text:
What mother wouldn't sacrifice herself for her child? In Simmons's electrifying debut, the answer is delivered through the harrowing ordeal of a mother held for ransom by an anonymous kidnapper. A former globetrotting journalist now working for a Midwest TV station, Claire has a comfortable life with her husband, Sam, a successful co-owner of a PR/marketing firm, and their three young daughters, but she's unhappy with Sam and struggles with a secret past. On one of the frequent nights Sam isn't home, an intruder crashes through the skylight of the couple's newly renovated house. The man planned to kidnap their oldest girl, but Claire persuades him to take her instead. An intense bond develops between Claire and her abductor, a widower mourning the loss of his wife, during the eerie seven-day odyssey that follows. As Claire waits for the ransom to be paid, she faces some hard truths about the choices everyone makes that sometimes require lies to endure. The perfect read for a stormy night, Simmons's suspenseful tale contains nary a wasted word. (Feb.)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Standing Stillby Kelly Simmons
View All Available Formats & Editions
Journalist and suburban mom Claire Cooper suffers from panic disorder. Most of her anxieties seem irrational, nothing that can't be fixed with the help of some Xanax. But late one stormy summer night, when her husband, Sam, is away on one of his frequent business trips, Claire's fears come to life. She discovers an intruder has broken into her young daughter's
Journalist and suburban mom Claire Cooper suffers from panic disorder. Most of her anxieties seem irrational, nothing that can't be fixed with the help of some Xanax. But late one stormy summer night, when her husband, Sam, is away on one of his frequent business trips, Claire's fears come to life. She discovers an intruder has broken into her young daughter's bedroom. She watches helplessly as he picks up her sleeping child from her bed. Desperate to protect her family, Claire puts herself in the line of fire and utters the plea that will undo her: "Take me instead."
As she drives away in the kidnapper's car, Claire fears for her children, but not for herself. And she can't help noticing the reversal in her marriage for the first time in ten years, Sam will not know where she is.
For the next week, Claire is tied to a bed in a strange motel room, the intruder her only com-panion. She is forced to lie still and contemplate the reasons for this assault on her family. Is this just a random crime, or something more sinister? Has the shadowy past that she tried so hard to leave behind finally caught up with her? Day after day, she goes deeper into herself, reevaluating her marriage and her role as a mother, and unburying the source of her crippling anxiety. In seven days she will step out to the very brink of her soul perhaps never to return.
A riveting debut novel that will appeal to fans of Sue Miller and Janet Fitch, Standing Still is a powerful exploration of the darker side of mother-hood and marriage.
Editorial Reviews
"Simmons's debut kicks off with an intriguing premise. The prose is concise, resonant, vibrant—more thoughtfully crafted than is typical in genre thrillers—and worth savoring."—Romantic Times (four stars)
"Midnight Run with a female Charles Grodin…invigorating prose beefs up a conventional crime story." —Entertainment Weekly
"Standing Still has a rare quality for a thriller. It's subtle, no less scary than it should be, but almost gentle where it needs to be." —New York Daily News
Product Details
- 9780743289726
- Publisher:
- Atria Books
- Publication date:
- 02/05/2008
- Pages:
- 272
- Product dimensions:
- 5.50(w) x 1.00(h) x 8.70(d)
Read an Excerpt
Racine, April 1977. A Polaroid with white edges. My Easter dress is robin's egg blue; it ripples against the church's red door like a flag. My father said it made my eyes look turquoise. He's not in the frame, but I know he's still alive and in front of me, taking the picture; not because I remember, but because the sky is dark and the March wind is whipping my long hair against my lips, bending the saplings next to the church, and yet I still look so completely, utterly unafraid.
Copyright © 2008 by Kelly Simmons
Meet the Author
Kelly Simmons is a former journalist and advertising creative director specializing in marketing to women. She lives with her family outside Philadelphia. Please visit her website at ByKellySimmons.com.
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Sometimes a character just doesn't make sense. Why would a woman allow herself to be kidnapped from her own home and then make no concerted effort to escape? Why would she so willingly give up? In Kelly Simmons' Standing Still, it becomes apparent that judging someone before knowing all of the facts is never a good idea. There's more to our victim, Claire, than meets the eye. As a suspense-filled, psychological thriller, Simmons' writing is electrifying. The night of the abduction is perfectly set. A raging thunderstorm. An intruder's footsteps on the tin roof. A stranger's eyes peering from her daughter's bedroom. It's chill-inducing drama at its best. A clue to Claire's inner turmoil is revealed when she gives herself up in place of her daughter. The kidnapper readily makes the exchange leaving the easy prey of her three young girls behind preferring instead to drag a grown woman barefoot in a flimsy nightgown into the teeming night. After a 90 minute car ride, they end up in room seven of the Mid-County Motor Inn. This lock down isn't your typical sequestration. When Claire's one try at freedom is derailed, she never tries to leave the room again - ever. In fact, she grows attached to her jailer. His gentle treatment and kind demeanor lead her to conjure up fantasies about the young Latino man holding her for ransom. He's a paramedic. He's a father. This is his first foray into kidnapping. She starts developing an emotional bond with her unnamed assailant over B.L.T.'s and crossword puzzles. The question arises - was her life so bad before? It is gradually revealed through flashbacks - that emerge from the memories connected to old snapshots - how she never recovered from her father's death. In the ensuing years, she's suffered from a type of panic disorder and has visited psychiatrists across the country seeking relief from her imagined fears. It is only when her worst nightmare comes to fruition that she begins to reexamine her relationship with her ever-traveling husband and discover just what exactly all of his urgent business trips were really about. The crux of the novel - the reason why she was kidnapped - doesn't quite live up to the potential build-up, especially in the last few pages when the possibility of who was really involved doesn't match up with what you've been led to believe. Yes, the innuendo is there. Maybe that person was involved, there's just no physical evidence providing the connection, but a key revelation from Claire's past might have made for a more satisfying whodunit. In the end, the association behind why Claire was chosen is vague at best, possibly justifying Simmons' view of the randomness of life. The lovesick nature of Claire is heartbreaking throughout. Her husband has her kiss the bartender on their honeymoon in order to cover the tab. While her kidnapper teaches her the inherent joy of belly-flopping onto a bed. Her husband left her alone with her panic attacks for nights on end. Yet for the first time, she feels safe under the ever-watchful gaze of her kidnapper. Her husband initially wanted her because he felt she was the ideal, unobtainable woman. However, when responding to the ransom demand, he has his secretary make the call for him. Her husband has essentially carved her out of his life, while her kidnapper has made her the sole focus of his. The dichotomy between the two is stunning. Overall, you might not understand Claire, but you'll be riveted by how she views he
Our book group chose 'Standing Still' for our February selection. We want more Kelly Simmons! Simmons had us from the first sentence and her skillful use of pace kept us engaged all the way through to the uncompromising ending. The plot was unpredictible and intricately woven. We couldn't put it down and savored each well crafted - but not over written - chapter. Our consensus is that it will make a great movie that we'd each love to see.
Great read! Fast and exciting! Not the same old tired storyline! I will be on the lookout for another from the author!
I have waited a long time for Kelly's first book to be published and it certainly was worth the wait! Any mom reading this book will feel like she is Claire Cooper. I couldn't wait to get my husband and son out of the house so I could just sit and read until I finished the book. Kelly does a good job blending bits and pieces of Claire's past with her current situation as the story unfolds. I didn't want to put it down. Hopefully Kelly Simmons is already working on her next novel!


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Energy labels explained EU energy efficiency labels
EU energy labels have become a common sight in home appliance showrooms - they're found on a selection of white goods and other products and are designed to help customers see how energy efficient a model is before they buy.
But what exactly does an energy label tell you about a particular item? We've been taking a closer look at how appliances are awarded an energy-efficiency rating, how you can compare models and what you should look for when you're out shopping.
The EU energy efficiency label
Products carrying an EU energy efficiency label
- Washing machines, washer-dryers and tumble dryers
- Fridges, freezers and fridge freezers
- Dishwashers
- Electric ovens
- Energy-saving light bulbs
- Air conditioners
How energy efficiency ratings are calculated
Energy ratings aren't comparable across different products, because each is calculated using a specific test defined by the EU and appropriate to that appliance.
An EU energy label can give you a good at-a-glance evaluation of how energy efficient a product is. But using it to decipher which product is the most energy efficient on the market is less straightforward - particularly when a large number of models receive the same energy rating, or if the rating is calculated in a way that's not representative of how people use a product in real-life.
We've taken a closer look at energy efficiency ratings in more detail elsewhere in this guide for washing machines, tumble dryers, refrigeration products and dishwashers.
Energy efficiency label shopping tips
- All of the above products are legally obliged to display energy efficiency information at the point of sale - if you can't see it, ask for it.
- If you're comparing two A-rated appliances, look more closely at the energy consumption calculation data found on the label to find which of the two uses the least electricity.
- Some of the detail found within the label itself can be handy - such as washing machine capacity or noise - if you go equipped with a rough idea of what's good, bad and average. Refer to the product-specific pages within this guide for more information.
- You may find more than one energy label on a product - such as the Energy Saving Trust's Energy Saving Recommended label, or the EU's Eco label accreditation scheme.
The future of energy labelling
In order to keep up with energy efficiency developments and innovations, the EU has introduced new energy labels and ratings. The changes include:
- New A+, A++ and A+++ energy ratings for fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers - the new labels were launched on a voluntary basis from December 2010 and became compulsory for all new models to carry by December 2011.
- An A to G energy labelling system - which will look similar to the labels found on other household products - for televisions was launched at the end of 2010 for use on a voluntary basis. It was made compulsory for all new models to carry by 30 November 2011 (the labels are additionally due to change to A+ to F from 2014).
- Re-calibrated refrigeration energy ratings to make it more difficult for models to score an A+ rating from July 2014.
- Energy labels for more products including vacuum cleaners, boilers, windows and shower heads - we'll keep this guide updated as the full plans are unveiled.
If you're unsure how energy efficient a product is, refer to our in-depth and rigorous lab tests of washing machines, , fridge freezers, washer-dryers, dishwashers and more.
