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Volunteer coordinators are a crucial link between the work that needs to be done and finding the people to do it. As PTOs grow in members and in number of events sponsored every school year, it's a good idea to consider adding this position to the board. Volunteer coordinators help program chairs by recruiting volunteers throughout the year to support different events as well as managing the member data. They also help inform parents about volunteer opportunities and responsibilities.
The Torrey Hills Elementary PTA in San Diego, Calif., added a volunteer coordinator board position to its bylaws in 2010. The coordinator manages the online signup forms for different events throughout the year and distributes the form links to event chairs to promote. "It is super helpful because parents can click on the link to sign up for what they want to do," says Shelby Wyandt, who served as room mom coordinator for the Torrey Hills PTA.
Before that time, the district had a part-time employee who oversaw all volunteer jobs, including classroom and PTA events; however, as a PTA role, the volunteer coordinator now helps organize the volunteer fair on the first day of school, during which the PTA recruits the majority of its volunteers for the year.
"The chairs of all events have tables set up with signs, such as walking Wednesdays, carnival, and dads lunch, and our room mom coordinators sign up volunteers at the fair," Wyandt says. Afterward, the volunteer coordinator sends each program chair the list of parents who signed up. Recruitment continues all year, especially for events happening later on. "The teachers appreciate having a list of classroom volunteers to start the year, and then we can go back to them for end-of-year activities where we need volunteers," Wyandt adds.
Nuts and Bolts of the Job
Communicate with committee chairs. It's important for a volunteer coordinator to talk to each committee chair and learn about her needs and how volunteers can help. Having this information handy will help when meeting potential volunteers. Being able to match a need with a person's interest is great. For example, a prospective volunteer who loves books or who is a librarian could join the book fair committee—it's a perfect way to use her expertise to benefit the students. The Springman/Attea PTA, which serves two middle schools in Glenview, Ill., had a prospective volunteer who worked in advertising; the copresidents suggested he help sell ads for the printed student directory and coordinate the design with the printer. His experience was a tremendous bonus.
Focus on organization. A group with a lot of potential volunteers and many ways for them to get involved has so much opportunity for success! It can be daunting to keep track of all those people, committees, tasks, and dates, but an online database management tool will automate the process of updating, cross-referencing, and sorting. (PTO Today's Volunteer Manager is an easy-to-use online program designed just for PTOs and PTAs to effectively manage volunteers.)
Support and empower chairpeople. Having a volunteer coordinator is especially helpful when recruiting committee and event chairs because it takes one major task off their plate: identifying the other parents who will help them. This is good for people who struggle with finding volunteers or soliciting help directly.
However, the volunteer coordinator should also empower committee chairs to recruit for volunteers in coordination with the larger effort. The Reed Union School District PTA in Tiburon, Calif., holds a volunteer fair at the start of school and asks event chairpeople to help sign up volunteers, says Reed Elementary PTA site chair Allison Hart. "At our volunteer coffee, we set up tables for each classroom and for our big events. A few events that need a lot of help are the book fair, where we need organizers and cashiers. Luckily, we seem to fill all the slots at this coffee!" she says. "For end-of-the-year events, like our field day on the last day of school, the room parent schedulers will send a [volunteer sign-up link] to the entire school."
Use job descriptions as a recruitment tool. The Reed district PTA's room parent scheduler helps manage classroom volunteers by sharing and posting specific descriptions for jobs such as car line, class party, field trip, art project, yearbook, and kindergarten safety day coordinators. By providing details about what the job entails, their volunteers know what the expectations are.
Here's an example of the car line coordinator position:
Volunteers should arrive by 8 a.m., sign in at the office to pick up visitor's badge and walkie-talkie, and report to their station in the upper car line. The late bell rings at 8:30 a.m., so the car line finishes and the gate is closed shortly after. Parents staffing the car line are not allowed to have any children with them at the car line as a safety precaution. Instead, please send school-age children to the playground, where there is aide supervision. Younger siblings should not be on the playground during school hours.
Coordinate With Your School
Many school districts require volunteer applications and online clearances to be completed before volunteers can help in a classroom or at a school event. Part of the volunteer coordinator's job is to inform prospective volunteers about the school's guidelines before they show up to do their job. It may be as simple as knowing they need to have identification every time they enter the school, or it may require an application process that gets completed weeks in advance. Talk to the school about setting up a spot for the volunteer coordinator in the office; this can make it easier for the coordinator to communicate directly with school administrators about important information for parents.
For example, in 2014, the state of Pennsylvania passed a law requiring all schools to run state child abuse and police checks for prospective volunteers. In the North Hills School District in Pittsburgh, Pa., prospective volunteers who have not lived in state for the entire previous 10-year period must also be cleared by the FBI. Parent groups can help volunteers understand what is required by sharing information online, in newsletters, and at meetings. The Ross Elementary PTO in Pittsburgh, for example, posts these volunteer requirements online as part of its homeroom parent and party volunteer form so all prospective volunteers know the school and district requirements.
Some schools have set up a paid position to coordinate volunteer opportunities schoolwide. If this is the case at your school, talk about how the PTO can coordinate with this person to make sure the parent group's volunteer needs are met. At Volusia County Schools in DeLand, Fla., for instance, coordinators work with the parent groups to ask volunteers to track hours. During the 2015-16 school year, more than 34,000 volunteers donated more than 900,000 hours of service to the district, a value worth well over $20 million! The screening program includes an online application and check against a sexual predator/offender database.
"The PTA makes sure all our volunteers know they have to be on the approved list of volunteers, and we share the process on our flyers, website, and on our Twitter and Facebook pages," says DeBary (Fla.) Elementary PTA president Jennifer Baylor. "It can take one to two days for the applications to be approved, and the new volunteers need to have their driver's license scanned at the school the first time they visit."
In addition, the district updated the volunteer guidelines in the student handbook and created a wonderful resource for volunteers to match their skills and availability to needs, including parent group opportunities. Volunteers available during the school day might apply to help in an elementary school classroom or media center; in the afternoon, they could assist with an after-school club or tutor students at a secondary school. Evening opportunities include helping with book fairs or carnival nights and building stage sets for elementary school plays. Time commitments are broken down by weekly or as-needed opportunities.
Whether your parent group is creating the volunteer coordinator position from scratch, adding onto an existing board position, or working with the school district to manage it, your families and students will benefit from an organized and well-run volunteer program. Start with what works for your group and remember to communicate, listen, and plan ahead if possible.
Communicating With Potential Volunteers
Be specific about the help that's needed. Create a detailed sign-up form for each volunteer need—for example, three volunteers for each of three two-hour shifts. An online sign-up form is most efficient.
Create a "general volunteer" option to collect a ready group of volunteers to contact at a moment's notice.
Let members know you have received their input through a group email; include a general thank-you message such as "Thanks for volunteering for the fall carnival on Oct. 20!" or "We received your info and will follow up closer to the event with specific times that help is needed."
Speak positively to your parent group members and potential volunteers; remember that some may have limitations to what they can and can't do to help.
Be aware of your needs and share them in a positive way to help excite and motivate new members to get involved.
Common Volunteer Coordinator Duties
Meet with school leaders (principals, teachers, librarians) and PTO committee chairs to determine their volunteer needs.
Serve as the liaison between the school and community, promoting ways to get involved and how to help.
Promote volunteer opportunities widely.
Forward lists of volunteers by activity or event and share with committee and event chairpeople when they need the information.
Share volunteer openings with board and general PTA members so they can let others know. This is especially helpful when caught off-guard, such as at the grocery store when a neighbor says, "I'd like to get involved but don't know what I could do."
Determine the best way to recruit volunteers inside and outside of school.
Thank volunteers throughout the year.
Prepare detailed job descriptions for volunteers so they know what is expected of them.
Keep a set of volunteer guidelines in the school office and on your website to send to new families who join the school throughout the year.
Possibly help the principal recruit for school activities, such as lunchroom duty or recess supervision.
Organize volunteer needs in a database, being specific about number needed, dates and times, and duties to be fulfilled.
Develop a master calendar of volunteer needs.
Use online tools to manage and solicit volunteers.
Keep a list of volunteers from year to year to allow for easy follow-up.
Originally posted in 2016 and updated regularly.


