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Hatton National Bank (HNB) won the Best New Entrant category Silver Award at the recently concluded SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2015 for its ground-breaking MOMO product, the first ever low cost mobile Point of Sale (POS) solution in Sri Lanka.
SLIM Brand Excellence is the only national platform which recognizes and rewards brands and is organized annually by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), the national body for marketing in Sri Lanka. Themed " Will you race ahead of the rest?" the 14th SLIM Brand Excellence Awards invited brands to take up the challenge of racing ahead of the rest and fighting head-on in the business world to be the "Champion".
HNB pioneered mobile POS technology in Sri Lanka back in August 2013 with the introduction of HNB MOMO, at a time when card based transactions was a privilege limited to supermarkets and large department stores due to the costs associated with purchasing and maintaining POS machines. The solution was introduced to empower merchants with low transaction volumes who were unable to afford regular point of sales devices which demand stable flow of usage and a fixed telephone connectivity. The product was launched with the ultimate vision of opening up a world of business opportunities for merchants while enabling consumers to have wider access points for card payments, eventually leading to a cash-less and greener society.
At the time of its launch there were 12 million debit cards and one million credit cards in use in Sri Lanka. However, the number of POS machines available was less than 28,000 which resulted in a very low ratio of machines to cards. At the same time, HNB had the highest number of POS machines in the local market and was the leader in the payment card acquiring business with a market share of more than 44% in terms of total turnover.
The bank was intent on filling this gap in the market caused by the lack of POS machines and identified a massive market opportunity in the national mobile penetration rate, which was an impressive 100%. It capitalised on this by introducing HNB MOMO, which converted smart phones into card payment acceptance devices. This was the most convenient technology to enable merchants to accept card-based payments and consisted of a easily affordable POS unit provided by HNB which could be used by simply installing the lightweight MOMO application (app) on a smartphone. The MOMO app was designed with multiple layers of security to safeguard both the customers and merchants and was made available on Android, iOS and Java platforms.
The naming strategy for the product was focused on a name which captures the essence of the product, which would be easy to pronounce and be adopted by any market segment. HNB MOMO stands for 'More Business, More Money', perfectly conveying the many possibilities it opens up for small scale shop owners and entrepreneurs to bring in more revenue through card transactions. With this concept HNB MOMO was branded as 'A partner to grow your business' and was promoted via print, electronic and digital mediums, as well as HNB's large branch network in order to reach customers at the bottom of the pyramid. This strategy has paid rich dividends and has even created a generic brand name, with mobile POS machines still being referred to as MOMOs by the general public in Sri Lanka.
The target audiences for the product included self-employed people, Small and Medium scale entrepreneurs, Businessmen and Professionals such as doctors, dentists and lawyers. This group included micro level businesses such as three wheelers, boutique shops up to any large scale business such as home delivery, supermarket chains, clothing stores and luxury cab services. Today the HNB MOMO solution is used all around Sri Lanka, by both small merchants and large companies, including Pizza Hut delivery, KFC delivery, SriLankan Airlines, Chinese Dragon Cafe delivery, Jetwing travels, Harpo's pizza and Commons etc.
This latest award at SLIM Brand Excellence 2015 follows the international recognition gained by HNB MOMO earlier this year when it received an award for 'Excellence & Leadership in Branding & Marketing' at the Golden Globe Tigers Summit Awards 2015 held in Malaysia.


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How do I re-order?
We know you like to keep things real, simple. So we've made it that way. To re-order, all you need to do is go to your Leap Account page. View a previous order and click 'Order Again'. Boom. Your shopping cart will be populated with those items.
Are my details safe?
There's a few things we take seriously: Sunday BBQs, road directions, and your security. If you were wondering, we use SSL 3.0 (Secure Socket Layer) technology. It's real, good. So like a good sunscreen application, you can feel protected.
If you're paying with a credit card, it's secure via our Secure Pay or Paypal hosted payment page. We don't capture or store any of your details, so it's like you were never here. Real, smooth.
Can I get a refund?
If your product arrives damaged, or we've sent the wrong items, sorry about that. We're real men, after all. Let us know within 7 days of purchase and if we can't resolve your issue, we'll happily refund it. Goods need to be unopened in their original packaging to be refunded. You get it.
If you've simply changed your mind about your products, you can't get a refund. So before you check out, make sure you've got the right items.
We know you don't want to wait long to see your money, so we refund quickly. You'll see the money refunded onto the card you used to pay with.
Refunds are made at our discretion. We'll fork out the return postage of incorrect or damaged orders only.

subset: commoncrawl


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Shovelling slushy snow when we should have been seeing dry pavement.
2. If you could plant a garden of anything, what would be in it?
Oh, that's fun...real or imaginary? Something to eat? How about...muffin bushes?
Or if you were serious: I would plant some tomatoes, zucchini and peppers, and hope that the bugs and critters didn't get to them before I did. We must be the only people on the planet who don't have much luck with zucchini.
3. April 10-16 is National Library Week...will you celebrate with a visit to your nearest library? When did you last make a trip to the library? What are you reading right now? What's one title on your want-to-read list?
I am having trouble even getting to our regular library because of road construction; and the one further away has to be a special trip. So I've been splitting my reading between what's already on the shelf, and the library books I can download for free through Overdrive. But the sun is shining and I might try walking over there today.
On the list of books I don't own, and that I don't think are at our library, is The Singing Bowl, poems by Malcolm Guite. And along with that, I want to actually read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The Apprentice (our oldest) read it for homeschool, but she read it to herself and I never got through the whole thing.
4. Share a saying or an old wives tale you heard while growing up, you believed to be true or that you paid attention to 'just in case'?
That eating anything strange before bed would give you bad dreams. It always seemed to come true in stories.
Peter and the Story Girl, so it appeared, had wooed wild dreams to their pillows by the simple device of eating rich, indigestible things before they went to bed. Aunt Olivia knew nothing about it, of course. She permitted them only a plain, wholesome lunch at bed-time. But during the day the Story Girl would smuggle upstairs various tidbits from the pantry, putting half in Peter's room and half in her own; and the result was these visions which had been our despair.
"Last night I ate a piece of mince pie," she said, "and a lot of pickles, and two grape jelly tarts. But I guess I overdid it, because I got real sick and couldn't sleep at all, so of course I didn't have any dreams. I should have stopped with the pie and pickles and left the tarts alone. Peter did, and he had an elegant dream that Peg Bowen caught him and put him on to boil alive in that big black pot that hangs outside her door. He woke up before the water got hot, though." L.M. Montgomery, The Story Girl
5. Are you a fan of onions? Garlic? Ginger? What's a dish you love that contains one, two or all three items listed?
Of the three, ginger. But honey-garlic chicken is good too.
6. Where does nurturing end and indulging begin? What are some skills or qualities you think a person needs to posess in order to be viewed as mature?
Some friends and I had a discussion about this awhile ago. Indulging is a parent having to phone their adult offspring's boss to say that said offspring is too sick to come in to work, since if offspring was not living at home, they'd have to do the phoning themselves anyway. Most of us agreed with that, although I was willing to plump for "well, there might be circumstances..."
7. What leading figure in any field would you like to hear speak, and why?
Oh, I can think of several writers and thinkers and teachers I'd wish would make a stop by here.
How about Frederick Buechner?
8. Insert your own random thought here.
We get a NYT section in the weekend paper, and there was a column this week that mentioned the idea of "erasing" people, or groups of people, that we don't like. Not physically killing them, but, perhaps, moving them out of our awareness. We were watching the Mr. Selfridge television series (which I have mixed feelings about, but we're still watching it), and one storyline in the first season concerned a store employee who was let go for petty theft, who then could not get another job and was so desperate that she threw herself in front of an underground train. This caused her co-workers to wonder if they were wrong to try to "erase" this woman from their lives, because of her mistake. One of the best articles I've read this week is Compassion Needs Imagination at the Circe Institute blog. The last church sermon I heard spoke about the definition of grace (shouldn't every sermon be about grace? The Lutherans at least would say yes), and grace definitely includes compassion. The article quotes Atticus Finch and his attempt to define compassion to his daughter:
"If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—"Which, we hope, is one of the things that reading does for us.
"—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'progress' tag.
The rapid march of technological progress is masking the general lack of human progress, at least as people in Western nations have understood that phrase since the late 18th century and experienced it for much of the 19th and 20th.
Here is yet another curious fact about A.L. Westgard's Tales of a Pathfinder, the book he published in 1920 to recount his experiences motoring across country in search of new highway routes. He rarely seems to encounter a horse and buggy (or a train, but we'll leave that for another post).
This is curious because, supposedly, horses were the main method of transportation before the internal combustion engine came along. And Westgard was traveling mostly on existing trails, so somebody–or some horse–must have been using them.
When Westgard does finally encounter a horse, the poor animal is, of course, on death's door. Westgard et al are winding their way up and through the Cascades in Washington state when they come upon this tableau:
an old man who was endeavoring to coax an emaciated old horse to exert another ounce of effort in attempting to drag a dilapidated buggy up the trail. The bony structure of the horse was so evident under its gray and mangy skin that he appeared more like a skeleton of a horse than one of flesh and blood.
Lest you wonder about what the horse was pulling, Westgard goes on:
The buggy was held together with generous applications and sundry bandages of baling wire. All in all, the whole outfit–man, horse and buggy–was about as nearly played out as any outfit I had ever seen in all my travels.
The man was apparently hoping to strike it rich in Canada (in case you thought he was hunting for cheaper prescription drugs). But instead, he served as a visible sign marking the end of the road for one technology and the birth of another.
Fittingly, the chapter ends not on a lament for the passing of the horse-and-buggy crowd, but on Westgard's description of how the Snoqualmie Pass through the Cascades was eventually paved.
We often romanticize the jobs displaced by technology, especially if the people who held those jobs are long dead. Consider the blacksmith, the milkman and the manufacturer of flint-lock muskets. But the people who helped kill off those jobs showed about as much remorse as we do today when obsolete jobs disappear.
The loss of the ferryman's job was a sign of progress for our friend A.L. Westgard. The indications lie in his 1920 book, Tales of a Pathfinder, a collection of anecdotes from his many cross-country trips. In one chapter, a very short one, he describes the fate of motorists suffering from the strict hourly schedule of the man who operated a ferry across the Colorado River outside Yuma, Ariz. Motorists often had to sleep in their cars, the lights of Yuma blinking across the river, because the ferryman refused to work outside his normal day.
I suppose Westgard could have recommended adding another shift or two to ensure 24-hour ferry coverage, or at least late-evening rides for tardy motorists. But that would not have been progress. Instead he campaigned for a bridge, eventually spurring action by Arizona, California and the feds–"and the ferryman lost his job as he fully deserved," in Westgard's words (page 46, Tales). Nothing personal about progress, eh? Or to paraphrase: All progress is personal.
* Find the lyrics here!


