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Semifinal Saturday at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men's Clay Court Championship put some of the ATP Tour's most promising young talent on display as 22-year-old Christian Garin and 20-year-old Casper Ruud advanced to the final.
Chile's Garin added two-time US Clay finalist Sam Querrey to his upset list this week, taking out the No. 8 seed 7-6(2), 6-2 to book a spot in his second final of the year. He broke the American's serve three times in 10 opportunities and won 80% of points on his own first serve.
"I like to play in these conditions," Garin told Tennis Channel's Nicolas Pereira after the match. "He's a really good player. I tried to make him play, and the conditions were better for me today."
He is the first Chilean in the US Clay final since countryman Fernando Gonzalez defeated Nicolas Massu to capture the 2000 title, but his path has not been an easy one. He earned a three-set first-round victory over Uruguayan veteran Pablo Cuevas, before saving five match points en route to an upset win over No. 2 seed Jeremy Chardy in round two. He also took out qualifier Henri Laaksonen in straight sets before facing Querrey Saturday.
"[The wind today] made it tough, but he did a good job of playing through it," Querrey said of Garin. "He plays well on clay. I expected him to play well, and he did."
Garin will face Norway's Casper Ruud in the final, in a rematch of the Sao Paulo semifinal in February, which Garin won 6-4, 6-4.
Ruud defeated qualifier Daniel Galan 7-5, 6-2 to become the youngest finalist here since Andy Roddick in 2002. Ruud was experiencing neck pain going into the match and called the trainer at 1-2 in the first set.
"I was a bit unfortunate because I got a crack in my neck right before the match and it felt really stiff when I got on the court," he explained afterward. "In the beginning I could barely serve and the returns were hurting."
He would go down a break and 2-5 before storming back to take the first set 7-5.
"The plan was to stay steady and play my game. I have a heavy forehand that I like to use. It really bounces up on the clay."
Ruud never let Galan back into the match, cruising to victory and an opportunity to play in his first ATP Tour final.
Ruud and Garin will take the court at approximately 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, following the doubles final.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Hello and welcome to the third, and late (guess who bought FFXI, which is on sale for $10, a few weeks ago?) edition of my largest project ever, to play through the entirety of the long and storied series of Final Fantasy. Today we look at Final Fantasy 3. But before we get into the meat of the article, we need to address a not so small problem of platform.
A Note On The Edition Used
To look at Final Fantasy 3, we first need to have ourselves a little Gaming History Lesson. For those who don't know, Final Fantasy 3 holds the interesting distinction of, for the longest time, being the only Final Fantasy title to not see a western release. The original version was limited to Japanese markets only. It wasn't until the release of the remake in 2006 on the Nintendo DS, that western non japanese speaking audiences could finally experience this particular Final Fantasy. What I am playing is the Steam version, which is basically a port of the DS version.
Now this sort of throws a wrench into the entire project. The point is to go through the series from start to finish to witness the evolution of the series. Unfortunately though certain liberties need to be taken, i simply don't have the means to play the original versions of all the titles. This instance however, and the same will be said for IV, are the most unique, in that they represent the most complete remakes in the series. So some important space needs to be dedicated to examining the differences of the two versions.
One of the largest difference from what research i could determine, mainly lies in the story of the game. The main party was given proper names, and more rounded to be better more distinct characters. Another major change lies in the way the combat system is handled. Due to the shift to a 3d engine, on a system that was the first truly 3d portable, the ability of the game to render large groups of enemies is limited. Therefore the system was modified so only 3 enemies at most could be present at a time (compared to the 9 that could appear in the original 2d title). In order to retain balance, the enemies were modified to have the same general power of the original groups. Unfortunately, as the perceptive/experienced among you can probably guess, it didn't really maintain balance, but shifts it against the player. Adding in to that is the fact that bosses are given the ability to take multiple turns (2-3) per round. For some enemies this really skews the power of the enemies. A good representation is the Garuda fight, which because of this boost, WILL kill you in two rounds. The only real option is to exploit spear/jump weaknesses (from the dragoon job) to frontload his entire hp in the space of those two (maybe 3) rounds.
So the main question when looking at these changes, is how does it affect the project and my perception of Final Fantasy 3 and the third entry in the series? To be fair, even with those two large changes, the overall core of the game seems relatively in tact. Most other changes seem to be minor character changes, and balancing of the various numbers between jobs (like MP). However small changes like that can have a dramatic affect on the overall feel of the game. one extra cast of a spell can mean the difference in a lot of situations and it's something that I truly have to keep in mind and in consideration on my evaluations going forward.
Even More Fleshed Out, The Story is Still Barebones
The story of Final Fantasy 3 is, to be honest, mostly a retread of the original Final Fantasy. You journey for 4 elemental objects (now crystals instead of orbs), assault big bads base, then go to another era/dimension for the final battle in a very long dungeon. While the main party is no longer a generic set of Onion Knights, now having names and personalities, the characterization is a bit thin. Probably the most interesting thematic portion of the entire experience was the Crystal Tower. As a player of Final Fantasy XIV, which currently uses the Crystal Tower and it's bosses as it's more casual, large group raiding content. It's always cool to see the origination of certain tropes of the series so it was quite enjoyable.
Introduction of the Job System
Final Fantasy 3 represents the first appearance of the Job system. The job system is a mechanic in which party members are allowed to dip in to a large pool of various classes and equip whichever you deem most useful. The system involves old standbys like the colored mages, as well as the first appearance of other jobs such as Dark Knight, Ninja, Summoner (also the first appearance of summoning magic) and oddball jobs like Scholar and Geomancer. The job system is now considered a famous hallmark mechanic of the series. To be honest, that strikes me as sort of odd considering the job system only appears in 3 of the tradition entries in the series (3, 5, and X-2). If like me, you had started in the Playstation era, to hear someone talk about their favorite jobs can seem odd. It is quite odd to look at the scholar in FFXIV and think "What the hell? that's a traditional job?", but it is. Speaking of the MMO titles, they use the job system extensively to great effect, but that's getting ahead of ourselves at the moment.
In terms of 3, the number of jobs is nice and varied, but you can pretty much ignore most of them and be just fine. The only essential job is the White Mage (and later the Devout) for all your healing needs. Apparently in the older versions Ninja and Sage were considered overpowered but they were reduced in power (and seeing as my ninja kept eating dirt in the final fight, i can guess where they got nerfed). The only permanent effect of leveling with any particular job is that your HP gains upon level up is based on your current Vitality. Honestly it's a non issue. I had two of my party members stuck to mage classes the entire way through and they had plenty of HP (again it was the ninja who'd been leveled as dragoon a lot that got wrecked all the time).
Yes magic as an offensive tool is finally not complete shit. Not only is it not shit, early game a black mage is a powerful force of destruction. Black Mage loses it's luster as time goes on, but the easy availability of infinite use elemental spell rods means no matter what he's always got something in the chamber. End game summoners and Devouts bring the pain/healing that remains competitive all the way up to the end. Physical attackers do eventually outstrip magic attackers, but the difference is pretty small and i don't feel like my success ever depended on the extra oomph of having a third ninja/knight. The magic system returns to the casts per day system of FF1, but unlike 1, MP is plentiful and doesn't feel restrictive. I had 40 casts of cure by the time I unlocked Devout, the White mage upgrade that reduced that 40 to around 15, but greatly boosted the availability of higher level cures. it was a worthy trade off. Ample magic reserves and good scaling are key to a useful magic system and FF3 has both thankfully.
Mechanically This is the Most Solid Final Fantasy Title Yet
Final Fantasy 3, at least the remake version, is wonderfully free of the erratic and sometimes mystifying archaic mechanics of the past two titles. Enemies may hit very hard because of the changes to numbers, but their hits are consistent, as is the damage you deal. No odd ball one shots, just very consistent one shots. which is admirable...i think.
The vestigial DS WiFi Enabled Optional Content Didn't Really Work
I made a promise to myself that, when the games finally start including optional content and superbosses, that i would make it a point to do said content. Well as the first title I've played with extra content, i've already had to break this promise due to the system not really working. The extra content is dependent on a reworked version of a mailing system that originally present on the DS. I got most of it unlocked, but the final piece to unlock the ??? dungeon that contains the Iron Giant superboss, doesn't seem to want to unlock. So instead we move on to bigger and better things.
This Is Easily the Best Final Fantasy Yet
Overall I have no major gripes against Final Fantasy 3. Every system is as simple or complex as it needs to be, and everything works and gels together. Any complaints i have are petty at best. I think the only mechanical complaint i can level is that jobs have their own level from 1-99 and frankly it seems like adding an extra grind. I much prefer more condensed job leveling like more recent titles, but again, we'll talk about those as we approach said titles. To return to the issue which i opened with though, i do have to take into account this is a very modern remake to a relatively old game. How much of my lack of complaints is a result of the remake sanding off the rough edges and balance changes, and maybe would have been on my complaint list had i played the original. If there's one thing i'm really interested in hearing from YOU dear audience, is input from those who have played the original title so i can get a good idea of whether or not these concerns are valid. It's an important question that we shall continue to keep in mind for the next title, Final Fantasy IV, which is the 2nd title to encounter this unique issue. For better or worse however, Final Fantasy 3 to me is the title where the series begins to coalesce into the juggernaut series it has become. The mechanics are being refined, the series tropes, references, and standbys are being cemented into the series for future iterations to make use of. In the end to answer the question of "Should I play Final Fantasy 3" this one is an easy yes
Looking To the Future
With FF3 in the bag, we turn our eyes towards Final Fantasy IV. Not going to lie, i'm quite excited as is the one FF title i've never played. That being said with the holidays and massive sales on the way, i've not yet purchased it, figuring that soon i'll probably be able to grab it for a cheaper price. There's also the not so nice fact that JRPG fatigue, the bitch that it is, is hitting me pretty hard. To nail down the schedule a bit more, I'd say expect FFIV's article before the end of the year but otherwise i'll be taking a break for the holidays. Further down the line, once we break into FFV and beyond, i have the ability to play at work so those should progress a bit faster. Regardless as we move into the next block of Final Fantasy, I hope you've all enjoyed the journey so far and I thank you all for your amazing support. Feel free to sound off in the comments below your thoughts on Final Fantasy 3, as well as how you feel about the series so far. That's it for me folks, Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans, Happy Thursday to everyone else, and I'll see you all next time.


