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SPA Chair still in post as Justice Secretary delays action 'to consider reports'. SCOTLAND'S Justice Secretary has ducked out of taking immediate action on tackling the leadership & governance crisis at the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) – despite calls from across the political spectrum to act on restoring faith at the discredited regulator of Police Scotland.
During 'Topical Questions' at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday of this week, where MSPs from all parties called for a resolution to the crisis at the Police Regulator, and Andrew Flanagan's refusal to step aside, Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said he was "conscious of the issues" and promised to consider the reports sent to him by the committees.
In Holyrood's main chamber on Tuesday, Mary Fee MSP (Scottish Labour) told Michael Matheson that Andrew Flanagan had "lost the confidence of MSPs from all parties, including back benchers from the governing party.
"It is clear that his position is untenable. It seems that Mr Flanagan and the Justice Secretary are the last two people to see that."
She called for a "drastic overhaul of how the SPA is run".
Shying away from immediate action on the crisis at the Scottish Police Authority, Matheson replied: "I am sure that the member will recognise that it is important that ministers give thorough consideration to these issues in coming to a determination,"
The Justice Secretary added: "On the wider issue of the governance and structure of the SPA, there is no doubt that there are aspects of the way in which the SPA has operated over the past few years that have not worked as well as they should have and that there are areas in which I believe further improvements could be made.
"I have been clear about the need for the SPA to operate in an open and transparent manner as it undertakes its processes and considers matters, and I have repeatedly made that clear."
LibDem MSP Liam McArthur argued that the SPA would "be inhibited in moving forward as long as he remains the chair".
The Greens' John Finnie suggested Flanagan's managerial style, and the way in which he reportedly treated Ali, a woman of Bengali and Irish descent, would dissuade women and ethnic minority people to join public boards.
The Justice Committee expressed "very serious concerns about the standards of governance" at the body and said it "does not have confidence that the current chair is the best person to lead the board".
Full report & video coverage of questions to Justice Secretary Michael Matheson at the Scottish Parliament:
Questions to Justice Secretary Michael Matheson on Scottish Police Authority & Andrew Flanagan 30 May 2017
Topical Question Time: Scottish Police Authority (Meetings)
1. Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice last met the Scottish Police Authority and what issues were discussed. (S5T-00571)
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice (Michael Matheson): I have regular meetings with the chair of the Scottish Police Authority and meet the board approximately once a year. We discuss a range of key strategic issues in policing.
Mary Fee: As the cabinet secretary is aware, last week, the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing published its report on the governance of the SPA. That report says: "the Sub-Committee does not have confidence that the current chair is the best person to lead the Board."
That follows similar concerns from the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee.
We know that, under the current leadership of Andrew Flanagan, public meetings were held in private and critical letters were hidden from board members, and we have heard about the disgraceful ousting of now former board member, Moi Ali.
Andrew Flanagan was appointed chair of the SPA to improve openness and accountability. He has failed. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me, with the Justice Sub-committee on Policing and with his own back benchers that Mr Flanagan's position is untenable and that he should go?
Michael Matheson: I am conscious of the issues that have been raised by the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing, which provided us with a copy of its report last Thursday. As I am sure that the member will recognise, we will give careful consideration to that report and its findings, along with the issues that have been highlighted by the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee and the evidence that that committee and the member's sub-committee received. Once we have considered all those issues, we will be in a position to state clearly the Government's response and our decision on the position of the chair of the SPA.
I am sure that the member will recognise that it is important that the ministers and Government consider these issues carefully. I can give the member an absolute assurance that we will consider the findings in the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing's report as we arrive at the Scottish Government's position on this matter.
Mary Fee: Andrew Flanagan has lost the confidence of MSPs from all parties, including back benchers from the governing party. It is clear that his position is untenable. It seems that Mr Flanagan and the justice secretary are the last two people to see that. We need a drastic overhaul of how the SPA is run, and that must start at the very top of the SPA board. We need leadership from the SPA, but we do not have that at the moment.
If Andrew Flanagan is not going to do the right thing and resign, we need leadership from the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government approved Andrew Flanagan's appointment as chair. If the cabinet secretary will not withdraw that now, I simply ask what it will take for the Government to take action.
Michael Matheson: I have given the member an assurance that we will consider the findings of her sub-committee's report. Once we have had the opportunity to consider them in detail, as well as the issues that have been raised by the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee, we will be able to respond to these matters. I am sure that the member will recognise that it is important that ministers give thorough consideration to these issues in coming to a determination.
On the wider issue of the SPA's structure, and the way in which the SPA operates, the member will be aware that I have asked Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary for Scotland to bring forward the governance aspect of its statutory inspection that was due to take place this year. HMICS has agreed to do that and intends to publish a report by 22 June on those issues. In its letter to me, the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee welcomed my decision to ask for that work to be undertaken.
It is important that we consider these issues, and I assure the member that we are considering them carefully, and we want to ensure that they are appropriately addressed.
On the wider issue of the governance and structure of the SPA, there is no doubt that there are aspects of the way in which the SPA has operated over the past few years that have not worked as well as they should have and that there are areas in which I believe further improvements could be made.
I have been clear about the need for the SPA to operate in an open and transparent manner as it undertakes its processes and considers matters, and I have repeatedly made that clear. However, there is no doubt that there have been improvements in the way in which the SPA has been operating. For example, as was set out in evidence that was given to the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee, there have been improvements in the way in which the SPA has considered issues such as the contact, command and control division; improvements in the relationship between the SPA and the executive team in Police Scotland; and improvements in the way in which it has taken forward work on the development of the 2026 strategy.
Irrespective of that, I recognise the concerns that have been expressed by the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing and members of the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee. I give the member an assurance that they will be considered carefully, and that the Government will come to a decision once it has considered all these matters.
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con): The evidence from the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing, the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee, MSPs of all parties and, indeed, former board members is clear: Andrew Flanagan's time as chair of the Scottish Police Authority should be over, and his continuation in that post is untenable. Does the Scottish Government continue to have full faith in Andrew Flanagan as chair of the Scottish Police Authority—yes or no?
Michael Matheson: As I have just said to Mary Fee, we will consider the findings of both committees' work in this area and we will then come to a decision on this issue.
I am surprised that a member who is, apparently, his party's spokesman on justice would not want to ensure that we go through due process in considering these issues. It is important that Government ministers give careful consideration to these issues when coming to a decision, and that is exactly what we will do. Once we have completed that process, we will set out our decision on this matter.
John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green): It is my personal view that Mr Flanagan's position is untenable and that he must go. The cabinet secretary will agree that we must have vibrant and diverse public boards. In his response to both committee reports, will he consider the impact that Mr Flanagan's conduct has had on the likelihood of our being able to recruit women and ethnic minority people to these boards?
Michael Matheson: The member raises an important issue. This Government is clear about the need to have greater diversity on our public bodies. I recently made some further appointments to the SPA, and I have written to the chair of the SPA board in recent weeks, highlighting the need to have greater diversity on the board, as that is extremely important. It is also extremely important that, when ministers consider such issues, we follow due process in considering any concerns that are raised with us in order that we do not dissuade people from thinking about applying for appointments to public boards.
I assure the member that it is clear to me that we must do everything possible to increase diversity not just within the membership of the SPA board but on any boards within the justice setting and that the boards should take proactive measures to assist in achieving that. For example, it is not necessary to have direct appointments if there is no space for them, as members can be seconded to support the work of public bodies in order to encourage greater diversity and give those people experience of the work that the board undertakes with a view to their applying for a place on the board at some point in the future.
The Government is clear about the need for greater diversity in the scrutiny of legislation, and I am clear that we need greater diversity on all boards in the justice sector. Our recent track record on appointments to justice boards demonstrates that we are making significant progress by increasing the number of women members, in particular, and I am determined that we will continue to drive that forward.
