text: Do you want to be a phone sex operator If you are like me, you never thought about this as a serious job. I am a mature woman. College educated, with 25 years of white collar work under my belt. I never thought of talking dirty as a serious job. But, working for WBMT has shown me that not only is this a real job, it is an honest living. I had health issues that made me look for non traditional work opportunities. Phone sex was not foreign to me. I had talked dirty for some time with a long distance boyfriend. I had just never gave any legitimacy to it as a career. Then, I found myself sick with no insurance and unable to work my current job. Almost four years later, I am a full time phone sex slut. I make over $1,000 a week. I am paid on time and every week. I earn bonus pay. I have no stress at work. I am healthy and happy. Is it easy work? I don't want to tell you it's cake walk, because to make good money week to week you need to put forth some effort. It takes a while to build up regulars and make consistent money week to week. I do that by working 8-12 hours a day and blogging every day I work. Blogging is my way of advertising myself to potential callers. If you can't see yourself blogging daily, then you will not make the kind of money a week I do. What you get from your pay check, depends on how hard you work. I think you will discover, however, this kind of work from home is far less work and time than traditional jobs. Apply today and you can soon have your first paycheck.


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Click on the album name to download and stream individual songs or the other link to get the whole package. I can't believe this needs to be said, but you can just close this page if you don't want to listen to anything I have to offer.
#01 "Look mom! I made music!"
8. Nov – 11. Dec 2008.
(Download as *.zip)
That's how it all started. The very first song created was "Heavy Metal Gunfight" And boy, was that shitty. But kinda cool too. With the power to create music noise unlocked I decided to make more of it. The Highlights of this album are probably the two very Metal-ish "Army Of Bad Motherfuckers" and "Dream Turning To Nightmare. But I Like IT That Way, Baby!"
#02 "Musik für Hörgeschädigte"
26. Dec 2008 – 27. Jan 2009
(Download as *.zip)
I continue my cruel rampage through musicland, taking no prisoners. Where there was an utter lack of any kind of beauty in the songs on the first album there's a horrible void of any form of pleasant sound on the second one. Though this one has some nice songs I made on accident. Like… "Lighthouse For The Blind, Houston, Texas 77019", "Johan is a name" or even "7/10 (Gutter Ball)"
#03 "Crimes Against Music"
8. Feb – 11. Apr 2009
(Download as *.zip)
After finally admitting the wrongs that I have done I shit out yet another monument to disharmony. This time around there are more vocals overall. Mostly spoken parts, though, nothing that distracts from the usual unpleasant wall of sound. "Disco Incarnate" is the exception to that rule because it features sucky growling. Also, the alternate version of "Ramblings Of A Drunken Madman" has lotsa weird talking. Overall the sound of this third release is less heavy than the first two. Even more important: There's finally a song about Tabasco. It's called "Tabasco"
#04 "Unmusik"
17. Apr – 24. Jul 2009
(Download as *.zip)
I still find no atonement for the crimes I committed with my previous albums, but this album again sucks a certain percentage less than the previous one. Maybe a turning point for Krachfabrik, because the possibility of recording in shitty quality with the mic of a headset was stripped away by neighbours complaining about noise. At least the four last songs on the album are recorded directly from the sound output. Unmusik features a song I wrote for my fan.
#05 "Cacophonous Event Horizon"
1. Nov 2009 – 7. Mar 2010
(Download as *.zip)
The things I did cannot be undone. I crossed a line and I can't go back now, I might as well go through with this till the very end. Nothing is safe. It kicks off with "I Think I Finally Snapped (The Rainbow's Neck)" Which is the ultraviolence that's supposed to distort your brains. Overall the gloomiest sounding Album so far, but don't worry, even if it's not very much, there is still light.
#06 "Klangverschmutzung"
16. Mar – 17. Aug 2010
(Download from Bandcamp)
After passing the Cacophonous Event Horizon I make my home in an abandoned factory. It's in good shape so I start experimenting a bit. I play with the machines and all. Maybe I played a bit too much, I know this is gonna pollute the environment. This album is my slowest so far. There are more drawn out build-ups and the likes. The notes on the cover are from the most horrible sounding song on the album. If you wanna know which one that is you'll have to listen to it… you don't wanna, right? :(
This page has the following sub pages.

subset: commoncrawl


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Most supermarkets sell retail packaged uncooked "small sausages", you know the rather pale pink, smooth, industrially produced looking sort, all regimentally aligned in their filmed packaging and all absolutely identical, which do seem to be very popular with children of all ages, and are no doubt a regular staple at your "little ones" birthday parties. However recently I've noticed specifically higher quality "cocktail sausages" appearing on the shelves alongside the more mainstream examples of sausage delight, but they seem to be just a smaller version of a chipolata, but are they?
It seems that a true "cocktail sausage" is something you can serve at a "party" or "soiree" either loose on a serving plate as finger food or with a cocktail stick stuck in each to help you pick them up and dip them. You would eat these as you would with other delicacies, crudities and canapés, so a small sausage is ideal as it will be easy to eat in one or two bites, with or without a plate.
There appears there are quite a few variations to the theme such as pork, chicken, beef, and no doubt other meats and combinations if you can persuade your local butcher to run you up something different. I've seen smoked salmon ones too, although I'm not sure about those personally! There's even Kosher and Halal versions available from the right supplier!
Sauces to accompany these can be quite aromatic and thick such as sticky barbeque, chilli ketchup, honey mustard or sweet & sour! The sauces can be intense and strongly flavoured as your guests would perhaps just eat a couple along with the other fare.
We bought a pack of "cocktails" to try and as we are looking for a comparison, a pack of the same producers chipolatas went in to the basket too. As the cocktail sausages lacked a specific meat percentage content on the label, we decided on a taste and texture comparison.
Well we'll cut to the chase then. In a blind tasting of these, I doubt whether you would taste any difference, so there you go! The casings seem the same dimensionally and quality-wise, so why the extra cost for "cocktail sausages" above regular chipolatas? Surely the extra twists on a chipolata sausage run for a producer can't amount to nearly an extra £2 / Kg?
I like a challenge, so within less than 5 minutes we've made some "cocktail sausages" out of the chipolatas we bought earlier! With each chipolata, give each a bit of a squeeze a third of the way along it's length, four twists, move on to the next third and so on. Cut them carefully apart and in the pan they go!
When cooking I half expected the little darlings to burst as the casings were pretty tight, but all was OK and I'll openly admit given the results from our test and the cost per kilo difference, we'll no doubt be buying chipolatas again to make our own "cocktail sausages" in the future...
See our full review and others at www.sausagereview.co.uk


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Primarily Rebecca Greaves is a freelance agricultural journalist and runs a small Public Relations and Marketing company, Targetpr - Rebecca Harper. Working from her home office on the farm, she writes under her maiden name, Rebecca Harper. Her husband and herself are in an equity partnership on a hill country sheep and beef farm in Pongaroa. She can often be found on the end of a drafting gate or a broom in the woodshed, mustering on her horse, cooking/baking for the troops and doing the admin for both businesses.
Rebecca grew up on the family sheep and beef farm in Hawke's Bay and always loved farming, particularly the animals – "I used to have tea parties with dad's farm dogs". She chose journalism as a career and, after studying at University of Canterbury, started out on daily newspapers, covering everything from council to court. But what Rebecca really loved writing about was agriculture, much to the surprise and dismay of some of her bosses! So, after a stint working as a ringer on a cattle station in Western Australia, she decided to specialise in that area. She worked her way up and became editor of Farmers Weekly NZ, before moving to the farm and starting her own business, "thank you internet!"
"I am privileged to meet so many great rural people and visit their farms. I love meeting people, talking (some would say perhaps too much!) and sharing their stories with others. It's a big deal for people to trust you to tell their story and I am grateful to everyone I interview. For me it's perfect, I have a job in the primary industries that allows me to get out and about and be on-farm, learning from top operators, without actually being a full time farmer. I am passionate about sharing the many positive stories in the sector and I always come home buzzing after spending a day out on farm doing an interview or taking photos.
Rebecca also gets to be her own boss, she can help on their farm when needed or ride her horse if she gets up and the sun is shining - so she thinks she has the best of both worlds. "Living on our own farm and the lifestyle we have, I truly feel like we are living the dream. Farming is not easy and it brings plenty of challenges, but I wouldn't want to be doing anything else."
What a great mix of both worlds you have found Rebecca. Mixing both lifestyles must be a dream for you and you sound like you are loving every minute of it.


