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Prioirty Seating
As you've read and heard me bitching and moaning its been hard for me coming back to Canada from the United State, the US is really the world leader in disability awareness. I've noticed that my experience personally varies significantly geographically with my more positive experiences happening in Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver and my worst experiences happening in Calgary.
Calgary Transit used to have a program called "Priority Seating" where the elderly, mothers, disabled people etc., were given priority to seating on a bus or the light rail transit trains. There are still accommodations for those in a wheel chair on the bus and train but the rest of us have been forgotten. No longer is there a notion of "Priority Seating". I can hear it, you're a big healthy guy. Yes, I am but being blind means that there are issues, balance being one of them. Its already happened a few times me sloshing around a bus or a train hanging on for dear life. Now any of us are at the whim of those on the bus or train to out of the goodness of their own heart offer up a seat to you, or a mother, or elderly person. Its inevitable that being a big guy one day probably not that far off I will loose my balance and take out a number of other commuters. I'll let you know how many I get.Unscientifically, it's my observation, and what do I know I can't see anyway, that it is young male Canadians who refuse to offer a seat to anyone. Ah the ignorance of youth, woman persons of ethnicity will offer their seats, but these young white Canadians won't. Actually I have to be fair to you the youth, I've never seen a white Canadian male of any age offer his seat to anyone.


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So summer is pretty much almost here and it is almost time for the Lost Entertainment online summer party. During the upcoming months the site will be getting a summer make over and the articles and posts will all be summer related.
From summer blockbuster movies, past summer sporting events, summer foods, summer drinks, summer toys, its all being covered with no stone left unturned . I recently went to visit the set of the long gone Big Breakfast show and managed to get some snaps. I will be digging out the photos from my Malta trip for a great article about a summer holiday a few years back.
I am also in the middle of loads of preparation for the season by writing and filming lots of footage for the upcoming posts. I am so excited to be doing this whole summer gimmick and once thats over I will be doing a halloween countdown as well as a christmas one after that.
So watch the video below to get your self in the mood. This video is a mash up of different clips related to the stuff I am going to be writing about with "Surfin USA" covered by Blind Guardian.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hollande's pursuit for tax capital set to raise €20 billion
September 20, 2012
François Hollande, rested from his summer holiday, this week outlined his plan to France's Court of Audit of how the tax system will operate under a socialist government. His intention is to raise €20 billion in new taxes – which include a 75% tax on millionaires – and has assured the French public this will not be reneged on.This, coupled with his €30bn savings plan, sees Hollande aim to reduce the deficit to 3% over the next two years. The French public will keep a keen eye on his plans to whether austerity measures and public sector cuts will feature alongside.
His taxes have seemingly already sent the rich packing. The world's fourth richest man, Louis Vuitton, Moët and Hennessy boss Bernard Arnault, is currently pursuing Belgian nationality, but states this is so he can conduct business more easily over there. Arnault has pledged to continue living in France.Hollande's response to Arnault was a firm one:
"He must weigh up what it means to seek another nationality because we are proud to be French."
There would be no exceptions in a 75 per cent tax on incomes above one million euros, the President added.There is speculation Hollande plans to exempt sports stars and artists from the new 75% tax rate although this has not been confirmed. There were protests in July when the state auditor of France said unemployment benefit payments to artists and other creatives were unsustainable.
Recent opinion polls show the public has lost some confidence in the government four months after Hollande won presidential office.Author : sanchia


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Gambling age varies from state to state because states hold the right to fix their own gambling age. In general minimum gambling age lies between 18 years to 21 years legally in any nation of the world. With the emergence of online gaming the actual gaming age has turned into a big issue as any one can easily log in to play the game by providing incorrect facts of age. The gambling industries have the same difficulties like those with the alcohol industries. Much like underage alcohol consumers you will find the underage casinos that create a regulatory dilemma for the industry, and also occasionally unique issues for their selves.
The gaming business which facilitate underage betting and also the underage bettors should know that this challenge associated with underage betting is a social dilemma and cannot be avoided.
Tips on how to restrict people below gambling age?
It's foremost duty of any kind of on-line gambling establishment in making all the probable efforts to restrict under age wagering. The legal age limit should be available bettclass on the online casino websites and a dependable gambling establishment ought to put their finest efforts to avoid any person under that limited age from playing at the website. It ought to be mentioned that a few online casinos gives 18 yrs betting age and others give opportunity to individuals more than 21 yrs . old. There are some sites which are very open and eager to encourage even under age participants to participate in free on-line casino games which can be very immoral attitude of a wagering website. Men and women will also locate some sites which plainly show that youngsters, or even individuals under age don't have any place at their on-line casino and such participants aren't accepted or right to play at the site.
The online casino web-sites should inform you that if any kind of below age individual plays the game virtually any how and win will be unable to claim a real cash reward in the eventuality of a win. This will likely prevent the under age player to a great degree from gambling online. The problem at that time becomes much more irritating whenever an under age player wins and can't get the winning amount.
Previously wagering was the game for the adults however in recent years youth gaming has become very popular due to online casino games. Much like grownup wagering there is some danger, wherever money or something of sentimental or even monetary value might be won or lost by the participant in youth betting. Sports betting, poker, dice, bingo, slot machines, internet gambling tend to be mostly played by youths. Gaming can be described as played for fun most of the time a lot of other business like hotels, bars restaurants, night clubs etc are starting casinos in their curriculum to boost their business.
Along with betting age it's also essential to look at exactly where online gaming is legal because if one fulfills the standards of betting age, plays from the location wherever online gabling is actually unlawful then winning the large amount can create problems for him. Therefore apart from gambling age you ought to additionally think about the area while playing.


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National Institute Of Mental Health Outreach Partnership Program
The reported side effects were consistent with the adverse effects in labeling for bupropion products. More than half of the patients who switched back to Wellbutrin XL 300 mg reported improvement of depression and/or abatement of side effects. … Doc Retrieval
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Wellbutrin IR, SR, XL Fact Sheet
XL: 150 mg and 300 mg tablets SR: 100 mg, 150 mg, and 200 mg film-coated tablets Side Effects: Most common (for Wellbutrin SR 300 mg/day) are: anorexia, dry mouth, rash, sweating, tinnitus, and … Access Full Source
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The Weekly Mortar & Pestle
Back to Wellbutrin XL 300 mg reported improvement of depression or abatement of side effects. • Given the relationship between the switch to … Fetch Document
Patient Education BUPROPION EXTENDED RELEASE – ORAL …
COMMON BRAND NAME(S): Wellbutrin XL USES: This medication is used to treat major depression. The maximum dose of bupropion is 300 – 450 milligrams per day, depending on your medical Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: dizziness, … Doc Retrieval
Switching from Wellbutrin XL to the 300 mg generic drug. ( Id.) The FDA determined that the side effects certain people suffered was not attributable to differences between the generic and the name … Read Full Source
April 2008 News From The Clinical Management Consultants Number 4
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Rationale Action Needed To
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Bupropion SR (Wellbutrin SR)G . 150 mg qAM / 150 mg bid . 50 mg bid q 1-2 weeks . 450 mg . 21 (for 2 x 150 mg) bupropion XL (Wellbutrin XL)G . 150 mg / 150-300 mg . 50 mg q 1-2 weeks . 450 mg . Less Sexual Side Effects, May … Retrieve Here
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Can Employees be rated like how OLA or UBER rates the performance of its drivers?
Large multinationals like Accenture, Adobe, Microsoft are making waves by announcing that they are moving away from annual appraisals and abolishing bell curve. As we meet several companies' right from traditional manufacturing companies to fast growing start-ups, we hear several interesting questions during our performance conversations. Some of these companies would like to have annual appraisals, want to follow bell curve but not force fit employees in it to know their performance distribution.
One very interesting question that we came across during one such discussion with a company is "How can I conduct performance rating like how UBER or OLA does for their drivers?"
At the end of every ride, UBER asks its customers to rate the ride and the performance of the driver. Depending on how the customer rating and the average rating every month, UBER does a course correction for its drivers – they either incentivise the driver for the best behavior with their customers or reducing the number of rides offered to him/her as a penalty.
We pondered about this for quite some time. Is it possible to do this for employees in an organization? Yes…it is possible. But, how difficult it is? It is extremely difficult. We believe that it is about the change in culture and behavior of employees and managers. If you can influence this somehow, you can certainly drive excellence.
Following are some ideas that you can think of:
- To certain extent, you are asking all the employees to define the tasks on daily basis and make sure that the managers/peers (whoever are the stakeholders) provide rating on these tasks on daily basis / right after completing the tasks. You certainly need to coach your employees on defining "what is the meaningful task". In case of UBER or OLA, ride is a meaningful task for the driver. Define such boundaries for a task and obtain feedback without overloading the employees or managers. This will also really help in bringing in some role clarity on Job description.
- Coach your team members on "meaningful task" which requires performance/satisfaction rating. Let me explain this a bit:
- Software developer is developing a feature and he is solely responsible for building this feature. He has developed this feature and tested. During testing, they find 10 bugs and this developer goes about fixing all the bugs. Now, potentially if you see the tasks, it can go like this:
- i. Defining the specs for the feature
- ii. DB design
- iii. Class design
- iv. Coding
- v. Unit Testing
- vi. Fixing bug 1
- vii. Fixing bug 2
- viii. Fixing bug 3
- ix. Fixing bug 4
Now, you cannot provide rating for each one of these tasks. Manager will end up in rating good for each of the tasks; whereas, developer should have not introduced so many bugs J in the first place). So, it is important to figure out what is the "meaningful task" and obtain performance/satisfaction rating for that.
- Once you coach your team members, have a task management system in place which can help in keeping track of various tasks. Managers can provide their rating on daily basis.
- End of the review period (month/quarter), system can simply publish performance rating of the employee.
- Use this rating in a way that you deem fit – be it rewarding an employee with some incentives, organizing training workshops, creating employee development programs, etc.
Introducing the above is not an easy task. But, if you can introduce and endure this, you are certainly on changing the organizational culture to betterment.
Make your own growth story with Synergita, the employee performance management and engagement software with comprehensive analytical reports. Call Us Today!


