text:
Chimera located on top of a hill over viewing the enchanting castle of Poppi. Immerse in the green Tuscan nature this private Villa has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It has a particular furniture taste as everything is decorated in wood, as you can see from the pictures.
Right in from of the property there is a terrace and the private swimming pool. Here you can enjoy the Tuscan sun; refreshing yourself with a bath or enjoying the view. On the terrace next to the pool you will find sun beds if you want to get the perfect tan.
The very modern kitchen is fully equipped with all necessary: fridge, oven, burning stoves, sink, washing machine and all pots and pans you will need, as well as glasses, dishes and cutlery.
Next to the kitchen there is a dining area with a table and chairs which accommodates comfortably 6 people.
The living room is furnished with 2 comfortable sofas. The rooms of Chimera have large windows which give to the property brightness and an open space feeling.
The large modern bedrooms have also a wooden style interior. Each has an en suite bathrooms, with shower, WC, bidet and washbasin.
Chimera is located between the cities of Arezzo and Firenze. You can easily reach Cortona, Siena or Montepulciano. Is perfect for those who love tracking, cycling or generally sport actives as around the property there are many routes for the practice of sport.


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The first question which was asked to the public was 'Which government do they like, the previous government of Sheila Dikshit or the present Arvind Kejriwal Government'? The other question was about the infrastructural development in the state and about the promises made by AAP government to reduce the water and electricity bills by half. And the third and the most important question was about the security of women and installation of CCTV cameras in the state.
Here are the views of different sections of the society:
Opinion of slum dwellers:
The AAP government's 70-point agenda had promised 'in situ development of slums'. The party had pledged that slum dwellers would be provided plots or flats in the same location where their slums are. Most of them feel that successive governments only use them as a vote banks and nothing has changed in their lives. However a few of them had a few points to make about both the governments.
One gentleman from Indra Kalyan Vihar slum in Delhi feels that the Congress government should come back to power in Delhi. He said that the Congress government under Sheila Dikshit had brought water connection to their slum area and had built schools for the children.
While Mustab Ahmed from the same slum is of the opinion that Kejriwal has fulfilled his promises by decreasing the rates of water and electricity.
Roshni, a student of class eleventh from the same slum said that the Kejriwal government has done a lot for the girl child. While explaining the same she said the education quality in government schools has improved and self defense classes are being conducted for girls.
On the whole it seems that most of the people living in Jhuggi-Jhopdis favour AAP's government and are in hope that Kejriwal will fulfill the promises made by him during the elections.
What does the middle class think?
The middle class seems to be more attached to the AAP government, and feels that Kejriwal has planned a lot for the state, but he is not getting any support to fulfill his agenda. And they continue to hope that the AAP leader will do something in times to come.
Shiv Kumar, who works with Indian Railways feels that Kejriwal's government is good but people are not letting him come up and if he is given a chance to work, he will definitely do some good work for the state. Although he praised the AAP government, but at the same time did not criticise the Congress government, as according to him developmental works in the state had started during the Congress regime and Kejriwal was just completing that unfinished work.
Manohar Lal, a Delhi Government employee has similar views about the AAP government. He said that the level of corruption has come down in the national capital. The government employees now fear to take bribe and this is a very positive change. He feels that the AAP government is better than the previous Congress government in Delhi.
Views of elite class people:
It seems that the AAP government could not impress the elite class in the state. Monish, a businesswomen from Delhi feels that AAP had made many promises but they have not fulfilled any of them. She said that nothing has been done to ensure women's safety in the state, which has become a big concern after the December 16 Delhi Gang-rape case. She feels that Arvind Kejriwal is just playing blame game politics and is in no mood to fix the problem of law and order in the state.
While Sharad Sharma, an actor who has worked in movies like Rockstar, Jaago, Dil Bechara Pyaar Ka Maara etc. is of the opinion that none of the governments, whether it's Congress or the AAP, have done anything for the welfare of Delhi. He said that all the governments have the same agenda and they come to power with a purpose of self service.
However he feels that Kejriwal is different from all other leaders but others will not let him do what he wants to do and the same blame game will continue and everything will remain the same.
Even though Kejriwal has not fulfilled all the promises which he had made during his election campaign, still the people of Delhi are hoping that Kejriwal government will try its best and will not let their hopes die. Even though this process might take a few years, but the Delhiites are ready to wait for that to happen. While coming to the Congress government in Delhi, only a very few people support the Sheila Dikshit led Congress government.
The most popular citizen journalists' reports on merinews chosen automatically on the basis of views and comments

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A new baseball team, called the Lincoln Potters, was added to the Great West League and will begin play in the summer of 2017. At a press conference today at McBean Stadium, Great West League and Potters Team leadership met with local city and county officials and the public to announce the team's entry into the league.
During the announcement, vintage Potters baseball pennants were displayed on the backstop, courtesy of the Lincoln Archives Museum. McBean Stadium has been undergoing renovations and upgrades to prepare it for hosting William Jessup University's Baseball games in the spring. In the outfield, trucks and heavy equipment were busily replacing sod.
Standing on home plate, Lincoln Mayor Spencer Short greeted the crowd, saying, "I've looked at those old posters for Potters Baseball and I always asked if we were ever going to have another team, and now we finally got it. And we're on the new field – how great is this?"
Team co-owner Clifton Taylor said, "We're very excited to see Potters baseball come back to Lincoln and I think it's going to be a tremendous addition to the downtown area." Pointing to a display of the Potters team uniform designs, Taylor said, "We're excited to have a little bit of the old and a little bit of the new as part of the Potters tradition."
David Attaway is the CEO of Placer Valley Tourism. "Our group was very excited to participate with the city and William Jessup University to help bring the first phase of this great field in restoring what has been a terrific gem that's been undernourished these past few years," said Attaway. "We look forward to the first pitch."
Bill Stewart, also co-owner of the Potters, added, "It takes a community to get something like this going, and we're proud to be a partner of it. We will get out into the community, help promote the local non-profits, and have affordable, friendly family entertainment."
The Great West League is a college summer wood-bat league, with teams in Oregon and California, including the Chico Heat, Medford Rogues, Marysville Gold Sox and the Portland Pickles.
Ken Wilson, President of the Great West League, said, "Summer college wood-bat baseball is not that different from Triple A baseball. It's all about fun, fun at a good price. That's what the Great West League is and that's what the Lincoln Potters are. It's great entertainment. When you come out to a game, you'll find out it's about a lot more than baseball. The baseball is at a very high level, but it's also about activities and having a lot of fun things going on. I look forward to seeing you here on June 1st for opening night."
Wayne Sisneroz spoke on behalf of the Downtown Lincoln Association. "We feel that it's a great opportunity to have folks, not only from Lincoln but from the area, to come out here. Imagine, bringing your family out here to game, having some sodas and popcorn, and after the game head to downtown Lincoln to do some shopping and some eating. We're looking forward to showing people who haven't seen our downtown, that they can Discover the Charm of downtown Lincoln."
Potters team general manager Matt Lundgren answered questions from those in attendance. Lundgren said, "The team is being assembled now. We have about 12 kids signed right now, and we're looking at having about 30-35 guys. The majority of the team will show up on Memorial weekend to start practice. All the players are college-age players, they'll come from all over the country and we'll have some local guys playing, too." Lundgren continued, "We'll play 27 home league games and also have some non-league games. We'll have lots of fun stuff for kids, on-field activities and the promotions will be geared toward the younger generation."
The 2017 season begins in late-May and the first home game for the Lincoln Potters will be on June 1st. More information about the team can be found at the team website.
– + –


text:
Santa Monica Real Estate
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is named after the Christian saint, Monica. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is bordered on three sides by the city of Los Angeles – Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and Venice on the southeast.
Santa Monica Information :
- Population : 86,294
- Density : 9,795
- Housing Units : 48,856


text:
Printable PDF
Vendor: Cisco
Exam Code: 642-737
Exam Name: Implementing Advanced Cisco Unified Wireless Security (IAUWS) v2.0
Certification: CCNP Wireless
Total Questions: 207 Q&A
Updated on: May 27, 2020
Note: Product instant download. Please sign in and click My account to download your product.
Passed this exam with a score of 941.Most of them are in this dump.
Got 950 pass monday, almost all questions from this dump.. So its VALID!!
Pass with score 964/1000, this dump is valid. I think this dump is enough for the exam, so you can trust on it.
Thanks for guys, I passed the exam with 9xx, I will continue to using your materials.
I'm so happy that I passed exam this week. Thanks for this study material and my friend's recommendation.
The answers are accurate. Well you should notice some of the questions are slightly changed. Be careful.
Valid dump. I hope all my friend will pass the exam, so I will introduce this dump to them.Good luck to them and you.
Thanks very much for the dump. i will work it on to get the best in life. it is so great.
took the exams yesterday and passed. I was very scared at first because the labs came in first so I was spending like 10 to 13mins so I started rushing after the first three labs thinking that I will have more labs. I ended up finishing the exam in an hour..d dumps are valid. I tink there is a new lab. good success
This dump is very very valid. I passed this week with a satisfied score. ALL questions were from this file.
Lead4pass 642-737 exam questions and answers are written by the most reliable Cisco CCNP Wireless 642-737 professionals. Lead4pass support team are with more than 10 years experiences in this field Cisco certification training and 642-737 courses. Candidates will find all kinds of 642-737 exam dumps and study guide and training courses at Lead4pass Lead4pass 642-737 exam dumps are guaranteed to pass. 642-737 candidates will get the payment back if failed the 642-737 exam with Lead4pass Cisco 642-737 exam PDF and exam VCE. Supports are provided to Lead4pass 642-737 exam candidates at any time when required. If 642-737 candidates are willing to check the sample questions before purchase, they can search the exact 642-737 exam code and download the free 642-737 demo from the 642-737 product page. Choosing Lead4pass as the 642-737 exam preparation assistance will be a great help for passing the Cisco CCNP Wireless 642-737 exam. Time, effort and also money will be saved.


