text:
An Analysis of Factors Influencing Success of ICT4D Projects: A Case Study of the Schools Computerisation Programme in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe
- Lecturer and Chairperson, ICT and Electronics Department: School of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe. E-mail: email@example.com
- Lecturer, ICT and Electronics Department: School of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology. E-mail: email@example.com.
- Recent Graduate, ICT and Electronics Department: School of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology. E-mail: email@example.com
The digital divide has taken centre stage in research and development over the last several years. This is because of a marked difference between developing and developed nations. Another motivational factor is the differences between urban and rural populace regarding access and use of information resources availed through ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies). This has seen developing countries, through efforts of NGOs and governments, implementing computerisation and ICT-led developmental programs to narrow this divide.
One such effort is the Schools Computerisation Programme in Zimbabwe. This was a first phase project, aimed at equipping schools with computers and related technology, launched in 2009. The second phase project launched in collaboration with the Ministry of ICT in 2011 focuses on developing e-learning programmes for secondary schools. The Presidential Schools Computerisation Programme launched in 2002, has seen computers being handed out to at least 100 secondary schools across the country with the aim of enhancing learning, although Internet access remains limited. The target has mainly been electrified rural secondary schools. On average each school received 10 computers. The number of schools benefiting per province varies, with no specific criteria except that the rural schools already be electrified and that a room exists to house the computer lab. In Mashonaland West Province 44.6% of (75 of 168 mixed rural and urban) schools received a minimum of 10 computers each in addition to other peripheral equipment such as printers.
An unpublished preliminary survey of the schools by the researchers in Mashonaland West in mid 2011 showed that most of the donated computers had still not been used for basic computer classes, and were still boxed and locked up in storerooms. Only a very small percentage of schools (less than 5%) were fully utilising their computers. One way of establishing the reasons for this overall failure is to determine the reasons for low use of the donated computers. The anticipated reasons for low use could range from lack of expertise to lack of interest. Similar projects, such as the follow up e-learning programme, may suffer similar problems. To implement appropriate remedying solutions, it is thus imperative to understand the reasons for adoption and use of computers.
The objectives of the study are as follows: (1) to investigate the reasons for low use of donated computers in rural Mashonaland West government secondary schools, (2) to determine the critical success factors for ICT4D projects similar to the Schools Computerisation Programme and (3) to recommend ways in which such programmes could best be implemented in order to realise their originally intended outcomes.
The discussion is as follows: section 2 presents a review of related work, section 3 the study area, section 4 the methodology, section 5 is a presentation of the findings, section 6 is the discussion of the findings. Section 7 concludes our paper with a recommended model that we believe would ensure success of ICT4D projects in contexts similar to Zimbabwe.
The introduction of ICTs in rural communities, schools or community centres is often done to fulfil a developmental agenda. ICT for development projects often focus on achieving the following goals; (a) increased literacy and education; (b) increased socio-political awareness; and (c) self-development, all of which are information based objectives that can easily be achieved using ICTs. However communities find it hard to turn the information into usable knowledge for their immediate and long-term benefit due to shortages of finance, supporting services and infrastructure (Heeks, 2002a).
Other ICT4D projects have also focused on using ICTs for poverty reduction, i.e. achieving both social and economic development. Such projects entail providing information to farmers on pricing; harnessing ICTs to improve community health in marginalised areas through communication between healthcare providers or via the Internet; provision of tele-centres; use of local languages to facilitate digital inclusion and full participation of communities; and e-government in the form of electronic procurement, campaign websites, and provision of governance documents. Governments in particular use e-governance to facilitate development. The major challenge for developing countries is insufficient resources to invest in the three significant areas, i.e. in online services, telecommunications infrastructure and education to close the digital gap (United Nations, 2010; IICD, 1998). The presence of ICTs has, according to many researchers, carved out an alternative path to development, although with many unforeseen problems, causing their full potential not to be realised (IICD, 1998; Langmia, 2005).
Developing countries have often overlooked that the successful contribution of ICTs in developed countries has been due to the parallel development of their use and that of other development indicators such as health, infrastructure and education. Instead of first trying to address the most basic development aspects, ICTs are now being introduced to fast-track this development, hence fulfilling a dual objective of reducing the digital divide and achieving developmental goals such as those in the MDG 2015 list. We posit that this dual strategy is largely responsible for the failures (whether partial or total) of such ICT projects since more often than not, the lack of basic infrastructure and basic needs impacts on the motivation on the part of the communities and also affects the long-term sustainability of the project when donors reduce funding (Togola and Marcilly, 2011; Thirumavalavan and Garforth, 2009; Kumar, 2007).
ICT4D projects have failed for various reasons, the most common being lack of access, misunderstanding of the community's contextual needs and the wrong implementation approach (Bingimlas, 2009). We discuss some of these issues in the following sections.
2.1 Failure of ICT4D Projects
Failure has been mainly attributed to limited network infrastructure, design-reality gaps and inadequate information resources.2.1.1 Limited Network Infrastructure
The limited network infrastructure and level of Internet literacy and accessibility affect the use of such technology. Across developing countries in general, ICT4D projects are launched in areas where the majority are poor (Kiraka and Manning, 2002; Duncombe and Heeks, 2002) with the success of such projects limited to the few who can afford access (Chapman and Slaymaker, 2002). Developing countries such as Zimbabwe are making efforts to increase the network coverage to national levels. However, Zimbabwe has to contend with lack of funding, poor ICT infrastructure, low ICT literacy rate, high human resource turnover, high impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic, limited Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and limited data management capabilities (i.e. inadequate bandwidth nationally and power problems) (Ruhode, Owei and Maumbe, 2008).2.1.2 Design-Reality Gaps
ICT4D projects failures have been attributed to design-reality gaps (Thirumavalavan and Garforth, 2009; Heeks 2002a; Heeks, 2002b). Examples include the lack of awareness of the socio-cultural context, lack of motivation and lack of understanding of the role of ICT in solving urgent pertinent, relevant community problems which often causes projects to fail in the initial phases (Togola and Marcilly, 2011; Kumar, 2007). Other reasons for failure include general gender attitudes (Ashraf, Swatman and Hanisch, 2008), exclusion of important project stakeholders (Chapman and Slaymaker, 2002), sustainability problems, and a community's reluctance to adopt, use and/or invest in ICTs (Apendibadek and Koopman, 2011).2.1.3 Inadequate Information Resources
ICTs facilitate the transmission of information that can be turned into knowledge for the betterment of communities, especially rural communities which are generally the most disadvantaged in terms of economic, political and social development. However, in most cases, communities do not know how to effectively use the information they get. In such instances access to the Internet gives a false sense of measure of having achieved a certain level of development when all other fundamentals (e.g. water access, roads, and infrastructure) are still being addressed. In addition, the costs of the Internet, computers and maintaining telecommunication cannot be afforded by the general populace, hence it would be inappropriate to generalise and claim that ICTs, when introduced, always facilitate development (Langmia, 2005).
ICTs are also seen as bringing new opportunities for economic growth but it is often large conglomerates in developing countries that can harness these opportunities more effectively. Most developing country governments have meagre resources and hence fail to achieve their social and developmental goals. With sufficient resources, governments could engage in ICT for development projects such as the systems for the distribution of medical knowledge, systems for disaster assistance, coordination of environmental protection and supply of carefully designed resources for education (IICD, 1998).2.1.4 Retrogressive Attitude
Retrogressive attitude is a behaviour that opposes progress and is not inclined towards development (Howard, 2008). The developing world has produced such behaviour as is seen in civil wars and corruption. In ICT4D, this attitude can cause people to have technical phobia and negativism against computers. Some individuals believe computers are agents of Western civilisation and are meant to redirect Africans away from their cultural, ethnical, social and moral beliefs (Noorman, 2012). Hence in implementation of the schools' programme, many individuals may not be in support of the development.
2.2 Success of ICT4D Projects
Success has been mainly attributed to sound ICT policies, information exchange and partnerships.2.2.1 Sound ICT Policies
Comprehensive ICT policies are essential to ensure success of ICT4D projects (Harindranath and Sein, 2007). We posit that lack of policies that support effective use of ICTs for development, coupled with a haphazardly, piecemeal non-systematic approach in pushing the ICT4D agenda, have contributed to programs that are off-target. They only benefit the populace in well-developed areas. Skeletons of projects dotted all over the rural areas exist more as test cases than fully-fledged implementations. Absence of sound policy means that, projects will be focussed only on areas with infrastructure. IICD (1998) posits that policies that support ICT4D must focus on the development of HR capabilities to use and maintain ICTs and regulation of network operators. They must encourage network inter-operability so that networks progress towards meeting universal service goals. They should also ensure that none of the populace is excluded from ICTs. ICT must be seen as a means to an end and hence be an integral part of the developmental agenda (Heeks, 2002b).2.2.2 Information Exchange
The unequivocal sharing of free information as a public good and the importance of partnerships in developing locally relevant technology and content and the integration of ICT into the already existing local knowledge and information systems is a positive contribution to the success of ICT4D projects (Chapman and Slaymaker, 2002; Heeks, 2002b).2.2.3 Partnerships
Partnerships (whether PPP or Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (MSP)) offer an attractive alternative for governments which often have limited resources. They often grapple with the complexities of ICT4D initiatives in order to avoid failures of projects implemented in the 2000s which were attributed to lack of buy-in, appropriateness and sustainability (Geldof et. al., 2011; Kumar, 2007). The success rate increases for ICT4D projects which use partnerships because five major principles are adopted: attention to local context and involvement of local community; clear and agreed intended development outcomes; building sustainability and scalability into the project; upholding principles of trust, honesty, openness, mutual understanding and respect; and a supportive ICT environment i.e. policy and infrastructure (Geldof et. al. (2011). Issues of sustainable access and addressing other critical developmental needs must be addressed by any ICT4D project in order for it to be successful (Heeks, 2002b)
It is important to note that whilst rural communities in developing countries may have similar challenges, the irrelative importance on certain developmental issues differs. Therefore, no single model with one line of progression from conception to final rollout of a project fits all. With these different socio-economic contexts, it is imperative to design a flexible multi-directional model that can be used to guide successful implementation of ICT4D projects.2.2.4 Progressive Attitude
Progressive behaviour is that which favours learning and development. Individuals with this characteristic tend to appreciate innovation and can adapt to new methods of doing things. An example is the community from Dwesa which embraced the fact that they could sell art and craft via the internet, using e-commerce (Gumbo et al, 2012). Progressive people also tend to use computers and embrace new technologies.
2.3 A Successful ICT4D Project
There are several projects which have succeeded in rural areas. An example is the Siyakula Lab, implemented in Dwesa, Earsten Cape, South Africa. This was an initiative by the University of Fort Hare and Rhodes University, Grintek Saab (for Wimax and networking equipment), Telkom Centres of excellence (for broadband, computer equipments), and Reed House Systems (for software) (Dugmore, 2012). This rural community which sells art and craft had an e-commerce site developed where they could market and sell their products.
The Siyakhula Living Lab was successful due to partnerships with academia, industry, networking companies, telecommunications companies and software development houses. The project was heavily funded and had participation from community and a school. It aimed at selling art and craft via the internet, which was a developmental strategy. The schools computerisation programme was different because the government of Zimbabwe is the only active participant. There was no involvement from the industry players or the private sector. Unlike the Living Lab which was deployed at one school, the programme deployed computers to several schools. However, perhaps the strategy utilised by Siyakhula at a micro level can help policy makers in decision making, when embarking on nationwide programmes.
Mashonaland West Province is to the north-western part of Zimbabwe containing 7 districts, namely Kariba, Hurungwe, Makonde, Zvimba, Sanyati, Chegutu and Mhondoro-Ngezi. The capital of the province Chinhoyi, in Makonde district, houses the Chinhoyi University of Technology. Mashonaland West Province is characterised by commercial farming and mining. Hurungwe, Makonde, Zvimba and Chegutu, are mainly farming areas and they have high rainfall (receiving 15% of Zimbabwe's total annual rainfall, which is approximately 700-1050mm per year confined to the summer). These areas have denser road networks, more urban areas and towns, the highest percentage of electrification, and higher populations compared to the other districts in the province. Kariba specialises in tourism and wildlife conservation. Sanyati and Mhondoro-Ngezi are predominantly mining areas.
The study primarily focused on rural government secondary schools from the following districts: Mhondoro-Ngezi, Kariba and Makonde. The schools visited had received donated computers. These areas were chosen because they are the least developed, receive the lowest rainfalls, have relatively poor road networks and have very low populations. The other districts were not selected because the majority of schools in these areas are in a good serviced road network and closer to Chinhoyi. Sanyati which offers similar dynamics to Mhondoro-Ngezi was not chosen because of the distance and unavailability of adequate funding.
A tour of the study districts revealed rural communities with low population densities, poor road networks, sparsely located amenities, geographical or topological features that militate against the establishment of a telecommunication network at an affordable cost, poor access to information and limited infrastructural development. Some of the schools visited, especially in Mhondoro-Ngezi, were difficult to reach because of gullies and broken bridges. Some areas had absent or broken telephone lines, showing low telecommunications services. In these regions, mobile services work as an alternative. Newspapers are the major form of information dissemination. Subsistence farming is undertaken at the expense of commercial farming. This is because of the unavailability of information regarding agricultural best practises.
Random interviews with residents confirmed a lack of current information on government policies, health and other information, useful for individual development. There is also limited economic activity centred primarily on agriculture, fishing and cottage industries. This implies low per capita incomes. The sparse population means that most community residents need to travel long distances to access public, health and education services. There is also a shortage of qualified technical staff within schools and community centres, resulting in some public services no longer being offered.
The profile of the study districts as related to donated computers under the Schools Computerisation Programme is shown in Table 1.
The researchers adopted an exploratory study design in order to establish the factors influencing low usage of computers in rural schools. The extent of the contribution of each factor was not the focus of this study. However, the results of this study will be used to develop valid quantifiable instruments for a nationwide study.
It is expected that those schools closest to the provincial capital, would benefit most from urban proximity or access to services provided by institutions in Chinhoyi, which houses a University of Technology. Because of its dynamics, Makonde offered reasons different from the mainly rural districts of Kariba and Mhondoro-Ngezi, on the non-usage of computers by its rural schools. A generally purposive sampling was therefore used in selecting districts and schools for the study. Amongst the rural schools, 3 in Makonde, 2 in Kariba and 3 in Mhondoro-Ngezi, which represents 60% of our sample frame, were used.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with heads of schools, teachers, schoolchildren and community residents. The headmasters are the custodian of the donated computers. At each school, 3 teachers available at the time of data collection were randomly interviewed. There was no deliberate attempt to balance the male/female respondents because their representation at school level was already skewed with more male teachers. 10 schoolchildren per school were also randomly picked from the grade 3 to grade 7 groups. Members of the community were haphazardly drawn from those who live close to the schools as they are most likely to be aware of any developments.
The interviews were administered using semi-structured questionnaires which focussed on the following issues: access, expertise and knowledge of information technology (IT), understanding of the benefits of IT to school/community/development, perceptions of schools as centres of development in rural environments, attitudes and perceptions towards technology and attitudes towards learning/training in IT.
The questionnaires were translated into the local language Shona with responses translated back into English. Whilst English is used as the language of communication in teaching and regarded as the official language of communication in Zimbabwe, the relative competencies in English are generally quite low. Also the use of Shona gives contextual phrases that yield more information and provides better insights than English.
Findings from the case studies were examined in relation to the literature (section 2: related work). This includes availability of the internet, motivation, progressive versus retrogressive attitudes, network infrastructure, information exchange, partnerships and ICT policies. The categories were divided into the following, state of schools, headmasters and teachers, schoolchildren, and community members.
The close-to-urban dynamics of Makonde may offer reasons different from the mainly rural districts of Kariba and Mhondoro-Ngezi for the non-usage of computers by its rural schools. Hence the presentation of our findings will combine the findings of Kariba and Mhondoro-Ngezi.
5.1 Findings from Kariba and Mhondoro-Ngezi
The following section presents findings from Kariba and Mhondoro-Ngezi districts.5.1.1 State of the Schools