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD): The cabinet secretary will have heard Andrew Flanagan's statement at the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing last week. There is no doubting that he was extremely contrite and offered an apology. However, a number of members made the point that the position that he holds has been undermined and that the SPA will be inhibited in moving forward as long as he remains the chair.
Given that, at the most recent SPA board meeting, which was held last week, concerns were again raised by board members about the publication of papers in advance of the meeting, does the cabinet secretary not believe that the culture shift that we all want to see in the SPA will be impossible until there is a change at the top?
Michael Matheson: The member will be aware that the SPA board decided, at its meeting 25 May, to return to the presumption that its committee meetings would take place in public and that all papers would be published in advance. I have been very clear with the SPA about the need to ensure that it is open and transparent in conducting its business.
The member will recognise that, as has been highlighted, there is a need for private space in some of the SPA board's work, given the sensitive and confidential nature of some of the information that it is provided with. That is particularly the case when the information relates to operational matters for Police Scotland. A safe space needs to be provided for discussions and for the sharing of that information to take place.
Notwithstanding that, my view is that the presumption that committee and board meetings will take place in public is the right approach. That is why I have asked HMICS to bring forward the early part of its statutory inspection, which was due to take place in the autumn of this year, and to look specifically at the issue of governance within the SPA. That work has already been started and HMICS will report by 22 June. I have no doubt that the report will support us in looking at what further measures the SPA needs to put in place.
I recognise the need for the SPA to operate openly and transparently, and I have been clear with it, over an extended period, that the processes and mechanisms that it has in place must be able to deliver that openness and transparency effectively.
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): We know that the chair of the Scottish Police Authority did not tell his board about a letter from Derek Penman that advised of the forthcoming inspection. Now, we understand that, on a previous occasion, Mr Flanagan did not share an advice note on forensic services with the board. Does the cabinet secretary believe that that is a further example of a lack of transparency? Does the chair of any public body who behaves in that way meet the Scottish Government's own guidance for those who serve on public boards?
Michael Matheson: Jackie Baillie will be aware that Andrew Flanagan has accepted that he should have passed that note on to the other members of his board and that he made an unacceptable error. We need to ensure that chairs of any public bodies pass on relevant information to other members of the board to allow them to come to an informed position on matters when they are being discussed. The chair has also accepted that the advice note should have been passed on to board members. Again, we will consider that in looking at the matter as a whole.
I assure members that the Government will come to a position on the matter, but it is appropriate that we consider all the facts and information that have been provided. In part, that is for the reason that was highlighted by John Finnie, which is that we want to attract individuals to stand for and work on our public bodies. We need to ensure that ministers and the Government go through a due process in considering these matters and coming to a decision. My concern is that a failure to do that would dissuade people from taking up public appointments, and we want to avoid that. That is why we will consider these matters very carefully and in a detailed way, and we will then come to a decision.
CHAIR MUST GO - Crisis continues at Scottish Police Authority as Justice Secretary dodges duty:
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson's refusal to sack Flanagan as the crisis in governance and leadership at the Police Watchdog continues to grow - comes after a string of stinging criticisms and revelations over poor governance at the Scottish Police Authority, and accusations the SPA was being run as a secret society.
Legal observers who have been following developments speculate more action, and a decision may have been taken much earlier on the status of the current SPA Chief and board, had now former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill held the justice brief.
Holyrood's Justice Sub-Committee on policing said they had "no confidence" in Flanagan's leadership, and criticised his decision to hold meetings in private and for his treatment of Moi Ali, a board member who spoke out against the move.
They were the second Scottish Parliament committee to express concerns about the SPA's governance.
Members of the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny (PAPLS) Committee have also criticised Andrew Flanagan for his treatment of board member Moi Ali, who was forced to resign from the Police Watchdog after speaking out over concerns about transparency and the publication of papers for board meetings.
A full report on the PAPLS meeting of 20 April can be found here: POLICING SECRETS: Former Scottish Police Authority board member Moi Ali invited to give evidence at Holyrood, after MSPs accuse SPA bosses of running Police watchdog like Kremlin 'secret society'
A full report on the second PAPLS hearing of 11 May can be found here: UNFIT AUTHORITY: Chair of Scottish Police Authority "is not fit to continue on any public board" – says former SPA board member in evidence to Holyrood's Public Audit Committee scrutiny of Police watchdog.
A more detailed report on the 18th May 2017 hearing of the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing can be found here: AUTHORITY LOST: Chair of Scottish Police Authority refuses to resign after facing challenge from Justice Committee MSPs to consider his position on discredited Police watchdog.
A further article on the Justice sub Committee on Policing's report into the crisis at the Scottish Police Authority can be viewed here: NO CONFIDENCE: Chair of Scottish Police Authority refuses to stand down, as board member criticises Holyrood scrutiny of governance, secrecy culture & lack of accountability at discredited Police watchdog
The report from the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing can be found here: Justice Sub Committee on Policing Report on Governance of the Scottish Police Authority
According to declarations on the SPA website, Andrew Flanagan also holds positions on the Civil Service Commission, NHS Business Services Authority, London-based NEL Commissioning Support Unit, and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, positions he earns up to £75,000 a year in addition to his £70K salary as SPA Chair.
Flanagan's decision to remain in office comes after members of Holyrood's Justice Committee said in a report they had "serious concerns"in the current SPA Board – which has responsibility for oversight and spending of the £1.1 billion Police Scotland budget.
Responding to the Justice Committee's criticisms of the SPA and their report SPA Chair Andrew Flanagan refused to stand down.
Mr Flanagan said: "As I have already done with the views of other parliamentarians, I and the SPA Board will consider this report very carefully over the coming days and reflect on its contents.
"As I indicated in my evidence to the Committee, I have publicly acknowledged recent mistakes without caveat or qualification. I also believe that in my time in office I have brought much improvement and clarity to the strategy, governance, sustainability, and relationships within policing."
"I remain focussed on building a broad consensus around my continuing leadership of the SPA, and my contribution to a stable and collaborative leadership within policing as a whole."
SPA Chair Andrew Flanagan's decision to stay in the lead role at the now discredited Scottish Police Authority comes after one of it's Board members – Graham Houston – launched a blistering attack on open hearings at the Scottish Parliament's PAPLS Committee' – after it's members quizzed the Chair & CEO of the SPA, along with Scottish Government Civil Servants at an earlier meeting of 20 April 2017.
Criticising MSPs scrutiny of the Scottish Police Authority, Board member Graham Houston said: "I also think as an example of good governance I think the treatment of my fellow board members by an audit and scrutiny committee was frankly appalling and I think if that is an example of what is expected of good scrutiny it leaves a lot to be desired. And I suggest that the members of that committee look to themselves about setting an example and also look to the guidance on board about how they conduct themselves in doing that."
Mr Houston then attacked the media, accusing the press of abusing the 'openness' of the SPA and concludes by stating "I think that what will transpire is that probably we are one of the most open public authorities in Scotland."
Video footage of Graham Houston's criticisms of MSPs scrutiny of the SPA can be found here: Scottish Police Authority Board Member Graham Houston hits out at PAPLS scrutiny of Police Watchdog.
A glimpse into the world of the Scottish Police Authority's board meetings features an excerpt from the SPA's meeting of 15 December 2016, in which Board Member Moi Ali raised serious concerns about recommendations in relation to the publication on the day of board meetings and the holding of committees in private.
More on the discussion around the Governance Framework and input from Moi Ali who raised her concerns at the meeting can be viewed in video footage here: Scottish Police Authority 15 December 2016 meeting Governance framework discussion.
Ms Ali said she understood there were good reasons for those recommendations she had serious concerns about the lack of transparency around the two proposals, and that there were real drawbacks in relation to holding committee meetings in private.
Moi Ali said her concerns were two fold – the perception issue in relation to private meetings where it may be perceived that decisions may be taken behind closed doors, and that defacto decision may well be taken behind closed doors and that the process of decision making will be hidden and there is a danger in due course this will morph into a different kind of body in which effectively real decisions are taken albeit not in name but then come back to the SPA Board for rubber stamping rather than transparent debate.
While Flanagan still clings to power, the Justice Committee expressed "very serious concerns about the standards of governance" at the body and said it "does not have confidence that the current chair is the best person to lead the board".
Previous articles on the Scottish Police Authority can be found here: Scottish Police Authority - Poor governance, private meetings & lack of accountability at Police regulator