text:
Suicide Bereavement Support Services
Kaleidoscope Plus Group aims to help those bereaved by suicide to start to cope with their loss and find support from others who have experienced a similar loss. The service has been funded by Warwickshire County Council through the Public Health and Strategic Commissioning team.
The service provides a safe space for people who have been bereaved by suicide to come together and talk openly about their experiences.
Groups are facilitated by trained professionals who bring with them skills and knowledge around coping with grief, loss and bereavement.
If you have been bereaved by suicide, and would like to access the groups, please contact us on the number provided prior to attending.
For more information call Claire Dale on 0121 565 5605


text:
Yesterday, Ylise Kessler, visited my studio to view The Empty Womb. Owner of a prestigious art consulting firm specializing in acquisitions, installation, collections management services and public art for corporations, Ylise provided her impressions, thoughts and critique on The Empty Womb installation.
Ylise is, frankly…. brilliant. And honest. I LOVE direct, confident, knowledgeable, direct women. After viewing the work by herself without my narrative, she offered many kind words. And, gratefully, these words which were the most generous of all….
"This one part looks amateur; I think you could make anther choice….," or something to that affect.
"Please tell me your thoughts…do you see a more effective choice?" I asked…
Then she offered me my long awaited solution…
Particularly RIGHT for that detail in the work.
Her suggestion? Profound, intentional, clear and ego-less. At one point I covered my face, almost crying with gratitude saying,
"I've been contemplating that element and had not known what to do! You've given me answers to questions I've been asking myself forever! You've just moved this installation forward by a year!"
There is so much work to do, yet Ylise pointed out options to further elevate the piece.
I feel so honored that women of her ilk continue to walk through my studio doors, offering their wisdom.
Wow. Just Wow.
And, thank you Ylise…for your time. And Intelligence.
Here's to Awesome Women who lift one another up!


text:
Private Driver around B.A.
We can help you move by car while you're staying in Buenos Aires, for that means we offer private driver services to and from Ezeiza international airport in Buenos Aires, among others tourist's trips.
We can give you a guided tour of Buenos Aires, and other guide and taxi services, many of which are listed on the services page.
We have a crew of bilingual drivers that will be able to help you and guide you whichever place you want to visit. You'll find in this web site an appointment form you can use to contact us and apply for any service or ask any kind of question. You'll find all other contact media such as e-mail and phone numbers.
We invite you visit our services section and find the next trip in Buenos Aires.


text:
So, in the Charlie Gibson interview, Sarah Palin said that Alaska, "produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy." As the Washington Post reports, the independent FactCheck.org pointed out to the McCain camp that the number was wrong. According to numbers from the Energy Information Administration, it's actually 3.5%, behind Kentucky (4.5%) and Pennsylvania (3.8%). After FactCheck.org called them on it, Palin revised her assertion yesterday, claiming at a campaign stop in Colorado that her job had been to "oversee nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of oil and gas." The only problem is that that's not right either. The number is closer to 13%. See the Post report for all the gories. When will the deception end?
Um, try again
Filed under Sarah Palin


text:
Spa Covers and Spa Parts in Sydney
Purchase high-quality replacement spa parts and covers online in Sydney.
We sell replacement spa parts, spa lids, spa covers and swim spa covers for many spa brands throughout NSW.
We stock 1000's of Australian spa parts and 100's of generic covers for immediate delivery and we also make custom spa covers.
How our covers are built:
Spa Cover Construction:
- High-density 85Kg rated polystyrene foam cores; heavy-duty heat-sealed plastic bag
- U.V. resistant marine grade vinyl outer
- Chlorine resistant p.e. plastic to eliminate bleaching
- Internal foam centre reinforced with aluminium channel
- 90 to 60mm internal foam tapers to prevent surface ponding
- Reinforced central hinge for years of service
- Internally reinforced handles
- Reinforced adjustable tie-downs
- Locking mechanisms to limit spa access
- Includes straps and buckles
Need help measuring your spa cover?
Download our helpful measurement sheet:


text:
Wayne Witt Bates did not set out to take on the Daughters of the American Revolution. But he is not used to being challenged on his genealogy. A short list of his credentials: researcher for the B ates Family of Old Virginia (300 members and counting), coordinator of the Bates Family DNA project and, for 15 years, editor of the family newsletter, the Bates Booster.
"I am surprised DAR wants to fight me about the Bateses," said Bates, 88, of Centreville, who has been researching his family tree since retiring as a Pentagon employee in 1974. "I know more than anyone wants to know."
The genealogical throwdown began in January, when a cousin in Nevada, Suzanne Witt Adrian, told Bates that the Daughters of the American Revolution had turned away her application to have one of their ancestors, Reuben Bates Sr., recognized for his Revolutionary War service.
Proving direct descent from someone who aided the Revolutionary War effort has been a prerequisite for joining DAR since it was founded in 1890 as a response to women being excluded from Sons of the American Revolution. DAR — which describes itself as "dedicated to good works, such as promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and better education for children" — has more than 165,000 members, with hundreds of applications pouring in each month.
The organization, however, has strict standards when it comes to proof, with a preference for primary sources such as probate records, wills and census records. A DAR genealogist told Adrian, who is already a DAR member, that she didn't prove she was descended from Reuben Bates or that he served in the war. She appealed to Wayne Bates for help. He submitted evidence to bolster their case, including DNA test results that, along with paper records, seemed to show conclusively that Adrian Bates descended from Reuben Bates Sr.
But in March, she learned DAR doesn't accept DNA evidence, and the society turned back her application for a second time, saying she still hadn't proved lineage or service to qualify Reuben Bates as a patriot. For Wayne Bates, this amounted to a declaration of war.
Bates, who resembles Colonel Sanders in giant square eyeglasses, began shooting off daily e-mails to DAR genealogists. He went on genealogy message boards and posted mini-screeds with titles such as "Current Rigid Methodology Renders DAR Immune to Logic" and "DAR credibility suffers."
His lobbying campaign did not go over well at DAR's downtown D.C. headquarters, at 1776 D St. NW. Stephen Nordholt, DAR's administrator, warned Bates that if he didn't stop bugging them, there would be "no further attention being given your matter — even if you are able to find new documentation that proves service of the individual in question."
Among Bates family members, Reuben Bates Sr.'s Revolutionary War service has been accepted as fact since the 1970s because of something Wayne Bates had found at the National Archives.
Back then, when his knees still let him scour courthouses and church basements, he came across a book that contained a list of Continental Army soldiers assigned to Virginia. Inside was a description of what essentially was a pay stub for service in the Continental Army by one Reuben Bates.
It read: "Bates, Reuben — Soldier of Infantry — paid by Mr. Duval on March 4, 1783 — 36 (pounds)."
The payment record alone is not enough to prove service, Wayne Bates concedes. Colonial-era parents were not terribly creative when it came to naming their offspring. There were multiple Reuben Bateses and William Duvals running around the newly liberated colonies in 1783.
So Bates narrowed his search. He found four men named Reuben Bates living in Virginia during the Revolutionary War and looked up their vital statistics. Only one would have been the right age to have served and lived in the same county as a Duval: his ancestor, Reuben Bates of Louisa County.
Bates surmised that Duval was most likely Maj. William Duval, whose service in the Continental Army is verified by military pension records at the National Archives. In his pension application, Duval said he commanded troops from Louisa and several other counties and that he also owned land in Louisa in 1783. He was, in fact, the only Duval in Louisa County in 1783, tax records show.
Bates thought for sure that was all the proof he needed. He figured that as Reuben's neighbor and probably his commanding officer, Duval had paid him for his service.
But DAR was still not convinced. Genealogist Thomas Ragusin, in a letter to Adrian and Wayne Bates, said the Duval on the payment record could not have been Maj. William Duval of Louisa because the record mentions "Mr. Duval," not "Maj. Duval."
Bates offers his own explanation for that. The war had been over for two years by then, and Duval would have returned to being a civilian.
Bates admits to being a tad obsessive. For fun, he once tracked down every man who served on his Navy destroyer in World War II. He spent much of the 1980s researching the causes of railroad accidents after his brother, a railroad engineer, was wrongly blamed for one. "I cleared his name, clean as a whistle," he says proudly. "It took 12 years, but I did it."
The genealogical staff at DAR, by contrast, gets about two hours with each application. More than 90 percent are approved. The Bates case is part of a small minority that, instead, receive detailed "analyses" that lay out what is missing and what other documents to look for.
Genealogy "is not a science. It's an art form," says Terry Ward, who is DAR's chief genealogist and leads a staff of 40.
Ward has short, gray hair and a slightly gravely voice. She's worked in the DAR genealogy department for 14 years and remembers the days when correcting an old record involved scratching off the typewriting and then typing in the right information.
She has been the most frequent target of Bates's barrage.
Ward has seen her share of applicants get upset when they are turned away, although they're not usually as relentless as Bates. She doesn't take it personally, she said. Nor do her staff members. They understand that genealogy is, at heart, an emotional exercise.
"It's research and human nature. Someone goes up into the attic and finds Grandma was married twice and my uncle isn't my uncle," she says. "We understand that. We all started out researching our own families."
She said proving service for a soldier in the Continental Line is rarely easy. Given the proliferation of identical names, proof of residency is critical to properly identifying someone. But the men who served on the Continental Line were pulled from different states, making it harder to know whether an ancestor is, for example, Reuben Bates from Virginia or Reuben Bates from New England.
Wayne Bates and other proponents of using DNA in genealogy argue that is precisely what DNA could help with. Within the Bates family, DNA has helped distinguish who descends from which branch. He said DNA evidence also backs up his claim that he is descended from Reuben Bates Sr. The Y chromosome DNA is passed down from father to son. Wayne Bates's DNA was an exact match for that of a relative who, by paper, can document his lineage to Reuben. Other lineage societies, including Sons of the American Revolution, accept DNA evidence.
Ward and her colleagues said their problem with DNA is that it is still too imperfect a tool for them to rely on, unless someone is able to find every ancestor, dig them up and test their DNA. "If life were like 'CSI,' " Ward says, "that would solve all of my genealogical problems."
On a recent morning, Wayne Bates makes his way down to his cluttered office in the basement of the home he shares with his wife, Rose. At the foot of the stairs is a map of Fairfax County in 1760.
He grumbles that he doesn't move as well as he used to and that he has to fork out $40 an hour to send a professional genealogist to ferret out documents for him. He does most of his research perched in front of his computer, his face hovering a few inches from the screen.
He picks his way around piles of binders, boxes, an old exercise bike, file cabinets and an armchair. He points to a volume titled "Ancestors and Descendents of William Whitt (1775-1850)," by David F. Whitt.
"That's a tremendous book," he says.
Bates looks around at the mess. "You ought to see it up here," he says, tapping his forehead.
"I still think the first genealogist made an innocent mistake," he says. But the rejection by Ragusin, the other DAR genealogist, was galling. "He ignored all the evidence."
At one point, Bates's cousin suggested they ditch the effort to recognize Reuben Sr., but the old man refused.
"My poor ancestor is blue in the face from holding his breath," he says. "DAR is still holding him in limbo."