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True Influence Unveils InsightBase 4.0 To Monitor Intent Of Buying Groups
True Influence, an intent monitoring and demand generation solutions provider, launched InsightBase 4.0 at the SiriusDecisions Summit 2019 in Austin, Texas this week. The enhanced solution is designed to help marketers define buying groups or demand units by customer persona. It is positioned to then automatically identify individuals who match the criteria across any account list or audience segment in a comprehensive B2B contact database.
- Published in News Briefs


text: Event Details Connect - North Back to Calendar Connect is designed for you to begin finding community in a group setting while growing in your relationship with Jesus Christ. Jump in at any time during the study! Classes will occur on an ongoing basis and will culminate with the chance to find a Grace Group. Childcare is available. Register today! Ministry Area: Connections Activities When: Wednesday, February 27, 20196:30 PM - 8:00 PM Add To Calendar Where: North Overland Park Campus10300 Antioch RdOverland Park, KS 66212 Map This Meeting Instructions: Meet in The Living Room, childcare available! Contact: Blackstock, Ryan Registration Not Available Portal Home | Login | anonymous Public Applications Event Calendar Online Giving Secured Applications My User Account My Groups My Events My Mission Trips My Purchase History My Giving Online Directory My Subscriptions My Contribution Statement My Pledges My Calls


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Thursday, February 13, 2003
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
I'm inclined to agree with people who think that the "new new economy" will be about decentralization, but money folk are still thinking in tune with the "old new economy". In one respect the technology industry currently resembles the early 90s: companies - even competing companies - are required to cooperate with each other rather than attempt to force customers into proprietary solutions.
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Monday, February 10, 2003
The View From Here says that a (foreign?) TV crew contrived a scene of people lining up to buy sealing materials at a hardware store.
The brochure below actually has an illustration showing how to cover up an AC unit. Eventually I'll go about sealing the window and AC unit in the room where my PC is located. If the room actually needs to be sealed I'll need to disconnect the ethernet cable that runs thru the doorway.
Sunday, February 09, 2003
I returned from the US about a week ago (stops in Colorado and the Northeast), and have been busy with a potential business venture since returning. I need to make another trip at the end of February, but my wife T. is concerned that the war with Iraq may begin while I'm away.
We received a color brochure in the mail about how to prepare a "sealed room". Our flat is on the top floor of our building, and each room has an air conditioner that's connected to the roof. Sometimes water drips from the AC in heavy rain, so I'm not sure if surrounding the whole unit with heavy plastic is sufficient. And the booklet doesn't say anything about this. But I tend to think that if there really is a chemical attack, an improvised sealed room won't help too much. Newer apartments have sealed rooms built in - these are called a "mamad" and resemble a room-sized bank safe.
Ace Hardware in Talpiot has bottled water, thick plastic sheeting, and wide tape stacked up by the checkout.
People who I talk to seem fairly complacent. Jerusalemites went through the war in '91 without being fired at, so there's a bit of a "been there, done that" type attitude.


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Yesterday, Lauren and I went for a ride around the city. We always love going to zoos and so the Wildlife Center in the harbor is where we started our day. From there, we went to the park to catch the Sydney Zombie Walk and just kinda kicked around, lounging in the sun. It's been a lot of fun spending time in Australia yet again. If you haven't been following me on Instagram (JohnProlly), do so for more randomness.
Check out more from yesterday, here at my Flickr.


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New Zealand Post is reassuring customers across the country their post is safe, following a number of incidents where mail has gone undelivered, dumped or stolen.
The postal agency tonight moved to clamp down on fears around the delivery of mail, saying it takes the security of mail "very seriously".
It comes after a series of incidents in recent weeks - involving both posties and members of the public - which have left people concerned over their mail.
Today, Billie May Graham, 22, was sentenced to six months' home detention after stealing letters from mailboxes and using credit cards she found inside them to fund her methamphetamine addiction.
Yesterday, a Wellington postie was sacked and referred to the police following the non-delivery of mail in Maupuia, in the Miramar Peninsula, which included a number of local body election voter packs.
Thousands of items were discovered last month dumped instead of being delivered to Maupuia addresses.
NZ Post has since delivered the missing mail to the intended addresses, with a letter of apology.
Meanwhile, a number of streets in the Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn did not receive their local body election voter packs - forcing residents there to require special voting papers to cast their vote in last weekend's elections.
Those affected included Auckland Council's election planning manager.
However, NZ Post remains adamant it was not a postal delivery fault.
"We investigated this thoroughly, and strongly believe it was not a postal delivery issue and that voting papers had been delivered as normal," a spokeswoman said.
"The reason why the voter packs were not received has not been determined."
In February last year, a postie was sacked after a stash of almost 2000 items - amounting to around four week's of mail - was found at his house. He was supposed to deliver the mail to homes in Helensville and Parakai in west Auckland.
The man had been taking it home each day, planning to deliver it the following day, but instead it piled up, NZ Post said at the time.
And in April 2013, Queenstown postie Philippa Lynette Lindsay apologised in court to her former employers and residents of the popular resort town for stealing more than 21,000 items of mail.
Over a period of 17 months Lindsay, who was supposed to deliver the mail to homes in Wakatipu, hoarded the mail at her house.
The letters included medical certificates, medical appointments and results, final demands for bill payments, invoices, and academic certificates, as well as letters to young children, birthday presents and gifts.
Police discovered the huge haul - of which 1577 items had been opened.
Lindsay was sentenced to one year and five months' in prison, and ordered to pay $30,000 in NZ Post and $354 to affected residents in reparation.
In a statement to the Herald , NZ Post said it takes the security of mail "very seriously".
However, it also encouraged people to take steps to safeguard their mail to minimise the risk of theft after delivery.
"This includes regular clearances of the letterbox, having a locked letterbox, or considering using a PO Box," a spokeswoman advised.
"If we suspect that theft after delivery is happening in an area, the local delivery team is notified and asked to remain vigilant.
"If any discarded mail is found, it is sent to customers with a letter of explanation and suggestions for keeping mail secure after delivery.
"Ultimately once we complete the delivery, our obligation is fulfilled and theft becomes a matter for the police."
In cases involving staff members, NZ Post said it deals with such incidents "in a consistent and thorough way". The spokeswoman pointed to the Wellington postie as an example of NZ Post's serious handling of an employee found to be intervering with the delivery of mail.
NZ Post was unable to provide figures on how many posties have been disciplined for tampering or stealing mail in the last three years, or how many incidents of outside tampering it has investigated in recent years.


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Farmers in Chavuma say they will not produce enough maize this year as a result because the fertiliser is too expensive.
Speaking on behalf of other farmers, Richard Kanyimbwa, said most farmers in the district won't afford to buy fertiliser at the newly introduced higher prices.
Mr Kanyimbwa said the move to increase the cost of fertiliser has caught the farmers by surprise.
He said as a result most farmers in the district will not afford fertiliser, adding that the anticipated reduced maize growing activities in Chavuma will affect the food security in the district.
He appealed to government to give a reprieve to the farming community for this year's farming by reverting to the old price of K50 farmers have been paying on a bag of fertiliser to enable them prepare for the adjusted price in the 2014-2015 farming season.
And Mr Kanyimbwa said suggestions that farmers should diversify their production to crops like cassava are welcome.
But the emerging farmer observed that a shift to cassava production would face implications such as a high cost of liming the soil, demand for more cultivated land and poor market for the crop.
The farmer said cassava cannot do well if grown direct on the same land that was being used for maize production because the soil had become acidic due to heavy use of fertiliser on maize.
He further noted that food security may be affected because a lima of cassava produces less than maize grown on the same size of land, hence the need for farmers to acquire more land to grow cassava.
Mr Kanyimbwa also mentioned that it would not be feasible to fight hunger by encouraging people to grow cassava because the available varieties of the crop take over one year to mature while the market for the crop is still underdeveloped in the country.