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As the sketches are turned into vector drawings for the cutter, here's a preview of what's coming your way. These three are each for large sized bases, and are larger than a HWK, but smaller than, say, a Decimator. The first one is a Rebel ship, to be used as a gunship, shuttle, assault transport, et al.:
The second is an imperial shuttle/picket ship, with familiar solar radiating panels on the wings:
Last, and perhaps my personal favorite, a ship from everyone's favorite ship manufacturers; the Corellians! Perfect for smugglers and other scum:


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Just Published
Special Discounts for Newly Called & Students
Browse Secondhand Online
Bloomsbury's Tax Guidance provides a practical guide to direct taxes, VAT and stamp duty and covers common tax events and transactions including business incorporations and company purchase of own shares often encountered in practice. This new title contains key information and summaries for each subject enabling users to grasp the key points quickly. Designed to be an easy reference source, it outlines each subject and contains checklists, bullet points, pro-formas, precedents, statute and case law. Bloomsbury's Tax Guidance is essential reading for sole practitioners, small partnerships as well as non-tax specialist accountants and solicitors.


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Sunday, August 28, 2016
Professor Gargoyle
The redistricting of Robert's neighborhood means that the only person he knows at the new Lovecraft Middle School is his longtime bully Glenn. Then rats start exiting lockers, creepy teachers seem to spy on the kids, students start disappearing, and Robert is wondering exactly what he's signed up for. He has to team up with unlikely friends to solve the mysteries of his new school, before he is the next to disappear.
I read this on my kindle, but recommended that the school librarian buy them in hardcover. The covers will suck them in, but the action and strange creatures will keep them hooked.
Posted by Miss K at 12:00 AM
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Gather Modern Bathroom Design Ideas & Prepare to Update Your Bathroom!
For All of Your Bathroom Remodeling Needs, Contact Us at Creative Bath Systems!
Modern Bathroom Design Ideas
Modern bathroom design ideas can be used in most bathroom styles for an attractive mid century look. Geometric patterns combined with angular and flowing designs for fixtures, furniture and countertops - plus a focus on high-quality natural or synthetic materials - are hallmarks of modern bath design.
Modern design is generally considered to have first begun appearing in the early 20th century, but its "moment" arrived in the post-World War II era. A collection of designers based primarily in the Nordic countries of Europe sparked a design movement that focused on efficient, aesthetically pleasing designs that seamlessly combined form and function but without the frills and finery that were ever-present in previous eras of design.
Modern bathroom design can work well in bathrooms ranging from tiny to titanic, but because of the relatively unadorned, seamless aspects of modern design, this style is particularly attractive for homeowners who wish to maximize a smaller bathroom space. One element of modern bathroom design that can be a great complement to a small space is a raised or pedestal sink, often in angular, rounded or gently curving stainless steel or porcelain. This efficient fixture choice can make a style statement while doing double-duty as a space saver, as it doesn't require the sink to be set in a larger cabinet, allowing for an elegant and airy effect.
Material Choice
When it comes to choosing materials for your modern bathroom design, wood, stone, slate, glass and ceramic will all be in play, as in any bathroom style - but how they're displayed will define just how modern your design will be. You can also combine materials effectively in a modern design, pairing natural wood with stainless steel in a countertop design, for example, or creating a tile work design from ceramic tile and glass above a vanity.
Colors for Modern Bathrooms
Color choices for modern bathroom designs run the gamut, but with a particular emphasis on soothing simplicity. Many modern bathroom designs feature contrasting base colors like whites and blacks or grays. Since simple color combinations can occasionally lack visual interest, many homeowners increase the interest by adding distinctive patterns (like chevron or herringbone) displayed as stenciled wall paintings or wallpaper.
Furniture and Accessories
Furniture and accessories in modern bathroom designs often follow the style's overall aesthetic. Benches or chairs may be carved from high-quality wood and will display the trademark combination of angles and flowing curves so often found in modern furniture. Lighting accessories may feature square, rectangular or rounded lampshades, adding a striking and of-the-moment touch to the overall design.
The Information Above Was Found On hgtv.com
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Ready to get started now? Just call Us: 330.467.2227 or Contact us for a FREE quote!


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I was called in by Jubba again this week (around Tuesday). His line manager (Concussed One) as once AGAIN complained to him about me being on the Internet. Apprently my previous boss (Tweedledoos) was involved in the conversation and he said he had the same problem with me when I was working in his department. They also mentioned my use of MSN. Concussed One requested that Jubba performance manage me. In other words he wants a formal discussion recorded on paper for future reference.
Jubba likes me…if only because I do a lot of extra work for him. He stuck up for me and told Concussed One that he doesn't have a problem with my work and does not feel comfortable performance managing a top performer. Bless.
So what I have done is disconnected myself from the outside world completely. I now suffer from a condition commonly known in South Africa as internetlessness. I didn't log into MSN or any external websites from Tuesday afternoon until Friday. I've been itching to blog, to research information on pregnancy and to look for a new place to live…but I've been too scared to open up anything on my PC. I don't want something retarded like surfing the Internet to cost me my job. Especially not with a baba on the way.
I heard a rumour later on that it was Tweedledoos that reported me in the first place. I would honestly not be surprised. It's quite typical of him. He probably feels that if he brings such things to the attention of Concussed One (who is also his line manager) that he might create the illusion of 'adding value'.
I DO have Internet at home, but I use my phone as a modem and mostly only get GPRS coverage which is so slow that I want to stab my eye out with a pencil.
You wouldn't believe how hard it is to cut yourself off from the Internet 24/7. Especially when it is fast, free and at your fingertips all day. The temptation looming right behind everything you're looking at.
So here's a challenge. Try it. For 48 hours. No non-work related Internet. I dare you.


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View Property Tax Bill
Tax Information Search
To use the search feature, you must have either your 12 digit Assessment Number, your 12 digit Fee Parcel Number, or your property Street Address. (If you are using your Street Address, please use the following abbreviations: Rd (for Road), St (for Street), Ct (for Court), Ln (for Lane) , Dr (for Drive), Blvd (for Boulevard), Ave (for Avenue), Hwy (for Highway), Pl (for Place), Trl (for Trail), Cir (for Circle), S (for South), W (for West), N (for North), and E (for East). To begin your search, locate "SEARCH BY", and choose "ASSESSMENT", "FEE PARCEL", or "STREET ADDRESS" from the drop-down menu. Depending on your choice, enter the Assessment Number or Fee Parcel Number (in either case use all 12 digits with no dashes), or the Street Address, in the box labeled "SEARCH TERM", and then click on the "SEARCH" bar. The Assessment Number and certain additional information will be displayed on the next screen. Clicking on "View Details" will display property tax information for the parcel ("TAXES" bar). Clicking on the "ASSESSMENT INFO" or "TAXCODE INFO" bars will display additional tax information. You may click on "VIEW TAXBILL" (or on "VIEW/PRINT TAXBILL" in the Quick Menu) to view and print a copy of the current year property tax bill for the parcel. PLEASE NOTE: The results of your search may not disclose all taxes that are owed on your property. In particular, a search by Assessment Number will not disclose any supplemental tax bills which may be owing on the property. If you want complete property tax information, please contact the Tax Collector's Office.
Legal Limitations
California Government Code Section 6254.21 prohibits the display of home addresses or telephone numbers of any elected or appointed official on the Internet by any state or local agency without first obtaining the written permission of that individual. To comply with this Statute, property searches are allowed by Assessment Number, Fee Parcel Number, or Street Address only. Searches are not available by name, and the search results will not include the name of the assessed owner(s).
Data Disclaimer
California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 408.3(d): "The legislature finds and declares that information concerning property characteristics is maintained solely for assessment purposes and is not continuously updated by the assessor. Therefore, neither the county nor the assessor shall incur any liability for errors, omissions, or approximations with respect to property characteristics information provided by the assessor to any party pursuant to this section. Further, this section shall not be construed to imply liability on the part of the county or the assessor for errors, omissions, or other defects in any other information or records provided by the assessor pursuant to the provisions of this part."
The user understands and agrees that all information provided by the County of Amador through this service is provided "as is", with no warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. The County does not guarantee or warrant the correctness, completeness or utility, for any general or specific purpose, of the data available through this service. In no event shall the County of Amador be liable for any damages, of any nature whatsoever, arising out of the use of, or the inability to use, this service.
Sale of the information provided through this service is strictly prohibited.
I have read the above information and I am ready to start my search.