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The financial impact of equipment reliability
Industry guru Jack Nicholas makes the business case for predictive maintenance and condition monitoring.
Jack Nicholas has 50 years of experience in industrial maintenance and reliability. A Navy veteran, Nicholas will be one of the keynote speakers at Reliable Asset World and Ultrasound World, co-located conferences being held in May in Clearwater Beach, Florida. He took a few minutes to speak with Plant Services Chief Editor Mike Bacidore about the financial impact of reliability-centered maintenance, working with operations toward increased productivity, the untapped information that can be found in condition-monitoring data, and so much more.
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Welcome to the world of war veteran Zach. As the last man standing, he has retreated into a tiny dugout under a barrage of hostile fire. His enemies are cunning, using every trick in the book to mess with his mind.
Even the landscape is weird: audibly, chemically and, most of all, physically…. it is a cardboard box, in Zach's kitchen, in Port Talbot. His wife whispers, kindly, that it's safe to come out.
But is it a trap? For if the real enemy is Zach then who will win if he loses?
Another chance to catch this touring show.
Ages 14+
To follow the work of anyone in this show, click a name and select Follow. Any new work will show up in your personalised Feed and Notifications.
"Ridiculusmus at their best in a funny, moving two-hander about PTSD. "
"An imaginative breakdown of, well, a breakdown... Quite funny, in a gloomy sort of way. "
"Deceptively simple... Prompts unsettling thoughts about how we get stuck inside identities imposed on us by others. "
"Some ingenious physical comedy... raises more questions about theatrical form than the curative power of chemical substances. "
"Vague but vivid... Haynes and Woods play nimbly with delusion. The ecstasy plot becomes a baroque farce. "
"A sincere, well-acted attempt to tackle a fascinating real-life topic... Perverse staging and a script that feels improvised. "


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WASHINGTON -- More than a week after authorities lifted the tap water ban in Toledo, Ohio, a wary Darlene Blakely is still trying to remember not to turn on the faucet.
"When I get up in the morning and go brush my teeth and use the tap water, then I have this jarring, startling moment of, 'Oh my gosh,'" the 64-year-old English teacher said. "I have to get into a routine to go and get some water and leave it there, so when I brush my teeth I'll know what to do. And I'm not into that new routine yet."
Toledo residents spent a weekend without tap water in early August after algae in Lake Erie created a dangerous toxin called microcystin. Though tests show the contaminants in the water have since returned to safe levels, Blakely said she and some of her friends remain uneasy.
"We've had concerns about our water for probably 10 years before two weeks ago," she said. In the past, Blakely said, she bought or filtered just her drinking water, but she now is worried about using the water to cook.
For those who've been affected by a water ban, those concerns can be hard to shake. Vivian Taylor, who lives in Kanawha City, a neighborhood of Charleston, West Virginia, spent five days making do without tap water in January after a chemical spill prompted a water ban there. At the time, she told HuffPost that she was suffering migraines from the water's smell, while her 80-year-old father waited hours for a truck to deliver water for his dialysis.
Now, she said, she operates with the "underlying fear" -- only reinforced by the incident in Toledo -- that something else will go wrong.
"Most people I know no longer drink water from the tap and are still using bottled water for cooking and drinking purposes," Taylor said. "I now wonder where the next water incident will occur as opposed to when it will occur."
While the causes of contamination were different in West Virginia and Ohio, both events pointed to more widespread threats to water safety. The chemical spill raised concerns, again, about industrial safety standards. Algae blooms in Lake Erie, which are fed by phosphorus runoff from farms, are likely to remain a problem for multiple communities drawing water from the lake's western basin, researchers caution -- although actual water bans have been rare.
Nationwide, however, most Americans are not worried about the safety of their water, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. Seventy-three percent said the tap water in their area is safe to drink, a percentage virtually unchanged from a poll taken in the aftermath of the West Virginia crisis. Just 10 percent said they've been following the situation in Toledo very closely.
Americans are also relatively unconcerned that their own water supplies could face contamination in the future. Just 36 percent said it's likely that a situation similar to what occurred in Toledo could happen in their area, while 42 percent said it's unlikely and 22 percent said they were unsure.
Opinions were divided on the need for further regulation: 47 percent of Americans said the government should do more to regulate the safety of the public water supply. But 40 percent said current regulations are about right, and the remainder were undecided or favored less regulation.
The HuffPost/YouGov poll was conducted Aug. 6-10 among 1,000 U.S. adults using a sample selected from YouGov's opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population. Factors considered include age, race, gender, education, employment, income, marital status, number of children, voter registration, time and location of Internet access, interest in politics, religion and church attendance.
The Huffington Post has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov's nationally representative opinion polling. Data from all HuffPost/YouGov polls can be found here.


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Rachel lifted the ruffly skirt of her wedding gown with one hand as she crossed the street to the Historic Gloucester Courthouse buildings and her waiting groom. Jason stood with his back to her. His suit jacket was draped casually over his shoulder, but he was feeling anything but casual in that moment. He laughed with excitement when he finally felt her hand on his shoulder.
The moment when he turned seemed to happen in slow motion. Everything around them blurred. The courthouse buildings, the cars driving past, even the intense heat of the summer day seemed to fade. In that moment, it was just the two of them.
Rachel had always dreamed of a beach wedding, so getting married on the river seemed like the next best thing. She and Jason chose the Ware River Yacht Club for their wedding venue in Gloucester, just a few minutes down the road from Jason's childhood home.
Rachel wore her mother's pearls for her wedding, and she had an old handkerchief attached to her bouquet. Her teal glasses were the perfect 'something blue' to round out her traditions.
From the peonies in her bouquet to the Whispering Angel wine the guests were served, Rachel and Jason thoughtfully chose all the beautiful details of their wedding day. A subtle lovebird theme was woven throughout the day, from the bird motif on the invitation suite to the gold hummingbird pin on Rachel's bouquet. My favorite touch was the little nest that the ring bearer carried the rings in.
Rachel & Jason, it was such an honor and a joy for me to be your wedding photographer! Thank you for allowing me to be part of your special day!
Rachel changed out of her wedding gown for a high-low reception dress, which was perfect for dancing, mingling, and sunset portraits on the dock! Storm clouds were forming in the distance, but just as we got to the end of the pier, the sun broke through the clouds, adding a little rim of light to their portraits. It was perfect! Really windy, but perfect!
Special thanks to the vendors involved in the day:
Venue: Ware River Yacht Club
Wedding Dress: JJ's House
Bridesmaids: Weddington Way
Groom and Groomsmen: Phillip Michael
Hair and Makeup: Samantha Grover
Cake: Silverspoon Bakery
Florals: DIY by family
Rentals: Grand Rental Station
Are you newly engaged and looking for a wedding photographer for your Gloucester or Hampton Roads wedding? I'd love to chat with you!
If you enjoyed this wedding, you might also enjoy Anne Marie and Myles's Women's Club of Portsmouth wedding.


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On sights and seeing
Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything. – Charles Kuralt Since the WordPress App for iPhone has been updated and now doesn't totally suck I can write posts from wherever I am. Right now that place is a train from Brighton to London … Continue reading
Putting the amateur into professional wrestling
Wow, it's been a long time since I last wrote something here! Obviously life took over at some point. Just so people are aware, I'm actually putting together a better blog – cleaner layout, my own domain name, better plugins and stuff to make running it easier. I've also realised that I don't always have … Continue reading
"Dirty Tricks" in British Wrestling
On Saturday May 5th, FPW held its Futuremania event, in aid of Cancer Research. When such an event happens for charity, you hope the stories afterwards focus on how much money was raised, how everyone enjoyed themselves and how the charity has benefitted from it. While I'm pleased to say that a lot of money … Continue reading
The use of social media in UK Wrestling: Twitter
Without going into platitudes about how social media has changed our lives and all the rest of it, I want to take a look at some of the ways in which we, as the UK Wrestling Industry, use social networking to our advantage or disadvantage. A lot of the time, we just sort of post … Continue reading
Future Pro Wrestling's FUTUREMANIA In Aid of Cancer Research
On May the 5th, come celebrate Future Pro Wrestling's 1st Birthday show, FUTUREMANIA, in aid of Cancer Research UK. Kicking off at 7pm (doors open a bit earlier), this show features a load of great matches, as well as a charity auction, lots fun and even FREE CAKE! Tickets are on sale now! Charity Auction … Continue reading
Funny Moments of Wrestling: How not to tell a joke…
In case any of you are waiting around for my next "big" post, I'm currently working on a post about the use of social media in pro-wrestling, not so much bemoaning the state of Twitter references in WWE and TNA, although that is annoying (and that's from a self-professed Twitter/Facebook whore), more discussing its use, … Continue reading


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Friday - September 13th
Registration Party
On Friday, September 14th, Seattle Volleyball Club will host the tournament registration party at R Place, from 6:30-9:30pm on the 3rd Floor. Upon arrival you will sign in with the NAGVA Regional Commissioner, and receive your Cat Fight player bag, which includes your Cat Fight T-Shirt. Register before 8:00PM and you will receive a Free Drink Ticket good for a Double Well or Draft Beer.
We will be serving complimentary Hot Mama's Gourmet Pizza during this event, so come eat and drink, and then watch the Lashes Cabaret Show featuring Lady Chablis.
R Place Bar & Night Club
619 E. Pine St
Seattle, WA
|Registration Party - 3rd Floor
|Free Hot Mama's Pizza & Drink Ticket when registered by 8pm
|10:00 - 11:30pm
|Lashes Cabaret Show
|Featuring Lady Chablis
It is very important that as many participants as possible register on Friday night rather than on Saturday. For those that are unable to make the Friday night registration, late registration will be completed at both competition facilities between 7:15am - 7:30am for the AM pool play waves. Those arriving for PM pool play waves can register at the competition command desk throughout the morning. Every player must have a current 2019-2020 NAGVA season membership and must sign all waivers prior to their 1st match. If a player is found to have played without signing the tournament waivers, the team will lose all matches played and be subject to disqualification from the tournament.
Saturday - September 14
Beer & Cider Garden
The Lair's complimentary Beer & Cider garden will open at 1:00pm on Saturday afternoon in the Abyss'tro Cafe seating area.
Cat Fight Seeding Party
On Saturday evening we will continue the Cat Fight at TBD. Pool Play results and tournament seedings will be posted on the Cat Fight Website by 9:30PM, so If you are unable to attend the Cat Fight Party head to the Cat Fight Website.
Location - TBD
Seattle, WA
|7:30 - 10:00pm
|Cat Fight Party
|Brackets Posted Online
Sunday - September 15
Beer & Cider Garden
The Lair's complimentary Beer & Cider garden will open at 1:00pm on Sunday afternoon in the Abyss'tro Cafe seating area.
Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony will be held at The Lair immediately following the conclusion of the last final. We expect all competition to be completed by 7:00pm. 1st thru 3rd place teams will receive medals for each of their players and a team trophy. An All - Tournament team will be selected for each division, which will include 5 AllStars, a Defensive Diva and MVP. The All - Tournament team will receive personal Allstar Awards and 2018 Cat Fight Apparel items as prizes for their superior tournament performance.