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I've recently installed FAH on a Dell Precision T3610 with dual nVidia Quadro K600 graphics cards and Direct X 11.
When the the folding client starts (either because it detects that the system is idle or because I tell it to run all the time), the CPU core process runs without a problem but the FahCore_21 processes for the GPUs immediately terminate (with what appears to be a heap corruption error). Similarly if I run the FahBench app it also terminates in the same way.
Interestingly, if I set up the vsjitdebugger to intercede when it detects a crash and I then attach Visual Studio and tell it to continue execution of the app, it seems to work OK - it does throw some bad_cast exceptions and an OpenMMException exception but the app runs after all of that.
I've seen in other posts that there have been issues with the nVidia drivers before (my system currently have version 377.11 installed) and that when folk rolled back to an earlier version of the drivers the problem would disappear, so I'm wondering if that approach might work here. My only problem is that I have no idea what version of the drivers I should roll back to.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
P.S. Thanks for any replies.

subset: commoncrawl


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27 Jul 2012 18:28
These paper people craft are from the Edinburgh Festival, designed by sally. The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August. Though the festivals are put on by various organizations unrelated to each other, and so are officially separate events, they are regarded by many visitors as part of the same event; and together they form the largest annual cultural festival in the world.
Edinburgh Festival Paper People Collection Free Paper Toys
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The Punakaiki Coastal Restoration Project provides an excellent model for business, government, tertiary education and community partnerships; working together to utilise the strength and capacities of each organization to deliver significant environmental, social, educational and economic outcomes.
The partnership vision and objectives are articulated in the PCRP Partnership Agreement and the partnership committee meets every 6 months to report on progress. At the end of the five year initial partnership, [CVNZ, Rio Tinto and Department of Conservation] an external review was undertaken of the project which showed that the project had successfully delivered on its original objectives.
" Part of the PCRP's success can be attributed to the considerable time and effort in planning stages including extensive stakeholder dialogue regarding use of the site post mining, and then in choosing project partners and working together to define the project itself. The PCRP was well documented from the outset, with processes in place for setting annual objectives and plans, defining roles and responsibilities, planning for sustainability, and communication between the partners and with stakeholders. The PCRP has delivered value to each of the partners in important areas of their respective businesses, and brought tangible benefits to the community, building capacity for the future. It has delivered long-term environmental stewardship and opportunities for business and enterprise, as well as learning and skills development to a range of people, and to quote a Rio Tinto Manager "it is a great example of the learning by doing approach".
Karin Lorenzon, Lorenzon & Associates.
A new three year partnership agreement was signed at the start of 2014, with the significant inclusion of Lincoln University
Lincoln University is New Zealand's specialist land-based university. As a publicly owned and operated university that exists and operates under New Zealand statute, we are 100% committed to transforming land, people and economies. One of the key reasons for our success is that programmes combine robust theory with practical applications. Employers applaud the high levels of practicality structured into our courses while our teaching of the theory is highly informed by the world class research that Lincoln University is involved in. No other university in New Zealand has a higher rate of research dollars per full-time member of academic staff.
Conservation Volunteers is a registered charitable trust in New Zealand, and forms part of the 'Conservation Volunteer' organisation together with Conservation Volunteers Australia. Our core mission is connecting people to the environment through engagement in practical conservation activities. Each year, we manage some 3000 volunteer days on environmental projects across New Zealand, including at Punakaiki.
We are proud to have been involved with the PCRP since its inception in 2008, and look forward to continuing to provide opportunities for volunteer participation in the restoration of this very special place.
The Department of Conservation manages all New Zealand's conservation land and waters, including recreational opportunities in these areas. We manage more than one-third of New Zealand's land including our 14 National Parks, 34 marine reserves and six marine mammal sanctuaries. We want New Zealand to be the greatest living space on Earth. This means ensuring New Zealanders gain a wide range of benefits from healthy functioning ecosystems, recreation opportunities, and through living our history.
DOC works with a wide range of organisations and individuals to protect native species and special places, and help New Zealanders get involved in conservation.
DOC works with a wide range of organisations and individuals to protect native species and special places, and help New Zealanders get involved in conservation.
Key Personnel
Dave Sharp, South Island Manager for Conservation Volunteers New Zealand
Dave has worked in senior management roles for Conservation Volunteers for the past 17 years - ten of these in Australia before returning to NZ in 2007. These roles have included Community Training Manager for Conservation Volunteers Australia, and here in NZ, responsibility for managing partnerships, including the Catchment Care initiative, a $2.7 million partnership with Fonterra. Dave has a particularly keen interest in the PCRP initiative, having responsibility for CVNZ's role and deliverables since the partnership's inception.
James Washer, Project Manager for Conservation Volunteers New Zealand
James has been the operational manager at the PCRP site almost from day 1 of the PCRP project. His current role includes organizing and leading teams of volunteers on the ground, planning and overseeing the implementation of the re-vegetation programme, developing and managing the plant nursery.
Nick Dickinson, Professor of Ecology, Head of Department, Lincoln University
Nick has been head of Department at Lincoln University since 2008. He manages a team of 20 academic staff, supervises a large team of postgraduate students and lectures in New Zealand Ecology & Conservation, Biological Diversity, Environmental Biogeoscience and Conservation Biology. His research expertise lies in phytoremediation and restoration of soil ecosystems. He is a member of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Stephane Boyer, Lecturer in Ecology, Lincoln University