text: Site map … for Time Out Beirut Posted: Monday June 8 2015 Share Tweet Advertising Home Read more Things to do The 20 best things to do in Beirut Advertising Restaurants 20 Beirut restaurants you have to tryLebanese restaurants in Beirut you have to tryItalian restaurants in Beirut you have to tryFrench restaurants in Beirut you have to try Read more Bars 20 bars in Beirut you have to tryWhere to drink cocktails in BeirutThemed bars to try in BeirutBars in Mar Mikhael you have to try Read more Advertising Hotels 15 Beirut hotels you have to tryLuxury hotels in BeirutMid-range hotels in BeirutBudget hotels in Beirut Read more Recommended You may also like Love the mag? Our newsletter hand-delivers its best bits to your inbox. Sign up to receive it, and unlock our digital magazines. Déjà vu! We already have this email. Try another? No thanks By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. 🙌Awesome, you're subscribed! Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! Advertising


text:
I crack myself up.
I have a workout schedule. Do you want to see it?
Monday - Arms
Tuesday - Voice (choir practice)
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Core
Friday - Nothing
Saturday - A DVD of something, Walk Away the Pounds, or Jillian Micheals etc.
Sunday - As per Sunday or Nothing
It's pretty rough really and although I like to stick with it I often don't. During the week the workouts are small - usually 10-15 minute ones from YouTube or my own. After a while I really get sick of listening to the instructor and I try to drown them out with music, but last year I started thinking that it would be pretty easy to put together my own videos and that way I can pick and choose what I like.
I like low impact (knees and boob issues) and usually standing.
Would you like to see one? They aren't anything fantastic - just timed images telling you what to do, with a bell going off when you need to change. If you use it - just remember that this for my own personal use and I take no responsibility for any injuries that you may incur. Also - please don't re-post it.
I leave the end image as 'Stretches' so that I can cool down and stretch for however long I want and stretch what I want. I like a good stretch :)
Presenting: Pammy's LEGS Mix
This is the one that I did this morning - holidays really stuff up my schedule. It's nice and easy and beat of the song is what sets the pace.
At the moment I'm listening to this playlist:


text:
Chronology data should be put on the appropriate chronology page ("Chronology of call letters WIVB") .
Other material must be reorganized into appropriate categories of articles.
WIVB-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Western New York that is licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter on Center Street in Colden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to CW affiliate WNLO and the two stations share studios on Elmwood Avenue in North Buffalo. However, master control and some internal operations for both are based at hub facilities in WISH-TV's North Meridian Street studios in Indianapolis, Indiana. Syndicated programming on WIVB includes: Access Hollywood, Inside Edition, Oprah, and The Dr. Oz Show.
[edit] History
[1][2]An early WBEN-TV identification card.The station went on-the-air in May 13, 1948 as WBEN-TV almost three years after its owner the Buffalo Evening News applied for a license. It is the oldest television station in the market and one of the oldest in the nation. As the only channel in Buffalo for its first several years, it carried programming from all four networks of the time (CBS, NBC, ABC, and DuMont) However, it was a primary CBS affiliate due to then-sister station WBEN-AM's longtime affiliation with CBS Radio. It lost NBC when WGR-TV (now WGRZ-TV) signed-on in 1954 and ABC to that station when NBC purchased WBUF-TV in 1956. WBEN-TV continued to share DuMont programming with WGR until 1956 when it ceased network operations.
It operated from studios on the eighteenth floor of Hotel Statler until 1960 when it moved to its current facilities on Elmwood Avenue originally built for WBUF which had gone dark in 1958 two months prior to the sign-on of present-day ABC affiliate WKBW-TV. One early show running from the late-1940s until 1970 was Meet the Millers featuring Bill and Mildred Miller and their cooking and household tips each weekday afternoon. Another staple throughout the 1950s and early-1960s was a short visit to the North Pole with Santa Claus and Forgetful the Elf. This was a daily show that aired only during December and was sponsored by Hengerer's Department Store. During the late-1970s, WIVB took over the cable-access program Disco Step by Step.
When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) disallowed same market co-ownership of newspapers and broadcast licenses in the early 1970s, the combination of the Buffalo Evening News and WBEN-AM-FM-TV was grandfathered under the new rule. However, the 1977 death of Katherine Butler (longtime owner and publisher of the Evening News) led to the sale of the newspaper to its current owner, Berkshire Hathaway. This sale brought an end to 104 years of Butler family ownership of the Evening News. As a result, the Buffalo media combination lost its grandfathered protection and Berkshire Hathaway opted to keep the newspaper and sell off the broadcasting properties. The television station was sold to newspaper publisher Robert Howard of Oceanside, California for $25.5 million dollars.
The new owner changed this station's callsign to WIVB which stands for "We're IV (4) Buffalo". The WBEN callsign remains on 930 AM which along with its FM sister station had been sold to Larry Levite's Algonquin Broadcasting. Both of those stations are currently owned by Entercom Communications. WIVB added the -TV suffix to its legal call sign in 1981. Channel 4 was then sold to King World Productions (at that time a separate entity from both Viacom and CBS) in 1988.
WIVB nearly became an NBC owned-and-operated station in 1994 when that network's parent company General Electric announced plans to purchase King World. However, the planned purchase fell through, and WIVB was instead sold to current owner LIN in 1995. Ironically, King World is now owned by CBS and has since been absorbed into CBS Television Distribution. The new owner renewed the station's CBS affiliation for the long term, ending any hope of NBC airing on Channel 4 in Buffalo and returning to the studio building it had originally built for WBUF-TV. At the time of the aborted NBC purchase, WIVB was in a strong second place in the local viewership ratings while NBC's existing affiliate WGRZ was in third place although not as distant as it had been throughout much of the 1980s and early 1990s. Both stations have since passed then-first-place WKBW.
In 2000, LIN bought the station then known as WNEQ, the region's secondary PBS affiliate. On January 23, 2001, WNEQ was relaunched as independent station WNLO. That station began serving as the region's UPN affiliate in 2002. The previous UPN stations, WNGS/WONS, later switched to the Retro Television Network and were eventually sold to the Daystar Television Network. In September 2006, WNLO became The CW affiliate in Buffalo. On May 18, 2007, LIN announced that it was exploring strategic alternatives that could have resulted in the sale of the company.
As part of the national switch to digitally-only broadcasting, WIVB switched-off its analog signal on VHF channel 4 on June 12, 2009 at 9 in the morning. Its digital signal remained on UHF channel 39. However, digital televisions with PSIP capability display WIVB's virtual channel as 4. It is one of several local Buffalo stations seen in Southern Ontario Canada, including Toronto, which happens to be the channel's biggest target audience. As of April 30, 2009, Shaw Broadcast Services and Shaw Direct no longer transmit the WIVB signal replacing it with WWJ-TV in Detroit. [1] It was also, due to the absence of a CBS affiliate in the Elmira market, the default station for portions of Steuben County. This lasted until 2009 when WENY-DT3 signed on as a CBS affiliate from Elmira. WIVB currently airs no local non-news programming except for its public affairs program By the People which has been a staple of its programming on Sunday mornings at 6 for many decades. Televangelists that buy time on WIVB include: The 700 Club, Lakewood Church, and the Nation of Yahweh.
[edit] Cable disputes
WIVB has had significant contract disputes with both of the major cable television providers in the station's coverage area, Time Warner Cable (which covers most of Western New York) and Atlantic Broadband (which covers much of its Northern Pennsylvania area as well as the rest of the Western New York region). In both cases, WIVB is demanding a rights fee of 25 cents per month per subscriber (in addition to another 25 cents for sister station WNLO) and is refusing to allow the carriers the right to carry the signal. The agreement with Time Warner expired October 2, 2008. [2] WIVB and WNLO were taken off Time Warner Cable at 12:30 in the morning on October 3 and were replaced with CBS College Sports and HBO Family respectively in the channel lineup when an agreement between LIN Television and Time Warner Cable could not be reached. According to this station, LIN Television and Time Warner Cable were still trying to work on a deal even after the channels were dropped. Time Warner Cable says negotiations broke off at the time of the shutoff.
After that, WIVB openly advocated for Time Warner customers to switch to DISH Network. Time Warner, in turn, gave away free antennas and struck a deal with the Buffalo Bills Radio Network to simulcast the audio of the games on cable channel 4. Buffalo Bills games and some CBS programs were restored in Niagara County through Toronto-based CFTO-TV (and in other parts of the region through WROC-TV and WSEE-TV). In Erie, Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Western Steuben Counties, WIVB continues to (in addition to block its signal) enforce its syndication exclusivity on Bills games preventing them from being brought in from another market. An agreement was reached between LIN TV and Time Warner Cable on October 29 allowing WIVB and WNLO to return to Time Warner channel lineups. Terms of the deal were not made available.
There is no agreement or negotiation with Atlantic Broadband but that company continued to retransmit WIVB without permission through 2008. [3] Atlantic Broadband announced it would discontinue carrying WIVB in favor of WSEE-TV on January 1, 2009 and were apparently making no effort to negotiate a new deal. [4] However, due to this date being over a holiday, WIVB granted a thirty day extension at the end of which was an agreement that allowed WIVB to remain on-air uninterrupted. [5] The agreement will expire in January 2012. WNLO was not included in the agreement, and CW service is now provided in these areas by WSEE-DT2.
[edit] Accolades and honors
For most of the time since 2000, WIVB has been the most-watched news channel in Western New York (according to Nielsen) after rival WKBW's long winning streak ended. The station regularly scores ratings wins for every newscast it airs from morning to night. It has become so dominant in the market that it at one time garnered the highest television ratings for a local newscast in the entire nation, according to advertisements run by the station, an honor regained in February 2008. As of late, rival WGRZ which has also had strong ratings in the area has begun to challenge WIVB's dominance specifically in the weeknight 5 and 5:30 newscasts according to Nielsen's May 2007 sweeps data.
By July 2007, WGRZ's morning show was soundly beating WIVB's Wake Up! in the ratings likely because WGRZ picked up former WIVB reporter Kevin O'Neill (a.k.a. "The Why Guy"). This station reclaimed the top position in the November 2007 sweeps although still in a statistical tie with WGRZ, and as of May 2009, is now solidly back in first place. All three stations in the Buffalo market have been, at various times in their history, among the highest rated stations in the country and they continue to be fiercely competitive. However, the cable coverage disputes threatened WIVB's high standing. Although the dispute did not fall during an official sweeps month, preliminary instant data from The Buffalo News showed that WIVB fell precipitously from a strong first to a distant third for the month of October 2008 with less than half the viewership of second-place WKBW for its weeknight 6 o'clock show. Its weeknight 11 o'clock broadcast fared slightly better but is still in distant third. [6]
With the official November sweeps out, WIVB regained the lead in most newscasts (except weekday mornings where it remains second to WGRZ) although third-place WKBW made significant gains on this channel. [7] The station and its staff have won several Emmy awards including one in 1999. Meteorologist Don Paul has recently been voted Buffalo's favorite television personality according to advertisements run on the station.
[edit] News operation
WIVB currently produces forty hours of news programming per week (including that which airs on WNLO). This is by far the most of the three broadcast stations in the Buffalo market; WGRZ produces thirty hours and WKBW produces 24½. The news operation at WIVB is generally considered a straight newscast, as opposed to the more activist approach of WGRZ (WIVB highlighted this in an advertising campaign in the mid-2000s, when it used the slogan "today's news and tomorrow's weather" and asserted that it "doesn't take sides," a reference to WGRZ's use of the "On Your Side" slogan). The station has long been considered to favor older viewers, even dating back to the 1970s when its rivals were promoting flashier, more sensational approaches to the news. WIVB frequently places significant emphasis on its weather operation, which is operated by veteran meteorologists Don Paul and Mike Cejka, both of whom have spent over twenty years each at the station.
This station added a weekday morning show on September 19, 1994 known as Wake Up!. It was the second local broadcast in the market after WKBW's Good Morning Western New York which launched in 1987. During the mid-1990s, WIVB used the 24 Hour News Source format which had been seen prior to this on WGRZ. In March 2001, WIVB began airing a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on WNLO known as The 10 O'Clock News. During the week, this competes with another prime time broadcast that airs on MyNetworkTV affiliate WNYO-TV. Produced by WGRZ, it has consistently lagged behind WNLO in the ratings because it is not a seven day operation.
Starting on February 2, 2009, WNLO began airing a two hour extension of WIVB's weekday morning newscast. It also re-airs this station's weekend morning show and simulcast the hour-long weekend evening news at 6 on Saturday nights. If CBS programming runs over this time slot, WNLO airs the news. WIVB does not broadcast the Saturday editions of The Early Show or CBS Evening News from the network. WNLO airs the CBS Morning News on weekday mornings.
As of May 2010, WIVB's newscasts remain in pillarboxed 4:3 standard-definition, with only a few of the station's graphics (namely the scrolling scoreboard used in its sportscasts) in high-definition. This is in contrast to WGRZ and YNN Buffalo, both of which are currently broadcasting their newscasts in 16:9 widescreen. [1]
From approximately 1995 until the end of 2009, WIVB built and operated a large network of over eighty AWS/WeatherBug weather stations (under the name "Neighborhood WeatherNet"), mostly on local school buildings. WIVB's involvement in the Neighborhood WeatherNet was discontinued at the beginning of 2010, though the stations, now under WeatherBug's control, remain operational. WIVB also previously operated a local Doppler radar in the 1990s and early 2000s (known as "4 x 4 Warn Doppler" because it factored in stations in Rochester, Syracuse and Cleveland), but shut it down in the early 2000s in favor of the nearby National Weather Service Doppler Radar in Cheektowaga.
[edit] Newscast titles
- First Team News (late 1970s)
- News 4 Buffalo (1980s-1992)
- News 4 (1992–present)
[edit] Station slogans
- "We're 4 Buffalo" (1982-1990s, general)
- "Western New York's #1 Newscast" (1980s-1992)
- "Your 24-Hour News Source" (1992-1997)
- "4 Today's News, 4 Tomorrow's Weather" (mid-2000s)
- "Gotta Watch 4" (2000–present, general)
- "Keeping You Connected" (2007–present, primary news)
- "WIVB, Home of Western New York's News Leader" (2007–present, secondary news)
[edit] News music packages
- "WBEN News"
- "The News Image" and "The News Image Plus"
- "The One for All"
- "Prime News"
- "Third Coast"
- "360"
[edit] News team
- Joe Arena - weekday mornings and 7 am hour (on WNLO)
- Mylous Hairston - weekend evenings
- Melissa Holmes - weekday mornings (on WNLO) and reporter
- Victoria Hong - weekday mornings and Noon
- Lia Lando - fill in, currently 5:30 and 10 (effective July 1)
- Michelle McClintick - weekend mornings
- Don Postles - weeknights at 5, 6, and 11
- Jacquie Walker - weeknights at 5, 6, and 11
Weather Watch 4 Meteorologists
- Mike Cejka (AMS Seal of Approval) - Wake Up! and noon (Monday-Friday)
- Don Paul (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist, 5 pm, 5:30 pm, 6 pm, 10 pm and 11 pm (weeknights)
- Lindsay Schwarzwaelder - Wake Up! (weekends)
- Amelia Segal - 6 pm, 10 pm, and 11 pm (weekends), joined March 2010 from WJET in Erie [2]
- John Murphy - weeknights at 6 pm, 10 pm, and 11 pm
- Paul Peck - weekend evenings
- Rich Newberg - Senior Correspondent
- Dr. Peter Ostrow, MD - medical
- Nalina Shapiro
- Michele McClintick
- Luke Moretti
- George Richert
- Lorey Schultz
- Tricia Cruz
- Al Vaughters
[edit] Notable former staff
- John Beard - evening anchor (1978–1981). Later worked at KNBC and KTTV in Los Angeles, California; Now at WGRZ anchoring Daybreak and Midday.
- Brian Blessing, sports anchor in the early 1990s. Went on to co-host Hockey Hotline on Empire Sports Network. Now in Las Vegas, hosting Sportsbook Radio and Behind the Lines on KBAD.
- Erika Brason, anchor of Weekend Wakeup!. (2000–2005) (Now at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo)
- Ray Collins , news anchor and the first anchor of Wake Up! alongside Sue Serio. (1994–2000) (Now at WTVT in Tampa)
- Jericka Duncan, anchor/reporter and sports. Left 2010 for KYW-TV.
- Pat Fagan, actor (1948?-1952). Left for WICU-TV and later WGR-TV. Died 2010.
- Lisa Flynn, anchor and reporter (1996-2010). Left due to a desire to focus on her family.[8]
- Maria Genero, weather anchor (1980s). Went on to host Good Day New York; currently the weekend morning/fill-in weather anchor at WGRZ. [9]
- Chuck Gurney, meteorologist and (for a brief time) co-anchor of Weekend Wake Up!. (Now at WBNS-TV)
- Chuck Healey, former boxer and sports announcer. He was WBEN's news anchor from 1965 until 1971 when he returned to the sports desk where he remained until his retirement in 1978.
- Carol Crissey Jasen Nigrelli (AKA Carol Crissey and Carol Jasen), evening anchor. (1979-June 2002) Left the station to marry former WIVB reporter Craig Nigrelli and move to New Mexico.
- Jodi Johnston, did hourly news updates (1994–2000) (Now at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo).
- Bob Koop, variously anchored the 11 p.m. news and the 5:30 news amongst other from 1980 until his leukemia forced him to go on sick leave in 1994; he died the next year.
- Van Miller was associated with WBEN/WIVB's from 1955 until his retirement from the station in 1998. For much of that time he was the station's sports director. He also hosted the station's high school quiz show It's Academic from the late 1960s until the 1990s. He also hosted the bowling show Beat the Champ from 1978 through the 1980s taking over from Healey. Probably best known for radio broadcasting Buffalo Bills games on the radio for about 4 decades.
- Kevin O'Connell was an anchor at WIVB throughout the 1970s before moving to Los Angeles, where he worked as a weather man at KNBC, KABC-TV and KCBS-TV, as well as hosted the short-lived NBC game show Go!. Now the chief weather anchor at rival WGRZ-TV.
- Pam Oliver, reporter (1988–1990). Went on to become a sideline reporter for NFL on Fox and NBA on TNT.
- Kevin O'Neill a.k.a. "The Why Guy." (September 1994-November 2006) O'Neill resigned after 12 years as WIVB's feature reporter. Now at WGRZ
- Alysha Palumbo, reporter (2005–2008). (Now at NECN in Boston)
- Marie Rice, longtime WIVB reporter and morning update anchor since the 1970s, retired in 2006.
- Wadi Sawabini, longtime WIVB reporter (Now head of Sawabini & Associates Law Enforcement Video)
- Lisa Scott, anchor of Wake Up! and Noon news (1997- December 15, 2008). Now retired from television, and currently doing freelance reporting, writing and voice-over work.
- Sue Serio, joined WIVB as the first female co-anchor of Wake Up! in 1994. Serio married sports reporter Bill Vargas during her time at WIVB; by 1997, she was pregnant with his child. She went on maternity leave in 1997 but never returned to Buffalo; instead, both Serio and Vargas quietly went to Philadelphia's WTXF-TV where she is today.
- Kathy Swenson (nee Straitiff), weekend anchor. Now the head of the Gateway Longview group home.
- Dennis Williams, sports director (1996–2008). Currently in sales at WGRZ-TV.
- Mary Beth Wrobel, meteorologist (2000–2009). Released due to an expired contract on June 30, 2009. Now a fill-in at WGRZ.
- Rob Macko, reporter (2006–2009). Released due to an expired contract along with Mary Beth Wrobel on June 30, 2009. Now at WGRZ
- Robin Adams, sports reporter. Left on maternity leave, informed station she would not be returning on December 24, 2009.
- Ellen Maxwell, reporter. Hired for Erie County Executive Chris Collins' top-floor staff. [10]
- John Stehlin, (NWA Seal of Approval) fill-in meteorologist (2009-2010). Now back full time with Stehlin Media Group [