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Three things to know this weekend:
- The Galaxy play their first preseason game at 6 p.m. Saturday at StubHub Center against reigning Armenian champions FC Shirak. Tickets start t $17, while parking is free. The game will be televised on Time Warner Cable Deportes.
- The indoor Ontario Fury wrap up their season Sunday against the Las Vegas Legends.
- If the EPL is your thing, note that fourth-place Liverpool hosts first-place Arsenal at 4:45 a.m. Saturday on the USA Network because the Winter Olympics is hogging the airtime over at NBCSN. Click here to find your EPL game this weekend. And click here for a comprehensive preview of all the weekend games.

subset: commoncrawl


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text: This free site tracks your expenses and taps the insights of other users. By Thomas M. Anderson, Contributing Editor August 31, 2007 When tracking your spending, simplicity has its virtues. Software, such as Quicken and Microsoft Money, can gum up the works with unnecessary charts and forecasting tools. Now several free Web sites offer an easy way to keep tabs in one place on all your expenses. Wesabe is our favorite. RELATED LINKS Everything You Need to Know About Budgeting Put Your Finances on Autopilot The site provides excellent security, which should be your top concern when you post your financial data on the Web. Unlike most money trackers, Wesabe doesn't ask you to disclose your account passwords. Rather, Wesabe software that runs on your computer keeps those passwords encrypted. When you upload data to the site, it takes only the information needed to help you budget. Your online account is stripped of personal identifiers, such as your name, e-mail addresses and credit-card numbers. Sponsored Content Once your expenses are entered, you can tap the insights of more than 30,000 users. "Wesabe lets me share the results of my own budgeting research," says David Knight, a 28-year-old software programmer in Greer, S.C., who has logged on since March. "And it lets me reap the rewards of everyone else's knowledge." For instance, Knight learned from his cyber pals how to get a better deal on health insurance for his infant son. The site also tells you what the average Wesabe user spends each visit and month at merchants such as Costco and Trader Joe's. Wesabe, which launched last November, has its limitations, however. The site doesn't yet allow you to follow your investments, and investing guidance is sparse and elementary.


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Mummy Bagels ~ An Easy & Healthy Halloween Party Food
For the past two years, my daughters have been asked to bring a "healthy snack" to their classroom Halloween parties. There are tons of adorable treat ideas out there, but the challenge was to find a non-sweet treat that was cute, would be quick and easy to make and that even the pickiest of kids would enjoy eating. And that's how the Mummy Bagel was born.
If you have time in your schedule to run to the grocery store, whip some cream cheese, and open a can of olives, you can make Mummy Bagels. I used pre-sliced whole-grain bagels -- healthy and time saving!
Mummy Bagels
makes 24
1 dozen mini bagels, halved
2 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2 2.25 oz. cans sliced black California olives
Pastry bag or large Ziploc freezer bag
Prep: In a medium bowl and with an electric mixer, whip cream cheese for five minutes on high speed. Set aside.
1. Arrange bagel halves on a serving plate. Place two olive "eyes" near the center of each bagel half.
2. Put cream cheese in a pastry bag or freezer bag and snip a small hole in the tip. Squeeze a small amount onto a plate to make sure you like the thickness of the cream cheese "bandage". If you want your "bandage" to be bigger, enlarge the opening with another small snip.
3. Pipe cream cheese "bandages" on each bagel. I found it easiest to pipe around the eyes (in a figure-8 pattern) first. Then pipe back and forth to create the wrapped bandage look. As you near the bottom, leave a small section open for the mouth.


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Our Fellows from 2016-2018
We would like to truly thank (left to right) Mariana Golovchenko (Global Week for Syria), Riah Fairweather (Scottish Music Centre), Merlijn Poolman (Dutch Music Export), Giulia Lodi (European Choral Association - Europa Cantat), Alexandra Solea (Solèart Management) & Balázs Hornyák (Freelance musician) for their involvment from 2016-2018. We were delighted to be able to work with you.
A Brief History of Youth Involvement
The starting point of the Fellowship Programme was in September 2000 at the Annual Meeting of the EMC in Bonn. After a presentation of the work of the European Parliament of Young Musicians (EPYM), the interest of the EMC Board and the participants encouraged the members of the EPYM to continue their work, as it became apparent that a better participation of young people in European music organisations was necessary. Therefore, the first Working Group Youth (WGY) was founded in Bonn in October 2000 by three members of the former EPYM.
Then the WGY grew in size and scope and built up strong links with other international youth groups. Some of its biggest achievements included carrying out two Youth in Action-funded cooperation projects: Access! And Make Music! Be Heard! (that included work placement schemes all across Europe and a European Youth Forum on Music held in Turin), hosting various sessions and formats at EMC events and activities, drafting and disseminating the Manifesto for Youth and Music in Europe, including a presentation of the document at a meeting of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament and much more.
Whilst the EMC has always been a strong advocate of the voice of young people, the EMC team, Board and members of the last WGY (2013 - 2015) questioned whether the format in which the committee operated was still the best solution for guaranteeing the voice of youth in the EMC's activities. Experience has shown that the study commitments and working schedules of young people at the start of their careers does not always allow them the flexibility for travels and the fulfilment of the commitments to such a committee. The idea therefore emerged to make the strategy for youth involvement more open, allowing more young professionals to get involved in the EMC and at the same time take the pressure of the responsibilities of the committee from a small group of people. These discussions led to the creation of the Fellowship Programme which was adopted at the Annual Meeting of Members 2016 in Wroclaw.
Activities 2008 - 2013
Learn more about the various activities and projects carried out by former EMC Working Groups Youth.
Make Music! Be Heard!
The central aim of Make Music! Be Heard! was to strengthen youth participation in European music networks. Learn more about the Youth in Action-funded project, its activities and outcomes.
Manifesto for Youth and Music in Europe
The WGY of the EMC developed this document aa a result of consultations with many young Europeans from different backgrounds and interests within the music field on their needs and aspirations.


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An iframe instance whose parent and child reside on different domains or hostnames constitutes a sandboxed environment. The contained page has no access to its parent. These restrictions are imposed by the browser's same origin policy.
There are a few limitations applicable to iframes:
However, Atlassian Connect makes use of a technique called cross-domain messaging. This technique uses postMessage to pass data between the iframe and its parent.
Atlassian Connect transparently enables cross-domain messaging in its page modules. One benefit you'll see from this is that your app's page modules are automatically resized based on its content when loaded on the page.
Only content within an element with the class
ac-content will be resized automatically.
Content without this identifier is sized according to the
body element, and
is not dynamically resized. The recommended DOM layout for your app is:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Hello World

Addon content goes here

...this area reserved for our resize sensor divs
A single app can generate multiple iframes in a particular page in the target application. Depending on the use case for the app, the iframes may need to share information between each other.
The Atlassian Connect JavaScript client library,
all.js, provides a publish/subscribe mechanism
that you can use to exchange data between iframes.
A common scenario in which a single app presents multiple iframes in a page is where a web panel or other page element spawns a dialog box.
The only restriction on the data shared in this manner is that it must be serializable using the structured clone algorithm.
For more information on the event API visit the events documentation.
Atlassian Connect provides a JavaScript client library called
This library establishes the cross-domain messaging bridge with its parent. It also provides several methods and objects that you can use in your pages without making a trip back to your app server.
You must add the
all.js script to your pages in order to establish the cross-domain messaging bridge. Make sure your
pages include the following script:

If you're using the atlassian-connect-express client library to build your app, this will automatically be inserted into your pages at run time.
Don't download the
all.js file and serve it up from your app server directly. The all.js file must be served up by Atlassian in order for the cross-domain messaging bridge to be established.
all.js file is only intended for use in an iframe inside an Atlassian product and does not work for standalone web pages.
The JavaScript client library has some configuration options for customizing its behavior. The options are passed
using the
data-options attribute.

If you are using requirejs or other dynamic script loader, use an element with an id of
ac-iframe-options in place of a script tag.

The following options are currently supported:
true or
|You can deactivate the automatic resizing by setting
true or
sizeToParent:true, the iframe will take up its parent's space
(instead of being sized to its internal content).
true or
true, the
margin option sets the body element's top, right and left margin to 10px for dialogs,
and to 0 for non-dialog pages.
true or
base:true, a base tag pointing to the host page is injected:
This can be useful for embedded links to product pages.
A non-compressed version of the
all.js JavaScript can be viewed by replacing
all.js with
all-debug.js for example:
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This can be helpful when trying to trace errors or debug the app JavaScript.
URL query parameters are encoded as
This converts spaces to
+ which can cause issues when using JavaScript functions such as
A simple way to handle this is to convert
+ to
%20 before decoding. A utility function
is provided for this purpose. For example:
1 2 3
AP.require("_util", function(util){
The cookbook is filled with snippets of client side JavaScript code, providing examples for making simple client side apps, and gathering data from the products JavaScript API methods.
For product-specific examples of what you can do through the front end JavaScript API that Connect provides, check out the Connect cookbook.
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1921: not far from Paris, a party is being held at the famous Marguerite Dumont's (Catherine Frot) mansion. Nobody knows much about the mysterious Marguerite except that she has devoted her whole life to her passion: music.
As she takes center stage, she sings enthusiastically but terribly out of tune. When a provocative young journalist decides to write a rave article on her latest performance, Marguerite starts to believe even further in her talent. This gives her the courage she needs to follow her dream - to perform in front of a crowd of complete strangers.
|Xavier Giannoli
|Les Films Séville
|Marc Missonnier, Olivier Delbosc
|Catherine Frot, André Marcon, Michel Fau, Denis Mpunga, Sylvain Dieuaide, Astrid Whettnall
|Xavier Giannoli


