confident and more in control of their destiny than nonvolunteers. But what if you're using volunteer work as a way to defer making meaningful changes in your life, like taking a more challenging (and higher-paying) job? What if you're lowballing the value of your time and the contributions you're capable of making, both at work and in the world at large?
Take an editor friend of mine we'll call Olivia. She's the best in the business—smart, thoughtful and creative. But when you're good at what you do, word gets out, which means that she spends a big chunk of her personal time helping friends of friends polish their résumés or critiquing unpublished novels. She could make real money doing those things. But she can't seem to say, "Sorry, I'm too busy" or "I'd love to help, but this is my freelance business now, and here's what I charge." Instead, she grits her teeth and says, "No problem!"
Perhaps you're in a similar position, giving away free decorating advice or whatever it is you excel at. Generosity is wonderful, but if you're constantly doing favors and feeling cranky about it, you need to look at your time differently and assess what an hour is worth to you. "If you don't value yourself, no one else will value you either," Dr. Birndorf says.
The first step to changing your thinking is to acknowledge you have a goal, whether that's turning your hobby into a lucrative enterprise or earning seven figures. "To achieve it, you need a plan for making it happen, including how you'll talk about it," Zander says. (For tips on getting started, see "Play to Your Strengths" and "Extra! Extra!") You need to be willing to go after the thing that scares you—whatever that is. "We all have our Achilles' heel when it comes to pursuing a dream," Zander says. The real fight is believing in yourself enough to do what feels tough for you, like asking your boss for a hard-earned raise.
The next step is to make contact with people who are already at the level you want to reach, suggests Barbara Stanny, author of Overcoming Underearning. If your goal is to make more money, network with successful women at college alumni gatherings, go to lectures at a local business school or attend charity events that draw power players. If you want to become an artist, find out about gallery openings and talk to working artists about how they found representation. "Because women are so relationship-oriented, eventually you'll become more like the people you spend your time with," Stanny says.
You also need to get comfortable with taking risks and competing. "Most of us are awkward when it comes to selling ourselves," Zander says. "It's one thing to try to sell a handbag and be turned down. Trying to sell yourself or your abilities is another matter. It makes us feel vulnerable. But to get what you want, you have to be OK with the idea that you may fail or be rejected—once or 10 times," she explains, adding, "Think of failure as something to be proud of—you have to go through it to succeed." To toughen yourself up, put yourself in situations in which you're competing in small ways. That could mean playing your boyfriend for points on the tennis court instead of simply hitting for fun. Whatever you do, taking chances—putting your hand up at a meeting and offering to run a project rather than waiting to be told what to do—is how you move forward. You won't always hit the mark, which is a good thing. "That's how you learn to tolerate disappointment and get back on your feet again," Dr. Birndorf says.
A bit of healthy competition helped ratchet up Zander's career. "A number of years ago, I trained a good friend of mine to become a life coach. I charged her $150 an hour and worked with her for a year and a half, then helped her get her first clients," Zander says. Once her friend was out on her own, Zander had a shock: "I heard that she was charging $350 an hour! I was outraged. I wasn't charging even half that amount! That jolted me—and prompted me to raise my own rates."
Negotiating for more green is only one possibility. If you're meeting with your boss, you also could ask for more vacation days or partial tuition to work toward an advanced degree. You could request a loaner laptop or a travel allowance. Or you could decide to spend your out-of-office hours pursuing your passion and getting paid for it. My editor friend Olivia figured out a way to make all the frequent requests for free editing feel less burdensome and end up with money in her pocket. "Recently, an acquaintance asked if I would help her polish the copy on her website. She happens to be a professional organizer, so I said, 'Let's do a barter: You help me declutter my apartment and I'll edit your website.' Now I have tons of extra closet space and she has great marketing copy." When former writing students call to see if Olivia will look at their work, she says, "I'm happy to. I charge $125 an hour." The response? "No one blinks," she says. "I'm putting the extra cash in a vacation fund."