In all the schools interviewed there was no Internet access. Computers were still boxed and not being used. There was no building with proper security and burglar bars that could house these computers. There were no computer desks and laboratory furniture in any of the potential buildings.5.1.2 Headmasters and School Teachers
Teachers had no access to computers for their day-to-day activities. Headmasters and teachers had adopted a progressive attitude by engaging some of themselves and some schoolchildren in IT training. They see the Internet as an important resource and computers as a great development in the school. However despite their progressive attitude, a large number of the teachers are still computer illiterate. Teachers do not educate schoolchildren about the Internet possibly because of ignorance and fear of the unknown.5.1.3 Schoolchildren
The schoolchildren's views were divided between the motivated and the unmotivated. The motivated expressed an interest in knowing more about computers even though they did not adequately understand the English language used by application programs and operating systems. The majority of these knew about the existence of the donated computers. They also expressed that they enjoyed playing computer games. The non-motivated schoolchildren expressed a lack of interest in computers. The majority of these had never had any exposure to computers. They also did not appreciate the importance of having computers. Enthusiasm was mainly in playing games on mobile phones. Failure to clearly understand English was a significant barrier towards the use of computers.5.1.4 Community Members
Regardless of the fact that they are aware of lagging behind, community residents do not see how the Internet can enhance development and boost economic activities. The Internet was perceived as a cause of immorality and social decay amongst young people. The community however stressed the need for solutions to the following problems: increase in illness, households without children, living in deprived areas, disabled people with no access to public services, and limited social life/activities.
5.2 Findings from Makonde district
The following section presents findings from Makonde district. The findings from this district reflect two different perceptions of the teachers and heads of schools: progressive and retrogressive.5.2.1 State of the Schools
Although the Internet was absent from the schools, it was still considered as a very important instrument by teachers, children and the heads of the schools. Despite computers being present in the school, they are reserved for teaching IT and the head of the school's office, but were not used by the teachers in their day-to-day administration activities.5.2.2 Headmasters and School Teachers
The progressive headmasters indicated desire to increase their computer literacy. They also encouraged both teachers and students to become computer literate by enrolling them in training classes. Access to the computers in these schools was provided to both the students and teachers alike. Paperwork is still a large part of the teacher's activities. A large number of the teachers are computer literate while a few are now able to teach Computer Studies.
Under the retrogressive category, teachers reflected ignorance and a lack of inquisitiveness of computer technology at their schools. Only a few teachers knew about the presence of the donated computers. Similarly to the progressive category, teachers did not have access, for their day-to-day administration duties. The headmasters however had access to computers in their office but did not appreciate the importance of having the Internet.5.2.3 Schoolchildren
Schoolchildren are very much aware of the donated computer and have the opportunity to use them on several occasions. They are motivated to learn more about computers and the Internet. They also enjoy playing computer games.
However, under the retrogressive category, the majority of schoolchildren indicated ignorance about the existence of computers in their schools. They however, expressed great interest in expanding their limited knowledge of the technology. The children were keen on using the researchers' mobile phones to play games and record audio sounds.5.2.4 Community Members
The community residents are mostly poor and hence cannot even afford a mobile phone receiver, let alone a computer. However, they viewed the introduction of computers to the community as a great developmental stride.
Under the retrogressive category, community residents were not aware of the presence of the donated computers. They also had never had any exposure to the Internet. However, they were enthusiastic about learning. They had rough ideas on how the technology could be used to achieve community development. After a brief lecture on the Internet, the people saw the potential benefits. Residents suggested that beer halls could be turned into tele-centres because of their centrality and availability to men. The women proposed a venue where they would meet to discuss ways of grooming themselves using the Internet resources.
A few individuals in the communities felt that computers were reserved for the United Kingdom (UK) and the rest of the developed world. Others felt the existence of computers was contrary to their ethical, religious, cultural and traditional belief systems. To them "Internet" was a bizarre word.
5.3 Summary of findings from all areas investigated
Very prevalent amongst all schools is the high volume of paperwork as opposed to digital work. Consolidated school findings indicated the following reasons for the low usage of computers:
- Very low computer literacy rate (of concern, notably amongst teachers)
- Limited access by teachers, and schoolchildren
- Internet/cultural conflicts
- Absence of spill-over effects of ICTs to the surrounding communities
- High levels of technophobia
It is expected that if teachers cannot use computers for simple administration, they will not be able to facilitate computers for learning either. The continued use of paperwork and yet the progressive training of students is rather contradictory; meaning, teachers train students to use computers, yet do not use them for their administrative tasks. This suggests a very limited understanding of the benefits of having computers.
Our findings suggest that there are progressive users who encourage the use of computers amongst their students. Despite being poor, they value the importance of technology. They also appreciate discussion forums and engaging in productive activities. This well-motivated community could be viewed as a positive factor in the implementation of ICT4D programmes (Togola & Marcilly, 2011; IICD, 1998; Kumar, 2007). However the perception that computers and the Internet are reserved for the "U.K" and contrary to local belief systems echoes the results of Chapman and Slaymaker (2002) and Kiraka and Manning (2002). The communities need to be sensitized on the universal application of computers. Belief systems often create technology-culture conflicts that usually complicate ICT use in developing countries (Kiraka and Manning, 2002).
Although the general attitude in schools is progressive, computer literacy among teachers is still relatively low. This scenario is suggestive of a serious problem of techno-phobia that is being passed over to the schoolchildren. This requires swift action by the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture on the compulsory training of teachers in basic IT. Another way to eliminate the phobia is to make computer training compulsory for schoolchildren. Technophobia could have been caused by lack of motivation and exposure (IICD, 1998; Togola and Marcilly, 2011), socio-cultural perception (Ashraf, Swatman and Hanisch, 2008) or simply poor policy implementation.
The fact that there are computers in schools but headmasters are not encouraging use, suggests poor policy implementation. There is still a high technological illiteracy rate and unawareness amongst community members. Meagre information dissemination strategies could have also led to low buy-in and adoption by stakeholders. A related reason for project failure is that of the discordant piecemeal non-systematic policy implementation strategies. A hypothetical example is that of the Ministry of ICT that may soon be embarking on a rural school e-learning programme. Some of the schools may be remote and inaccessible and hence would require the Ministry of Transport to develop road and telecoms infrastructure. However, rural road development may not be on the agenda of the Ministry of Transport in the short run. As such, the Ministry of ICT's project may have already failed before it has begun. Developmental projects require cooperation at national and ministry levels if they are to succeed. These partnerships create the coordinated use of resources and greater outputs are achieved (Geldof, 2011). The Schools computerisation programmes may not rely heavily on financial sustainability, but communities need to continue deriving information and developmental benefits from them.
Addressing social-ills and infrastructural challenges still feature as an important aspect of the developmental agenda as expressed by community residents from Kariba and Mhondoro-Ngezi. Hence these factors must not be ignored in the ICT4D agenda so as to close the design-reality gaps. New strategies to close the gap should best focus on using a process approach to implement ICT4D projects so that changes observed during the project growth are gradual, easier managed and controlled (Heeks, 2009).
Issues of affordability clearly affect access and motivation. Whilst there is an increase in individual and household ownership in urban areas, the issue of low affordability in rural Mashonaland West means community access will still remain as the best option. This echoes the sentiments of Heeks (2009). Schoolchildren who do not have access to computers within the home are generally less motivated to use computer technology. Motivation can be increased by ensuring equitable access to computer technology through community computer centres. Since universal access to ICTs in urban areas has still not been achieved, it remains an even greater challenge for rural communities where most of the technology is non-existent, inaccessible and uncommon due to financial constraints. Other developmental objectives such as water, health and infrastructure are given higher priority. Regardless that it is unrealistic at this point to achieve universal access, community computer centres would go a long way in affording public access.
There are two significant differences offered by the close-to-urban dynamics of Makonde district. There is a general acceptance of the Internet and the community is able to envision its positive potential on development. In addition, whilst the English language is a barrier in remote areas of the provinces such as Kariba and Mhondoro-Ngezi, it is not so much of a problem in Makonde. This can be attributed to reasons of proximity to urban environments, information and new technologies. Patridge and Rickman (2007) show that rural communities receive fewer benefits from urban areas if they are more distant from urban areas. The increase in distance makes information resources and transport costs more expensive and therefore less affordable for those furthest from urban areas. The implications of onsite observations cannot be ignored since these observations also offer valuable insights to the multi-faceted nature of the problem and also serve to confirm some of the views cited by the interviewees.
The shortage of public, health and education services makes health and education services critical issues that the community residents may want addressed before "superficial" issues such as computerisation. This is confirmed by results from interviewing community residents. Inadequate road access and infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled technical staff mean that efforts must be made to ensure that once computing infrastructure is installed, local technical staff must be trained to service their areas. This has implications on sustainability issues: an entire computer laboratory may end up shutting down because of small servicing problems, left unattended due to absence of skilled individuals.
The limited economic activity and low per capita incomes affects the affordability to buy computing equipment. The community thus could benefit from central tele-centres with shared resources. The low population noted in the district, implies a sparse distribution that makes it difficult to plan, locate and provide centralised services within the districts. Invariably, most residents may have to walk long distances for such services. This factor must be taken into consideration in the location of tele-centres. Clear efforts must be made to provide enough motivation to residents who have to walk long distances for a service.
The issue of inadequate road facilities to schools, such as lack of bridges, makes it difficult to provide services to the schools and rural areas. This factor makes it even imperative for policy makers and implementers to realise that pushing ICTs into areas which are not physically reachable undermine projects from the very beginning. This results in little or no adoption. It is thus essential for ICT promotion to ensure prior development of road access.
When the geography or topology of an area imposes additional costs on the development and installation of infrastructure (whether telecommunications or roads), it becomes even more difficult and inhibiting for governments which are already financially burdened to undertake such projects. Lack of current information leaves a community even adopting farming and mining practices that are highly inefficient and ineffective. Newspapers are limited sources since they do not focus on issues that benefit the rural populace. There is need for other mediums of information such as the Internet that, when used wisely, provide information for development.
It is clear that singly implemented computerisation programmes will not achieve maximum gains if the community environment does not have adequate infrastructure, roads and telephone services. It is also clear that computerisation programmes can achieve the information objective for rural communities. Individual development is also restricted when more pressing health and livelihood problems stifle motivation of individual to adopt and use computers for development.
The following observations concerning the limited use of computers for a developmental agenda emerged:
- ICTs will not transform "bad" into "good" development, but can enhance the "good" development.
- Effective applications of ICTs are comprised of both technological and information infrastructures.
- The application of ICTs in the absence of a development strategy that makes effective use of them will inevitably result in sub-optimal gains.
Results achieved thus imply a mismatch between policy, infrastructure and community needs. The study highlighted that central to the success of ICT4D projects are the following issues: (1) ICT literacy (education and skills), (2) community involvement, (3) community contextual awareness, (4) equitable/ public access to ICTs, and (5) adequate infrastructural development, all of which can be addressed through a coordinated policy implementation approach.
For more targeted programs that understand the socio-cultural context of beneficiary communities, it is imperative that programs move towards targeted local development activity. There is also a need to establish synergies between the project and the beneficiaries by empowering members of the local community. Finally, it is important to integrate projects with the provision of information on socio-health problems bedevilling that particular community.
In light of the above, a coordinated multi-dimensional participatory approach to ICT4D projects, that ensures buy-in, development of adequate infrastructure and provision of community-relevant solutions is recommended. A model of implementation from results that require a match between policy, infrastructure and community needs is drawn. A Critical Success Factors model (see Figure 1) for ICT4D projects with contexts similar to that of Mashonaland West Province is therefore presented.
The Critical Success Factors Model (CSFM), developed by the authors, starts with governmental policies that deal with developmental strategies. The CSFM has two groups of actors: the community and the policy makers/implementers. The policy makers/implementers may be the initiators and/or the co-implementers of ICT4D projects. These may include non-governmental organisations if any, and government departments concerned with physical infrastructure. These should inform the transport, telecommunication and electricity policies in order that there be proper road or rail networks, adequate telecommunications and electricity in various areas. Once policy has been stipulated, there should be the development, implementation and maintenance of physical and information infrastructure. Individuals in rural community should have adequate infrastructure. It is important for this to be available before the Internet can be deployed.
The government policies that favour development strategies should also inform ICT policies. From these, ICT4D programmes and projects are outlined. These will be addressed by government organisations concerned with ICTs, education and rural development, and other private organisations supplying ICT equipment and services. On implementation of projects, the community should participate in outlining various needs. These will then inform the development of solutions. Training and awareness should take place. The design-reality gap should continually be lessened and should inform the implementation process. Finally, the appropriate ICT4D products and accessories will help concerning social inclusion and lessening the digital divide.
It is highly imperative that the policy makers/implementers engage the community on a participatory basis so as to elicit the needs of the community through training the community on how to use ICTs. Training workshops can be used to achieve three major objectives: (1) improve ICT literacy, (2) ensure acceptance of the program, and (3) solicit community needs. The first objective is fundamental to ensuring that users understand the use of ICTs as information catalysts. The second objective serves to justify a campaign for the increased use of ICTs in achieving rural development objectives. The third objective ensures that any ICT products and services that are introduced are relevant to the community's activities. The training workshops enable the communities to clearly contextualise what they could use ICTs for. They also allow local communities to "generate their own demand" (Chapman and Slaymaker, 2002). The responses of the parents (i.e. community residents), point to the need for further community meetings where the role of ICT in their lives is explained. Parents also need to know what their children are involved in so that they can give permission to their children to attend computer classes during the day. They need to develop an appreciation of the skills that may be required of their children when they move to the commercial environment or even to get innovative ideas from the community itself of how ICTs can assist them. Community derived solutions often get a full buy-in, commitment and have built-in sustainability.
Setting up computer infrastructure with inadequate telecommunications and road services affects the maximal use of computers for information access and limits accessibility. It is thus imperative that once the concrete needs are established and pre-tested on the local community, the various policy maker/implementers, including private ICT organisations, collaborate in ensuring complete supply of physical and information infrastructure that also has the potential to service additional programs in the future. The issue of access is critical to the success of ICT-led programs hence developed infrastructure must be situated such that it is reasonably accessible to any community resident. Schools and community centres are often the preferred points for situating ICT equipment. ICT organisations are then in a position to develop ICT products and services that the community understands - products that are suited to the infrastructure setup.
The critical factors of ICT literacy (education and skills), community involvement and community contextual awareness are obtained through the participatory approach, whilst those of equitable/ public access to ICTs and adequate infrastructural development are obtained through the collaborative approach. CSFM is relevant mostly to policy makers/implementers as these are well informed of the potential of ICTs in enhancing rural development. It is necessary to change the way ICT4D projects are implemented - starting from a well-informed viewpoint to the development of appropriate usable products.
Our model, although akin to the Good Practice for ICT4D 2.0 Implementation in Heeks (2009) with respect to the importance of partnerships, the participation of local users, a match with users and technology and the issue of local ownership, recognises the policy tensions between various government departments with overlapping interests and domains and clearly articulates the need for these crucial departments to work together. The model also points out the critical success factors for projects peculiar within a Zimbabwean context. While the model is complete in its own right, it can be further elaborated through the development of a participatory framework for ICT4D projects.