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Hillary Clinton culpa al FBI y a Rusia por su derrota
Democrats, Hillary Clinton / 03 May 2017/
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Temporary Workers
John Klein Hesselink, Sarike Verbiest, Anneke Goudswaard, TNO, the Netherlands
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Definitions of temporary employment in the EU
- 3 Legal aspects of temporary employment
- 4 Groups of temporary workers in the EU
- 5 OSH problems related to temporary contracts
- 6 Preventive measures and interventions
- 7 Conclusions
- 8 References
- 9 Links for further reading
Temporary employment contracts are often used by employers to manage fluctuations in personnel needs. Many sectors of industry experience these fluctuations, which are often seasonal. This creates uncertainty about the continuousness of demand for work, which is transferred from employers to employees through the use of temporary contracts. Besides job and income insecurity, there is also a risk that precarious work is assigned to temporary employees [1]. Employment and occupational safety and health (OSH) legislation are aimed at preventing excesses, but rules differ from country to country. This article gives an overview of the different applications of temporary employment from the European Union's (EU) perspective, the risks and effects for the employees, and measures to prevent negative consequences.
Definitions of temporary employment in the EU
Temporary employment is a concept that contains a multitude of contractual employment relationships. There is no single definition for this kind of employment, but the common aspect is temporality. This temporal aspect, in combination with other aspects of employment contracts, makes it possible to define four broad groups of temporary employment.
Fixed-term contracts
These contracts are like permanent contracts, but contain a limitation on the length of employment. This is often applied in uncertain economic times or to extend the legal probation period of permanent contracts that may be legislatively too short. Sometimes this is formulated as a temporary or fixed-term contract with the prospect of transferral to a permanent job. Fixed-term contracts can also be used to staff a project. This is called a fixed-term contract for a certain period. Fixed-term contracts are often prolonged with new fixed-term contracts, but also with permanent contracts. Prolongation with a permanent contract may be legally-charged, depending on employment legislation in that country.
Third-party arrangements
These contracts are arranged with labour brokers or employment agencies acting as intermediaries between the employee and a third-party organisation where the actual work is done. Other types of third-party arrangements exist, such as labour pools, but the three-party construction also covers a multitude of other labour contract arrangements. Allocations are almost by definition temporary from an economical point of view, because intermediary parties charge money for the provided services, which adds to the labour costs. However, other forms of permanent third-party arrangements are emerging; for instance, when employees have a permanent contract with a temporary employment agency, or when companies outsource the contractual obligations of their personnel. This latter form is called 'payrolling'.
Split contracts
In this case, employment contracts contain a permanent and a fixed-term element. The most well-known of these are on-call contracts where an employee can be contracted for 20 hours per week and be called on to work an additional 10 hours depending on the employer's need for personnel. Agriculture, hotels and restaurants, and the wholesale and retail sector often regulate fluctuations in staffing needs in this way. Often these contracts involve additional obligations, such as the obligation to appear when called. The most precarious form of these contracts is the zero-hour contract. Split contracts must not be confused with consignation, where periods in which an employee can be called outside of contractual working hours are scheduled in for emergencies, such as by doctors and maintenance personnel.
Contractual arrangements with independent contractors and the self-employed are also limited in time, as they are usually hired to make something or to provide a service, for instance in the manufacturing, construction and transportation services. Even the terms employee and employer are not relevant; instead a contractor negotiates with a client. These kinds of arrangements only contain appointments on the agreement that the self-employed party delivers. Legal obligations related to employer-employee responsibilities are mostly lacking. In many countries these labour relationships are legally situated somewhere on the borderline of labour laws and business laws.
Legal aspects of temporary employment
Temporary employment is used by employers to transfer the risk of discontinuity of work to the employees or contractors. In permanent (or indefinite) employment contracts the employer is obliged to pay the employee for the appointed hours of duty or when there is no work. After the first oil crisis in 1973 [2], when worldwide competence became manifest, employers found these rules to be too restrictive, and searched for exceptions to cope with these periods of work discontinuity. The process of finding temporary contract arrangements is still on-going and legislation often follows, but it also lags behind when new forms of temporary employment emerge.
Fixed-term contracts
It was found that the most natural way to solve the problems of work discontinuity was to include temporality in the labour contracts. Temporality is included in the labour laws of most western industrialised countries, and legislative refinements to clarify the nature of temporality were made in 2011 [3]. On 25 June 1991, the European Commission implemented the Council Directive 91/383/EEC [4] on measures to encourage improvements in workplace safety and health for workers with fixed-term or temporary contracts. An evaluation report in 2011 [5] concluded that fixed-term and temporary workers are still comparatively more exposed to occupational health and safety risks than workers with other types of employment contracts.
Third-party arrangements
Agency work in the European Union is fully accepted, but in a small number of member states a sufficient regulatory framework has to be further developed [6]. Primarily, agency contracts need mandating rules to guarantee wages, holidays, breaks, working time, etc. [7]. On 5 December 2011, the EU Directive on Temporary Agency Work 2008/104/EC came into effect [8]. It states that all temporary agency workers should be treated the same as regular workers from their first day at work in relation to:
- the duration of working time, rest periods, night work, annual leave and public holidays;
- pay;
- work done by pregnant women and nursing mothers, children and young people;
- action taken to combat discrimination on the grounds of sex, race or ethnic origin, religion or beliefs, disabilities, age or sexual orientation.
Furthermore, temporary agency workers must have equal access to facilities such as childcare and must be informed of permanent employment opportunities. Laws to fit temporary employment agency contracts into labour law are often complex and include references to other laws that regulate labour [9].
Split contracts
A 2010 overview of the European Working Conditions Observatory (EWCO) shows that split contracts do not occur very often [10]. The use of these 'very uncommon arrangements' exist Europe-wide, and are associated with problems related to health and safety, the risk of poverty and the propensity for undeclared work. Social partners, as well as policymakers, still have to address these 'challenges'. Split contracts do provide a number of employment advantages, however, and is often a stepping stone to more stable employment. Very atypical work implies greater flexibility than other work forms, but because of its extremely flexible nature it may be viewed as extremely precarious. In terms of the regulation of non-standard work, legislation and/or collective agreements have been adopted to regulate various non-standard forms of work, depending on the countries' regulatory institutions and processes [10].
The European Employment Observatory issued a report on self-employment in Europe in 2010 [11]. Self-employment has a number of advantages in that it can be used as a driver for entrepreneurship and job creation. As such, it contributes to the European Union's goals of stimulating growth and improving jobs by 2020 [12]. The self-employed also enjoy greater flexibility, autonomy and job satisfaction than employees. However, there are also problematic aspects associated with self-employment, as the self-employed tend to work longer hours than employees, and in some countries they do not enjoy the same level of social protection as employees.
Groups of temporary workers in the EU
The European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) [13] makes a distinction between four categories of employment contracts: indefinite contracts, fixed-term contracts, temporary employment agency contracts and other contracts. Furthermore, the EWCS makes a distinction between employment within an organisational context and self-employment. Based upon these distinctions, the percentages per country are shown in Figures 1–5. These percentages are derived from the survey mapping tool on the website of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions [14].
Indefinite or permanent contracts
Indefinite or permanent contracts are the opposite of all temporary contracts. Figure 1 shows the percentage of indefinite contracts for 27 member states, as well as some other countries in the European continent and Turkey. It also shows the mean percentage for EC-12, EU-15 and EU-27 countries. Table 1 provides an overview of the member states, the other countries and the abbreviations of the names of the countries.
Table 1: Overview of member states of the EU belonging to the EC-12, EU15, and EU27*, and other countries in the EWCS sample of 2010
Figure 1: Percentage of employees with indefinite labour contracts in the EU27, and in six other European countries and Turkey (percentage of all employees) (2010
Source [14]
The number of indefinite contracts has risen since 2005 when the average was 77.5%. However, many countries in the Balkans had less than 70% indefinite contracts in 2010. Spain and Ireland are two countries which had less than 70% as well. Portugal, Poland and the Netherlands also had a percentage lower than the average in 2010 (about 80%). The other countries had more than 80% indefinite contracts, with Romania having the highest percentage.
Fixed-term labour contracts
Fixed-term contracts in this section are temporary contracts without agency work and other types of temporary work. Figure 2 shows the percentage of fixed-term contracts per country.
Figure 2: Percentage of employees with fixed-term labour contracts in the EU27, and in six other European countries and Turkey (percentage of all employees) (2010)
Source [14]
Kosovo, Montenegro and Poland have a high percentage in comparison to the other countries. Because these countries have a low percentage of indefinite contracts (Figure 1), organisations in these countries seem to offer their employees a fixed-term contract relatively often (Figure 2). Spain, Macedonia, Portugal and the Netherlands have a relatively high percentage as well (more than 15%). The lowest percentages are found in Turkey, Cyprus and Austria. The average of the European countries lies between 11.5% and 12%. In 2005 this was between 11% and 12%.
Temporary employment agency workers
Figure 3 shows the percentage of temporary employment agency workers per country. It is unknown to what extent other kinds of allocation are included in the figures in this section.
Figure 3: Percentage of temporary employment agency employees in the EU27, and in six other European countries and Turkey (percentage of all employees) (2010)
Source [14]
The percentages here are relatively low, but Belgium stands out with more than 3.5%. All the other countries are at least one percentage less. Spain, Cyprus and the Netherlands have more than 2%. The lowest percentages are found in Denmark, Romania, Turkey and Slovakia. The average of all countries lies at about 1.5%, but there are strong differences between countries. In 2005 the average of all countries was about 2%. This decline may be attributed to the economic crisis.
Figure 4 shows the percentages of self-employed workers in the different European countries. Self-employed workers do not have an employment contract with an employer, but are their own boss.
Figure 4: Percentage of self- employed workers in the EU27, and in six other European countries and Turkey (percentage of all people with a paid job: employees plus self-employed) (2010)
Source [14]
Albania has by far the highest percentage of self-employed workers. Kosovo, Turkey and Greece have high percentages as well. Norway, Latvia and Denmark are the three countries with the lowest percentage. The average of all European countries lies between 14% and 15%. The number of self-employed in the EU27 has dropped since 2000 when it was 17.6%. In 2005 it was 16.4%.
Other employment contracts
Figure 5 shows the percentages of other types of employment contracts in the different European countries.
Figure 5: Percentage of employees with other employment contracts in the EU27, and in six other European countries and Turkey (percentage of all employees) (2010)
Source [14]
Turkey has by far the highest percentage of other types of employment contracts. This seems to be antithetical to the indefinite employment contract, for which Turkey has a very low percentage (Figure 1). Cyprus has a relatively high percentage of types of employment contracts as well; Greece, Albania, Macedonia and Ireland follow. The average of the other employment contracts lies between 7% and 8%. There seems to be a decline over time because in 2005 this was about 9%.
In Europe [15] [16], but also in other western countries [17], temporary employment is regarded as a risk related to problems with occupational safety and health (OHS), but also to other occupational risks such as reduced employability and lower pay. These relationships are discussed in this section.
For an up-to-date picture of the OHS risks, the EWCS offers an extensive overview. The figures in this section therefore are again derived from the survey mapping tool [14]. For the mapping of the OSH risks, the EWCS differentiates between three groups: employees with a permanent contract, employees with another work arrangement and the self-employed. The employees with other work arrangements are in fact the employees with a temporary or fixed-term contract. This group includes the employees with a fixed-term contract, agency workers and other employment contracts discussed in the previous section.
Health and safety
Temporary work is related to OSH problems. A European study [16] indicates that workers in new forms of employment and contracting practices, including precarious contracts (e.g. temporary or on-call workers) are more vulnerable. These workers often perform hazardous jobs, work under poorer conditions, and often receive less health and safety training than permanent employees. This increases the risk of work-related accidents and health problems. The review study of Virtanen and colleagues [18] suggests higher psychological morbidity among temporary workers compared to permanent employees. Morbidity may be higher in temporary jobs with high instability/insecurity and in countries with a lower number of temporary workers, because these countries may not have specific policies for this group of workers.
Underhill and Quinlan [19] found in a range of studies that precarious employment is associated with adverse health and safety outcomes. Among the temporary workers, the temporary agency workers are most vulnerable. They experience a higher incidence of workplace injury and a greater likelihood of more severe injuries. Temporary agency workers also experience economic pressures, more than other types of precarious workers. They are vulnerable to disorganization risks such as mismatched placements, lack of familiarity with host workplaces, and fractured communication. These contribute to workplace risks and create barriers to improving experience.
The review study of Kim and colleagues [20] reveals that the type of welfare regime may be an important determinant of employment-related health. Flexible workers in Scandinavian welfare states report better or equal health status in comparison to permanent employees. By contrast, flexible work in other regimes (Bismarckian, Southern European, Anglo-Saxon, Eastern European, and East Asian) is found to be associated with adverse health outcomes.
For a recent overview of some figures on health and safety, figure 6 compares the answers of the three groups asked to consider various health, safety, and well-being risks. Self-employed evaluate themselves as having the highest risks and the group of employees with temporary contracts evaluate themselves as having the lowest risks.
Figure 6. Comparison of health and safety risks as reported by employees with a permanent employment contract, employees with a temporary contract and self-employed in EU27 (2010)
Source [14]
Macedonia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Estonia and Greece have high percentages of employees with self-evaluated health and safety risks. In Macedonia, Latvia and Estonia the self-employed report a lower percentage of self-evaluated health and safety risks than the employees with a temporary contract. In Latvia temporary employees have the highest percentage of all countries and groups of workers. Denmark, the Netherlands and Ireland have the lowest percentages of all countries. In Ireland all three groups have a relatively low percentage. The self-employed in Denmark and the Netherlands have a somewhat higher percentage.
Considering the question of whether 'the work affects the health of the workers negatively', Latvia has the highest percentage for all groups of workers, especially the employees with a temporary contract and the self-employed; Slovenia and Estonia follow directly. Ireland has the lowest percentage, certainly among the temporary employees. The United Kingdom, Kosovo and the Netherlands follow with an average percentage.
Employees with a permanent contract are more likely to indicate that their work requires personal protective equipment than employees with a temporary contract and the self-employed. The employees with a temporary contract in Slovakia have the highest percentage (66.5%), followed by the self-employed in Sweden (56.5%). Turkey has the fewest number of workers who think their job requires them to wear personal protective equipment (mean 20.7%; the self-employed 15.6%).