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"Her [Kristine Bartlett ] case is the first time New Zealand's courts have grappled with the "nurses versus firemen" debate – essentially an argument that occupations traditionally seen as "women's work" are less valuable and, therefore, attract a lesser rate of pay."
Key's TPPA Falsehoods – "We've never, ever been sued" ***up-date ***
Previously blogged on 13 October;
On 4 October, our esteemed Dear Leader assured New Zealanders that, under the various free trade agreements we are party to, "there has never been a case taken against New Zealand…" and "we've never, ever been sued…".[…]
Key's insistence that New Zealand is safe from lawsuits from foreign corporations indicates he was privy to the text of the finalised Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (which is still a closely guarded secret by Trade Minister Groser) and that we, as a nation, are now fully exposed to litigation from Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) processes.
It seems that Dear Leader spoke too soon.
Not even a fortnight passed since he uttered those fateful words – an apparent challenge to the gods – and New Zealand is now being sued;
In response to the lawsuit, our esteemed and much-loved Dear Leader stated;
"Quite frankly, you can get appeals both ways, so when Shanghai Pengxin was granted the right to buy the Crafar farms, there was also an appeal because that went through, and it was tested back in court – now it's going the other way.
But look, in the end, if the courts determine that the Overseas Investment Office got it wrong, the Government will go and reflect on that and honour the law, we always do that."
The only difference between scenarios envisaged under the TPPA and the Lochinver Station-Shanghai Pengxin-OIO case is that the latter is being tested under the jurisdiction of a New Zealand Court of law instead of an extra-judicial, and often-secret, corporate tribunal overseas.
This is cold comfort.
We now have a situation in our own country where, if we determine not to sell to an overseas investor, that decision can be over-turned. Our laws now allow foreign interests to be on an equal footing with New Zealand citizens.
You no longer have to be a tax-paying citizen (born or naturalised) to hold certain rights.
You can be a foreign corporation (or wealthy individual) with deep pockets and a small militia of flinty-eyed lawyers.
Money is now all it takes.
Mark 15 October 2015 in your diary as the day when our sovereignty was forfeit in the pursuit of global finance. If we dare say 'No', they have ways of changing our minds.
This will be the first, of many to come, "legal" challenges to our sovereignty.
And the worst aspect to where we have arrived, 31 years after David Lange's government was elected and Roger Douglas began his so-called free-market "reforms"?
As a nation, Kiwis have allowed it to happen. We did this to ourselves.
TV1 Q+A: PM on TPP – 'We've never ever been sued'
Fairfax media: Shanghai Pengxin going to High Court over Lochinver decision
MFAT: New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement
New Zealand China Free Trade Agreement (text)
Government could have faced lawsuit
Previous related blogposts
Three Questions to Key, Williamson, Coleman, et al
Another of John Key's lies – sorry – "Dynamic Situations"
Time to bend over again, fellow Kiwis (part # Rua)
Doing 'the business' with John Key – Here's How (Part # Rua)
Some thoughts on the Plain Packaging Bill
Public opposition grows against TPPA – Wellington
Public opposition grows against TPPA – Wellington
Even Tim Groser was in the dark?!
This blogpost was first published on The Daily Blog on 17 October 2015.
= fs =
Letter to the editor – John Key; "We've never been sued" (up till now)
from: Frank Macskasy <firstname.lastname@example.com>
to: Sunday Star Times <email@example.com>
date: Fri, Oct 16, 2015
subject: Letter to the editor
.The EditorSunday Star Times
.On 4 October 2015, on TVNZ's Q+A, our esteemed Prime Minister reassured New Zealanders that we had nothing to fear from the newly signed TPPA, and it's controversial provisions for corporations to sue us.
Key insisted, "There has never been a case taken against New Zealand…" and "We've never, ever been sued…"
Barely a fortnight has passed since he uttered those resolute words on our television screens – and New Zealand is now being sued.
Chinese corporation Shanghai Pengxin – the same company that bought the 17 Crafar Farms last year – was recently denied permission to purchase the vast 14,000 hectare Lochinvar Station.
Even the current National government believed that was a step too far.
John Key's words that "There has never been a case taken against New Zealand…" and "We've never, ever been sued" now ring hollow in our ears.
The first (of many) lawsuit by a foreign corporation has begun. With it, the beginning of the end of our sovereignty, as overseas interests now force their way further into our country, and economy, irrespective of our wishes.
And the TPPA's provisions to allow further lawsuits by corporations has not even been implemented yet.
-Frank Macskasy
[address and phone number supplied]
TV1 Q+A: PM on TPP – 'We've never ever been sued'
Fairfax media: Shanghai Pengxin going to High Court over Lochinver decision
= fs =
The Mendacities of Mr Key # 14: The TPPA – "We've never, ever been sued"
On 4 October, our esteemed Dear Leader assured New Zealanders that, under the various free trade agreements we are party to, "there has never been a case taken against New Zealand…" and "we've never, ever been sued…".
Key's "assurances" were made four days prior to MFAT (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) releasing "Fact Sheets" outlining New Zealand's exposure to lawsuits from corporations. Two MFAT documents – Investment and ISDS and Market Access for Services and Investment are dated by a Scoop Media press-release which places their release at 8 October.
Key's insistence that New Zealand is safe from lawsuits from foreign corporations indicates he was privy to the text of the finalised Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (which is still a closely guarded secret by Trade Minister Groser) and that we, as a nation, are now fully exposed to litigation from Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) processes.
Despite Key's insistance that "there has never been a case taken against New Zealand…" and "we've never, ever been sued…", one only has to look across the Tasman to understand the full ramifications of ISDS provisions in trade agreements.
As Corin Dann reminded Key during the 4 October Q+A interview;
"…If we look at the plain packaging [proposed legislation for tobacco] in Australia, you've always said, 'Australia's being sued over that issue of plain packaging … in that that Investor-State Forum'; you've always said 'we'll wait for Australia to see how they go, 'cos they're going cop a massive legal bill', so that's stopped that [proposed legislation for tobacco] happening in New Zealand."
Indeed, Dann was spot on.
A little under two years ago we had our own Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill, introduced by then co-leader of the Maori Party, Tariana Turia, on 17 December 2013.
With 15,682 submissions received from interested groups and individuals, on 5 August 2014 the Health Committee recommended;
The Health Committee has examined the Smoke-free Environments (TobaccoPlainPackaging) Amendment Bill and recommends that it be passed with the amendments shown.
Despite cross-party support (with the curious exception of NZ First, for reasons that defy understanding), the Bill was put on "hold" by National.
This is what Key had to say about why the Bill was put "on hold", until a court case between the Australian government and tobacco giant, Philip Morris, is settled in an Australian court. He said,
"I don't really see the point in us finally passing the legislation until we see exactly what happens in the Australian court case. We have a slightly different system, but there might just be some learnings and if there are learnings out of that, it would be sensible to potentially incorporate those in either our legislation or avoid some significant costs."
Two points to consider:
- Remember that this is an industry that kills up to 4,600 people each year. If it were a bacterial or viral disease, the entire nation would be in a State of Emergency, and entire communities, towns, and cities quarantined.
- Is "learnings" an actual word?
John Key insists that New Zealand has never been sued under any free trade agreement.
Strictly speaking, that is correct.
However, we have already seen how even the possible hint of a lawsuit is sufficient to stay his hand and prevent the passing of a law that could potentially have saved up to 5,000 lives a year and saved the health system up to $1.6 billion per annum (est.).
In which case, the ISDS clause of the TPPA may never be tested under a National government – they would simply shy away from any legislation or other governmental policy provoking the merest suggestion of legal action. No matter how beneficial a policy might be.
In an interview on 'The Nation', on 10 October, Trade Minister Tim Groser already seemed resigned to the fact that New Zealand could be sued if a government went ahead to introduce plain packaging for sugar-laden 'fizzy' drinks;
Lisa Owen: You could force plain packaging for fizzy drinks, say?
Tim Groser: I believe you probably could as long as you had a good health-based case and you're ready to defend it.
Key's timidity has already been shown with crystal clarity; we've never been sued before simply because National hasn't the guts to be challenged.
Get some guts, Dear Leader!
During the 4 October Q+A interview, Key insisted that Phillips Morris initiated the lawsuit under Australia's Bilateral Investment Treaty with Hong Kong instead of the Australia-US FTA because the threshold for proving a case under the US trade agreement was "too high". Key said,
@ 13.25
"Well interesting enough, Australia has a free trade agreement with, ah, the United States. And in fact, um, they looked, I think, Phillip Morris, or whoever's taking the case, at taking it under Investor State [Disputes Settlement] and they recognised, that Investor State, the threshold was so high, they're actually not taking it under the US-Australia FTA. It defeats the very case that Jane Kelsey's been making. They're taking it out of a very strange agreement they've got with Hong Kong, which is why actually they went and registered themselves with Hong Kong to take the action against Australia."
So Key is suggesting that Philip Morris chose to use an Australia-Hong Kong FTA rather than an Australia-US FTA because "the threshold was so high"?!
John Key is deflecting.
He is either woefully ignorant, or willfully disingenuous, of the fact that the United States has been the main instigator of Investor State Disputes claims, as UN stats show;
Even if tobacco company Philip Morris chose to employ a Hong Kong-Australia FTA to sue the Australian government, the fact seems immaterial at best.
As UN data shows, US-based investors are not at all reticent in using ISDS provisions to launch lawsuits against sovereign governments.
We have just entered into a trade agreement with the most litigious nation on Earth.
According to UNCTAD report Recent Trends in IIAs and ISDS;
By the end of 2014, the overall number of concluded cases reached 356 out of 608 claims;
Of these, approximately;
37% (132 cases) were decided in favour of the State (all claims dismissed either on jurisdictional grounds or on the merits),
25% (87 cases) ended in favour of the investor (monetary compensation awarded).
28% of cases (101) were settled
8% of claims were discontinued for reasons other than settlement (or for unknown reasons).
2% (seven cases), a treaty breach was found but no monetary compensation was awarded to the investor.
The number of cases (608) has 'exploded' since 1987;
The same UNCTAD report reveals who is being sued by corporations;
In 2014, 60 per cent of all cases were brought against developing and transition economies, and the remaining 40 per cent against developed countries.
In total, 32 countries faced new claims last year. The most frequent respondent in 2014 was Spain (five cases), followed by Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, India, Romania, Ukraine and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (two cases each). Three countries – Italy, Mozambique and Sudan – faced their first (known) ISDS claims in history.
The Economist reported;
Multinationals have exploited woolly definitions of expropriation to claim compensation for changes in government policy that happen to have harmed their business. Following the Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011, for instance, the German government decided to shut down its nuclear power industry. Soon after, Vattenfall, a Swedish utility that operates two nuclear plants in Germany, demanded compensation of €3.7 billion ($4.7 billion), under the ISDS clause of a treaty on energy investments.
This claim is still in arbitration. And it is just one of a growing number of such cases. In 2012 a record 59 were started; last year 56 were. The highest award so far is some $2.3 billion to Occidental, an oil company, against the government of Ecuador, over its (apparently lawful) termination of an oil-concession contract.
The Huffington Post reported;
Canada is the most-sued country under the North American Free Trade Agreement and a majority of the disputes involve investors challenging the country's environmental laws, according to a new study.
About 63 per cent of the claims against Canada involved challenges to environmental protection or resource management programs that allegedly interfere with the profits of foreign investors.
The government has lost some of these environmental challenges and has been forced to overturn legislation protecting the environment.
In 1997, the Ethyl Corporation, a U.S. chemical company, used chapter 11 to challenge a Canadian ban on the import of MMT, a gasoline additive that is a suspected neurotoxin and which automakers have said interferes with cars' diagnostic systems. The company won damages of $15 million and the government was forced to remove the policy.
A year later, U.S.-based S.D. Myers challenged Canada's temporary ban on the export of toxic PCP waste, which was applied equally to all companies. Canada argued it was obliged to dispose of the waste within its own borders under another international treaty. However, the tribunal ruled the ban was discriminatory and violated NAFTA's standards for fair treatment.
The Age reported;
Egypt raised its minimum wage at the beginning of last year [2014]. It wasn't much by Australian standards, just $74 a month, but for a state employee on 700 Egyptian pounds a month ($102), a rise to 1200 pounds is not to be derided.
A French multinational with operations in Egypt, however, did not like this minimum-wage effrontery. A couple of months later, Veolia, the global services juggernaut, bobbed along and sued Egypt for the grievous disadvantage it had suffered thanks to the industrial relations changes.
Veolia's claim relies on ISDS provisions in a trade treaty between Egypt and France.
The Philip Morris lawsuit is expected to cost Australian taxpayers $50 million to defend, and proceedings will be held in Singapore, before a secret tribunal.
Two MFAT "fact sheets" – Investment and ISDS and Market Access for Services and Investment – offer a government view of the TPP Agreement. The actual text of the TPPA will not be released for several weeks, giving National Ministers a monopolistic opportunity to push the government position, unchallenged.
TV1 Q+A: PM on TPP – 'We've never ever been sued'
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trans Pacific Partnership – Investment and ISDS
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trans Pacific Partnership – Market Access for Services and Investment
Legislation.govt.nz: Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill
TV3 The Nation: Interview – Trade Minister Tim Groser (transcript)
Daily Mail Online: Cigarette giant Philip Morris sues Australian government for billions over plain packaging law
Parliament: Health Committee Report – Smoke-free Environments (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Amendment Bill – 5 August 2014
Ministry of Health: Excise on Tobacco: Proposed Changes
McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer: Philip Morris Asia Challenge under Australia – Hong Kong Bilateral Investment Treaty
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): Recent Trends in IIAs and ISDS (pg6)
Yahoo-Channel 7 News: Tobacco giant sues Australia
Sydney Morning Herald: Australia faces $50m legal bill in cigarette plain packaging fight with Philip Morris
The Age: Trade deals acronym really translates to 'we lose'
Radio NZ – Focus on Politics: A closer look at the TPP
Radio NZ – Focus on Politics for 14 February 2014
Radio NZ: Plain packaging bill passes first hurdle
NZ Herald: Most MPs set to back plain-package smokes
Smokefree Coalition: The health effects of smoking
The Economist: The arbitration game
Huffington Post: NAFTA's Chapter 11 Makes Canada Most-Sued Country Under Free Trade Tribunals
Previous related blogposts
Some thoughts on the Plain Packaging Bill
Public opposition grows against TPPA – Wellington
Public opposition grows against TPPA – Wellington
Even Tim Groser was in the dark?!
The Mendacities of Mr Key # 13: Kiwisaver – another broken promise