text:
Ellie Mertens rounds up the biggest recent patent, trade mark and copyright news
Managing IP rounds up the biggest patent, trade mark and copyright news from the past week
1709 Copyright Blog
AIA blog
Art and Artifice
China IPR
Class 99
Domain Incite
FOSS Patents
Green Patent Blog
IP CloseUp
IP Dragon
IP finance
IP Kat
IP Komodo
IP tango
IP Watchdog
MARQUES Class 46
Orange Book Blog
Patent Baristas
SPC Blog
Spicy IP
The Trademark Blog
The TTABlog
The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors
and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws.
© 2019 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please
see our FAQ.
Switching to MIP International

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is planning the evaluation of a number of Country Programmes in the upcoming months, including assessments to be conducted in Uganda, Colombia, Ukraine and Cambodia, among others.
We are looking for consultants with expertise conducting evaluations on human rights issues, according to this profile:
- Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in law, political science, international relations, economics, or related field. A first level university degree in combination with a qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
- Minimum of 10 years of experience conducting evaluations of projects, programs or policies in the United Nations or international context.
- Experience in human rights or related field (humanitarian assistance, peace operations).
- Fluency in oral and written English (fluency in a second language is a plus).
- Experience in the aforementioned countries/regions.
- Knowledge of OHCHR is desirable.
Consultants interested in participating in the selection process for these evaluation consultancies are invited to create your profile in Inspira (https://inspira.un.org), and send your CV and Personal History P-11 form to firstname.lastname@example.com, indicating your thematic and country/regional expertise.
Thank you and best regards,
|Sabas Monroy
Evaluation Officer
Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Service
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tel: +41 22 917 9612
Web: www.ohchr.orgTwitter: UNHumanRights
Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
Google+: unitednationshumanrights
70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:


text:
Stainless Steel Slip On Flange (SORF)
Stainless Steel Weld Neck Flange (WNRF)
Stainless Steel Socket Weld Flange (SWRF)
Stainless Steel Blind Flange (BLRF)
Stainless Steel Lapped Joint Flange
Stainless Steel Screwed Flange
Stainless Steel Long Weld Neck Flange
Stainless Steel Reducing Flange
Stainless Steel Spectacle Flange
Stainless Steel Ring Joint Flange
Stainless Steel Threaded Flange
Stainless Steel Drawing Flange
Our company deals with manufacturing and supplying of the widely used stainless steel Ring Joint flange which is an important product used to facilitate smooth flowing of fluids and gas through pipelines in various industrial platforms. This product is high in demand and caters to quality conscious clients across the globe. The raw materials used to manufacture this product are tested for its quality and long-lasting performance. These raw materials are used by many renowned manufacturers of the Ring Joint flange in India and globally as well. Our high end technology has been designed to produce this product in the most authentic way in accordance to global industrial standards.
The manufacturing machines are fully automatic and are procured from well know companies functioning in this industrial domain. We ensure that the front face of our Ring Joint Flange is precisely fabricated to standardized dimensions which give it a unique shape. The product fulfills the requirements of our clients on both technical and financial fronts which makes us the first choice when it comes to the purchase of this product.
FLANGES FORM : Stainless Steel ASTM A 105, ASTM A 181
FLANGES Size : 1/8" NB TO 48"NB.
FLANGES Class : 150, 300, 400, 600, 900, 1500 & 2500
FLANGES Grade : F304, 304L, 304H, 316, 316L, 316Ti, 310, 310S, 321, 321H, 317, 347, 347H, 904L


text:
Smart Cart
Make your outdoor enhancements a little easier with our made-in-the-USA Smart Cart. Our Smart Cart is lightweight, but incredibly strong. It is compact and easy to store, rust resistant, and made with wide wheels for easy navigation. Check back with us often as we are developing new products to add to our garden equipment section!
Items: 1–2 of 2, per page


text:
Arts section editor
31.10.18 – Review: The Day of the Duck
Content warning: xenophobia, discrimination
The Day of the Duck, by Helen Stratford and Lawrence Bradby, takes form of neither a scripted play, nor a novel: intertwined with visual diagrams, elements of script and a simple, character-driven narrative, the book is a unique experience as opposed to a traditional novel. The story revolves around a Muscovy duck, the last of its species in a town heavily based on Ely in Norfolk, whose goal is to discover why its brethren have all disappeared. The book is framed as a noir detective-style plot – the Muscovy duck takes on the role of the detective and asks all the uncomfortable questions to people whose names it's not concerned with, which serves the aim of having the characters translate as everymen.


text:
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night
Best Retinol Night Cream
See it at:
Expert Review
Neutrogena's Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer is one of their most popular retinoid creams. This fast-acting product quickly repairs deep wrinkles and aging skin by helping remove dead and dried out skin cells. This product delivers noticeable results in as quickly as just one week, making it one of the best creams on the market thanks to its accelerated Retinol SA ingredient. In addition to smoothing the face, this retinol cream also works to brighten the overall skin tone and remove dark sun spots. Easy to apply before bed, this moisturizing product goes above and beyond the average retinol cream!
Enable price alerts for this item. We'll notify you whenever the price drops a significant amount!
All Best Picks for Best Retinol Night Cream
Leave a Question or Comment


text:
The September 18, 1994 edition of Wrestling Challenge is a Professional wrestling television show of the World Wrestling Federation. It was taped on August 16, 1994 at the Lowell Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts.
- Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.
- (c) refers to the champion(s) heading into the match.
- Diesel & Shawn Michaels (c) defeated ??? & Mike Bell to retain the WWF World Tag Team Championship (3:04)
- Bob Holly defeated Tony DeVito (2:24)
- Jim Neidhart (w/ Owen Hart) defeated Tom O'Sullivan (2:26)
- The Smoking Gunns (Bart Gunn & Billy Gunn) defeated Barry Hardy & Duane Gill (3:32)
- Kwang (w/ Harvey Wippleman) defeated Richie Rich (3:06)
- Lex Luger defeated Nick Barberry (2:07)
- Dark match: The Headshrinkers (Fatu & Samu) (c) defeated Irwin R. Schyster & Yokozuna to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship
- Dark match: The Undertaker defeated Mabel
- Dark match: Pierre defeated Scott Taylor
- Dark match: Brian Armstrong defeated Barry Hardy
- Dark match: The Undertaker defeated Diesel (c) by DQ in a WWF Intercontinental Championship Match
- Dark match: Bret Hart (c) defeated Owen Hart to retain the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
See also
External links
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