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South Australia's terrestrial orchids are beautiful and zany, exquisite and surprising. So why not share the beauty of them.
Also check out:
I love orchids! I thought I'd be replying to someone interested in violins…and to get this nice treat! I will enjoy following you. Thank you.
I have always been fascinated by orchids and take pictures of them whenever I can. I found your site to be very informative and will come again to read more. Thanks for visiting my blog and liking my post "Mum Bunch".
A woman I loved many years ago taught me to love the beauty of the orchid. Now whenever I see them I cannot but think of her. It's spring now in the northern hemisphere and cannot wait to see them.
Hi Helen, I love your posts and photos of orchids. I am quite new to the Victorian/Sth Australian orchids, having lived in Queensland for the last twenty years. I was amazed when I recently found some helmet orchids, to find they are so tiny! I was expecting to see something like your photo above where they look quite big! Same when I was shown Eriochilus cucullata. I had no idea they were so tiny. Queensland orchids are generally quite large. Thanks for your very informative posts. I look forward to them.


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This post looks at the recent increase in net migration to the UK, and at some of the reasons for increasing immigration in particular, including push and pull factors. It also looks at some of the consequences of increasing migration and the relationship between globalisation and migration.
Recent Patterns of Migration to the UK
The Office for National Statistics Net migration was actually negative during the 1970s and early 1980s, turning positive but at a relatively low level during the 1980s and early 1990s. Since 1994, it has been positive every year and rose sharply after 1997.
During the 2000s, net migration increased further, partly as a result of immigration of citizens from the countries that have joined the EU since 2004. Since the mid 2000s, annual net migration has fluctuated between approximately 150,000 and 300,000.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that net migration stood at 336,000 in the year ending June 2015. This is up from 254,000 in the year ending June 2014. This is a statistically significant increase.
Why are people immigrating to the UK?
The most common reason for migrating to the UK is work. This has been the case historically, with the exception of 2009 to 2012, when formal study was the most common main reason for migration.
In the year ending June 2015, a total of 294,000 immigrated for work-related reasons. This is a statistically significant increase from the previous year when 241,000 people immigrated for work-related reasons. Of those immigrating for work-related reasons in the year ending June 2015, 64% (187,000) came with a definite job to go to and 36% (107,000) came to look for work.
There were increases in immigration for work among EU citizens and non-EU citizens. Provisional estimates from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) show that 58% (162,000) were EU citizens (excluding British citizens), which was not a statistically significant increase and 24% (67,000) were non-EU citizens, also not a statistically significant increase from the previous year. The majority of other sources also show that immigration for work has increased over the last year for both EU and non-EU citizens.
The second most common reason for immigrating to the UK was formal study. In the year ending June 2015, a total of 192,000 people immigrated to the UK for formal study. Provisional estimates from the IPS show that the majority (131,000 or 71%) were non-EU citizens while 47,000 (24%) were EU citizens (excluding British citizens).
In the year ending June 2015, a total of 80,000 people arrived in the UK to accompany or join others,this remains relatively unchanged from 82,000 the previous year. Provisional estimates from the IPS show that the majority (45,000 or 58%) were non-EU citizens while 23,000 (30%) were EU citizens (excluding British citizens).
Where are people Emigrating from?
Refugees and Asylum Seekers Coming to the UK
Migrants to Britain hoping to gain citizenship must get 75 per cent or more on the Life in the UK test, which was recently revamped to incorporate "British values" (whatever they are).
A survey has found that most young Britons would actually fail the test, however, which probably has Ukip supporters feeling very confused indeed.Try for yourself and see if you can pass!
The British Red Cross notes that far fewer people come to the UK to apply for asylum than you might think.
More than 50 million people throughout the world were forced to flee their homes last year. There are more than 13 million refugees worldwide – but developing countries host over 80% of people.
There are an estimated 126,000 refugees living in the UK. That's just 0.19% of the total population (64.1 million people).
How many asylum seekers came to the UK in 2014?
The UK received 31,400 asylum applications. This was less than Germany (166,800), France (63,100), Italy (56,300) and Sweden (81,300). Just 41%of people applying for an initial decision were granted asylum and allowed to stay. Many are initially refused because it is difficult to provide the evidence needed to meet the strict criteria of a refugee.
Which countries do asylum seekers come from?
More than half of the world's refugees (52%) came from just five countries in 2014:
- Syria: 3 million
- Afghanistan: 2.7 million
- Somalia: 1.1 million
- Sudan: 670,000
- South Sudan: 508,000
What do the terms mean?
Asylum seeker
- flees their homeland
- arrives in another country , whichever way they can
- makes themselves known to the authorities
- submits an asylum application
- has a legal right to stay in the country while awaiting a decision.
- has proven to the authorities that they would be at risk if returned to their home country
- has had their claim for asylum accepted by the government
- can now stay here either long-term or indefinitely.
Refused asylum seeker
- has been unable to prove that they would face persecution back home
- has been denied protection by the authorities
- must now leave the country, unless they wish to appeal the decision or there are legitimate reasons why they cannot yet return home.
Economic migrant
- has moved to another country to work
- could be legally or illegally resident, depending on how they entered the country
- may or may not have a legal work permit.
Sources: Home Office, Immigration Statistics, Oct to Dec 2014; UNHCR mid-year report 2014; Office for National Statistics (mid 2013).
- Our refugee support services
- Get the story straight on asylum issues
- Volunteer for refugee support work
The Causes of Increasing Migration to the UK
The simplest level of analysis lies in explaining increasing migration to the UK in terms of push and pull factors:
Push Factors refer to problems which encourage a person to leave or emigrate from their country
Pull Factors refer to the real or perceived benefits of another country which attract people to it, or migrate towards it
You should be able to identify a number of push and pull factors from the material above note down at least two push and pull factors which repel people from other countries and attract them towards the UK.
Increasing globalisation is also fundamentally linked to globalisation, which is covered below.
The Consequences of Increasing Migration for Family Life
The impact of migration on UK population structure
There are three main effects:
- Population size is increasing because net migration is increasing. If it were not for high net migration the UK population would be shrinking due to low birth rates, which on their own are below the fertility rate required to replace the population, which is 2.1. babies per woman.
- The age structure changes. Immigration lowers that average age of the population both directly and indirectly. Directly because immigrants tend to be younger by 10 years than the British born population. Indirectly because Immigrant women have a higher fertility ratio – they have more babies than British born women.
- The dependency ratio. Here immigration has three effects:
- Immigrants are more likely to be of working age and this thus helps lower the dependency ratio.
- However because they are younger, immigrants have more children and so the immigrants' children add to the dependent population.
- Finally, the longer a group is settled in the country, the closer their fertility rate comes to the national average, reducing their distinct impact on the dependency ratio.
Impacts on Public Services..
It is not possible to say with certainty what the implications of migration are for public services, and these impacts are likely to vary by area and depending on the type of public service. Migrants contribute to demand for public services. If foreign-born people in the UK used public services in the same way as demographically similar UK-born people, they would be expected to make less use of health and social care, but greater use of education. Migrants also contribute to financing and providing public services, and are over represented in the health care and social care work forces.
The Political Impact of Globalisation
States now have policies that seek to control immigration, absorb migrants into society and deal with increased ethnic and cultural diversity. More recently policies have also become linked to national security and anti-terrorism policies.
Assimilationism was the first state policy approach to immigration. It aimed to encourage immigrants to adopt the language, values and customs of the host culture, to become 'like us'. However assimilationist policies have mainly failed because of the desire of many migrants to retain aspects of their 'culture of origin'.
Multiculturalism accepts that migrants may wish to retain a separate cultural identity. One consequence of multicultural policy is the emergence of multicultural education in schools. However,Eriksen criticises such education as encouraging 'shallow diversity' – so we accept the surface elements of other cultures such as Samosas and Saris, but it fails to address issues surrounding 'deep diversity' such as arranged marriages.
Since September 11th many politicians have demanded a return to assimilationsim
Two further consequences include –
- A More Multicultural Society
- A divided working class and the white working class backlash.
Globalisation and migration
A final aspect of this topic you need to know about is Globalisation and Migration…
Globalisationis the idea that barriers between societies are disappearing and people are becoming increasingly interconnected across national boundaries.
Globalisation is the result of many processes including the growth of communication systems and global media, the creation of global markets, the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the expansion of the European Union.
Many see globalisation as producing rapid social changes. One such change is increased international migration – the movement of people across borders. We can identify several trends in global migration.
There has been a speeding up of the rate of migration. For example according to the United Nations between 2000 and 2013 international migration increase by 33%, to reach 232 million, or 3.2% of the world's population. In the same year, almost a million people either entered or left the UK.
There are many types of migrant. These include permanent settlers, temporary workers, spouses or forced migrants such as refugees. Before the 1990s immigration to the UK came from a narrow range of former British colonies and these migrants tended to form a small number of stable, geographically concentrated and homogeneous ethnic communities.
However, since the 1990s globalisation has led to what Steven Vertovec (2007) has called super-diversity: even within a single ethnic group individuals may differ in terms of their legal status, culture or religion and be widely dispersed throughout the UK.
There are also class differences among migrants. Robin Cohen (2006) distinguishes three types of migrant:
- Citizens-with full citizenship rights such as voting rights
- Denizens– who are privileged people welcomed by the state – such as billionaire 'oligarchs' or highly paid employees of Transnational companies
- Helots– the most exploited group – states and employers regard them as disposable units of labour power, a reserve army of labour. They are found in unskilled, poorly paid work and include illegally trafficked workers and legal workers such as domestic servants.
The Feminisation of migration
Almost half of all global migrants are female and the types of job they do tend to fit patriarchal stereotypes such that there is a global gendered division of labour.
Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Hochschild (2003) observe that care work, domestic work and sex work in the UK is increasingly done by women from poor countries. This is a result of western women increasingly joining the labour force and the failure of the state to provide adequate child care.
The resulting gap has been filled by women from poor countries. For example, 40% of adult care nurses in the UK are migrants and most of these are female.
There is also a global transfer of women's emotional labour. For example, migrant nannies provide care and affection for their employers' children at the expense of their own children left behind in their home country.
Migrant women also enter western countries as 'mail order brides' and some as the victims of sex-trafficking.
Transnational Identities
According to Thomas Hylland Eriksen(2007), globalisation has created more diverse migration patters, with back and forth movements of people through networks rather than permanent settlement in another country.
This results in such migrants being less likely to see themselves as belonging to one culture or another and instead they may develop transnational neither/ nor identities and loyalties. The globalised economy means that economic migrants may have more links to other migrants than to their country of origin or the country they are currently settled in. Such migrants are less likely to want to assimilate into the 'host country'.
Sources used to write the above include information from the ONS, British Red Cross and Rob Webb et al's AS level Sociology book for the AQA.