This blogpost was first published on The Daily Blog on 13 October 2015.
= fs =
A Message to Radio NZ – English continues fiscal irresponsibility with tax-cut hints
To: Radio NZ, Morning Report
Txt no: 2101
Date: 15 October 2015
Hospital DHBs are in debt; community groups underfunded; and there's a $60 billion government debt hangjng over our heads – and English is planning an election bribe with hints if tax cuts? This is irresponsible in the extreme. Question is, will kiwis buy this bribe? As long as they know we will end up paying for it with higher debt and slashed public services. We get what we pay for, or in this case, what we don't pay for.
-Frank Macskasy
Radio NZ: English won't guarantee future surpluses
= fs =
Serco, Monitors, and the Corrections Dept cover-up
Continued from: Questions over Serco's "independent" monitors and it's Contract with the Crown
As I wrote over a year ago, on 4 August 2015;
Questions have arisen regarding the supposed "safe-guards" Monitors at Mt Eden Prison, and at least one aspect of the Serco-Corrections Dept Contract.
According to section 21.2 of the contract between Corrections and Serco, between two to three Monitors were tasked with;
(a) compliance with this agreement;
(b) the accuracy of the Contractor's invoices or reports relating to the Services;
(c) processes and procedures of the Contractor or any subcontractor relevant to the provision of the Services;
(d) anything else relating to the Services.
The prevalence of violence (including alleged "dropping"); "fightclubs"; injuries; at least one death; drug use; home-brew production*; contraband such as cell-phones; and now three prisoners arrested for involvement in gang-related drug activities – does not seem to have impacted on Mt Eden's high ranking on Corrections' Prison Performance Table – the most recent being for twelve months ending March this year;
(Hat-tip: Martyn Bradbury, for above chart)
Since April 2014, Mt Eden has rated "Exceptional" in previous performance grades. It's rehabilitation rates at 96.75% – which in itself is odd, as Mt Eden is also a Remand Prison, and 676 out of 952 prisoners (as at 31 December 2014) are on remand; awaiting trial; and have not been convicted of any crime.
Not only has Serco apparently circumvented the spirit, as well as the intent, on their contract with Corrections, but it has apparently connived to suppress information, as Kim Vinnell reported for TV3 on 24 July;
There are fresh revelations private prison operator Serco went out of its way to make sure its squeaky clean record stayed that way.
In Mt Eden prison where inmates are king, are guards who say they're understaffed and afraid.
"It's about time we all spoke out and say what it's actually like," says one guard, who spoke to 3 News on the condition of anonymity.
He says when prisoners or guards break the rules, management would rather official reports tell a different story.
"You're told to state the facts, but to leave all other things out of it.
"They go missing off the system several times, or they get edited and you're not told that they're edited."
The Government says it didn't know what was going on, despite the fact three prison monitors – who are Corrections employees – have been there since Serco's first day.
Under the Corrections Act, prison monitors must report to the chief executive at least every four months. The sole purpose of their job is to report on prison management and any concerns they may have about the prison's running.
The government claims "it didn't know what was going on".
In which case, not only was the Correction Minister's office kept in the dark – but also the entire Corrections Department. Is this feasible?
It is inconceivable that National Ministers did not know the depth of problems afflicting Mt Eden and Serco.
In which case, this government was actively complicit in a cover-up, to protect it's credibility with voters – and to safeguard it's privatisation agenda.
As I reported in the Addendum to the above story, on 28 July last year, I lodged an Official Information Act request with the then Minister for Corrections, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga;
Kia ora Minister Lotu-Iiga,
I am querying the appointment on Monitors for Mt Eden Prison, which up till yesterday (27 July), was managed by Serco.
Can you please advise regarding the following;
1. Who employs the Monitors? Is it Serco or the Corrections Department?
2. Who do they report to; Serco or the Corrections Department?
3. Who pays their salaries; Serco or the Corrections Department?
4. Are the Monitors responsible for providing information to Corrections, which forms the Prison Performance Table? If not, who provides that information?
5. Are the Monitors still employed at Mt Eden? If not, why not?
6. Have the monitors made any Incident Reports to Corrections, as required Prison under the Management Contract for Mt Eden Corrections Facility (para 22.2). If so, what Incidents were reported and when?
Please respond asap to this OIA request, as this is a matter of some urgency.
I predicted "that Corrections Dept will use a provision within the Official Information Act to request an extension to the 20 Working Day time-limit".
I was wrong. It did not take 20 working days to respond.
It took over two months.
The Corrections Dept did not respond until 6 October last year. Even then, the information provided did not answer my questions and was totally unsatisfactory.
In response to my questions, "Who employs the Monitors? Is it Serco or the Corrections Department? Who do they report to; Serco or the Corrections Department? Who pays their salaries; Serco or the Corrections Department? Are the Monitors still employed at Mt Eden? If not, why not?"
– Corrections confirmed that "Prison monitors are employed by the Department of Corrections and are paid by the Department".
The response went on to state;
"Prison monitors review the performance of a contract managed prison on behalf of the Chief Executive. Prison Monitors report to the Chief Custodial Officer. They continue to be employed at MECF [Mt Eden Corrections Facility]."
In which case, Lisa Owen's assertion on TV3's The Nation on 2 May, last year, that;
"…The person who employs the monitor— the person who employs the monitor is the company, Serco. They employ the monitor, and pay their wages."
– was misleading and unhelpful.
On this issue, the 'buck' stopped firmly with the Corrections Dept and at CEO Ray Smith's desk.
Then-Corrections Minister, Sam Lotu-Iiga, displayed appalling ignorance in not knowing this salient fact.
The next – and perhaps most important – questions put to Corrections were;
" Are the Monitors responsible for providing information to Corrections, which forms the Prison Performance Table? If not, who provides that information?
Corrections replied;
"The Department releases a Prison Performance Table (PPT) [see above – FM] that monitors and evaluates each prison's performance. Prison monitors are not responsible for providing information to the PPT. The information for the PPT is provided by Serco New Zealand Ltd (Serco), and is verified by the Department. [my emphasis – FM]
That question was followed up with this;
"Have the monitors made any Incident Reports to Corrections, as required Prison under the Management Contract for Mt Eden Corrections Facility (para 22.2). If so, what Incidents were reported and when?"
At this point, the response from Corrections became little more than opaque obfuscation;
"Under the Department's contract with Serco for the daily management of MECF, section 22.2 provides that if an incident occurs, Serco must report the incident to Corrections as set out in Schedule Five. A copy of the Department's contract is available on it's website: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/prison_management_contract_for_mt_eden_prison.html."
Note that response: "if an incident occurs, Serco must report the incident to Corrections".
But that was not the question put to the Corrections Dept. The question was "have the monitors [my emphasis – FM] made any Incident Reports to Corrections, as required Prison under the Management Contract for Mt Eden Corrections Facility".
Clearly, the responder to my OIA – Deputy Chief Executive Jo Field – was unwilling to address the question as to what Incident Reports had been made by Prison Monitors employed by Corrections to keep an eye on Serco's management of Mt Eden.
On October 16, I wrote back to Jo Field pointing out the evasive nature of the response I had been given;
Further to my initial OIA request, I note that your response to my query, where I asked;
"Have the monitors made any Incident Reports to Corrections, as required Prison under the Management Contract for Mt Eden Corrections Facility (para 22.2). If so, what Incidents were reported and when?"
On Page 2 of your 8 October response, you stated;
"Under the Department's contract with Serco for the daily management of
MECF, section 22.2 provides that if an incident occurs, Serco must report the
incident to Corrections as set out in schedule Five. A copy of the Department's
contract with Serco is available on it's website:
This is not an answer to my question "Have the monitors made any Incident Reports to Corrections, as required Prison under the Management Contract for Mt Eden Corrections Facility (para 22.2). If so, what Incidents were reported and when?"
Under the OIA, you are required to provide relevant information to the question; 1. Have the monitors made any Incident Reports to Corrections, as required Prison under the Management Contract for Mt Eden Corrections Facility (para 22.2). 2. If so, what Incidents were reported and when?
Furthermore, under the OIA, I am requesting Incident Reports, or any other documents, from Prison Monitors at Mt Eden,within six months leading up to 24 July 2015, to Corrections Dept, the Corrections Minister, or any other government agency.
Two and a half weeks later, on 3 November 2015, I received a response. The salient point made by Deputy Chief Executive, Vincent Arbuckle;
"Thank you for your email dated 16 October 2015, requesting information about incident reports prepared by Prison Monitors. Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA).
Prison monitors do not prepare Incident Reports; this is the responsibility of the Contractor (Serco). Prison Monitors prepare Monthly Contract Reports, which update senior Departmental staff on issues and events that occur each month at MECF. These reports are prepared in confidence. Therefore, your request for incident reports and documents from Prison Monitors is declined under section 9(2)(ba)(ii) of the OIA, to protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the authority of any enactment, where the making available of the information would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest."
(For full email-trail, click here.)
It was clearly evident that whatever written documents had been issued by the Mt Eden Prison Monitors, the Department of Corrections was not about to make them public.
It was questionable that any such documents "would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest". In fact, the only interests that would likely be harmed would be Serco and the Corrections Department itself.
This was to be borne out by the Chief Inspector of Corrections, Andy Fitzharris, who was tasked with investigating allegations of fight-clubs at Mt Eden, and smuggling of contraband (cellphones, etc) into the facility. His report – which was initially held back as Serco sought a judicial review to contest it's findings – was only recently released.
High Court Judge Karen Clark said, "To my mind, the report is measured and temperate and Serco's description of it is wholly unwarranted. The investigation was fair and the report is without error."
The Chief Inspector's report was damning of Serco and critical of the Corrections Department.
More critically, the Inspector was able to learn why Prison Monitors had been impotent in the face of Serco's mis-management of the facility.
The role of Prison Monitors is /was crucial to ensuring that Serco met it's obligation under contract with the Crown and Corrections NZ. According to the Corrections Act 2004, the Monitors would be tasked with reporting on;
i) the management of that prison; and
(ii) whether or not the contractor responsible for the management of that prison is complying with that contractor's prison management contract and with the provisions of this Act, and any regulations made under this Act, and any instructions or guidelines issued by the chief executive under section 196 that are applicable to the prison.
The Prison Inspector's Report was even more explicit in the role of Prison Monitors;
14. "The principal means of oversight is via Monitors, who are appointed under the Corrections Act 2004 to assess and review the management of MECF. Serco is required to provide incident reports and performance reports to Monitors. The on-site monitoring team is managed by Corrections' Relationship Manager Private Prisons, who reports to Corrections' Chief Custodial Officer.
15. "…Carrying out daily observation walks through MECF, and observing operational practice.
…Conducting a daily review of incidents and prisoner complaints." – p9
"If an issue raised by Monitors or auditors is not able to be resolved through informal discussions and consultation with Serco management, the matter can be referred to Commercial Contracts Team. This team conducts service audits to monitor contractual compliance, liaises closely with the Monitors, and can recommend the issuance of Performance Notices for non-trivial breaches of the Contract. Corrections has a range of powers available to it under the Contract, including issuing directions to Serco to remove personnel who are not considered to be fit and proper, or adequately trained, including the Prison Director. The primary means of managing contractual non-compliance is through issue of a Performance Notice. A Performance Notice requires Serco to investigate and resolve the root cause of any breach, and can lead to a Final Warning Notice. The Commercial Contracts Team is also responsible for calculation of the Performance Related Fee." – p10
320. "A contractor must ensure that any monitor has free and unfettered access at all times to:
a) every part of the contract prison managed by that contractor;
b) all prisoners in that prison;
c) all persons who work in that prison, but only when they are actually in the prison; and
d) all records held by the contractor that relate to;
I. that prison;
II. any prisoner or former prisoner; or
III. any staff member or former staff member of that prison." – p79
321/o. "If considered necessary, immediately reporting any matters of concern to the Serco management team. If the monitors consider that the issues are not being adequately dealt with, they may issue a 'Monitor's Request'. If the request is not dealt to in a timely manner the monitors may issue a direction instructing the contractor to resolve the matter, or provide assurance of a resolution. The direction is used in cases whereby the Monitors seek assurance that the safety and security site has not been compromised." – p80
However, that role was subverted as Serco piled on the pressure and Monitors' roles blurred between observing and reporting, and becoming more task-oriented;
"The Monitors' relationship with Serco was often very difficult. They would sometimes experience significant 'pushback' from Serco when raising issues requiring remedial action such as meal distribution, homebrew, graffiti in cells, and disorderly evening lockup. Following a lack of timely action, the Monitors appear in many cases to have accepted Serco's position as to the adequacy of its own response to identified issues. The extensive 'pushback' and challenge received from MECF management was successful in shifting Monitors' focus away from core issues, and minimising the Monitors' criticisms of the significance of the issues identified." – p5
"* confusion in that the Monitors believed they did not have any statutory power if issues did not directly relate to a breach of Contract, legislation, or the Chief Executive instructions…
* a task-orientated focus on scheduled reviews, which may have distracted Monitors from undertaking observations and recording issues as they arose; and
* lack of specific training or guidelines for the role of a Monitor." – p6
That "pushback" from Serco was manifested when they attempted to unsuccessfully exploit legal action to suppress or dilute down the Inspector's Report;
In the High Court in Wellington yesterday, Justice Clark rejected Serco's application for review and ordered the company to pay costs, saying its description of the report as "a collection of unsubstantiated claims and allegations drawn together in such as way as to willfully portray Serco in the worst possible light and to minimise any criticism of the department" was "unfounded and inaccurate."
Contrary to Corrections stating in their 3 November 2015 OIA response that "Prison monitors do not prepare Incident Reports; this is the responsibility of the Contractor (Serco). Prison Monitors prepare Monthly Contract Reports, which update senior Departmental staff on issues and events that occur each month at MECF.
– it is clear that Monitors did indeed record incidences relating to various staffing, violence, and health-related problems (referred to as "issues" in business/bureaucratic jargon);