- Find out about the energy labels on washing machines and dishwashers
- Top tips on buying energy-saving products
- Make changes to your energy usage with our energy monitor reviews

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Operation Manhunt
Harry Townes
Jack Alexander
Starring: Harry Townes Director: Jack Alexander
4 ratings
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Format: DVD
sku: 35C9Y
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DVD Features:
- Rated: Not Rated
- Run Time: 1 hours, 17 minutes
- Video: Black & White
- Encoding: Region 1 (USA & Canada)
- Released: February 14, 2006
- Originally Released: 1954
- Label: Mackinac Media
- Packaging: Keep Case
- Aspect Ratio: Full Frame - 1.33
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen - 1.85
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- [unspecified] - English
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Performers, Cast and Crew:
|Harry Townes
|Robert Goodier, Jacques Aubuchon, Albert Miller & Will Kuluva
|Directed by
|Jack Alexander
|Written by
|Paul Monash
Description by Mackinac Media:
This movie is the authentic, documented story of Igor Gouzenko, the former Russian code clerk whose sensational revelations smashed a giant Soviet espionage ring. Gouzenko, Target Number One on the Soviet Secret Service list, was forced to live in hiding, but secretly appeared in this feature film wearing a hood!
Spies | Suspense | Thriller | Espionage | Secret Agents
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Operation Manhunt- A Film To Remember! Movie Lover: ROBERT VELEZ from BRONX, NY US -- June, 9, 2015
For $2.98, oldies.com presents one of the greatest spy movies ever made! It's called Operation Manhunt! Igor Gouzenko, a Russian defector who resided in Canada for the rest of his life, had the Russian authorities all over him! In this film, at the very end, you see the real Igor wearing a hood explaining about his life and wanting peace for the world! I was truly impressed with this film because it is based on true fact! Finally, in real life, Igor Gouzenko lived with his wife and 8 kids in fear and love until he died of a heart attack in 1982! A truly great film-go buy it!
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Churchill's Triumph: A Novel of Betrayalby Michael Dobbs
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From Michael Dobbs, author of the book that inspired the smash hit Netflix series House of Cards, Churchill's Triumph transports us to the end of WWII as the three most powerful men on earth-Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin-gather in what will later become known as the Yalta Conference to discuss the possibility of worldwide peace. Despite their shared goals, these supposed allies will lie, cheat, and deceive each other in order to secure their respective places in history.
Dobbs takes you behind the scenes and brings you into the minds and hearts of the big three leaders: the dominating and seemingly all-powerful Joseph Stalin, with the largest army, and the mission of expanding the Soviet Empire; an ailing and fragile Roosevelt, willing to make whatever compromises he felt he had to in order to bring Stalin and Russia into the final campaign against Japan; and Churchill, the least powerful of the three, but the most far-sighted, who could not count on Roosevelt as his ally, and could not tame the avaricious Russian bear, determined to gobble up the nations around and beyond it. Like a fly on the wall of history, the reader becomes a hidden witness to these monumental negotiations, witnessing negotiations that would betray the heroic struggle of millions who died and fought in the Great War.
Acclaimed author Michael Dobbs allows the reader to eavesdrop on the world's most powerful men at a crucial point in modern history.
Praise for Churchill's Triumph by Michael Dobbs, bestselling author of House of Cards, the book that inspired the Netflix series starring Kevin Spacey:
"His portrait of Churchill is as masterly as ever: a wonderful compound of bluster, sentimentality, grumpiness and indefatigable physical energy. There are the usual elegant metaphors... In the tragedy of Poland burning while statesmen fiddled, Dobbs has found a theme worthy of his powers."-Sunday Telegraph
"How do you delight the profit-maximising big retailers while at the same time writing something dark and moving? Michael Dobbs knows how...Dobbs knows his sources, but the dialogue is his own: good, clean, moving briskly and underpinned by the record, it conveys historical truth. As for Poland, it suffered all the horrors. Dobbs writes about the country with tight passion, transferring to his fictional village, Piorun, the rape, murder and savage enforcement by Germans and Russians which, so far away and so little regarded, actually happened. The old women weeping, the houses burned down, the bodies left promiscuously on the street are history set out for the attention of novel-readers, memorable instruction in human grief... Furiously told and compelling, Churchill's Triumph is a thinking man's bestseller."-The Guardian
"Dobbs astutely and dramatically portrays the real story of Yalta, the mighty tussle between the three men upon whose political skills and strength of character the rest of the world would depend... The novel is a triumph because of the author's fine appreciation of history and his meticulous eye for detail."-The Times
"Michael Dobbs brings the Second World War to a resounding close... Dobbs portrays Churchill as being all too human - oversensitive and easily hurt by friendship betrayed, and conjures up Roosevelt's stricken response beautifully... Dobbs is a fine writer and neatly sums up the appeal of historical novels. Not only can they fill in the gaps left by an inaccurate, incomplete or contradictory factual record, but they can capture the spirit of the thing. Dobbs has certainly done that here."-Daily Telegraph
"It's all too easy to forget that you're not reading an insider's account of ht real events that shaped the modern world. Dobbs clearly has an instinctive feel for what makes powerful men tick."-The Mail on Sunday
Editorial Reviews
Dobbs (Never Surrender) extends his historical fiction series starring Winston Churchill with this title focusing on the Yalta Conference. As WWII winds down, Churchill, Joseph Stalin and FDR meet in Yalta to sort out postwar Europe. All in less than vigorous health (FDR is at death's door), the big three hammer out differences in their competing agendas, a process Dobbs fills with rich historical detail and dramatic flair as "Uncle Joe" Stalin extracts large concessions, particularly land reparations-such as in Russian-occupied Poland-from a deferential FDR and a scrappy Churchill. Meanwhile, Roosevelt lobbies for the formation of the United Nations and simultaneously keeps secret the atomic bomb. Minor characters, notably a Polish plumber trying to flee Yalta, point to the brutality behind what Churchill later dubbed the "Iron Curtain." Perhaps the weakest negotiator of the trio, Churchill nevertheless maintains, with able assists from Dobbs, his famous eloquence, humor and shrewdness. History buffs and readers with at least a casual interest in Churchill will get the most out of this. (Mar.)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Dobbs's fourth Winston Churchill novel (after Never Surrender), and his 12th book, attempts to humanize the Yalta Conference of February 1945 by presenting the thoughts and feelings of Churchill with an occasional glimpse into the minds of President Roosevelt and Marshal Stalin. Interspersed with the historical events of the conference's eight days, Dobbs's novel tells the story of a Polish cavalryman who witnessed the massacre of Polish officers in the forest at Katyn and now, a plumber for the Soviets, wants Churchill to rescue him before he is unmasked. In Dobbs's reconstruction, Churchill is a drunken fighter; Roosevelt, a doddering fool interested only in creating the United Nations and in enlisting Soviet assistance against Japan; and Stalin, a ferocious bully but a shrewd negotiator. The betrayal of the novel's subtitle is that of "dull-witted" Roosevelt, who seems set on appeasing the Soviets at Poland's expense. Churchill's triumph, revealed only in the epilog, turns out to be saving France and Germany as a bulwark against further Soviet expansion. He is thus credited with the eventual fall of communism and the freedom of Poland! While the rape of Poland is graphically portrayed, Dobbs's three protagonists come across as unsympathetic caricatures. Roosevelt is so odious that one wonders if any American other than a die-hard Anglophile will enjoy this book. A marginal purchase. [The author of the best-selling House of Cards, adapted into a popular PBS series, served as a chief adviser to prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major.-Ed.]
Ron Terpening
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Product Details
- 9781402225802
- Publisher:
- Sourcebooks
- Publication date:
- 03/01/2008
- Sold by:
- Barnes & Noble
- Format:
- NOOK Book
- Pages:
- 352
- Sales rank:
- 268,666
- File size:
Read an Excerpt
Excerpt from Chapter 1
This must be, Churchill thought, the most Godforsaken place he'd ever seen, at the very edge of the earth. As they flew in for the landing he could see an army of women bent over the runway, sweeping away the snow with twig brooms. The runway itself was little more than a series of uneven concrete slabs cast upon the frozen ground, with a control tower that had been thrown together from rough-planed timber. It had a machine-gun nest on top. The insistent grayness of it all burrowed inside Churchill and froze his doubts so hard he wondered if they would ever leave him.
Sarah Oliver, his daughter, a flight officer in the WAAF, sensed his misgivings and squeezed his hand. "Still feeling poorly, Papa?"
The previous day he'd had a temperature of 103 degrees, not the best way to begin a hazardous journey, not for a man of seventy. But he shook his head. "I never wanted to come here, not to the Crimea. Nothing but lice and typhus plague and... blessed Russians. My God, I hope the whisky will last, otherwise we might end up dying in this place."
"So... why here?"
"Had no choice. Neither did poor Franklin. A man in a wheelchair has to fly six thousand miles because Stalin refuses to travel more than six hundred. The supreme gathering of the three most powerful men in the world-in a hole like this!" He stabbed his finger at the scene outside. "If we'd researched the matter for ten years with all diligence, I swear we could have found no more miserable spot. Russia in blasted February!"
The conference of the three Allied war leaders hadn't yet started and already Stalin had won the first round.
"They call you the Holy Trinity, you three," Sarah said, smiling, trying to reassure him.
"And Stalin says I'm the Holy Ghost," he replied morosely, "because I'm the fool who seems to be forever flying about." He scratched at a blob of grease on his lapel. "But I think we rather resemble the triumvirate of Ancient Rome-you remember your Shakespeare?"
"You know I prefer more modern pieces."
"After the fall of Julius Caesar, the three of them-Mark Antony, Octavius, Lepidus-gathered together to carve up the world. Just like us. Then they fell upon each other's throats."
It was clear his spirits were not to be easily raised. They'd left Malta eight hours earlier, bound for their ultimate destination of Yalta on the coast of the Black Sea, which in February could freeze as hard as Iceland. The nearest operational airfield was Saki, although from five hundred feet up it seemed an utterly reckless place to land. As the four-engined Douglas Skymaster made its approach it gave another sharp lurch through the cold air and Sarah gripped her father more urgently. She wasn't enjoying this, either. "Why couldn't we have come by ship?" she moaned.