How is this advice relevant to me, a freelance writer, or to you, whatever you do? Like many women I know, I have basically taken on any assignment I've been offered, even if the pay is cruddy, even if it's a topic that doesn't interest me, which is an awfully passive, reactive way to work. Now I'm trying to be more strategic by seeking out ghostwriting opportunities, forcing myself to network and pitching publications and websites I've always secretly dreamed of writing for. If I can't get editors to budge on their per-word rates, I sometimes can persuade them to assign longer stories. Or I can ask an editor to provide time-saving research assistance so I have more hours for the fun part—the actual writing.
I'll admit, there are moments when asking for all these things makes me sick with nerves. When that happens, I think about the guys I know who are convinced that every word they type is a precious commodity, then I channel their confidence. After all, I'm at least as good as they are. Probably better.
Play to Your Strengths
What do you love? What are you great at? Where do you want to be in 10 years? Being able to answer these questions clearly and confidently will help you get what you deserve.
Forget about being humble. "I have clients make a 'home runs list' of all the times they've excelled," says Lauren Zander, cofounder of coaching firm the Handel Group. "The point is to form a strong vision of who you are and how you're great."
Do a work-around. A good self-assessment includes writing down what you're not so good at, too. Then, instead of kicking yourself about your vulnerable areas, work around them. Maybe you're not the most tech-savvy person in the office but you're super speedy and solve problems other people can't. Knowing what you offer—experience, creativity, competence, a knack for teamwork—means you can convincingly argue your worth.
Rally your pals. It's easier to do scary things like ask for more money when you have some support. After all, there's nothing like a few encouraging friends to help you maintain a positive, powerful mind-set. So gather your circle around you and have each friend list your marketable assets. (Bribe them with wine and cheese, if necessary!) "It can be thrilling and inspiring to hear exactly what people think you're terrific at," author Barbara Stanny says. Their perspective can help you figure out your goals and, just as key, hammer home how much you deserve to achieve them.
Give and take. Maybe you need check-ins with a friend to keep you accountable. Maybe you need tough love. Figure out what works for you, and ask for it. Then turn around and do the same for your friends. Remember: A rising tide lifts all boats. If there are only two women writers out of 20 on the staff of a late-night comedy show, they don't have as much opportunity to bring in other women. But when a big percentage of the writers are female (as on Mad Men), women gain traction. —M.I.
Try These Tips to Earn More Now
Cast a wide net. "Ask 10 people how much you should be charging—for your baking services, fund-raising skills or your way with words," Lauren Zander says. "This will help you get used to the idea of monetizing whatever it is you do and the notion that what you offer is worth it."
Name a specific number. Rather than simply saying, "I'd like to bring in more csh," figure out exactly what you'd like to earn and what you'll have to do to make that happen: how many clients you'll need or cupcakes you'll have to bake. Setting a specific goal makes it easier to lay out a game plan and actually end up meeting your financial goals.
Talk yourself up. If self-promotion is anathema to you, don't think of it as selling; think of it as connecting. "I ask my clients to go out and have five meaningful conversations a day about what they do," Zander says. "Email doesn't count. To make an endeavor work, you have to put yourself out there and speak from the heart about what you bring to the table."
Make a vow and keep it. Think about the effort you're willing to put in (e.g., making five calls to potential clients a day), then promise yourself you'll do those things, however modest. Give yourself consequences (no reality TV!) if you don't follow through. Feel free to revise your vows as you go. As Zander says, "You need to keep having new visions of what's possible." Then watch your dreams come true. —Paula Derrow


text:
Freedom in the World
You are here
2008 Scores
Freedom Rating (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Civil Liberties (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Political Rights (1 = best, 7 = worst)
The Philippines' political rights rating declined from 3 to 4 as a result of serious, high-level corruption allegations; the pardon of former president Joseph Estrada; and a spike in political killings in the run-up to legislative elections.