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On December 1, 2008, a federal jury in San Francisco found that Chevron Corporation was not liable for the Nigerian military's actions in attempting to suppress a protest at one of Chevron's offshore oil platforms in which two protesters were killed and a number of others were allegedly beaten and tortured. The question before the jury was whether or not Chevron bore any responsibility for the military's actions under a discrete federal statute called the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), which allows aliens to file suit in United States federal court for torts that occur abroad. The Chevron case is the most recent example in a line of actions that are increasingly being pursued by foreign nationals under the ATS seeking to hold multinational corporations responsible for alleged human rights abuses perpetrated abroad. With Chevron's recent victory, the defendants have won the only two "corporate ATS" cases that have gone to trial - in July 2007, a jury in Alabama found that Drummond Co. was not responsible for a paramilitary organization's murder of three labor union leaders near a mine in Columbia.1However, the mere fact that these two cases survived pretrial motions and were allowed to proceed to trial suggests that multinational corporations may increasingly find themselves embroiled in ATS litigation based on a variety of business activities abroad.
The Alien Tort Statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1350, was passed by the First Congress as part of the Judiciary Act of 1789, and it provides that "[t]he district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States." For the first 200 years of its existence, the ATS lay virtually dormant. Indeed, it is widely agreed that the modern era of ATS litigation began in 1979 with the case of Filartiga v. Pena-Irala . In that case, two citizens of Paraguay, a father and his daughter, sued the former Inspector General of Police in Asuncion, Paraguay for allegedly kidnapping, torturing, and murdering their son/brother in retaliation for the father's political activities. Following dismissal by the district court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit announced that the ATS confers federal jurisdiction for recognized violations of international law - including deliberate torture committed under color of official authority as alleged by the plaintiffs.2Following the Filartiga decision, plaintiffs' lawyers increasingly began using the ATS to seek redress for international human rights violations, often targeting oppressive dictators or military leaders such as former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and former Bosnian-Serb leader Radovan Karadziç.3However, the individual defendants in these cases often refused to submit to the jurisdiction of the U.S. courts and frequently failed to appear to contest the charges. Although plaintiffs may have been able to obtain default judgments in these cases, their ability to collect damages was speculative at best, though there have been occasional monetary awards in such cases.4
Plaintiffs Shift Their Focus To Corporate Defendants
Likely as a result of the difficulties associated with suing foreign tyrants, in the early 1990s plaintiffs' lawyers shifted their focus and began using the ATS to target large, multinational corporations. In these "corporate ATS" suits, the plaintiffs allege that the companies facilitated or were complicit in the commission of various international torts abroad. There are numerous advantages for plaintiffs in targeting multinational corporations as defendants in ATS cases: the corporations do business in the United States and are, therefore, subject to jurisdiction in the federal courts; the corporations often have deep pockets and would be able to satisfy any judgment; factors such as corporate brand and reputation can be used as leverage to extract settlements even where legal underpinnings are weak; and the media and public pressure accompanying such suits, which often involve stories of horrific abuses against the plaintiffs, may lessen a company's desire to fight.
Although no company has been held liable under the ATS for human rights abuses carried out abroad, plaintiffs' lawyers are trying to establish a roadmap for a successful corporate ATS case. Plaintiffs' lawyers continue to alter their theories in response to decisions from federal courts setting boundaries, albeit fuzzy ones, on the scope of the ATS. Indeed, plaintiffs have recently overcome motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment, and have now gotten two corporate ATS cases before juries. All corporations doing business internationally should take notice of this "litigation creep." ATS cases typically revolve around heart-wrenching accounts of horrific human rights abuses such as genocide, war crimes, extrajudicial killings, rape and torture. Plaintiffs' attorneys are likely to continue to look for a set of facts they can present to a jury that will result in a finding of liability against a corporation.5Therefore, companies facing a corporate ATS suit should take the matter very seriously and defend the claims aggressively. This is especially true given the legal uncertainty as to both the types of abuses that are actionable under the ATS and whether or not corporations can be held secondarily liable - under theories such as aiding and abetting - for violations of international law committed by others.
Current Legal Landscape
The Supreme Court has yet to take up a corporate ATS case, and has only addressed the scope of the ATS on one occasion. In Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain , the Supreme Court held that foreign plaintiffs could assert claims under the ATS for a very limited set of torts that could be found to violate international law, but left it to the lower courts to determine which claims could proceed. The Supreme Court cautioned that "any claim based on the present-day law of nations [should] rest on a norm of international character accepted by the civilized world," and that the norm be defined with adequate "specificity."6Although there is little dispute that acts of genocide, war crimes, and torture satisfy this standard, the boundaries of actionable conduct are far from clear.
More recently, and of greater concern to corporations doing business abroad, several federal appellate courts - most notably the Second Circuit and the Ninth Circuit - have suggested that claims premised upon theories of secondary liability are available under the ATS.7Under this developing interpretation of the law, plaintiffs have alleged that corporate defendants aided and abetted or facilitated various human rights violations carried out by host governments. Thus, companies are increasingly being sued in corporate ATS suits based on a variety of business activities abroad.
At one end of the spectrum are claims against corporations that contract for private or public security forces to guard their operations abroad. These claims typically arise from alleged human rights abuses committed by the security forces in the course of protecting the corporation's property or operations. In one such case, Unocal Corp. and several other entities had entered into a joint venture with the Myanmar government to produce and transport natural gas. The contracts provided that the Myanmar military would provide security for various pipelines and other property. The plaintiffs sought to hold Unocal liable for the Myanmar military's forced labor practices and forced relocation of entire villages in connection with the project. Indeed, the plaintiffs alleged that prior to entering into the joint venture with Myanmar, Unocal was well aware that the military had engaged in such activity in the past. Although the Unocal case settled before the courts could address the scope of corporate ATS liability, it illustrates the difficulties that can arise from the fact that many resource-rich areas of the world are also areas with some of the poorest human rights records.8Given the blurry boundaries of ATS liability, companies must be cautious when dealing with governments in the developing world, especially when those countries insist on requiring that state security forces protect foreign business operations.
Somewhere in the middle of the spectrum are claims against corporations that perform experimental trials abroad, outside of the strict regulatory framework that exists for product testing in the United States. These claims often arise from clinical trials that are alleged to have run afoul of various international ethical principles and guidelines for biomedical experimentation. A recent example is a suit brought by a class of Nigerian citizens against Pfizer in which the plaintiffs alleged that Pfizer had secretly tested the experimental antibiotic Trovan on them in response to an outbreak of bacterial meningitis in Kano, Nigeria in 1996. The plaintiffs' primary arguments were that Pfizer supplied inadequate medical treatment and failed to obtain informed consent for the alleged experimentation which resulted in injury and death to several children.9Although the case was dismissed on forum non conveniens grounds, it reveals another area of corporate activity that may be challenged by ATS litigation.10
At the other end of the spectrum are claims against corporations that simply do business abroad with foreign governments. Relying heavily on "aiding and abetting" theories of liability, these claims typically arise from alleged human rights abuses committed by foreign governments, abuses which plaintiffs argue would not have occurred (or would have occurred in a different manner) but for a company's willingness to sell its goods or services to the foreign government. In one such case, multiple corporations were sued by foreign individuals that allegedly suffered damages as a result of crimes of apartheid in South Africa.11The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants had supplied the apartheid regime with various resources (such as technology, money, oil, etc.) and that these resources allowed the government to perpetuate its abuses. The plaintiffs contend that this case is not simply about doing business with an oppressive regime, but a review of the complaints reveals that this is the extent of the defendants' activity. Although a number of defendants were recently dropped from this litigation, the case remains open and is a powerful example of the breadth of corporate ATS liability being pursued by plaintiffs.
Recommendations For Corporations Doing Business Abroad
Given the current state of the law and plaintiffs' ongoing attempts to create new causes of action in this field, there are several steps companies should take to limit their exposure to ATS litigation:
• Before contracting with a foreign government, determine whether there are any domestic or international restrictions or resolutions regarding doing business with the particular government.
• Contracting with foreign governments should be done transparently and at arms length, especially when the provision of military or security forces is involved.
• Be a good corporate citizen - establish and follow corporate codes of conduct for the humane treatment of workers and residents.
• Adopt and follow any relevant international codes or policies regarding doing business in a particular country, and seek guidance from the country's domestic ministries regarding business activities.
Not only will the above precautions help to minimize a corporation's exposure to ATS suits (by both steering a company clear of doing business with questionable governments and dissuading plaintiffs' lawyers from naming the company as a defendant), but adherence to these prescriptions also ensures that powerful exculpatory evidence will exist in the event that a corporation is ultimately sued. Moreover, if a company does get named as a defendant in an ATS case, the following additional tactics can be employed to minimize costs and maximize the company's position in the litigation:
• Take the case seriously from day one and defend dubious claims aggressively (to avoid acquiring an "easy-target" reputation).
• Seek dismissal of the case at an early stage based on prudential concerns that will negate the need for costly discovery - such as the political question doctrine, case-specific deference, forum non conveniens , principles of comity, and the plaintiffs' failure to exhaust local remedies.
• Mobilize public relations and crisis management teams to assess the facts, respond to allegations quickly and accurately, and manage media messages.
• If the company's actions were not entirely above board, seek to resolve the case on reasonable terms with minimal media attention so as to protect corporate brands and reputations.
Until the Supreme Court sets firm boundaries for the scope of ATS jurisdiction and corporate ATS liability, plaintiffs' lawyers will likely continue to push the envelope in seeking to use dubious theories of vicarious liability to obtain redress for atrocities committed around the world from deep-pocket corporate defendants that have little or no connection to such abuses. Although companies should defend such claims aggressively, caution must also be exercised in determining which cases to push for appellate review in the event of unfavorable trial court rulings or verdicts. A key aspect of clarifying the ATS legal landscape will be advancing the right case or cases before the Supreme Court. Until the Supreme Court weighs in, however, companies should take this statute into account when doing business abroad and should continue to monitor corporate ATS cases as they make their way through the courts. 1 Pretrial opinions resolving various motions in these cases delve deep into the factual background giving rise to the plaintiffs' claims .See Bowoto v. Chevron Corp ., 557 F. Supp. 2d 1080 (N.D. Cal. 2008); Rodriquez v. Drummond Co ., 256 F. Supp. 2d 1250 (N.D. Ala. 2003).
2 Filartiga v. Pena-Irala, 630 F.2d 876 (2d Cir. 1980).While the appeal was pending, the defendant returned to Paraguay and took no further part in the action.On remand, a default judgment was entered on behalf of plaintiffs in the amount of $10,385,364, which included costs and punitive damages. Filartiga v. Pena-Irala, 577 F. Supp. 860 (E.D.N.Y. 1984).
3 See Hilao v. Estate of Marcos, 103 F.3d 767 (9th Cir. 1996); Kadic v. Karadzic, 70 F.3d 232 (2d Cir. 1995).
4 See Arce v. Garcia, 434 F.3d 1254 (11th Cir. 2006) (affirming $54.6 million jury verdict for Salvadoran refugees that were tortured by military personnel in El Salvador); Cabello v. Fernandez-Larios, 402 F.3d 1148 (11th Cir. 2005) (affirming $4 million jury verdict for survivors of a Chilean economist who was executed by Chilean military officers following the 1973 coup d'état).
5 Perhaps wary of opening the ATS floodgates, corporations have been willing to settle cases in which the allegations of misconduct by the corporation are substantial and are supported by evidence.Recently, Yahoo! Inc. settled a lawsuit brought by Chinese dissidents who alleged that Yahoo! aided and abetted the Chinese government's torture of political dissidents by providing the government with the identities and other personal information about the dissidents.The terms of the settlement are confidential, but the swiftness with which the settlement was reached, and the subsequent apology from Yahoo! executives, have been interpreted by the media as an acknowledgement of at least moral wrongdoing, if not legal liability, by the company.The case , Xiaoning, et al. v. Yahoo!, Inc. et al., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (No. C07-02151).
6 Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain, 542 U.S. 692, 725 (2004); see Filartiga v. Pena-Irala, 630 F.2d 876, 881 (2d Cir. 1980) ("[C]ourts must interpret international law not as it was in 1789, but as it has evolved and exists among the nations of the world today.").
7 See Khulumani v. Barclay Nat'l Bank Ltd., 504 F.3d 254, 260 (2d Cir. 2007); Sarei v. Rio Tinto, PLC, 487 F.3d 1193, 1202-03 (9th Cir. 2007).
8 The procedural history of the Unocal case is representative of the fact that courts have yet to firmly establish the standard for applying the ATS to corporations.The district court initially granted summary judgment to Unocal, holding that the plaintiffs were required to prove that Unocal directed the military to commit the abuses complained of by the plaintiffs .See Doe v. Unocal Corp . , 110 F. Supp. 2d 1294 (C.D. Cal. 2000).The Ninth Circuit reversed this decision, allowing the lawsuit to proceed and holding that the plaintiffs were only required to demonstrate that Unocal gave "knowing practical assistance or encouragement that [had] a substantial effect on the perpetration of" the alleged underlying tort in order to be held secondarily liable under the ATS. Doe v. Unocal Corp . , 395 F.3d 932, 937 (9th Cir. 2002).The Ninth Circuit granted Unocal's application for rehearing en banc, thereby vacating the Circuit's prior opinion. Doe v. Unocal Corp . , 395 F.3d 978 (9th Cir. 2003).However, before the case was heard by the en banc panel, the parties agreed to a settlement, reported to be $30 million.Accordingly, the parties then moved to dismiss the appeal and the district court's original opinion was vacated. Doe v. Unocal Corp., 403 F.3d 708 (9th Cir. 2005). Therefore, there is no precedential authority arising from the Unocal case, but it is instructive of the various approaches courts can take in this area of law.
9 It is interesting to note, however, that the mortality rate for children who were administered Trovan was approximately the same as those who were treated with Pfizer's FDA-approved medication (6%), and was significantly lower than the rate for children treated by Doctors Without Borders (9.1%).For a detailed discussion of the Pfizer case, and the ATS issues surrounding the case , please see Konrad L. Cailteux and B. Keith Gibson , "Alien Tort Statue" Shakedown: Court Must Arrest New Attempt To Expand Mischievous U.S. Law, Washington Legal Foundation Legal Backgrounder, Jan. 14, 2005, at http://wlf.org/upload/011405LBCailteux.pdf.
10 Abdullahi v. Pfizer, Inc., 2005 WL 1870811 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 9, 2005).
11 See Khulumani v. Barclay Nat'l Bank Ltd., NY3:\1525579\01\wp5701!.DOC\99980.0001
Published February 1, 2009.