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North Queensferry to Burntisland
The second section of the Fife Coastal Path starts at the iconic Forth Rail Bridge and alternates between rural coastal scenery and settlements including Aberdour with its art galleries, harbour and sandy beach. The stage finishes at Burntisland where there is accommodation, shops, places to eat, and bus and train connections back to the start.
Clear coastal path, roads with pavements.
Public Transport
Train and bus to North Queensferrry and Burntisland.
North Queensferrry.
Users' reports
As well as reading our description of each walking route, you can read about the experiences of others users on this walk and others.
There are 3 user reports for this walk - click to read them.


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Here's a statement that I've heard many times before: "I wonder how I'll feel now that my child is in the same class as THAT child." Another school year has begun, and as parents and students start to get to know classmates and find out more about them, there always seems to be this fear around "THAT child". "THAT child" can be so many different kids:
Sometimes it's a child with an identification: from ADHD to Autism. Sometimes it's a child that screams, kicks, bites, or throws furniture. "That child" may hit, punch, or grab. "That child" likely does not use his or her "words" to solve problems.
It often seems as though "that child" needs and gets the most attention from the teacher. "That child" may:
- need a different schedule
- have a different set of rules
- always have to be first in line
- need to sit on a chair instead of at the carpet
- need to avoid full-class activities altogether
- be different…and that's okay.
For you see, here is something that I have not said enough when people have spoken to me about "that child": maybe it's time that we move from focusing on the "negative" to examining the "positive."
Here are some ways that we can reframe this situation. This child is helping others to:
- learn empathy
- learn to be patient
- learn that the teacher is not the only person that can help out in a classroom
- learn respect
- learn that everyone deserves a friend
- learn the value of a quiet voice and fewer words
- learn that every child deserves to be loved, and the different ways that we can show this love
- learn that there is no such thing as a "bad child," and often there is another reason for the many different behaviours that we see
This student is someone's brother, sister, peer, friend, and/or child. This student is doing the very best job that he/she can. This student — like all students — deserves a positive space in the classroom. At one time or another, any child can be "that child", and every child needs to know that he or she has the additional love and support to make it through a challenging time.
Imagine if we never thought about children as this child or that child, but just a child: each of whom needs us in different ways at different times, and teaches us different things along the way.
From now on, I will try to speak up more when I hear concerns about "THAT child", as I think it's time that we start removing the labels and focusing on what we can learn from everybody. Maybe it's that child who will teach us the most about Self-Reg, and imagine how valuable that could be. How do we help change the dialogue around "THAT child", and see the value in ALL children? As a new school year begins, I want to remain focused on how much we can learn from each child.
Aviva Dunsiger has been the Portal Plus Moderator for over a year now and completed the Foundations 1 Certification Program. She has taught everything from Kindergarten to Grade 6 and enjoys blogging about her teaching and learning experiences. She blogs professionally on her blog, Living Avivaloca. Aviva is excited to contribute a monthly post on The MEHRIT Centre Blog.


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watch 02:21
The Loop (Games)
Do you like this video?
The Colonial Crisis Act was an act passed by the Terran Confederacy. Under sub section 1602, a high ranking Confederate commander supersedes the authority of a planet's civilian government should circumstances require it.
The Cerberus Commander used this act to take over the colony of Chau Sara in late 2499 from Magistrate Collins when they disagreed on anti-zerg tactics.
StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Precursor bonus campaign, mission 5: "Extermination" (in English). 1998-09-03. Map Archives: Precursor Campaign.
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Ellen: What answer to terrorism?
Client: Article Z (France), France 2, LBCI, Worldlink (USA), SBS (Australia), CBC (Canada) and Firehorse Films
Language: French/English/Arabic
Number of Seasons: 1
Number of Episodes: 1
Length: 52 Minutes
Ellen Saracini's husband was the pilot of the plane, which crashed into the South Tower in the 9-11 attack on New York. This documentary film investigates the post 9-11 airline safety programmes and what measures are being taken to prevent terrorism in the world. Filming took place in New York with Ellen and with a Palestinian woman in a refugee camp in Lebanon, who had lost her family, as well as an Iraqi woman who lost everything due to two Gulf wars and 12 years of sanctions. The three women communicated with each other via satellite.
Other Work