The May 2007 legislative elections yielded increased support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the House of Representatives and a stronger opposition hold on the Senate. Meanwhile, the findings of the Melo Commission and a UN investigation added to mounting evidence of military involvement in extrajudicial killings and abductions of leftist activists in recent years. A full-scale offensive was launched in August against Islamist militants in the south following the beheading of 10 marines on the island of Basilan. Macapagal-Arroyo's pardon of former president Joseph Estrada and the scandal surrounding a national broadband contract with a Chinese company brought notable setbacks for anticorruption and transparency efforts during the year. In November, yet another coup attempt spearheaded by elements of the military was thwarted.
The Philippines came under U.S. control in 1898, after centuries of Spanish rule, and won independence in 1946. Once one of Southeast Asia's wealthiest nations, the Philippines has been plagued by insurgencies, economic mismanagement, and widespread corruption since the 1960s. In 1986, a popular protest movement ended the 14-year dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos and replaced him with Corazon Aquino, whom the regime had cheated out of an electoral victory weeks earlier.
Aquino's administration ultimately failed to implement substantial reforms and was unable to dislodge entrenched social and economic elites. Fidel Ramos—a key figure in the 1986 protests—won the 1992 presidential election. The country was relatively stable and experienced significant if uneven economic growth under his administration.
Ramos's vice president, Joseph Estrada, won the 1998 presidential election by promising concrete socioeconomic reform, but his administration was dogged by allegations of corruption almost from the outset. Massive street protests forced him from office in 2001 after a formal impeachment process failed.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA), Estrada's vice president, assumed the presidency upon his departure, and her political coalition soon won 8 of 13 contested Senate seats and a majority in the House of Representatives in the May 2001 legislative elections. She nevertheless faced questions about the legitimacy of her unelected administration. In the 2004 presidential election, GMA initially seemed to have defeated her challenger by some 1.1 million votes. However, claims of massive electoral fraud quickly circulated. Demonstrations followed, and some members of the administration verified the accusations.
In June 2005, an audiotape of a conversation between the president and election officials surfaced, supporting the previous year's vote-rigging allegations. Many cabinet officials resigned to join a new opposition movement, an ultimately unsuccessful impeachment bid was launched, and frequent protests called for the president's resignation.
The administration mounted several efforts to undercut the opposition movement in 2005, using gag orders, punitive prosecutions, and the announcement of Executive Order 464, which prevented high-level public officials and military officers from testifying before Congress without presidential approval. An alleged coup attempt by a supposed right-left alliance prompted GMA to declare a week-long state of emergency in February 2006. Security forces raided antigovernment press offices, arrested opposition officials without warrants, and brutally suppressed public protests. The congressional opposition responded with a second unsuccessful impeachment bid that June.
In the May 2007 legislative elections, the propresidential Team Unity (TU) coalition increased its majority in the lower house, ensuring that future impeachment bids would be unlikely to succeed. Meanwhile, the Genuine Opposition (GO) coalition increased its majority in the Senate. Of the 12 Senate seats contested, the GO took 7, TU won 3, and the remaining 2 were captured by independents. The number of political killings, which have dramatically increased under GMA, spiked in the run-up to the elections.
The Commission to Address Media and Activist Killings, also known as the Melo Commission, was established in August 2006 in response to a spate of assassinations earlier that year. The panel released a report in February 2007 that acknowledged military involvement, but it lacked any enforcement capacity. UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions Philip Alston conducted a 10-day investigation at the invitation of the government in February. His report, issued in November, found that a significant number of recent extrajudicial executions of leftist activists were "the result of deliberate targeting by the military as part of counterinsurgency operations against the communist rebels." The August 2007 escape of two farmworkers abducted in Central Luzon in May 2006 added further evidence that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were behind recent kidnappings and practiced torture. The abuses are believed to be encouraged by a government mandate to eradicate the prolonged Communist insurgency by 2010, blurred lines between legitimate leftist parties and illegal groups affiliated with the rebel New People's Army (NPA), the president's dependence on high-level military support to retain power, and a persistent culture of impunity.