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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
A Coat for Kelly
While getting drinks with a bestie tonight she lamented that she can't find a good hooded, wool coat.
So here kel-bel. Here are some perfectly lovely choices.
UO ($96) UO ($96) Ruche ($63) JCrew ($208) F21 ($45) Anthro ($178)
Posted by jess r. at 9:59 AM
5 comments:
- What Would a Nerd Wear said...
those coats are fabulous! i, too, have been wanting a hooded wool coat--hoods are crucial in the freezing cold.
- December 9, 2009 at 11:01 AM
- stephanie renee said...
so pretty, i love the camel colored one!
- December 9, 2009 at 1:48 PM
- Paige said...
I have the first coat, the one from UO and it is -absolutely- hands down the best coat I've ever purchased. Living in Seattle, the thickness of the wool is perfect, because not only does it do the trick on the warmer days, but for super cold days like we're having right now, layering it with a hoodie and scarf is both effective and super cute.
- December 9, 2009 at 10:24 PM
- Heart Charlie said...
I love that you posted these for your friend! So cute and thoughtful. (I like the grey/white plaid one the best :)
- December 13, 2009 at 12:35 AM
- Giovanna said...
ooh, i like the green bomber up top from UO. i might buy it, actually.
- December 14, 2009 at 12:53 PM
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visit with Jesus---->
He is the one sure standard of living.
The perfect unchanging reference point.
The resurrected Redeemer lives and guides his work today.
Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them,
and said . . . .
.Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself:
ahandle me, and see; for a
bspirit hath
not cflesh and
bones, as ye dsee
me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them
his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and
awondered, he
said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took
it, and did eat before them. Luke
As with the three fixed landmarks above,
a fixed reference point is essential for success in life,
otherwise, man always wanders and travels in circles.
. see more click here:
Walking in circles
Jesus Christ, the creator of all things is the only perfect unchanging reference point.
He is the one sure standard of living. Physical reference points can guide us on a travel plan, but only Jesus, the Redeemer, can guide our moral behavior and eternal destiny.
"6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the
away, the
btruth, and the
life: no man ccometh
unto the Father, but by me.." John
The Lord said: . . . whoso cometh in at the gate and climbeth up by me shall never fall;
Moses 7:53 (Pearl of Great Price)
A call to Action:
1. To Obey: ---->
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15, 21, 23.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Luke 6:46 & Matthew 7:21.
2. To Serve: ----> Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:34-40
For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?
Alma 5:12-13.
3. To pray: ----> . . . He spake,. . . that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Luke 18:1
Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, . . . Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good;
Alma 37:36-37.
Photos: North Star; Mt. Aconcagua, Argintina at 22,800 ft.; & Trafalgar Spain lighthouse
Because of his infinite atonement through
giving his perfect life for the sins of the repentant, he said: " All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 ¶Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen. aMatthew
Chapter 28:18.
Thus, He is the only sure standard of living and, on conditions of repentance, he is also the only escape
from the consequences of our sins, our behavioral blunders and crimes.
Therefore, according to justice, the
aplan of
could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of
justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would
ccease to be God.
14 And thus we see that all mankind were
and they were in the grasp of bjustice;
yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence.
15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself
for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of
bmercy, to appease the demands of
that God might be a dperfect,
just God, and a emerciful
God also.
16 Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a
punishment, which also was
eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed
opposite to the plan of happiness, which was as
eternal also as the life of the soul.
Alma 42:13-16.
And thus
mercy can satisfy the demands of
justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of
justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal
plan of
Alma 34:16.
Every system, whether molecular, individual or society, without outside intelligent direction will gravitate to chaos. God is the source of intelligence.
This is such a great article - thanks! I believe a call to action is what we all need - religion is action not a passive reading assignment. Thanks
Impressive sharing. The stuff is seriously readable and I am gonna share this with my family too before going on https://www.goldenbustours.com/lasvegas-tours/
It seems something really useful and I will share this with my brother after my https://www.goldenbustours.com/niagara-falls-bus-tour-packages/ hope he likes it
Thanks, It is simple and neat. Even straight to the point. God Bless.http://davidmathiraj.com


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About the Letterbox Club
The Letterbox Club is a programme managed by Booktrust, in partnership with the University of Leicester, which aims to provide enjoyable educational support for looked-after children aged 7-13.
Letterbox Club is available on a subscription basis and each child enrolled by participating local authorities is sent a parcel of books, maths activities, stationery and other materials once every month for six months, from May to October.
Each child participating in the programme receives the brightly coloured parcels directly addressed to them at home. The Letterbox Club is also suitable for other children who would benefit, such as those placed for adoption or for post-adoption support.
Letterbox Club research
Research shows that children in care underachieve in education, but evaluation from pilots of the Letterbox Club has shown that providing parcels designed to encourage fun learning has had a demonstrable impact. Many children began to make more significant changes in their standardised score in reading.
Letterbox Club reach
• Booktrust received support from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to extend the programme to 1,600 children in 2007-08
• In 2009, the Letterbox Club opened to every local authority in the United Kingdom, with over 4,500 children enrolled across the 129 authorities
• 2010 saw further expansion with 4,545 children and 140 local authorities involved
• In 2011, there were again more than 100 local authorities involved with 4,500 children enrolled.
• 2012 saw a record level of sign up, with 120 local authorities and over 5,000 children enrolled.
Letterbox Club parcels
Each Letterbox Club parcel arrives in a brightly coloured package addressed to the child. Each child receives a letter and a range of books that have been carefully selected by the panel at Booktrust for the children in the programme. They also receive number games and a range of stationery items. Over the six-month period the parcels will also include other items such as a library joining card or information about how to join a library, name plates, bookmarks and letters from a selection of children's authors. We are developing a varied list of possible materials to be added. After being a member of the Letterbox Club for six months the child will have built up their own small library of books, a collection of number games and a variety of stationery items.


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Keith Daleen of Sedalia, MO had just had enough. As an avid hobbyist focused on rebuilding old cars, he was consistently disappointed with the ill-constructed, foreign-made replacement panels he was buying.
"I was paying $150 to buy the part and another $150 to make them fit," he relates. That's when he decided he was going to buy an English Wheel. "I knew Ron Covell's reputation of working with metal, and when he told me about a wheel, I decided I was going to get one. I also knew that if the MetalAce® machine was good enough for him, I didn't need to shop around."
Daleen ordered a 44F U-weld kit from Covell in September 1997, but the shipper was on strike. So, Covell, who distributes the MetalAce, told Daleen to ship directly from MetalAce, which is located not so far away in Illinois.
The U-weld kit for the 44F call for a 3" support steel frame, but Daleen believes "bigger is better", which he uses as his rationale for buying the 44F, and for justifying moving up to a 4", 1/4"-thick steel frame. "It's solid," he says, particularly with the four legs under vs. most manufacturer's three legs.
The feature he likes the best are the wide variety of wheels available and the flat wheels. "I learned the value of flat wheels about a year ago, when I used someone else's machine one day. There were no flat wheels available and this owner was just under the impression you picked out the radius that you wanted the finished product to be. He didn't know how to work your way there by "washing" the panel back and forth through the machine."
Today, Daleen has rebuilt seven cars since his purchase of the MetalAce 44F English Wheel. But, his reputation is also getting around. He stays busy building parts for others, namely rust panels, door skins, fender patches, lower rear body panels and transmission humps for cars. In the motorcycle world, he has fabricated aluminum fenders for a 1955 Harley Davidson and aluminum air shields for racing bikes. He's also used it to remove "dings" from fenders of cars. "It's a lot quieter than beating them out with a hammer," he laughs.
To Keith Daleen, serious hobbyist, the MetalAce is the perfect tool for this equally serious craftsman.


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Learn How to Cleanse the Kidneys in a Natural Way!
Most probably you are already aware of the fact that kidneys are extremely important for all body functions. These organs are actually cleaning our body from toxic substances that enter the body, and due to these reasons we need to make sure they are always clean.
In this article we are going to present to you a trick that will help you detoxify your kidneys and maintain them fully functional and healthy. You will need parsley in order to do so. Chop the parsley and put it in a bowl with purified water. Bring this mixture to boiling point and remove it from heat. Strain the mixture and pour it in a bottle. Leave it cool down and your remedy is ready for use.
You will need to drink at least one cup on daily basis in order to remove the toxins from your body. Once you start with this treatment you will manage to expel the toxins through your urine.
Here are more details in regards to the properties of parsley:
- Contains high amount of antioxidants
- Revitalizes the skin
- Contains beta-carotene
- Contains calcium, sulfur, phosphorus, and iron
- It is rich with chlorophyll
- Contains vitamin C which is great against cancer and cardiovascular diseases
- Boosts the immune system
Due to the high amount of calcium it is also great for treatment of osteoporosis. This ingredient is highly recommended for children and athletes. It acts as natural diuretic that could help you remove excess of water in the body, and due to this it is often used for treatment of high blood pressure. Also you could use it for treatment of anemia, anorexia, mental and physical tiredness. All of these health benefits are due to the high amount of vitamins and minerals that it contains.
On the other hand, it could be also used for improvement of the health of your nails and hair, as well as the skin. Parsley also contains Apiol which is oily liquid that could help you fight fever and neuralgia.


