text:
There have been 11 total games bearing the Wolfenstein name, and this is the third one in this particular series. I have no idea why some dingbat decided to name it "Wolfenstein II". You might argue that we're doing a Grand Theft Auto kinda deal where some titles count and others don't, except in the case of GTA, the ones that count don't get subtitles.
Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned (2009)
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (2009)
Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
The ones with numbers are usually major generational landmarks with new graphics engines and gameplay systems, while the ones with subtitles generally stick with the same engine and focus on gameplay refinement and experimentation. It's an unusual numbering system, but it works.
Having said that, I have no idea what Wolfenstein is doing. Since the reboot, the games have been titled:
Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014)
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (2015)
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017)
That's… weird.
Anyway. I liked the last couple of Wolfenstein games, but this time around I am not having fun.
The biggest problem is the overall performance of the game. It's a nightmare. The framerate is wildly uneven. I don't mean it wavers between 60fps and 50fps. I mean is shoots up to 100Assuming you have it uncapped, which I did for a while during my testing., then down to 5, then holds around 40, then down again. The framerate dips when you're moving your camera around and there are a handful of guys onscreen, which incidentally is when you're really keen to aim at things properly. The way this game handles mouse input is highly dependent on framerate, which means all this variation makes a mess out of aiming. I'll just about have a guy lined up, but suddenly my framerate dips and I'm turning in dreamlike slowness. I'll move the mouse faster to compensate. Then the frame drop is over and the framerate shoots back up and suddenly I've spun around in a circle. This feels awful.
I've spent a lot of time tweaking the graphics options, but lots of settings require you to restart the game and there's a ton of unskippable splash screens, company logos, safety warnings, and legal disclaimers you have to sit through every time you do this.
I'm using an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780. That's four years old. Maybe you want to argue that I'm too far out of date and I need to upgrade. That's fine. I know I'm behind the curve. But look, we understand that we need new hardware to support new visuals, and this game is nothing special in terms of visuals. The last game was dandy. This one looks about the same but demands drastically more horsepower. Even when I turn the visuals down to complete garbage levels so the game looks like something from 2003, I still get horrible stuttering at the worst moments. Upgrading might fix the problem, but something is clearly wrong with their engine.
To be clear: I am above the minimum requirements, so I don't think I'm being unreasonable to expect a playable experienceYes, I tried the beta that came out yesterday. It killed my framerate. Rather than jumping up and down between 60 and 15, it just stayed at 8.. And surprise momentary dips to 5fps in the middle of a gunfight is not playable.
The glitches don't help. Sometimes the entire right third of the screen will be covered in black. For me it happens when entering and exiting vehicles. Loading a save doesn't fix it. Exiting to the main menu doesn't fix it. So far the only solution is to exit the game entirely and endure another round of unskippable logos.
I also have a problem where my video capture software can't get images from the game. The game disables Steam overlay, so I can't use the Steam screenshot feature either. The only way I could get screens would be to use the built-in Windows system where I hit Print Screen, Alt-tab out of the game, paste the captured image into my editing software, crop out the unwanted stuff from my secondary monitorWindows Prt Scr captures your entire multi-monitor setup., save the image, and return to the game. And no, I'm not doing that. I don't know what the developers did to mess this upSome people have suggested the problem is Vulkan., but I've got literally hundreds of other games on Steam and none of them have this problem.
Anyway, that explains why this post doesn't have any screenshots. Sorry.
And finally, the overall design seems off. Way too many areas had me running around an empty battlefield after a fight, looking for the exit. For a fast-paced game like this I'd expect the level design to draw you through an area with clear markers, environmental breadcrumbs, lighting cues, or other guides. My goal will be something like "Find the control room" in a building made entirely of hallways and things that look like control rooms. Inaccessible doors will often look identical to usable doors, so you have to try every stupid door to figure out which one is the path to the next batch of murders.
On top of this, the story is really bugging me. See, for the last couple of games, our hero BJ has been terrorized by Frau Engel. She shows up in a cutscene, does something horrible, and cackles over your first-person camera. It's pretty heavy-handed and maybe these scenes drag on too long, but these are the kinds of over-the-top villains you need in a game like this. Overall, Engel is a pretty good villain.
My problem is that in this game BJ has a wife who is 8 months pregnant. The only thing in the entire world he fears is having something bad happen to her, and yet he keeps dragging her along on missions with him, Gordon-and-Alyx style. Like, she's getting into gunfights. I've been around pregnant women before. They move slow, they're in pain all the time, and they need to pee every 15 minutes. Our heroes have a base full of capable, eager, able-bodied people, and he brings this slow, vulnerable person who is the center of his universe. This is such a monumentally stupid and nonsensical move that I just can't believe in this world anymore. I realize that this is a world of space Nazi super science and robot attack dogs, but I still expect characters to remain true to themselves and behave in coherent ways.
If nothing else, can we at least get an occasional line of dialog to justify why he keeps doing this obviously moronic thing? It's like Superman always carrying around a chunk of kryptonite in a lead jar with a dodgy lid that pops off at inopportune moments. I haven't reached the point in the story where the wife gets captured by Engel and menaced / tortured / killedThis world can get pretty dark and gruesome at times. / mind controlled as a result, but I'm willing to bet it happens and I'm really not looking forward to sitting through it.
To top things off, I think I'm stuck. Anya (the wife) told me to destroy a fan. It's one of those two-meter videogame fans where you disable it so the blades stop spinning and you can pass. Except, the fan had already stopped spinning when she said this. It wasn't destroyed, but it also wasn't spinning. I passed through, completed my goals on the other side, and my journal updated telling me to leave. But my waypoint marker is still pointing at the fan. I've shot it, hit it with melee, hit the use button, zapped it with the laser cutter, and threw grenades at it. Nothing worked. The quest log says ""Exit the Munin control center", which I've already done. I don't know where to go or what it wants from me.
There's no way to restart a mission or chapter, so I don't know. The game uses checkpoints, but it doesn't give landmark saves at the start of a mission. My last manual save was four hours ago. I'm really not eager to repeat the last four hours just to get back here.
So yeah. Not having a good time. There are things to like here, but I'm losing sight of them in the annoyances and headaches.
Totally unrelated bit of completely random trivia: This game is published by Bethesda.
[1] Assuming you have it uncapped, which I did for a while during my testing.
[2] Yes, I tried the beta that came out yesterday. It killed my framerate. Rather than jumping up and down between 60 and 15, it just stayed at 8.
[3] Windows Prt Scr captures your entire multi-monitor setup.
[4] Some people have suggested the problem is Vulkan.
[5] This world can get pretty dark and gruesome at times.
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Resident Evil 4
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The Best of 2018
I called 2018 "The Year of Good News". Here is a list of the games I thought were interesting or worth talking about that year.


text:
This is the cover letter that I used in my third and final visa application, for which I was granted a visa. I did not use a cover letter for my previous two visa applications.
The Entry Clearance Officer,
UK Visas and Immigration
7th October 2016
Respected Sir/Madam,
My name is Dr. Naseer *** *** (Visa Application Reference Number: ***, Passport Number: ***). I am applying for Business Visitor Visa for PLAB Part 2 examination. I plan on taking my PLAB Part 2 examination on 24th January 2017.
I am a fully qualified doctor. I am registered with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and I have a license to practice Medicine in Pakistan. I am currently working as Resident Medical Officer (RMO) at *** Institute, Karachi.
I'm also registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) UK, as a candidate to appear in the PLAB examination. My GMC Reference Number is ***. I've attached documentary evidence of this.