Violence associated with the separate Muslim insurgency in the south escalated during 2007. A group of 14 marines were killed, 10 of them beheaded, amid violent clashes in July on Basilan Island—a stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The marines entered the area to search for an Italian priest kidnapped in June. The AFP initially blamed the attacks on the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Islamist militants known for terrorist bombings, kidnappings, and beheadings, but the MILF claimed responsibility, maintaining that the troops had entered the territory without prior coordination, in violation of ceasefire terms. After an international monitoring team failed to draw firm conclusions, the AFP launched a full-scale offensive against Muslim militants on the islands of Basilan and Jolo, where clashes with the ASG have recurred in recent years. Talks in Malaysia between government and MILF negotiators reportedly yielded agreement on the borders of a Muslim homeland in Mindanao in November, though no formal accord was signed. In December, the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)—a rival separatist group from which the MILF split in 1976—pledged to resolve their differences, which continue to impede peace in the south, by September 2008.
Also during the year, the Sandiganbayan, the country's antigraft court, found former president Estrada guilty of plunder in September and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The verdict marked the first time a Philippine president had been convicted of a crime. However, GMA pardoned Estrada one month later. The move came as GMA was herself implicated in a major corruption scandal involving a national broadband contract approved by the Philippine and Chinese governments in April, spurring claims that GMA was using the pardon to block any precedent for incarcerating former presidents. Amid allegations of high-level bribery, the Supreme Court put a restraining order on the Chinese contract in September. Pro-GMA forces subsequently launched a disingenuous impeachment campaign, apparently as a preventative measure linked to a constitutional provision that bars more than one impeachment bid per year.
Two explosions in the fall seemed to signal further instability. A blast attributed to methane-gas buildup at a mall in Manila's business district killed 11 people and wounded more than 100 in October. In November, a bombing at the House of Representatives killed four, including Basilan representative Wahab Akbar, and injured 20 others. Akbar was believed to be the target of the attack, either because of clan warfare in Basilan or his defection from the ASG in the late 1990s.
Also in November, the military thwarted a coup attempt in which former navy lieutenant and current senator Antonio Trillanes and Brigadier General Danilo Lim led roughly 20 soldiers out of a courtroom, where they were being tried for previous coup attempts, to seize a conference room at the Peninsula Hotel in Manila. Additional supporters, a former vice president, and a Roman Catholic bishop joined the men in a live television broadcast to call for GMA's removal from office on the grounds of electoral fraud and corruption. The AFP stormed the hotel and forced their surrender. Several military rebels and at least 30 journalists covering the event were detained, and a curfew was imposed in Metro Manila and two neighboring regions.
The Republic of the Philippines is not an electoral democracy. The country's democratic status has been degraded by the high level of violence ahead of the 2007 legislative elections; reports of cheating and intimidation during that voting as well as electoral fraud in the 2004 polls; the thoroughly discredited nature of the country's elections commission; and persistent concerns about coup attempts in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The Philippine National Police reported 121 incidents of electoral violence in the run-up to the 2007 legislative elections. This marked a decline from the 192 reported incidents during the 2004 presidential poll, but political violence in the country, while also tied to local rivalries, has increasingly targeted leaders of legitimate left-wing parties that are perceived to be associated with leftist guerrillas. One far-left party, Bayan Muna, has endured the murders of 125 members since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) took office in 2001. In March 2007, Bayan Muna leader Satur Ocampo was detained for allegedly murdering 15 Communist rebels in the mid-1980s, and the press was banned from interviewing him. Election violence and intimidation are especially prevalent in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), although the problem is due more to local rivalries than to ongoing guerrilla conflict with the MILF.