"My sentiments entirely, but the Germans departed the Crimea only a few months ago. They left behind a wasteland drenched in blood and a harbor packed with mines. Regrettably, the bastards failed to leave behind a map for their minefields. So, we endure."
Then, at last, the tires were hitting the ground, squealing, once, twice, and the Skymaster was clawing slowly to a halt, bouncing on every rut. When finally the aircraft had stopped, Churchill was pensive, remaining in his seat for awhile, staring at the guard of honor lined up at the side of the field, lost in his misgivings.
Sarah waited for him, staring sadly at her father in the light of a winter's afternoon. The sparse hair, the sagging jowls, the eyes that were losing the battle against time. He was an extraordinary man who seemed to possess an almost supernatural capacity for revival and for restarting the motor that had driven him full tilt through a lifetime of hazard, but the gears were now worn, they kept slipping, and each time he set out, the engine was forced to race ever harder to make any headway. Sarah knew why she'd been asked to accompany him to Yalta, for much the same reason as Roosevelt's daughter, Anna, was also coming. For comfort, yes, to make sure their fathers had those little personal things around them that made them feel content, but although no one spoke about it, the daughters were also there just in case. To be by their sides, just in case anything were to happen. No man can easily contemplate the thought of dying far away from his home, on his own.
Yet there was still plenty of life left in the old dog. Suddenly he launched himself from his seat. "Let's get on with it," he muttered grimly.
The American president was waiting for him. Franklin Roosevelt had arrived on a plane some twenty minutes earlier and had been lowered in his wheelchair on a specially constructed lift. Now he was seated in the back of a Lend-Lease jeep, wrapped heavily against the cold as the two leaders set out to inspect the guard of honor together. Roosevelt looked frail, disinterested, and the prime minister tried to give the occasion some semblance of dignity by walking beside him. Afterwards they were taken to a tent heated by wood-burning stoves where their Soviet hosts had laid on a feast-suckling pig, caviar, smoked sturgeon, black bread, with endless quantities of vodka and the sweet local champagne. All the while, outside, the guard of honor continued to stand at its post, bayonets like icicles.
When, at last, Churchill climbed into the back of his car alongside Sarah, his mood had not improved. She left him to his thoughts. Of all the Churchill children, she resembled him most closely-the same intense blue eyes, gold-red hair, passionate temper, so stubborn she was known as "Mule." It often made words superfluous between them and their silences were never painful. She tucked a rug round his legs and held his hand.
It would take them almost five hours to reach their destination. Yalta was barely more than eighty miles away but the road was slushy, rough, heavily potholed, with signs of hasty repair. At every two hundred paces they saw members of the Soviet militia, many of them women, saluting with their rifles as the convoy passed. And still it snowed.
"I am in agony about Franklin," he began at last.
"I think we all are," Sarah replied. "He looks so desperately ill."
"He is also desperately misguided. Infirmity and imprudence. The combination could be calamitous. You know, I asked him if we might share the journey to Yalta. He declined. Said he needed to rest. He won't talk to me, Mule. Has pushed me aside."
"He couldn't do that. You're mistaken."
"I am most certain of it."
"Then why?"
"Because he thinks he knows better. Trusts Stalin. Believes we may all live together in harmony once the slaughter is over. He's one of those most dangerous of men, Mule, an idealist. Thinks he can win over Stalin simply by the force of his own personality."
"Don't you?"
"Only if I've got a bloody grenade in my pocket."
"But you've said such nice things about Marshal Stalin."
"And I shall continue to do so. It's called diplomacy, and it is filled with terminological inexactitudes."
"Which means?"
He sighed, as though already exhausted. "In a few hours' time I shall embrace the Marshal warmly and he, just as warmly, will embrace me. Doesn't mean we like each other. Nearly thirty years ago I sent an army to Russia with the intention of crushing the Bolshevik infant in its cradle. I failed. Stalin hasn't forgotten that. Neither have I."
What People are saying about this
Meet the Author
Michael Dobbs is also Lord Dobbs of Wylye, a member of the British House of Lords. He is Britain's leading political novelist and has been a senior adviser to Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher, John Major and David Cameron. His bestselling books include House of Cards, which was made into an award winning TV series in the UK and is currently being remade into a major US television series by Kevin Spacey and the director David Fincher. Read more on his website - www.michaeldobbs.com.
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My first read of a Dobbs' work but not the last. Dobbs is masterfully story teller and shares his insight into the " big three" of WWII. Determine for yourself if today's Putin does not remind you of Stalin.
Michael Dobbs has constructed a thoughtful fictional account of what probably happened at Yalta, when Winston Churchill met there with Franklin Roosevelt and Josef Stalin late during WW2. The idea was to have the anti-fascist allies parcel out the leftovers of the Nazi overlordship in Europe. Roosevelt supposed Stalin to be a legitimate ally of the western powers, which is the primary cause of the long "cold war" conflict that became the aftermath of WW2. Churchill, who knew better, tried to counter Stalin's influence, whereas Roosevelt was seriously ill and had not long to live, which at best made it difficult for him to respond appropriately to the monster Stalin was. According to Dobbs, Churchill scored a minor formalistic victory in his attempt to counter Stalin, and thus the title of this book. It's quite a good read and well worth knowing about. Be warned, however -- it's not a pleasant story.
interesting take on participants at conference;enjoyable


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2016 Induction Ceremony
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Leonard Slatkin kicks off his 9th season as DSO Music Director with violinist extraordinaire Hilary Hahn, plus Bernstein and Gershwin classics and an exciting world premi…
Pro Musica of Detroit presents the Escher String Quartet
The Escher String Quartet has received acclaim for its profound musical insight and rare tonal beauty. The qua…
To reach a member of our administrative staff consult the email and phone directory below. Please note that all numbers begin with area code '313.'
Ticketing and customer service | 313.576.5111Donations and contributions | 313.576.5114
Event Rentals | 313.576.5065Main Switchboard | 313.576.5100Security or Lost & Found | 313.576.5199
Anne Parsons, President and CEOJames B. and Ann V. Nicholson Chairemail | 576.5106
Linda Lutz, Chief Financial Officeremail | 576.5190
Joy Crawford, Executive Assistant to the President and CEOemail | 576.5106
Elaine Curvin, Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice Presidentemail | 576.5129
Caitlin Bush, Advancement Relations Associateemail | 576.5494
Erik Rönmark, General Manager and Artistic Administratoremail | 576.5166
Jessica Ruiz, Manager of Artistic Planningemail | 576.5161
Christopher Harrington, Managing Director of Paradise Jazz Series/ Managing Director & Curator of @ The Max email | 576.5126
Katherine Curatolo, Artistic Coordinatoremail | 576.5475
Clare Valenti, Popular & Special Programming Coordinatoremail | 576.5163
Caen Thomason-Redus, Director of Community and Learningemail | 576.5596
Leah Celebi, Manager of Educationemail | 576.5598
Brian Frazee, Manager of Community Engagementemail | 576.5599
Nelson Rodriguez Parada, General Manager of Training Ensemblesemail | 576.5164
Nathaniel Bean, Education Coordinatoremail | 576.5167
Marc Geelhoed, Director of Digital Initiativesemail
Kathryn Ginsburg, Orchestra Manageremail | 576.5093
Heather Hart Rochon, Orchestra Personnel Manageremail | 576.5497
Dennis Rottell, Stage Manageremail | 576.5176
Leslie Karr, Executive Assistant to the Music Directoremail | 576.5412
Patrick Peterson, Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manageremail | 576.5498
Bree Kneisler, Advancement Services and Prospect Research Manageremail | 576.5198
Will Broner, Advancement Services Coordinatoremail | 576.5118
Richard Kryszko, Advancement Services Coordinatoremail | 576.5123
Teresa Alden, Digital Communications Manageremail | 576.5195
Ben Breuninger, Public Relations Coordinatoremail | 576.5196
Cassie Brenske, Director of Advancement for Individual Givingemail | 576.5460
Dan Coleman, Governing Members Gift Officer and Assistant Director of Planned Givingemail | 576.5451
Morgan Graby, Governing Members and Volunteer Relations Officeremail | 576.5452
Juanda Pack, Advancement Benefits Coordinatoremail | 576.5450
Danielle Manley, Director of Advancement for Institutional Givingemail | 576.5115
Chelsea Kotula, Manager of Sponsor Benefits and Relationsemail | 576.5496
Marah Casey, Advancement Officeremail | 576.5142
Jacqueline Garner, Advancement Assistantemail | 576.5120
Julie Byczynski, oneDSO Campaign Directoremail | 576.5191
Dan Saunders, Director of Facilities Managementemail | 576.5189
Larry Ensman, Maintenance Supervisoremail | 576.5184
Frederico Augustin, Facility Engineer
Matt Deneka, Maintenance Technician
Martez Duncan, Maintenance Technician
William Guilbault, Maintenance Technician
Crystal King, Maintenance Technician
Daniel Speights, Maintenance Technician
Greg Schimizzi, Chief of Securityemail | 576.5199
Melvin Dismukes, Security Officer
Norris Jackson, Security Officer
Ronald Martin, Security Officer
Johnnie Scott, Security Officer
Jeremiah Hess, Senior Director of Accounting & Financeemail | 576. 5140
Sandra Mazza, Senior Accountantemail | 576.5192
Dawn Kronell, Senior Accountantemail | 576.5141
Karen McCombs, Accounting Specialistemail | 576.5197
Lolita Isaac, Payroll and Benefits Accountantemail | 576.5193
Jody Harper, Director of Information Technologyemail | 576.5179
Ra'Jon Taylor, Help Desk Administratoremail | 576.5180
Michelle Koning, Web Manageremail | 576.5136
Denise Ousley, Human Resources Directoremail | 576.5420
Nicki Inman, Senior Director of Patron Development and Engagementemail | 576.5595
Michael Frisco, Director of Audience Developmentemail | 576.5127
Margaret Cassetto, Front of House Manageremail | 576.5121
DeRon Wilson, Group Sales Manageremail | 576.5130
Sharon Gardner Carr, Assistant Manager of Tessitura and Ticketing Operationsemail | 576.5119
Annick Busch, Patron Loyalty Coordinatoremail | 576.5113
Steven Fronrath, Audience Development Coordinatoremail | 576.5405
LaHeidra Marshall, Audience Development Associateemail | 576.5112
Christina Williams, Director of Catering and Retail Servicesemail | 576.5128
Kyle Hanley, Executive Chefemail
Nate Richter, Bar Manager
Stacey Karl, Retail Manageremail | 576.4014
Holly Clement, Senior Manager of Events and Rentalsemail | 576.5131
Connie Campbell, Manager of Event Sales and Administrationemail | 576.5116
Ashley Powers, Event Sales Representativeemail | 576.5065
Molly Fidler, Manager, Patron Sales & Serviceemail | 576.5145
Michelle Marshall, Assistant Manager, Patron Sales & Serviceemail | 576.5441
Ashley Handy, Lead Ticketing Specialistemail
William Dawkins, Lead Ticketing Specialistemail


text:
Hotels in Seebach, Switzerland
Search & Compare Seebach Hotels
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Trending now in Seebach
Hotels in Seebach
- Most bookedibis Zurich Messe-Airport
747 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"A very functional hotel. clean and modern with a nice staff. in addition there was a lobby dining room with surprisingly good food. Very good hamburger on gluten free bread. Others said mussels were very good. the only failing is terrible mattresses that were pads on a boxspring? Not a real ..."