I am applying for the Business Visitor Visa in order to appear in the PLAB Part 2 examination. I wish to take the PLAB Part 2 examination on 24th January 2017. This exam is held only in Manchester, UK. PLAB Part 2 examination is not held in any other city or country. It is part 2 of the licensing exam for International Medical Graduates who wish to practice medicine in the UK. I passed PLAB Part 1 examination in November 2014 in my hometown, Karachi (only part 1 of the PLAB examination is held in other countries).
I have worked as a doctor in Pakistan for over two years; now I want to work as a doctor in a better system where I can improve my skills even more. There is no doubt in the fact that the UK's healthcare system is one of the best healthcare systems in the world. I want to make myself a better doctor by working in the UK and by learning from the doctors in the UK.
After gaining a sufficient amount of knowledge and experience as a doctor, and after serving the UK for a few years, I would like to come back to Pakistan to help the people of my country, like many others have done before me.
Jan 2014: I graduated from *** Medical University, Karachi.
Feb 2014: I started my internship at *** University Hospital, Karachi.
Nov 2014: I passed my PLAB-1 exam at Karachi.
Feb 2015: I completed my internship at *** University Hospital.
Feb 2015: I started working as SHO at *** University Hospital.
Mar 2015: I applied for PLAB-2 visa. My request was denied.
Aug 2015: I did not renew my contract at *** University Hospital.
Aug 2015: I started working as RMO at *** Institute.
Apr 2016: I applied for PLAB-2 visa again. My request was denied again.
Since then I have been working at *** Institute as Resident Medical Officer. And after having worked at my current job for 14 months, I am applying for PLAB-2 visa again, for a third time.
I would also like to state that my medical school is listed in GMC's Acceptable Overseas Medical Qualifications list. I've attached documentary evidence of this from the GMC's website.
There are a few things that I would like to state about my timeline:
- I started internship at my University Hospital as soon as internships became available. I did not waste a single day sitting at home.
- I passed my PLAB Part 1 examination during my busy and hectic internship.
- Ever since I started working, I have not been jobless for a single day. I have not taken any breaks from work.
a) My internship ended on 07/Feb/2015. I started working as SHO from 08/Feb/2015.
b) My job as SHO ended on 07/Aug/2015. I joined *** Institute as RMO from 08/Aug/2015.
- I did not renew my contract as Senior House Officer (SHO) at *** University Hospital and I joined *** institute as Resident Medical Officer, because I wanted my career to move forward. *** Institute is one of the largest kidney treatment centers of South Asia. And it is the only hospital where kidney transplants take place in Pakistan.
- As is evident from my timeline, I am serious about my work and my career. I want to become a better doctor and I never want to stop learning.
I live with my parents … My brother lives in the UK.
My father is self-employed. He is the main bread-earner.
My brother works as a doctor in the NHS in *** Hospital, UK.
I, my mother … are financially dependent on my father. I do not spend my salary, as is evident from my bank account. My father takes care of our expenditures.
Additionally, I get *** GBP per month from my father for my personal expenditure, which includes money for my everyday needs. This money is handed down to me in cash. I do not deposit this money in my bank account, as I keep money for my monthly expenditure in my hand.
My brother, ***, is also a doctor.
He and I graduated from high school together.
We both entered into *** Medical University together.
We both graduated from *** Medical University together.
We both started our internship together, at *** University Hospital, on the same day.
We both passed our PLAB Part 1 examination in Karachi, together.
We both finished our internship together, at *** University Hospital, on the same day.
We both started working as Senior House Officers together, at the same hospital, on the same day.
We both applied for PLAB-2 visas in March 2015. My application was refused. He, however, got his visa.
He went to the UK to take his PLAB Part 2 examination in March 2015. He came back to resume work as a Senior House Officer with me. Unfortunately, he failed his exam.
We both joined *** Institute together, on the same day. He applied for his PLAB-2 visa again in February 2015. He again got his visa. This time he passed his PLAB Part 2 examination and subsequently got registered with General Medical Council, UK.
Both the times when he got his visa, he returned within the specified frame of time. During his stay he obeyed all the rules and regulations of UK legislation. He was not involved in any wrong doing or any illegal activity.
Recently he got his Tier 2 (General) Work visa. Now he's living in the UK with ***. He's working as a respectable doctor in the NHS in *** Hospital, UK. All his relevant documents are attached in my application.
(Application number: ***)
My application for Business Visitor Visa for PLAB Part 2 examination was denied on 03/Mar/2015 for two basic reasons:
- My bank statement did not reflect my income.
- I did not attach documents from my UK sponsor.
1. Why My Bank Statement Did Not Reflect My Income:
At the time of this application, I had recently finished my internship and it had been less than a month at my new job as Senior House Officer at *** University Hospital. My income during my Internship and during my work as SHO was only 16,000 PKR per month. In addition to this, I was getting *** GBP per month from my father for my personal expenditure.
In my visa application, I made a numerical error. I wrote my salary as 26,000 PKR instead of 16,000 PKR. It was an unintentional mistake. This is why my bank statements at the time did not reflect my salary, as per my application. I have attached my bank statements from the time while I was working as SHO and you can see that my bank statements reflect my salary of 16,000 PKR. I've also attached my Internship appointment letter, which confirms my salary of 16,000 PKR during internship.
My bank statement did not reflect the *** GBP that I get from my father because that has always been given to me in cash.
2. Why I didn't Attach Documents from My UK Sponsor:
I wrote in my application that I would stay in the UK with my relative Dr. *** and that I would visit my relative Mr. ***. However, I did not attach any documents provided by them.
Dr. *** is a distant relative, who had guided me in the first place about PLAB Part 1 and PLAB Part 2 examinations. Therefore I was planning on staying with him in the UK, because he was going to help me in preparing for the PLAB Part 2 examination. Not attaching his documents in the application was my fault; I completely accept my mistake. At that time, I did not realize the importance of attaching my UK sponsor's documents.
My visa refusal was my own mistake. I have never travelled abroad. And this was my first attempt at a visa application. So the process was new for me and I did not fully understand the terms of visa application. I would like to apologize for my mistakes.
(Application number: ***)
My second application for Business Visitor Visa for PLAB Part 2 examination was denied on 18/Apr/2016 on the basis of the following reasons:
- No significant change in my personal circumstances.
- The cost of my UK accommodation was nearly equivalent to one month of my salary.
- Not reasonable to make the proposed expenditure of staying in the UK for 11 days for a single day exam given my domestic and financial circumstances.
- I don't have enough ties to return to Pakistan.
No Cover Letter:
I made the mistake of not attaching a cover letter to explain my case. However, I would like to take this opportunity now to explain my side of the story, which would also make my current circumstances easier to understand:
1. How My Personal Circumstances Had Changed Since My Last Visa Application:
A) How my circumstances had changed in Pakistan:
When I had first applied for my visa application in March 2015, I was working at *** University Hospital as Senior House Officer. My pay was only 16,000 PKR. My total bank balance was only 81,732 PKR. Conversely, when I applied in April 2016, I was working at *** Institute as Resident Medical Officer. My salary was 49,020 PKR and my bank balance was 302,520 PKR.
|Circumstances in March 2015
|Circumstances in April 2016
|*** University Hospital
|*** Institute
|Senior House Officer
|Resident Medical Officer
|Bank Balance
B) How my circumstances had changed in terms of staying in the UK:
In my first visa application, in March 2015, I had stated that I would stay with Dr. *** as he would help me in preparing for the exam. However, by April 2016, my circumstances had changed. By now, my brother had already taken PLAB Part 2 examination twice. He had guided me enough about PLAB Part 2 examination and I didn't need a mentor to stay with, in the UK.
Therefore, I planned a shorter trip and instead of staying with Dr. ***, I decided to book a hotel for my accommodation in the UK. I looked for the cheapest accommodation that I could find in Manchester and I got it booked for 11 days for 45,020 PKR (which was 303 GBP at that time).