In using protective equipment when it is required, the employees with a permanent contract answer positively most often. The other two groups of workers follow closely. Sweden has the lowest mean percentage (82.9%). The self-employed in Estonia and Croatia have the lowest percentage of all workers (71.8 and 72.4% respectively). Slovakia has the highest mean percentage (97%). The self-employed and employees with a temporary contract in Slovakia have the highest percentages of all workers (98.8% and 98.6%).
Training and employability
Lack of training might have implications for OSH, because there is a higher risk of accidents and exposures if you don't have the necessary skills to carry out your job. In particular temporary agency workers have less access to supplementary training than other employment types [16]. Training is also related to the labour market chances of temporary workers; with less training also the employability of temporary workers decreases. Research indicates that experienced employability of voluntary as well as involuntary temporary employees, leads to less burn-out and stress [21].
Figure 7 shows the percentage of workers who report that they are (very) well informed about health and safety risks related to their job and the percentage of workers receiving on the job training in 2009-2010. It also shows how many workers consider it is easy to find another job with the same salary. A very high percentage of the workers report that they are (very) well informed about the risks (mean 90%). The employees with a permanent contract and the self-employed have the highest percentages. The percentage for the employees with a temporary contract is lower, but still quite high. The self-employed in Slovakia have the highest percentage of all workers in all countries (98.6%). The self-employed in Turkey have by far the lowest percentage (59.3%).
Figure 7: Comparison of workers who feel informed on health and safety risks and employability as reported by employees with a permanent employment contract, employees with a temporary contract and self-employed in EU-27 (2010)
Source [14]
The employees with a temporary employment contract have the highest reported percentage of finding another job. The two other groups have a lower percentage. In Norway this is by far the highest, followed by Sweden and the United Kingdom. In Norway the employees with a temporary job have the highest percentage of all countries and groups of workers. Low average percentages are found in Albania, Hungary and Lithuania. The self-employed in Albania have the lowest percentage of all countries and groups of workers.
Pay and conditions
Figure 7 shows the average percentages of the three groups of workers who agree that they are well paid for the work they do and who are very satisfied with their working conditions in their main paid job. The employees with temporary jobs have the lowest average percentage of both subjects. The employees with a permanent contract do not differ much from the self-employed. The self-employed are the most satisfied with their working conditions.
Figure 7: Comparison of pay and working conditions as reported by employees with a permanent employment contract, employees with a temporary contract and self-employed in EU27 (2010)
Source [14]
The employees with a temporary employment contract have the highest reported percentage of finding another job. The two other groups have a lower percentage. In Norway this is by far the highest, followed by Sweden and the United Kingdom. In Norway the employees with a temporary job have the highest percentage of all countries and groups of workers. Low average percentages are found in Albania, Hungary and Lithuania. The self-employed in Albania have the lowest percentage of all countries and groups of workers.
Pay and conditions
Figure 7 shows the average percentages of the three groups of workers who agree that they are well paid for the work they do and who are very satisfied with their working conditions in their main paid job. The employees with temporary jobs have the lowest average percentage of both subjects. The employees with a permanent contract do not differ much from the self-employed. The self-employed are the most satisfied with their working conditions.
Figure 7: Comparison of pay and working conditions as reported by employees with a permanent employment contract, employees with a temporary contract and self-employed in EU27 (2010)
Source [14]
Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have the highest average percentages in terms of pay satisfaction. The self-employed in Denmark are the most positive of all in this respect. Hungary, Turkey and Lithuania have the lowest average percentages. The employees with another arrangement in Hungary have the lowest percentage of all.
Turkey, Albania and Latvia have the lowest satisfaction rate for working conditions. The employees with temporary jobs in Turkey and Lithuania are the least satisfied of all. Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Cyprus and the United Kingdom have the highest percentages. Overall, the self-employed in the United Kingdom are the most satisfied with their working conditions.
Preventive measures and interventions
For temporary workers OSH preventive measures are stipulated by Directive 89/391, that is still in force today [22]. This OSH "Framework Directive" of 12 June 1989, defines the measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work. Temporary work was not seen as a specific problem at that time. The Framework Directive contains basic obligations for employers and all workers. Where an employer enlists competent external services or persons, this shall not discharge him from his responsibilities in this area. In 2004 the European Commission announced the practical implementation of the provisions of some Health and Safety at Work Directives [23]. It was concluded that the Directive 89/391 had successfully contributed to a European wide prevention culture and the improvement of the legislation in the Member states, but at the same time high-risk worker groups are identified. One of the suggestions for improvement is 'to pay particular attention to the specificities of temporary workers as regards information, consultation, participation and training'.
Preventive measures to bring into line temporary workers with permanent workers are mostly appointed via social agreements. As such there are many changes to make [10]. Underhill and Quinlan [19] also found that many of the negative outcomes in the working situation of temporary agency workers are the result of, or contribute to regulatory failure. The discussions generally centre around two issues, namely: flexicurity (balance between flexibility and security) and transitions to and from work.
The report on emerging psychosocial OSH risks [15] concludes that only few attempts have been undertaken until now to protect workers in precarious contracts. A possible intervention would be to implement policies which oblige employers to provide workers under fixed term contracts and in temporary agency work with instruction and training on how to perform their work safely before they start working, as well as at regular intervals. Also realistic hazard assessment should be exercised. The report gives suggestions for immediate and extended action, also for foreign workers who are often employed in precarious temporary jobs.
Recommendations for immediate action:
- Provide a common framework aiming at greater harmonization to protect all workers, independent of their type of contract.
- Enhance the processes and methodologies of labour inspection to guarantee full respect for the legal framework, especially with respect to safety and health at work for all workers, independent of their type of contract.
- Establish mechanisms to guarantee equal access to training in general and OSH training in particular for all workers, independent of their type of employment contract.
- Assess the main difficulties experienced by (migrant) temporary agency workers with respect to organizational safety and health.
- Assess the main difficulties and restraints experienced by companies and organizations employing (migrant) temporary agency workers, when implementing organizational safety and health measures equally for all workers.
Recommendations for longer term actions
- Develop measures to promote greater involvement of social partners with respect to OSH for (migrant) temporary agency workers, and other flexible workers, such as self-employed offering their labour to a company.
- Perform more extensive research on occupational risks for (migrant) temporary
agency workers, and other flexible workers.
The studies of Virtanen and colleagues [18] and of Kim and colleagues [24], cited in the preceding section, suggest that the type of welfare regime may be an important determinant of employment-related health of temporary workers. More stability, security and specific policies on temporary work may help. In finding a balance between flexibility and job security, the job security of employees may be improved by offering increasingly permanent elements in the labour contracts after a certain period of time or number of contracts. Securing income, for instance minimum wages, is also a measure that may prevent abuse.
At the same time, flexibility for the employers must be kept in order to remain competitive in today's business environment. Arguments about the precarious side of temporary work are often contradicted by pointing at the 'stepping stone' perspective. It offers people the opportunity for entering the labour market and developing working experience. Skills and career development can be collectively appointed and may help new employees to improve their employability. Health, safety and well-being may be protected by ensuring that temporary workers have the same protection as permanent workers. Finally the advantages of temporary work in combining work and family life must be valued and arranged. Employing more people with family responsibilities is beneficial for employees, employers and the economy in general. Scheduling optimal working hours, shift work possibilities and self-rostering are useful instruments to provide mutual flexibility within a secure (permanent) employment relationship and thus without making use of flexible contracts.
The EWCO study on very atypical contractual arrangements recommends actions that guarantee both flexibility and security in the labour market through a degree of regulation and monitoring of these forms of work [10]. Actions and policies addressing the need for flexibility on the one hand and greater protection for workers on the other, have been devised in the main for more general forms of temporary work, but are still rare for the new very atypical forms. In some countries a range of policies and measures are in place to support and encourage self-employment [11]. These include:
- financial support;
- support services, training, mentoring and advice;
- measures to reduce bureaucracy and administrative burdens;
- favourable conditions for the self-employed in terms of tax and social security regimes.
In egalitarian welfare employment policies such as those seen in Scandinavian countries, policies seem to buffer the negative health effects of insecure forms of employment [25]. Scandinavian welfare states rely on employment protection policies that ensure effective collective bargaining institutions, lifelong job training, and generous unemployment schemes.
About 20% of all employee contracts in Europe are temporary, and 15% of all working people are self-employed. These percentages are high, but also show that permanent contracts are still the standard. The number of self-employed and employees with a temporary contract is even declining, but that may be short-lived due to the economic crisis. Employers 'benefit' from the many temporary contracts because they can easily manipulate personnel staffing in hard times [2]. The number of temporary contracts is falling, but there may be a serious underestimation of the incidence or temporary work because migrant and illegal work is not included in the discussion.
The figures on OSH problems related to flexible work indicate that the situation is somewhat worse – although not dramatically worse – compared to employees with a permanent contract. However, past research does show differences in health effects, where preventive measures and interventions can be successful. Offering more stability using egalitarian welfare employment policies and legislation models from these countries may be a way of buffering negative health effects.
- ↑ Wagenaar, A.F., Taris, T.W., Houtman, I.L.D., Bossche, S. van den, Smulders, P.G.W., Kompier, M.A.J., 'Labour contracts in the European Union, 2000–2005: Differences among demographic groups and implications for the quality of working life and work satisfaction', European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 21, No 2, 2012, pp. 196-194.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Schmidt, M. G., 'The Welfare State and the Economy in Periods of Economic Crisis: A Comparative Study of Twenty‐three OECD Nations', European Journal of Political Research, Vol. 11, No 1, 1983, pp. 1-26.
- ↑ Eurofound – European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 'Industrial relations and working conditions developments in Europe 2011', October 2012. Available at: [1]
- ↑ Council Directive 91/383/EEC of 25 June 1991 supplementing the measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of workers with a fixed- duration employment relationship or a temporary employment relationship, Official Journal L 206, 29/07/1991, p. 0019 – 0021. Available at: [2]
- ↑ EWCO – European Working Conditions Observatory (05-12-2011). Health and safety of workers on fixed-term and temporary contracts. Retrieved on 6 May 2013, from: [3]
- ↑ EIROnline – European Industrial Relations Observatory on-line, 'Temporary agency work and collective bargaining in the EU' 28-05-2009. [4]
- ↑ GOV.UK (14 February 2013). Guide Agency workers: your rights. Retrieved on 7 May 2013, from:: [5]
- ↑ European Commission – Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion, 'Working Conditions - Temporary Agency Workers' 21/02/2013. Available at: [6]
- ↑ Citizens Information, 'Agency workers', 9 January 2013. Available at: [7]
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 EWCO – European Working Conditions Observatory, 'Flexible forms of work: 'very atypical' contractual arrangements', March 2010. Available at: [8]
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 European Commission - Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion, European Employment Observatory Review: Self-employment in Europe, 11/10/2010. Available at: [9]
- ↑ European Commission (07/02/2013)., Europe 2020, Retrieved on 7 February 2013, from:: [10]
- ↑ Eurofound – European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (04 May 2012). European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). Retrieved 31 January 2013, from: [11]
- ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 Eurofound – European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 'European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS)', Survey mapping tool. Retrieved 31 January 2013, from: [12]
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 EU-OSHA – European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 'Expert Forecast on Emerging Psychosocial Risks Related to Occupational Safety and Health', 2007. [13] Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 European Parliament, Policy Department Economic and Scientific Policy, 'New Forms of Physical and Psychosocial Health Risks at Work', 2008. [14] Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ Underhill, E.M., Quinlan, M.G., 'How Precarious Employment Affects Health and Safety at Work: The Case of Temporary Agency Workers', Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations, Vol. 66, No 3, 2011.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Virtanen, M., Kivimäki, M., Joensuu, M., Virtanen, P., Elovainio, M. Vahtera, J., 'Temporary employment and health: a review', International Journal of Epidemiology, Vl. 34, No 3, 2005, pp. 610-622.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Underhill, E.M., Quinlan, M.G., 'How Precarious Employment Affects Health and Safety at Work: The Case of Temporary Agency Workers', Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations, Vol. 66, No 3, 2011.
- ↑ Kim, I.H., Muntaner, C., Vahid Shahidi, F., Vives, A., Vanroelen, C.', Benach, J., 'Welfare states, flexible employment, and health: a critical review', Health Policy, Vol. 104, No 2, 2012, pp. 99-127.
- ↑ Kinnunen, U., Mäkikangas, A., Mauno, S., Siponen, K., Nätti, J.,' Perceived employability: investigating outcomes among involuntary and voluntary temporary employees compared to permanent employees', Career Development International, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2011, pp. 140-160.
- ↑ Directive 89/391 - OSH "Framework Directive" of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work - "Framework Directive". [15]
- ↑ European Commission, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions on the practical implementation of the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Directives 89/391 (Framework), 89/654 (Workplaces), 89/655 (Work Equipment), 89/656 (Personal Protective Equipment), 90/269 (Manual Handling of Loads) and 90/270 (Display Screen Equipment). Retrieved on 12 September 2013, [16]
- ↑ Kim, I.H., Muntaner, C., Vahid Shahidi, F., Vives, A., Vanroelen, C.', Benach, J., 'Welfare states, flexible employment, and health: a critical review', Health Policy, Vol. 104, No 2, 2012, pp. 99-127.
- ↑ Kim, I.H., Muntaner, C., Chung, H., Benach, J., Network, E., 'Case studies on employment-related health inequalities in countries representing different types of labor markets'. International Journal of Health Services, Bol. 40, No 2, 2010, pp. 255–67.
Links for further reading
EUOSHA - The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (2013)., Home page. Retrieved on 1 March 2013, from: [17]
Eurofound - European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (2013)., Home page. Retrieved on 1 March 2013, from: [18]
EIRO - European Industrial Relations Observatory (2013). Home page. Retrieved on 1 March 2013, from: [19]
European Commission - Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion, Working Conditions (2013). Temporary agency workers. Retrieved on 1 March 2013, from: [20]
OECD- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2013). Home page. Retrieved on 1 March 2013, from: [21] ILO - International Labour Organization (2013). Home page. Retrieved on 1 March 2013, from: [22]
Annick Starren, John Klein Hesselink, Palmer
NACE: Other specialised construction activities n.e.c., Other retail sale not in stores, Passenger rail transport, Hotels and similar accommodation