b, Sep 2016, US
Hotels within 5 miles of Seebach
377 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"The great thing about this hotel was its location. It is located in Oerlikon, which is about halfway between the Zürich airport and the city center. It is across the street from Oerlikon train station and by the tram station. If you're like me and don't mind using public transport to get aroun..."
A Traveller, Sep 2016, AS
238 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"10 minutes walk from oerlikon station, 5 minutes by train to city centre, 10 minutes to airport. Room ready on arrival, breakfast good choices, free wifi + use of computer/printer. Restaurant in hotel. "
A Traveller, Aug 2016, AU
111 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"Ideal Location for Travel between Zurich and Airport. Room was a bit small but a great bathroom. Coffee machine in room was probably the best I've seen in a hotel room. Rooms was very clean. Check-in is easy but don't forget your credit card which is needed."
A Traveller, Feb 2016, IE
106 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"Our friends live nearby, took us to concert restaurant"
A Traveller, Sep 2016, CA
68 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"It was a good experience. I was provided a fan as which was really needed. Room was ok. You can book this room if you are looking budget hotel and want to prepare food by yourself which would save some cost. There is no reception as it is an apartment not a hotel. So before you chec..."
A Traveller, Sep 2016, GB
22 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"I was there to for a short two night and saw no one nor staff nor cleaning personnel. Actually the room was not cleaned nor the towels changed during my stay"
A Traveller, Feb 2016, CA
16 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Most recent review
"Need some where to sleep while passing through Zurich, because my flight cancelled in Frankfurt to Miami Journey time Birmingham UK to Miami 45 hours"
A Traveller, Sep 2016, GB
16 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
14 people looked at this hotel in the last hour
Best hotels in Seebach
If you are looking for Seebach hotels in a particular area, you can use the search feature at the top of the page to search by neighborhood, landmark, address or zip code, or you can search by using the built-in map feature. You can also browse hotels in Seebach by type, amenities, and star-rating so that you can find the best hotel. Currently, top rated hotels in Seebach are:
- ibis Zurich Messe-Airport
- Budget Hostel Zurich
- Hotel Sternen Oerlikon
- Courtyard by Marriott Zurich North
- Swissotel Zurich
The location of your Seebach hotel is important. If you are traveling to Seebach, &StateorCountry for business, you may want to consider getting a hotel close to the airport or near your meeting venue. By doing so, you can really cut down on transportation costs and time. You may also want to book a hotel that offers free wifi just in case you need to get some work done.
If you are traveling for vacation, figure out which attractions or landmarks you want to see and book a hotel that is within close proximity. Although hotels near attractions might cost a little more, you may find that spending those extra few dollars is worth the convenience. You can even find hotels that align with your interests. For example, if you are looking for a relaxing vacation, a spa hotel may be the perfect choice for you.
You'll also want to determine which type of accommodations will suit your needs before booking a hotel in Seebach. If you're traveling with the kiddos, a family friendly hotel will offer larger rooms and more sleeping arrangements. For those traveling for an extended period of time, booking a hotel suite with a kitchenette is a smart move and will feel a little more like home. If you are budget conscience and just need a place to rest your head, a hostel or motel may be all you need.
If you are looking to score the best discounts and deals, use the filter to sort by price from low to high. You can book a hotel in Seebach for as low as $92 per night. If you are looking to cut down on expenses, look for hotels that include free breakfast and parking. Some hotels even offer free shuttle service to and from nearby places. You can also sort by star rating, proximity, and guest rating.
Before you book, check out user reviews. Hotels.com has 324 reviews in Seebach. We show reviews from Expedia and TripAdvisor so you know that you are reading genuine, reliable reviews. Be sure to download the Hotels.com app so you can book your reservations on the go, view amenities, and save the hotels you want to view and compare later.


text:
Maritime Noon
Maritime Noon | 1-800-565-1940 | Weekdays 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Join the conversation with Norma Lee MacLeod live at 1-800-565-1940 or by calling the talkback line at 1-800-565-5463.
Maritime Noon Clips
Tuesday September 27, 2016
Audio Canada Savings Bond Ending, Airport Security Feedback, Naming Mishaps
Canada Savings Bonds may soon be on the way out. Globe and Mail personal finance columnist Rob Carrick says "kill em' dead." Your stories about airport security checks. Plus: We talk about naming mishaps with Halifax communications advisor Brendan Ell
Monday September 26, 2016
Audio Airport security mishap, Canada Post feedback, Appliance repair questions
Man accidentally takes knife through airport security, not spotted Listeners offer their opinions on Canada Post Appliance repair questions Resolution to Halifax bike stand dispute
Friday September 23, 2016
Audio Dry well help, Feedback on Trudeau's government, Canada Post's future
Bringing water to people whose wells have run dry in Shelburne NS Your views on Trudeau's first year as Prime Minister Phone in on the future of Canada Post More feedback on redeeming Air Miles
Thursday September 22, 2016
Audio Assessing bomb threats, Air Miles redemption issues, Assessing Trudeau
How authorities react to bomb threats Feedback on problems with redeeming Air Miles Assessing Justin Trudeau, after almost a year in office Feedback on women's sports
Wednesday September 21, 2016
Audio Nude pictures of women posted online, PEI schools closed by threat, Air Miles questions
Pictou woman fights website that posts nude pictures without consent PEI schools closed by threat Phone in on how to deal with Air Miles expiration
Tuesday September 20, 2016
Audio Bike rack controversy, Women in sport, Halifax gun amnesty
Halifax bike rack removed by residents in parking row Rugby star Ghislaine Landry leads phone-in on women in sports Halifax councillor wants more incentives to encourage gun amnesty
Monday September 19, 2016
Audio Climate change impact, Terry Punch, tourists love Rustico retiree
UNB professor notes that Nova Scotia drought follows pattern predicted in research Terry Punch takes questions about ancestry Retired Rustico fisherman becomes tourist attraction
Friday September 16, 2016
Audio Dolphin Rescue, Fentanyl, Preserves, Disability
An Ontario couple helps rescue two dolphins on P.E.I. Lynda Morgan shares her story.Your thoughts on tracking overdoses. Small batch preserving: author Ellie Topp answers your questions. Plus: More on seeing ability over disability.