2. The Cost of My UK Accommodation Was Nearly Equivalent To One Month of My Salary:
My salary at that time was 49,020 PKR and the cost of accommodation was 45,020 PKR. However, as you can see, I have never spent my salary since I joined *** Institute. I have saved all of it for my future expenses in the UK. Therefore, spending a month's salary on accommodation in the UK, while I had six months' salary saved in my account was not going to be financially strenuous on me.
This is only confirmed by the fact that I now have 13 months of salary saved in my account. As my father bears my financial expenses, I don't have to spend any of my salary in Pakistan.
3 (A). Staying In the UK for 11 days For A Single Day Exam Given My Financial and Domestic Circumstances:
Since my father had already paid for my exam, this was the cost of my trip for me:
|Plane ticket
|Living Expenses
|Total Cost of my Trip
|The Amount of Money I Had For This Trip
The total cost of the trip for me was 1103 GBP, while I had 2000 GBP (302,520 PKR – rates taken from www.oanda.com on 18/04/2015, as quoted in my visa refusal letter) in my bank account. So I had more than enough funds to finance this trip for myself, by myself.
Even after spending 1103 GBP, I would've had 897 GBP saved in my account; which was not going to be problematic for me, as I do not spend any of my salary. This is confirmed by the fact that I now have 4838 GBP (648,379 PKR) in my bank account in October 2016.
3 (B). Staying For 11 Days:
It was a single day exam, but it was not possible for me to travel to another country for an exam for one day. I was going to travel for the first time in my life; therefore I needed time to adjust to the surroundings. I needed time to adjust to the weather as well, as Manchester is a lot colder than Karachi, even in June. And above everything else, I needed time to prepare and to revise for my exam. This is how I was going to spend those 11 days in the UK:
|Day 01
|Day 02
|Studying Medicine
|Day 03
|Studying Surgery
|Day 04
|Studying OBGYN
|Day 05
|Studying Pediatrics
|Day 06
|Studying Ophthalmology + ENT
|Day 07
|Studying Examinations
|Day 08
|Studying Manikins
|Day 09
|Exam Day
|Day 10
|Relaxation + Meeting Relatives
|Day 11
4. Not Enough Ties to Return To Pakistan:
My refusal letter stated that I do not have savings, properties or other income. I am not married and I do not have children.
At the age of 27, no doctor in Pakistan earns enough to buy a property. I do have a good amount of savings as I'm saving money for my trip to the UK. Yes, I am not married and therefore, I do not have children. But I have a very strong bond with my parents, as I am their eldest child. And I'm always going to return home, to see my parents.
My brother's record shows a family history of good behavior in the UK. He visited the UK twice to take his PLAB Part 2 examination, as he failed the exam in his first attempt. He returned within the specified frame of time on both occasions. And now he's serving the NHS UK as a doctor in ***. We've both grown up in the same home, with the same set of values. As our academic record shows, I and my brother are very similar people, with similar personality and similar traits.
My record shows that I've never been involved in any wrong doing. I work 60-80 hours per week. And I've never taken a break from work, not even for holidays. I am serious about my career. I cannot even think about staying in the UK for more than the proposed time limit.
I felt I had a pretty good chance of getting visa clearance but I made the mistake of not attaching a cover letter to explain my case.
I was originally planning on studying and revising my books for my PLAB Part 2 examination, in the UK for a week, to get comfortable with my surroundings. However, in light of my previous visa refusal, I've decided to complete this revision and preparation for my exam back home in Pakistan.
I've shortened my trip to only four days. I will be travelling to the UK on 22/Jan/2017. I would return back to Pakistan on 25/Jan/2017. I will be staying for a total of only four days. This is my plan for those four days:
|Day 01
|Day 02
|Preparation for Exam
|Day 03
|Exam Day
|Day 04
PLAB Part 2 Examination Confirmation:
I have booked my PLAB Part 2 examination for 24/Jan/2017. My father has already paid the fee for this exam. I've attached a confirmation of this booking along with my application.
No Objection from my Employer:
I've taken an unpaid leave of absence from *** Institute for two weeks, from 16/Jan/2017 till 29/Jan/2017. They've issued a No Objection Certificate regarding my trip, which I've attached with my application.
I will return back to Pakistan on 25/Jan/2017. After having worked and studied nonstop for so long, I will rest for four days. I will resume work at *** Institute from Monday, 30/Jan/2017.
I will be staying at Hatters Manchester, 50 Newton Street, Manchester City Centre, M1 2EA, United Kingdom, from 22/Jan/2017 till 25/Jan/2017. The cost of this stay would only be 41 GBP. I can easily afford this since I have 648,379 PKR (4838 GBP) in my account. I've attached confirmation from Hatters Manchester for this stay.
I will not be visiting any friends or relatives in the UK, since I will not have the time or need to see anyone in the UK. My brother has already guided me in detail about the exam, since he's taken the exam twice. I will stay at Hatters Manchester and spend all my time in studying for the exam.
Provisional Airline Booking:
I will be travelling to the UK on 22/Jan/2017. I've made a provisional airline booking via Emirates Airline. I've attached the provisional ticket along with my application. The cost of this ticket is 463 GBP. I will make a confirmed airline booking once my visa application is approved.
I am working at *** Institute as a Resident Medical Officer. My current salary is 53,922 PKR. I am attaching my bank statement and my pay slips as a proof of this. I have 648,379 PKR (4838 GBP) in my bank account. The cost of my trip is only 584 GBP.
How My Financial Circumstances Have Changed Since My Last Application:
When I had last applied, my salary was 49,020 PKR. My total bank balance was 302,520 PKR.
After an annual increment in my salary in July 2016, my salary now is 53,922 PKR and my bank balance is 648,379 PKR. My bank statement and pay slips reflect these numbers.
As you can see, my financial circumstances have improved significantly.
|Circumstances in April 2016
|Circumstances in October 2016
|Bank Balance
Total Cost of the Trip:
Since I planned a shorter trip and I made earlier reservations; I found a cheaper airline ticket and a cheaper accommodation. This reduced the cost of my trip significantly. The cost of my trip is only 584 GBP.
|Plane ticket
|Living Expenses
|Total Cost of my Trip
|The Amount of Money I Have For This Trip
In comparison to my previous visa application, my total cost of trip has nearly halved (because of a shorter trip and earlier reservations) and my total bank balance has more than doubled (because I did not spend any of my salary). I have more than enough money for this trip. I will be financially comfortable in the UK for this short trip of four days.
I'm comfortable as I have enough money of my own; I do not think I will require financial support from anyone else. However, in light of my previous visa refusal, my uncle and my father are willing to support me financially, if need be. Both of them have supported me financially in the past.
My Uncle's Financial Support:
My uncle, ***, is my father's brother (you can confirm this from my father and my uncle's Pakistani Computerized National Identity Cards). He's very close to me. He's helped me financially at other occasions. He's like a father and a mentor to me. He has no problem in financing my trip, if need be.
He has more than enough funds to provide for this trip. I've attached his relevant documents along with an affidavit signed by him, stating that he would help me financially, if need arises.
I did not attach my uncle's documents in my last application because I felt I had enough money to finance my trip myself. I still feel I have enough money to finance my trip, however, due to the reasons of refusal of my previous application; I am attaching my uncle's documents.
My Father's Financial Support:
As I've stated before, my father is the main bread-earner of our house. He supports himself, my mother, ***. He earns enough to meet all of our needs. He paid for five years of medical school fee ***. My PLAB Part 2 examination fee of 840 GBP is also paid by my father.
My father runs a business of ***. His business dealing is mostly through post office and not through his bank account. This explains why he does not have a healthy bank statement. Nearly all of his transactions are through the post office in cash.