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Public Interest Disclosures
On 15 January 2014, the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (PID Act) commenced.
The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 creates a scheme that promotes internal reporting of suspected illegal conduct or wrongdoing by public officials (including former public officials) and offers protections for individuals who do make a public interest disclosure from adverse consequences and/or reprisals. In certain limited circumstances disclosures can be made to people outside Government.
Airservices Australia is committed to ensuring the highest standards of ethical behavior and fully supports individuals who report wrongdoing or suspected wrongdoing.
Making a public interest disclosure
Public interest disclosures can be made by a public official. This includes:
- any person who is, or was, employed by the Australian Government
- individuals employed by any Commonwealth companies, authorities and statutory agencies, the Parliamentary service, statutory officeholders
- service providers under contract to the Commonwealth and anyone employed by them.
Public interest disclosures can be made orally or in writing:
- to an Authorised Officer
- by email to email@example.com
- by phone on (02) 6268 4102
- by mail to:
PID Authorised Officer – (please select one of the Authorised Officers below)
Airservices Australia
GPO Box 367
You can also report anonymously, however, please note:
- Airservices Australia will be limited in its ability to ensure that you are protected from reprisal
- anonymity may make further investigation difficult and
- it may be impossible to provide you with updates on the progress of investigations.
Authorised Officers
Airservices Australia PID Authorised Officers are (current as at August 2018):
- Governance and Security Manager, Safety & Assurance
- Personnel Security Team Leader, Safety & Assurance
- Services Integration Manager, Information Management & Data Systems
- Information Security Services Manager, Information Management & Data Systems
- Industrial Relations Specialist, Air Navigation Services
- Trainee Coordinator, Air Navigation Services
- ATS Specialist Team Leader, ANS Operational Standards, Air Navigation Services
- Simulator Supervisor ATSC Perth, Air Navigation Services
- People Services Advisor, Enterprise Services
- Senior Accounts Payable Officer, Enterprise Services
- Financial Controller Manager. Aviation Rescue Firefighting Services
- Senior Commercial Advisor, Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting
More information
- Further information about the Public Internet Disclosure Scheme can be found on the Commonwealth Ombudsman website.
- Further information about how Airservices receives and manages Public Interest Disclosures which is detailed in Airservices Public Interest Disclosure Procedure can be sourced through emailing email@example.com


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Recent heavy rains in and near Dallas Texas have caused the weather services to issue warnings of possible flood damage to homes and businesses in the area.
Water and Flood Damage Tips For Dallas Home And Businesses
There are 2 noticeably different types of flood water damage that can strike your Dallas home, and it is critically important that you be adequately gotten ready for both. While routine homeowner's insurance coverage will probably cover flooding due to a burst water pipeline (as long as it wasn't caused by your overlook in failing to fix a small leak), flooding from cyclones or twisters is not normally covered by property owner's insurance coverage. You require a unique flood policy to ensure protection. Flood insurance coverage is readily available for both house owners and renters, with differing rates depending upon danger.
Before Your Home Requirements Water Damage Repair
The crucial primary step is to make sure you're sufficiently insured in case of a flood.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared maps to identify locations that are specifically in danger of flooding. One in 4 homes in Special High Danger Locations will be flooded during the term of the typical 30-year mortgage, so these house owners are normally needed by their mortgage lending institutions to have flood insurance. There appears to be risk of water damage in Plano as across the entire Dallas Fort Worth metro is under flooding rain.
Moderate to low-risk areas lie outside identified floodplains, however, are suggested to have the insurance, while undetermined danger areas may still have some danger of flooding. Rates for the insurance depends upon the risk category.
For example, in Austin, Texas both typhoons and tornadoes can cause flooding. The same neighborhood might have various houses in each of the flood classifications, depending on the lay of the land.
Flood Damage Remediation: Exactly what You Had to Know
The very first thing you have to do if your home is harmed by flooding is to notify your insurance coverage agent. If there has actually been considerable damage in the location, there may be numerous other property owners filing claims for flood damage restoration, so the earlier you call, the greater you'll be in line, and the sooner you'll receive your check.
Before you get in the house, look for structural damage. You don't desire to be caught inside if your house collapses.
Take images of any standing water, along with damaged residential or commercial property. Make a list of damaged property, in addition, to purchase rate, present value, and receipts if you have them.
Be careful about restoring power where there's water damage. You may have to call an electrical expert.
Once your home has been harmed by flooding, you have to act quickly to avoid the growth of mold and mildew which might be harmful to your household's health. Drywall may have to be changed to prevent the development of mold behind it.
Some steps you can take to quicken drying of the wetness consist of opening all doors and windows and turning on air conditioners and fans. You'll require using gloves and boots to tidy and sanitize. Even after the flooded location is dried, you'll have to enjoy it for mold development and be conscious of any musty smells which establish.
On the other hand, you can call a water damage repair business to do the water damage remediation for you. Working with a specialist can save you effort and time while guaranteeing you of a comprehensive job.


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I often use my desktop computer for editing family videos even if I do this at a very amateur level. Wile I mostly produce "animated slide-show" videos, every now and then I adventure into the "real" video editing field. Until now I used OpenShot: I appreciate mostly its clean and easy to use user interface. Unfortunately, with my current desktop configuration, OpenShot appears to e quite unstable crashing without any clue especially before video preview.
I so decided to explore the panorama of available Linux video editing in order to find a proper replacement to OpenShot
Lightworks is one of the video editing software that received many positive reviews among many blogs I visited so I decided to give it a try.
Lightworks is a closed source software, both a free and a payment version are available, but limitations on the free version don't prevent you from a amateur level use. I so downloaded the ".deb" installation package and installed it by just double-clicking on the installation file.
When you download Lightworks you are asked to log-in or register to Lightworks site. Registration, which is free, is not mandatory to download the file but it is mandatory to activate and start the program.


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We have been working with one of our favorite local restaurants for a few weeks putting together a simple website for them. It has finally launched and is available at http://www.HelenaDepot.com. This site is built on WordPress for easy content updates and content syndication.
This site serves as a great example of the power of WordPress and proper content organization. Expect more from this site soon as it hopefully becomes more popular within the community.
1392 E. Ridge Street
Suite A
Washington, UT 84780
Phone: (205) 538-0061 Email:firstname.lastname@example.com


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City of Wilmington, NCHome Menu
City Events
Other Calendars
Historic Preservation Commission
- Date: 10/10/2019 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
- Location: City Hall / Thalian Hall
102 N. 3rd St.
Wilmington, North Carolina 28401
A regular meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission will be held in Council Chambers. (HPC meetings are generally held at 5:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month unless otherwise noted.)Return to full list >>


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"The Book is a Body that Bends" is an exhibition of new works by Anna Gray + Ryan Wilson Paulsen that reflects their preoccupation with books. From photographic color fields depicting the dyed fore-edges of pulp paperbacks, to drawings of broken spines and warped pages, and sculptural tomes made from cement and bound paper, the works in the exhibition are about the book as a physical object and a metaphor for the body.
Made in parallel to a process of becoming informed about trauma, Gray & Paulsen's exhibition explores the ways the body holds a history (visible or invisible) of past suffering—how it accrues vulnerabilities and constructs protections against the realities of being in the world. Both hard-edged and soft, open and bound, ghostly and bodied, their pieces depict books that have been damaged by use, by the market, by water or air yet remain beautiful in their singularity.
With the knowledge that coming to terms with traumatic experience necessitates a certain kind of literacy and collective regard, Gray & Paulsen have organized a series of public discussions during the month of June. Join us and three guest artists to talk about embodiment after trauma, healthy rage, and the connection between economic precarity, health and identity. Snacks, beverages, and takeaways created by each guest artist will be provided.
All discussions will take place from 11:30-1pm
925 NW Flanders
Portland, OR 97209
Keep the Rage Tender with Emily Squires
Saturday, June 9th
Centered on the question: Is rage healthy? this discussion will explore the relationship between rage, health, and daily life and is informed by the book of poems titled Salt by Nayyirah Waheed and the work of the art collective What Would an HIV Doula Do?.
Emily Squires is an artist and educator, currently serving as the Education & Engagement Specialist at the Sexual & Gender Minority Resource Center (SMYRC) in Portland, OR. Her multidisciplinary and collaborative art practice and political work investigates themes such as voice, participation, belonging, and love.
Embodiment After Trauma with Rachel Hines
Saturday, June 16th
Rachel Hines will lead a discussion starting from the question "How do we receive care after trauma?". The discussion will be informed by her own personal research and book, Self Care Manual, as well as by an episode of the podcast On Being that she found pivotal in her own recovery: How Trauma Lodges in the Body with psychiatrist and author Bessel van der Kolk.
Listen to the interview with Bessel van der Kolk here
Rachel Hines is a feminist artist and educator based in Portland. Her work explores the relationships between the inner Self, the exterior body, and the separate other. She currently teaches art at Portland State University and yoga at Root Whole Body. rachelhines.com
We don't need full time jobs to be full people with Ariana Jacob
Saturday, June 23rd
How does unstable work impact your health, emotional life and sense of belonging? So many of us now basically depend on the gig economy, piecing together part-time, temporary jobs to get by. As our work lives become precarious how do we learn to live in ways that don't perpetuate personally insecurity but instead provide new ways of belonging together?
Let's try getting grounded in who we are to ourselves and to each other in this world that's moving towards not needing most of us in its work force. Among other texts and ideas, this discussion is informed by James Bogg's text The Outsiders from The American Revolution: Pages From a Negro Worker's Notebook, Chapter 4.
Ariana Jacob makes artwork that uses conversation to explore political and personal interdependence and disconnection. Prior to working as an artist and academic Ariana managed a farmers' market, worked in a cabinet shop, co-ran a secret cafe out of her apartment, and fished for salmon commercially. While being an artist and academic Ariana also does union organizing and group facilitation, alongside being a partner, friend, family member and wonderer. Ariana currently teaches in the Social Practice MFA Program at Portland State University and is the Chair of Bargaining for PSUFA Adjunct Faculty Union.