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"It is as though London stretched unbroken from St Albans to Southend in a tangle of ten-lane four-deck super parkways, hamburger stands, banks, topless drug-stores, hippie hide-outs, Hiltons, drive-in mortuaries, temples of obscure and extraordinary religions, sinless joy and joyless sin, restaurants built to resemble bowler hats, insurance offices built to resemble Babylon, all shrouded below the famous blanket of acrid and corroding smog."
Ah, Los Angeles: huge both in population and square footage, unseasonably warm even in January, and home to an awe-inspiring amount of taco trucks (pictured). I don't know about the topless drug stores that are mentioned above, but the corny restaurants and that irredeemable smog still persist. Luckily, that's not all you'll find in the West Coast's center for sensory overload, and how could it be? Here is but a mere sliver of the Angeleno goodness that the Free Music Archive will have to offer this November. We hope you like it, and please let us know if there's anything you'd like to see on the Free Music Archive by emailing us at fma [at] wfmu [dot] org. You know, we tried to streamline these city-spotlight posts, but Los Angeles (and Chicago) simply wouldn't let us.
MP3's from the Los Angeles Free Music Society, Abominog, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, The Bad Trips, Caldera Lakes, Fósforo, Gang Wizard, Hecuba, Infinite Body, Kevin Shields, Lucky Dragons, Pocahaunted, Robedoor, Softboiled Eggies, Tleilaxu Music Machine, Upsilon Acrux and more after the jump!
The Los Angeles Free Music Society
Los Angeles is home to a whole slew of noise and experimental bands, all of which are seriously indebted to the sprawling collective known as the Los Angeles Free Music Society. Described by core member Rick Potts as "a party where you tell your friends to invite their friends and by midnight your house is overrun by a few hundred virtual strangers," the LAFMS is about as enormous as the city from which it hails. And you'll be able to listen to as much of their output as we can track down on the Free Music Archive.
Airway is just one of many configurations of LAFMS artists. Music Director Brian Turner already wrote about Airway as part of a "Recent Faves From The New Bin" post, so who better to describe their crazy good live album than him:
"Comprised of LAFMS stable stalwarts Rick Potts, Juan Gomez (also of Human Hands fame), Tom Recchion, Joe Potts, Chris Chapman, Dennis Duck (who also has a new reissue of vinyl-glop tomfoolery on the Poo-Bah label) and banshee vocalist Vetza, this set was originally an LP in 1978 and also included in the 10CD LAFMS box set years ago, but has been remastered from the original source for this disc. It blazes like few other things from Tinseltown, that's for certain; a mutant jam of unrecognizable instruments (I dare say that the blaring scrapheap that rolls over everything in the mix in the middle of track 2 might be the mandolin????) Totally berzerk short-circuit mayhem that probably never had a chance to co-star in Urgh! A Music War by a long shot. But you, dear listener, deserve to be there."
Here is Side A (mp3). Side B can be found on the Free Music Archive when it launches in November! And of course, there will be more from LAFMS projects like Le Forte Four, Gothic Hut, Dinosaurs with Horn, Steaming Coils, The Monique Experience, and more. You can order the mammoth 10 disc box set, The Lowest Form of Music, here from the Cortical Foundation.
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
No doubt you've heard from this guy before. He's been making tapes of AM radio hits from an alternate universe since 1996, and he is currently on tour with a full backing band. With his fuzzy, tweaked melodies, he evokes dirty beach dwellers and an LA sunset – a winning combination, if there ever was one.
Here's a track from Homemade Hits Vol. 1 a comp by the now-defunct label, Kittridge Records: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Want Me (mp3), which also featured a track from Holy Shit (Ariel's collaboration with Matt Fishbeck).
The Bad Trips + Abominog
Bad Trips brought their "all-original, all-instrumental, real-deal, acid casulty stripper-pole music" to WFMU's SXSW showcase earlier this year. Grady Runyan plays electric/ebow/delay guitar backed by Jeff Grimes on guitar/bass, Gordon Roberts on bass/viola, and drummer Bob Anderson. Runyan used to play in Bay Area psych-punk riffers Monoshock. He's since relocated to Ventura, CA, where he runs a local records store. Runyan and Grimes also play in Liquorball, whose fortchoming LP with Steve MacKay was recently recorded at Grady's Record Refuge. Grimes writes that "a new Bad Trips LP is in the works and a 2nd printing of the first Bad Trips LP will come out about the same time as the Liquorball LP" so get psyched.
From the first Bad Trips LP on Rocketship Records: Miracle of Marsh Chapel (mp3), If If (mp3)
Former Monoshock drummer and vocalist Rubin Fiberglass has also headed south. His primordial Abominog project, which often features Grady Runyan on guitar, is just starting to emerge from the swamp. Abominog - Peel Back the Mountain Sky (mp3)
This Spanish-language 4-piece mixes traditional Latin influences with grime, dub, a dash of high-life guitar, and electronics. Their v-drums punch out a new approach to that ubiquitous reggaeton beat sound. The group's led by Rafi Benjamin, with Edwin Portillo, Cesar Ventura, and Sasha Costanza-Chock. From last year's Macondo EP, released on the Fósforo's own Raya Records imprint: Mano de Dios (mp3) Desconocido (mp3). You can download the whole release from their website here, along with the web-only mp3 of Fosforo's Cumbia de Obama (mp3). Thanks to DJ/Rupture for the recommendation!
This band brings a lot of influences to the table but manages to make something coherent and bewitching out of it all. Expect droney chants, dub beats, girly singalongs about Yoko Ono, and creepy minimalist melodies. Their EP, Sir, is available on their website, and we have a preview of that EP right here.
Hecuba - Sir (mp3)
Hecuba - Tom and Jerry (mp3)
Hecuba - YES (mp3)
Infinite Body
Infinite Body is experimental music that goes from dreamy to frantic to peaceful, all in one song. The guy behind Infinite Body, Kyle, has his own label, Not Today, and puts drawings from his sketchbooks up on Have Some Hats.
Infinite Body - 02 (mp3)
Infinite Body - 09 (Extended) (mp3)
Infinite Body - 10 (mp3)
Lucky Dragons
Lucky Dragons is the musical project of Los Angeles artists Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara. They have put out something like twenty-one releases, and the result of their sampling and fooling is almost always joyous. They have a new album out on Marriage Records, Upset the Rhythm, and Mistletone called "Dream Island Laughing Language." Luke and Sarah have already been licensing their music with Creative Commons, so you'll be swimming in Lucky Dragons music in November.
Lucky Dragons - Onda Tocadisco (mp3) (from Nortenas, which can be purchased here at Marriage Records)
Lucky Dragons - I Keep Waiting For Earthquakes (mp3) (from Dream Island Laughing Language, which can also be purchased at Marriage Records)
Magic Lantern
This Not Not Fun band puts out ghostly psychedelia that stomps and shakes. Their new album, High Beams, is coming out in mid-August, and you can hear a sample track, as well as watch a great video of a live performance, on their myspace page.
Magic Lantern - Feasting on Energy (mp3)
Psychedelic, droney music that the band members, Amanda and Bethany, accurately describe as sounding like "the earth's period." Hey, don't let that deter you. They dabble in riddim, and they nurture dreams of an orchestral funk and gospel project.
Pocahaunted - Time Fist (mp3) (from a split 7" the band did with Charalambides)
Pocahaunted - Divine Flesh (mp3) (from the currently sold-out album, Peyote Road, which is on the Woodsist label)
Another band from the Not Not Fun stable. Spooky, heavy long-form psych. They did a split with Pocahaunted, and it's easy to imagine what their collaboration would sound like: haunting and relentless. The track we have for you is called "Elemental Prison."
Robedoor - Elemental Prison (mp3)
Softboiled Eggies
The Softboiled Eggies are a pop band with serious post-punk tendencies. Gorgeous harmonies, great melodies, and guitar riffs that are catchy as hell. At times, the lead singer sounds like she's just signed with Rough Trade and she goes a-wassailing in Leeds. But she hasn't, and she doesn't -- the Eggies are on the Tiny Creatures label and they just recently toured the West Coast. One of the Eggies, Janet, runs Tiny Creatures, which doubles as a label and a performance space. And they make pretty pop music.
Softboiled Eggies - So High (mp3) (from the album Egg Soldiers, which can be purchased here)
Softboiled Eggies - Can You Send Blame? (mp3) (from the upcoming album Try It Again, which will be available soon at Upset The Rhythm)
Softboiled Eggies - She Fell Through The Trees (mp3) (from Egg Soldiers, which can be purchased here)
Softboiled Eggies - October Days (mp3) (from the upcoming album Try It Again, which will be available soon at Upset The Rhythm)
The Tleilaxu Music Machine
D. Bene Tleilax is a one-man dance party, calling upon both the techno gods and the metal gods for a rush of hardcore ravesploitation. Frenetic, joyous, relentless. How do you even dance to this? Forget what I said – this isn't dance music, it's music to explode to. And yes. That is a Dune reference. More tracks available for download on his seizure-inspiring myspace page.
The Tleilaxu Music Machine - Bizzy (mp3)*
The Tleilaxu Music Machine - Amziguous (mp3)*
Kevin Shields/Caldera Lakes/Winners/Gang Wizard
What, haven't you heard? If you don't have at least three musical projects going on, you are seriously slacking. Eva Aguila is picking up the pace for you though. She is involved with FOUR projects up on the Free Music Archive, and each one showcases her liking for the abrasive and the dissonant. Aguila also serves as a good one-woman primer in LA noise, so listen up. All releases for Eva's bands can be found via Deathbomb Arc.
First up is Gang Wizard, an improv band with members you've heard before on WFMU in a different permutation. This grinningly chaotic band never sticks to one melody and never adheres to a form for too long, and they don't care if you don't like it. Here's a new track from them: Gang Wizard - Whoever Invents (mp3)
Second on the list is Caldera Lakes, Eva's collaboration with Brittnay Gould of Married in Berdichev!
Forget about the chaos, these are "noise ballads." Brittnay reels it in
with folky melodies, while Eva layers on the noise. The result is
spooky and, dare I say it, beautiful. Caldera Lakes - Silent Something (mp3)
The third band is Winners, which is Eva and her friend Andrew
McKenzie. A little cruder, a little dirtier, but still noisy dance
music. This song is about exactly what you'd think: an absurd tale
about a man and an experiment gone sadly awry. Winners - Mega Dik (mp3)
And finally, her solo project, Kevin Shields. Not to be confused with the man, although one listen to these tracks will clear up any confusion in no time. Unfiltered noise from Eva Aguila:
Kevin Shields - Time and the Hunter (mp3)
Kevin Shields - 06.05.06 (mp3)
Upsilon Acrux
Upsilon Acrux play instrumental prog with post-punk and free-jazz leanings. In athletic league with Don Caballero and Ahleuchatistas, Upsilon's slightly less metallic but no less acrobatic than Orthrelm and the Flying Luttenbachers. The lineup has fluctuated around guitarist Paul Lai since Upsilon's founding 10 years ago in Vista, CA. They're currently a 5-piece based out of LA. From last year's Cuneiform Records release Galapagos Momentum: Upsilon Acrux - So Thereby... And Furthermore. Thus Henceforth...Mono (mp3) *
All the mp3s in this post are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States license, except * Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 United States
Thanks to all the artists and labels for letting us share their music, please give them some support if you like what you hear, and stay tuned for more mp3s from Los Angeles and beyond when the Free Music Archive launches this November!