The Philippines has a presidential system of government, with the directly elected president limited to a single six-year term. The current president initially took office in 2001 after military pressure and street protests drove President Joseph Estrada from power. She completed Estrada's first term and then—despite some legal challenges—won her own full term in 2004. Her opponents have repeatedly called for her to step down, partly due to the constitutionally anomalous length of her time in office.
The national legislature, the Congress, is bicameral. The 24 members of the Senate are elected on a nationwide ballot and serve six-year terms, with half of the seats up for election every three years. The 250 members of the House of Representatives serve three-year terms, with 212 elected by district and the remainder elected by party list. Legislative coalitions are exceptionally fluid, and members of Congress often change affiliation, effectively rendering political parties meaningless. In 2007, GMA's party, the National Union of Christian Democrats (Lakas), retained control of the ruling People's Power Coalition. The main opposition party is the Struggle for a Democratic Philippines (Laban or LDP).
The Philippines' Commission on Elections (Comelec) is one of the most powerful election commissions in the world: with the president's approval, it has the authority to unseat military, police, and government officials. It is entirely appointed by the president and has traditionally been stacked with cronies serving fixed terms. Comelec has been thoroughly discredited since the 2005 "Hello Garci" audiotape scandal regarding cheating in the 2004 elections. No internal investigation was conducted, and the 2007 legislative elections were overseen by the same tainted officials. Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos resigned in October 2007 after being accused of bribing a government official to approve the national broadband deal with China's ZTE Corporation.
Corruption, cronyism, and influence peddling are rife in business and government. Despite recent economic reforms, a few dozen powerful families continue to play an overarching role in politics and hold an outsized share of land and corporate wealth. Local "bosses" often control their respective areas, limiting accountability and encouraging abuses of power. High-level corruption abounds as well, however. In 2007, the Fraport airport affair—a mix of complex legal disputes, corruption allegations, and international arbitration cases that continues to prevent the opening of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport's Terminal 3 and has now spanned three administrations—shared the headlines with the ZTE contract scandal. The latter ultimately yielded allegations involving the president, her husband, the economic planning secretary, the speaker of the House, and the chairman of Comelec. When pro-GMA forces launched a weak preemptive impeachment campaign on the grounds that the president had "betrayed the public trust" by not blocking the bribery-laden deal—an attempt to forestall a more serious impeachment bid based on complicity in the deal—congressional members were allegedly offered significant sums to vote against impeachment.
GMA's October 2007 pardon of Estrada reversed what could have been a major step forward for anticorruption efforts in the Philippines. Her decision was widely perceived to be motivated by a desire to avoid setting a harsh precedent for her own treatment on leaving office, and to prevent Estrada from becoming a martyr around whom opposition forces might rally. The guilty verdict itself was important for her legitimacy, however, as she had first entered office as a result of Estrada's ouster.
A culture of impunity, stemming in part from a case backlog in the judicial system, hampers anticorruption efforts. Cases take an average of six to seven years to be resolved in the Sandiganbayan anticorruption court. However, a greater number of cases have been filed in recent years against high-profile suspects who were previously seen as untouchable, and a growing number of umbrella organizations have emerged to combat corruption. The Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) have mixed records. Many maintain that the former has been compromised under the current administration, as convictions have declined, while PAGC lacks enforcement capabilities. Of the 90 cases reviewed by PAGC from January to August 2007, 40 were recommended for prosecution, and only 10 were taken up by the office of the president. All but two of those were then dismissed. The Philippines ranked 131 out of 180 countries surveyed in Transparency International's 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Government accountability and transparency have deteriorated since the 2005 implementation of Executive Order 464, which prohibits government, military, and police officials from attending congressional inquiries without presidential permission. The Supreme Court ruled against key provisions of the order in April 2006, but the administration filed an appeal for reconsideration, which left the order in effect throughout 2007. This has prevented the Senate defense committee from proceeding with its hearings on electoral fraud, which had been launched in November 2005.