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For her card she chose the week 1 colour scheme in Distress Inks and Sketch #1. She used some CTMH stamps and did an apple background by stamping three times to get varying effects of the pink ink colour she used - very clever! She used a Spellbinders banner die, which she sponged with Distress Ink and then stamped with oranges and a sentiment. She stamped her alligator and coloured it in.
Canadian girl, crafty-maker, memory keeping, coffee-loving blogger momma! ✂📝☕❤ My passion is inspiring you to create 😍
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Summer Card Camp 2 - Kids Gallery, week 1
Amie, who is 6, was very excited to participate in the Online Card Class kids gallery.
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Use Awards to Build Your Brand
I watched the Golden Globes Pre-Show tonight and noticed that the same question came up for each of the celebrities:
1) Who are you wearing, and
2) what's it like to work with "insert name of prominent person here?"
I realized, it's not unlike brand identity for your company. They may not ask who you're wearing but they do pay attention, and they definitely will ask you who you're working with. with. It made me think… people want to be aligned with other people that are making an impact in their industry.
I think whether you're in the entertainment industry or the cleaning industry, winning awards will help you to boost your business in tremendous ways. We often take the beginning of the year to create our marketing plan, and I think we should also create a visibility plan, a deliberate effort to win awards and garner public attention. It's not as complicated as you may think.
To start, look at any associations that you have memberships with, as well as your local Chamber of Commerce. They will generally sponsor annual awards for businesses that are having a community impact or setting an example of excellence in their industry.
The next thing to do is set a list of Google alerts so that you can be the first to find out when a nomination process or competition begins. For this I think you should have a separate email address to field them (such as firstname.lastname@example.com) so that you keep them in one place and are able to keep them stored so that you have an archive.
Many awards competitions are free to enter, and some even offer monetary benefits such as cash awards or grants, so be sure to look into the rules and deadlines as you plan your process.
Here are a few keywords to start you off:
|nominations being accepted
|association award
|small business administration
|innovation award
|business plan contest
|Entrepreneurial contest
|business leader nomination
|entrepreneur of the year award
|pitch competition
|business contest
|business competition
|micro business award
|small business award
|women's business award
I've also gone ahead and looked into some current opportunities for you to start you off. You still have time to meet these national deadlines and who knows, you just might take home the grand prize!
1) The Intuit Love A Local Business Award: Intuit is giving away moolah – that's always a good thing.click here to find out more
2) The Stevies (American Business Award): There's sure to be a category here for you to enter. Some are free, most are less than $300 to apply. Take a look and see if something's a good fit for you by clicking here
This past year I won an award. My peers had to vote for me in a pitch competition and the cash prize was $1,500 (plus a trophy!) – Who'd have thought? You can do it too!
Want to use this article on your website, blog or in your own ezine? No problem! Just be sure to include the copyright information noted below:
Article by Beatrice Johnston, Director, BrandExcitement.com, All Rights Reserved. Be sure to subscribe to her weekly tips to boost your own brand at http://www.BrandExcitement.com/subscribe


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Click the link below to choose the video you'd like to watch,
then click "play" above to watch the video.
Project Management - Lego Robot
Students in Dr. Zelbst's undergraduate project management course use available technology to create a robot made of Legos.
Narrated by Evan Blanc
Operations Management - Kanban System
A group of honors students work together to improve a kanban system
Narrated by Kyle Maguire
Operations Management - Robotics
Graduate Students in an Operations seminar create a robotic hand that can be operated using a laptop computer.
Narrated by Lori Mendel
Using RFID to track Athletic Equipment
Project with the Athletic Department using RFID to track athletic equipment and inventory
Narrated by Dr. Jeremy Bellah


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State grant will make the Greensboro Coliseum Complex a greener building
GREENSBORO, NC (June 20, 2008) – The City of Greensboro Field Operations Department has been awarded a Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant worth $18,000 from the NC Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance. The grant will be used to fund changes that will make the Greensboro Coliseum Complex a greener facility. Changes include recycling a greater variety and larger amount of materials, reducing the number of contaminated recyclables, and raising public awareness of recycling at the Coliseum.
The grant will continue an ongoing emphasis on environmental care at the Coliseum Complex. In 2007, the Coliseum changed from using non-recyclable cups to using recyclable bottles for beverages. The Coliseum is currently improving the efficiency of its recycling process by adding a recycling chute and platform that makes it quicker and easier to recycle large volumes of material. The Coliseum also added a 40-yard compacting recycling dumpster that holds more materials and needs less frequent collection service.
The recycling grant will allow for the purchase of recycling tilt carts that will collect recyclables from the recycling chute. It will also pay for the purchase of 100 bottle-shaped recycling containers with graphics to promote the program that will be placed throughout the facility. In addition, backlit advertising panels and other LED graphics in the Coliseum will focus on informing guests about the recycling program and encouraging participation. The carts, containers and signage will all be in place by the end of August.
"The news of this grant is gratifying for us for two reasons," said Field Operations Collections Manager Sheldon Smith. "First, it shows that the state recognizes the value of recycling and the effectiveness of Greensboro's recycling program. Second, it helps us share our program with millions of Coliseum visitors every year. As a result, the City collects more recyclable materials and less trash."
The City of Greensboro was one of 26 organizations that received recycling grants this year from the NC Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance. The City will add a cash match of at least $3,500 to the grant for a total minimum amount of $21,500.