To prove this, I've attached a letter from the post office, stating my father's monthly income from the post office, which is over *** PKR /month (*** GBP). I've also attached an affidavit signed by my father, along with his other relevant documents.
I have more than enough funds for my UK trip in my own bank account, from my own earnings. I will only be spending 12 percent of these savings, which will not be problematic for me, as I do not have to spend any of my earnings in Pakistan, as is evident from my bank statement. My total cost of trip is also a lot less than before. I will also have my uncle and my father's financial backing, if the need arises.
United Bank Limited will provide a UK based ATM card to me, so all my funds in my bank account will be accessible to me in the UK.
My previous visa application was refused under paragraphs V4.2 (a), (c) and (e). I would like to address those concerns for my current visa application:
"(a) will leave the UK at the end of their visit"
I would like to assure you that I am going to leave the UK at the end of my visit, as I have to join my responsibilities as Resident Medical Officer at *** Institute.
I've taken an unpaid leave of absence for two weeks from *** Institute, which expires on 29th January 2017. As the letter from my employer states, I have to resume my duty at *** Institute from Monday, 30th January 2017. Therefore it is not possible for me to overstay my visit in the UK.
I've had this job for 14 months. My seniors and my employers love me and motivate me. My record shows that I'm a workaholic and I'm serious about my career. I will not give up on my current job or on my career. Therefore, I will most certainly return back to Pakistan to resume my duties at work.
"(c) is genuinely seeking entry for a purpose that is permitted by the visitor routes"
I have booked my PLAB Part 2 examination and my father has already paid 840 GBP for its fee.
The PLAB Part 2 examination is conducted by the General Medical Council UK. I'm a registered member of the General Medical Council UK. My GMC Reference Number is ***. I've attached documentary evidence of this.
I've also attached a confirmation from the General Medical Council UK for my exam invitation. The General Medical Council has invited me at their Clinical Assessment Center at Manchester, 3 Hardman Street, Manchester, United Kingdom on 24th January 2017 at 08:30 AM.
All of the above show that I'm genuinely seeking entry into the UK as a visitor, to appear in the PLAB Part 2 examination. You can confirm my registration details with the GMC UK and my exam invitation from the General Medical Council by calling them at +44 161 923 6602 or emailing them at firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com.
"(e) must have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit without working or accessing public funds. This includes the cost of the return or onward journey, any costs relating to dependants, and the cost of planned activities such as private medical treatment."
As I've explained in detail before, I have 4838 GBP in my bank account and my cost of trip is only 584 GBP. I also have my uncle's and father's financial backing. Therefore, I will not run out of money. I will not work in the UK and I will not access public funds. I have a shorter trip of 4 days, and I have more than enough money for this trip.
If my father can pay my exam fee of 840 GBP, financing this trip of only 584 GBP should not be a problem for us.
I am an honest person, a law abiding citizen, and a sincere and hardworking doctor. I have attached a few letters of recommendation from my senior doctors. I have been working as a doctor in Pakistan for the last two and a half years, without a break. I come from a family of doctors. My brother is already working in the UK as a doctor. My sister is working as a doctor in Pakistan.
I've had two visa rejections for PLAB Part 2 examination. These refusals have hurt me mentally and I have been traumatized by them; these refusals have halted my career progress. However, I've learnt from my mistakes and I've tried to explain my case to you as best as possible. I'm staying positive and I hope that I'll be granted a visa this time.
I will obey all the rules and regulations of the UK legislation. I will return within the specified frame of time. I will not overstay my visit.
I have more than enough funds to finance my trip. My financially circumstances have greatly improved. The exam is already paid for by my father. It is unlikely, however, if the need arises, my father and my uncle are willing to help me financially. I will not work in the UK. I will not seek aid from the UK's public funds.
I have a genuine invitation from the General Medical Council UK to appear in the PLAB Part 2 examination. I am genuinely seeking entry into the UK as a visitor.
I have verified my statements on oath at the District Central Office Karachi on 4th October 2016. I have attached the signed affidavit.
I would by highly grateful to you if you grant me visa clearance to appear in PLAB Part 2 examination in Manchester and to make a success story out of my life.
If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them.
Thank you! Have a nice day!
Yours' Sincerely,
Dr. Naseer *** ***.
General Medical Council Reference Number: ***
Pakistani Computerized National Identity Number: ***
Pakistan Medical & Dental Council Registration Number:***
Residential Address: ***
Phone Number: ***
P.S. Internship in Pakistan is also known as Foundation Year Programme or House Job
P.P.S All PKR to GBP conversions in my cover letter were done by taking rates from from www.oanda.com on 07/October/2016 (1 GBP = 134.030 PKR), as rates from www.oanda.com were quoted in my visa refusal letters.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What do I need to do to file for divorce in Malaysia?
News and Updates
What do I need to do to file for divorce in Malaysia?
Can you compel your partner, who refuses to acknowledge paternity, to undergo a DNA Test?
A, a director and shareholder of the company, was denied access to inspect the company's records. Although not involved in daily operations, A wants to determine the value of his shares for a separate lawsuit.
Can he file an application for inspection and appoint lawyers and auditors to do it on his behalf?
Often business owners find themselves vulnerable when dealing with employees who had turned rogue and took confidential information from the company. What are the legal protection against these employees?
Divorce can be petitioned on the ground marriage has irretrievably broken down. In deciding whether there is breakdown, the court will consider issues such as adultery, behaviour of the parties, desertion and living apart for more than 2 years.
I have a sale contract which does not set out terms which should have been there in the first place. For example, it is a contract to purchase electrical items. There is no term that says the electrical items should be in working condition.
What can I do?
Can I sue the directors personally for fraud?
This legal updates will set out whether there is a need for co-proprietor to first show there is a request for land to be partitioned before applying to court for termination of co-proprietorship for land to be sold.


text:
An all-too-common question I get from startups and small businesses is "Which is the right social media platform for my business?" Is it Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or one of the other 200 active platforms vying for attention these days? The right answer is that not all of these are worth your attention, but it's probably more than one.
The "Tyranny of the OR" is a concept from the old classic business best-seller "Built to Last," by James C. Collins (Stanford Business School). Too many executives believe that things must be either A or B, and can't be both. The reality is that most businesses need to embrace the "Genius of the AND," meaning they should use and monitor more than one of the available platforms, based on objectives.
If you are in the almost 30 percent of all small businesses who still ignore social media, you need to read the book by Dave Carroll, "United Breaks Guitars." It highlights the story of how United Airlines paid no attention to social media while Dave's story of his crushed guitar and poor customer service went viral around the world. United Airlines spent a long time recovering from that debacle.
Thus your objectives for social media should at least include monitoring your online reputation on the three top platforms, and hopefully taking the minimum actions to turn any negatives into positives for the rest of us. Of course, the right approach is to be proactive along all the following fronts:
- Reputation management. You can't ignore the fact that Facebook now has over 2.32 billion monthly active users who may be talking about you, and there are 23 others, per Wikipedia, that have over 100 million users. You need to protect and grow your brand, so the first step is to know what's going on, and the best defense is a good offense.
- Build your brand and expert visibility. Engaging in social media and blogging on a regular basis is a low-cost way to achieve visibility, and become the "go-to" person for that topic and the voice that people trust in your industry. That's how you brand yourself as an expert in your niche and make your company the one that others seek out and turn to. Customers today trust those they know and those they see others trusting.
- Increase customer leads and conversion. With over three-quarters of the U.S. population now using social media, at least 30% look at profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn before buying any product or service. Of those, approximate 70% said they wouldn't deal with a new company if it didn't have a social media presence. You need to be there.