text:
Singapore, also known as the Gateway to Asia, is a well-established transit point for those coming from Europe, the Americas and the Middle East and travelling to Asia, it's also a midway point for those travelling around Asia itself. Whilst South East Asia is known for having some of the best diving in the world it is rarely Singapore that is in the spotlight.
Singapore is located one and a half degrees north of the Equator and has annual average water temperatures ranging from 25 degrees in the winter through to 30 degrees in the summer. The tropical waters around Singapore and its smaller outlying islands support a wide range of marine life and corals – as you could expect from somewhere within such close proximity of Indonesia and Malaysia.
Visibility at Singapore's dive sites is more limited than at other well-known Asian diving destinations but if you are passing through or staying in Singapore then it's worth jumping in to check out some of the local dive sites and marine life, you might well be surprised by some of the highlights.
The majority of Singapore's dive sites feature an even mix of both hard and soft corals. Barrel sponges, sea fans, black corals, sponges and soft corals can be seen at most spots as well as a good distribution of brain, plate and branching hard corals. Beautiful anemones can be found hunkered down on the reefs which also offer sandy and rubble patches which are great spots for finding interesting bottom dwellers and macro life.
Singapore has nutrient rich waters which provide habitat for numerous common species of smaller to medium sized reef fishes such as anemone fish, damselfish, angelfish, filefish, parrotfish, sweetlips and fusiliers. Singapore is also home to a range of macro life, nudibranch, critters and crustaceans.
When diving around Pulau Hantu it's possible to spot several different nudibranch species in just one dive, including several types of aeolid, nembrotha and dorid. The blue dragon nudibranch is a stunning aeolid species (Pteraeolidia ianthina ) which is around 3 – 5cm long and a popular nudibranch for underwater photographers. Its body is covered in "cerata" which are long finger like strands and it has two banded rhinophores. Spanish dancers can also be found around Pulau Hantu.
If critters and crustaceans are on your check list then look out for hermit crabs and commensal shrimp. Pulau Hantu is a marine protected area and other highlights here include nurse sharks, sea horses and resident turtles.
Pulau Jong is another tiny island off Singapore which has a healthy fringing reef. The currents can be stronger here but when the timing is right it's possible to watch turtles cruise by along with blue spotted rays and nurse sharks.
Kusu Island is often cited as being the best dive site for colourful soft coral and it also boasts dense anemone fish populations. This area has been protected for more than 20 years which shows in the higher density of marine life found here. Look out for moray eels, damselfish, clownfish, parrotfish, fusiliers, sweetlips and other colourful species darting in and out of the reef. For critter aficionados there are various nudibranch species, crabs, commensal shrimps and keep an eye out for odd looking bottom dwellers including sting rays.
There are several other popular dive spots around Singapore's coastline including shipwrecks and some dive sites which offer excellent night diving opportunities. Next time you are passing through don't just explore the city, take time for a dive or to brush up on your skills with a refresh or your next level of PADI training before heading on to your next destination. To locate a PADI dive store in Singapore, use the PADI Dive Store Locator.


text:
Lowest Price Guarantee
80436 Lynx 36", 42" LED Hardness Assembly. This is the the part that lights the knobs.
Series : L, M, N & P, Q
Also fits Sedona 36", 42" With a Rotisserie Backburner
To ensure you choose the correct replacement part for your Lynx grill you will need to know the series of your bbq grill. If you are unsure please email us and or call us we will be able to verify you will be ordering the correct part.
Write A Review
Posted by firstname.lastname@example.com on 16th May 2019
Perfect replacement part, exactly what I needed.


text:
I see it all the time. From the single mother working two jobs and just scraping by who now can spend time with her children , to the construction worker who can't count on his body or the work to sustain his family who can now rest easy at night knowing his family is taken care of and children will be able to attend college, to the immigrant who arrives on these shores only to find their language is a barrier and finds that through this business they can achieve the American dream, to the person who worked for 40 years and still didn't have enough to comfortably retire but can now. Network marketing changes lives.
I'm not saying it will be easy. I am saying it can be worth it. We work hard to change lives, beyond their own. Your pour your time and talent into those you mentor, to help them find their purpose. This is no hobby. It's an honorable profession and it takes education, time, commitment, and a passion to help others succeed. By doing so, we succeed too.
I loved this touching video. I hope you do too!
If you know you were meant for something better and want to change your life and those of others around you, please drop me a line at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will set up time to talk. There is no reason you too can't be a success.
Be well and dream great!


text:
Running out of IP addresses: A look at the new versions of IP addresses (IPv6)
- Introduction
- IPv6
- Features
- Addressing
- Types of addresses
- Unicast IPv6 addresses
- Special IPv6 addresses
- Multicast IPv6 addresses
- IPv6 addresses for a host
- IPv6 interface identifiers
- EUI-64 address-based interface identifiers
- IEEE 802 addresses
- IEEE EUI-64 addresses
- Mapping IEEE 802 addresses to EIU-64 addresses
- IPv6 and DNS
- The host address (AAAA) resource record
- The IP6.ARPA domain
- IPv4 header
- The changes from IPv4 to IPv6 header
- ICMPv6 error messages
- Mobile IP
- Summary and conclusion
- References
The current version of IP (IP version 4) has been extremely successful but according to experts, the Internet will face a serious problem in a few years. Due to its rapid growth and the limitations in its design, there will be a point when no more free addresses are available for connecting to new hosts. At that point, no more new web servers can be set up, no more users can sign up for accounts at ISP, and no more new machines can be set up to access the web or participate in online games. Many of us have heard of the proposals to convert the Internet Protocol standard from the current version IPv4 to a new standard IPv6. The reason for the new standard is the rapid growth of the Internet and IPv6 is being introduced to overcome the address space restrictions of the old one. IPv6 is a lot more than IPv4 by just adding and modifying some bits at the end to make the address space bigger. It is anticipated that there will be much more emphasis on real- time transactions. Many network administrators dislike changes like IPv6 because they fear some thing wrong can happen in future that will be for days or weeks later. But this is not going to be happen because, since an IPv6 network can talk to an IPv4 network and vice- versa.
The IPv6 header has a new format that is designed to keep in mind that it should out do the header overhead. This is done by changing the location of both non-essential fields and optional fields to extension headers that are placed after the IPv6 header. Currently only 32 bit address schemes are being used which is of IPv4 scheme.IPv6 has 128-bit (16-byte) source and destination IP addresses. The large address space of IPv6 designed for huge number of address allocation to fulfillment of the requirement of the internet.
[...] Figure 15 shows the Next Header field in the IPv6 header and zero or more extension headers that form a chain of pointers. Each pointer indicates the type of header that comes after the immediate header until the upper layer protocol is identified. Figure 15 Next header fields Extension Headers Order Extension headers are processed in the order in which they are present. Because the only extension header that is processed by every node on the path is the Hop-by-Hop Options header, it must be first. [...]
[...] The fragmentable part of the original IPv6 packet must only be processed at the final destination node. This part consists of the Authentication header, the Encapsulating Security Payload header, the Destination Options header for the final destination, and the upper layer PDU. Authentication Header The Authentication header provides data authentication (verification of the node that sent the packet), data integrity (verification that the data was not modified in transit), and anti-replay protection (assurance that captured packets cannot be retransmitted and accepted as valid data) for the IPv6 packet. [...]
[...] To identify all nodes for the interface-local and link-local scopes, the following addresses are defined: FF01::1 (interface-local scope all-nodes multicast address) FF02::1 (link-local scope all-nodes multicast address) To identify all routers for the interface-local, link-local, and site-local scopes, the following addresses are defined: FF01::2 (interface-local scope all-routers multicast address) FF02::2 (link-local scope all-routers multicast address) FF05::2 (site-local scope all-routers multicast address) Anycast IPv6 Addresses Anycast address is a new type of address incorporated in IPv6. An anycast address is assigned to multiple interfaces. [...]


text:
Last week Martin Brühl, the President of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), visited Birmingham City University, meeting staff and students and exploring some of the issues facing the land, property and construction sectors.
In his speech Brühl noted that "rapid urbanisation creates great challenges for infrastructure", citing research that suggests that by 2050, 66 per cent of the world's population will live in urban areas, compared to 30 per cent in 1950. He argued that there is a need for more buildings and for these buildings to be affordable, sustainable and more resilient in order to cope with changes in climate.
Brühl also touched on challenges related to recruitment and diversity in the sector, stating that, "we must ensure that the profession is open to all. The delay in ensuring inclusion is holding the industry back." He pointed out that his predecessor in the presidency, Louise Brooke-Smith of the Birmingham-based planning and development consultancy Brooke Smith Planning, was the first ever female President. That his successor is also a woman is a sign that attitudes are gradually changing.
Brühl is the 134th President of the RICS, having taken on the 12 month post in June this year. Senior Lecturer, Susan Hayhow, who organised the visit, was pleased the students got the chance to meet him and to ask questions about the RICS and the sector as a whole. She explains: "The University has a long association with the RICS and is proud to work alongside them to produce the next generation of highly skilled professional surveyors.
"As a partner university we have three accredited courses at both undergraduate and post graduate level in Building Surveying, Quantity Surveying and Real Estate. Successful completion of these degrees allows graduates to commence the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence and ultimately qualify as Chartered Surveyors. In addition, our HNC Construction course is affiliated to the RICS and graduates can apply for Associate membership of the institution."
Having discussed his own background in property investment, Brühl finished his speech by urging students to use their time at University to develop their own specific area of interest. He underlined the students' crucial role at a, "time of great change and opportunity… This is a career of growing importance to society and to the planet."