Thursday September 15, 2016
Audio Fentanyl Tracking, Canada Games Announcement, Disabilities
There's a call for better tracking of overdoes in the Maritimes. Reporter Angela MacIvor tells us more. The 2023 Canada Winter Games are coming to P.E.I. And: focusing on abilities instead of disabilities. We speak with Paul Vienneau, an advocate for
Wednesday September 14, 2016
Audio Term Limits, Water Shortage, Police & Privacy, Downie Pumpkin
A call for term limits for municipal councillors. We hear from council hopeful Brenden Sommerhalder. Farmers truck water to their livestock. Yarmouth County beef farmer Trevor Perry's ponds have dried up. Police & Privacy: Charlottetown police chief Pau
Tuesday September 13, 2016
Audio Argyle Water, Port Medway, Toll Feedback, Kids & Sleep, Park Sex
The well is dry at the Islands and District Fire Department on Surettes Island, N.S. The councillor for the area, Guy Surette, is proposing a community well at the station. Port Grocer in Port Medway is relying on water from its local fire station. Co-o
Monday September 12, 2016
Audio Toll Polling, Doug Bethune, Water Shortage Feedback
The majority of Nova Scotians want twinned highways, but there's a limit to how much they want to pay. Kevin Lacey from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation tells us more. Automotive consultant Doug Bethune answers your questions Plus: your thoughts on dr
Friday September 09, 2016
Audio Cougar sighting, Dry wells feedback, Naming public spaces
Caution over possible cougar sighting in New Brunswick Reaction to our story about wells drying up Phone in on naming public spaces after living people
Thursday September 08, 2016
Audio Dry Nova Scotia, EMO Argyle, Update Free Land, Deer Feedback, Kids Sports, Peter Coade Retires
Wells are running dry in Southern Nova Scotia. Homeowner Helena Brown says the situation is dire. Argyle is offering up water jugs to residents. EMO coordinator Janine Muise tells us more The owners of Farmers Daughter Country Market in C.B. choose who
Wednesday September 07, 2016
Audio St. Andrews Deer, Bob Bancroft, Bathurst ATVs, CFA Feedback
Deer problems in St. Andrews. Mayor Doug Nash is would like to see a deer roundup. Wildlife biologist Bob Bancroft talks deer, and answers your questions. ATVs could soon be on some provincial roads and city streets in Bathurst. Mayor Paolo Fongemie t
Severe weather warnings or watches in effect for:
Light Drizzle
Light Rain
Annapolis Royal
- Shimon Peres, former prime minister of Israel, dead at 93
- Peres saw hope for world shaped by younger generations: Peter Mansbridge
- Malaysian jet downed by launcher from Russia, probe finds
- Fatal police shooting of black man in San Diego area sparks protest
- Storm continues deadly path to China from Taiwan
- Canada should talk 'growing pains' with countries looking to mimic Syrian refugee program, senator says
- Millions of Canadians don't have to be told if health information breached
- 'Shomi and chill' never quite caught on
- Crowded Ontario field could have big impact on Conservative leadership race
- Federal government approves liquefied natural gas project on B.C. coast with 190 conditions
- Foot doctor used experimental implants unapproved for surgery on unsuspecting patients
- Senator reports herself to ethics czar over tax-haven revelations
- 3 Canadian banks served 2,000 offshore corporations, Bahamas leak shows
- Canadian ties exposed in leaked Bahamas tax-haven data
- Canadian immigration DNA test would force kids through dangerous area under travel warning
- Trudeau government at pains to explain Pacific Northwest LNG
- Crowded Ontario field could have big impact on Conservative leadership race
- Tardy bureaucrats causing First Nations' cost overruns, report finds
- Canada should talk 'growing pains' with countries looking to mimic Syrian refugee program, senator says
- Federal government approves liquefied natural gas project on B.C. coast with 190 conditions
- BlackBerry is going to stop making its own smartphones
- Shomi hadn't much hope with Netflix already in the living room
- Trump's conundrum: He's pro-business but Wall Street doesn't seem to like him
- Vancouver's housing-bubble risk unmatched on the planet, says Swiss bank
- Ottawa approves Pacific NorthWest LNG project for B.C. coast
- Millions of Canadians don't have to be told if health information breached
- B.C. clinic's free heroin enables addicts to 'have a meaningful life again,' co-ordinator says
- Lack of 'adequate evidence' makes vaping regulations difficult, Philpott says
- Genetically modified baby born with DNA from 2 women
- In California's farm belt, 'pesticide drift' has residents worried about their health
- 'Once in a lifetime' painting by Group of Seven founder headed to the auction block
- Something 'just not sitting right' in death investigation of Inuk artist Annie Pootoogook
- Trump, Clinton set U.S. television record for debate audience
- 'You guys suck:' Justin Bieber brushes off fans in Oslo
- Actor Gordon Pinsent receives Stratford Festival's Legacy Award
- BlackBerry to exit hardware business, posting $372M loss in quarter
- In California's farm belt, 'pesticide drift' has residents worried about their health
- 'Not just a dream': Elon Musk aims to get humans on Mars within 10 years
- Got kidney stones? This doctor says roller coasters could be the cure
- Smart home devices used in cyberattack on tech writer's site
- Make America White Again: Why Donald Trump plays the race card
- Clinton vs. Trump: Follow the race for the White House with CBC's presidential poll tracker
- Looking for a place to happen: Canadian stories behind Tragically Hip's lyrics
- Battling the Beast: The untold story of the fight to save Fort McMurray
- Nothing 'more beautiful than to lend a hand': Meet 7 inspiring Aboriginal community builders
- Prince William gets lesson in colonialism, cultural genocide at Black Rod ceremony
- Court monitor finds 'no concerns' about Kenora, Ont., lawyer Doug Keshen; complaint hearings continue
- Fort McKay Métis feeling 'forgotten' by Alberta government
- 'Suspicious elements' of Inuk artist Annie Pootoogook's death draw Ottawa police attention
- William and Kate arrive in Whitehorse, begin Yukon tour with cultural celebration


text:
Mercure Düsseldorf City Center, Duesseldorf
- Free WiFi
Main amenities
- 163 smoke-free guestrooms
- Restaurant and bar/lounge
- Breakfast available
- Self parking
- Business center
- Childcare
- 24-hour front desk
- Air conditioning
- Daily housekeeping
- Front desk safe
- Laundry service
- Meeting rooms
For families
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Television
- Daily housekeeping
- Laundry facilities
- Hair dryer
What's around
- In Stadtmitte
- Duesseldorf City Hall (1 mi / 1.7 km)
- Rhine Tower (1.4 mi / 2.3 km)
- Museum Kunstpalast (1.4 mi / 2.3 km)
- Neuer Zollhof (1.6 mi / 2.5 km)
- Stilwerk Duesseldorf (0.4 mi / 0.6 km)
Mercure Düsseldorf City Center, Duesseldorf
Hotel Info: 866-539-8117from $73
- Standard Room, 1 Double Bed
- Privilege, Suite, 1 King Bed
- Superior Room, 1 Double Bed
- Classic Room, 1 Single Bed
- Superior Suite, 1 Double Bed
Also popular with travelers from the USA
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 163 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 6 floors
- Check-in time starts at 3 PM
- Check-out time is noon
- Express check-in/out
Required at check in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
Travelling with others
- Babysitting/childcare *
- Pets allowed *
- Free WiFi in public areas
- Free WiFi in rooms
- Self parking *
Other information
- Smoke-free property
In the hotel
- Breakfast (surcharge)
- Restaurant
- Bar/lounge
- Room service (during limited hours)
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Business center
- Number of meeting rooms - 3
- Meeting rooms 3
- 24-hour front desk
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Laundry facilities
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Luggage storage
- Elevator/lift
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
In the room
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Air conditioning
- Coffee/tea maker
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Hair dryer
- Satellite TV channels
- Desk
- Free weekday newspaper
- Free WiFi
- Phone
- Daily housekeeping
Mercure Düsseldorf City Center, Duesseldorf's small print
Also known as
- Düsseldorf Mercure City Center
- Mercure City Center Düsseldorf
- Mercure Düsseldorf City Center
- Mercure Düsseldorf City Center Duesseldorf
- Mercure Düsseldorf City Center Hotel Duesseldorf
Optional extras
Self parking costs EUR 17 per day
Breakfast is offered for an extra charge of EUR 19 per person (approximately)
Babysitting/childcare is available for an extra charge
Pets are allowed for an extra charge of EUR 11 per pet, per night
We have included all charges provided to us by this hotel. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.
More great choices
Recent reviews
Good 3.8 /5 from 209 reviews
Very convenient location to the Hauptbahnhof and UBahn. Nice, modern hotel with AC!! Many of my peers in other Dusseldorf hotels were suffering due to the summer heat.
clean, modern room within easy walk of the main train station. free wireless internet, but I upgraded for 6 euro so I could make phone calls via internet (worked pretty well). professional, helpful staff. I booked the double room to get more space and was.glad I did, the single rooms looked tiny. 15 minute walk to Altstadt. contrary to some other reviews, this is not in a red light district, it's a legitimate neighborhood where i felt safe. breakfast at 19 euro sounded like too much money to me, so I did not eat it
Hotel in great location, easy walk to main train/subway station. Desk staff recommended great local restaurants.
Breakfast was great, but rooms were tiny. Biggest issue we had was that they turned off the A/C at 10PM. Not a great idea during the hottest months of the year.
excellent location, close to Hfb. small room, but that was not unexpected. appreciated the opportunity to check-in very early after international flight
Is the description of this hotel not correct? Tell us


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text: Requirements and Resources A school applying for the Accreditation/Reaccreditation level of the International School Award will have embedded international learning across the school and curriculum and in doing so will have to: work with international partners on a range of projects, sustaining activity throughout the academic year embed the international work across the whole school share educational practice with partners overseas and implementing changes across the school disseminate their approach to international work and demonstrated long-term impact (Reaccreditation only) The school should list on their online application form at least seven curriculum based international activities, three of them must be done in collaboration with partner/s overseas and one of those three must have an element of foreign language learning. When working towards the Accreditation level of the International School Award you will learn: How to plan your international work Schools are asked to complete the 'International Workplan' as they get along with their international work this academic year. The form is not submitted to the British Council and not assessed, so please feel free to modify it as you see fit – it is a resource for you. The international workplan will navigate you throughout the application process and takes you from early stages of writing the international coordinator's job description and international policy, undertaking the survey (=international audit) of your school's existing activities, planning your international work for the current academic year to evaluating your international activities and summarising impact at the end of the year. international_work_plan_2015_16.doc A school applying for the Accreditation/Reaccreditation level of the International School Award will have embedded international learning across the school and curriculum and in doing so will have to: work with international partners on a range of projects, sustaining activity throughout the academic year embed the international work across the whole school share educational practice with partners overseas and implementing changes across the school disseminate their approach to international work and demonstrated long-term impact (Reaccreditation only) How to design your international activities International activities are planned actions that form part of international education and must be: part of genuine classroom work that relate to school's curriculum and should happen during the normal lesson time, demonstrating the outcomes for 'global citizenship' and 'enriching education' cross-curricular (= include a broad range of curriculum subjects), encouraging language learning and cross-cultural communication skills based on collaboration between learners and teachers with schools or organisations that support school education in other countries (valid for activities completed with partner school/s overseas) contributing to embedding the international learning and global citizenship in the curriculum and improve the educational outcomes. In addition, for the Accreditation or Reaccreditation level it is expected that the vast majority of learners can participate in an international activity at some point during their time at the school to maximise impact. In practice, this means that most pupils do not necessarily need to participate in activities during the year of application. By repeating activities or introducing new ones each academic year, most pupils will be involved in international learning activities as they progress through the school. Overall action plan should involve international activities that take place throughout the academic year, with at least some activities running each term. It is not acceptable for all activities to take place during one week or in a concentrated period. Activities such as fundraising and sponsoring and international visits/exchanges are not compliant with the requirements of