131/b. On 7 February 2014, Monitors noted that "incidents appear to be taking place in the units when the staff are out of the unit/s for short periods of time", and that "a visit to Delta unit on Friday 07 Feb did identify nil staff in the wings of both Delta 1 and Delta 2 [i.e. both Delta Unit pods]." – p41
131/c. "On 28 February 2014, it was reported that the Monitors' observations over a two week period showed that unit pods were being left unstaffed while prison officers conducted prisoner escorts and attended to other duties." – p41
131/e. "On 9 June 2014, the Monitors observed that staff shortages meant some prisoners did not receive breakfasts." -p41
The Inspector pointed out the experience of two of the three Prison Monitors;
319. "It is noted that two of the three monitors have been in the role for approximately four years." – p79
But experience was gained at the expense of lack of training;
350. "The Investigation found that there was no specific training given to Monitors in respect of their role, authority and responsibilities at MECF. In my view, Monitors ought to be given training specific to the requirements of their role, which includes reporting on the management of the prison as well as contractual compliance. There is a need for a training package to be developed to ensure Monitors are suitably equipped to undertake the tasks required of them." p85
There also appeared to be a "silo-isation" of Corrections management, resulting in paralysis where Serco's shortcomings were obvious but not acted on;
328. "The Chief Custodial Officer (CCO) provides informed advice on emerging custodial practices and developments worldwide, and maintains an overview of research trends and future thinking…
329. The CCO is in daily contact with the Relationship Manager and matters arising from MECF are discussed. The CCO advised that he does not hold any authority over provisions of the Contract with Serco nor does he hold a separate statutory monitoring power…
330. He believed that there was no formal process for him to elevate matters raised by the Monitors to the Chief Executive. He understood that the appropriate formal processes for elevating these matters by the Monitors was through the Northern Regional Commissioner or Director Commercial. Accordingly, the Monitors report contractual breaches to the Commercial Contracts team. Custodial and operational issues were elevated to the Northern Regional Commissioner who is responsible for operations at all prisons in the Northern region, including MECF." p81
Where instances of short-coming were presented to Serco, the private contractor actively fobbed off the Monitors;
332/a. "…The Monitors sent a request to MECF for a FFR [Fact Finding Reviews – FM] on 24 March 2015 in regards to the allegation of "prisoners arranging fights" they had raised on the Issues Log. A FFR conducted by Serco management, was received on 30 March 2015 and was deemed not up to standard by the Monitors. The issue was closed off on 20 April 2015 after the Monitors received an updated FFR. However the second FFR does not address the issues raised by the Relationship Manager in respect to the first FFR<b> and appeared to be the same report</b> [My emphasis – FM] . No further action was taken by the Monitors or Serco." p.82
In case the above point was lost on anyone in government or Correction, the Prison Inspector spelled it out;
333. "I believe that in the instances identified above, the Monitors were ineffective in following up on remedial actions to the issues they had raised. Issues were prematurely removed from the Issues Log without satisfactory remedial response or action from Serco." p.82
The effectiveness of Prison Monitors then became diluted and confused;
340. "The Monitors reported that they considered that they were required to establish a balance between reporting potential non-compliance by Serco, and providing advice on operational matters to Serco. There was therefore some confusion among Monitors as to the appropriate steps required to address identified issues.
342. I believe that this raises potential risk of a conflict of interest, in that Monitors who may have provided advice to Serco on policy matters may be compromised if they are required to monitor and direct action in regard to situations where they have provided "expert advice"." p84
Serco was only too happy to assist with the neutering of Prison Monitors as they increased pressure on the three staffers;
344. "The Monitors advise that their relationship with MECF management was often very difficult. They would sometimes experience significant 'pushback' from the MECF Prison Director when raising issues requiring remedial action. There is no evidence that their objectivity and independence has been compromised.
345. However, I believe the Monitors have been overwhelmed, worn down and consumed by MECF management continually challenging their requests for resolution to matters." p84
The Prison Inspector further pointed out that;
344. "The Monitors advise that their relationship with MECF management was often very difficult. They would sometimes experience significant 'pushback' from the MECF Prison Director when raising issues requiring remedial action. There is no evidence that their objectivity and independence has been compromised.
345. However, I believe the Monitors have been overwhelmed, worn down and consumed by MECF management continually challenging their requests for resolution to matters.
346. This is evident from certain entries in the Issues Log, which show Monitors escalating issues through the Relationship Manager without appropriate resolution. Following a lack of timely action, the Monitors have accepted Serco's decision as to the adequacy of its own response to identified issues. The extensive 'pushback' and challenge received from MECF management would shift the focus, or minimise the significance of the issue concerned." – p84
Serco's response was, by now, wholly predictable and the Prison Inspector was candid in his criticism;
348. "Serco does not accept the characterisation of its actions as 'pushback'. It says that its relationship with Monitors was "a robust one, as should be expected in a complex environment such as MECF". Whatever language is used, I consider that the Monitors' effectiveness was affected by Serco's persistent challenges to the issues they raised." – p85
However, this was not simply the fault of stressed, overwhelmed, worn down Prison Monitors.
Nor even Serco which exploited what it quickly perceived as weaknesses in the system, and an ideologically-driven government that was sensitive to any suggestion that it's privatised prison model was failing on all levels.
Corrections NZ should also be held to account.
It is my belief, based on the obfuscatory nature of OIA responses from Corrections NZ, that it was unwilling to answer specific questions regarding Prison Monitors.
The responses from Corrections NZ were not just shrouded in 'bureaucratese' – they were a deliberate ploy not to provide answers to specific questions.
But more damning is a discovery by the Inspector of a secret report in July 2014 that was ultimately suppressed;
36. In May 2014, Corrections received information from a Probation Officer that she had been informed by offenders that there was organised fighting occurring at MECF.
37. On the basis of the information received, the PSU made enquiries, which included interviewing the probation offenders who alleged there was a significant amount of fighting taking place, particularly in two units. Offenders had also made allegations that staff were involved in assaults, gambled on fights, and placed prisoners in dangerous situations. However the PSU investigation concluded that there was no substantiated evidence supporting these claims.
38. Following the PSU enquiry, the National Commissioner of Corrections directed an operational review of this issue. Two principal custodial advisors were appointed as special monitors (the Special Monitors), and undertook an investigation in June 2014. The Terms of Reference for the Special Monitor's report were to investigate the allegations of organised fighting uncovered by PSU's enquiries. The methodology included: reviewing all available CCTV footage and interviewing any prisoners, staff or incident notification reports that related to fights and assaults.
39. A final draft of the Special Monitors' report was completed on 9 July 2014 and a copy delivered to the office of the National Commissioner.
40. The Special Monitors' draft report found that:
a) Prisoner interviews indicate that organised fighting was occurring.
b) All prisoners who confirmed the existence of organised fighting said it was being organised by criminal gangs.
c) There was no evidence of staff involvement other than reports by prisoners, but staff at MECF must at least be aware of the existence of organised fighting.
d) Staff who confirmed that organised fighting had occurred around 12 months ago said that incidents had occurred during periods of reduced staffing.
41. The report was never finalised, but was provided in redacted draft to the MECF Prison Director in May 2015. <b><i>The Prison Director has stated that he was told not to reveal the contents of the report to anyone. </i> </b> [My emphasis. – FM]
42. The reasons why this report was never finalised were investigated by a separate body to this investigation. I am of the view that this report should have been finalised and provided to Serco. The failure to finalise the report is not attributed to Serco. Two independent members of the Corrections' Audit and Risk Committee had been tasked with reviewing the management of this report under terms of reference approved by the Chief Executive. I have been provided a copy of their review which supports my belief that the original report should have been finalised and provided to Serco, and escalated to Corrections senior management including the CE. The Investigation will not include any further consideration of this matter. p13/14
Corrections NZ knew more than it has let on. That is why the 2014 Report was 'buried'.
It was only when the video-evidence of "fightclub" footage on Youtube emerged that Corrections NZ could no longer keep turning a blind eye to Serco's mis-management at Mt Eden. The dirty little secret was out in the open for all to see.
It is my considered belief that Corrections NZ – up to the very senior levels of management – knew what was happening at Mt Eden.
The reason that Corrections chose a deliberate policy of ignoring the growing crisis at Mt Eden was simple: do not embarrass the government. This policy is central to National's credibility to govern;
A former high-ranking Customs lawyer says he resigned from his job after allegedly being told to bury information that could embarrass the Government.
Curtis Gregorash said he was told by senior Customs executives to refuse Official Information Act and Privacy Act requests, which he believed was at the direction of former Customs Minister Maurice Williamson.
It comes at a time the Prime Minister's office is under inquiry over the release of intelligence material through the OIA and accusations that former Justice Minister Judith Collins was manipulating OIA responses for political purposes.
There is now growing evidence that the new prison at Wiri is also experiencing problems under it's Serco administration;
This time, however, we can only hope that the Prison Inspector and Prison Monitors will force Corrections NZ not to look the other way.
Corrections Dept: Prison Management Contract for Mt Eden Corrections Facility
NZ Herald: Head Hunters raids – Police investigating former Mt Eden prison guard
Corrections Dept: Prison Performance Table
TV3: Mt Eden prison guards 'understaffed, afraid'
Scoop media: The Nation – Corrections Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga
Corrections Dept: Inspector of Corrections
Corrections Dept: Chief Inspector's Reports into Circumstances surrounding organised prisoner on prisoner fighting (Fight Club) and access to cell phone contraband (background & terms of reference)
Radio NZ: Serco challenges Mt Eden fight report
NZ Herald: Serco investigation 'fair' – High Court
NBR: Serco's criticism of Mt Eden fight club report 'wholly unwarranted', judge says
Corrections Dept: Chief Inspector's Reports into Circumstances surrounding organised prisoner on prisoner fighting (Fight Club) and access to cell phone contraband (redacted report)
Corrections Dept: Prison Management Contract for Mt Eden Corrections Facility
Legislation.govt.nz: Corrections Act 2004 – 199E – Monitors
NZ Herald: Ex-govt lawyer's 'bury bad news' claim
TV3 News: Serco's prison fight clubs might have spread to Wiri – Labour
Radio NZ: New details about Mt Eden Prison fight clubs released
Radio NZ: Serco sacked dozens of staff while running prisons
Radio NZ: Serco lost $10m after Mt Eden fiasco
Radio NZ: PM admits Govt uses delaying tactics
Other blogposts
No Right Turn: A failure of privatisation
The Daily Blog: So the SERCO fight clubs were weekly?
The Daily Blog: Hold on, wait, there was a secret SERCO report that was smothered? Things you're missing because of rugby toilet sex
The Standard: The Chief Prison Inspector's report on Serco and MECF
Previous related blogposts
So what is the rationale for private prisons?
The closure of three prisons and loss of 262 jobs – five issues for the National govt
"The Nation" reveals gobsmacking incompetence by Ministers English and Lotu-Iiga
Questions over Serco's "independent" monitors and it's Contract with the Crown
This blogpost was first published on The Daily Blog on 9 October 2016.
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It's been almost a year ago that my family said goodbye to our Mimi. Mimi was my husband's mom, Betty. She was a wonderful and sweet woman. We continue to miss her. Christmas was harder without her goofy stocking gifts. And while we tried to replicate her famous brisket and baked beans, we all knew they weren't lovingly prepared by her hands.
One of the books I read shortly after her death was the phenomenally successful, "Heaven Is For Real." The book has sold millions. Colton Burpo, the subject of the book, has been featured many times on national television. But in the midst of the acclaim, I've noticed how the Burpo family has been criticized for exaggerating Colton's experience or fabricating his story for monetary reward. Can I share some things I learned from the book and about this family?
1. A book about heaven can be the beginning of a faith conversation with an unbeliever. I've seen lots of people reading the book in various places. Just ask the simple question, "What do you think"? I promise you'll get a response. Follow up by asking about their own eternity. This book just might be an opportunity to share the gift of salvation.
2. Public scrutiny can be hard. Why would we be surprised when unbelievers scoff at the story? That's to be expected. What's more surprising, is when I hear Christians bashing it. In their attempt to be theologically sound, it just comes off as jealousy or piousness. Besides, who are we to question the experience of someone else? My grandfather had a similar experience, and it changed his life for the better. Sometimes it's easier to rally around people in their failure than to celebrate their success.
3. Have you had a conversation with the Burpos? I actually have. Why? Because I was encouraged to invite Sonja to speak at our upcoming State Evangelism Conference. Can I share something with you? I invite a lot of speakers to our events. The more "famous" a speaker is, the less likely I actually speak to them. It's kind of a funny business, so to speak. When I decided to invite Sonja, it actually took me a few weeks to track her down. There was no family website. No official speaking invite. No agent who takes the first 10 percent. I finally did some investigative work through Twitter, tracked her down through the publisher of the book, and left my number. A few days later, I was shopping at Target. It was Saturday morning and I didn't recognize the number on my caller ID. When I answered, I could hear children in the background and what sounded like a typcial family weekend breakfast. I was shocked when the caller said, "Hi Kelly. This is Sonja Burpo. I'm sorry it's taken me a few days to call you back."
After I picked myself off the floor of aisle 7, I stumbled around and began my conversation. I mentioned that the book had encouraged me during the loss of my mother-in-law. I shared with her my invitation to speak at our conference. She seemed hesitant at first, but then she answered. "I'm really not a speaker. I just love children's ministry and working with kids. I'm not sure why God is doing this in our life and we can't quite figure out why people have been touched so greatly by Colton's story." After a few minutes of conversation, she agreed to come to Oklahoma. I mentioned that our audience would include a lot of ministry wives. She was humbled because she felt like that was a group of women she could relate to. They are like her. They understand.
What I discovered in my short conversation with Sonja Burpo is that she is a woman who is not out to be famous. She was humble. She loves her family. Most importantly, she loves God and wants to share His love with others.
If you want to hear Sonja, she'll be speaking during the Monday evening general session of the conference. On Tuesday, there will be a special women's luncheon. She will be the keynote speaker. Tickets to the luncheon MUST be pre-purchased before January 24 and space is limited. For more information, visit the website here. Not only is heaven for real. But so is Sonja Burpo.