text:
|© Photographer Milan Jurkovic |
Agency: Dreamstime.com
Even though Valentine's Day is a week away; I'm already getting emails asking about heart shape foods. So this week I thought I would search the Internet and see if I could come up with some neat Valentine's Day recipes and ideas in the shape of a heart. Right off-the-bat I know there's going to be heart shape cakes sold EVERYWHERE. But I think something homemade is special too. It's always fun to serve the people we love something made out of our own kitchen.
Yesterday I was reading and found a comment about getting ready for Valentine's Day Flowers by cleaning your cloudy vases. I thought this would be a good recipe to pass on to everyone. It said to pour a little white vinegar and uncooked rice in the vase then swish it around. It said it would make the cloudiness disappear. I knew vinegar would do a good job of cleaning but what does the uncooked rice do? Maybe it acts like little scrubbers in areas we can't reach inside the vase.
You better get your Valentine decorations now because when I went shopping a lot of the stores have already sold out of the good stuff. You may have to dig into your Christmas box for needed red stuff. You know you need those red candles! Oh yes if there's one thing you can't do without on Valentines Day it's candles. I tried to find heart candles but had no luck. I usually like to bring out my heart shape pillows the week of Valentines and toss them on the couch and on the bed. It helps to remind my husband that Valentine's Day is on it's way too. LOL! You know a little casual hint never hurts.
Now if your planning a romantic meal at home you better start getting ready now. I noticed that I'm almost out of fire wood so I've made arrangement to get more wood so I have it by February 14th. I can't go without a fire in the fireplace on Valentines Day. Nooo Wayyy! You see I'm planning a little meal for me and the hubby. The great part is our kitchen table actually sits in front of the fireplace so even though I'm old, I'm still planning a romantic meal for us.
Get your shopping done for your sweetheart! Wow what beautiful fresh flowers in the shops right now. If I could I would have fresh flowers on my table everyday and that's the honest truth. I just love them. If I could I would have a box of chocolates on my table everyday too. ;) Yep, I could surely handle that. Lol!
Well love is truly in the air. Everyone is buzzing around looking forward to their special Valentine's Day dates coming up, everyone's having fun doing their romantic shopping. And everyone is searching out new ideas for heart shape baking this week too. Happy Valentines To All! I hope you reach up and catch many hearts this week. Pam


text: Credit: francisblack / Getty Images Training Will increasing my lung power improve my performance? Can increasing your lung power help improve your athletic performance? Andy Blow looks at the evidence Posted: 10 April 2019by Andy Blow Tweet Training specifically to increase lung function is something that's been well researched in regards to helping older or infirm people to improve overall quality of life, as well as trying to improve athletic performance. Why do my legs tire quicker than my lungs, when training? But we need to remember that it's the diaphragm and chest that are the target of training, not the lungs themselves. There's not much you can do about the growth of lung size but, like any muscles, those that control and power the mechanical aspects of breathing are extremely trainable. Most of the time athletes' respiratory muscles are trained as part of general conditioning, for example when swimming, cycling and running you breathe harder and as a result the respiratory muscles get a workout, just like your arms and legs do. Certain types of training such as high-intensity intervals and VO2 max workouts will increase the training effect on respiratory muscles as they push them much harder than a gentle aerobic session. How does endurance sports affect your lungs and respiratory system? Five ways to boost aerobic endurance How to improve your aerobic capacity But while specifically training lung power and function is likely to increase your abilities, whether it will actually improve overall performance is less clear. There's evidence that it might well do in some but not all cases. How does exercise affect my heart? Does a woman's athletic performance improve after having a baby? What happens to your body if you suddenly stop training? Threshold boosting run session: how to race faster for longer How to train as you age: what triathletes need to know as they get older Post a comment Daily deals from top retailers We'd love you to add a comment! Please login or take half a minute to register as a free member


text:
Toronto – April 9, 2019 – GPM Metals Inc. (TSXV:GPM) (the "Company" or "GPM") is pleased to announce that Craig Parry has agreed to join the board of GPM Metals as a non-executive director.
Mr. Parry has over 18 years' experience in the resources sector with a number of companies including Rio Tinto and Oxiana Minerals. Currently Mr. Parry is the President and Chief Executive Officer of IsoEnergy Ltd.
Mr. Parry is a co-founder of EMR Capital and former senior advisor to the Fund. He was a co-founder of the Tigers Realm Group and was appointed to the Boards of Tigers Realm Minerals, Tigers Realm Metals and NexGen Energy Ltd. (as it then was prior to the Qualifying Transaction) in 2011. Mr. Parry was appointed to the role of CEO of Tigers Realm Coal in 2012.
Mr. Parry, as an exploration and business development geologist, was responsible for the business development activities of the Tigers Realm Group since inception in 2008.
Prior to joining Tigers Realm, Mr. Parry was the Business Development Manager for G-Resources Limited responsible for mergers and acquisitions and Principal Geologist – New Business at Oxiana Limited responsible for strategy and business development initiatives in bulk and energy commodities.
Mr Parry started his career with Rio Tinto where he led exploration programs for iron ore, copper, diamonds, coal and bauxite in Australia, Asia and South America and was Principal Geologist for the Kintyre Uranium project pre-feasibility study.
Mr. Parry holds an Honours Degree in Geology and is a Member of the AusIMM.
Commenting on the appointment Peter Mullens CEO of GPM Metals stated, "we are extremely fortunate as a company to appoint a director as competent as Mr Parry. Mr Parry has been very successful over the last decade and is a true explorationist having been involved in the discovery of NexGen's Arrow Uranium project located within the Athabasca basin Saskatchewan Canada".
Mr Parry is also very familiar with GPM's Flag Ship "Walker Gossan Project" located in Arnhem Land Australia as he previously worked with Rio Tinto, where he was familiar with its merits as a Lead Zinc exploration target.
Currently GPM Metals is awaiting a scheduled community meeting the week of May 13, 2019 in Gapuwiyak, Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory in Australia, between the local Traditional Land Owners ("TLO's"), GPM Metals' management and the representatives of the Northern Land Council.
At this meeting GPM Metals will be presenting their sampling and field program proposed for the Walker Gossan Project (the "Project"), principally Exploration License (EL) 24305, to the TLO's and the NLC.
Upon review and approval of program, it is anticipated work will commence during June or July 2019.
The Project is the subject of farm-in and joint venture agreement between GPM (and its Australian subsidiary) and Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Limited("RTX") executed in January 2014, pursuant to which GPM can earn a 75% interest in the Project through meeting staged exploration expenditure requirements. The Project tenure is held by RTX with GPM acting as the operator and manager of exploration, community relations and title grant (see January 27, 2014 press release of the Company available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com).
Title Deed, Work Program and Exploration License (EL 24305) approval was granted in November 2015 by the NLC after a series of meetings and consultations with the TLO's and GPM Metals in Numbulwar and Darwin.
The Project lies within one of the great metallogenic provinces of the world, the North Australian Zinc Province (NAZP); which currently provides 30% of the world zinc production from a number of significant silver, lead, zinc deposits; including the Mt. Isa, George Fisher, McArthur River and Century Mines.
The exploration target is a large, strata bound, sediment hosted lead – zinc deposit. Field work planned for 2019 will consist of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and prospecting with the view of identifying vectors towards the center of the mineralized system. To date GPM geologists believe they previously identified and drilled into the iron rich, siderite, outer halo to potentially a major mineralized stratabound Lead Zinc deposit.
About GPM Metals Inc.
GPM Metals is a zinc focused exploration company with offices in Toronto, Brisbane and Lima.
The Company's current holdings include the district scale Walker Gossan Project, NT, Australia, a joint venture with Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Limited; and the 100% Claims interest in the Pasco Project, Department of Pasco, Peru.
Both projects are advanced exploration properties and have considerable potential to host significant zinc resources.
All scientific and technical information in this press release has been prepared under the supervision of Dan Noone, (Chairman of GPM), a "qualified person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Noone (B.Sc Geology, MBA) is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.
For further information contact:
GPM Metals Inc.
Peter Mullens, CEO
Suite 1101 – 141 Adelaide Street West,
Toronto, Ontario M5H 3L5
Telephone : + 416 628-5904
Email: [email protected]
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "may", "might", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information and/or statements. Forward-looking statements and/or information are based on a number of material factors, expectations and/or assumptions of GPM which have been used to develop such statements and/or information but which may prove to be incorrect. Although GPM believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements as GPM can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified herein, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: results from planned exploration and drilling activities; GPM's future plans for operational expenditures; the accuracy of the interpretations of exploration and drilling activity results; availability of financing to fund current and future plans and expenditures; the impact of increasing competition; the general stability of the economic and political environment in which GPM has property interests; the general continuance of current industry conditions; aboriginal matters; the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals; the ability of GPM to obtain qualified staff, equipment and/or services in a timely and cost efficient manner; the ability of the operator of each project in which GPM has property interests to operate in a safe, efficient and/or effective manner and to fulfill its respective obligations and current plans; future commodity prices; currency, exchange and/or interest rates; and the regulatory framework regarding royalties, taxes and/or environmental matters in the jurisdictions in which GPM has property interests. The forward-looking information and statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. Such information and/or statements, including the assumptions made in respect thereof, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and/or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information and/or statements including, without limitation: risks associated with the uncertainty of exploration results and estimates, currency fluctuations, the uncertainty of conducting operations under a foreign regime, exploration risk, the uncertainty of obtaining all applicable regulatory approvals, the availability of labour and/or equipment, the fluctuating prices of commodities, the availability of financing and GPM's dependence on its management personnel, other participants in the property areas and/or certain other risks detailed from time-to-time in GPM's public disclosure documents, (including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release and GPM's current management's discussion and analysis). Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligations to publicly update and/or revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of additional information, future events and/or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy and / or accuracy of this release