- Maximize customer retention. It's a well-known axiom of business that efforts to retain existing customers have tremendous payback, compared to the costs of attracting new customers. Courting them with ongoing updates and special offers through their social networks is a natural way to keep their loyalty.
- Proactive customer service. Without social media, companies must rely on incoming calls and letters to address customer problems and concerns with products and services. Why not ask them for feedback before there is a problem, and watch what they are telling their friends, both good and bad?
- Keep up with the competition. Last year, Facebook's revenue from advertising was over $55 billion, which was a 50% year-over-year increase. Almost 40% of small businesses that sell on Facebook say it is their sole sales channel. Ignoring what your competition does is sure to limit your business longevity.
So what are the best social media platforms for small business, according to these industry leaders? It never hurts to look at where the big boys are. According to data from Inc. 500 companies, major hitters are LinkedIn (98%), Twitter (91%), and Facebook (89%). I recommend that these be the point of entry for every business.
For the new platforms and all the rest, that's where tracking and testing comes in. Set some objectives, pick a likely platform, set some measurements, and do a 30-day trial. If you don't get results, it might be a mismatch for your target market. If you see progress, double down and add even more content or focus to continue the positive momentum.
So there is no one magic social media platform for any business, just like there has never been just one marketing channel for any business. The best marketing programs today for small businesses are the "genius of the AND," including traditional print and video advertising, complemented by proactive efforts in a selection of the new social media domains. Don't put all your marketing eggs in one basket.
Marty Zwilling


text:
The Italian GP at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza held little in the way of celebration for the Lotus F1® Team. In a race that never really got off the ground for a team more used to pole positions and podiums, both Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean were embroiled in a fight that would see them finish marginally better than they started, in this the 12th round of the 2013 F1® Championship.
Qualifying was dismal and saw neither driver start in the top ten, Kimi Räikkönen begun from P11 and Romain Grosjean P13. As soon as the lights were out, Kimi's assault was evident but came to an abrupt end when Sergio Perez darted in front of Kimi causing Räikkönen's brakes to lock and the Lotus to slide into the back of the McLaren causing front wing damage and an early pit stop for the Finn. This early drama consequently saw him slide down to P21, in lap 3.
Undeterred however, and revealing his inherent skill Kimi marched on, battling hard to deliver some of the fastest lap times of the race as he sliced his way heroically to P5, before his tyres gave way and another pit stop saw him slide to P14.
Lap 47 saw Kimi in P11 and a tense defence in keeping Lewis Hamilton who was hot on the Iceman's tail behind him. Despite Kimi's sterling effort, Lewis took P11 in lap 48 forcing Kimi to P12 before he finally regained the spot, finishing the race and taking the flag in P11.
Team pal Romain Grosjean held a consistent pace throughout the race, although contact from Force India's Paul Di Resta and a slow pit stop did nothing to aid the Frenchman's fight to the front. Never-the-less a solid performance saw Grosjean finish in P8.
Kimi retains 4th place in the Drivers Championship with the team also holding 4th place in the Constructors Championship with 191 points.
Kimi Räikkönen. P11, E21-03 "When I lost the front wing I had to come in and change to a new one meaning an extra pit stop which we hadn't planned. It's not just the time in the pits, but you have to work your way through the field afterwards. We did a pretty good job of that and the car felt good, surprisingly good given where we were on Saturday. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do after the start to the race we had."
Romain Grosjean P8, E21-02 "It isn't easy to follow another car with the aero configurations that we had for the race here but we got the best result we could have done having started in P13. Unfortunately we had a poor pit stop where we had an electronic problem and the light didn't turn to green, so we lost a few seconds there. I think we could have come out in front of the two McLarens and the Toro Rosso, which would have made things a bit easier for a stronger result. I had a good battle with Lewis on the last lap. I think we did the best we could here in Monza and I hope that for Singapore we can get back to the level of performance that we had in Budapest."
Eric Boullier, Team Principal "If you want to be competitive for the Championships you need to be able to fight every weekend at the front on Saturday as well as on Sunday. The positive from this weekend is that we showed fantastic race pace and both drivers drove exceptionally well. Romain withstood great pressure and performed great overtaking moves on both McLarens. Kimi fought back from a first lap incident in a superb display of his talents. The negative from this weekend is that we couldn't qualify where we needed to be. The results at the end of the race aren't rewarding for the team, but there are plenty of positives to take from the final European race of the season and we head to the final flyaway races with plenty of fight."
The team now prepare for the next race and the next round of the competition which takes place in Singapore on 22nd September 2013.


text:
SEOUL » Nearly two decades ago, South Koreans cleared store shelves after a North Korean threat to turn Seoul into a "sea of fire" raised war panic. On Saturday, South Koreans expressed some fear but mostly apathy and restraint after a week of warlike rhetoric from the North, including another "sea of fire" vow.
Many South Koreans have grown up with a steady drumbeat of over-the-top threats from the North. So while they are aware of soaring tensions as North Korea reacts with anger to major U.S.-South Korean military drills that start Monday and a new round of U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang's recent third nuclear test, there's skepticism that anything serious will happen.
In downtown Seoul, people took photos and laughed as they walked below a giant electronic screen that flashed headlines about North Korea's war threats.
"The odds of dying from a North Korean bomb are probably smaller than being killed in a car accident. I'll spend my time doing better things than worrying about war," said Oh Jin-young, a South Korean office worker out for a walk with his son. "North Korea knows that war will be like committing suicide."
There is some fear, however.
South Koreans are well known for their ability to shake off North Korean threats. But the last several years have seen a rise of bloodshed. The deadly sinking of a South Korean warship — which Pyongyang denies torpedoing, despite a Seoul-led international investigation that found the North at fault — and an artillery attack on a front-line South Korean island in 2010 that killed four people have raised the specter of war among some South Koreans.
North Korea vowed this past week to ditch the armistice that ended the Korean War and scrap a nonaggression pact with South Korea. It has also threatened Washington with pre-emptive nuclear strikes.
People interviewed by The Associated Press in Pyongyang on Saturday expressed indignation over the U.N. sanctions.
"I cannot control my anger," said Sin Myong Sil. "Some countries can launch satellites, and one country can conduct nuclear tests freely, and they are not blamed, but only our country is prohibited from doing nuclear tests and launching satellites. This is absurd and illogical."
In South Korea, worry can be seen most clearly on the Internet, where some believe that South Koreans, world leaders in broadband access, are less afraid to express their honest, anonymous feelings.
A user identifying herself as the mother of two posted on a cooking website Saturday that she was so scared by North Korea's war threats that she took a day of leave from work on Friday.
"I'm most worried that I might not be able to run to my kids quickly enough if something happens," she wrote, prompting a flurry of replies meant to sooth her.
South Korean officials have tried to boost public confidence that the country can defend itself, issuing stern warnings of their own. Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said Friday that North Korea's government would "evaporate from the face of the Earth" if it ever used a nuclear weapon. Despite North Korea's threat of nuclear strikes on Washington, experts believe Pyongyang still lacks the technology to create a miniaturized warhead to place on a ballistic missile.
South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye, told newly commissioned officers that any country — a clear reference to North Korea — would "bring destruction upon itself" if it focused on building nuclear arms instead of feeding its people.
"North Korea makes me slightly worried, but I'm too busy running my food stall to be bothered," said 52-year-old Seoul resident Shin Jeong-sook. "I don't hear customers speaking about North Korea, either. Don't North Koreans do this all the time?"
Bridget Hogan, a 24-year-old American who teaches English on South Korea's southern island of Jeju, said most of her Korean friends were calm. "It's probably not smart of me, but I'm not worried," Hogan, who is from California, said in Seoul, where she was meeting friends.