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By David Bond
Title: Norman Gates Collection of Richard Aldington, 1911-2010
Primary Creator: Aldington, Richard, (1892-1962.)
Extent: 13.0 Boxes
Arrangement: Arranged into 4 series: 1) Correspondence, 2) Writings, 3) Miscellaneous Aldington materials and 4) Printed materials.
Date Acquired: 00/00/1992. More info below under Accruals.
Forms of Material: Aldington, Richard, 1892-1962 - Correspondence, Newsletters.
Languages: English
Richard Aldington (8 July 1892-27 July 1962) was an English writer and poet. Aldington was best known for his World War I poetry, the 1929 novel Death of a Hero, and the controversy resulting from his 1955 Lawrence of Arabia: A Biographical Inquiry. His 1946 biography, Wellington, was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.
Norman T. Gates (1914-2010) was an avid Aldington expert, the author of three books on Richard Aldington, The Poetry of Richard Aldington: A Critical Evaluation and Anthology of Uncollected Poems [Pennsylvania State University Press. 1974]; A Checklist of the Letters of Richard Aldington [Southern Illinois University Press. 1977] and Richard Aldington: A Biography in Letters [Pennsylvania State University Press. 1992].
Gates was also the founder and editor of the New Canterbury Literary Society Newsletter, launched in 1973 and published four times a year. The newsletter has been described as "a treasure trove of scholarship, news, anecdotes, and research relating mainly to Aldington but also his contemporaries, such as his wife H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) and their fellow imagist poets Ezra Pound and F. S. Flint."
This collection consists of all of Norman T. Gates' material--books, papers, writings, and correspondences--relating to his three books on Richard Aldington and the publication of the New Canterbury Literary Society Newsletter (The Richard Aldington Newsletter). The bulk of the collection is correspondence, both to and from Gates, as well as photocopies of Aldington's own correspondences. Also included are writings by Aldington, Gates, and other Richard Aldington scholars.
There may be a number of correspondence duplications within other SCRC Aldington collections; i.e., Alister Kershaw Collection, Harry T. Moore Collection, and Eric Warman Collection, but undoubtedly some new documents are found in Gates' research.
Richard Aldington was born in Hampshire in 1882. Educated at Dover College and London University he founded the "Egotist journal "in 1913. He joined the British Army and served on the Western Front in 1916-1918 where he was badly gassed.
After the war Aldington published several volumes of poetry including "Images" 1910-1915 (1915), "Images of War" (1919), "A Fool in the Forest" (1925) and "A Dream in Luxembourg" (1930). His successful novel, "Death of a Hero", was a psychological study of a young officer in the First World War. It was during this time that Aldington began exchanging letters with Count Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk, a writer, scholar, private printer, poet, and exiled Polish artistocrat.
Aldington also wrote controversial biographies of the "Duke of Wellington" (1946) and "D. H. Lawrence "(1950) and an autobiography, "Life for Life's Sake" (1940). Richard Aldington died in 1962.
Repository: Southern Illinois University Special Collections Research Center
Accruals: Additional accruals up to 2006.
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted access.
Use Restrictions: To quote in print, or otherwise reproduce in whole or in part in any publication, including on the World Wide Web, any material from this collection, the researcher must obtain permission from (1) the owner of the physical property and (2) the holder of the copyright. Persons wishing to quote from this collection should consult Special Collections Research Center to determine copyright holders fro information in this collection. Reproduction of any item must contain the complete citation to the original.
Acquisition Source: Purchased
Preferred Citation: [Item], Norman Gates collection of Richard Aldington, Special Collections Research Center, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.