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I bought nokia5 yesterday... there is no gallery founf where i can get all photo, video, gis etc. There is no single place to get.
Is so pure, search in the store
Hi user1507953381209,
1) Check 'Photos' application in app drawer which is installed on your phone by default. Or search for a new one on Play store.
2) Equalizer was displaying as blank on my phone as well. Try the below, it worked for me.
1. Go to Settings
2. Select Apps
3. Select the 3-dots on the upper right, then select Show System
4. Find and select the MusicFX app on the list
5. Then select Storage
6. Then select Clear Cache, then Clear Data
7. Now, go back to Google Play Music and select Equalizer settings and enable, and it may be already available to do your adjustment settings.
(Thanks MAX, Nasir)
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!


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How stupid do you have to be to write for AFP. The wire service is running a story titled, " Pregnant man' gives birth to girl: reports:"
A US man who was born a woman before undergoing gender realignment surgery has given birth to a baby girl, US media reported Thursday.
Thomas Beatie, who is legally male but decided to keep his female sex organs during chest reconstruction surgery and testosterone therapy, attracted worldwide attention in April after revealing his pregnancy.
News flash, born a woman, die a woman. Sex is immutable. Evidently intelligence is quite mutable. Does AFP hire writers this stupid or is it on the job brain damage?
Tags: birth, Thomas Beatie, U.S.


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It was time to continue traveling south after Nazca. Once you have seen the famous lines and figures there is nothing else to see. There were supposed to be some Mummies but after gathering information they did not peak my interest. I discovered that it was more like a carnival so I decided to pass.
Another deciding factor for me not to go to see the mummies was the fact that the next leg of my trip was approximately 13 hours of riding. The roads where supposed to be bad but with beautiful views on the altiplano (high plains). I got an early start trying to avoid the high winds with the blowing sands of this hot and dry place. The first 200 klm were slow with a twisty road as I climbed up the mountains. On this section of road there were also potholes everywhere. Road construction also slowed me down. Road crews would stop traffic as they repaired the road. Seemed like endless work to me.
When I got on the altiplano I rode for about 100 miles at an elevation of 14,000 to 15,000 feet. The road conditions were much better but the temperature was much colder. I had to stop and put on my thermal clothing. Snow in the area was about four inches deep as well. It was very quiet with almost no traffic and not a tree for miles. The only thing that I saw for over 200 miles was acres and acres of grass and alpacas grazing. Even with the thermals on I could still feel the cold temperature. I stopped and put on my rain gear. I was at an elevation of approximately 15,000 feet. I was amazed as to how much effort it took to put on my gear. When I finished putting on my rain gear I could feel my heart pounding hard.
I continued my ride and I finally dropped down to an elevation of about 12,000 feet and I was able to breathe again. The air temperature also felt a bit warmer. These last 200 miles should have been easy; however, since I was extremely tired and the road was super twisty, it took me almost three hours to ride.
I arrived in Cusco just as the sun was setting and with a horrible headache. Cusco is situated at an elevation of 12,000 feet. In addition to the elevation, diesel fuel fumes from the heavy traffic smelled terrible and also made me feel sick.
The hotel room that I obtained was located on the third floor. After walking up the three flights of stairs my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. In Latin America elevators are unheard of.


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Polygonum multiflorum to restore energy & vigour
Polygonum is one of the most widely used Chinese tonic herbs. As an antioxidant and anti-aging herb, Polygonum acts as a liver & blood tonic, lowers cholesterol, tones muscles and maintains youthful strength.
Polygonum multiflorum
Chinese Name: He Shou Wu
Botanical Name: Polygonum multiflorum
Common Name: Fo-Ti
Polygonum is one of the most widely used Chinese tonic herbs. It is derived from the root of the vine Polygonum multiflorum, from the Buckwheat family. It is famous as a rejuvenating and longevity herb in China, where it is taken to prevent premature aging, increase fertility and maintain youthful strength and vigour.
What areas of the body does Polygonum work on?
Polygonum is a liver and blood tonic for restoring energy and vigour. It strengthens the liver and is a general organ-strengthening herb, particularly where there is exhaustion and severe deficiencies in the body. As well as this, it has been used as a counter measure to many of the effects of aging, such as loss of hair and muscle tone.
There is evidence that it lowers blood cholesterol levels and it is currently being studied for its ability to prevent heart disease and cancer. Studies have shown that this herb helps prevent the development of arteriosclerosis and can help reduce blood lipid levels, however it does not always lower cholesterol. It was also shown to reduce the level of lipid peroxides, being more effective at this than vitamin E.
It tones the "vital essence" of blood and fortifies muscles, tendons and bones. It has been used to help with dizziness associated with tinnitus, for premature greying, knee and lower back pain, as well as numbness of the limbs.
With regard to its help in aging, Polygonum antagonizes ageing through inhibition of a brain monoamine oxidase (MAO-B). As well as this, it helps protect the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the body. SOD is a natural antioxidant in the body, which removes the free radical superoxide. It is thought that superoxide may be the most dangerous of the free radicals.
What health complaints can this herb help with?
Polygonum is a herb that can help with the following:
As an antioxidant and anti-ageing herb
Lowers blood cholesterol levels
Tones muscles & tendons
Prevents premature aging
Increases fertility
Maintains youthful strength
Restores energy and vigour
Neurasthenia, especially with insomnia
Weak connective tissue
High blood cholesterol
Premature ageing
Tinnitus, dizziness and blurred vision
Promotion of longevity
A tonic for the elderly
Possibly in nervous system diseases such as epilepsy, neuritis and schizophrenia
A liver and blood tonic. It strengthens the liver and other organs, particularly where there is exhaustion and severe deficiencies.
It has been used to counter the effects of aging, such as loss of hair and muscle tone. It has produced good results in nervous exhaustion with insomnia.
Ideal Health stocks Polygonum in 2 forms - Polygonum liquid extract and in capsules. The capsules are called Fo Ti Root.


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DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES Supreme Rarities: Motown Lost And Found USA 4LP BOX SET
[Release Date: April 6, 2018][2018 Third Man Records USA]
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Somersham Ward
|Ward telephone nos:
|01473 704900 or 704901
|Almera Flatman
|Nearest car park:
Nearest entrance:
Directions from entrance to ward:
|Car Park G. View car parking information.
Entrance 15 (North)
From entrance 15 go across to the Woolverstone Wing opposite. Somersham Ward is on the 1st floor, access via lift or stairs. View hospital map.
|Somersham Ward cares for cancer patients having chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.
|Visiting times:
|11 am – 12 noon
3 pm - 5 pm
6 pm - 8 pm
Please speak with the nurse in charge if you need to visit outside the formal visiting hours.
Lunch is a protected mealtime so please do not visit between 12.30 and 2.30pm.
|No of visitors per bed:
|We request that there are only two visitors at a time and children under 12 should not visit. We ask that visitors are considerate to the needs of other patients on the ward.
|Meal times:
|Breakfast 8 – 9 am
Lunch 12 noon – 1 pm
Dinner 5 – 6 pm
Refreshments will be served during and in between meal times.
Anyone wishing to assist their family member with meals should discuss this with the nursing staff.
|Additional information:
|Key contact:
Good communication is very important to everyone: the patient, the family carer, relatives, friends and the nursing team. We would therefore be grateful if, with the permission of the patient, one person such as the family carer or a relative or friend becomes the 'key contact' to enquire about the patient's progress during their stay on the ward, and then passes this information on to others who may be concerned.
All other information can be found in the 'Staying as an Inpatient' booklet.
Related documents and links to further information


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Start Date: 5/8/2019 7:00 AM EDT
End Date: 5/8/2019 4:00 PM EDT
Event Website: https://www.aslrra.org/web/Events/web/Events/Events.aspx?hkey=044d4347-07a7-4f4c-9e30-48cb33794c30
Organization Name:
American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association
Railroad Day on Capitol Hill has proven to be the single most effective way to get our message to Congress. You put the real-life face on the issues.
Election results are in (see Legislative Section) and we have many new members to educate about the positive impact of freight rail. Plan to be there!?