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The Custom Assessment and Landscaping Methodology: Balancing Accountability and Learning in M&E Systems
To achieve data use, we must change how we approach, design, and implement M&E systems. At present, investments in M&E systems suffer from high levels of inefficiency, and there is a high rate of failure across implemented systems.
In taking steps to improve how M&E systems are designed, and to achieve truly useful systems, Development Gateway is pleased to announce the release of our latest white paper, "The Custom Assessment and Landscaping Methodology: Balancing Accountability & Learning in M&E Systems." We launched the white paper at our recent learning event, "Strengthening Foreign Assistance Through Results Data Use." In it, we share our Custom Assessment and Landscaping Methodology (CALM) as a streamlined approach to developing tools and processes that maximize impact of data for decision-making. The CALM approach highlights finding the proper balance between accountability- and learning-focused systems.
We also share two case studies, from our work with the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) and the Government of Malawi's Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development (MoAIWD), on how we have implemented CALM to support design of more balanced M&E systems.
This white paper is the second we have released this year – coming on the heels of our first report, Understanding Data Use: Building M&E Systems that Empower Users, which shares our thinking around smarter M&E investments to drive data use, gained from Results Data Initiative implementation.
We look forward to continuing the conversation on the importance of balancing learning and accountability mechanisms in system design, in partnership with considering decision space in achieving data uptake.
Happy reading, and let us know what you think on Twitter at @DGateway!
The Custom Assessment and Landscaping Methodology: Balancing Accountability & Learning in M&E Systems was written by Paige Kirby and Vinisha Bhatia-Murdach, both of Development Gateway.