text:
Aston, PA—Sister Anne Gallagher, OSF, (74) (formerly Sister Margaret Leo) died in Assisi House on January 12. She had been a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 49 years. Sister Anne was born in Washington, New Jersey, and was a graduate of Washington High School. She graduated from St. Francis Hospital School in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1960 and worked there for several years after becoming a registered nurse. She entered the congregation in 1962 and professed her first vows in 1965. Sister Anne earned a B.S. in Nursing from Neumann University in Aston in 1974 and in 1982 became a certified registered nurse practitioner after studying at Indiana University of Pennsylvania/Allegheny Hospital.
Sister Anne's nine years of ministry in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia included working as a nurse at St. Mary Hospital in Philadelphia (1970-1972). From 2006-2013 she served as director of senior services for the Sisters of St. Francis, a position which later became part of the congregation's pastoral services department.
Sister Anne ministered in St. Joseph Hospital in Lancaster for 13 years, first as a nursing supervisor (1965-1970) and later as a nurse practitioner (1982-1990).
Sister Anne also ministered in the Diocese of Wilmington for 13 years. From 1974-1981 she worked at St. Francis Hospital. She also served as a school nurse at Holy Spirit School from 2000-2005. Her ministry at Our Lady of Fatima Parish included working as both a nurse and as administrative assistant (2005-2006).
Sister Anne ministered for 10 years in the Diocese of Allentown. From 1990-1994 she worked part-time as a certified school nurse for the Reading school district and part-time as a health services director at Alvernia College. In the latter position she received the Alvernia College Student Government Outstanding Staff Member Award in 1994. Between 1994-2000, Sister Anne minister part-time as a caregiver for a family member and also served as a school nurse—first as a substitute for the Catasauqua School District and later as school nurse at North Hampton School.
All services will be held in Our Lady of Angels Convent Chapel, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, Pennsylvania, 19014 on Thursday, January 16. A Christian Wake Service will be held at 10:30 A.M. followed by viewing. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 12 noon. Burial will be in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Aston. Sister Anne is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Sue Gallagher; her sisters-in-law, Sylvia Clarketta-Gallagher and Freddie Lynn Gallagher; her nieces and nephews; and her Franciscan family. Donations in her name can be made to the Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, PA 19014.


text:
You read that right: The Baltimore Orioles' Chris Davis actually set a Major League Baseball record this season for the worst batting average in history.
Chris Davis, who signed a $161 mega-deal before the 2016 season, hit .168 this season -- which adds up to roughly 17 hits for every 100 at-bats. The next lowest batting average in MLB history was .179 by Rob Deer in 1991 and Dan Uggla in 2013.
Now, I know what you're thinking: what about some guys that play just a few games in a season and don't get any hits? Davis's new record is for qualified hitters, meaning they have to have at least 502 at-bats in a season to be considered.
Davis only played in 128 of 162 games this season, but that includes being benched for the final three games. This was not due to injury, not due to family occurrences: The only reason is because he couldn't hit the ball. Prior to the benching, he was in the midst of a 1-37 (that's one hit in 37 at-bats) slump.
Courtesy of Yahoo Sports
If you're an Orioles fan disgusted by these numbers, then you're probably outraged that the Orioles are paying so much money to this player. But Davis, an 11-year veteran, has always been a "Feast or Famine"-type hitter. He has more career strikeouts (1696) than hits (1099), but they signed him because he was a gigantic power threat in the lineup. During that same time, he's hit 239 home runs, including a league-leading 53 in 2013 and 47 in 2015. The problem is this year he only finished with 16 home runs.
The Orioles suffered through a tumultuous season in 2018. They finished a mind-boggling 61 games behind the first place Red Sox and won only 47 games. This was after trading away a majority of their stars, including Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Kevin Gausman, and more.
So what's next for Davis and the Orioles? Well, they'll both be looking to have a bounce-back year in 2019. The Orioles won't be able to trade Davis like they did with their other stars because of the massive contract and limited production. They'll just have to hope this winter will lead to improvements; otherwise, the Orioles have to decide on whether to release Davis (essentially paying him his money to leave) or use him in a reduced role.
Unfortunately, none of those situations is ideal. One thing is for sure: the Orioles have invested a lot of money into seeing Davis produce. Regrettably, the Orioles will be paying Davis for a long time. As part of his contract, the Orioles will be paying him $2.8 million every year from 2023 through 2037.
What was your favorite memory of this rough season? Who are you most excited to see next season for the O's? What should we do with Chris Davis if he doesn't produce again? Let us know in the comments below!
There's a festival centered around Baltimore's Trash Inceptor on October 20, and we are so there! Learn more about it here!


text: Liberal Democrat Peer Baroness Sharp cited the Sutton Trust's Chain Effects during the committee stage of the Education and Adoption Bill in the House of Lords. Baroness Sharp noted significant variations between chains and within chains with on the performance of disadvantaged pupils. She called for the reports recommendation that "the DfE and regional schools commissioners should specify and operate clear, rigorous criteria for all sponsors".