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Maybe I Need a Paradigm Shift —
This is the title of a thread by "ash77" where I provided an answer that the OP did not like, as such:
ash77 wrote: I'm of no real benefit to anybody (and certainly not society at large). . . .
If I knew that I could cure cancer by working on it for a solid week, the only way I'd do it is if I were bored enough and the work seemed fun. Otherwise I probably wouldn't bother.
Please join forces with Dr. Robert Morse. Here is his YouTube channel. I gather you can pick up his teachings with no problem on your part. This world needs as many as possible to spread the word and inspire people to take action . . .
I am wondering why this member and his thread were deleted.
Thank you for your time.


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Filed under: Politics | Tags: assange, conservatism, denialism, global warming, intellectuals, propaganda, public relations, rape, smear campaigns, smoking and lung cancer, tobacco industry
A problem for progressives is that intellectuals are more (small-c) conservative than you might expect. The reason for this is that intellectuals are frightened of making mistakes and being caught making mistakes. This comes about because of their engagement in intellectual arguments and investment in their outcomes. Combine this fear of making mistakes with an understanding that they do not have sufficient facts to make an accurate determination of the truth in most cases, and the effect is that intellectuals will often not take a stand on important issues. The problem with this is that it leaves the field clear for those who will take a stand, or leaves the decision to those who make decisions by default, i.e. the powerful. In other words, the intellectual refusal to take a stand on issues where they are not certain amounts to a de facto stand in favour of established authorities and ways of doing things.
The danger of this passivity in response to issues that are too difficult to be sure of, is that it leaves you open to a form of propaganda or public relations strategy that has been well known and exploited for a long time.
''Doubt is our product,'' proclaimed an internal tobacco industry document in 1969. ''Spread doubt over strong scientific evidence and the public won't know what to believe.''
It is very easy to spread doubt, and often extremely difficult to prove a positive claim beyond all possible doubt.
The counter-argument says that not taking a stand is reasonable because we don't know, and if we don't know we shouldn't take a stand. This seems reasonable, but in the case of issues where a political decision needs to be taken, we have to think about the effects of both possible positions we could take. On the one hand, if we refuse to take a stand we'll never be subject to the criticism that we expressed a wrong opinion, but we'll be letting the political decision be taken by those with established authority or power. On the other hand, if we take a stand we might be able to have some input into the political decisions, but we run the risk of being proven wrong at some point in the future.
Being proven wrong, though, is not in itself a political problem, it's a personal problem. So, thinking of our actions as political, rather than personal, we shouldn't worry about the upset it will cause to us if we turn out to be wrong. Rather, we should only refuse to take a stand if by recklessly taking a stand without sufficient information we might increase the chance of a harmful political decision. Going further than this, in most cases there is not a neutral position: the lack of a position being equivalent to a position in favour of the status quo. Let's take a look at some examples.
As quoted above, the tobacco industry's tactic was to create doubt about the link between smoking and cancer. Although the overwhelming evidence was supportive of this link, some evidence was found that was not supportive. What about the effects of taking a stand in favour of or against the link? On the one hand, taking no stand means not pushing for regulation of the tobacco industry, and allowing them to do whatever they want, at the risk of many more cases of lung cancer. On the other hand, taking a stand would mean pushing for such regulation, and reducing the number of people who smoke, at the cost of the profits of the tobacco industry, for no reason. Given that the evidence was very much supportive of the link, the cost-benefit analysis is clear: one should take a stand in support of this link.
A similar tactic is being used today by those who want to deny a link between human industrial activity and global warming. Again, the overwhelming majority of evidence is in favour of the link, but some evidence goes against it. Not taking a stand means letting things go on as they are at the moment, and putting the entire world at risk. Taking a stand, however, is also costly: it means potentially cutting back on emissions and consequently on economic growth, which also has an effect on millions of lives. In both the cases above, there is no neutral position: you have to take a position, and either position you take has potentially dire consequences if you're wrong. In this case, not taking a position means taking a position in favour of the status quo, i.e. gambling that there is no link and that there will be no effect.
There are many more examples of this situation that crop up all the time. I have come across it in debates with people about industrial action, about alternatives to capitalism, and many more. I want to finish though with an example that is playing out right now and is causing a great deal of tension within the left: the case of the rape allegations against Julian Assange.
History has shown, including quite recent history, that governments are willing to smear their opponents with allegations of sexual misconduct. Given this, it was no huge surprise when allegations of rape against Julian Assange surfaced after the release of documents embarassing to several governments. On the face of it, it would seem as though this was a prime case for ignoring these allegations. However, there is a problem: there is a huge problem with the downplaying or denial or accusations of rape. And indeed, many articles arguing we should ignore these rape allegations have been of a decidedly misogynist character. The response of some (not all) feminists against such articles is then quite reasonable, but unfortunately I feel misses an important point about the way smears work: mud sticks. Consider, as above, our options on taking a stand in favour of or against Assange. If we take a stand in favour of him, we support those who would release important documents that reveal the way governments behave in secret, but we risk supporting someone who may be a rapist. If we take a stand against him, we show that the left will not stand by those who attempt to take on those in power, we let those in power disarm us by accusing us of rape. Yes, of course it's the case that he might have done it, but there is no neutral stance here: not supporting him is equivalent to saying that you will not stand by anyone if they are attacked by governments in this way. And that's true even if turns out he did it. Let's take the logic a step further: what happens if we support him, and it turns out he did it? Our supporting him is a form of political support. The case against him is a legal one, and will hopefully proceed based on the quality of the evidence, regardless of our political support of him. If he did it, and the evidence is sufficient, he'll be found guilty. We'll feel bad for supporting him, but in terms of justice no harm will have been done. On the other hand, if we don't support him, even if he is subsequently shown to be innocent, the damage will have been done.
Given the history of sexual smears in the past then, we surely must support Assange in this case. And it's important to say that this is the attitude to take not based on looking at the smattering of details of the case that have been leaked, it's not to accuse the women involved of being CIA agents (it's possible that they were, but even if the allegations are part of a smear campaign it doesn't follow that they have acted in bad faith, and we don't need to take a position on that one way or the other), and it's not to have an opinion on what Sweden's sex crime laws should be.
Finally, the argument of this post, that intellectuals are more prone to propaganda because they are afraid to hold a position that might be wrong, should be compared to an earlier article in which I argue that intellectuals are prone to propaganda because they think they understand things better than they do, and oversimplify them. On the face of it, that looks contradictory but I think it's not: they are two types of error that are not in conflict. On the one hand, we can make the mistake of overconfidence in what we think we know and our understanding of it, and on the other hand we can refuse to take a political stand in cases where we can be proved wrong. These can coexist in that different people can make these two different types of mistake, and that a single person can make the two different types of mistake in different situations. It's even possible to make both mistakes simultaneously, for example someone who reads and understands a climate change denial article that makes a valid point which they understand, and then declares that there is uncertainty about global warming. They are both making a mistake of overconfidence in their understanding of global warming (they've only read the one article and don't have the expertise or the wide scope to weigh the evidence against all the other evidence), and refusing to take a political position one way or the other on it and are therefore implicitly supporting the status quo case.
Filed under: Consumption, Food | Tags: pierre gagnaire
Some pictures from my lunch at Pierre Gagnaire with Alastair.
We start with our menu and aperitifs, a selection of fruit juices: grape and ginger, lemon and apple.
Our first selection of amuses bouches:
- Potato and seaweed
- Almond and ginger biscuit
- Anchovy 'salad'
- Tuna and blackberry macaron
- Black bread stick with olive oil and thyme
Our second selection of amuses bouches:
- Beef carpaccio with salmon eggs
- Cheese stick with wasabi
- Bacon, cheese and hazelnut
Our starters:
- "Palourde Belle-Ile" – clam on a bed of octopus salsa
- "Merlan brillant recouvert d'un crumble vert; moelle de boeuf, pop corn" – whiting with a green herb crumble, beef bone marrow and pop corn
- "Royale iodée au jabugo" – mussels wrapped in jabugo ham with iodized custard
- "Soupe de pied et oreilles de cochon, roquette et lentilles" – soup of foot and ear of pig with rocket and lentils
- "Sablé de figue sèche au Moscato d'Asti, raisin liqueur" – dried fig biscuit with booze
Our fish course:
- "Effeuillée de lieu jaune de ligne déposée sur une marinière de coques agrémentée de poireaux, d'énokis et de haddock" – line caught pollack on chlorophyll jelly on clams, leeks, enoki and haddock
Meat course:
- "Grenouilles et quasi de veau façon Poulette, gâteau de foie blond; laitue farcie d'ail noir. Chouquette de parmesan, salade d'automne" – Frog and veal fillet cooked "like chicken", yellow liver cake, lettuce stuffed with black garlic, puff pastry of parmesan, autumnal salad
First dessert:
- Fig compôte with caramel ice cream and sugar tuille
Second set of desserts (not shown):
- Ginger biscuit with marinated orange pieces
- Poached pear with pear ice cream and hazelnuts
Third set of desserts:
- Something with apple, spiced tuille and bits
- Chocolate tower filled with tiramisu, pistachio cream, vanilla cream, and spoon of posh nutella
Petits fours:
- White truffle bon bon
- White chocolate and orange
- Fruity sort of thing
- Spongey thing
- Chocolate and caramel
- Red fruit pastille
And we finished with chocolate, coffee and a tisane for me.
Total price: 130 euros each. Worth every penny.
Alastair in the restaurant:
Me outside:
Filed under: Academia, Epistemology, Manifesto, Philosophy, Science | Tags: peer review, scientific method
You often hear people responding to the claims of homeopathists and the like with a request to see the peer-reviewed literature supporting their claims. The idea is that peer review is a unique characteristic of proper science that is essential to make science work. I recently read a history of peer review in science (subscription to Trends in biotechnology is unfortunately required) that throws some doubt on this. Fascinatingly, peer review didn't really take off until 1959 with the invention of the photocopier: before then, it was just too expensive to make copies of the papers to send out for peer review. There was something like peer review before then, in that the editor would ask the opinions of friends and colleagues, but this was far from the standard we have for peer review today. A few journals would make the effort to make copies of papers and send them out for review, but it was rare.
Since science before 1959 was, in fact, extremely successful, and able to develop very well, it cannot be the case that peer review is an essential component of science. That's not to say we should do away with it: it serves an important function today, essentially that of reducing the workload of the editor. So many papers are submitted for publication that some method for choosing which papers should and shouldn't be published is necessary, and the reviews help the editor make that decision. What the exact function of peer review today ought to be, and how it should evolve, was the subject of an interesting debate in Nature in 2006 (no subscription needed for this one, I think).
So the people demanding peer-reviewed papers from the homeopathists should perhaps question what it is exactly that they're doing. My guess is that they use it as an easy, but wrong way to distinguish science from pseudoscience. It makes for a good quip. The danger, though, as argued in this article, is that in fact it's easy to cherry-pick bad 'scientific' papers that have passed the peer-review process. By using peer review as the 'gold standard' of scientific enquiry, they allow the justification of all sorts of nonsense.
This poses a problem though: if it's not peer-review, what is it that makes science work? There have been many theories about this, most focussing on methodological aspects of scientific enquiry, for example Popper's falsifiability criterion. I want to suggest an alternative point of view that doesn't focus on methodology:
Science is the study of problems that can be addressed with the techniques available to us.
Techniques here should be understood to include both technology and, for example, mathematical or statistical tools. In this view then, physics is the 'hardest' science because the problems it looks at are the easiest. The variables in physical problems are much less interdependent, there are many fewer of them, and their interactions are much simpler than those in, for example, the study of social systems or economics. Our simple, mostly linear mathematical techniques and statistical methods based on independent variables then apply very nicely to physical problems.
Why does science work in this view then? The answer is that science is part of a social process: scientists do science, they are genuinely interested in finding out what happens, and even though individual scientists will sometimes be very wrong, will try to promote a bad theory that doesn't have much support, or will attack a rival theory, eventually the egotistical motives involved will fade whereas the usefulness of good theories will last. This process may take a generation before change happens, but it eventually works. This process relies on there being at least some bias in favour of good theories over bad ones, even if the bias is small in comparison to the egotistic biases in favour of established theories. However, if available techniques are not good enough to introduce this bias, the good theories won't win out over the bad ones, even in the long run. Thus, in unscientific subjects we shouldn't be surprised to see cyclical variations in theories, where the period of the cycle is related to the duration of a scientific career. Young researchers will look at the work of the old researchers with disdain and propose radical alternatives, to which they will become attached. In turn, their theories will be rejected by those that come after them, and so on without ever stabilising.
In a way this is obvious: if there is no evidence to support or reject theories, then we cannot improve them. But it's important to note that whether there is or is not any evidence to support or reject theories is to a large extent a function of how easy the problem being studied is. The fact that evidence in physics is so much stronger than it is in economics is hardly a reason for scorn of economists.
This point of view on why science works may help scientists look at researchers in other fields both more humbly and more reasonably. Humbly, in that they should realise that the reason their field of study is so advanced is that the problems are so easy, and reasonably, in that it should help them to see more accurately why it is that some fields make better progress than others, without getting distracted by methodology.
Filed under: Manifesto, Philosophy, Politics, Religion | Tags: belief, cognitive dissonance, confabulation, god, integration propaganda, intentional stance
A couple of years ago I wrote a post cheekily entitled Nobody believes in God which, following some recent conversations with friends, I want to revisit. This will actually make the third time I've gone back to this idea (see the first and second). I think this is because there's an important kernel of a good idea there, but also much that is unclear.