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Stamp making workshops in the children's waiting room by my Eel station and lighthouse was all happening.
Candle making in the Restaurant area of the West Atrium.
Patients, staff and visitors took part.
Little pigs all colourful candles with a lovely scent.
Cute animal table cloth with candle workshop on.
Professors teaching the workshops.
Aidan from Nelsons Journey and the Norwich Dandies joined in all the workshops.
Whats going on here?
A giant eye being made
Doctor Goblin threading teeth
Teeth getting placed in Goblin pond.
Fishing goblin
Pond Goblin sign
Daichi Konaka with his pond goblin
Dr Goblin (Daichi Konaka) and Aiden


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Some small increases to the five year fixed and other fixed rate terms this past week. I am also expecting more rate changes this coming week as bond markets edge up with the strengthening US economy. Here's the best mortgage rates in Canada for September 9th, 2013:
What are today's mortgage rates?
[table id=1 /]Get Pre-Approved
Best 5 Year Fixed Rate is 3.44%
The best 5 year fixed rate mortgage is 3.44%. This is a "No-Frills" mortgage with limited pre-payment privileges. If you are looking for a full featured mortgage contact me for a current rate quote.
Best 5 Year Variable Rate is 2.50%
The best 5 year variable rate is Prime minus .50%. Variable rates are now coming back into favour since fixed rates have increased. As long as you can qualify using the Benchmark Qualifying Rate this is a good option. My suggestion to those that want a Variable rate mortgage is to set their payments to match the five year fixed rate and you will not only pay off your mortgage faster but also cussion yourself from any Bank of Canada rate increases.
Best 10 Year Fixed Rate is 4.09%
The best 10 year fixed rate mortgage is 4.09%. The 10 Year Fixed Rate is perfect for people worried about mortgage rates rising and want to avoid payment shock when their mortgage comes up for renewal. With the 5 year fixed rates increasing these past few weeks this option is looking more attractive, especially if you are worried that fixed rates will continue to increase and you are not wanting to go with a Variable Rate mortgage.
If 10 years sounds like a long time don't forget that they're assumable and portable and best of all after 5 years you'll only pay a 3 months interest penalty to break it. Not the IRD.
Questions about Mortgage Rates?
[contact-form][contact-field label='Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Phone Number' type='text'/][contact-field label='Question' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]


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At the tail end of his time as Commander of US Forces Afghanistan, General David Petraeus commented that "money is my most important ammunition in this war." It was far from an original thought. In fact, you could argue that currency is the most important and least acknowledged wartime weapon.
Read more – The New Fiver: The Latest Weapon in the Bank of England's War on Counterfeiters
Banknotes, in a way, make the perfect ammunition: they hold universal value across many cultures. They're small, light, and pack easily. Most countries already possess the infrastructure to print them. And maybe most importantly, they represent stability—or the lack of it.
So for centuries, armies have waged shadow wars with the stuff, using tactics as straightforward as the British sparking hyperinflation in Revolutionary War-era America and as murky as waging a psychological war against Iraqi troops via propaganda banknotes in Gulf War. Take a look at a few examples below.
The Secret Agents That George Washington Hanged
The history of counterfeiting goes a long way back in America. During the Revolutionary War, Congress created a American currency to fund its war against Britain which, in turn, launched a plan to destabilise its unruly little brother's booming colonial economy by introducing fake Continental cash into the supply, sparking hyperinflation.
According to Military History Now, two British loyalists were enlisted to travel across the 13 colonies distributing the fake cash—this was called "shoving." By the time they were apprehended, the duo had $10,000 in counterfeit Continental money between them—and George Washington had both hanged.
Hitler's Failed Counterfeit Operation
During the second world war, the Nazis developed a similar plan—an operation designed to destabilise the British pound by causing massive inflation. Often exploiting slave labour in concentration camps, they forged millions of fake £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes—producing counterfeit notes so perfect, it took years for the Bank of England to distinguish some from legitimate bills.
There's an incredible amount of scholarship (and plenty of fictional accounts) of this so-called Operation Bernhard—check out a memoir from one of the counterfeiters here.
Read more – Here's the Reason Why You Can't Photocopy Money
Blanketing Vietnam With Fake Money
The US had experimented with propaganda bills at the end of the second world war, and by the time the Vietnam War was underway in 1965, it had launched a full-fledged campaign. The approach was simple: print counterfeit notes, but use one side of those notes to convey a message about the war.
Image: Banknote World.
There were dozens of designs and variations used. For example, US forces would print high-quality copies of the North Vietnamese dong notes that looked just like the real thing, except for a blank spot that could be filled in to fit specific aims, like "Return to reunite with your son and family, live in peace and happiness."
According to a 1966 issue of International Banknote Society Journal, the US dropped as many as 400 million of these leaflets over Vietnam between 1965 and 66. Here's how one pilot remembered the massive operations:
The contents of the boxes weren't generally known by the crews, other than that they were leaflets. The boxes were sealed and designed so they didn't break apart until the box reached the end of the static line and the leaflets thus deployed behind and below the airplane.
But the other side was in on the action too: as the Currency Collector's John Sandrock points out (PDF), Viet Cong banknotes were soon being printed with ornately-drawn scenes of fighters bringing down American helicopters:
Image: Art-Hanoi.com.
Dropping 29 Million Bills Over Iraq
The Gulf War didn't last long, but the US Army wasted no time staging a massive psychological warfare campaign during that time. Over the course of the brief war, the Army dropped some 29 million leaflets over Iraq, most of them printed with "money" on one side and propaganda on the other.
Read more – The Business Behind Fake Hollywood Money
Some of the banknote designs were actually borrowed from the bills dropped over Vietnam—others contained detailed directions about how to surrender. The note above reads: "The bearer of this leaflet is allowed to cross the lines of the Allied Forces and receive good treatment until you reach the headquarters of the Coalition closest. You are also allowed, our brother, to join Iraqi Forces Combined Forces with a clear conscience and without doing you any harm. Will be treated according to the Geneva Convention."
Images: Soymenos.
Tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers had surrendered within just a few weeks—according to Military History Now, you can see some soldiers holding the leaflets in this video. Check out 14 of the other designs here.
There are dozens of other documented cases where armies used money a weapon, though. If you've got a favourite anecdote, drop it below.
Lead image: Yuriy Boyko/Shutterstock.
This post was originally published in May 2014, and has been republished in line with the arrival of the New Fiver in the UK.