the International School Award as 'stand-alone' activities unless a school demonstrates how it has incorporated them into the curriculum in a relevant and meaningful way. Below is an example of a best practice Action Plan and Impact Evaluation action_plan_and_impact_evaluation_best_practice.pdf For activity ideas see our Classroom Resources How to record and evaluate your work As you work towards Accreditation/Reaccreditation you will learn how to observe and evaluate your international work for its impact on learners and teachers. You can use these sample evaluation forms to record the feedback from teachers, pupils, community and on that basis complete your online Impact Evaluation. How to help other schools and become an ISA best practice school (Reaccreditation Only) A school applying for Reaccreditation will have not only embedded but also disseminated its international learning to other schools. Once a school is ready to be reaccredited they will learn how to become part of the ISA framework that helps and guides others. This can be through mentoring, sharing the expertise, training, becoming Global Learning Programme Expert Centre, getting involved in the eTwinning network or becoming an International School Award best practice school. A network of Internatonal School Award best practice schools in the UK is bringing together like-minded schools with a common goal - to share their international work and International School Award experience with schools in their local area and in doing so are: actively contributing to dissemination of the best practice beyond their school building, raising the school's international profile fulfilling one of the criteria for the Reaccreditation levelof the International School Award ('Ambassadorial role') enriching their own international curriculum by developing a mutually beneficial mentor/mentee relationship. Would you like to get involved? Register your interest on 0207 389 4620 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Receive support and guidance The ISA team and Ambassadors are providing webinar and face-to-face briefings to offer advice on how to complete your Accreditation/Reaccreditation application in time for the 03 July 2016 deadline. Sign up for webinar or face-to-face briefings Deadline and Application Information A school applying for Accreditation or Reaccreditation level of the International School Award follows the two step application procedure in order to: Submit either the online Action Plan or the online Statement of Intent Action plan –describes the activities the school intends to undertake as part of its application for Award. Schools will receive feedback on their activities within six weeks from the deadline date. The Action Plan deadline is midnight on 13 November 2016. Statement of Intent - a short questionnaire confirming your school's eligibility for the Re/Accreditation level. It is submitted instead of the action plan. The Statement of Intent route suits schools that are confident in their activities' suitability and quality because they will not receive feedback from our external assessors to confirm that the planned activities meet our eligibility and quality criteria. It is also suitable for those applying after the Action Plan deadline. There is no deadline for submitting the online Statement of Intent form. It must though be submitted before the Impact Evaluation. Report on the impact of the activities on pupils, teachers, community by submitting the online Impact Evaluation. The Impact Evaluation deadline is midnight on 11 June 2017 (for results before school holidays) or midnight on 16 July 2017 (regular deadline). Frequently Asked Questions Q: Can I list in my action plan the activities that my school started and completed in the past? A: No, the activities from previous academic years (those that started and finished in the past) are not eligible for the Re/Accreditation level application. This application is not a report as oppose to the Foundation and Intermediate certificate. Q: Can I list in my action plan the activities that my school started in the past but that are ongoing? A: Yes, you might consider including the ongoing international projects which could have started in the past but were extended into this academic year and a significant part of the activity is going to happen during the application year yet. Q: Can I include the future activities? A: It is up to you and depends on the activity; however, at least part of the activity must happen during the application year. In other words, you can include the activity starting this academic year and is not completed by the submission of the Impact Evaluation and in such aspect is ongoing. Please make sure the majority of the activities must be completed prior to the submission of the Impact Evaluation so that the impact can be measured. Q: When do I hear the outcome of my application? A: We aim to email notifications to all applicants within six weeks from the deadline date. Q: What will I receive as recognition of my success? A: A school will receive an expert feedback and guidance on how to maintain its international work and progress within the International School Award. Also, a school receives the media pack containing the press release template, the Award logo (=kitemark) advice on how to build awareness through social media and the local press as well as a certificate of achievement which is sent out by post in few weeks after the email notification. Q: What if my application is deferred? A: You will receive a feedback and recommendations for improvement and will be given chance to resubmit the application. Q: When does my Accreditaiton/Reaccreditaiton Award expire? A: By successful submission and approval of the Impact Evaluation, a school is accredited for three years, e.g. from 1 September 2016 to 31 August 2019 (valid for schools applying during 2015/16). To retain your re/accreditation status a school needs to reapply during third year of accreditation (e.g. if the award expires on 31 August 2019, you will need to reapply during the 2018/2019 academic year. The ISA team will contact you nearer the time to confirm the accreditation process. Q: What if my accreditation/reaccreditation award lapses – should I go for Accreditation or Reaccreditation? A: Despite the fact your award lapsed you do not need to start the whole process from scratch. Once a school gains the Accreditation (Full Award) status, they can always follow up with Reaccreditation. The only difference is that your school is not keeping the status for the lapsed years and should remove the ISA logo from its website until reaccredited. Q: I have just submitted Intermediate application. Can I use the same activity for my Accreditation action plan? A: It depends. Principally, the Intermediate application is listing the activities that happened in the past while the Accreditaiton award is forward heading and for the same reason the time framework of the activities should be different. However, if school gains its Intermediate Certificate in spring and then submits the Statement of Intent by the same time, the activities will be from this academic year and are eligible for the application. Q: How long should an activity run? A: This is entirely up to you and depends on the type of activity. The assessors prefer to see a kind of activity which has developed over a course of the academic year and this way could be embedded effectively into your school's curriculum as it brings the aspect of sustainability into your international work. If you put into comparison a one day activity and the activity which has started by the beginning of the academic year, developed over a period of months and finished by the end of the academic year, the second scenario results in the long-term impact on your pupils and is well embedded into the curriculum. This can be reached for instance by introducing a series of activities that are widespread throughout the whole academic year (e.g. French holidays) and reflect/build up on the previous sessions. For more information or to discuss your activity proposals, contact email@example.com or +44(0)207 389 4620. Blank Full Accreditation Award Action Plan and Impact Evaluation Blank Reaccreditation Award Action Plan and Impact Evaluation Introduction Your starting point for the International School Award online. Benefits Find out about the benefits of the International School Award. The award levels Find out about the three levels of certification: Foundation, Intermediate and Accreditation


text:
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. No price is too high for the privilege of owning yourself." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Passion in the raw down Huon way
Bob Hawkins* Pic*
28.09.16 5:15 am
Huon Valley Guessing Games Roll up, roll up! It may be your last chance to witness what normally is one of the most excruciatingly boring shows on earth. Venue: Huonville council chamber at 6pm Wednesday (September 28); starring: a dysfunctional, about-to-be-sacked, Huon Valley Council.
What it is that made Gutwein so reluctant to take the advice of his BoI remains a mystery. Words like forestry, Duggan, woodchips, fish, Armstrong, biomass, Harriss, barges, jetties, exports (plus a mix of other pie-in-the-sky speculation), have been flying around for yonks in the cargo-cult cocoon that occupies a substantial chunk of Huon society. Could any of these have anything to do with the quandary with which Gutwein wrestles? And where's Premier Will Hodgman? …
Digital economy is our fifth pillar ...
Madeleine Ogilvie MP*, Labor Member for Denison
19.09.16 11:00 am
"The internet is a telephone system that's gotten uppity" Clifford Stoll. In that one phrase, US based author and tech commentator Clifford Stoll, nails the Tasmanian challenge …
Our digital economy is the fifth pillar of the Tasmanian economy - and we can grow our intellectual exports, consulting and professional services, data management and creative economy. At the heart of Tasmania's ability to operate, trade, educate, heal and employ is a robust communications infrastructure. It is precisely because we have had such a good system that on a day to day basis many of us don't need to give much thought to whether we will be able to access our Facebook today, do some online shopping or upload data to sell on the mainland …
TT upgrade .. and glitches ...
Lindsay Tuffin. First published September 4
19.09.16 4:15 am
In case you are experiencing problems loading TT, it is because Andrew the Tech is upgrading TT ... for which Beloved Readers have so generously donated heaps. The technol underpinning TT is about 10 years out of date. Hence the upgrade. There may be glitches ... but the end result will be wondrous ... well, little will change for the gentle readership. But heaps for the Backend. Blessings, Linz!x There will be a delay in uploading the latest Urban Wronski, a feature from Madeleine Ogilvie MP ... and the very latest Ted Mead …
How low can Huon's council go?
Bob Hawkins* Pic: Cr Mike Wilson, Mayor Peter Coad and General Manager Simone Watson
14.09.16 4:30 pm
Huon Valley Guessing Games The bad news from the Deep South is that the secretive Huon Valley Council has sunk to even deeper depths of contempt for the people who own it. …
• Mercury: Peter Gutwein calls for Huon Mayor to resign in the interests of Huon Valley community
• Rosalie Woodruff (former HVC councillor: Gutwein Ignores Board of Inquiry, Sets Up Huon Valley Mayor
• Saturday Mercury: Fresh elections best way for Huon, governance expert says
• Rosalie Woodruff: Huon Valley Council Mediation Fruitless, Fresh Elections Needed
How Rupert Murdoch went bad ...
Evan Whitton* Satire: Leunig, http://www.leunig.com.au/ used with permission. First pub: Aug 9
13.08.16 5:45 am
According to Evan Whitton, Rupert Murdoch went bad 56 years ago, and stayed bad ... Always with an eye on the main chance for number one ... The Rupert Max Stuart affair ... The role of Sol Chandler ... Playing tootsies with Gorton and Whitlam ... Hacking and Milly Dowler ... Wilful blindness
John Hawkins, Chudleigh. Pic: of Tamar Valley Power Station. First published: January 7, 2014
08.08.16 4:00 am
Ed: It's time to revisit this ... again ...
• ABC: Major industrials weighing up their future in Tasmania, says Bryan Green The Tasmanian Treasurer is challenging the Opposition Leader to name which major industrial has been spooked by the Government's energy policies …
• Pete Godfrey in Comments: I read a very interesting letter a couple of days ago, from a retired technician. His letter was about the Basslink cable. With the help of a few retired technician friends they have come to the conclusion that the Basslink cable was hit at speed by a large heavy object. So it seems that something being dragged by a vessel caused the damage to the cable. Was it the Super Trawler, or a Scallop Dredge. Hopefully someone will have details of what vessels were operating in the area of the damage when the cable went down. Then they will have to decide who is to blame. Was the cable laid on the surface of the sea bed rather than being buried? Were the regulations around shipping and trawling near the cable too lax? Whichever way it goes, we will end up paying. Some lunatic will soon decide that we need more cables just in case it happens again.
Ed: It's time to revisit this ... Sacked staff have been hired and the plant taken out of mothballs in order to restart the Tamar Valley Power Station. I believe we have been and/or still are paying for Take or Pay contracts for the gas even when the power station is closed; the contracts being protected under commercial-in-confidence legislation. Will the Premier elucidate? At least with the reopening of the power station we will now use the gas we pay for. How did the Bass Link Cable get damaged? It has been suggested in jest to me that it was ripped up by the factory freezer trawler? Well, the depth of Bass Strait is just a very shallow 50m, so it is very possible. Now that would be an Act of God ... A God who exerts his vengeance on Tasmania for wreaking havoc over the land, sea and air in this most beautiful realm!