Unfortunately, and perhaps to some tediously, the biggest problem is that the term "belief" is not well-defined. In my original article I wrote that "To believe something, you have to act in a way that is consistent with the belief being true. Otherwise, you're just saying that you believe it." This is an important sense of the term "belief", somewhat akin to Daniel Dennett's notion of the "intentional stance", but it became clear that this isn't a definition most people would agree with, and is problematic. It's not necessarily detrimental that most people wouldn't agree with it, but there are other problems. Notably, it assumes a certain consistency and unitary quality that people don't have. All of us have beliefs that are inconsistent, and we wouldn't want to say we don't have beliefs just because of that. Similarly, all of us take actions that are inconsistent with our beliefs. Imagine that someone tells you that if you move your leg they will kill you, and then they tap you just below your knee with a hammer – you will, despite your sincere belief in what they say, move your leg. It's not possible for you not to – the signal never even reaches your brain but is instead turned into a motor command by your spinal column. This is a trivial example, but suggests a general point: we do not have a single identity that we could ascribe our beliefs to, we have multiple systems in our brain that are sometimes under conscious control and sometimes not, etc. Ramachandran describes the case of a split brain patient who had one half of the brain which believed in God, and one that didn't.
So using an individuals actions as a guide to their beliefs cannot give us the full story on belief, but that still leaves us in a quandary: what can we go on? Since people lie, we obviously can't uncritically go on what they say. So if we can't go on what they say or what they do, what is left? The only option remaining, it seems, is to give up the idea of a single, unitary thing called "belief" that people have, and admit that belief is a vaguely defined, context-specific thing that can, depending on specific circumstances, violate almost every single intuition we might have about it. Again there is a risk of throwing out the baby with the bathwater, and giving up usage of the term completely. No, clearly the idea of belief has some use, but we have to be careful about saying what type of belief we're talking about, and when reasoning about statements involving "belief" be aware of the practical consequences of the different types of belief in different contexts. The next task is to unpick some of those types of belief and how they affect our actions. In the remainder of this entry I'll discuss some of the types of belief that have been suggested to me in recent discussions that are relevant to religious/theistic belief.
The first conception of belief I'll talk about is my original one, broadly corresponding to Dennett's intentional stance, that someone believes something if they act consistently with it being true. For example, the shortest way from my office to the street is through the window, but I take the more laborious route via the stairs because I believe in gravity. There's no doubt this is a useful conception of belief that has practical consequences. And, I stand by my original contention that most religious people don't believe in God in this sense.
There is a complication though, which is that in this sense stated as above, I "believe" there is a china teapot orbiting the Sun between Earth and Mars: I never do anything that is inconsistent with there being one. Somehow we want to exclude such beliefs as this, but this quickly becomes problematic if we want to talk about religious beliefs, for obvious reasons. There is a kernel of religious belief that cannot ever come in conflict with our actions. The idea that God "exists" and "created the universe" cannot be in conflict with anything we do. Many people today will, when questioned on their religious beliefs, agree only to this minimal kernel of faith and nothing more, but will vehemently defend the idea that they do believe in God. So do they believe in God or not? Here's where context comes in handy: we can say of these people that although they may believe in God in some highly rarified symbolic context, in the everyday context of the real world, they have no belief in God. If God didn't exist, nothing they did would be any different.
One suggestion for defining belief was precisely this: by the term "belief" we mean exactly that component of our thoughts that doesn't come into conflict with reality. If it could be proved (or disproved) we wouldn't have to believe it. This corresponds nicely with the notion of faith developed in Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" where the Babel fish causes God to cease to exist by proving his existence and thereby eliminating faith. I feel that this definition does indeed correspond to some aspect of what we ordinarily mean by the term "belief", and it has some resonance with the Christian relationship with "doubt", but I'm not sure there are many theists who would be happy with a definition of belief as that which is inconsequential.
The second conception of belief that came up was several ideas around a common theme: the idea that belief is a form of post hoc rationalisation of our actions. This is related to the notion of confabulation in psychology. This is easily shown in an experiment with split brain patients where you tell one half of their brain to go and get a coffee (by whispering in one ear so that the other ear can't hear it), and then you ask the other half of the brain why they went to get a coffee: they will typically reply that they were thirsty, or felt like a coffee, or something like that. In other words, having observed their own actions, they create a rationalisation for them. With probably a minimum of reflection, we can see that this isn't just a peculiarity of split brain patients: we all do this from time to time.
Jacques Ellul used this notion of belief following action as an explanation for an important part of the power of propaganda, what he called "integration propaganda" (which I discuss in the last paragraph of this entry). Essentially, if you can get people to engage in certain actions, especially ones with a powerful emotion attached to them, then they will tend to create their own beliefs for why this was the right thing to do. The alternative to believing that it was right is believing that it was wrong, or meaningless, and most people don't want to do this (cognitive dissonance). This form of belief applies very nicely to religion, in which you are first enculturated into various patterns of behaviour (going to church, prayer, etc.) and are thereby integrated into the social community of the Church. There is a strong incentive later in life not to admit, even to yourself, that you don't believe in God, because to admit that would be to admit that all those actions were meaningless, or even worse, actually wrong.
So what type of belief is this? At first glance, it is a purely symbolic form of belief: you will say "I believe in God" if asked. Does the belief have consequences though, and in what contexts? It's difficult to distinguish, in this case, because a belief such as this came with a period of social integration, which, especially in the case of people raised as religious, will have defined their whole moral outlook. Which consequences of this process are due to the belief, and which to the social process of creating the belief? It was put to me that religious people often do extraordinary things, such as not having sex before marriage, hating gay people, reading the bible, and praying, and that shouldn't we take this as evidence that they believe? I countered that we can equally well explain those as consequences of their being brought up and part of a religion which encourages these sorts of behaviour (think of the extraordinary things that people did and thought in atheist Soviet Russia). I don't think either of us was satisfied with this answer, it's too difficult to pick apart why people did those things.
The question then, to me, is what explanatory power does the idea of "belief in God" have beyond membership of a religion? My argument is that it has very little power to explain behaviour because social pressures are able to explain so much. Twisting Laplace, I have no need of the hypothesis that people believe in God. You can say that I'm trying to have my cake and eat it – or rather, eat my cake and have it, as the expression should be in order to make sense – on the one hand I want to say that belief in God doesn't lead to any actions, but when faced with an action that does appear to stem from a belief in God I want to write it off as the consequence of religious enculturation. How could I be proved wrong? But the defender of the idea that people really do believe in God has the same problem: when a religious person does something that isn't consistent with their beliefs, they want to say that it's because they are inconsistent, or weak, or because their belief doesn't really apply in that case. I will put forward a few reasons, that may not be conclusive, to suggest that the social process is more important to explaining behaviour than the belief:
- Historically, behaviour by religious people is very inconsistent. In the past, and still very frequently today, Christians hated gay people, abhorred them as sinful, sometimes citing some of the nastier bits of the Bible in favour of this. These days, more liberal Christians will cite rather sophisticated theological reasoning to explain away the passages in the Bible that refer to killing gay people (apparently, Jesus "fulfilled the law" so we don't have to follow it – if you can make any headway on that good luck to you). In any case, if both of these types of Christian "believe in God" in the same sense, then this belief clearly isn't reflected in their attitude towards gay people. "Belief in God", in other words, has no explanatory power with respect to attitudes towards homosexuality. We can play the same game with any number of attitudes and behaviours. What is left?
- In my original entry, I argued that if you really believed in hell, you would never sin, and yet people often do. It has been countered, innumerable times, that these days most Christians either don't believe in hell, or don't believe that they'll be going there. But, this is sophisticated theological reasoning, and I'm pretty sure that throughout most of the history of Christianity, the masses certainly did believe in hell, and thought that they might well go there. And yet, they sinned. Is our "belief in God" so different to theirs? Could it be that they didn't believe in God, but that Christians today do? Perhaps, although that makes belief in God a very recent phenomenon, which seems somewhat counterintuitive. I would rather say that the belief (or lack of it) in God is the same, but that there has been an innovation in the language game of belief, coming about as a response to the increased interaction of religious people with atheists. Since the belief in God is the same we can apply my arguments about belief in hell to people a couple of hundred years ago and find that they don't believe in God (beyond their membership of the religion in question), and that consequently, neither do people today.
Although I may be able to explain the actions of people raised as religious without using the idea that they believe in God, and therefore show that the post hoc rationalisation form of belief exists only at the symbolic level, there is still a problem with saying that there is no such thing as consequential belief in God. The problem is: what about people that come to believe in God later in life, perhaps having been raised as atheist? They didn't experience a correlative moral training by theists, and so their actions, such as they are, must be explained by the belief in God. And since these actions are often similar to those of the people brought up as religious, shouldn't we interpret both as stemming from their belief in God? This is certainly a conundrum, and perhaps even an antinomy, but it applies equally to those who believe that people believe in God (see bullet points above). I suspect that people who have converted later in life are often those who have experienced some sort of psychological trauma, and want the safety and acceptance of a social group, and perform the actions because they are an entry requirement to the social group. If anything, we would expect them to be more extreme in their performance of the rituals, because they have more to prove: they are trying to come in from outside, rather than being allowed to stay in by default of having grown up inside. This does seem rather supercilious though, and I have little to no evidence that it's the case.
To finish with, I want to outline a position similar to my first followup to the original article, which is also similar to a suggestion made to me recently, and that at least partly resolves some of these difficulties. The position is this: we hypothesise that we think at a symbolic and non-symbolic level, and that there are interactions between these levels, but that they are not tightly integrated. The reality is undoubtedly more complex than this, but perhaps this hypothesis can shed some light anyway. Belief in God then impacts only directly on our thinking at the symbolic level. Typically, this symbolic belief in God is instilled by integration into a community (although it can also occur through other means). Normally, our actions are guided by pragmatic reasoning, or by routine, and these actions can be correlative with our thinking at the symbolic level having both been influenced by our upbringing.
The suggestion that was put to me was this: Infrequently, a decision presents itself which cannot be decided by either pragmatic reasoning or by routine. For example, what do we think about stem cell research? Stem cells are sufficiently far removed from anything we have ever thought about before that neither pragmatic reasoning nor routine thinking can enable us to come up with an answer to this. It is in these unusual instances that our belief in God can have an effect, because we are forced to pass from our beliefs to our actions rather than the other way around. My response to this though is that belief in God doesn't have strong explanatory power here: the situation is really that the stated set of (self-contradictory) principles that someone believes in have to be resolved in a particular case by making a choice one way or the other. The fact that these decisions can sometimes go one way, and sometimes another (for example, in religious schisms that come about in these situations) shows that the resolution is to some extent arbitrary, or at least decided by other factors.
In conclusion then, I prefer to look at religion as a purely social phenomenon, which happens to include the notion of God, but that could equally well be replaced with any other purely symbolic object and serve all the same purposes. Everything that I'm interested in as regards religion can be understood in this way: we can see how it is that religion is capable of both great evil, and great good, just as any other form of power can be exercised in ways that are harmful or beneficial. In fact, we can treat religion purely politically, and I think if we do this we'll see that it's harmful and beneficial precisely where political systems are harmful or beneficial. Harmful when hierarchical, centralised, authoritarian, and beneficial when democratic and driven by ordinary human needs and desires. See also my old manifesto entry on religion, and followup on religion, atheists and hierarchy.
Why is this important? Because it changes the stance that atheists should take towards theists. For a start, we should probably not expend much energy in trying to undermine the idea that God exists because this is probably not primary for most religious people. It may have some use as a focal point for atheistic communities, may serve as a hook on which to hang ones atheism, and may help to give the final push to people who have already decided to give up their religion, but is unlikely to be a major force in converting people. More important than this rhetorical or didactic reason for not focussing on God, we shouldn't do so because belief in God is largely inconsequential in comparison to religion as a political phenomenon. If the atheist community could apply their considerable talents to political analysis, perhaps really great things could be achieved. As it stands, atheists are as likely as not to be politically reactionary and supportive of authoritarian and hierarchical structures.
Filed under: Politics | Tags: poor laws, tory spending cuts, welfare reform, workhouses
In 1834, responding to the increasing cost of poor relief which was considered to be unmanageable, the Poor Law Commission recommended that those receiving help should be "subjected to such courses of labour and discipline as will repel the indolent and vicious" (quoted in A. L. Morton "A People's History of England"). Consequently, the workhouses were run according to the principle of less eligibility, that as a form of deterrent, the conditions in them should be worse than was possible outside (which was certainly the case in the Andover workhouse, in which the inmates had to suck the marrow out of bones they were supposed to be grinding for fertiliser). Furthermore, that someone "requesting to be rescued from that danger out of the property of others, he must accept assistance on the terms, whatever they may be" (see p24 here). This was the system described by Dickens in Oliver Twist, and it led to mass agitation, partly through the Chartist movement, including the storming and burning of the workhouses.
On reading about this recently, I was reminded of George Osborne's recent comments, that "The welfare system is broken. We have to accept that the welfare bill has got completely out of control… People who think it is a lifestyle to sit on out-of-work benefits … that lifestyle choice is going to come to an end." Just as it was in the 19th century, however, the rhetoric is quite out of touch with reality.
See also Tristram Hunt writing on the spending cuts.
To those of you who somehow have managed to not come across Slavoz Žižek, Slovenian psychoanalytic philosopher / cultural theorist, here's a nice, short animation that does the basics. If you haven't read him or seen him talk before, you should really take a look (and it's quite fun even if you have).
Filed under: Religion | Tags: atheism, lack of belief
I haven't been blogging much for quite a long time, mostly because I haven't had the time to write any long, carefully argued posts. So as not to let this blog become totally moribund, I thought I might post a few shorter, incomplete entries. So, let's kick off with a video someone sent me last night giving a very brief (10 minute) statement of "lack of belief" as a definition of atheism. It's sort of unarguable in some sense. (Or is it just that it says things I agree with?)