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Rainy Friday
Today has been a super rainy day! It was even raining so hard at one point that my mom and I got stuck in Home Depot for quite a while! And, Home Depot is not that exciting of a store to be stuck in for a long period of time!! We were at Home Depot to buy some more stones for my planters in my yard. Well, I bought more of the ones I thought I had but it ends up I bought the WRONG color! Agh! Oh well, I can use those in the backyard and my parents, being the cool people that they are, are willing to pick up the RIGHT color stones on the way to my house tomorrow. Crisis averted!! They are coming to help me finish up my flower beds and to mulch them.
Before all the yard work fun though, I have a 5k race in the morning! Yea! I am super excited! And even more so that my mom said she could come and cheer me on! I love having supporters! I had a wonderful pizza dinner so I am fueled and ready to go in the morning! I don't think I plan on eating anything before the race because I know my stomach will act up if I do. I do have a few different time goals if my head but I'm not going to share them just yet! Want to see how I do first :) Wish me luck!!
Do ya'll have any fun plans for the weekend?? I am actually kinda excited to work in my yard tomorrow because it's going to be a beautiful day!!
Posted in: on Friday, October 9, 2009 at at 8:53 PM


text:
Markov, Georgi; Hall, Jon G. and Rapanotti, Lucia
|Google Scholar:
|Look up in Google Scholar
Organisational change problems are known to be ill-structured and complex. An open challenge remains: to be able to provide problem representations and systematic analysis techniques to address them. Extending a validated systematic general engineering methodology, the paper introduces and discusses the motivation, theoretical foundation and specific characteristics of a new framework, POE-Δ, which provides a systematic way to represent, structure and iteratively explore any change problem to unveil its context and to identify the organisational areas where intervention is needed. Properties inherited from the original engineering methodology include the tight integration of stakeholder communication and validation during the analysis activities and the management of problem solving risk (i.e., that we solve the wrong problem). The paper concludes with a report of initial findings from the application of the framework in a real-world case study in a large European engineering organisation that focuses on organisation-wide changes needed in response to changing legislation and regulation.
|Item Type:
|Conference or Workshop Item
|Copyright Holders:
|2015 The Authors
|change problems; problem-oriented engineering; change management
|Academic Unit/School:
|Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Computing and Communications
Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
|Research Group:
|Centre for Research in Computing (CRC)
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|Depositing User:
|Jon Hall
|Date Deposited:
|23 Feb 2015 11:19
|Last Modified:
|07 Dec 2018 10:28
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what we do
Carvice is a mobile application that connects car service centers and car owners achieving maximum convenience by providing high market exposure, competitive prices, and guaranteed quality. The car owner requests quotations for the desired jobs, then he/she receives different quotations from different service center along with user-based rating. After the car owner accepts the desired quotation, he/she chooses a pickup and dropoff location. Then, the car owner will be able to monitor the status of the car. After the service completion is approved by both parties, the exact amount is charged and the service details are saved in the service history along with the bill to keep record and track.


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Colstrip, Montana
All environmentalists have their favorite "green" energy source that they think will break our addiction to oil and slow down climate change. I've come out to Montana to see mine. It's called coal.
Yes, yes, I know, you thought I was going to say corn ethanol or switch grass or soybean diesel. Well, one day they all might reach a scale that can get us off oil. But the cheap, available fuel that China, India and America all have in abundance today — and are all going to burn for the next decade — is coal. So unless we can burn coal in a cleaner way, you can kiss the climate goodbye — we'll all be wearing bikinis and shorts in Manhattan in January.
When it comes to what it will take to "green" coal, there's no more informed or intrepid tour guide than Montana's Democratic governor, Brian Schweitzer. The governor, a bulldozer of a man, met me in Billings in his little prop plane, we flew into a winter gale that tossed us around like salad pieces, and then we set down on a makeshift runway in Colstrip, on the edge of a coal strip mine. On the way back, after flying through another howling storm that caused me to dig my nails so deeply into the armrests I left my fingerprints in the leather, I thanked the pilots profusely. The governor simply bellowed, "I'm glad we had our best interns flying today!"
When it comes to cleaning up coal, though, Governor Schweitzer is dead serious.
"Here in Montana we make our living outside," said the governor, an agronomist who got his start building farms in Saudi Arabia, "and when you do that, you know the climate is changing. We don't get as much snow in the high country as we used to ... and the runoff starts sooner in the spring. ... The river I've been fishing over the last 50 years is now warmer in July by five degrees than 50 years ago, and it is hard on our trout population. ... So when Exxon Mobil hires someone who calls himself a 'scientist' to claim this is not true, you don't have to get The New York Times to know the guy is blowing smoke."
But here's what the governor also knows: Montana has one-third of all the coal deposits in America — 8 percent of all the coal in the world. Montana's coal is roughly equivalent to 240 billion barrels of oil. "That's enough to replace all our imported oil for 60 years," he noted.
That's the good news. The bad news is that because of global warming — fueled in part by carbon dioxide emissions from coal-burning electricity plants — the only way we'll be able to use all those coal reserves is if we can burn coal without emitting the CO2. Otherwise we're cooked, literally.Continue reading the main story
So Governor Schweitzer's crusade is to get the coal-burning industries to take the lead on this, in partnership with government. The governor recalled a recent conference of coal-dependent industries, held in Phoenix, at which he held up a lump of coal and warned: "You are the people who represent the companies who will decide whether I'm holding up the future of energy or the past. Take a look at all the other people sitting at your table. You know who you see? You see the last remaining people on the planet who don't believe CO2 is a problem. ... The only way you will make this the energy of the future is to recognize C02 as a problem and that you have to be part of the solution." And by the way, he added, "there is a lot of money in it for you guys. You can sell this technology all over the world."
Governor Schweitzer has a plan for Washington: 1) Set a floor price for crude oil in the U.S. at $40 a barrel forever. That will tell Wall Street that if it invests in new, clean coal technologies — which can be run profitably at the equivalent of $40 a barrel — OPEC will never undercut them. 2) Set up a European-style cap and trade system rewarding companies that buy clean coal technologies and punishing those that don't. 3) Have Washington co-invest in a dozen pilot gasification and liquefaction technologies — which already exist — for cleaning coal and sequestering the carbon dioxide. Then we'll identify the best technologies quicker and move down the innovation curve. 4) Write the regulations now for how we will manage carbon dioxide that is removed from coal and stored underground.
As we talked, four smokestacks from the coal-fired electricity plant in Colstrip, which helps power Portland and Seattle, were belching CO2.
"For the last 100 years we built plants like this one," the governor said. "It takes crushed coal, ignites it to heat water that produces steam, and that turns a turbine and produces electricity. ... You build that smoke stack real high so that nasty stuff goes to someone else's backyard. Well, we've run out of backyards."Continue reading the main story


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Samsung has been keeping updating its lineup to Lollipop. Numerous handsets have been getting the new Android experience all over the world and it has gotten almost impossible to track exactly what is happening.
Last week Samsung Norway had some major problems with buggy Lollipop OTAs for the Galaxy S4 and S5 in Norway. Apparently this was an isolated problem as the updates are continuing at full speed elsewhere.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 (Snapdragon) has already received Lollipop in most of Europe. Rollout for the Galaxy S4, both Snapdragon and Exynos has been a tad slower, but an OTA is already available for SIM-Free models in a few regions, including UK. Interestingly enough, The Galaxy S4 is receiving an Android 5.0.1 build, while the Galaxy S5 is getting the 5.0 one, and so is the rather scarce Exynos Galaxy S5 model(SM-G900H).
The mini and active versions of both handsets are still stuck on KitKat, but Samsung seems to have started extending the update wave to less mainstream models. Last week the Galaxy S5 Plus, for example, started getting Android 5.0.2 in the UK and Finland.
So if you own a Galaxy S5 and S4 smartphone, there is a pretty good chance that you already have an update waiting for you, so be sure to check the update menu.
samsung galaxy s4 gt-195105 Unlock Problem
Hi sir.i have s4 19505(adp#19505xxugnfj5).now i m downloading 4.4.2 german 02 black edition firmware(adp#19505xxufnc4).both adp numbers aur change.can i install this firmware to my mobile??? Plz answer me
Lollipop is not a decent update yet, I wish I still had the former build.. Lollipop is having trouble with keeping standard apps stable, keeping the signal reception up, plus they have changed too much of the user interface which used to be great. No...


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The story of LulaKate :
In 2003, Katherine McDonald began to design her own collection of simple, fun women's clothing. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, she was inspired by the classic, graceful surroundings of her southern home.
Originally LulaKate was a locally based clothing company featuring skirts, tops, and belts for women. Since 2003, the company has evolved and we have shifted focus to our bridal and bridesmaid collections.
LulaKate met with great success and in 2007 Katherine opened her flagship store on King Street in downtown Charleston. With our focus on the bridesmaid collection, we worked to create timeless silhouettes in a range of styles. Because LulaKate started as a classic ready-to-wear women's clothing collection, our dresses are truly worthy of being worn time and time again. The versatility of each individual dress will have your bridesmaid's thanking you long after the wedding.
In 2011 LulaKate released our Bridal Alternative Collection nationwide. Throughout the years LulaKate dresses have become synonymous with chic, southern elegance that has continued to shine through our Bridal gowns.