Stephane is the current PCRP coordinator for Lincoln University. He has been a lecturer at Lincoln for 4 years and has been involved in the biodiversity survey of the PCRP site and the supervision of student research projects. He has worked for five years on the ecological restoration of the Stockton mine in collaboration with Solid Energy, which led to a number of publications including one describing new species of endemic earthworms. Stephane supervises postgraduate students working on conservation biological control and the conservation of Powelliphanta snails and teaches Restoration, Animal Conservation and Molecular Ecology. He has also been involved in the Powelliphanta snail conservation advisory group, and the DOC threat classification panel for New Zealand earthworms.
Mick Abbott, Associate Professor, Design and Innovation, Landscope DesignLab, Lincoln University
Mick's research applies strategic design and sustainability frameworks as tools for generating innovation from existing environmental relationships and problems. In particular he works with industry and institutional partners to identify innovative and commercially relevant outcomes. Mick teaches and supervises postgraduate student in Sustainable Design, History of Design and Culture, Site Design and Advanced Design Theory. He won the Monier Award for Architectural Design (AAA/NZIA Supreme Winner) and co-funded the Kiwi Ranger initiative.
Mike Bowie, Senior Technical Officer, Ecology Department, Lincoln University
Mike has worked in the entomology field at Lincoln University for over 30 years on a range of topics including habitat manipulation, nature conservation and ecological restoration. He has been involved in many ecological restoration and invertebrate conservation programmes and published many scientific papers on these subjects. Since 1998 he has been involved with the Quail Island Ecological Restoration Trust advisory group and a current Trustee and has coordinated successful predator eradications of hedgehogs and rats on Quail Island and undertaken several invertebrate reintroductions. He is also a Trustee of the Te Ara Kakariki Greenway Canterbury Trust. He teaches in conservation of native biodiversity especially in entomology and has been actively involved in a number of public Bioblitz's and conservation workshops and school talks.
Carol Smith Senior Lecturer in Soil Science, Academic Programme Manager, Lincoln University.
Carol teaches Geomorphology, Soil Resources and Rehabilitation of the Post-mining Landscape. She is heavily involved in Lincoln University's academic curriculum and the current qualification reform. Her research interests include soil remediation and sustainable strategies for reclamation of open-cast mines as well as geomorphology and soil/landscape dynamics. Carol is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Marcel Fekkes, Department of Conservation, Partnerships, Conservation Services, Partnerships Group.
Marcel is part of the newly formed Partnerships Group with the Department of Conservation. DOC works with a wide range of organisations and individuals to protect native species and special places, and help New Zealanders get involved in conservation. We want New Zealand to be the greatest living space on Earth. This means ensuring New Zealanders gain a wide range of benefits from healthy functioning ecosystems, recreation opportunities, and through living our history.
Stuart Rhodes, Principal Adviser - Closure & Legacy Management, Rio Tinto Services Limited
Stuart has more than 30 years experience in the environmental, mining and chemicals industries, and has been with Rio Tinto since 1988. Stuart coordinates the Rio Tinto group closure assurance program. He also manages Rio Tinto's legacy sites in the Asia Pacific region, and provides support and technical direction for remediation projects at Rio Tinto's Australian operations.


text: Gregory P. Ennis wrote: > To make things as clear as I can this is a DELL XPS Gen 2 Series a 32 > bit machine using an i386 Centos OS 5.2 that was automatically upgraded > to 5.3 by yum. As another poster noted, in this case you should disable the RAID in the bios and keep it off. If you want RAID then use software raid in linux, or get a real RAID controller, I suggest 3Ware myself but there are other options available as well. nate


text:
Paladin were a curious cross betwixt the fermenting heavy progressive styles in the UK with the concurrently swelling west coast Latin Rock sound, much like contemporaries Jody Grind and Skin Alley. And much like that latter trans-Atlantic congregate, Paladin's foundation was marked with stateside footprints, formed as they were by British musical sidemen during a lengthy stay in New York. And in a further Concorde twist, Paladin's bassist Pete Beckett would resurface at the other end of the '70s in the quintessentially Californian smooth rock band Player.
In any case, Paladin produced a bold if admittedly bumpy body of work over two fine albums, which could easily be distilled into one terrific long-player. Their eponymous vinyl arrival from 1971 contained their best song, "Dance of the Cobra", a cascading organ shredder forwarded by a most curvilinear bassline which Beckett later morphed into gold as the backdrop to the 1978 Player smash "Baby Come Back".
"Dance of the Cobra" (miss-titled "Well We Might" – ironically a lesser cut from their second album, Charge) can be heard on this page:
For comparisons sake, here's "Baby Come Back" (incase you haven't heard it in a while):


text: "My name is Tim West, and I am a retired Episcopal priest. Since moving to Champaign County nearly twenty years ago, I have enjoyed the care of a very caring and conscientious physician. He insisted on regular check ups and prostate monitoring even though there was no history of prostate cancer in my family. That insistence paid off in a big way when he noticed my PSA was climbing steadily and referred me to a urologist for a biopsy. One of the samples showed some cancer cells and after consultation with him and Dr. Victor at the Cancer Center, we chose external radiation as the most appropriate therapy for my condition. It was forty-four treatments and completed in May of 2015. It was a profoundly powerful time for Becky and me. Family and friends were supportive and I am grateful for all the physicians who helped with both diagnosis and treatment. There is no substitution for knowledge. We caught the cancer in its earliest stages and this fact is what made treatment so successful. But, it was not just the physicians to whom we are grateful. The staff at the Cancer Center could not have been more pleasant, caring, helpful and patient with my anxiety. And, the Cancer Association of Champaign County was very supportive in meeting the financial needs not covered by our insurance. We are extremely grateful to all who played a part in holding us together through this process not least God who remains our tower of hope and strength. A whole community cooperated to be God's hands in my healing. We ask His blessing upon all of them and His strength to all who are going through treatment now."