It's no surprise that South Koreans have grown accustomed to the state of confrontation that has lasted since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a fragile cease-fire, but they may also be unconsciously avoiding the uncomfortable thought of being thrust into war, said Kwak Keum-joo, a psychology professor at Seoul National University.
"Being callous is their way of coping with threats because, otherwise, the fear would trouble them so much that they wouldn't be able to live their lives normally. Imagine what would happen if everyone panicked over every threat?" she said. "Perhaps we do need to be more alert now."
Even during the deadly artillery attack on Yeonpyeong island in 2010, people in other parts of the country remained generally calm and did not clear store shelves like they did in 1994, after the "sea of fire" threat, Kwak noted.
"We live with the tension, and we probably will until we die," said Park Sin-young, a 22-year-old college student. "What else can we do?"


text:
Browning B525 Game Grade 5 20g New
Limited edition Browning field gun – the B525 Grade 5 Game.
- Make: Browning
- Model: B525 Game Grade 5
- Calibre: 20g
- Condition: New
Brand new and Limited edition B525 Game Grade 5. A stunning high grade B525 that really sets itself apart from the rest of Browning range. Highly figured walnut stock with oval inset. Solid side and top rib to give this gun a traditional game look and feel with deep relief game scene engraving.
- Make: Browning
- Model: B525 Game Grade 5
- Calibre: 20g
- Condition: New
- Mechanism: Over and Under
- Orientation: Right Hand
- Barrel Length: 30"
- Stock Length: 14 3/4"
- Chamber: 3"
- Ejector: Yes
- Trigger: 1
- Case: Makers ABS Plastic Case
- Choke1: Multi
- Choke2: Multi
- Choke3: 3 Spare Chokes
Licensed Goods, Shipping and Collection
Due to UK legislation, we are unable to ship Shotguns, Firearms, Moderators, Airguns, or Ammunition directly to your home or business address. You can collect in-store with us, or we can send your item/s by our secure courier to your local (3rd Party) Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD) for collection.
By placing this deposit and clicking 'Agree and Proceed' you are confirming you are over 18 years old and able to complete the purchase. Eastern Sporting will then be in contact with you to confirm collection or delivery arrangements and to take the remaining balance of your purchase.
Your local RFD may charge you a fee for administration/collection service. Please check with your local RFD that they are happy to accept a transfer and can offer you this service.
When collecting in-store or from your local RFD, you must have Valid proof of ID (Passport or UK Driving Licence acceptable) and a current and valid UK Firearms and/or Shotgun Certificate.
For our full terms and conditions of licensable product sale and remote selling, please click here.
Latest Products
- Winchester SX4 Field 12g Used£595.00
- Benelli 828U Field Black 12g Used£1,395.00
- Tikka T3X Hunter .270 Used£1,095.00
- Beretta DT10 Trident 12g Used£2,795.00
- Beretta 1301 Comp Pro 12g New£1,695.00
- Browning B725 Sporter Adjustable 12g New£2,645.00
- Beretta A400 Xcel Sport Grey ATS 12g New£1,785.00
- Browning Heritage Hunter II 12g New£6,945.00
- Browning B525 Game One 12g Used£1,295.00
- Beretta A400 Xcel Black 12g Used£1,495.00
- Winchester SX4 Composite 12g New£875.00
- Beretta 682 12g Used£595.00
- Miroku MK Game 12g New£3,865.00
- Miroku MK38 Grade 5 12g New£3,345.02
About Eastern Sporting
Founded by the Walkers' as a family business in 2006, Eastern Sporting has grown to be the regions leading force in the retailing of modern sporting guns, ammunition, shooting accessories and clothing.
Team Picks
- Seeland Active Long Sleeve T-ShirtFrom £38.99
- Harkila Pro Hunter Ledge 2.0 GTX BootsFrom £319.99
- Harkila Atammik GTX BootsFrom £269.99
- Harkila Scandinavian Fleece JacketFrom £149.99


text: kudos "Only a photographer with real talent can rise above the visual chaos of the stock photo explosion. Patrik defines professional photography and as a designer, I breathe a sigh of relief whenever Patrik is selected to work with us on a project. I don't even have to show up for the actual photo shoot because I know the results will be stellar with or without me. Of course I do still show up - if only to let my clients tell me what a genius I am for recommending Patrik in the first place."Dom Moreci, Principal, Plumbline Studios, Inc. "Patrik is a great product photographer and person. We have worked together on a few photoshoots that turned out to be very successful. Patrik's attention to detail and his ability to capture the vision I was after was great. He elevated the outcome. I look forward to working with Patrik in the near future."Tyler Moore, Principal, Markatos | Moore "I first hired Patrik in 2006 to document the construction of the new California Academy of Sciences for my firm, Webcor Builders. Patrik is easy to work with, reliable, requires little direction, and produces great results. Being pleased with his work, I also hired him to shoot other signature Webcor projects including the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland and the Millennium Tower in San Francisco. Patrik can shoot a wide-range of subject matter from architectural and construction projects to commercial studio work and special events. I recommend him highly."Steven Fruhwirth, Marketing Manager, Webcor Builders "Patrik has met every deadline I have set for him and has exceeded expectations on work product for all of his assignments. When considering timeliness, cost, and work product, Patrik has the strongest value proposition in the market today."William J. Huberty, Sr. Vice President, CB Richard Ellis "Patrik has been covering MVFF celebrities, events and post film discussions for years. He is not only a pleasure to deal with (and organized ) but always gets the first rate shots we need. He's a pro!"Mark Fishkin, Founder/Director, California Film Institute and Mill Valley Film Festival "Patrik's ability to beautifully photograph our hotels has been critical to the marketing success of Larkspur Hospitality. He has the unique ability to capture both the emotional element as well as the unique architectural style that our hotels possess. He's incredibly easy (and enjoyable) to work with and there's no photographer out there that I'd trust more to photograph our hotels."Jeff Rubenstein, Marketing Director, Larkspur Hospitality


text:
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Facebook over changes that the social networking site made to its privacy settings last November and December.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that the modifications have in reality reduced privacy protections for Facebook users rather than increasing it, as the company had claimed it would.
[ The Google Buzz social networking tool has also taken heat for disclosing Gmail contacts. | Learn how to secure your systems with Roger Grimes' Security Adviser blog and Security Central newsletter, both from InfoWorld. ]
"Changes to the privacy settings that Facebook implemented and represented to increase User privacy had the outright opposite effect of resulting in the public dissemination of personal information that was originally private," the lawsuit claimed.
Facebook's messaging around the changes were "misleading, confusing and disingenuous," said the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages from the company.
Facebook did not respond immediately for a request for comment.
The changes referred to in the lawsuit were made by Facebook as part of what it said was an attempt to give users greater control over their personal data.
As part of the revamp, Facebook introduced a privacy configuration wizard to allow users to set their privacy preferences. The company said the revisions would make it far simpler for users to set their privacy preferences and enable them to make more informed choices concerning the use of their personal data.
However, the lawsuit, which was filed by five Facebook users on behalf of all Facebook users, alleged that the company's modifications have only resulted in more personal data being pushed out to the Internet while making privacy options even harder to exercise.
Prior to Facebook's modifications last year, the only personal information that was available by default via public search was the user's name and the networks that the user belonged to. Users had the option of deciding whether they wanted other pieces of information, such as their photos an friend listings, available publicly the lawsuit said.
However, after the revision, the information that Facebook makes publicly available by default includes user names, photos, friend's listing, the names of any organizations and products that a user might support, as well as geographic data and other information.
In total there are at least 29 privacy settings spread out over numerous Web pages that users need to contend with, the lawsuit alleges. "The privacy setting procedures are grossly ineffective and users are misled into allowing Facebook to having their personal information easily accessed for commercial use, exposing them to identity theft, harassment, embarrassment, intrusion and all types of cybercrime," it says.