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Set Out On A Dubai Creek Dhow Cruise With Dinner Buffet From Manchester Tours From Only AED 55
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Deal Inclusion(s)
2 Hour Dubai Creek cruise
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Soft music and Tanoura dance
A puppet show or Horse show
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Age Policy
Children below 3 Years of age are Free of Charge.
Above 3 years will be charged same as adult.
Deira Creek,Deira, Dubai - UAE
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Voucher Valid till 60 days from the date of purchase
Minimum 24 hours advance booking required (Subject to availability)
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For booking, please call 050 9833301 / 050 9833302 or send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com with your
Printed SHOFEY Voucher must be presented
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Location: (Exact Location will be send by the merchant) Deira Creek, Deira, Dubai-UAE
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Your voucher is valid up to the expiration date stated on the deal and voucher. If there are specific needs as to the dates required (visiting family, or other restrictions) it is the responsibility of the customer to check the availability of those dates directly with the merchant before purchasing the voucher. No refunds will be given due to preferred dates not being available when alternative dates are available before the voucher expiry.


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From left to right:
Click on the committee's names to find out more about them!
Top Row
Laurence Mitchell (Gear Secretary)
Eleanor Speed and Evie Morris (Social Secretaries)
Matt Coleman (Captain)
Lucy Harold (General Secretary)
Ben Seeley (Treasurer)
Bottom Row
Nick Mitchell (Trip Secretary)
Laura Clee (PR and Media Team)
Emmy Yatagai (Boulder Captain)
Tom Williams (Training and Development Coach)
Tilda Rose (PR and Media Team)
Captain: Matt Coleman
Favourite Climbing Memory: Chilling in sunny Font on the France Trip.
Random Fact About Yourself: When I was a child I got my head stuck in the railings at Buckingham Palace.
Advice for Beginners: Just climb everything and anything!
General Secretary: Lucy Harold
Favourite Climbing Memory: Climbing in the beautiful Dewerstone after 2 years at Exeter and thinking "why have I not been here before".
Random Fact About Yourself: I've met Sean McColl! (But Tom had to ask for me)
Advice for Beginners: Climb lots, try everything and have fun!
Treasurer: Ben Seeley
Favourite Climbing Memory: Singing Disney songs and ABBA whilst learning to climb at the beautiful Dewerstone.
Random Fact About Yourself: Due to a stupid bet with a friend I am not allowed to say the word 'vegan'.
Advice for Beginners: Have a go at anything you like the look of, don't be put off if the grade tells you it's too tough.
Tom Williams: Training and Development Coach
Favourite Climbing Memory: Please view photo (80s climbing day).
Random Fact About Yourself: I am a climber
Advice for Beginners: Talk to me
Boulder Captain: Emmy Yatagai
Favourite Climbing Memory: The time I got stuck on a belay 'ledge' high up on a rock face in Cornwall and cried for probably 45 minutes straight. I had to be rescued and the experience has confirmed my love of bouldering.
Random Fact About Yourself: My first lead climb was at 4200m in the middle of Peru.
Advice for Beginners: Always have fun above all else.
Laura Clee: PR and Media Team
Favourite Climbing Memory: My first ever trad lead in beautiful Bosigran, Cornwall. Equal parts terrifying and exciting!
Random Fact About Yourself: This year I spent three weeks making costumes for a circus
Advice for Beginners: Don't be put off by how much your arms hurt after the first session. It gets easier, and think of the amazing guns you'll gain!
Tilda Rose: PR and Media Team
Favourite Climbing Memory: I was halfway up a cliff climb in Cornwall and saw dolphins in the sea below.
Random Fact About Yourself: I own 2 pet rats that I have with me at uni.
Advice for Beginners: Get involved in everything you can from Quay Sessions to Socials.
Nick Mitchell: Trip Secretary
Favourite Climbing Memory: Finishing the Langdale climbing race
Random Fact About Yourself: I shake when I climb for no known reason
Advice for Beginners: Just Climb
Social Secretaries: Eleanor Speed and Evie Morris
Favourite Climbing Memory: First time climbing outdoors on the Swanage trip.
Random Fact About Yourselves: We are both dedicated vegetarians.
Advice for Beginners: Bring lots of warm clothes on trips, or you'll end up looking like we did, dressed in everyone else's spares and still freezing!
Gear Secretary: Laurence Mitchell
Favourite Climbing Memory: 80's climbers day on the Cornwall trip.
Random Fact About Yourself: I used to teach swimming.
Advice for Beginners: Don't compare your climbing ability to anyone else's, just enjoy the sport at your own pace.