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Lorde Has Opened Up About Her Rare Brain Disorder
Lorde is back on the airwaves in a big way - yay! - and, as is the way, is back on the interview trail.
But a recent interview with the New York Times has revealed that the 20-year-old suffers from a rare neurological disorder known as synesthesia, which can cause a person's sense to "blend" and connect.
While the condition, which affects 1 in 2,000 people, can manifest in any combination, Lorde herself has sound-to-colour synesthesia, which means she can see colours as she hears sounds.
Basically, it makes creating a song into an actual, visual process - something Lorde says she relies on to make her music.
"From the moment I start something, I can see the finished song, even if it's far-off and foggy," she said. "It's about getting the actual thing to sound like what I've been seeing."
It can be tricky to navigate; Lorde went on to explain to her interviewer that the colours she sees can steer the direction she takes with a song, and can even make her want to avoid certain tunes.
She said: "If a song's colours are too oppressive or ugly, sometimes I won't want to work on it - when we first started Tennis Court, we just had that pad playing chords and it was the worst textured tan colour, like really dated, and it made me feel sick, and then we figured out that pre-chorus and I started the lyric and the song changed to all these incredible greens overnight!"
Interestingly, Lorde's not the only musician with synesthesia; Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Kanye West and Pharrell make music around their condition, while Beyonce is rumoured to be an undiagnosed synesthete.
While it's still not quite understood how synesthesia works, it's a pretty remarkable neurological phenomenon - and if Lorde keeps churning out such banging tunes, it's obviously a gift to the rest of us!


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tag:theconversation.com,2011:/africa/topics/criminalisation-46433/articles Criminalisation – The Conversation 2018-07-06T15:34:15Z tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/99457 2018-07-06T15:34:15Z 2018-07-06T15:34:15Z Banning sex work advertising online will put sex workers in danger
Just months after the US government introduced an outright ban on advertising for sexual services, an unlikely coalition of politicians fronted by the Labour MP Sarah Champion held a House of Commons debate calling for similar measures in Britain. Following a report from Champion and her colleagues on the all-party parliamentary group for prostitution, the debate took aim at websites and online adult platforms offering sexual services.

Yet the majority of sex work experts argue that, as research has demonstrated, banning online sites would drive commercial sex work underground or back onto the streets, increasing the dangers sex workers face and making it harder to detect and prevent crimes against them. More importantly, this is also the view of sex workers themselves – as voiced at a spirited demonstration outside parliament during the MP's Westminster Hall debate.

It happens that the British Society of Criminology Conference was underway in Birmingham just as this debate opened. One session on Rights, Victimisation and Sex Work warned that the US legislation (known as FOSTA and SESTA) introduced in March 2018 has already had consequences. There have been reports of assaults on sex workers, and even deaths, and it has affected sex workers' rights of association. Organisers cancelled the famous three-yearly Desiree Alliance sex worker congress, stating "we cannot put our organisation and our attendees at risk". Sexual health, training and support have been put in jeopardy owing to fears of being criminalised in the new climate.

The facts of the matter

Regardless of the stock photos of women on street corners, in Britain most commercial sex is advertised and negotiated online. Most advertisements are from adult sex workers working as independent escorts, or from agencies working with a number of women.

Contrary to Champion's confident but unsupported assertions, findings from Beyond the Gaze – the largest research project on the online sex industry in the UK – have shown that websites allow sex workers to keep themselves safer. They enable more control over bookings, facilitate online interactions with potential customers, and reveal warning signs of problematic behaviour. Sex workers using the internet experience lower levels of serious crimes than others, while arranging commercial sex online leaves a digital footprint which can be used to trace violent or offending clients, or those involved in trafficking and modern slavery offences.

Sex workers share information with each other online to reduce the risks they face from potentially dangerous clients. Operations such as the National Ugly Mugs reporting scheme are supported by adult services websites, and feed information to the police to tackle crime. Only through the visibility of online sex work can exploitation and crimes be easily identified.

Listen to our podcast on the future of sex work in The Anthill 22: Sex

The impact of an advertising ban

One effect of banning sex work advertising and online platforms particularly would be to criminalise people who do sex work for a short time in their lives, for example students or single parents. These and others often use the same platforms, not to meet up in person but to sell pictures, videos, or live camera sessions with their clients. Surveys conducted for the UK Office for National Statistics make clear how providers mix and match between in-person and other services. But Champion does not differentiate between these, and this skews the debate.

A ban would divert policing resources away from genuine harms such as trafficking and sexual exploitation, to be spent instead on closing down sites used by consenting adults. A blanket ban makes it harder for people to exit sex work, as some women run websites, assist, or rent space to others in the process of leaving the industry.

Criminalisation would increase the stigma around sex work, leading to more sex workers ending up with a criminal record, making it harder for them to get a job outside the industry. It would amplify the hostile environment for migrant and LGBT+ sex workers, when false assumptions are made as to their status. Campaign groups seeking to criminalise sex work frequently regard any non-British sex worker as trafficked, and this deliberate indistinction allows for wildly inflated statistics.

The all-party group's report appears to follow suit, talking of "potential victims" as being Romanian or other non-UK nationals. It does not clarify what a "potential victim" is, nor how it differs from someone who is not, in fact, a victim, but an uncoerced woman who happens to be foreign.

Some years ago the former MP for Rotherham, Denis McShane, used such statistics to argue for the de-facto criminalisation of sex work before being called to account by sex workers on national television. Proceeding under the same hysterical reaction, two nationwide police operations, Pentameter I and II, raided over 500 premises and found fewer than 0.01% and 0.021% of sex workers they encountered had been trafficked. McShane's time might have been better spent fighting for the protection of girls in care homes, and against the grooming gangs in his constituency – Champion, having replaced him as MP for Rotherham, should take note.

The issue of criminal gangs, of coercion, trafficking and organised prostitution is something that must be tackled. But further criminalisation will not help.

Uneasy bedfellows

Champion's move is supported in some quarters, including by the hardline Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, and this will not necessarily come as a surprise to those aware of the provocative attitudes of the all-party parliamentary group on prostitution. Under strong influence from religious members such as MPs Gavin Shuker and Fiona Bruce, their report is completely at odds with the previous coalition government's policies, under which a Home Office review concluded priorities should be the safety of sex workers, support for migrant sex workers, and an investigative focus on grooming.

Instead, politicians should call for a compulsory rollout of the Merseyside+ Model to all police forces, a multi-agency approach to support sex workers and combat crimes against them and the community. They might look to other cross-party work, such as that convened by Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell MP in a report published with the English Collective of Prostitutes. Or to the Liberal Democrats' policy, developed with evidence from experts and sex workers, which calls for decriminalisation of consensual sex work as a harm reduction measure, refocusing police activity on fighting coercion, defined broadly as fear, force, or fraud, and to support those seeking to exit.

A rational approach to harm reduction for sex workers is commended by health professionals, such as in an expert view published in the British Medical Journal. There is no appetite for dangerous laws that misdirect scarce resources toward the wrong targets. Academics have always offered their expertise and research to politicians to help build policies on evidence, not dogma; it is time they heard it.

Belinda Brooks-Gordon has received funding from the ESRC and ONS. She is a member of the Liberal Democrat Party.

Teela Sanders receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ES/M007324/2)
 Sex work using the internet is safer for sex workers and easier to police – why would MPs want to change that? Belinda Brooks-Gordon, Reader in Psychology and Social Policy, Birkbeck, University of London Teela Sanders, Professor in Criminology, University of Leicester Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives. tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/92499 2018-03-15T22:29:49Z 2018-03-15T22:29:49Z How pot-smoking became illegal in Canada

Canada is on track to legalize marijuana on July 1. But why was it criminalized in the first place? THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

In 1923, when it became illegal to possess cannabis in Canada, very few Canadians would have heard of the drug, let alone tried it.

So why did legislators target weed?

Cannabis advocates have long blamed women's rights activist Emily Murphy. Her 1922 book on the drug trade in Canada, The Black Candle, claimed that marijuana users "become raving maniacs" and "are liable to kill or indulge in any sort of violence."

 <img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210610/original/file-20180315-104635-p5w3o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210610/original/file-20180315-104635-p5w3o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=758&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210610/original/file-20180315-104635-p5w3o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=758&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210610/original/file-20180315-104635-p5w3o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=758&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210610/original/file-20180315-104635-p5w3o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=953&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210610/original/file-20180315-104635-p5w3o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=953&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210610/original/file-20180315-104635-p5w3o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=953&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
 Emily Murphy is seen in this photo from the 1920s. (Creative Commons)

But even though Murphy's drug activism played an important role in strengthening Canada's drug laws in the early 1920s, the real reason cannabis was criminalized has much more to do with Canada's attendance at international meetings.