• Robert Mallett in Comments HERE: Tasmanian Small Business Council calls for commitment to Tamar Valley Power Station
• ABC: Tasmanian Government examines long-term green energy options after power woes
• Mercury Editorial: Double crisis pushes limits
• Richard Barton in Comments: The state of Tasmania can now be seen in the Examiner's article on government salaries ( HERE: Sky-high incomes just don't add up ). We are clearly being ripped off by third rate bureaucrats and politicians who don't have the capability to assure security of basics like power, water, food, medical services, education and transport. We're all working harder to sustain incompetent governors and managers and to pay even more to help recover from their hopeless efforts.
• Steve in Comments … The basic reality is that the hydro ran the dams low to cash in prior to the abolition of the carbon tax. The moment the tax structure changed, they should have been firing up the gas turbines. The gas bill should have been covered by the windfall profits just made and the dams allowed to refill. Instead, like any surplus money in Tasmania, the profits were siphoned off and all of a sudden we have a crisis of empty dams? …
• Gilmour ... have you heard about a Tamar Valley power station?
In Sunday's Examiner Martin Gilmour, aka the Whistle Blower, continued his anti-Green rants — this time over electricity prices.
• Pete Godfrey, in Comments: Just a short list of bad decisions: Selling - Royal Derwent Hospital for $350 thousand when it was valued at $65 million. - Using Retirement benefit funds to buy a grossly overpriced Hobart Airport. - Flogging off Brighton Army base for $180 thousand when it was valued at $6.5 million. - Selling the Old LGH because it was a derelict building (now it is a 5 star hotel and conference centre). - Basslink. - Tamar power station. - Gunns special deals, compensation and gifting them our native forests and paying them to take it. Bringing Ta Ann to Tasmania to finish off the pillaging of our forests. When do they have to take responsibility.
• Steve, in Comments: Since the supply of witches dried up, they write editorials about the Greens instead.
• Robert Mallett in Comments HERE: Tasmanian Small Business Council calls for commitment to Tamar Valley Power Station
Melbourne Writers' Festival Panel Dispute Exposes Anti-Survivor Agenda
Simone Watson*
06.08.16 4:30 am
In the spirit of the popular 'sex workers are under-represented' stance, repeated by liberal media and prostitution advocates, ad-nauseum, Daily Life has published yet another article repeating the myth. The author, Kate Iselin, aside from being a self-described "sex worker" and published writer, is also "furious."
• In TT Books: Flanagan at the Melbourne Writers' Festival
All Photos © Giles Hugo 2016.
01.08.16 5:00 am
On the first day of each month Tasmanian Times celebrates the natural world ... Prints of Giles Hugo's stunning photographs are available from The Nolan Gallery, Salamanca, Hobart.
Four Corners: Dylan Voller releases letter apologising for crimes, thanking community for support
ABC. Image: Supplied to ABC First published July 27
28.07.16 6:05 am
Dylan Voller, one of the teenage boys whose mistreatment in juvenile detention was exposed by Four Corners, has written a letter thanking the Australian public for their support.
• Lynne Newington in Comments: Wonderful article by Stan Grant who said it all. HERE
• Peter Bright Satire: Courageous but outnumbered officers facing huge danger from an overwhelming threat
How technology disrupted the truth ...
Katharine Viner, Guardian. Pic*: myrealnameispete, Flickr
15.07.16 4:45 am
Lindsay Tuffin: This is an incredibly important story ... with immense implications for a free and fair society. Please read it ... I've picked the most important bits ... but the whole dang thing is worth time digesting properly ... Social media has swallowed the news – threatening the funding of public-interest reporting and ushering in an era when everyone has their own facts. But the consequences go far beyond journalism
• Simon Warriner in Comments: You are right, Linz. This is an important story, and an important issue. Real journalism costs real money, and if it cannot be done in the commercial realm then it needs to be funded through the collective mechanisms of government. To get that to happen we need a representative government that is, first and foremost, concerned with serving the common good. Hands up those who can see one of those anywhere close?
• Prem Saraswati in Comments: It is now too late, the proverbial horse is down the road and in the next county. This article omits the major impact of the Neo-Conservative agenda world wide and led by Uncle Rupert to misguide and dumb down the first world in the pursuit of more and more wealth domination by the elite of societies everywhere. It is then no wonder that people are turning en masse away from mainstream traditional journalism.
CHILCOT REPORT: Crushing Iraq War verdict ...
Lindsay Tuffin*. Pic: DonkeyHotey, Flickr, First published July 7
14.07.16 5:35 am
This time it didn't work, despite millions worldwide marching in protest ... Forty five (or was it six) years ago I reported the marches which - by sheer people power - led eventually to the end of the Vietnam War. They were huge, even in Hobart. And I was a fringe dweller, deeply sympathetic to the cause of ending the war, but 'objectively' reporting from the sidelines of the march. Not so in 2002. I, along with thousands in Hobart, marched against the invasion of Iraq …
• Andrew Wilkie in Media HERE: … Then Prime Minister John Howard took Australia to war on the basis of a lie and stands accused of war crimes. That he has never been held to account, and that his Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is now Australian High Commissioner to London, is quite simply outrageous …
• Hans Willink in Comments: … At the time I was still a member of the Liberal Party and a member of the Army Reserve. With options to protest limited without "leaving the tent", I chose to piss from within it. As a Branch President attending the annual Tasmanian Liberal State conference, I tabled a constitutional amendment limiting the declaration of war powers of Australian Prime Ministers. Needless to say, I was out gamed by "he who must not be named", who placed the motion last on the agenda, thereby ensuring insufficient time for it to be debated or voted on …
• Read for yourself ... The Iraq inquiry
• Guardian Opinion: A country ruined, trust shattered, a reputation trashed
• Tim Thorne in Comments: Wars are great for business. The Iraq War 2003—? has been the most profitable yet. Such wars will continue as long as ripping children's limbs off continues to fund Armani suits and luxury holidays. It is dangerously subversive to protest against one of the chief props of our capitalist way of life. Without war we would be much poorer. Of course, as we are a democratic society, those of us who choose to do so will be allowed to protest for as long as we are ineffective. But it might be worth pondering that phrase "will be allowed". Are you comforted or scared by the fact that there is permission being given, a situation which implies that such permission could be withdrawn at any time, and which assumes that there is a permission giver?
• Independent: Iraq and the Rupert Murdoch connection: The media mogul's network of pro-war campaigners Back in 2003, the Murdoch-owned press beat the drum for the Iraq War, but few of the key players got a mention in the Chilcot report
• Bazza's view: 'The Iraq conflict is going swimmingly. I expect oil ...'
• Tim Dunlop: Journalism, power and taking sides
• Lynne Newington in Comments: An article worthy of mention, written by Professor of International Politics Mark Beeson on The Conversation, HERE
• Katharine Viner, Guardian: How technology disrupted the truth Social media has swallowed the news – threatening the funding of public-interest reporting and ushering in an era when everyone has their own facts. But the consequences go far beyond journalism
• Geoff Mosley in Comments: Re the inquiry (56) concerning the closing off of the Antarctic to all military action and mineral activities the details can be found in my book 'Saving the Antarctic Wilderness'. The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 and came into force in 1961. In 1991 the Madrid Protocol banned all mineral activity indefinitely and designated Antarctic as a 'Natural Reserve for Peace and Science'. It entered into force in 1998. The obvious next step is for all nations to share the finest example of international cooperation for peace and conservation by having the continent included on the World Heritage List. Unfortunately, we are going through a long phase where vision is in very short supply.
MEDIA: Perfect storm facing digital news. Latest circn figs? Guardian's great article ...
Paul Barry, Media Watch, ABC. First published June 17
12.07.16 5:20 am
From ad blockers, to Facebook and consumers who refuse to pay. It's the challenge facing digital news and no one's sure what the solution is.
• JDDN in Comments: It has nothing to do with the platform of revenue, rather the quality of content that is being produced. I think you'll find a correlation between loss of revenue and terrible click bait, biased 'SJW' themed journalism …
• Mike in Comments: I know it might sound like an absurd idea, but perhaps they could try telling the truth for a change? …
• Mumbrella: What appears to be the latest circulation figures … Merc (M-F) down 4.6 per cent; Merc Sat down 6.5 per cent; Suntas down 5.7 per cent ...
• Katharine Viner, Guardian: How technology disrupted the truth Social media has swallowed the news – threatening the funding of public-interest reporting and ushering in an era when everyone has their own facts. But the consequences go far beyond journalism …
A Mobile-Friendly Upgrade Report ...
Lindsay Tuffin*.
12.07.16 5:15 am
First of all a huge thanks to the monthly supporters including JB, PJB, AD, Anon, Anon, Anon, Anon, Anon, Monthly Subs, O'Dw, N&CG, WB, among others. Thankyou Guyzzzz …
Tonight (Mon): ABC Australian Story. Tonight (Wed), Wild Island: Collaboration for a Cause ...
Matt Newton, http://www.matthewnewton.com.au/ Pic: Matt's pic of Paul Pritchard
11.07.16 5:07 am
Here are a few BTS images from tonights episode of Australian Story, The Longest Expedition. The way this story came about is pretty fantastic.
• Tomorrow (Wed), 7pm Wild Island: Rachael Alderman, Matt Newton: Collaboration for a Cause: A presentation by Biologist Rachael Alderman and Photographer Matthew Newton, and hosted by ABC Catalyst presenter, Mark Horstman.
Melbourne = somewhere. Hobart = nowhere. The way it always has been ...