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I'm a little late in posting since we had a pretty epic week this week. Thomas took Ellie to his parent's new house for the weekend so it was just me and Finnley getting the house put together and torn apart since we got the bedroom floors replaced. Then on Monday the two of us worked and then we packed for our trip to Victoria (more on that later). I can't believe that we've made it a whole year with this babe and while there has been crying (lots) we've also had many laughs and smiles along the way. Finnley has fit in perfectly to our family and has stretched our parenting skills to help us be the best parents all around.
Week 52
Eats: the babe had a bit of a weird week with her bottles and seemed to be unimpressed with them. She much prefers her pouches and is also totes into self feeding puffs, cheddar bunnies, and the like. I totally failed at getting her to drink out of a sippy cup so we will have to work on that again next week along with transitioning from formula to whole milk....I can't wait to have my counter back!
Sleeps: Finnley has been a rock star at her sleeping when we are home or at work. She sleeps amazingly in her crib (or the pack'n'play) and once she settles down in the bed when we co-sleep on vacations she sleeps pretty well. Naps while we were in Victoria were basically a bust so we have some work to do with the upcoming trips we have planned for the next several months.
Does: the Finn is all about standing. She loves it and will do it just about any chance she gets. She is getting more confident in her walking abilities and can walk alongside me for about 8 steps while holding just one hand. She is self feeding, sucks her fingers (eyeroll) and gets so excited to see her people. She waves, says "Dadada" and "Momomom" and her little voice is so high pitched it's so cute. Another thing she does which I haven't mentioned before is after she sneezes she gets the biggest smile!
Goes: So many places. We took Ellie to ballet, out to dinner with my best friend, and then we rode on a boat to get to Victoria and she toured the whole city with us. Our favorites were the park and the bookstore.
Loves: give this girl all the fruit and frosting. She loves to stand and play with her toys. She also is totally into the TV and will stand up and get within 3 inches of it. Currently Finnley is obsessed with Moana (as is Ellie) and then just about anything Mickey Mouse will keep her attention for a while.
Mama: I have to admit that I am so excited, happy and relieved to have made it through this first year. It has been an amazing experience spending every single day (and night) with this little pumpkin nut and I wouldn't trade it for the world. We have had our rough days and both cried but we've also had some superb days full of smiles and laughs. I love how we have both grown this year and that this girl has taught me so much more about being a mama.
Sister: the love these two grows more and more every day. I feel like a broken record but both love each other so much. Finnley was definitely missing her sister this last weekend and I know that she is just obsessed with her. Ellie is still totally smitten with her little sister but is having a hard time sharing toys and has been a little possessive...I know it's just a stage and I am trying to teach her the best way to navigate through it because really how are you playing with all 10 of your little people when you a) only have 2 hands and b) are holding them all so tightly to your chest so Finnley can't have one?? It cracks me up for sure. However, on the flip side I have the hardest time keeping Ellie's hands off Finnley because she is always holding, hugging, or squeezing her sister! I think they were meant to be.
♥ Ashley
previous weeks
twentyone twentytwo twentythree twentyfour twentyfive twentysix twentyseven twentyeight twentynine thirty
thirtyone thirtytwo thirtythree thirtyfour thirtyfive thirtysix thirtyseven thirtyeight thirtynine fourty
Ellie at 52 weeks


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Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
The String Debacle
This is how much of a Rip Van Winkle I am....
So when I went to Joe Satriani's G4 Camp last summer, one of the things I found out about modern guitar preferences is string gauge. Before, strings were a pretty easy selection for me - 9's to whatever they were back then, seems to me the low E would be a 42. Well that's all different now. Players are using heavier and heavier gauge strings, and Phil Collen, Def Leppard's guitarist who was one of the speakers at the G4, even touting the use of 14's. 14's!!!! Like holy fuck those are some heavy gauge strings.
So once I finally unpacked my goodie bag from the G4 (G4 was in July, I unpacked in November... long story) I noticed a few packs of strings given gratis to the campers. D'Addario XL's or something like that. They went from 11-58 I think. Cool! Now I too, will be one of these remarkable heavy gauge players of modern times.
First, I went to change the strings on my old Performance guitar. It used to be my main guitar back in the day, but it's very outdated Washburn Wonderbar tremelo surely relegates it to just an oddity now. Of course it has a special place in my heart though, so I put some of those big heavy strings on it.
After I was finished, I put the bar on and noticed something very odd about the bridge. It was all tilted forward. That's strange, I thought. This guitar had been sitting, mostly, for much of the last 15 years or so. Was it always like that? I thought to myself... No, it could not have been. I adjusted it a little bit, how I remembered which screw to turn on the 1980's class Wonderbar I have no idea, but it kind of worked a little bit. Still looked odd...
Next to focus on my main guitar. I don't really like changing strings much, but I was also changing out the pickup on my main guitar these days, the ESP. So it was an ideal time and I slapped those babies on.
That's when I noticed the odd position of my Floyd Rose. It was leaning forward at a severe angle. This can't be right. A simple string change, and now I've gone and fucked everything up! I check the intonation too - oh my God not even close! My guitar.... is screwed up.
Then I think about my other guitars. In addition to the Performance, I had changed the strings on my new Dean Dime guitar a few months before the G4. For that, I had just used regular 9's to 46's which seemed like a solid choice to me at the time. Now I looked at the Floyd Rose on that. It was angled too, but the other direction. The guitar had obviously been sold to me with a heavier gauge already on.
To wrap this up - changing to heavier strings will fuckup action, it will fuck up the way your bridge floats, and it will fuck up your intonation. There ought to be a goddamn warning label on those packages.
For the last month, it has just been deflating to me. I have to go through these 3 guitars and unfuck them up. Plus I still have my Warmoth neck guitar that needs TLC because it's been neglected as well. This morning I made a start, replacing the strings on the ESP and trying to dial in the bridge float. After that I still need to intonate it and then I can move on to the next one, probably the Dean. Meantime I've pretty much let this funk hinder me from any more writing for my JDT project. I picked up the acoustic a few times this weekend, hopefully can get the creative vibes kickstarted once again.
It sucks getting old. It sucks even worse feeling like you have to play catch up on the last two decades.
Posted by MikeButurla at 10:59 AM
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About Us
Nanofilm is a world class manufacturer of photomask blanks, specializing in the polishing and thin film coating of flat optical glass.
Soda lime, quartz, borofloat, borosilicate, White Crown, Corning, and B270 are just a few of the substrate materials offered by Nanofilm. While all standard square sizes are available, custom sizes can also be cut, beveled (seamed), cleaned and prepared for metallization.
Photo resist coating is available for all standard, and most custom, size substrates. Spinning is the method used to apply the photo resist. Photo resist coatings used are AZ1518 and AZ TFP650 both are available in thicknesses of 5300A and 10,000A.
Nanofilm is also a distributor of industry products such as, shipping boxes, mask carriers, and handles for mask carriers to help with your processing needs.
Working closely with our customers allows us develop new thin films or make improvements to current coatings in order to meet the demands of an ever-changing industry. If you have questions about our products, or need something special to achieve your desired results, please contact us.