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Russell Robertson
Russell Robertson is a Director at CME Group in its Global Operations division managing the EMEA product launch function. The product launch function brings together cross-divisional requirements for new products, and modifications of existing products, managing large numbers of stakeholders and milestones to bring new product ideas to market. CME Group is the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace offering the widest range of futures and options products for risk management. Russell is also Chairman of the CME Group' London Community Relations Committee which manages charitable and engagement initiatives for CME Group International employees.


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My name is Lee Cowen with Combine9 and we design and build Vintage Industrial furniture for both commercial and residential applications. Each piece is made to order (unless otherwise noted), and can be customized to fit your needs. If you have been looking for a piece, but can't find the right one, be sure to browse through all our pieces to get some ideas of what we can do for you. If you have a design for a piece you'd like built, just let us know!
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Biediger et al v. Quinnipiac Univ
Filing 140
ORDER approving 139 Stipulation filed by Kristen Corinaldesi, Quinnipiac Univ, Erin Overdevest, Kayla Lawler, Stephanie Biediger, Robin Lamott Sparks, Logan Riker. Signed by Judge Stefan R. Underhill on 5/20/10. (Lewis, D)
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.


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Posted: Jan 09, 2019
SCORE: Wheaton 46 - WPI 70
RECORDS: Wheaton (10-3, 1-2 NEWMAC) - WPI (10-4, 1-2 NEWMAC)
LOCATION: Worcester, Mass.
- The Wheaton College men's basketball team was defeated, 70-46, by the Engineers of WPI on the road. Wheaton suffers its second straight loss as they slip to 10-3 and 1-2 in the NEWMAC, while WPI improves to 10-4 and 1-2.
- Robby Lowey scored a team-high 10 points to go along with his 4 rebounds on the night. David Carbonello and Duaka Ekwensi put up 5 points apiece as Niles Cohen came off the bench to score another 5 points for the Lyons.
- Engineer Reid Walker notched 15 points and 4 boards to lead all players on the floor, shooting 6-7 in field goals, 50 percent from three-point range and a perfect, 2-2 from the line.
- Logan O'Donnell registered 11 points for WPI, while Ethan Harrell scored 9 points off the bench.
- WPI came out too strong for the Lyons as they outscored the guests, 36-14, before halftime. Walker recorded 8 of those points, and the team hit 5 three-pointers and all 5 of their free throw attempts in the opening 20 minutes.
- The Engineers reached their largest lead of the contest, 33 points, with 6:31 left to go in the game on a Walker layup. Wheaton was able to put a dent in the gap, however, using a 15-5 run before the final minute of regulation. Matt Allegrezza added a free throw to end the contest at 70-40, WPI.
- Lowey led the charge in the 32-34 second half battle with 8 points. Ricardo Ripley shot 2-3 from field goal range, while Cohen, Allegrezza and Jordan Wiggins combined for 13 points in the same half.
- Field Goals: Wheaton 13-50 / WPI 27-61
- 3-Point FG: Wheaton 3-16 / WPI 8-28
- Free Throw: Wheaton 17-23 / WPI 8-9
- Points off Turnovers: Wheaton 20 / WPI 12
- Rebounds: Wheaton 31 / WPI 41
- Assists: Wheaton 4 / WPI 16
UP NEXT: Up next for the Lyons is a road trip to MIT, as they travel to take on the Engineers for a 2:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, January 12. VIDEO / LIVE STATS


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Waiting out the evening rise is like high chess. You wait and wait and wait, letting the fish get happy, and pretty soon you're seeing things 17 moves ahead. First the pawns start eating. Whatever you do, don't let the pawns draw your queen out, they're only there to set things up for the forgotten, middle-sized fish. Those gorgeous trout in the high teens come next and as tempting as it is to get up and make that first cast, you know that if you wait just a little bit longer-- usually when the pawns have fallen-- the river will castle and expose its king.
Except the sky has darkened, and while you think you heard him once or twice, you aren't quite sure of his location as you keep getting distracted by how the air is so clear that the crescent moon hanging over the alpine tree line seems so close you could reach out and touch it.
So you sit and wait, alone but not lonely, captivatedly bored, patiently watching the river give up her secrets as the sky is now filled with bugs.
One more cigarette to keep the mosquitoes and no-see-ums at bay. One more cruise through your Facebook and Instagram news feeds. The river should castle any time, but the pawns go silent. The middle-sized trout are neglected once more. Those enticing fish in the high teens all went home with dudes their own age, and the castle never came. You consider waiting a bit for it to get darker and try mousing, but its been a long winter and you really just want to play chess, not go all pumping cheat codes into your Xbox.
It never dawns on you that you drove 45 minutes each way to sit on driftwood and watch trout rise without ever making a cast. It won't be the first time or the last. The time was well spent despite the expectations being contradicted. The game took an unexpected turn, and perhaps that's the whole point.