text:
'Managers on the lookout, chequebooks at the ready and contracts ready to be signed.' It is thattime of year again – commonly known as the 'Silly Season' – when the rumour-mills once again leapinto action as players become linked with clubs left, right and centre, betting reaches fever-pitch asthe odds tumble and clubs up and down the country get ready to splash the cash in an attempt at either consolidating or strengthening their squads.
It is public knowledge that the money is there for Arsène Wenger to spend this summer and it's asummer which could prove pivotal for both manager and club alike. What Arsenal require is presencein goal, although Polish Number One Wojciech SzczÄ™sny is maturing, a centre-back partner for thereturning Thomas Vermaelen and an experienced head or physically imposing character to anchor amidfield which, whilst certainly not short of creativity has, on occasions, found itself overpowered.
Possible INS: Christopher Samba (Blackburn Rovers); Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Southampton);Gervinho (LOSC Lille Métropole)
Possible OUTS: Gaël Clichy; Cesc Fàbregas; Nicklas Bendtner
Aston Villa
After all the turmoil that ensued following the controversial appointment of the ex-Birmingham Citymanager, Alex McLeish, the Scotsman has a difficult job on his hands. He must not only contend withStewart Downing seemingly following the already departed Ashley Young (Manchester United) outof Villa Park but has to find a new Number One. Expect numerous rumours linking McLeish withsome of his former players, especially goalkeeper Ben Foster, who is rated at around £10,000,000.
Possible INS: Ben Foster (Birmingham City); Roger Johnson (Birmingham City); Wes Brown(Manchester United)
Possible OUTS: Carlos Cuéllar; Stephen Ireland; Stewart Downing
Blackburn Rovers
Having already lost one of their most promising prospects, defender come midfielder Phil Jones,expect Rovers to find it difficult to hang on to their club captain Christopher Samba, with Arsenalexpressing an interest in the Congolese defender. Manager Steve Kean will need to strengthen up-front with Rovers having one of the poorest goalscoring records last season. Don't be surprised to seeRoque Santa Cruz return to make his loan move permanent.
Possible INS: Serge Aurier (Racing Club de Lens); Ivelin Popov (Litex Lovch); Roque Santa Cruz(Manchester City)
Possible OUTS: Christopher Samba; El Hadji Diouf; David Hoilett
Bolton Wanderers
Following the departure of Johan Elmander, Owen Coyle will be looking to bring in some firepowerto the Reebok Stadium. The loan signing in January of Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge was a stroke ofgenius. Therefore, expect Coyle to once again return for the striker as he seeks to seal a permanentdeal. The transfer fee could prove to be a stumbling block although the funds generated from theexpected sale of defender Gary Cahill could ease the problem.
Possible INS: Thiago Alcantara (FC Barcelona); Rodrigo Moreno (Benfica); Daniel Sturridge(Chelsea)
Possible OUTS: Ali Al-Habsi; Gary Cahill; Ivan Klasnić
The Andre Villas-Boas era begins at Stanford Bridge. Whilst the ex-FC Porto manager has stressedthat no major changes will be made, his focus will be firmly set upon revitalising what is becomingan ageing squad. Special attention will be paid to the midfield, with the Blues expected to step uptheir chase for Croatian midfield maestro Luka Modrić as well as Palermo's Javier Pastore. Up-front,Didier Drogba or Nicholas Anelka could make way for the impressive Radamel Falcao.
Possible INS: Fábio Coentrão (Benfica); Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht); Radamel Falcao (FC Porto)
Possible OUTS: Paulo Ferreira; Yuri Zhirkov; Didier Drogba
Once again Toffees manager David Moyes has little money to spend, Nonetheless, he will be asshrewd as ever and will look to capitalize in the loan and free transfer market. If funds are to begenerated then they will have to be done so through the sale of first team players however theScotsman is said to be keen to hang onto the influential players in his team. Big money offers may putpay to that.
Possible INS: Dedryck Boyata (Manchester City); Stefan Defour (Standard Liège); Sergio Canales(Real Madrid)
Possible OUTS: John Heitinga; Leighton Baines; Yakubu Aiyegbeni
Another year and another manager at Craven Cottage. Following the unexpected departure of Mark Hughes, former Spurs manager Martin Jol makes a welcome return to the Barclays Premier League.With his Dutch, English and German connections as well as a strong scouting set-up, Jol has a wealth of experience from which to choose from. The spine of the team will remain intact however expect tosee some fresh blood injected into the team, especially in midfield and up-front.
Possible INS: Thomas Hitzelsperger (Unattached); Mounir El Hamadaoui (Ajax); Robbie Keane(Tottenham Hotspur)
Possible OUTS: Jonathan Greening; Zoltan Gera; Andy Johnson
It looks like being a summer of change on Merseyside as Kenny Dalglish begins moulding hisown team. The focus is on home grown players as already demonstrated by the hefty £20,000,000purchase of England U-21 midfielder Jordan Henderson from Sunderland. The arrival of wingerStewart Downing will give the Reds much needed width down the flanks whilst Blackpool's CharlieAdam will provide further creativity in the midfield. The development of Luis Suárez-Andy Carrollpartnership up-front is eagerly anticipated.
Possible INS: Gaël Clichy (Arsenal); Charlie Adam (Blackpool); Stewart Downing (Aston Villa)
Possible OUTS: Paul Konchesky; Joe Cole; Milan Jovanović
Manchester City
They may have all the money in the world however Roberto Mancini will not be making significant changes to his squad. The main body of the Italian's team is in place however doubts still remainover the defence as well as the future of the influential striker and club captain Carlos Tévez. TheArgentine has expressed a desire to return to his homeland as well as stating that he would neverreturn to Manchester – not even on holiday.
Possible INS: Luka Modrić (Tottenham Hotspur); Marek Hamsik (Napoli); Alexis Sanchez (Udinese)
Possible OUTS: Jérome Boateng; Emmanuel Adebayor; Craig Bellamy
Manchester United
Despite winning the Barclays Premier League Title and reaching the Champions League Final,major changes needed to be made at Old Trafford. Promising Spanish U-21 goalkeeper David deGea will have big boots to fill following the retirement of Edwin Van der Sar and a replacement formidfielder Paul Scholes remains a priority for Sir Alex Ferguson. Attention will turn either to Modrićor somewhat surprisingly Samir Nasri who has a year left on his current contract.
Possible INS: David de Gea (Atlético Madrid); Samir Nasri (Arsenal); Edinson Cavani (Napoli)
Possible OUTS: Wes Brown; John O'Shea; Darron Gibson
Newcastle United
It's been far from the expected summer of consolidation at St James'Park with the shock departureof club captain Kevin Nolan to West Ham United. Alan Pardew is resigned to losing left-back JoséEnrique and midfielder Joey Barton however the club have signined three French-speaking players:midfielders Yohan Cabaye (LOSC Lille Métropole)and Sylvain Marveaux (Stade Rennais) as wellas striker Demba Ba (West Ham United). Rumours are that they've began filming on the FrenchConnection III.
Possible INS: Neil Taylor (Swansea City); Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan Athletic); Tranquilo Barnetta(Bayer Leverkusen)
Possible OUTS: José Enrique; Alan Smith; Nile Ranger
Norwich City
Canaries manager Paul Lambert has made it clear from the outset that this summer he intends to bringin English players, preferably with Barclays Premier League experience, to the club. So far Lamberthas secured the signings of predominately lower league players: striker James Vaughan (Everton) whospent the second half of last season on loan at Crystal Palace; Millwall's top goalscorer last season,striker Steve Morrison and winger Elliott Bennett (Brighton & Hove Albion).
Possible INS: Steven Caulker (Tottenham Hotspur); Bradley Johnson (Leeds United); AnthonyPilkington (Huddersfield Town)
Possible OUTS: Steven Smith; Owain Tudor Jones; Oli Johnson
Queens Park Rangers
They may have been a cut above the rest at the top of the Npower Championship, however managerNeil Warnock is well aware of the transition and gap to the Barclays Premier League. Warnock willcertainly have money to spend, given the financial muscle of the board, whose members includeIndian Steel Magnate Lakshmi Mittal. You feel that keeping hold of the mercurial midfield maestroAdel Taarabt will be key to Rangers hopes of staying up next season.
Possible INS: Marco Materazzi (Internazionale); Sulley Muntari (Internazionale); Jay Bothroyd(Unattached)
Possible OUTS: Adel Taarabt; Leon Clarke; Rowan Vine
Stoke City
Tony Pulis will be hoping that the business he does in the summer can propel the Potters to the nextlevel. With Europa League football lying ahead next season, Pulis will be acutely aware of the need toincrease the size of his squad. Like Norwich City's Lambert, the Stoke manager is looking at Englishbased players and has recently been heavily linked with the Birmingham city centre-back partnershipof Scott Dann and Roger Johnson.
Possible INS: Scott Dann (Birmingham City); Nile Ranger (Newcastle United); Carlton Cole (WestHam United)
Possible OUTS: Thomas Sorensen; Tom Soares; Diego Arismendi
Following the departure of Darren Bent in January and now most recently Jordan Henderson, managerSteve Bruce should in theory have around £40,000,000 to reinvest in his team. His focus will liein finding replacements for them with Darron Gibson a strong contender to fill Henderson's bootswhilst, if reports are to be believed, the club have launched a £13,000,000 bid for Ipswich Townwonderkid Connor Wickham. Signing Danny Welbeck again on loan could be a possibility.
Possible INS: Darron Gibson (Manchester United); Connor Wickham (Ipswich Town); Peter Crouch(Tottenham Hotspur)
Possible OUTS: Anton Ferdinand; Marcos Angeleri; Asamoah Gyan
Swansea City
Brendan Rodgers worked wonders in his first season in charge of the Swans to guide them backinto the highest echelon of English football for the first time since 1983. His team playing a brandof attractive, free-flowing football akin to that of Blackpool, so perhaps we should expect a fewunexpected surprises next season. Signing Spanish midfielder Marcos Senna would represent a majorcoup for the club however reports suggests that he pursuing another season at Villarreal.
Possible INS: Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea); Marcos Senna (Unattached); Max Gradel (Leeds United)
Possible OUTS: Neil Taylor; Ashley Williams; Gorka Pintado
Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Redknapp's admitted that he's been told by chairman Daniel Levy that he'll have to sellplayers before he can buy. Honduran Wilson Palacios, Croatian Niko Kranjĉar and Mexican GiovanniSantos, have expressed their frustration at not being included in the first team set-up and all threehave been linked with moves away from White Hart Lane. Spurs remain favourites to capture WestHam United's influential midfielder Scott Parker, having already signed Aston Villa goalkeeper BradFriedel.
Possible INS: Scott Parker (West Ham United); Jack Rodwell (Everton); Leando Damiao(Internacional)
Possible OUTS: Wilson Palacios; Niko Kranjĉar; Robbie Keane
West Bromwich Albion
The quiet revolution which occurred towards the end of last season following the installationof Roy Hodgson as manager will hope to gather momentum this summer. Hodgson's wealth ofEuropean experience will stand him in good stead and he'll hope to receive a further boost with keystriker Peter Odemwingie's staying at The Hawthorns. Blackpool's David Vaughan looks set to join whilst goalkeeper Scott Carson's imminent departure has paved the way for a return for Tomasz Kuszczak.
Possible INS: Tomasz Kuszczak (Manchester United); Zoltan Gera (Fulham); David Vaughan(Unattached)
Possible OUTS: Scott Carson; Gabriel Tamas; Marek Ĉech
Wigan Athletic
Roberto Martinez's decision to turn down Aston Villa's overtures was a reminder that loyalty stillremains in football – a loyalty which has further strengthened his relationship with ChairmanDave Whelan. Whilst the club appear resigned to losing the tricky French winger CharlesN'Zogbia, keeping Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega is absolutely crucial – his loss wouldnot doubt create a destabilising effect on the team. Ali Al-Habsi's loan move will soon becomepermanent once a transfer fee is agreed.
Possible INS: Ali Al-Habsi (Bolton Wanderers); Stephen Crainey (Blackpool); Craig Mackail-Smith(Peterborough United)
Possible OUTS: James McCarthy; Charles N'Zogbia; Hugo Rodallega
Wolverhampton Wanderers
After flirting dangerously closely with relegation last season, Mick McCarthy will hope that thissummer's signings make a greater impact than the ones he made last season. The permanentsigning of Jamie O'Hara, who played an instrumental role in the second half of last season on loanfrom Tottenham Hotspur, will come as a welcome boost. Ultimately though, the real problem whichmust be rectified is in defence which was undoubtedly the team's Achilles Heel last season.
Possible INS: Richard Dunne (Aston Villa); Johnny Evans (Manchester United); Matt Mills(Reading)
Possible OUTS: Carl Ikeme; Greg Halford; Stefan Maierhofer


text:
Have you managed to keep the stress of Christmas at bay? I have, well, with one exception. I have a young man in my life that I have yet to reach out to. His birthday was in October and now I'm a week away from Christmas and he still doesn't know I exist. I digress, what I'm really looking for is I want to know if you have been able to unplug the Christmas machine? The part of this time of year that has you pulling your hair out and wishing you had more than just a week to finish all those things you think you need to do.
I haven't let all the commercial nonsense get to me. I'm mailing certain gifts after Christmas because I don't want to fight the crowds at the post office. The way I see it, a gift will be welcome no matter what day it arrives and might even be more appreciated if it's not one of many in the overwhelm of that one day. I hope you can take some time and not be taken over by perceptions that you have to meet a certain deadline and give something to everyone. As it goes with love and giving, the season is all year long and when it's truly from your heart, it will be appreciated. Even if it arrives on December 28th!


text:
DISNEY Trademark used by FRYING NEMO fish and chips
Our Trademark Attorneys assist many Australian businesses avoid infringements with detailed infringement research. Many businesses often skip this important trademark step. Unfortunately some business owners get caught.
Disney's Trademark Lawyers set their sights on an Adelaide local business who included the Trademark NEMO in their logo.
The business has since changed their name & signage to avoid legal proceedings.
It is another costly example of businesses not seeking advice from Trademark Attorneys to assess whether their proposed logo or brand infringes before they run the business.
Sometimes there is no warning or request to change the name, they are sued in the Federal Court for compensation.
Re-branding is not cheap, costing a minimum of $10,000 usually for a small business. Infringements can often also tarnish a businesses reputation with the community.
It is not the role of your graphic designer to advise on whether you can use their copyright commercially as a trademark. You should seek representation and hire a Trademark Lawyer or Trademark Attorney to ensure your business journey is safe.
If you're concerned about your Business Name or logo, we can conduct infringement research for you after you fill out this form. https://trademarkservices.com.au/information-packs/


text:
DVD & Blu-ray Players
DVD & 3D-Capable Blu-ray Players from LG and Continu.us. LG Blu-ray players deliver picture and sound quality so clear, you'll feel like you're right in the action. With an array of possibilities, you can build and organize your media library and enjoy your favorite movies, photos, videos and music with ease.
No products were found matching your selection.