In the early 1920s, the panic over drug use had much to do with the drive to ban Chinese immigrants from entering Canada. Drug crusaders like Murphy blamed Chinese opium sellers for leading Canadian youth to ruin.

In a series of articles in Maclean's in 1920, Murphy warned that drug-addled young women would give in to the sexual demands of Chinese men, leading to the birth of "mixed-race" babies.

In Vancouver, her articles helped give rise to an anti-drug campaign that went on for months. As a result, the federal government passed legislation increasing the minimum penalties for the possession of drugs to six months.

At roughly the same time, the government stopped virtually all Chinese immigration to Canada. But this drug panic had little to do with marijuana: It was squarely aimed at Chinese traffickers and users of opium.

 <img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210295/original/file-20180314-113475-ji6yf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210295/original/file-20180314-113475-ji6yf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210295/original/file-20180314-113475-ji6yf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210295/original/file-20180314-113475-ji6yf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210295/original/file-20180314-113475-ji6yf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210295/original/file-20180314-113475-ji6yf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210295/original/file-20180314-113475-ji6yf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
 In this 2006 photo, 97-year-old Thomas Soon and 99-year-old Charlie Quon hold government cheques, the first redress payments to Chinese head tax payers. Canada formally apologized to Chinese Canadians for the head tax, which was charged to Chinese immigrants to Canada early in the last century. (CP PHOTO/Lyle Stafford)

Even so, in the middle of this drug panic, Parliament added cannabis, not opium, to the schedule of restricted drugs. The exact reason remains a mystery.

There was no debate in the House of Commons about the addition of cannabis. There are few records pertaining to the issue in Library and Archives Canada, and no mention of the decision in the media.

Cannabis banned in 1923

But controlling cannabis had been under international discussion for more than a decade, although it did not become part of an international convention until 1925, when the Geneva Convention limited Indian hemp to "medical and scientific" consumption.

In 1929, the assistant chief of Canada's so-called Narcotic Division, K.C. Hossick, wrote that Canada had to include cannabis on the schedule of restricted drugs because Canada had ratified the Hague Convention.

This was not true, as it was not until 1925 that cannabis came under international control, and Canada banned cannabis two years earlier. Even so, Hossick's reference to the international treaties suggest the idea for adding the drug came from international discussions.

Much later, in 1974, Alexander B. Morrison, the assistant deputy minister of the health protection branch at Health and Welfare Canada, wrote: "It appears that Col. Sharman (chief of the narcotic division) returned from meetings of the League of Nations convinced that cannabis would soon fall under international control. In anticipation….he moved to have it added to the list of drugs controlled under Canadian law."

This explanation seems far more likely than Murphy's book chapter.

Not a bestseller

While Murphy's articles in Maclean's created panic, the book attracted little attention. By this point, officials the Department of at Health had little respect for Murphy and likely weren't taking her views seriously. What's more, the marijuana chapter was a minor inclusion in a long book devoted to the problems of opium and cocaine.

There were no convictions for the possession of marijuana in Canada for 15 years and even then, they were unusual. The drug was rarely mentioned in the media until the mid-1930s, when the anti-marijuana, "reefer madness" campaign in the United States exploded, associating marijuana use with criminality, murder and insanity.

Even then, the drug attracted little attention in Canada.

In the 1930s, the RCMP requested landowners who were growing hemp as a windbreaker to destroy the plant. Almost none of them were aware of the potentially psychoactive properties of the weed.

In his autobiography, Clifford Harvison, a former RCMP commissioner, reported that one of the few protests came from an older woman who grew the plant to feed her canaries, who sang feverishly after their meal. When the RCMP tried to destroy the plants, she shooed them away with a broom. The police wisely retreated.

 <img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210391/original/file-20180314-113465-nfhqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210391/original/file-20180314-113465-nfhqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210391/original/file-20180314-113465-nfhqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210391/original/file-20180314-113465-nfhqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210391/original/file-20180314-113465-nfhqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210391/original/file-20180314-113465-nfhqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210391/original/file-20180314-113465-nfhqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
 Canaries apparently have a passion for hemp. (Shutterstock)

As late as the mid-1950s, a study of convicted drug criminals in British Columbia found that very few of them had ever tried the drug. It was not until the Baby Boomers came of age in the swinging 1960s that cannabis became a drug of choice.

Middle-class youth were outraged by the long sentences given out for marijuana possession, as were some of their parents. In 1969, amendments to the drug act made it possible for prosecutors to proceed by summary conviction.

This made it far more likely that possession of marijuana would be punished by a fine rather than a jail term and set us on the path towards legalization.

And so after this long and fascinating history, cannabis will become legal in Canada on July 1, although delays in the Senate mean that legal marijuana will not be available until later in the summer.

This research was originally supported by a grant from SSHRC.
 Canada is legalizing marijuana on July 1. But how the drug became criminalized in the first place is an interesting saga that involves anti-Chinese racism and international influence. Catherine Carstairs, Professor and Chair, University of Guelph Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives. tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/92665 2018-03-01T19:18:33Z 2018-03-01T19:18:33Z Why governments should be cautious about criminalising hazing

Most jurisdictions in Australia already make it a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct that creates a substantial or real risk of serious harm. Wikimedia Commons

Not-for-profit group End Rape on Campus recently released a report detailing horrific incidents of "hazing" in residential colleges. Hazing essentially describes the ritual humiliation of newcomers to college life.

Just some examples of hazing described in the report include students:

being "encouraged" to drink beer that has been poured onto another resident's genital region

exposing each other's sexual activity online with graphic and embarrassing photos, and

being locked in a bathroom and having vats of dead fish thrown on them.

This report marks an important milestone, because the media interest in the release of this report creates an opportunity for a turning point. A unified public and private condemnation of hazing in Australia.

Much as Rosie Batty brought family violence into the spotlight, and much as the #metoo movement unearthed the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault, the Red Zone report provides us with a unique opportunity to address yet another of society's unaddressed shames.

   Read more: From #MeToo to #RiceBunny: how social media users are campaigning in China

The fact that male students are habitually masturbating into female students' bathroom products is unacceptable. Such behaviours are outdated, misogynistic, and cruel.

 <img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208401/original/file-20180301-36700-khiqbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208401/original/file-20180301-36700-khiqbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208401/original/file-20180301-36700-khiqbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208401/original/file-20180301-36700-khiqbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208401/original/file-20180301-36700-khiqbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208401/original/file-20180301-36700-khiqbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208401/original/file-20180301-36700-khiqbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
 Male students uploaded photos of themselves holding women's underwear to Facebook in one initiation ritual. The Red Zone Report

Most of the recommendations in the report are both sensible and uncontroversial. The authors recommend, for example, greater oversight of student residences, and more transparency and dialogue about college culture.

But they also recommend that hazing be criminalised across Australia, in particular:

the act of requiring an individual to undergo any act which is likely to cause bodily danger or physical punishment to any student or other person, as a precondition of joining or participating in a student group or organisation.

This recommendation should be approached with considerable caution. While it might garner significant political points, making a new criminal law is not always the best response to undesirable behaviours.

Criminal law as a response to undesirable behaviours

The criminal law is the state's most coercive tool. Used to its full extent, it can lead to you being arrested, subjected to a lengthy and expensive trial, having your liberty revoked for years, and suffering a life-long stigma. The criminal law is a necessary part of a fully functioning liberal democracy, but it should be used with extreme caution.

Research has repeatedly proven the effectiveness of a criminal justice system is inextricably linked to whether it is perceived as legitimate, fair and coherent. When the criminal law is too broad, too narrow, or inconsistent, it loses legitimacy. It also loses legitimacy when new laws are introduced that are purely symbolic and add no real substance to existing laws.

It is questionable, for example, whether the new crimes of drive-by shooting, home invasion, and carjacking add much to the criminal law. Many of these behaviours were already captured by crimes such as attempted murder, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, aggravated burglary, and armed robbery.

There is an often forgotten criteria that should be met before any new law is introduced. Specifically: is the targeted behaviour already a crime? If so, is the answer really to criminalise it again, or is the more appropriate response to dedicate more resources to policing existing crimes?

When the Red Zone report recommended introducing specific criminal laws that target hazing in Australian universities, it neglected to consider whether those behaviours might already be criminal.

Hazing laws in the United States

Hazing is certainly a crime in the United States. It has been specifically criminalised in all but six US states for decades now.

   Read more: The wrongs of passage in fraternity hazing

In Texas, for example, it is a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in an act, directed at a student, which endangers their mental or physical health or safety, for the purpose of pledging or initiation into a student organisation.

In New York, it is a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct, during another person's initiation or affiliation with an organisation, which creates a substantial risk of physical injury.

And in California, it is a crime to engage in any method of initiation into a student organisation that is likely to cause serious bodily injury to a former, current or prospective student.

 <img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208374/original/file-20180301-36686-46dxub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208374/original/file-20180301-36686-46dxub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208374/original/file-20180301-36686-46dxub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208374/original/file-20180301-36686-46dxub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208374/original/file-20180301-36686-46dxub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208374/original/file-20180301-36686-46dxub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208374/original/file-20180301-36686-46dxub.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
 Graffiti in Venice Beach, California, depicting a student who died in a hazing ritual. Flickr/duncan c, CC BY-NC

To prove these crimes, the prosecution would have to establish:

 the defendant intentionally or recklessly engaged in conduct

 such conduct created a substantial or real risk of injury or serious injury to the victim

 the victim was a student

 the conduct was part of an initiation or affiliation with a student organisation.