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Elementss OF LawUndertaking
Article 370 of Indian Constitution
Article 370 which prevarication under the Part XXI of Indian Constitution showcases about the particular rights and position given to Jammu & A ; Kashmir State, saying it will bask different set of Torahs so the other provinces. This article looks after the Temporary and Transitional alterations along with the particular commissariats for the benefits of province. It came into act in 1950, and the needed alterations are made by the president when necessary. Indian parliament can do alterations in Torahs merely related to defence, foreign personal businesss, finance and communicating without permissions of province authorities.
At the clip of execution it was set to be impermanent, with a position of retreating at a right clip, without that right clip boulder clay now. Commissariats of article 238 may non be applicable in Jammu & A ; Kashmir. The affairs mentioned in the Concurrent List as along with Union List are announced by the President with determination with the State about the issues related to the State. The President by go throughing a notice can do amendments in the application of the Article in the province.
These are few of import commissariats mentioned in Article 370
- Jammu and Kashmir authorities would hold 6 twelvemonth term.
- They have two different flags for province and state.
- Peoples of Jammu & A ; Kashmir enjoys double citizenship, i.e. of the province every bit good as the state, except a adult female marries a individual occupant of other province, while it remains integral when she marries a Pakistani male.
- Indian Parliament can non increase of lessening the boundary line of province.
- Supreme Court legal power does non use in Jammu & A ; Kashmir.
- Parliament can non declare any fiscal exigency in the province except in state of affairs of war or any external agonies.
- No one residing outside the province can buy the land.
- The citizens of the province falls in Constitute of Jammu & A ; Kashmir instead than the Constitution of India
- Dissing the nation's symbols like Flag or national anthem is non considered to be the offense in the province.
- CBI is non allowed to work in the province.
History of Article 370
On February 20, 1947 Britishers declared of giving freedom to India by spliting the 562 princely provinces in bulk of Hindus and Muslims. With 14 provinces under Pakistan while rest 548 fall ining India. To unify these provinces 'Instrument of Accession' was passed, where merely the defence, external force and communicating will be under the cardinal authorities. So the consequence was by the twenty-four hours of independency all the provinces accepted the proposal except Hyderabad, Junagarh and Jammu & A ; Kashmir.
Talk of Jammu & A ; Kashmir, Hindu maharaja 'Hari Singh' ruled the province with bulk Muslim occupants. He wanted Jammu & A ; Kashmir to be independent province. During that class, Pakistan attacked the province. So with left with no options he decided to fall in India and he signed the 'Instrument of Accession' on 26ThursdayOctober 1947.
During the period, Sheikh Abdullah leader of Jammu & A ; Kashmir under the regulation of Yuvraj Karan Singh decided to do a new fundamental law saying its relation with state India. Yuvraj made usage of clause 7 of 'Instrument of Accession' under the influence of province meantimes governor Sheikh Abdullah, saying province has right to non follow Indian Constitution to the full and do their ain fundamental law. They decided to follow the fundamental law of twelvemonth 1939. Jawaharlal Nehru did non coerce Yuvraj to follow the other provinces so as a consequence Article 370 came into being.
With tonss of statements with Dr. Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhai Patel, at last Constituent Assembly of Jammu & A ; Kashmir was formed on 15ThursdayFebruary, 1954. There is a reference in the fundamental law that "The province is and shall be the portion of Union of India" . Article 371 adverting the 'Special Provisions' have been extended to the province on 27ThursdaySeptember 1963. Later Article 356 and 357 were besides added.
Arguments in Parliament on article 370
- Before the new Government ( before 2014 )There have been arguments and statements in the parliament over last 60 old ages is the parliament on a sensitive issue of Article 370.Temporary proviso to Jammu and Kashmir has turned to be immortal due to echt errors of M.P.Jain, a constitutional expert of stating the State has more step of liberty and power than by any other States. Harmonizing to our Constitutional expert 'Rajiv Dhavan' , we can non take Article 370 or else it would turn into hazard. Inspite of these arguments and alterations over the old ages we have ne'er been able to take the proviso on Jammu & A ; Kashmir.
- After the new Government ( After 2014 )Our new Prime Minister wishes to extinguish the particular power given to Jammu & A ; Kashmir, but the Chief curate of Jammu & A ; Kashmir says "There would be Article 370 bing or Jammu & A ; Kashmir will non be portion of India." By holding 336 seats from 520 of BJP in Lok Sabha, for go throughing the jurisprudence they need 362 as a bulk, which they may acquire from the regional authorities but it would be really hard occupation to turn a desire into world. Mr. Mir Saifullah, who leads the section of jurisprudence, justness and Parliamentary Affairs gave a proposal that Law Commission of Jammu and Kashmir will be legal power to reexamine those Torahs, which have been proposed by the State Legislature and that of Central Torahs, which have been applicable to Jammu and Kashmir under the name of Article 370.
Relevance in the present Scenario
- Chemical reaction of Indian citizen over Article 370.
Indian people feel that there have been partial and higher rights given to Jammu and Kashmir. The different parties of India wants to eliminate the proviso so every citizen of India gets a equal right to populate with same degree of Torahs applicable throughout the state. 9 months ago when our Prime Minister made a point in alterations in Article 370 there had been a really positive boom from the whole state except the province who are really captive to maintain the Torahs applicable in Jammu & A ; Kashmir. The main Minister of the State is really abundant to be holding their ain fundamental law. The people of India with a purpose of equal right would maintain shouting but the State will ever acquire a higher rights merely because that is Jammu and Kashmir and we are fellow Indians.
- Chemical reaction of Peoples of Jammu & A ; Kashmir over Article 370
The people of Jammu and Ladakh are confronting high favoritism under the Kashmiri leading with populating a life of 2nd category citizen of the province. The political leader has been really dominated under the Act of Article 370 so they rebutted for holding a different province of Jammu & A ; Kashmir. It has been said that there are around 2,50,000 refugee life which is someplace a high hazard for the people of province. Some Kashmiri people have been caught in position of lasting occupants, merely like the 'West Pakistani Refugee' , though which the door might open for people who have come to Kashmir from assorted provinces of India which would convey alteration in demographic construction of India and cut down the power of Kashmiris.
Changes required in Article 370
"Article 370 divides, Article 371 empowers people" was said by BJP patriarch Mr. LK Advani during the talk on Jammu and Kashmir commissariats on Article 370. During the Central Elections our Prime Minister took a point on taking the Article but with so success in it, during the province elections of Jammu & A ; Kashmir they portrayed to make improvement for the province foremost subsequently the other things.
" Ek desh mein do vidhan, do nishan, do pradhan, nahin chalega, "was a really much used motto by the parliament during the earlier motions in 1952. But merely a motto can non work the apprehension of the province with cardinal is really much necessary. With looking at the scenario it could be seen that it is about impossible for the centre to do any alterations in Article 370 except the blessing and credence by the province.
Article 370 imposes boundary lines on the cardinal power on Jammu & A ; Kashmir. Particular permissions are required to go through an ordinary statute law in the province. It stops the development of the province while other province gets a better opportunity to develop. The people of province believe that cardinal would rule them and their right would acquire lost. With a hope to turn he universe into a household, we should foremost seek to do our state into a household. It has caused trouble for Kashmiri Brahmin to populate in that province alive, due to which they prefer to migrate to other province.
If the Article 370 is non lifted, it should be at least modified to do the cardinal authorities to do the alterations at necessary period, so along with other provinces Jammu & A ; Kashmir besides gets an equal right to develop in assorted sectors. The other alteration which is needed in the Article 370 is to allow the people of province live their life with freedom in the state of biggest democracy in the universe. The twenty-four hours this article was imposed it was laid with a position to take it at appropriate clip but the province has non allowed to make so. Thus the article 370 has turned to be immortal.
Change in Terrorism in Jammu & A ; Kashmir
It has been seen that terrorist act has been decreased in Jammu & A ; Kashmir is last few old ages. The lessening of terrorist act can non be straight linked with Article 370 but yet it is linked with it. The people of Jammu Kashmir in their desire to protect the province non merely from the Indian fundamental law but from all the External forces have made them protect the province. The lessening in terrorist act has someplace besides helped the province to develop by allowing them invest in other industry other so the defense mechanism. And as there are limitations in come ining the province the people from other states can non easy come in, so the province has seen lessening in terrorist act.
Success of Article 370
Harmonizing to the positions of Peoples of India over the Article 370, they feel that it should be abolished in the state due to assorted grounds. From all of them, few are the Article does non give chance to the province due to which it is non able to develop. It should be removed as it causes barbarous race murder to the Kashmiri Pundits. Article 370 is dividing Jammu & A ; Kashmir from India. It is non merely harming India but besides making a serious harm to Kashmir every bit good. When we talk about united & A ; secular India, There must be individual fundamental law for all and should esteem one flag merely. This Article should be certainly removed as Indian Parliament can non play their function here so they undermine the authorization of Indian Constitution. Most cardinal Torahs like Right to Information ( RTI ) , Right to Education ( RTE ) , while the commissariats which are related to financial Torahs like Finance Act 1994 ( related to serve revenue enhancement ) , CAG audit, wealth revenue enhancement and many other are non applicable in Jammu & A ; Kashmir.
While on the other side of coin this Article 370 should non be removed because it is a really sensitive subject which may ache the sentiments of the people of Jammu & A ; Kashmir. The chief of import point is that if the Article 370 would be removed Kashmir won't be portion of India, which would be great loss to India where they would lose their gem of the ring and it would harm Kashmir every bit good as it would be hard to protect the province from Pakistan every bit good as China who are really acute to take over Kashmir.
Harmonizing to me as a citizen of India I feel that Article 370 should be abolished non merely for the state to acquire equal right, but for Jammu & A ; Kashmir as good so they grow and take opportunity of new chances to turn.
hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_370
hypertext transfer protocol: //indiatoday.intoday.in/story/article-370-issue-omar-abdullah-jammu-and-kashmir-jawaharlal-nehru/1/364053.html
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/understanding-article-370/article5426473.ece
hypertext transfer protocol: //kashmirherald.com/featuredarticle/article370.html
hypertext transfer protocol: //indiaopines.com/article-370-indian-constitution/
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.indiandefencereview.com/news/article-370-the-untold-story/
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2015/Jan/14/separatists-mainstream-oppose-concessions-47.asp
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/letters-why-article-370-must-go-114060501412_1.html
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.kashmirherald.com/featuredarticle/NCRWCArticle370.html
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.firstpost.com/politics/repealing-article-370-why-jks-special-status-is-a-political-tinderbox-1546511.html
Thank You