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He is best known for his regular roles in two long-running BBC sitcoms. In 1974, he debuted as Colonel Reynolds in wartime saga It Ain't Half Hot Mum, which followed the exploits of a British concert party in India in 1945, and also featured Windsor Davies, George Layton and Kenneth MacDonald. He appeared in all 56 episodes of the series, concluding in 1981. Then, from 1988 to 1993, he starred as the titular Lord George Meldrum in 26 episodes of You Rang, M'Lord? opposite Angela Scoular and John Horsley.
Other TV credits included Come Back Mrs. Noah with Mollie Sugden, No Hiding Place, The Saint, The Avengers, Doctor Who, Now Look Here, Crown Court, Are You Being Served?, The New Avengers, Happy Ever After, Lovejoy and The Upper Hand.
On film, he appeared in Adolf Hitler - My Part in His Downfall, Carry on Behind and Confessions of a Driving Instructor.
He retired from performing after developing epilepsy, caused by a damaged heart valve, and later suffered from Alzheimer's Disease. He died from pneumonia at the age of 90. His first two marriages ended in divorce and in 1979 he wed his third wife, actress Therese McMurray, who survived him.


text: Anyone else find anal easier with a big dick? Or at least a thick one? With smaller or average guys I stay too tight and it hurts. But a big one really opens me up and I find I can get fucked much easier. It's also hot watching my flat tummy bulge in and out as I get filled.