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Commercial & Industrial Electrical Projects
Retail Fit Outs
Phantom Electrical can supply and install all lighting and signage for your retail business fitout.
Working with your builder, architect or designer we can help to create a retail space people want to visit. Phantom Electrical have helped an extensive range of retail business owners from laundromats to barber shops.
Our experience includes installation of:
- Emergency and Exit Lighting
- Point of sale connections and equipment
- Split System Heating and Cooling
- Strip lighting
- Shop signage
- Motion Sensors
- Data points
- Power points
We understand the disruption trades can cause to your business and try our best to keep this to a minimum ensuring we work efficiently and clean up after ourselves.Contact Us Today
Café and Restaurant electrical projects
Phantom Electrical understand how important it is to create a positive ambience and therefore a warm welcome for your customers stepping into your restaurant or café. In a hospitality space it is imperative for customers to feel welcome. Our lighting design and effects will help with the ambience you are wanting to accomplish. We will work with you, your builder, designer and project manager to create the atmosphere you are aiming for.
Some of the services we can offer for your café or restaurant fitout are:
- Split System Heating and Cooling
- Decorative lighting
- Strip Lighting
- Power points
- Data points
- A/V set ups
- Appliance installation
- Test & Tagging of electrical equipment
We understand the disruption trades can cause to your business and try our best to keep this to a minimum ensuring we work efficiently being considerate when cleaning up after ourselves.Contact Us Today
Commercial and industrial electrical projects
Our team will work with you directly, your builder, designer or architect to plan and install all electrical requirements for your commercial building, factory or industrial fit out. We can work on full office fit outs that involve power and data point plus all electrical appliance installations, including heating and cooling. Our team of qualified electricians specialise in switchboard and metering installations or upgrades. We understand the disruption trades can cause to your business and try our best to keep this to a minimum by working efficiently and cleaning up after ourselves.
Our other services include:
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- Programmed and preventative maintenance
- Test and Tagging of electrical appliances
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Eddie and Richie vs Legion of Doom Art Print
Tax included.
"Richie and Eddie from Bottom decide to take their slapstick fighting mainstream and become a tag team in early 90's WWF. Their first match is against The Legion of Doom. Their wrestling gear is simply their crusty underpants. Richie is receiving the Doomsday Device whilst Eddie is distracted getting drunk in the corner with Spudgun and Dave Hedgehog"
As requested by Michael Walsh
- Giclée archival quality print on 310GSM Textured Fine Art Stock
- Hand embossed for authenticity
- Damage proof packaging
- Available as a print only or pre-framed in a lightweight premium black frame with perspex front
All Art Prints are made to order, just for you. On larger prints this can mean that this takes an extra day to dry before we send it out to you, but this prevent the print from 'rippling' during delivery. This means that the next day delivery option on large prints is from the date of dispatch, not the order date.


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This was a quirky novel, but a really enjoyable read. Rather than "Chapters," the book is divided into "Lessons." It is the story of last years of an Australian author, living off the reputation of an early, award winning novel, The House on Eccles Street. This work is a retelling of the story of Molly Bloom (of Joyce's Ulysses).
Coetzee writes, "Isn't that what is most important about fiction: that it takes us out of ourselves, into other lives?" (23). Coetzee more than practices what he preaches here. I felt her aches and pains, her emotions, anguished moments, and struggles with sons and a daughter-in-law. All were vivid and drew me into the life of this interesting woman. Elizabeth Costello brims with discussions about literature, reading, writing, but as her life progresses, it spirals down to some rather confusing discussions about animal rights. The last "Lesson" is really worth working your way towards. I haven't read much Coetzee, and, I admit, I only bought this because he won the Nobel Prize, but that is my custom. In this case, I am glad I did! I will be searching for more of his work.
By the way, he is listed as a South African writer, but he lives in Australia now. Elizabeth Costello was born in Africa, but moved to Australia. Hmmm. Definitely five stars –- despite the PETA stuff!
--Chiron, 6/14/2007


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with all the smart programmers these days why cant after doing a search and finding info then when a request for copy page is brought up why cant info from the search page be preloaded instead of…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by Tonia (from NAA) Mar 27, 2012.
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Revenge and rebirth blockbuster Karan Arjun was, and still is, remarkable in several ways when it released 20 years ago on January 13, 1995. Two of the ingredients that made it awesome - the most important two, Karan and Arjun - were Super Khans-in-waiting Salman and Shah Rukh.
As Karan Arjun celebrates 20 years of being awesome, here are 20 things about its lead actors, both now 49, that only a true fan would know.
1. Shah Rukh Khan won the Sword of Honor, a prize given to the best student, at St Columba's School in Delhi.
2. In school, SRK's Hindi was poor. His mother promised to take him to the cinema if he passed his Hindi exams and, because young SRK loved watching movies, he began to get top marks in Hindi then onwards.
3. Shah Rukh Khan's first salary was Rs 50 which he earned by working as an usher at a Pankaj Udhas concert in Delhi. He used the money to take the train to Agra and see the Taj Mahal.
4. Shah Rukh sold tickets at the booking window of a Mumbai cinema on the opening day of 1994 movie Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, directed by Kundan Shah. SRK was paid a sum total of Rs 25,000 for the film.
5. SRK briefly ran a restaurant in Old Delhi's Daryaganj area before becoming an actor.
6. SRK has a phobia of riding horses.
7. When he came to Mumbai as a hopeful actor, he had no place to stay. He lived with fellow actor Viveck Vaswani, who later appeared in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Josh with him, and helped SRK meet directors and producers.
8. SRK was watching Yash Chopra's Lamhe in a theatre with Viveck Vaswani when halfway through his secretary arrived to inform him that Mr Chopra was considering casting him in a movie. SRK abandoned Lamhe immediately and went to Mr Chopra's office. He did end up being cast in the movie, which was Darr.
9. SRK makes sure his sleeping pyjamas are freshly ironed every night because you never know who you may meet in your dreams.
10. His favourite actor is Dilip Kumar, and his favourite actresses are Mumtaz and Saira Banu.
11. Salman Khan could have become a pro swimmer if he had so wanted. He was a swim champ at school and even tipped to represent India.
12. Salman's favourite actor is Sylvester Stallone and favourite actress, Hema Malini.
13. Salman was offered the lead in Abbas-Mustan's Baazigar but the idea of playing a negative character didn't appeal to him. The role went to Shah Rukh Khan and made him famous.
14. Even though Salman has been ambassador of a shoe brand, he prefers going barefoot in real life.
15. Salman always wears a turquoise stone bracelet on and off the screen. His father Salim Khan also wears a similar bracelet and considers it to be very lucky.
16. Salman reportedly flew his own cook to London from Mumbai to dish up biryani to the cast and crew of the movie London Dreams who were tired of eating continental food.
17. The actor loves to drive and is fond of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Land Cruisers.
18. Salman loves Chinese food and his favourite restaurant is China Garden in Mumbai.
19. Salman has a soap fixation. His bathroom at home is stacked with soap of every sort and he especially likes those made with natural fruit and vegetable extracts.
20. Salman is the subject of two fatwas issued by Muslim organisations - one relates to the wax statue of him in Madame Tussaud's, the second is in connection to his presence at Ganesh Chaturthi pujas. In both cases, the fatwas allege that he contravened the Islamic law that forbids the worship of idols.