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I needed a more convenient way to view my Apache access logs, other than tailing the access logs files on my webserver. Why not use Kibana for this? It not only shows you the access log lines, it also lets you create nice graphs about visitors, response codes, user agents, etcetera.
Also see my update in Apache access logs in Kibana – part 2.
First I had to install Kibana. As I was looking how to do this, I came by a really clear instruction by Mitchell Anicas. This explains how to install Elasticsearch, Logstash and Kibana (also know als ELK) on Ubuntu, which also works for my Debian installation.
After having Kibana up and running, I needed apache to ship its log to Kibana (actually Logstash, which collects logs for Elasticsearch, which in its turn is used by Kibana. You still follow? 🙂 ). This could be done by the logstash-forwarder, but I used a different approach, which I will describe below.
First I had to modify the patterns used by logstash, since it only has a standard pattern for apache, using the apache "combined" log format. As I run multiple virtual hosts on my webserver, I use the "vhost_combined" log format. So lets add a pattern for that, so Logstash understands it.
We add a new line to grok-patterns which is located in /opt/logstash/vendor/bundle/jruby/1.9/gems/logstash-patterns-core-0.3.0/patterns (that is /opt/logstash/vendor/bundle/jruby/1.9/gems/logstash-patterns-core-2.0.2/patterns when using Logstash 2.0).
COMBINEDAPACHE_VHOST %{HOSTNAME:vhost}\:%{NUMBER:port} %{COMBINEDAPACHELOG}
I noticed this didn't work really well after upgrading logstash. After every upgrade, the pattern had to be added again, which really drove me crazy. So, let's put this pattern in the input file.
Now, let's create an input for Logstash where Apache can send its logs to.
In /etc/logstash/conf.d, create a file called 50-apache_vhost.conf (well, it could be anything, as long as it comes later than the 30-lumberjack-output.conf file). Its contents will be:
input { udp { port => 10515 type => "apache_log" } } filter { grok { match => { "message" => "%{HOSTNAME:vhost}\:%{NUMBER:port} %{COMBINEDAPACHELOG}"} } geoip { source => "clientip" target => "geoip" database => "/etc/logstash/GeoLiteCity.dat" add_field => [ "[geoip][coordinates]", "%{[geoip][longitude]}" ] add_field => [ "[geoip][coordinates]", "%{[geoip][latitude]}" ] } mutate { convert => [ "[geoip][coordinates]", "float"] } # do GeoIP lookup for the ASN/ISP information. geoip { database => "/etc/logstash/GeoIPASNum.dat" source => "clientip" } } output { elasticsearch { host => localhost } }
Note: When using Logstash 2.0, the output section should look like this:
output { elasticsearch { hosts => localhost } }
This lets Logstash listen on UDP port 10515. Perform a service logstash restart to activate it. Now we turn to apache to have it send its logs to logstash.
Actually it's quite easy to have Apache send its log to logstash. Just add this line to the definition of every virtual host:
CustomLog "| nc -u host.domain 10515" vhost_combined
Replace host.domain with the servername running Logstash.
Well, that's about it. Restart Apache with service apache2 restart and you should see the logs appear in Kibana.
Now all that lasts is creating a nice dashboard to visualize the data. Let your creativity run riot, but here's a little example:
I removed the domain names to anonymize the data, but it still shows some possibilities for a dashboard.
And this is what it looks like in Kibana 4.2 using the dark theme:
Also see my update in Apache access logs in Kibana – part 2.


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Year of the Horse and You
Do you know we just began the Year of the Horse with Chinese New Year? Each year has a unique way that you can benefit if you know the challenges and gifts it brings. Would you like to know what this may mean for you? If you're curious, read on below.
And what has happened with my personal retreat? The retreat is officially completed. As soon as I know my next work location I'll announce it.
You might ask next: what is happening with this newsletter and blog? This newsletter and blog will continue every first and third Tuesday of the month to bring you seasonal information on being healthy according to Chinese medicine. If you want to stay up to date, subscribe to the Clay Pot Medicine Newsletter!
Be well, Tanuja
P.S. Chinese New Year means that spring has begun. If you are somewhere that doesn't have spring yet, don't despair. There are at least two good things for you to know. One is that you can think of it in terms of spring-feeling before spring actually arrives. You might choose to wear brighter colors at this part of winter and enjoy the longer hours of natural daylight. The other is that I've included a picture below of the first crocuses in Portland taken on February 16th.
Year of the Horse and You
Are you someone born in the horse year? Do you know your Chinese zodiac year sign, maybe from a Chinese restaurant placemat? (If not, see the chart below.) There are twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac, each associated more with yin or yang aspects, and with five element aspects (fire, earth, metal, water, wood) that rotate through the 12 signs and five elements in a 60 year cycle.
Horse is yang, fire, enduring and prevailing. So, in 2014 the horse will lend strong, spontaneous, cheery, free energy. Information will be out in the open rather than hidden.
The year 2014 is of the wood element which flows upward and outward like a bursting seedling or bud.
As you know, wood feeds fire. This year will have a lot of potential energy for everyone, but the right amount of balance, attention and fuel is needed for a fire. Have you ever made a fire and it fizzled out quickly? Or, have you ever made a fire and when burned super hot you saw amazing red-hot coals? Have you ever had a fire going when you wanted to attend something else instead, or even take a nap and conserve your energy, money and attention? If you feel like conserving, do that! But if you have a lot of fuel and you want to burn it for a project you really care about, do that too!
Depending on your own sign, you will be more or less compatible with 2014's enthusiastic wood horse. If you're a horse, tiger, dog or sheep, you'll be more harmonious with the year. If you're a rat, the opposite sign, you'll be less interested in the blooming blossoms of fire horse. No matter your sign, listen to yourself and choose what to put your energy into, and you'll make sure to stay healthy and you might even get a little wealthy and wise along the way.
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Author-Tanuja Goulet
I'm a Licensed Acupuncturist who loves to cook and share tips on Chinese medicine. Lately I've been on a road trip. Please subscribe to my newsletter for news on feeling your best!
October 2014