Except for the requirement the victim be a student being initiated into a student organisation, this looks very much like a number of offences that already exist around Australia.

Is hazing already a crime in Australia?

Most jurisdictions in Australia already make it a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct that creates a substantial or real risk of serious harm, including both physical and mental harm (such as South Australia and the Northern Territory).

Even more relevant, Queensland has criminalised torture, which is defined as "the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person by an act or series of acts", and pain or suffering is then defined as including "physical, mental, psychological or emotional pain or suffering".

Further, in addition to there already being a number of criminal laws that would capture most of the hazing behaviours described in the Red Zone report, there are also a number of issues with the way the proposed offence is framed.

Looking at their proposed offence, the prosecution would need to prove:

 the defendant required the victim to engage in an act

 the victim was a student

 the victim engaged in the required act

 the act was part of initiation into a student group or organisation

 the act was likely to cause bodily injury or physical punishment.

First, it is peculiar that requiring someone to do something that is likely to cause them bodily injury would only be criminal if it occurs in the context of a student initiation ritual. Does this make such behaviours acceptable in other contexts?

Second, there are many forms of hazing that would not be captured if the legislation was limited to circumstances in which the victim suffered bodily injury or physical punishment, particularly emotional and psychological torture.

And third, it would be somewhat unorthodox to ask the prosecution to establish that a defendant required a victim to do something. Such a requirement would raise serious questions of free will and autonomy, issues which are not sufficiently addressed in the report. In many US states, for example, legislation specifies that people cannot consent to participating in initiation rituals that would constitute hazing.

The Red Zone report will hopefully herald a new era. Hazing is a blight on society. And the criminal law may well be the appropriate response to hazing behaviours.

But in an age where the criminal law is treated as both a panacea for society's woes and a constant failure (while it is, in fact, neither), much more consideration is needed before any new criminal laws are introduced.

First and foremost, we should determine what exactly the wrongful and harmful behaviour we want to prohibit is. Once that has been identified, we should determine whether that behaviour is already criminal. If so, we should consider whether we can better utilise the laws we already have. And if not, we should figure out how to write a law that adequately captures the targeted behaviour, and goes no further.

Paul McGorrery does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
 Hazing is unacceptable, but criminalising it may cause more problems than it solves. Paul McGorrery, PhD Candidate in Criminal Law, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives. tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/91342 2018-02-08T10:41:48Z 2018-02-08T10:41:48Z The James Bulger case should not set the age of criminal responsibility
On February 12, 1993, two-year-old James Bulger was abducted and murdered by 10-year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. It was a crime that stunned the world and the shadow of it still looms large over British culture and the English justice system. In her new book about the killing, James' mother, Denise Fergus, talks about how she believes the legal system failed – and continues to fail – her family following the subsequent release of the child murderers. And just this week, the story was in the news again after one of the killers – the former Jon Venables – was jailed for 40 months for possessing child abuse images.

The Bulger case fed into a political, media and – as a result – public climate of opinion that young offenders were wicked, irresponsible, immoral and evil. But these perceptions are based on an extremely rare crime and invalid presumptions of an unfit system, fuelling more general stereotypes and knee-jerk responses.

The case has continued to generate strong feelings and fervent debate about how the two offenders should have been treated and this is as much a moral argument as it is a matter of rational reflection on rights, responsibilities and what the evidence tells us. For example, this one case is still highly pertinent to discussions around the age of criminal responsibility.

Out of step

Despite repeated criticism from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, in England and Wales the age of criminal responsibility has remained at ten since 1963 – one of the lowest in Europe. But this is incompatible with what we know of children's "evolving capacities" (the way children mature).

With the average age of criminal responsibility being 14, the UK is out of step with the rest of Europe. This does not mean that other countries ignore crimes committed by younger children. Instead, they deal with them through the child protection and welfare systems, as in the Norwegian case which bore some notable similarities to that of the James Bulger murder.

Repeated calls to raise the age at which children can be prosecuted have never been taken seriously, at least partly because of the James Bulger case, as it continues to trouble the hearts and minds of the British public. Venables and Thompson were described as "cunning" and "wicked" and their behaviour as an act of "unparalleled evil and barbarity". Although incredibly serious and shocking, this was a very rare crime. But it continues to influence how young children who cause harm are dealt with in general.

The persistence with which the law seeks to criminalise children contravenes international rights and is unfair, illogical and contradictory. At the age of ten, children are deemed capable of criminal intent yet not "mature" enough to seek paid employment until the age of 13. They cannot marry without parental permission until the age of 16, drive until 17 or vote in a general election until they are 18.

The UK government claims it is common sense to assume that 10-year-old children know the difference between right and wrong and to prosecute them for offences is perfectly legitimate. But this is much too simplistic and flies in the face of the available evidence. It runs counter to all we know about the processes by which children learn and develop the capacity to make fully informed moral judgements and behavioural choices.

Headlines v evidence

Despite recurrent headlines such as "Rise of the child offender? The under 10s linked to drugs, sex and violence crimes on Merseyside", offences by young children of a seriously violent or sexual nature are very rare. Those who do commit such offences have often been harmed themselves and come from chaotic backgrounds, with histories of poor mental health, dysfunctional families and backgrounds of emotional, physical or sexual abuse.

Most offending by young people is relatively low-level, constituting only one part of a much broader and more complex identity. Subjecting young children to criminal justice intervention is counterproductive and developmentally damaging. A criminalising, stigmatising and labelling course of action prevents the child from pursuing a "good life" – one of purpose and meaning. Justice systems do not help to promote a non-criminal identity as the evidence confirms. In fact, contact with the justice system reinforces a criminal identity, making it harder for the children to escape the criminal path.

Despite the evidence and the claim that society would be better served if the age of criminal responsibility was substantially increased, reform is unlikely. Government will not contemplate raising the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales while the shadow of James Bulger looms large over any such discussion. If there is no change, children will continue to be denied justice appropriate to their age and maturity.

Sean Creaney is affiliated with social justice charity Peer Power and Voice for Children.

Roger Smith is a member of the Labour Party, and a board member of Disc, a not for profit provider of social care services.

Stephen Case does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
 The murder of toddler James Bulger 25 years ago by two 10-year-old boys was a rare and shocking case that still impacts the criminal justice system today. Sean Creaney, Lecturer in Psychosocial Analysis of Offending Behaviour, Edge Hill University Roger Smith, Professor of Social Work, Durham University Stephen Case, Professor of Criminology, Loughborough University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives. tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/87549 2017-11-22T12:17:48Z 2017-11-22T12:17:48Z Three decades on, stigma still stymies HIV prevention and treatment

  Shutterstock

There have been great strides and many important victories in the fight against HIV. Scientific innovations and sustained investment have been the most important weapons in this ongoing battle.

Nevertheless the epidemic retains a powerful grip – especially on people in Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, 19.4 million are living with the virus. In 2016 an estimated 15 000 new infections occurred every week in the region.

Treatment and prevention of HIV are twin endeavours; they rely universally on two elements. The first is the interaction of HIV positive and negative people with HIV services. The second is the willingness of people to modify their risky behaviour and avoid negative health consequences.

Adherence is the cornerstone of these processes: a commitment to taking medication or adopting a risk-reducing behaviour consistently over time. By adhering to their antiretroviral (ARV) regimens those living with the virus are able to lead long, healthy lives. They are able to eliminate the chance of passing on the virus to their partner(s). The concept of an undetectable virus is an untransmissable one is now acceptable.

With good adherence to an HIV prevention pill or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or consistent use of condoms, HIV negative people can protect themselves from infection.

But real and perceived stigma can undermine all these efforts. This is because stigma stops people from getting tested, stops them discussing their test results with intimate partners when they do test, and then staying on their treatment. Unless stigma is addressed, the aim of ending the AIDs epidemic by 2030 – one of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals – is unlikely to become a reality.

The logic behind stigma

Stigma happens when disgrace and shame become associated with an attribute, such as being HIV positive. It results in the person with the attribute being discredited or socially renounced. When stigmatised beliefs are widely held in a community, hostility and discrimination towards stigmatised people becomes common.

A stigmatised person can start to believe these views as well and develop a self-depreciating internal representation of themselves. This is known as internalised stigma. It can lead to diminished mental health and emotional distress. Both general and internalised HIV-related stigma can compromise a person's ability to seek and stay on treatment. And it can prevent people from taking steps to prevent infection.

For instance, a woman living with HIV could choose not to go back for more medication because she's scared someone from her community will see her and learn her status.

Conversely, a sexually active teenager might not ask a healthcare professional how she can prevent HIV if she is afraid of being judged for having sex.

There is evidence that these scenarios still play out. The HIV Stigma Index conducted in South Africa in 2014 found that about 45% of the respondents experienced internalised stigma. And 39% lived in fear of potential stigma. Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 were particularly affected by all types of stigma.