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I got to the gate of heaven today,
after we said goodbye
I began to miss you terribly,
because I heard you cry.
Suddenly there was an angel,
and she asked me to enter heaven's gate
I asked her if I could stay outside
for someone who would be late
I wouldn't make much noise you see,
I wouldn't bark or howl
I'll only wait here patiently
and play with my tennis ball
The angel said I could stay right here
and wait for you to come
Because heaven just wouldn't be heaven
if I went in alone
So I'll wait right here,
you take your time, but keep
me in your heart
Because heaven just wouldn't be heaven
without you to warm my heart.
Author Unknown
This poem is dedicated to those who have lost a pet or are going through losing a pet.
Filed under: Animals, Dog Poems, Dogs, Inspirational, Pets |


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GOG is introducing user profiles, which will bring a touch of social interaction to the DRM-free games marketplace. The platform has hesitantly modernized over the years to compete with Steam, adding films and in-development titles, and the new profiles bring more awareness of what friends and community are doing.
GOG gets social by adding user profiles
Activity feeds and profile pages are now on the platform.
Sponsored Links
The biggest addition is a new feed showing what your friends are playing, when they earn achievements and make forum posts. You're broadcasting your own activity by default, though that can be tweaked in settings. You can choose to have your profile, game library and friends list viewable by everyone, friends or just you, similar to Steam's recent privacy changes.
But even after setting all personal broadcasting to private, some activity and profile information is still shown, RPS noted. Whether increasing social visibility ends up being a good thing for GOG, users are making themselves heard on the platform's forum, from those welcoming the new changes to diehards resisting any change from the marketplace's previous social agnosticism.


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Funny Pictures
Most precious and Priceless Diamonds in the world
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These are the 5 topmost priceless and costliest diamonds in the world. These diamonds are the best in this world and have no competition in front of them, as they are unique and priceless in their own.
1. Kohinoor (Koh-I-Noor)
2. The Great Star of Africa
3. The Excelsior
4. The Regent
5. The Blue Hope
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A minor earthquake magnitude 3.2 (ml/mb) strikes 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Medford in Oklahoma on Monday. Id of earthquake: us10003prb. Event ids that are associated: us10003prb. The temblor was detected at 10:42:09 / 10:42 am (local time epicenter). The earthquake occurred at a depth of 5 km (3 miles) below the earth's surface. Exact time and date of earthquake 19/10/15 / 2015-10-19 15:42:09 / October 19, 2015 @ 3:42 pm UTC/GMT. Exact location of earthquake, -97.6529° West, 36.8989° North, depth 5 km.
Event epicenter was 59 km (37 miles) from Enid (c. 49 400 pop), 55 km (34 miles) from Ponca City (c. 25 400 pop), 80 km (49 miles) from Derby (c. 22 200 pop), 58 km (36 miles) from Arkansas City (c. 12 400 pop), 70 km (43 miles) from Winfield (c. 12 300 pop). Nearest city/cities or towns, with min 5000 pop, to epicentrum/hypocenter was Derby, Haysville, Perry. Country/countries that might be effected, United States (c. 310 233 000 pop).
Earthquakes 3.0 to 4.0 are often felt, but only causes minor damage. In the past 24 hours, there have been three, in the last 10 days twenty-seven, in the past 30 days fourty-five and in the last 365 days five hundred and ninety-nine earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater that was reported nearby. There are an estimated 130,000 minor quakes in the world each year.
Did you feel the quake?
How did you respond? Did any furniture slide, topple over, or become displaced? Leave a comment or report about activity, shaking and damage at your home, city and country. Read more about the earthquake, Location, Distances, Seismometer information, Date-Time, Parameters and details about this quake, reported near: 12 km NE of Medford, Oklahoma. This information comes from the USGS Earthquake Notification Service.
Copyright © 2015 earthquakenewstoday.com All rights reserved.


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The two colleges that I would choose are The University of Chicago and Valsparso College. The University of Chicago has a high graduate rate. They accept people regardless of race or color. The University of Chicago academic envroment inspires students and scholars to ask key questions. The college teaches students not what to think but how to think. The University of Chicago inspires and trains an individual to be ready to change the world. The University of Chicago inspires and takes good care of thousands of people. Everyone on the campus is always involved in doing something productive and for the community. The students work as a team to make a stable learning environment and help students fulfill their requirements. The University of Chicago also has very strong and determined athletic teams. They play to represent their schools as a whole. The college is also very diverse accepting people from different places, religions, cultures, and much more.
On the other hand, the Valparaiso University is made up of a selective and independent Lutheran institution in Indiana, an hour drive from Chicago. It is a private institution, and it is very selective with its process. The Academic Program is very open, and it has more than 70 majors. The athletics are also very competetive, and they want to represent their school at its best. Furthermore, the students work together to achieve something, and that is why their graduation and degree rate is so high. The University works as a team, and even though it is a selective process it is still open to whomever wants to try. The campus is a beautiful place that has enough space to spread the education within each other.
Overall, both the colleges have similaraties and differences that are worth while. The University of Chicago and the Valparaso University are both different and similar in many ways.
If I had to choose one college it would be the university of chicago. The first reason I would like...


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Today I am very excited to be closing the blog tour for Chris Collett's latest book Buried Lies, which was published by Joffe Books on the 6th September 2018.
About the book
BURIED LIES by CHRIS COLLETT
Do you love gripping mysteries with great characters? Discover Detective Tom Mariner in this critically acclaimed series. 'Collett is a wonderful writer, subtle, clever, strong on atmosphere and character.' Yorkshire Post Detective Inspector Tom Mariner goes to the beautiful Welsh countryside to recover. But he finds himself caught up in a murder investigation . . . with him as the prime suspect. Grieving the death of his former lover, all Mariner wants is some peace and quiet. But his walking holiday is ruined by the discovery of a body in the woods. The remote stone farmhouses of this beautiful valley hide many buried secrets. As more bodies are discovered, can Mariner clear his name and avoid becoming the next victim? Discover an absorbing crime mystery with an action-packed conclusion. Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the sixth book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon!
Birmingham is a city of stark contrasts with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Playing a key role in the industrial revolution, it helped shape the nation's manufacturing industry But with its many green spaces, Birmingham also borders on the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire and Warwickshire, is just a few miles from Stratford on Avon and a short drive from the wild country of mid-Wales. Birmingham's population is large and ethnically diverse, and while urban regeneration has forged a modern and culturally vibrant city, the decaying remnants of the industrial past and 1960s concrete jungle give it a unique and gritty character; the dark underbelly policed by DI Tom Mariner and his team.
Detective Inspector Tom Mariner is, on the surface, an average dedicated policeman, but his experiences as a younger man have given him an insight into life on the dark side, and a clear sense of right and wrong. Mariner has little interest in material things. He lives in a modest canal-side cottage, enjoys the occasional (real) beer and game of dominoes and drives an old car. He is most at home in the outdoors, with an OS map and a compass, and in times of crisis, will take off and walk for miles in any weather.
Book 1: Deadly Lies
Book 2: Innocent Lies Book
3: Killer Lies
Book 4: Baby Lies
Book 5: Married Lies
Book 6: Buried Lies
Book 7 coming soon
My Review
This is the 5th book in the series I have read and the series keeps getting better with each book.
This time we find DI Mariner looking for a break after everything he has gone through, and he has decided to travel on holiday to Wales. The book would be very boring if that was all that happened, so we are soon stuck in the middle of an investigation when a body is found who Tom had befriended whilst there.
Tom then becomes the prime suspect in his murder so has not investigate it, whilst also avoid being arrested for his death.
I really liked the change of scenery in this book as it brings a fresh look to the series, and also the fact that Mariner is a suspect adds lots of tension to the story.
The book did start a bit slower than usual and concentrated more on Mariner, but once the action picked up it didn't slow down until the end.
This story was brilliant and I can't wait to read the next one in the series.
To purchase the book click here
About the Author
Chris Collett grew up in a Norfolk seaside town where she worked in a boarding house (now defunct) a local bakery (closed down) and a crisp factory (razed to the ground). Graduating in Liverpool, Chris has since taught children and adults with varying degrees of learning disability, including autism. She is now a university lecturer, with two grown up children, and lives in Birmingham; DI Tom Mariner's 'patch'. She has published short stories, teaches creative and crime writing and is a manuscript assessor for the Crime Writers Association.
The first five DI Tom Mariner books will be released in revised editions by Joffe Books in 2017/2018.
Website: www.chriscollettcrime.co.uk
Twitter: @crime_crow