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Beth TomBilling Manager
'The Doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.' ~Thomas Edison~
Hello and welcome to the Precision Spinal Care Family. My name is Beth Tom and I have been part of the PSC family for over 5 years, serving in a number of capacities including Office Manager, Billing Lead and Head Coach of our Ideal Protein Weight loss System. I have lived in Prescott for over 28 years and have enjoyed raising my two boys here. Chiropractic care has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. In fact, it holds such importance that I made sure my children had chiropractic care since birth. It is a part of our routine wellness care and what keeps us healthy in our everyday lives. I speak both English and Spanish and love to connect with people. Working here has given me the blessing of meeting some wonderful people. I have a true passion for helping others and look forward to helping you along in your journey to health and wellness
Kayla RamboOffice Assistant
I have been with Precision Spinal Care for five years now! I started as a receptionist and have now been working with insurance verification and office assistant. Dr. Therriault and Dr. Benson started seeing me as a patient back when I was 17 years old, and have continued to adjust me- even during my pregnancy! Our office is a very welcoming place, and our hopes are to give you a great experience from the time you walk in, to the time you leave. I am a firm believe in chiropractic and healing touch, you will be in great hands! Literally. I look forward to meeting you.
Desiree SturdevantFront Desk
I have been with Precision Spinal Care for four years and am one of the first faces you will see to welcome you to our office! Originally from Anaheim California, I have been a Prescott resident for 13 years. My daughter and son both attended Prescott schools and my husband works in the HVAC field. I enjoy meeting all the wonderful people that enter our office and have seen first hand what Chiropractic care has done for our clients, my friends and family, and myself.
Maria DanielsMassage Therapist/ Chiropractic Assistant
Maria Daniels was born and raised in the Prescott area. She enjoys working at Precision Spinal Care as a Licensed Massage Therapist and have been part of the team since 2013. She was always been drawn to healing and massage therapy so she decided to attend Northern Arizona Massage Therapy Institute about 5 years ago and then she finished her classes at SWIHA in Tempe, AZ and received her state license in 2014. When she is not working she is spending time with her three children Malia, Evander and Jafar, hiking, doing yoga or reading. She highly recommends Chiropractic care and Massage Therapy to anyone and everyone, of any age!
Teresa PearsonMassage Therapist/ Chiropractic Assistant
Teresa is a licensed massage therapist that is excited to be a part of the Precision Spinal Care Team. Chiropractic care and massage has always been a big part of her life. After raising and homeschooling all of her children, her and her husband moved to Prescott where she recognized the healing benefits of massage. She uses many different techniques including reflexology, deep tissue, neuro-muscular therapy and aromatherapy. She enjoys meeting each client and helping them on their health journey. During her time away from work she enjoys being a grandmother to 6 beautiful grand babies.
Tana MerinoMassage Therapist/ Chiropractic Assistant
Tana has had a love for massage therapy since she was young. It was always a dream of hers to become a therapist and help people feel better! She graduated from ASIS in Prescott AZ in June of 2015. She specializes in Swedish, Trigger Point, Deep Tissue and Sports Massage. She enjoys expanding her knowledge of nutrition and health, traveling, being out doors and most of all spending time with her two babies. She loves working at Precision Spinal Care with such a strong and positive team and meeting our patients, helping them improve and wellness.


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By Samit Ghosh , MD – Ujjivan Financial Services
FOROMIC 2010 – One of the largest global MFI summits was held in Uruguay this year. It had over 1300 delegates from 43 countries. For the first time, delegates from Asia – India and China – were invited for the conference. Mr Samit Ghosh – Managing Director of Ujjivan Financial Services represented India at the Summit. Given below are Mr Ghosh's views post visit to the summit
I was privileged to attend FOROMIC 2010 (Inter American Forum on Microenterprise), the premier summit of microfinance at the invitation of Inter American Development Bank (IDB) held at Montevideo October 6-8, 2010. Latin America has a long history and a highly evolved microfinance industry. This was the first time delegates were invited from Asia: China and India. The learning from this exposure and interaction was very valuable:
- This was the 13th annual Inter-American forum of all the stake holders of microfinance in Latin America attended by over 1300 delegates from over 43 countries. This summit is organized by the Inter American Development Bank and held by rotation by different countries, whose governments vie to host the Summit! The President of Uruguay, Minister of Finance and a host of central bankers attended the Summit. To me the spirit of collaboration among the government, regulators, bankers and the microfinance industry in pursuit of financial inclusion was a revelation. In India despite all four stakeholders having the same objective, we seem to be constantly at the opposite ends of the table engaged in counter-productive contradictions. Perhaps development financial institutions like SIDBI and NABARD can play the role like IBD to bring all the stake holders of microfinance in India together.
- Latin American microfinance is on a different plane. The MFIs have transformed from their origins as NGOs to For Profit Organizations and finally are in the third stage when they are fast converting to banks to provide full range of financial services to effectively work towards financial inclusion. RBI could study the evolutionary process in these countries to provide guidelines for the newly proposed banks for financial inclusion.
- The Central Bank of Brazil also tried the Banking Correspondent model and the Simplified Account (their version of no frill account) for financial inclusion. Argentina has also launched their version of the 'Simplified Account'. The Central Bank of Mexico also has produced a 300 page report on financial inclusion. There has been serious setback to financial inclusion in Columbia which introduced interest ceilings.
- In Latin America financial inclusion through microfinance has been successful in the smaller countries like Bolivia and Peru but not so successful in larger countries like Brazil and Mexico. They are very keen to know how in India with the huge poor population, MFIs are growing rapidly to serve the market and also learn about microfinance initiatives in China.
- Latin America has had a number of MFI failures and a detailed study has been done on this and was discussed at length. One of the major reasons was: uncontrolled growth. This certainly has a serious lesson for us. The report in English will be available in a month and it will be well worth studying by the microfinance industry in India.
- Issues of interest rates, interest rate ceiling, Government interventions, over extension of credit, excessive competition and controversial IPO are areas of common interest both in Latin America and India.
- Finally, the highly regarded report, Global Microscope on the Microfinance Business Environment was released on October 8th, 2010. This report ranks countries based on three parameters: Regulatory Framework, Investment climate & Institutional Development. This year, for the first time it covered countries across the world. India is in the top ten and ranks #8. Not so surprisingly we rank second in Asia after Pakistan # 5 but strangely Bangladesh ranks # 33. The report is a must read for all stakeholders of microfinance and can be downloaded here. The report is sponsored by: IFC, Inter-American Development Bank and Andean Development Corporation.
We have a lot to learn from each other and we need to promote exchanges between the microfinance industry in India and Latin America through conferences like FOROMIC in Latin America and Access Microfinance Summit in India and exchange visits by MFIs through the offices of MFIN & Sa-Dhan.
Samit Ghosh


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This post originally appeared on Huffington Post.
I would like to visit Umpqua Bank.
Sounds nerdy I'm sure. It is not an amusement park or a tourist attraction. I don't know anyone who has an account there. From what I have read, I am sure I would like to visit. Not to open an account; I suppose I could start an account online. However, Umpqua Bank sounds like the kind of place you have to experience because it's a game changer.
Umpqua Bank operates as a retailer. Bank branches are called "stores." In years past, the bank's creative customer service strategies have ranged from releasing a CD of local artists to its "lemonaire" campaign, which provided children with startup capital and a lemonade kit to support small business and charities. A location in Portland is described as having a hotel-style lobby with flat-screen TVs, where you have access to Umpqua brand coffee and free WiFi. Sort of sounds like banking at my local Starbucks. It doesn't stop there. Free events at each "store" invite customers to choose from a variety of offerings such as a baby social hour, movie night, or yoga. And Umpqua knows banking, with profits increasing 89 percent in the first quarter of 2012.
What if, in order to stand out from the crowd, a community bank decided to engage in the lives of its customers beyond bank loans and standard accounts? What if?
"What if?" is one of my favorite questions, along with "why not? and "who says?" Personally and professionally, it works this way. When considering certain situations, speculations, or obstacles, the first question is, "What if things could be done differently or seen from another angle?" or "What if assumptions need to be challenged, examined or verified?" Then ask, "Why not consider certain possibilities?" And lastly, "Who says it cannot be done or what would hinder the scenarios or possibilities? Has it been tried before?" These are baseline questions to step back from circumstances and consider what is possible.
Times of change are full of possibilities. A line from the TV show The X- Files says, "A dream is the answer to a question we have not yet learned to ask." Part of my work is helping people ask questions and consider possibilities during times of transition. This is not a plug for business. It is context. It's the reality of what attracts me to the work of helping people and projects transform from confusion to clarity, idea to implementation, from dream to development. It is why I want to visit Umpqua Bank.
Times of change can also be full of fear. I know fear well. I was the type of kid you could not leave alone in a room for too long. I would run out of the room screaming for dear life. "What if?" was not a very comforting question then.
Our mental movies can play out horrible scenarios, especially in times of transition. It is no secret our world has shifted from an industrial revolution to a digital one. Global and disruptive shifts challenge the delivery of services and products, while redefining the workforce. Pardon this necessary statement of the obvious. Because what is not so obvious is where we are going. Whether real or imagined, it can feel as though we are running for our lives on a treadmill of fear.
It's time to get our bearings. Change does not have to be overwhelming. I like the way Alan Webber says it in his book, Rules of Thumb:
These are extraordinary times. In our work, our lives, and everything in between we are witnessing change that is so fast and unpredictable that our first challenge is simply to make sense of it. […] The time has come to rethink, reimagine, and recalibrate what is possible, what is desirable, what is sustainable. It's time to rewrite the rules.
A recent article in Fast Company posits in the peril of our times, it's not survival of the fittest but survival of the adaptable. The article profiles members of what they call Generation Flux. This generational classification is not based on demographics such as Baby Boomers or Generation Y; rather it's based on psychographics. It's a mindset that embraces instability, reframes challenges and tolerates or enjoys the ambiguity. I believe I am a part of Generation Flux. I am sure they would have profiled me if they had only known.
In these times, I have decided to choose adventure over apprehension, to ask questions and, when appropriate, to rewrite the rules. My favorite declaration in the face of fear is to be romanced by the unknown, excited by uncertainty and suspended by grace. Better than running scared any day.