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In this post I'll demonstrate how to build a object oriented Tkinter GUI application for associating labels to filenames in order to quickly and easily build a set of training data. The Submit button will associate the label with the file, and the Save and Quit button will dump the file and its associated label into a Python dict, and then a cPickle file for later use. This is still a little rough around the edges; it assumes that you're looking for PNG data in the current directory, and the output overwrites previous output, but it's a start.
All posts by cjohnson318
Open an Excel File in Pandas
In this post I'll demonstrate how to open an Excel file in Python using Pandas, a (the) module for data manipulation. I love using Pandas, and I cannot recommend it enough.
Wiring a Tilt Switch
I bought one of the Arduino Sidekick component kits from RadioShack this weekend and I'd like to build a few circuits with those parts over the next few posts. I'll be using Mike Margolis' Arduino Cookbook which is the best text on tinkering with Arduinos that I have found, and I highly recommend it.
Using QGIS and OSGeo4W for Geo-Data Tasks
In this post I'll discuss creating and altering shapefiles, and converting point sets from one coordinate reference system to another. I'll also touch on scripting these tasks for large data sets. I'll begin with the installation of Quantum GIS and Python for manipulating geographical data. I mainly use QGIS for visualizing and building shapefiles, and I use OSGeo4W from the command line for adding/converting shapefile projections, and converting point sets from one CRS to another.
Query Google Maps API Using Windows PowerShell
Google Maps API lets you make query information elevation data using WGS84 coordinates. All you have to do is construct a URL with the coordinates, and then Google will return a JSON file. A JSON file is basically a text file, with some extra structure, in the form of some keywords, brackets, braces, and semi-colons.
Computing Principal Components in Python
In this post I will walk through the computation of principal components from a data set using Python. A number of languages and modules implement principal components analysis (PCA) but some implementations can vary slightly which may lead to confusion if you are trying to follow someone else's code, or you are using multiple languages. Perhaps more importantly, as a data analyst you should at all costs avoid using a tool if you do not understand how it works. I will use data from The Handbook of Small Data Sets to illustrate this example. The data sets will be found in a zipped directory on site linked above.
Exploratory Factor Analysis in R
In this post I'll provide an example of exploratory factor analysis in R. We will use the
psych package by William Revelle. Factor analysis seeks to find latent variables, or factors, by looking at the correlation matrix of the observed variables. This technique can be used for dimensionality reduction, or for better insight into the data. As with any technique, this will not work in all scenarios. Firstly, latent variables are not always present, and secondly, it will miss existing latent variables if they are not apparent from the observed data. More information can be found in the manual distributed with the package.
Simple Kriging in Python
In this post I will work through an example of Simple Kriging. Kriging is a set of techniques for interpolation. It differs from other interpolation techniques in that it sacrifices smoothness for the integrity of sampled points. Most interpolation techniques will over or undershoot the value of the function at sampled locations, but kriging honors those measurements and keeps them fixed. In future posts I would like to cover other types of kriging, other semivariaogram models, and colocated co-kriging. Until then, I'm keeping relatively up to date code at my GitHub project, geostatsmodels.
Fractal Interpolation
In this post I will present a Python implementation of a new technique for fractal interpolation derived from a paper by Manousopoulos, Drakopoulos, and Theoharis. You may find my code on here on GitHub. Fractal interpolation is useful for data sets that exhibit self similarity at multiple scales, which are difficult to interpolate with polynomials.
Compound Digit Recognition with Random Forests
I noticed that when I photocopy and email documents, the resulting attachment has relatively low resolution, and the digits get melded to one another. I decided to try to build a classifier to begin to sort this out. To this end, I needed to build a data set. First, I used svgfig to produce SVG sans-serif digit pairs, with kerning adjusted at four intervals. Then I used inkscape to create PNG images from the SVG files. Finally, I read the PNG images and wrote them to a NumPy array. I created a set of clean images, and images polluted with Gaussian noise, with a mean of zero, and a variance of 0.1. (The pixels were then rescaled back to the range of 0 to 1.) I also shifted each pair in eight directions. This produced a data set with 7200, 16×16 pixel images, half of which were noisy. I used a random forests classifier from sklearn, and performed 10-fold cross validation.


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Miss Avonlee is the face and inspiration of Heavenly Avonlee. Heavenly Avonlee headbands are made by local Chico designer Cambria, who is just the sweetest gal you'll ever meet. Her headbands are always stunning & gorgeous with so much attention to detail. If you are looking for the perfect headpiece, Heavenly Avonlee is available online and also carried downtown at The Kat's Meow.
As for the teepee, I have been wanting to make one for a while for my boys to play in. I bought the poles and have had them sitting in my family room for a while. Well, it just wasn't happening for me to design one. When I saw a similar ruffled teepee online, I knew exactly who to ask. Thank you, thank you to the ever talented Charissa. 9 months pregnant and still doesn't slow down. Now I have one for the boys to play in (minus the lace on the top) and to use for sessions and I just love it.
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Order online or call us 770-405-1060
This 1-1/4 diameter, galvanized steel washer from Rodenhouse is used to attach lath (for stucco or stone veneer) and plaster or stucco repair. Use with screws or nails over wood, steel, or concrete substrates to attach fiberglass lath, wire or expanded metal lath, & laminated foam board. For plaster repair, stabilize sagging plaster to wooden lath and then skim-coat.
Rodenhouse Inc is the Industry leader in manufacturing fasteners to attach continuous rigid insulation, building wrap, EIFS, stucco, and other construction applications. Since 1993 Rodenhouse has been the leader in the manufacture of fastening systems for rigid insulation systems. Plasti-Grip® PMF Plastic Masonry Fastener or foam fastener washer, is a plastic nail used for fastening EPS foam in PB EIFS systems, rigid foam insulation, and waterproofing drainage fabric into concrete or masonry block applications. Thermal-Grip ci Prong Washer is designed for attaching rigid insulation, including polystyrene (XPS), polyisocyanurate (polyiso), expanded polystyrene (EPS) mineral wool and rock wool , etc. to walls.
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text: A blog dedicated to Drake? Hmm maybe we will be taking up music reviews next but today we are talking our top five model moments. From weekly collaborations and drops, including the Reebok x Naked editorial; featuring crew necks, tracksuits that are more eighties then the Stranger Things opening sequence and mesh details, to Surf Is Dead part 2 drop for the Ironic bunch. We are talking sneak previews, from shooting with the MIC cast to steamy lingerie projects - See what our IMM models have been up too!