Stigma on top of stigma

Stigma has the negative psychological consequence of making it more difficult for people to cope and find social support. It also reduces their ability to overcome other barriers to adherence, such as unfriendly healthcare services or side effects from medication.

The research shows that people who do not experience internalised stigma tend to be more successful in adhering to treatment and more capable of overcoming other barriers to access treatment and prevention services. HIV stigma poses additional difficulties for positive people who already belong to stigmatised population groups, such as men who have sex with men transgender people, sex workers, and people who inject drugs.

Stigma against these groups already reduces access to healthcare services and social support. But disclosure of being HIV positive can result in people facing even more stigma, discrimination and hostility.

This is especially the case in African countries where homosexuality and sex work are criminalised.

Moralistic support for criminalisation often interferes with public health initiatives. As a result, stigmatised populations are frequently made more vulnerable to HIV infection due to this discrimination and restricted access to healthcare services.

Changing the tide

The good news is that stigma can be reduced if three basic interventions are put in place.

Firstly, through the implementation of effective and sustained mass media campaigns and health promotion aimed at dispelling the common myths. These campaigns should involve HIV positive people as message bearers.

Secondly, normalising and promoting the interaction with HIV prevention services. What is needed here are more people openly engaging about HIV testing and taking PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).

And thirdly laws and policies that protect those living with the virus from discrimination and promote them being able to access healthcare services. These are especially important for key population groups living in countries where criminalisation disrupts public health strategies.

Linda-Gail Bekker receives funding from a number of academic funding agencies including the NIH (USA). She is currently the President of the International AIDS Society.
 Stigma stops people from getting tested for HIV, and staying on their treatment. Unless it's addressed, the AIDS epidemic will persist. Linda-Gail Bekker, Professor of medicine and deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.


text:
CAPACITY - 30 liters.
CABINET - Thermoplastic material.
TEMPERATURE HOMOGENIZER - The forced-air circulation ensure perfect homogenization of the temperature at all points inside the equipment. It shuts down when the door is opened.
WORKING RANGE - Minimum of 2 °C and maximum of 8 °C (or 6 °C for storage of blood and its components), with set point at 4 ° C, or adjustable by user, with a variation of + -0.1 °C.
AUDIOVISUAL ALARMS - Temperature below 2 °C, temperature above 8 °C (or 6 °C for storage of blood and its components), or adjustable by user. Alarms for electric power cut, open door, inhibit key to silence the buzzer for 15 minutes, or adjustable by user. Equipped with alarm simulator.
MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE - Real time follow-up, access to charts and reports remotely via mobile application, including retroactive data, allowing management of the refrigerator via Internet with RS232/485/DB-25 serial output.
EMERGENCY SYSTEM - It operates through a 12 volts (cc) to 110/220 volts (ac) converter, supporting all the electro-electronic voltages, including the cold compressor for 2 hours*.*Emergency System autonomy can vary due to the ambient temperature and battery conditions.
OPERATION - 100/240 VOLTS 50/60 Hz (automatic) and 12 VDC (vehicular).
CASTERS - Castors and retractable handle type.


text:
Fire Bylaw & Regulations
The Canmore Fire Bylaw was approved July 7, 2013. This is an overview of these regulations. These regulations apply to all firepits, including front, side and back yard firepits, fireworks, fire protection fees & interference. Please refer to the actual bylaw, Fire Bylaw 2013-08 for more detailed information. Original copies of the bylaw are available by contacting the Municipal Clerk.
pdf Fire Bylaw 2013-08 (379 KB)
Fire Bans and Advisories
The fire chief has the power to declare a complete ban on all burning within the town. The fire department, RCMP, or a peace officer may ask you to extinguish your fire when a fire ban is in effect. They may also ask you to extinguish your fire if you are not complying with the regulations listed above. For more information on fire bans or advisories visit Fire Bans and Advisories.
Fire Pit Safety
Backyard fire pits, as well as outdoor fire places, or chimeneas, must meet Canmore's safety standards. Before you pull out the marshmallows, read more about the safety tips here.
Fireworks are not allowed in Canmore, except by a licensed pyrotechnician as part of our Town Events (such as Canada Day or New Year's Eve), or at special events that have received a permit from the fire department. Follow us on social media to be notified of when fireworks permits have been issued.


text:
Netflix will be the death of me. I have found yet another series to consume too much of, and that is Bones!
I cannot remember that I have ever seen an episode of Bones on TV. That in itself is not particularly surprising since we have not had a TV in the living room for years. We have a screen and Internet instead.
A week ago Bones appeared as a suggested show on Netflix and I figured I would give it a chance… Today, a week and a season later (plus/minus a season or so) I have to admit that I am hooked.
The series has many flaws: hologram table, pixelmagic (digital pictures that can be magnified with excellent quality despite bad resolution) and then there are countless scenes with bad chroma key just to name a few.
But that does not matter, I am still hooked. The script is high quality (at least during the first couple of seasons) and the actors are all excellent. It is apparently enough to get me really hooked.
FBI solves murders with the help of specialists who analyze bone fragments, dirt, soil and waste.
I'd better stop writing! I still have 115 hours or so left of TV to watch…


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Understanding your key performance indicators – and managing your critical numbers
Measuring your performance over time is what keeps you informed and in control of your business.
And having your systems set up to track, measure and deliver key performance indicators (KPIs) is the bedrock of understanding your ongoing business story.
But what KPIs should you be looking at? And what do they actually tell you about your company's current health?
Know your critical numbers
No two businesses are exactly the same. And that means that the numbers you view as 'business critical' will be unique to your organization.
The industry you work in, the type of product or service you deliver and the overall size of your operation will all define which of your business information numbers are the fundamental or 'critical numbers' that you want to measure over time.
These are just a few of the possible numbers that may be the key drivers in your business:
Cash flow – knowing your predictable costs and income and the current liquidity of the business.
Acceptable level of profit [Link to May blog 3] – having a clear view of the minimum acceptable level of profit within the organization.
Labor Efficiency Ratios (LERs) – being aware of the impact of salaries, reward and remuneration on your operating expenses.
Sales per month – knowing how many new contracts the sales team have signed off this month and over the rest of the year.
Part of the good management of your business is having a very clear idea of which numbers are critical to your success, and setting up processes to track and measure them in your KPI reporting.
With KPIs tracking your critical numbers, you can hold your business stethoscope to the beating heart of your organization and hear whether the company is sounding healthy, or is in need of a speedy course of profit medication.
These are the numbers that give you hope and the leading indicators into how you're running your business.
Leading vs lagging indicators
When it comes to KPIs, there's a crucial distinction that is incredibly important to understand – and that's the difference between leading and lagging indicators.
Leading indicators – these are KPIs that give you numbers on future activity in the business. So these could be the number of agreed (but as yet unfulfilled) sales in your manufacturing company or the number of future bookings at your beauty salon.
Lagging indicators – these are the KPIs that tell you about historic activity in the business. So, to use the same examples, this could be a number of actual deliveries made for the manufacturing company or the number of manicures delivered by the beauty salon this month.
Let's imagine your run a party room business for kids. There are all sorts of inflatable things for the kids to jump on, bounce on and generally roll around on. Kids and parents alike love your business: but that company's long-term success depends on securing the right number of appointments.
What this business needs is a measurement of appointments at any given time in the year, so they can make sure they're profitable.
A KPI that shows the backlog of booked appointments is a leading indicator – i.e. the appointments booked but they're still in the future.
A KPI that shows the number of parties the business has given is a lagging indicator – i.e. the parties have happened and are in the past.
In this particular kind of business, you don't really care about historic bookings, so the lagging indicator doesn't hold much value for you. But the leading indicator – the bookings that are still yet to take place – is hugely important.
When you know the future pipeline of appointments, you know the predicted sales you'll make, the revenue it will generate, the costs you will incur and the end profit your appointment pipeline will generate.
And that is critical information for a business of this kind.
Counter KPIs
Delta Airlines set one of critical priorities to be on-time push away from the gate. Everyone wants to be on-time, so what's the problem?
Delta, and we, should always ask the question: If we succeed in achieving our goal (of on-time push away for Delta), what else could go wrong in meeting this priority?
In Delta's case, it meant that there was an increase in the number of bags that did not connect with passengers – thus a group of very unhappy passenger who, although they were on-time, arrived without their baggage.
Had Delta asked the key question, what else could go wrong if we achieve the goal, they would know to track the counter KPI – delayed baggage.
Counter KPIs are powerful.
Talk to us about defining your KPIs and critical numbers
Holden Moss's vision is always to help our clients get the best possible control over their business. And a big part of this is providing business owners with the right KPIs and the right information to drive their decision-making.
One solution that helps us enormously with this is Fathom, a nifty reporting, and forecasting tool that plugs nicely into your Xero online accounting software to give you breakdowns of your sales, cash flow and profits in truly drilled down detail.
If you're looking to get a handle on your critical numbers, but don't know where to start, come and have a chat with us. We can give you a sample Fathom scorecard so you can see how these leading and lagging KPIs can work for your particular business model.
Contact your local Holden Moss office and let us show you what's really going on in your business and the KPIs you should be focusing on.