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Cameron's Unexpected Holiday Blog Tour
December 17 to December 31
Finding Giveaways along the Way
Erotic romance author Cameron Allie is playing host to 14 sexy, sizzling romance authors this holiday season. Each day from December 17 to December 31 a different author will stop by her blog to tell us about their holiday traditions. They will also be sharing with us hot excerpts from their books, and let's not forget the giveaways!
You can be sure to find tons of giveaways over those two weeks, ranging from ebooks, paperbacks, Amazon gift cards, and really cool swag! One author is even offering up a copy of her exclusive Christmas novel free to everyone who visits the blog, so be sure to stop by every day for excerpts, and giveaways!
If you have a Twitter account Cameron invites you to help spread the word about the this fabulous tour for a chance to win an ebook copy of her holiday short story An Unexpected Christmas Gift. From now until the end of the month use the Rafflecopter below to Tweet about the blog tour. You can do so every day for even more chances to win! The Rafflecopter makes it easy to Tweet the message. Once you've Tweeted click the "I Tweeted" button to submit your entry.
Follow along with the blog tour by visiting Cameron's site:
Cameron's Unexpected Holiday Blog Tour
For even more updates about the tour visit her on Facebook:
Cameron's Facebook Page
Or follow her on Twitter:


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Look stylish while operating a RFID reading device? Yes, please. These bags are some of Fall's cutest styles in a range of sizes. Whether you're utilizing a RFIDler, Proxmark, or your own custom reader you can kept it hidden, while looking chic.
#1 TOM FORD – Large Alix Tote Bag
#2 Alexander McQueen – Glitter Ombre Flat Knuckle Clutch Bag
#3 kate spade new york – Watson Lane Hartley Backpack
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#5 Fossil – Kinley Small Crossbody
#6 Charming Charlie – Tassel Grommet Hobo
#7 Loungefly – Disney Villains Tattoo
Shout out to Kateo (@vajkat) who successfully read and cloned her first card this week ❤ You go Glenn Coco!


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Mel at the Movies: A Harry Potter Epilogue
After an absolutely magical weekend at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I wanted to check back in and say, thank you!
After an absolutely magical weekend at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I wanted to check back in and say, thank you!
I was sad going into Deathly Hallows Part 2. A lot of people I liked were going to die, but this is also the best constructed film in the entire series.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 reminded me what the standards for cinema are, and not just the standards for fantasy cinema either.
I was really excited to finally see a complex character piece in The Half-Blood Prince. It was something that I had been genuinely missing from this series.
What happens when you give a genuinely genius fantasy director a shit film? The answer is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The fast-paced action of Goblet of Fire rounded it out as the best, most physical Harry Potter film Mike Newell had to offer. He gave us a Batman movie.
It's Prisoner of Azkaban time, which means I am now three Harry Potter films deep and I'm starting to feel the fandom you guys. Y'all may have hooked me.
I just… ok. You guys. We're going to dig into Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in a minute, I promise. But I've
We begin my journey through the Harry Potter films on a search for the Sorcerer's Stone, where I witness the destructive power of magic for the first time.


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Manipal Global launched a collaborative industry whitepaper for the Indian IT industry which was unveiled on 16 October 2017 by Ms. Vanitha Narayan, Chairman – IBM India, and Dr. Ranjan Pai, Chairman – Manipal Education and Medical Group, in the presence of senior industry leaders from the IT industry.
The goal of this whitepaper, titled "Embracing the Disruption: Challenges and Opportunities for Talent Management in the Indian IT Industry", is to enable the industry to address these talent requirements. Senior leaders from Dell EMC, Fractal Analytics, Gramener, IBM, Infosys BPO, QuEST Global, and Vodafone came together with Manipal Global to develop the whitepaper, as part of an initiative by NxtGen Leadership – Manipal Global's exclusive thought leadership platform for senior leaders across industries.
Ms. Vanitha Narayanan unveiled the paper at the launch event at The Ritz-Carlton, Bengaluru, and also delivered the keynote address. Present at the event were the whitepaper authors and other heads of HR, business, and technology from leading companies such as Cognizant Technologies, Infosys, Philips, Samsung R&D Institute India, and several more. Academic visionaries from the Xavier Board and IIM-Bangalore also participated in the launch event.
Click here to read more about the launch.
To download the full report, please fill in your details on the form at the top of this page.
Anand S.
Anshu Sharma
Sr. Vice-President and Head of Technology Infrastructure
Vodafone India
Sr. Vice-President and Global Head - HR
Infosys BPO
Vice-President - Learning and Development
QuEST Global
Director and Head, Resource and Capacity Management
IBM Global Services India
Chief Strategy Officer
Fractal Analytics
Director - Talent and Culture Center of Excellence
Dell India
Zeena Fruitwala
Vice President - Global Business Operations
Dell EMC
CEO - Professional Learning
Manipal Global Education
Dr. Yogesh Kumar Bhatt
Vice-President and Director of Academy
Manipal Global Education
Bhaskaran Srinivasan
Director - Academics
Manipal Global Education
Dr. Ramesh Babu
Director of Academy
Manipal Global Education
Arvind Thothadri
Vice-President - Digital Solutions
Manipal Global Education
Bimaljeet Singh Bhasin
Vice President - Enterprise Business
Manipal Global Education


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Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said it remains "business as usual" between the Philippines and China at the 10th ASEAN-China Expo despite the absence of President Aquino, whose trip was cancelled on request by China for the president to visit at a more conducive time.
"It is business as usual, all schedules for meetings are intact," Domingo told reporters. Domingo left Sunday to head the Philippine delegation at the 10th CAEXPO, which opens today, Sept. 2, until Friday this week in Nanning, China.
With the Philippines being designated as the "Country of Honor" at this year's CAEXPO, Aquino was supposed to hold a roundtable with China's CEOs of its biggest conglomerates and address a forum with Chinese business community and the Philippine business delegation. The Philippines has also a big pavilion at the exhibition.
"We have a good show there mounted by various agencies led by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions. It is to show continuous support for our bilateral relations. We will continue to look for trade and investment opportunities," said Domingo.
Bilateral trade has been increasing although the balance of trade heavily weighs in favor of China. But in terms of investments, there has been a dearth of Chinese businessmen pouring in their capital here compared to the expansions made in China by Filipino-Chinese businessmen.
"I wouldn't say that Chinese investments into the country have waned because it is not big to start with. That is where we want to see more of it," Domingo stressed.
Instead of direct Chinese investments, Domingo said the Philippines is benefiting from foreign investors which are relocating outside of China because of the increasing cost of manufacturing, especially for those in the coastal side in China.
Some of these firms have gone to low cost producing countries in ASEAN, including the Philippines.
But, Domingo said that China's policy to move up the value chain has caused some firms to relocate to other countries.
"That's on purpose from China's side because they try to move to higher value industries. It's deliberate on their part, that's the natural flow from higher to lower cost countries. We are a beneficiary of that economic policy," he said. (Manila Bulletin)


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City of Tonawanda
Colleen Andres, a high school instructor in the Tonawanda City School District, has been chosen as one of the state's "master teachers." The Board of Education and Superintendent James Newton honored Andres during the regular board meeting Tuesday night.
Andres, who has been teaching in Tonawanda since 2006, was selected to participate in the state's Master Teacher program, which identifies individuals to mentor educational programs and develop future instructors. Only 105 teachers across the state were named by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office in this year's inaugural class, including 28 in Western New York.
By participating in the program, the teachers will meet regularly at SUNY Buffalo State, lead several professional development sessions and help mentor young and incoming instructors. Each instructor will receive a $15,000 annual stipend over the course of the four-year program.
"It seems like a good opportunity," Andres said Tuesday. "I'm really honored to be selected."
Andres currently teaches an Advance Placement statistics course in Tonawanda. One of her in-class initiatives began this summer, when she began recording lessons and lectures on YouTube so her students can learn about the subject on an iPad, whether it's in the classroom or at home. Students can even go back over a lesson multiple times if they need it.
"Kids can listen and learn at their own pace," Andres said.
Andres' Master Teacher group will focus on math, looking to determine what are the best practices and ideas to instruct the material. She said after the meeting that the program will likely feel like a second full-time job for her.
"It's a great honor for the district," said Newton.


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La Tour by Schuiten & Peeters
Sep 16, 2009
La Tour (1987) by François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters is the third story in the Cités Obscures series, although it's the fourth volume if you want to be strictly canon about things, L'archivist, a guide to places in the Obscure World, having preceded it. Carcere Oscura by Piranesi (1750). This is another book where Schuiten […]
Posted in {architecture}, {art}, {black and white}, {books}, {cities}, {comics}, {fantasy}, {illustrators} | 7 comments »


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If you missed the hop, here is the Blog Hop Order:
and the winner is......
Beautiful! Thanks for the inspiration and giveaways!
Congratulations Lydia! Please contact the Altenew Happiness Team at firstname.lastname@example.com by 6/30/2017 with the subject line 'Altenew April Release Blog Hop Winner from LauraJane's Blog'.
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