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Obituary & Guest Book Preview for LOUISE BRUGNOLI
LOUISE BRUGNOLI Obituary
Published in Staten Island Advance from May 24 to May 27, 2012
First 25 of 95 words
: BRUGNOLI Louise Brugnoli (nee Bonici) of Westerleigh, formerly of South Beach, on May 22, 2012. Beloved wife of Frank. Loving mother of Ivano and his...
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LOUISE BRUGNOLI Guest Book | View 2 of 2 Entries:
"We know this is a difficult time for you, but you know your Mom is in a better place...." -
mary jane eicke
"Denise your mom will be in my heart always. She was and always wil be an angel. I have such fond memories of her and my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family." -
Joann Maffei D'Armetta
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Risk management has become an important requirement in many industries and is an indispensable tool for today's corrosion and materials engineers. Risk management presents many challenges given the complexity of the material degradation processes. This conference will bring together over 150 experts from a wide range of industries to share knowledge and best practices in corrosion risk management.
Learn from industry leaders on best practices in corrosion management.
Make connections with integrity managers, researchers, engineers, and more.
Discover the latest products and services in corrosion risk management.


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Hello, SugarPea Designs loving friends!
It's time for a NEW SugarPea Designs monthly challenge theme... Feeling Sentimental!
· Play along with any stamp you like - but if you use SugarPea Designs, we'll top your voucher up to $15!
· Play along with any stamp you like - but if you use SugarPea Designs, we'll top your voucher up to $15!
· Combine our challenge with any other challenge(s)!
· Upload to your blog or other online gallery using keyword: SPD17 so that we may check out your beautiful work.
· Add your link to the linkup on the SugarPea Blog. You'll find our current challenges on the sidebar.
Bee My Honey
SWEET INCENTIVE STAMP SET - FREE with a $60 order
SugarCuts - Polaroid Journal Card
How adorable is that little bear?! I've always loved teddy bears, so this set is near and dear to my heart. The sweet sentiments and fun images make this stamp set that you will use again and again! What's even better is that this set is FREE with $60 purchase through the end of this month.
I stamped the tree, grass, and bees from Bee My Honey over a piece of gray/white speckled paper, then added a copic-colored bear to the scene. The main panel is one of two of the SugarCuts - Heart Journal Card Set and an extra SugarCuts - Polaroid Journal Card is nestled in the stack of layers. The sentiment from Bee My Honey was stamped as a tag and embellished with some stapled baker's twine to finish it off.
Thanks so much for stopping by the stage! Head on over to the SugarPea Designs blog and see what the other designers have created with the Feeling Sentimental challenge!


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April Fools, It's 30 in 30!
We are all April fools in one way or another. Even the Earth, solid as a mother, is wonky come April. She likes to play a trick or two. Rain and flowers one day, snow and ice the next. A deep frost will kill off those carrots just beginning to poke their tiny green from the ground, but we will plant again. She is only up to her old tricks, at least up here in the mountains. April is not a month you can completely trust, anywhere. Isn't that something we love about her, though? Out soaking up rays one day, using the rest of the firewood the next.
There are a couple of things you can count on come April: someone will play an April Fool's joke on you when you least expect it because you forget it is April 1st. And there's the certainty, if you're a poet, that someone will challenge you to take the dare: Let's do a 30 in 30.
Every year about March 15, I start to worry the idea of 30 poems in 30 days like a dog with a slow bowl. It's a niggling feeling, like you haven't really gotten all the good you can get out of this exercise yet. On the other hand, like the 28 foot cliff I jumped from into a pool of deep green water when I was 25, I think maybe I should quit while I'm ahead. Once was enough.
I don't think so, though. I remember all too well the feeling I had on April 30th when I realized it was fait accompli. YAHHH!! Add the fact that a few of those poems were really good, and they got better and easier as the days grew longer (12, 15, 21, 23, 28), and I knew I would succumb again to the lure of writing a poem a day for 30 days.
So here I am and there you are. I am making the commitment. This is the hard part. Whenever I think, "I'm just going to do it and not tell anybody," I know I'm not serious. I won't do it if I don't hold myself accountable. And neither will you. So that's the first poem you write. The one that holds you accountable. The one you may not show anybody, but also the one you told everybody you would write. The one that proclaims there will be 29 more. Yes, haikus are acceptable. Limericks, too.
I have decided I don't have to post all mine this year, as I did in 2014. I might, but it's not a requirement. I know for a fact they won't all be good. Maybe not even most; hopefully some. Still I have written a lot of bad poems, so I'm not shy, especially if it gets someone else writing. I will post a few hints throughout the month to help you along, should you falter. You can't fail. You'll just have fewer poems come Mayday.
Click the link below to read my first effort. This will encourage you and show you for a fact that you have to write some bad, or so-so poems, in order to write a good one. Also, as you will see should you read the poem, I do this partly because I have always been a fool in April.
ABC's for an April Fool by Mendy Knott


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FBI counterintelligence agents plan to visit about 250 local (Hampton Roads Virginia) businesses over the next month.
But the visits - which will start this week - won't be to serve subpoenas or lock anyone up. The agents will actually be offering their help.
Officials with the FBI's Norfolk Field Office in Chesapeake announced a new outreach effort last week to help identify local businesses with trade secrets that could be targeted by foreign powers. They want to make sure those secrets are safe and powering the U.S. economy, not China's or Russia's.


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Kendall Cliffs will be closed 4/21/14 –
4/26/14 for installation of our new
landing surface!
Groupon Participants:
Please click on this link Groupon FAQ's for more information regarding your Groupon vouchers.
Kendall Cliffs is the only professionally-designed and built rock gym in Ohio. Our Nicros designed gym has a combination of textured plywood and "natural" rock surfaces. We have 7,000 square feet of climbing surface with a peak height of 35 feet.
The most unique feature of the facility is a 35-foot high arch traversing the span of the building. We offer top roping and lead climbing to keep even the most advanced climbers challenged. Our large rock bouldering cave is perfect for training.
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MINKA was founded by a group of friends Rebecca, Ron & Aki, each adding their own flavor to the healing pot. We believe in community, working together and raising our children in a planet where love is the currency. When you work with us, you can expect honesty, transparency and straight forward advice. MINKA represents space for collaboration and business development, productivity promoting workshops open to the public and pure holistic magic. Welcome. Thank you for joining us.