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Source: Content in Rentrak Theatrical box office updates is produced and/or compiled by Rentrak Corporation and its Box Office Essentials theatrical box office data collection and analytical service.
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Lube Basics seminars set for four Ontario locations
Mississauga, ON - Automatic greasing systems specialist FLO Components Ltd. has announced the schedule for its 2014-2015 Lube Basics Seminars. Scheduled cities in Ontario will include Kitchener, Mississauga, Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
August 19, 2014
By MRO Magazine
Mississauga, ON – Automatic greasing systems specialist FLO Components Ltd. has announced the schedule for its 2014-2015 Lube Basics Seminars. Scheduled cities in Ontario will include Kitchener, Mississauga, Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
A study conducted by a major component manufacturer showed that improper lubrication accounts for 53% of all bearing failures, is a major cause of equipment downtime and results in significant unnecessary maintenance costs. According to FLO's marketing specialist, Gabriel Lopez, "FLO Lube Basics Seminars are designed to help you avoid common lubrication failures by turning your personnel into lubrication specialists.
Each one-day seminar will include a balance of theory and practical information. Half of the seminar time will be for traditional in-class training and half will be hands-on training.
These seminars are designed and presented as an unbiased, third-party, vendor-neutral lubrication training program. "We don't bring people there to sell them on our products," said Lopez. "We teach them what they need to know about dealing with everyday lubrication issues, so when they apply what they learn, their payoff is immediate and permanent."
Some of the topics to be covered in the seminars include:
– Basic principles of friction/wear, lubricants and lubricant types
– Grease properties/compatibility/applications
– Introduction to manual lubrication (fittings, calibrating grease guns, etc.)
– Lubricant handling/transfer and storage procedures
– General Automatic Lube System operation, inspection and troubleshooting procedures.
Established in 1977 and based in Mississauga, ON, FLO is a lubrication systems specialist and a supplier of total lube solutions and supplies to major construction, road building, aggregate, trucking, mining companies and manufacturers in Ontario. FLO has been a Lincoln Industrial Master Distributor for over 36 years and is the largest SKF Lubrication Business Unit System House for both Lincoln and SKF brands in Canada.
More information on the seminars can be found on FLO's website at www.flocomponents.com.
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Innovative APA recognizes thecounseling psychologyeducationprogram at theUniversity of Tennessee,Knoxville, for itsAdvocating for clients is a large part of counseling psychologists' jobs, yet graduate school training rarely focuses on advocacy skills, particularly in the publicsphere. The counseling psychology program at the University ofTennessee, Knoxville, is trying to change that.
In 2007, the program developed a "
Scientist-Practitioner-Advocate" model of training that adds a new twist: On top
of traditional training in research and counseling, the model
teaches students to advocate for policy change — a component
that enables students to help people beyond the therapy room.
The program's coursework includes 15 credit hours of
advocacy training and a social justice practicum the year
before internship. Students' coursework teaches them the
practical aspects of advocacy, such as how a bill becomes law
and how to effectively lobby for legislative change. Students
also consider how research initiatives and methodologies can
be influenced by an awareness of social justice — students, for
example, investigate issues of privilege as part of their studies.
In recognition of UT-Knoxville's creative approach, APA's
Board of Educational Affairs, in partnership with the Council
of Graduate Departments of Psychology, gave the program
its 2011 APA Award for Innovative Practices in Graduate
Education. The award recognizes pioneering practices that
improve a graduate program's overall quality and can be
emulated by other programs, says Cathi Grus, PhD, of the APA
Education Directorate.
UT counseling student Kyle Bandermann says the program
helped him become a better advocate for any population. His
practicum enabled him to work with LGBTQ youth in east
Tennessee. He is now looking for an internship in integrated care
and behavioral health, ideally at a hospital or veterans' center.
advocate for themselves on a case-by-case basis, as well as in thegreater community, is a big piece of any work I might do."Interest in UT's counseling program has skyrocketed since itadopted its advocacy component — program applications areup 250 percent since the changes were made.
Adapting the existing model was less disruptive than one
might think, says Jacob Levy, PhD, associate professor within
the program. Rather than overhauling the entire program,
Levy and other faculty looked at what they were already doing
and how to expand on it. "We still train very good science-practitioners," Levy says. "But we've added something new." ;