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Compare Tree Removal Quotes Now
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Home > Local Search > Tree Removal - vic > The Basin - 3154
Updated: February 24th 2020
Getting a tree removed in The Basin by a qualified professional is easy enough.
Finding one that is well priced is not always a straight forward process.
I am going to look at why some companies charge more than others, and how to secure a better price on The Basin tree removal by a quality tree services company.
Not only that, but getting your job done at rock bottom prices.
Let's get into it.
What we cover:
Why some tree loppers 300% more?
Stay smart, save money on tree removal
Trees exempt from needing approval
How to apply for council approval
How to win council approval. (Tips & Tricks)
Every The Basin company has a different philosophy on how they what to run a profitable tree lopping business.
Some spend BIG on advertising, do lots of quotes and charge high prices.
Other local tree services in and around The Basin, don't do a lot of advertising and rely more on word of mouth.
These are the ones you want quoting your job!
You may be thinking that this has to do with a person's honesty or integrity, but this is not the case.
In reality they are not trying to "game you".
These are just tree business owners in The Basin who run a "premium service". They know that some customers have different price points. Some are happy spending more for perceived value.
They cater to those customers.
Some people just never go with the cheapest bottle of wine at a restaurant or the cheapest quote for tree lopping in The Basin. Everyone is different and that's fine. But I'm here to help you find the best deal.
"If you have 3 expensive companies in The Basin give you a quote, then you will be choosing between 3 expensive quotes! You need to know who is cheap & when".
There are lots of little thing to be aware of that will save you a small fortune for your tree removal The Basin, such as;
1. Time of year - Winter is always cheaper as tree companies have less work on.
2. Access - Granting good access for hard to get to trees, such as removing a side fence will save the tree lopping service time and you a tonne of money.
3. Firewood - Getting them to leave the timber logs and selling them online.
But the very best way to save money is to know who is cheap NOW!
You see all tree services around The Basin have lean and busy periods of work which actually affects how they price jobs.
A The Basin tree service will always charge less when they don't have much work on as they want to win the job.
The bonus is they will actually pick up their phone and arrive on time.
All contractors recommended have been vetted by our team and are waiting to compete for your business.
There are no hard sales and there is no obligation to hire.
Just friendly advice and great prices.
Try it for yourself.
others like you have requested a quote this week
Have a question? Call 1800 25 22 08
Knox council do allow for the removal of trees in The Basin without council consent.
No conditions required
You can download an application form here
Some local councils have a list of tree species that are exempt from any limitations on removal as they are considered a pest. If The Basin's local council Knox has an exemption list is can be found in their Tree Preservation Order.
We have also listed them below if applicable.
If the council for The Basin does not nominate a list of trees, then most of the time they use the default list of noxious weeds outlined at the state level of government.
Certified arborist in the The Basin and surrounding areas need to all abide by the Australian standards when carrying out tree management work.
These standards include:
AS 4373:2007 – Pruning of amenity trees
AS 4970-2009 – Protection of trees on development sites
You will need to fill in a tree removal permit form which can be found on your local councils website. Normally there will be a small fee you will need to pay upon application.
Within 7 - 14 days you will have an arborist from the council for The Basin will come out to inspect your tree. They will then give their recommendation on whether the tree should be removed or if a tree prune/ lop might be better.
Compare tree removal prices of 3 local tree companies, all voted as "best price to quality balance". Fill out a 1 minute form and received 3 rock bottom quotes within hours.
Depending on your council, it can be tough to get approved to remove a tree in The Basin. If it's a healthy specimen and not causing any damage to your home, then it makes it even harder.
When applying for removal in Knox council are you need to give a reason why you want to remove the tree.
Saying something like "it keeps filling the gutters with leaves" is not convincing enough argument and your application will most likely be denied.
There are however some tips and tricks to applying for council approval and winning.
In some cases your council for The Basin will ask for an independent arborist for a tree report if they are undecided. This can give you the upper hand as it allows you to select which tree arborist you choose to assess your case.
There are many factors that make up cost of tree lopping in The Basin. Not only the height and spread of the tree, but also its location on the property, access, surrounding buildings or fences, type of tree/ timber. Whether you decide to get the stump removed as well will also factor in.
To get a price on what removing a tree in The Basin might cost you, you can view out tree removal cost guide or you can use our quick tree lopping cost calculator below.
We are a growing tree services company that aims to provide quality tree services for customers in The Basin that is personal, fair and over-delivers on value and satisfaction.
We are committed to the certified arborists in The Basin we recommend using the method of 'BEST PRACTICE'. This is a methodology that is accepted as better to any alternatives for commercial or professional tree removal procedures for results that are superior to those achieved by any other means.
Our high expectations of The Basin tree contractors we work with means they do everything in their power to uphold these values.
Once you call us on 1800 252 208 or fill in the 2 minute form, we forward your details directly onto the best local tree surgeons in The Basin for quoting.
There is no obligation to hire and we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee for all customers.
Enter the location of your tree job
You should always get at least 3 quotes from local tree services before deciding on one. Prices can vary greatly (between 10% and 40%) between tree services, so it always pays to shop around before going ahead.
Yes. There are a couple of reasons for this. The deciduous trees are a little easier to work on as they do not have any leaves. They are lighter and there is less clean up at the end. The biggest reason though is there is a lot less demand for tree services in winter. With an over-supply of companies and a low demand, tree companies will bid lower and lower prices to win the work. This put you in pole position to get some great quotes on your tree job.
You can try, but in most cases the tree service will need to come out and view the job first. Every tree is different and so is the difficulty or ease to remove. A tree contractor will need to take into consideration not only the tree itself, but also the access, location on property and obstacles around the tree. This is impossible to quote from a photo or a description over the phone.
Generally the answer is no. If the tree has fallen in a storm, your home owners insurance will cover it, but if it is healthy and you just want it remove, you are going to be hard pressed to find someone willing to work for free. Tree service companies are expensive to run as they have large overheads with insurance and labour costs. They will need to charge you to do the work to make a living.
This will depend on the council laws on tree removal in your area. Every local council has what's called a Tree Preservation Order. This outlines the rules regarding tree removal. An example of a rule might be; "If the tree has a trunk circumference of 1.0m or more when measured at 1m above ground level will need a permit for removal." To see the TPO for your area go here.
If your trees has fallen as a result of a storm or any other act of nature, your insurance company will cover it. If the tree is still standing you will be hard pressed to convince an insurance company to pay for its removal. The same is true if the tree has been dead for many years and has just fallen due to negligence. You are expected to upkeep the trees in your yard, so if it has fallen due to neglect, your insurer will most likely not cover the costs for removal.
You may prune any branches that are hanging over your yard from your neighbour's side, just as long as it is not breaching your councils TPO. You may remove your neighbour's tree after they have given you permission and if it does not breach the council TPO.
Because outdoor type services like lawn care, landscaping and tree maintenance is seasonal, prices can fluctuate depending on the workload of the local services. During winter, especially later winter, tree services are scratching around for work and are much more likely to quote cheaper prices to win your job. If you can hold out, I recommend you get trees removed in the winter.
The cost to remove a gum tree in Brisbane will depend on the size of the tree, the number of branches and how easy it is to access and remove. The average price for a medium-size gum tree removal is $1,750, but the real range starts at $950 for smaller eucalyptus, and goes right up to $4,300 for very large ones.
There are a few things you need to look for when selecting a tree service to remove your tree. Firstly when doing an internet search you need to have a look at their reviews. If they have too many 1 and 2 star reviews, you need to keep looking. Next you need to do a background check. Go to ABN lookup and type in their company name. Have a look to see how long they have been in business and whether they have changed their trading name recently. When they are out quoting your job you need to ask for an arborist certificate and insurance details.
This will depend on the size of the tree being removed. The best way to gage whether you are getting a good price, is to get more than 1 quote. A good number of quotes is 3, but there is nothing wrong with getting 4 or 5 quotes for very large jobs.
Author: Ben McInerney is a qualified arborist with over 15 years industry experience. He uses his in-depth knowledge of the tree service industry to give readers to most accurate information on tree service costs and helps to educate about the benefits of using a certified arborist for tree trimming and removal work.


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Donna Wasson
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One of my dear readers kindly emailed to tell me about a wedding shower she and her husband recently attended at their church. As expected, there were tables filled with beautifully wrapped gifts for the couple to open, along with platters of scrumptious food and drinks, making the setting appropriately festive.
During the course of the evening, the general conversation strangely turned to the subject of death. Perhaps someone was thinking about the wedding vow of being faithful 'till death do us part.' The guests began to describe what they would want their own funeral to be like and where they would want to be buried.
My reader spoke up and said, "I plan to skip all that and go up in the rapture." This comment was met with an awkward silence. One gentleman said, "Every generation has been expecting His coming," to which she replied, "I'm aware of that. That's why we're supposed to be watching because the signs are more apparent than ever."
This Christian man unconsciously alluded to 2 Peter 3:3-4 which states, "Knowing this first, that in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.'" This cynical opinion was expressed by a professing Christian!
To me, this is shocking! I mean, I can understand a non-believer holding this attitude. Actually, I always thought that verse was speaking of a non-believer but to hear that a Christian who supposedly placed Jesus first in his life challenged the idea of the rapture, just floors me!
How is it possible for a born again child of God to be a bona fide scoffer? To speak of our blessed hope with derision and mock a sister in Christ in front of other people? All I can do is say to myself, 'Well Donna honey, you poor, little ignorant darlin', welcome to the end times!'
Apparently a surprising number of fellow Christians echo that same attitude; 'well, people have been waiting for centuries so why should He show up in this day and age?' Are they completely insane? No, they must be addicted to that insidious drug called 'gimmemore.'
Now, I'll admit it's a bit challenging to close my eyes and try to envision what's waiting for us in heaven when Jesus finally snatches us off this wretched planet. Paul informs us in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
I suppose I should cut these people a break. After all, the only things we flesh and blood mortals are familiar with are these physical bodies with their needs and desires, and this physical earth with its temptations and lures and sparkly goodies. We have NO frame of reference for heaven or the things God has prepared, so it's little wonder it can be difficult to get excited about going there!
Let me try to look at this situation from the opposite angle. Forgive my impertinence but what if we get to heaven and it's boring? I wonder if that's one of the concerns these fellow believers have these days. When you're really involved in this world, there are plenty of distractions that can be very appealing.
Perhaps a house with a better kitchen, maybe even located in the upscale neighborhood your snooty PTA President lives in. That sports car your husband has wanted since he was in 11th grade. Here's a good one for those in my age range: plastic surgery! Oh, to have everything pulled back up where God intended it to be! *sigh*
OK, I'll admit there are some things that can still capture my attention. After all, I've never been to heaven, so I really don't know what it will be like. Of course, it will beat the alternative hands down, but will it live up to the thrill of what I could be striving for here? As with many things, it comes down to a matter of trust in what God has told us in His Word.
If I visited several evangelical churches in my area and took an unofficial poll, I wonder how many professing Christians would honestly want the rapture to take place this very day? How many truly want to go home?
More often than not, when I speak of my longing for the rapture, I'm met with blank stares from fellow believers as if I was some freakish alien. It's like people get numb or turn off intellectually when the subject comes up.
When is the last time your pastor taught about the most incredible event in human history and how world events are screaming its imminence? Probably about the same time you last heard a message on hell and the cross. Years ago, right?
Folks might as well get their noses back in their Bibles and let go of the cravings and goals of this earthly life. What's the point of sticking all your eggs in a basket that's decaying or will surely be destroyed? After all, that bigger house and cute sports car won't be going with us when we're raptured, and since we're SO close, what's the point of giving those things all our attention? It's a silly waste of time!
We need to be scurrying around, stuffing our heavenly coffers with acts of love and giving in Jesus' name while we still have the opportunity to earn more heavenly rewards! Don't know about you, but I don't worry about timing and beating the markets here or how much money I'll have to live on when I retire.
I take comfort in knowing that even in this dire, collapsing economy, my investment in Christ is sheltered because everything single thing I've ever done in His name has been sent on ahead to be deposited as eternal treasure and is already safely placed in my mansion. No Wall Street banker blow-hard will ever be able to get his mitts on what I've earned!
Since I started out telling you about a wedding shower, let me ask you some important questions related to that subject. Do you consider yourself to be redeemed by Christ? Are you part of His eternal church which He refers to as His Bride?
If so, is your attention focused on earthly things or is your heart longing to join the one you love the most, your Groom? Jesus is coming for His radiant Bride very soon. While you're still on this earth, continue to do what you have to do to live but be sure to listen closely for His shout to 'Come up here!' I have a feeling it's going to catch a whole lot of people off guard!
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