The revisions also caused privacy settings to default to a setting allowing more personal information than before to now be available to third-party application developers and search engines such as Google , the complaint alleged.
The one-click option that users had available previously for controlling third-party access to their personal data has been replaced by a more complicated opt-out process, and even then there is no realistic option for restricting third-party access to personal information, the suit says.
The complaints in the lawsuit echo concerns expressed by several privacy advocates immediately after Facebook announced its revamp. In a blog post , the Electronic Frontier Foundation f warned that the ostensible privacy changes were intended to push more user data out by default rather than less.
"The Facebook privacy transition tool is clearly designed to push users to share much more of their Facebook info with everyone, a worrisome development that will likely cause a major shift in privacy level for most of Facebook's users, whether intentionally or inadvertently," EFF wrote.
Jaikumar Vijayan covers data security and privacy issues, financial services security and e-voting for Computerworld . Follow Jaikumar on Twitter at @jaivijayan or subscribe to Jaikumar's RSS feed . His e-mail address is email@example.com .
Read more about privacy in Computerworld's Privacy Knowledge Center.
This story, "Facebook hit with class action lawsuit over privacy changes" was originally published by Computerworld.


text:
Fabien Cousteau
Expedition Member, Ocean Futures Society
Third-generation ocean explorer, Fabien shares his father's and grandfather's love of ocean adventure and protection. Only four years old when he first dived, he has been diving and working to educate others about the global ocean ever since. One of Fabien's oceanic passions is the understanding and protection of sharks. In June 2006, CBS aired his special, Mind of a Demon. With the help of a team of experts, Fabien created a 14-foot, 1,200 pound, shark submarine to enable him to move among sharks without influencing their behavior. Fabien plays a key role in Ocean Adventures, interviewing experts, assisting production and diving with the crew. A graduate of Boston University in environmental economics, Fabien lives in New York City.
To learn more about Fabien Cousteau, please visit www.fabiencousteau.org and www.plantafish.org.
Photo: © Carrie Vonderhaar, Ocean Futures Society
Haga clic aquí para la versión en español.
Donate to Two Futures Society
Yes! I want to support the field work, projects and mission of Jean-Michel Cousteau and the OFS team. Make a tax-deductible donation now!
Become a Member
Yes! Sign me up for a free membership!


text:
Really Reasonable Ribbon using the gorgeous Delicate Satin Stitched Ribbon. I LOVE this card and it was designed for a special person in my life, my Mom! :) This year we will be gone on her birthday and we always celebrate our birthdays together, as hers is the day before mine.... hehehehehe
I started out by using the gorgeous design papers from Our Daily Bread Designs, and OMGoSH this has to be one of my favorite collections. Not sure if they still sell it, but if they do I might have to pick up another pack.
For the bow I chose to use some Satin Delicate Stitched that I keep in large jars on my work area. These are ribbons that I have received recently, and love to use them first :) This one can be found here with tons of other gorgeous colors! This one is Coral Rose, there is a lighter one too that is absolutely beautiful!
My 3-D layers were done using RRR Foam Tabs found here.
My flowers & leaves were made using Cheery Lynn Dies. and using distress inks. I really love how this card turned out for today.
Hugs to all!
Welcome Autumn w/Stamp Simply
1 day ago


text:
Conservatives tend to focus on legacy news sources like the New York Times, the Washington Post, NBC and so on when they talk about media bias. That is understandable, but the fact is that the impact of such news outlets has been surpassed by internet sites that traffic in soft news. Soft, but predominantly liberal. The foremost such site is Yahoo News. In this ranking of news sites, Yahoo News is first, with CNN, MSNBC, Google News and the New York Times trailing well behind. If you compare the NY Times and Yahoo on Alexa–it isn't possible to segregate out the Yahoo News hits from the rest of the Yahoo empire–you get at least some sense of the disproportion. There is really no comparison:
All of which is by way of preface, to say that Yahoo News is a very important web site, which contributes to molding the perspectives of millions of Americans, many of whom are otherwise ill-informed. So we should take incompetence at Yahoo News seriously–just as seriously as we take incompetence at the New York Times or Washington Post, in fact much more so. Which brings me to this Yahoo News article, which caught my eye a few minutes ago: Is Anti-Muslim Film a Hoax? I was interested in the article because "Innocence of Muslims" does seem in some sense to be a hoax; a purported movie that exists only in the form of a YouTube trailer.
The Yahoo News article is written by Benjamin Radford, who bills himself as a "paranormal investigator." Radford writes:
In the Muslim world, blasphemy (especially insulting their prophet Muhammad) is considered a grave offense, punishable by death. Islam, however, is hardly unique in that regard. Early Christians were intolerant of blasphemy, and in fact, Leviticus 24:16 specifically calls for blasphemers to be killed.
Hmm. So this guy thinks the Book of Leviticus was written by "early Christians?" And Yahoo News is publishing his ignorance to an audience of millions?
The Hebrew Bible goes even further,…
So there is no ambiguity at all, this guy actually doesn't know that Leviticus is part of the Hebrew Bible.
…specifying that those who offend God should be butchered alive and their homes destroyed (Daniel 3:29). So there is scriptural basis in both Islam and Christianity for condemning blasphemers to death.
Actually, the verse from Daniel quoted by Radford is part of a decree by King Nebuchadnezzar–not God–after Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were unhurt by the fire. And there is not a single line anywhere in the New Testament about killing those who blaspheme against Jesus. But all of that is almost beside the point. It is blindingly obvious that Muslims all too often commit or threaten murder against alleged "blasphemers," while Christians and Jews never do. Radford's article is both ignorant and tendentious.
This might not have mattered much in the early, Wild West days of the internet when only a handful of readers might be misled by a wacky blog post. But in the modern era, Yahoo, with a market capitalization of almost $19 billion, needs to get its act together and stop peddling rank ignorance and bigotry to its audience of many millions.


text:
The undeclared "gray" income earned by China's richest families has reached staggering levels, and is contributing to massive income inequality that is far worse than official statistics, according to research by the state-backed China Society of Economic Reform.
CSER researcher Wang Xiaolu, writing in Caixin magazine, said gray income reached 6.2 trillion renminbi (about $1 trillion) in 2011, or about 12% of GDP, based on a survey of 5,344 families in urban areas that was completed in 2012.
That means the richest 10% of urban Chinese families make almost 21 times more than the poorest 10%, versus official statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics that place the rich-to-poor income ratio at only 8.6. The Gini index for China's urban households—which measures income distribution on a scale of 0 to 1, where the higher values mean more inequality—was 0.496 according to the CSER data, versus the NBS figure of 0.324. A Gini score over 0.4 is correlated with social instability.
"The richer the household, the more likely it receives shadow income," Wang noted.
Even some Chinese officials admit that income inequality has been understated, because families often lie on household surveys, and China lacks a comprehensive tax record system to check those results. The government has resisted calls for officials to disclose their assets, and entrepreneurs are similarly cagey.
The upside is that families outside of that top 20% are getting a little more of that pie. The neweset figures show 72% percent of gray income went to the wealthiest 20% of families, compared with 81.3% in 2010. The downside is that this could mean corruption is spreading.
"This tells us that invisible income oozed out from the rich to cover more medium to high-income households, possibly a result of expanded corruption and weak rule of law," Wang wrote. "The high gray income is linked to the loose credit handed out between 2009 and 2010, as well as the rapid increase of government investment during the same period. When administrative power lacks proper checks, the government intervenes in resource allocation and state money can easily be channeled out into private pockets."