Simon Barber
10.07.16 9:00 am
… Why I am bothering to write this? Because an event of historical cultural significance took place on that Tuesday evening in Hobart without a single review: evidently due to a quota on the number of local cultural events to receive a write-up issued by editorial staff located in Melbourne. Melbourne = somewhere. Hobart = nowhere. The way it always has been. So, location, at least, does evidently continue to matter after all. What about quality then? Michael Kieran-Harvey is perceived in the media as a controversial figure mostly due to being extraordinarily talented but not particularly vain. Thus airs and graces, fooling around with stupid manners and dumb ego stroking, tend to be curtly dispensed with in his public dealings. He is outspoken but not mealy-mouthed. He can entertain with élan equivalent to that of the late, widely-placarded Tasmanian Errol Flynn, enjoys an equivalent standing in his own field but, of course, Tasmania – despite improving at cricket since I was a boy, MONA as well as local writer Richard Flanagan recently winning the Man Booker Prize – seems as ever before neither willing nor able to support or acknowledge world class within its midst …
NATIONAL, STATE: Lesson learned ...
Hans Willink*. Pic: of Hans Willink. First published July 8
09.07.16 5:59 am
And so the election count continues. Who will form Government may be uncertain but sadly one result is very clear, my own. I have been well and truly trounced! I can understand why I was out polled on primary votes by the Sex Party 3:1, but a more bitter pill to swallow was being beaten by Pauline Hanson's one nation 6:1, without her having run a campaign.
• Hans Willink in Comments: … At the start of the campaign, I emailed the Editors of all the major Tasmanian newspapers outlining the stark differences in advertising budgets between well resourced (at taxpayer expense) incumbent MPs and micro-parties/independents running their campaigns on the smell of an oily rag. I suggested that they publish a broad sheet the weekend before the election that reflected the ballot paper and included short descriptions, of equal size, in the candidates own words. Such a broadsheet would be similar to council ballot papers and appreciated by senior citizens in particular. The Mercury adopted the suggestion and I thank them for it. The Examiner and Advocate, on the other hand, merely saw the suggestion as just another opportunity to exploit, publishing the guide but charging exorbitant rates ($'000s), thereby destroying the original intent to help create a level playing field with equal sized and free candidate descriptions. Many candidates, including myself could not afford to accept their avaricious offer. Lastly, neither the Examiner or the Advocate published a single word on the candidature of my Launceston based running mate, Jin-oh Choi, the only Tasmanian candidate of Asian descent (and indeed the only Australian candidate of Korean descent) in the election. For papers supposedly committed to independence and providing equal coverage, they clearly did not do so.
MEANWHILE ... Woodchips ...
• ABC: Woodchip exports to resume from Hobart waterfront, Government promises low truck traffic Includes pic of Peter Gutwein in Hi-Viz looking meaningful ... • What the Libs and Greens say, TT Media HERE
Urban Wronski* http://urbanwronski.com/ . Pic* Firsst published July 4
05.07.16 5:15 am
Tasmania leads the nation, Saturday, in a clean sweep of Liberal-held lower house seats, which sees its three amigos, Eric Hutchinson, Andrew Nikolic and Brett Whiteley, sent packing. In the contest for Tasmania's 12 Senate seats, the fates of sixth-listed Labor senator Lisa Singh and non-Abbott man listed fifth, Liberal senator Richard Colbeck, may take weeks to be finalised.
Bolshie Senate to one side and leaving the witch-hunt over illegal scare-mongering alone, Labor's Brian Mitchell expresses something which, sadly is too easy for the complete, modern corporate statesman or party hack to overlook. It goes to the heart of Labor's Tasmanian victory and may be one key to the post-Brexit Labor success across the nation. For Mitchell the result is, "Just an amazing feeling. I'm the son of a school cleaner, my mum cleaned schools, my dad was a factory hand, to think that their son is now in Federal Parliament; that's the Labor story." …
• Peter Martin, Economics Editor, The Age, Fairfax: Election 2016: 'Mediscare' campaign worked because voters were already scared Scare campaigns only work when they reinforce or add to what is already known.
• Latest analysis from Dr Kevin Bonham ...
Steve Biddulph* Pic* First published June 27
30.06.16 5:15 am
We have to get more light into the messed up world of manhood, writes Steve Biddulph
… The problem created by "boy-men" - fully grown men in large bodies, and sometimes in powerful positions, yet with the emotional development of three year-olds - begs for proper understanding. This small, yet resistant rump of damaged males have so much capacity to do harm that we cannot ignore them any more …
• Gordon Bradbury in Comments: Good article Mr Biddulph. And I agree entirely. Everyday I witness men behaving badly. Men in positions of power, trust and authority. Being a father to 2 young men (and having very limited parenting skills myself), I am acutely aware of the broken dysfunctional "system" in which families operate. Parenting as a real skill is completely ignored (save by a few people such as Mr Biddulph). Communication and relationship skills are also completely ignored in our education system. Emotional intelligence? What's that? If we think the current generation of male leaders are bad just wait 20 years. The cult of the ego-driven male has only just begun! The one ray of hope is that social media and the growing power of women will head this disaster off before its too late. There are very few men who seem able or willing to call the problem.
• Bob Hawkins in Comments: When I was a mid-teenage lower-working-class lad, I was given two brief bits of advice from my parents, who probably were shyly doing their best at modern-day (early 1950s) sex education. As if she were confiding a secret, Mum whispered: "Son, always treat every girl as if she was a lady." Never another word from her on the subject. About the same time, with Mum not around, Dad said: "Son, never go further than she'll let you." He said no more. At the time, it sounded like a contradiction. More than 60 years on, I thank both those poorly educated people for their wisdom. Thanks Mum, thanks Dad. At least I had a pretty good idea about what was right and what was wrong. Must be why I ended up in the Far East as a virgin soldier.
• Rossi in Comments: What can we expect from "sports people" when cynical adults have made a lucrative industry (and religion) out of what are essentially children's games of playing with inflated balls? Maintaining the complete suspension of credibility undermines any integrity they might show. It's not in their interests for the players and audience members to actually grow up - in a world of bread and circuses.
NATION: The 'opportunistic Trots ...'
Urban Wronski* http://urbanwronski.com/ . Pic*
27.06.16 4:45 am
"They are a bunch of opportunistic Trots hiding behind a gum tree trying to pretend they're the Labor Party," claims Paul Keating getting stuck into the Greens in his pal Albo's inner western Sydney seat of Grayndler which the Labor MP has a chance of losing to the Greens. It's splendid invective, vintage Keating and a marked contrast with most of the language of this dull, passionless, pedestrian campaign …
Challenge to LCC's gift to UTas: LCC DEFEATED
Ray Norman, Launceston Concerned Citizens. http://lcc63.blogspot.com.au/ First published June 6
22.06.16 5:00 am
WEDNESDAY June 22 ...
• Basil Fitch, in Comments: DEFEATED: Result of Public Meeting over gift of land (i.e Willis Street and Old Velodrome site with M.O.U. with Council, State Government and University) defeated in a unanimous motion. A second motion was passed that the land be put on the open market and its valuation tested.
On Tuesday night in Launceston, a public meeting will take place to challenge Launceston Council's decision to gift land valued something in the order of $5million to the University of Tasmania (UTas).
• Leonard Colquhoun in Comments, HERE: Whatever else happens after these 'rain events' in Launceston, one effect should be the washing away of that dodgy UTAS / Inveresk / LCC deal. What say the UTAS Big Wigs down in Hobart are forcibly made to wade through our flooded areas here, in their best bespoke suits and hand-tooled footwear, of course. But, to balance this brickbat, a bouquet: (as far as one can tell) the university's takeover of the Australian Maritime College has - so far - not gutted that highly successful institute of learning, teaching, and training (and, yes, eggheads, that's as in T-R-A-I-N-I-N-G).
• Ray Norman in Comments: CONTEXT: On Tuesday night a Public Meeting was held in Launceston's Albert Hall to discuss Launceston Council's decision to gift land to UTas to facilitate the university's proposal to relocate nearer to Launceston's CBD. The Public Meeting was an outcome of a citizens' initiated petition that called upon Launceston's Council to call a Public Meeting to discuss the issue. Here are a few 'dot' points to summarise Tuesday night's Public Meeting …
• Ray Norman in Comments: Dear Prime Minister ...
Don Knowler. Pic*
17.06.16 4:30 am
Don Knowler returned to Africa recently, more than 40 years after leaving his British homeland to seek adventure working for The Star in Johannesburg. As a reporter in the 1970s, Knowler covered the Soweto riots in 1976 and other events in the anti-apartheid struggle for a newspaper which opposed the South African Government's policy of racial segregation. He was also chief of the Star's bureau in Rhodesia during the last two years of the bush war which led to the black-ruled, independent Zimbabwe.
• John Martinkus in Comments: Excellent article Don. Shows the vagaries of history and the consequences. Particularly touched by the image of the poor white Boers begging at the crossroads. Reveals a post colonial legacy not many people understand on a personal level. Also your description of Johannesburg now shows how the black population has suffered both under the former regime and now. Thank you. Best
Likely cause of Basslink failure is the Geelong Star
• ABC: Fresh commitment to regional Australians
• What they say, Christine Milne, Scott Ludlum, Adam Bandt: Media reform, Andrew Wilkie
• Willkie – don't abandon the public interest on media reform
• Internode extends $20 discount to 2800 exchanges
• Taxpayers' money shouldn't be invested in cigarette companies
• Battery Point Sullivan's Cove Community Association Newsletter
• ABC Tasmania invites you to an exhibition ...
• No-one is buying GM canola in WA
• Edge Radio 99.3FM Celebrates Eight Years of Youth Radio
• Freshly Squeezed onto the airwaves –SEAFM Northern Tasmania's The Juice starts Monday
• Northern Tasmania's only dedicated talkback radio program
• Radio is once again Live & Local in North-West Tasmania
• Green Left Weekly's Environment Film Festival Friday Oct 8th & Saturday Oct 9th
• Grant Broadcasters acquire new commercial radio licence in Launceston
• It will matter to the ABC who is elected on Aug 21
• Book Launch: 'Standing Strong: Stories of Courage and Activism'
• Catherine Deveny Bites Back
• FABC Calls on Govt to Fund ABC News 24/7
• Please Release Me ...
• OUR ABC – Photo Exhibition at Federation Square
Classic! Here we are discussing the junk science of the hockey stick and up pops an even more outrageous peer-reviewed…