The constitution provides for freedom of expression and the press, and the media express a wide range of opinion, but journalists face extreme danger in the course of their work. The private media are vibrant and outspoken, although newspaper reports often consist more of innuendo and sensationalism than substantive investigative reporting. The country's many state-owned television and radio stations cover controversial topics and are willing to criticize the government, but they too lack strict journalistic ethics. While the censorship board has broad powers to edit or ban content, government censorship is generally not a serious obstacle. The internet is widely available and uncensored.
National security legislation that may limit journalists' rights and access to sources was introduced in 2007. In April, GMA issued Executive Order 608, which established a National Security Clearance System to protect classified information. Watchdog groups also expressed concerns that the new Human Security Act (HSA), enacted in July, would allow journalists to be wiretapped based on mere suspicion of involvement in terrorism. A study by the Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility noted an improved performance by major news organizations in covering the 2007 elections relative to 2004, but it also found "unabashed bias" on the part of government-run television networks. In a few instances, the media were prevented from conducting interviews with opposition leaders. Coverage of an important national event was obstructed when 30 media workers were arrested at the scene of the failed coup attempt in November. Libel is a criminal offense, and libel suits have been used frequently in recent years to quiet criticism of public officials. The president's husband, who was notorious for filing defamation charges, dropped 11 suits against 46 journalists in May 2007.
The Philippines remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to work. Two journalists were killed in connection with their work in 2007, as opposed to three in 2006, but the Committee to Protect Journalists has counted a total of 32 journalists killed since 1992 (with a 90 percent impunity rate). Several cases have involved journalists known for exposing corruption scandals or being critical of the government, army, or police. Both murder victims in 2007 were radio broadcasters. Radio broadcasters outside major urban centers—known for sensational political reporting intended to attract high ratings—are the most common targets; at least four other radio journalists were killed or wounded during the year under unclear circumstances. The government in 2006 established a police task force to deal with attacks on journalists, but police are believed to be complicit in many such crimes.
Freedom of religion is guaranteed under the constitution and generally respected in practice. While church and state are separate, the country is mainly Christian, with a Roman Catholic majority. The minority Muslim population is concentrated on the southern island of Mindanao and, according to the most recent census, represents roughly 5 to 9 percent of the total population. Muslim provinces are among the most impoverished. Perceptions of relative socioeconomic deprivation and political disenfranchisement, and resentment toward Christian settlement in traditionally Muslim areas, have played a central role in the Muslim separatist movement.
Academic freedom is generally respected in the Philippines, and professors and other teachers can lecture and publish freely.
Citizen activism is robust, and demonstrations are common. Permits are legally required for rallies, but this rule was often ignored until the government adopted a stricter policy called "preemptive calibrated response" in September 2005. The new approach was implemented after the July 2005 protest-backed attempt to impeach the president. The Supreme Court ruled against the harsher policy in April 2006, and called for the designation of certain areas where permits would not be required. Most antigovernment rallies continue to be dispersed. Demonstrations against the HSA by left-wing groups in 2007 were forcibly broken up by police.
The Philippines has many active human rights, social welfare, and other nongovernmental groups, as well as lawyers' and business associations. Various solidarity, labor, and farmers' organizations that are dedicated to ending extrajudicial killings and helping families of the disappeared face significant threats in their work, and their offices are occasionally raided. Trade unions are independent, and they may align with international groups. However, in order to register, a union must represent at least 20 percent of a given bargaining unit. Moreover, large firms are stepping up the use of contract workers, who are prohibited from joining unions. Only about 5 percent of the national labor force is unionized, including some 20 percent of public sector employees. Collective bargaining is widespread, and strikes may be called, though unions must provide notice and obtain majority approval from their membership. Violence against labor leaders has increased as part of the spike in extrajudicial killings in recent years.