text:
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text:
ALA President Releases Statement on Libraries and the Affordable Care Act
Here's the Full Text of a Statement by ALA President Barbara Stripling:
"The American Library Association anticipates that many Americans will turn to libraries for help in accessing enrollment information when open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace component of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) begins on October 1, 2013.
"Our research shows that Americans regularly turn to their local libraries as a trusted resource for information regarding government initiatives and programs. A recent study showed that more than a third of library computer users (28 million people) use library computers and seek assistance from librarians for health and wellness issues, including learning about medical conditions, finding health care providers, and assessing health insurance options. A 2012 ALA study found that 97 percent of libraries reported assisting library patrons with applying for and accessing e-government services.
"The American Library Association and other groups are working to be sure librarians and the public are aware of information on the new law. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the federal agency responsible for the improvement of library services nationwide, and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are working in partnership to make sure that libraries are aware of and able to connect patrons with the information and resources they will need. IMLS has also awarded a grant to OCLC's WebJunction to provide training support for this effort.
"Just as our communities turn to libraries for help to learn about citizenship and passport requirements, use public access computers to get disaster relief information and obtain assistance with copyright and patent questions, we expect libraries will receive many inquiries from the public about the Affordable Care Act.
"Decisions about how libraries will respond to inquiries about the ACA will be made by local libraries. As always, libraries do not promote specific programs or points of view, but provide the public with balanced, unbiased access to information."
Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Funding, Libraries, News, Patrons and Users
About Gary Price
Gary Price (firstname.lastname@example.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.


text:
CRS: An Overview of S. 263, the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act: Fossil Resources Located on Federal Lands, May 20, 2005
From WikiLeaks
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Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: An Overview of S. 263, the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act: Fossil Resources Located on Federal Lands
CRS report number: RS22152
Author(s): Douglas Reid Weimer, American Law Division
Date: May 20, 2005
- Abstract
- About 30% of the land in the United States is controlled by federal land managers through several different federal agencies. Much of this land contains valuable paleontological [fossil] resources. There is no comprehensive management policy or statute for the management or the protection of paleontological resources located on federal lands. Current, management authority derives from certain resource protection statutes, from general criminal theft statutes concerning the theft of government property, and from certain site-specific statutes. Congress has considered legislation to provide for uniform federal fossil management and protection authority. In the 108th Congress, S. 546, the "Paleontological Resources Preservation Act" was passed by the Senate, but was not passed by the House. In the 109th Congress, S. 263 has been introduced and reported by the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. S. 263 incorporates many of the provisions of S. 546.
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Apple's buyout of Israel-based solid-state drive (SSD) manufacturer Anobit Technologies will give the company a significant technological boost in the mobile market, and the deal could yield huge cost savings.
Apple is the industry's largest NAND flash consumer , so acquiring Anobit gives it a means of addressing the reliability problems that arise as solid-state memory shrinks in size.
According to published reports , Apple will pay around $500 million for Anobit. It sees the purchase of a NAND flash technology developer as key to its product strategy going forward. The acquisition of Anobit would be Apple's largest purchase since it bought NeXT in 1996. NeXT, which produced high-end workstations, was founded by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs after he was fired from Apple in 1985.
Apple has been using NAND flash memory in its products since 2005, when it began selling the iPod Nano media player. It has continued expanding its use of flash with an all-flash MacBook Air, the iPad tablet and SSD options for its MacBook Pro line of laptops.
The purchase of Anobit addresses several issues for Apple. It frees the company from dependency on flash component makers such as Samsung and Intel , which lead the market in NAND flash production. Using Anobit's controller technology -- a type of error correction code (ECC) -- would allow Apple to choose the cheapest NAND flash chip inventory available for its products.
"It could ultimately impact the cost of the NAND flash they buy if they're able to continue to develop [technology] that allows them to use the cheapest flash possible," said Michael Yang, a memory and storage analyst at market research firm IHS iSuppli.
Industry analysts said they weren't surprised by Apple's move, noting that it follows an industry trend. In March, SSD-maker OCZ Technology Group signed an agreement to acquire privately held Indilinx, a maker of popular NAND flash controllers, for $32 million. In October, fabless semiconductor maker LSI Corp. announced it was acquiring flash controller maker SandForce.
Neither Apple nor Anobit have confirmed the sale, and neither company responded phone calls or emails seeking comment.
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy said Apple won't be saving much money by owning its own controller technology. "These controllers cost from $5 to $20. The NAND flash in most SSDs is significantly more expensive than that," he said.
Joseph Unsworth, a Gartner analyst specializing in NAND flash and SSD, said that "if this acquisition was to take place" it would support Apple's strategy of using technology that allows it to innovate and differentiate itself from competitors with flash management and system software. He added that it would also enable Apple to use the cheapest flash available, and that should help boost the company's profit margins.
"That's why Anobit is interesting," Unsworth said. "This is about flash management and the integration of this technology into their greater ecosystem" of both hardware and software. Noting that intellectual property "is always important," he added, "having it is always better than not."
Unlike LSI, which said it would continue to sell SandForce's technology to other equipment makers, Unsworth said it's highly unlikely Apple will allow Anobit to court competitors. "I see no value for Apple in doing this. Why share their secrets?"
"This is NAND management technology, not actual flash chips. So to me this makes little sense when considering other [system manufacturers]," Unsworth added.
Handy agreed, adding, "I think the door will be shut. Apple very infrequently shares technology."
Anobit has produced two generations of its Genesis SSD technology . The intellectual property that sets it apart from other SSD manufacturers is its controller, which uses firmware it calls Memory Signal Processing (MSP), a type of ECC.
Anobit's MSP technology increases the signal-to-noise ratio, making it possible to continue reading data even as electrical interference rises. The MSP controller technology also extends the endurance of standard consumer-grade multilevel cell (MLC) flash from about 3,000 write/erase cycles to more than 50,000 cycles -- making MLC technology suitable for heavy-duty cycle applications, such as relational databases.
Yang said as the density of NAND flash circuitry shrinks, so does its reliability and resilience, making technology like Anobit's even more important.
Anobit does not perform NAND flash fabrication. Instead, it buys cheap NAND flash chips and applies its controller technology to them to increase their performance and reliability.
Today's NAND flash-based chips are created with lithography processes that range typically from 25 nanometers to 34nm in width; a human hair is 3,000 times thicker than 25nm, which approaches atomic levels. As the walls of flash thin out, electrons leak through, creating "noise" and data corruption.
With each new generation of NAND flash, error correction code is required to address the data corruption. MSP error correction code improves the signal-to-noise ratio.
According IHS iSuppli, in 2010, Apple spent $17.5 billion to purchase semiconductors -- that was an increase of 79.6% from the $9.7 billion it spent in 2009. Earlier this year, iSuppli figures showed Apple's iPad was leading an almost fivefold surge in NAND flash memory use as consumers gobbled up tablets in increasing numbers.
"Flash memory is not getting better. It's getting worse. So having a controller technology that you work in-house allows you to dictate ... technical specifications as the geometry moves down," Yang said.
Yang said while Anobit's intellectual property is key to Apple, it isn't unique. Flash controller makers Indilinx, Marvell and SandForce all have slightly different ECC technology that accomplishes the same thing: improving the resiliency and performance of NAND flash memory.
"Is Anobit unique enough that Apple has to buy it? I'm not sure," Yang said. "But there are not too many other controller companies left that manage ECC very well as flash shrinks below 20nm. If Apple wants to continue to have an inroad with this technology, it pretty much had to jump into the acquisition mode."
Lucas Mearian covers storage, disaster recovery and business continuity, financial services infrastructure and health care IT for Computerworld. Follow Lucas on Twitter at @lucasmearian , or subscribe to Lucas's RSS feed . His email address is firstname.lastname@example.com .
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