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Renal Roundtable Lecture Series
Gout: A Chronic Systemic Disease of the Kidney with Rheumatological Manifestations
About this event
This unique dinner series provides a networking opportunity among colleagues in the field of nephrology, compelling presentations by thought leaders in chronic kidney disease, and an opportunity for group discussion. The program is complimentary and includes dinner. Space is limited, register early!
Target Audience
Gout: A Chronic Systemic Disease of the Kidney with Rheumatological Manifestations
Join colleagues in the field of Nephrology to discuss the chronic systemic nature of gout and the kidneys' role in the disease. During the program, examine the impact of a prolonged state of high uric acid in patients with renal impairment that have a history of gout and the need for reducing the urate burden in these patients. The program will also highlight the prevalence of gout in patients with renal disease, and allow you to learn more about a treatment option for nephrologists for the management of uncontrolled gout in patients with chronic kidney disease.
For more information about this event contact Anna Tzinis at firstname.lastname@example.com / (440) 241-6780
Featured Speaker
Featured Speaker
Led by Dr Nicolaos Athienites, MD
Renal Medical Care Group
Boston, MA
Renal Medical Care Group
Boston, MA
Dr. Nicolaos Athienites, in addition to patient care, serves as an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, member of the Medical Education Committee at Signature Health Brockton Hospital, chairman of the Renal Services Committee at South Shore Hospital, and chief of nephrology at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital. Dr. Athienites is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Society of Nephrology.
Time & Location
Time & Location
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
About the NKF
About the NKF
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive and longstanding organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease.


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Join us Saturday, Feburary 11, at 6:00 pm for a wonderful Western-themed Valentine Dinner and an exciting "Who-Dun-It" Mystery. Make a reservation here
Wylie Arp, the sheriff of Duck City, Kansas, left his career as a lawman and traveled west to Gravestone with his brothers and friends. He planned to sink his life savings into a business and live the rest of his days free from the stress of law enforcement. Little did he know what awaited him.
During a town dinner, a reward poster surfaced with rumors of codes hidden around town leading to a hidden treasure. One of the townspeople was found murdered in cold blood and the townsfolk rallied together to figure out whodunit and a grueling investigation ensued.
Over coffee and dessert, the suspects come clean with their involvement with the crime and to everyone's shock…the murderer confessed! Overall, it is a night to be remembered by all.


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As a way to try a foster some more open debate and discussion on some of big political, economic, and social issues of the day within Mr H's Government and Economics classes, students will be asked from time to time to log on, review, and post discussion thoughts on a wide range of issues related to the class content. Student will be given until an assigned due date to review any materials posted below by Mr H and communicate their thoughts in a form of online dialog that will help facilitate learning, debate, and discussion both in and out of the classroom.Students, from time to time, will also be asked to respond (politely and respectfully) to other students point of view so that everyone can better understand opposing viewpoints as well as learn to appreciate other young citizens point of view. All posts are reviewed by Mr H prior to going live and all posts are related to established weekly homework grades.
Have you ever posted on an online discussion boardlike this for a class prior to this semester?Before you do, read over the tips for "Discussion Board Etiquette" or "Netiquette"before advancing by clicking hereRubric for Discussion Board Postings: Postings will be assigned in advance on Mr H's Homework Checklist and will carry the same amount of points as a typical, weekly homework assignment. Students are encouraged to refer to the rubric below for posting guidance:DIRECTIONS: To comment on the Discussion Board posting, click the "comment" link at the bottom of the post and type your comments into the provided fields. When your finished click the "Submit Comment" button and your writing will be submitted to Mr. H for posting. Comments will often be posted live for all viewers to see within the next 12-24 hours, typically.
Discussion Post Intro: What Student of Politics Are You?Posted by Mr Huesken on 9/1/2017 2:00:00 AM


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