Judicial independence is strong, particularly with respect to the Supreme Court, which issued a series of rulings against the administration in 2006. The court also spearheaded efforts to resolve the issue of extrajudicial killings in 2007, holding a special summit in July and promulgating the writ of amparo (protection) to prevent the AFP from delaying a case by denying that it has a person in custody. This new judicial tool went into effect in October. Rule of law in the country more generally remains weak. A backlog of more than 800,000 cases in the court system significantly contributes to impunity, while salaries are low and corruption is rampant. The judiciary receives less than 1 percent of the national budget, and judges and lawyers are often dependent on local powers for basic resources and salaries, leading to compromised verdicts. At least 12 judges have been killed since 1999, including two high-profile murders in the controversial Fraport airport case, but there have been no convictions for the attacks.
The HSA gives security forces the authority to detain suspects without a warrant or charges for up to three days and sets penalties of up to 40 years in prison for terrorism offenses. Critics have argued that its broad definition of terrorism would allow the president to use it against her political adversaries. Other opponents said the law's "compromise" provisions would limit its effectiveness, objecting in particular to provisions that would grant 500,000 pesos (US$10,870) in damages for each day of wrongful detention or asset seizure, and similarly significant fines for police officers who wrongfully detain suspects.
Reports of arbitrary and unlawful detention under harsh conditions, disappearances, kidnappings, and abuse of suspects continued in 2007. Mounting evidence has confirmed the AFP's responsibility for many of the numerous killings of leftist journalists, labor leaders, and senior members of legal left-wing parties in recent years. The killings have been most prevalent in areas where the NPA is perceived to be strong. Jonas Burgos, a well-known trainer of the Peasant Movement of the Philippines, was forcibly abducted in April 2007 in a shopping mall in metro Manila. The car used in the incident was later traced to a military compound, but the case remained unresolved at year's end. The lack of witness protection has been a key obstacle to investigations, including that of the Melo Commission. About 90 percent of extrajudicial killing and abduction cases have no willing witnesses. Especially problematic is the fact that the Department of Justice oversees both the witness-protection program and the entity that serves as counsel to the military. Similarly, the Philippine National Police, tasked with investigating journalist murders, falls under the jurisdiction of the AFP.
The Muslim separatist conflict has caused severe hardship for many of the 15 million inhabitants of Mindanao and nearby islands, and has resulted in more than 120,000 deaths since it erupted in 1972. Both government and rebel forces have committed summary killings and other human rights abuses. MILF guerrillas have attacked many Christian villages, and the smaller ASG has kidnapped, tortured, and beheaded some civilians. Islamist militants are suspected in a string of bombings on Mindanao in recent years. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, up to 145,000 people were newly displaced in 2007 as a result of armed conflict or human rights violations, with roughly 100,000 people forced to flee their homes in Sulu and Basilan following large-scale military operations from April to August. Meanwhile, the Communist NPA continues to engage in some executions, torture, and kidnappings in the countryside, especially central and southern Luzon. Members of the AFP maintain that the extrajudicial killings in these areas are the result of purges within the Communist movement.
Citizens may travel freely, and there are no restrictions on employment or place of residence. The government generally respects the privacy of its citizens, but the poor security situation inhibits individuals' ability to operate private businesses. Ten percent of the population works abroad because of the lack of jobs at home, and the economy is heavily dependent on remittances from Filipinos working abroad.
Filipino women have made many social and economic gains in recent years. The UN Development Programme notes that the Philippines is one of the few countries in Asia to significantly close the gender gap in the areas of health and education. More women than men now enter high school and university, and many women control household finances. Women face some discrimination in private sector employment, however, and women in Mindanao enjoy considerably fewer rights.
The trafficking of Filipino women and girls abroad and internally for forced labor and prostitution remains a major problem, despite antitrafficking efforts by the government and civil society. The fact that many women trafficked for illicit labor are heavily indebted by the time they begin working exacerbates the problem. There are reports of bonded labor, especially of children, in black-market trades such as prostitution and drug trafficking. The NPA, MILF, and ASG have been accused of using child soldiers.