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New contemporary home built on the most exclusive and unique river front setting in Aspen. This amazing property overlooks the Roaring Fork River with stunning views across to protected open space of Stillwater. Exclusive serene location just a short walk or bike to town. A rare opportunity to own a fabulous new home on the river, this coveted subdivision is absolutely one-of-a-kind!
Gorgeous modern finishes and furnishings throughout this stunning home. The open living areas feature great natural light and serene views of the river and mountains extending to the open deck with seating and firepit. The state-of-the-art kitchen features all new Miele appliances, double ovens, cappuccino maker, and large island with a breakfast bar. The elegant dining area features beautiful decor and seating for eight. The top floor master suite highlights gorgeous mountain views extending to the balcony, a gas fireplace, spacious walk in closet with private laundry and extensive en suite marble bath. The lower level includes a spacious media room with two seating areas, a large wine storage wall, wet bar and media center, perfect for entertaining guests. Guest bedrooms enjoy luxurious furnishings and en suite bathrooms with double vanities, walk-in showers and soaking tubs.
- Air Conditioning
- Balcony
- Breakfast Bar
- Deck
- Dining Area
- Firepit
- Fireplace
- Fully Furnished
- Gourmet Kitchen
- Landscaping
- Laundry Room
- Media Room
- Mountain Views
- New Property
- Private Deck
- Radiant Heated Floors
- Roaring Fork River Views
- Snowmelt Driveway
- Steam Shower
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- Two Car Garage
- Vaulted Ceilings
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Featured image by Force Majeure on Unsplash
Previously published on my old blog 'Lauren Says It All'
Men and women have always been led to believe different things. The way they should act, and things they should do. Even how they should feel.
For example if a man shows an emotion such as sadness, he may be told to 'man up' or to 'grow a pair.' That man will be made to feel abnormal for feeling that emotion. Over time this will make him unable to open up and express his feelings in the future, in fear that he will get shot down again. If a woman is emotional or upset people make such a fuss. Where is the gender equality? Why do we act so differently
If a man was to fight for custody of his child then he would have to prove that there is something wrong with the mother, and that she is in an unfit state to take care of the child. Men have little parental rights. If a child is unwell at school and has to be sent home, then the mother is the first person that the school will call, not the father.
Why is this?
Each parent could be at work so why is it the mother that has to miss out on pay instead of the father? It is just a natural instinct that the mother is to be called first, due to the emotional side of the female that we have all believed to be the 'nature' of females? The way they are? Men care just as much about their children don't they? So why are they being put last?
That brings me to my next point.
Men have been led to believe that they must bring the highest income into the household, and that they should provide for their family. That's not equal. Why are women any less able to work and earn money than men? Men can feel emasculated if they don't earn more money than their partner and can feel like they have failed.
When it comes to sexual activity, if a woman is less sexually expressive than a man, then they are called frigid and uptight. Yet if we were to sleep with someone we are not in a relationship with, then we get called slags or whores. But of course if a man has a one night stand or acts promiscuous then people look up to him like a god. He gets high fived by his friends and men act like he is a great role model and want to be like him. Yet women are seen as disgusting for doing the same. Where is the sense in that?
Women are said to be more sensitive than men. You won't often see a man shouting at a woman, the way he would a man. Women are said to be more vulnerable. Yet if a woman shouts at a man or is even physically abusive then people would say 'well the man must have done something horrible or started it' the man would get the blame for the woman's actions without people trying to understand the situation first, and he would not be able to defend himself.
Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong. It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum not as two opposing sets of ideals- Emma Watson
Women are much more self conscious about their body and the way they view themselves than men are. If a woman shows she is uncomfortable in her own skin, then she tends to get more support and is made to feel better about herself. Yet if a man is uncomfortable with his body, he would receive little sympathy and made to feel less macho for being self conscious. The truth is, we are all sensitive in our own ways, and at the moment we are not equal.
It is said that a women can hold a grudge forever, whilst a man can just get over things. But do we know what is really going on, on the inside? Maybe a woman is seen to hold a grudge for longer and be more stubborn because she is dealing with her problems externally; and has no issue with displaying her emotions and true feelings. Whilst a man could act like he is not bothered on the outside and play an act. But on the inside his mind may never rest, and he could be avoiding dealing with the matter in hand; making it worse in the long term.
Now Feminism is what people can get confused with. People confuse the word 'feminism' to mean that women are putting men down and trying to be above them. What feminism actually is, is the belief that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. Not to be treated differently, but for women to be treated with the same respect as you would a man, regardless of your gender.
We are different. There are pros and cons for being a man or a woman but why can't we be equal?
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When I was growing up in Pakistan in the 1960s, when the world needed superhuman acts from it leaders, I was always able to look west. I saw a land of giants with the Kennedys, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and others. I had learned of the founding fathers and their extraordinary vision. The unique features that this young country was constantly striving to improve fascinated many Pakistanis, like Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan who believed in minority and women's rights. Concepts of pluralism, openness, and cultural integration put forth by Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, in the 18th century were being simultaneously challenged and enacted. I admired America from afar.
I still admire America. And when I settled in Washington DC in August of 2001, I was eager to embrace the virtues that America had shone on the world.
As a trained anthropologist, I had always been fascinated with American culture. America was a melting pot and Muslims were a part of that, however invisible they may have been. The events of September 2001, made me acutely aware that this 'invisibility' was temporary. Islam would become the focal point of the war on terrorism, both abroad and here in America. Muslims Americans are not the first to go through the sometimes difficult process of integration. We have seen it with African Americans, American Indians, Japanese Americans and Italians to name a few.
In 2006, I led a research team through the Muslim world, visiting 9 countries from the Middle East to South Asia to Far East Asia. I brought along a trusted team of young Americans. In essence, I was a guide for my young team to the Muslim world. We spoke to Presidents, Prime Ministers, students, Cab drivers and families in their own homes. We visited Mosques and Madrassas. Our goal was to listen to their views. We handed out questionnaires to hundreds of people in each country and wrote up the results of our trip in Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization.
With my sabbatical leave from American University approaching this fall, I decided that I would again turn to my young team, only this time asking them to be my guide. Most of my team from the last project and some fresh new blood will be taking me through my home away from home, a Journey into America.
On September 1st, 2008 my team of young American scholars and I will embark upon a 'first of its kind' anthropological journey throughout the United States. Through in-depth interviews, questionnaires and observations, my team and I will have the unique opportunity to examine the contemporary attitudes and perceptions of Muslims and non-Muslims in the post 9-11 era. In meeting with prominent local officials, university students, and religious leaders of all denominations, this study will analyze the American values of pluralism, openness, and cultural integration put forth by the founding fathers.
Upon exploring the cultural, social, and political fabric of the Muslim community, this project will also actively engage in rediscovering American identity. As a Muslim who believes in the vision of the founding fathers as seen in the The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, I am hopeful that we will be able to rediscover this unique vision.
For those who remain skeptical about a Muslim touring and commenting on America, I recall another foreigner who approached America with a great deal of affection and admiration. If someone with a French background can make a lasting contribution, I believe someone with a Pakistani background can certainly attempt the same. I am setting off therefore with confidence in my heart but also armed with a copy of De Tocqueville's classic and the words of Jefferson, Franklin and Washington ringing in my ears.
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed
Washington, DC


text:
The Game Test
By P.P.
Great article by the Bull Terrier Times Review
In my opinion, the Game Test is a very important part of breeding and matching
gamedogs. I think that the purpose of the game test is misunderstood by many
dogmen. I also think that a lot of poor advice has been written about game
testing. The stories that dogmen tell about the way they game test their dogs
are often exaggerations or lies. I am going to write about, why I believe dogs
should be game tested and how I would test them. If you don't agree with what I
have to say on the subject, feel free to skip this article or write your own. I
am writing my opinion of the truth, whether it makes the reader happy or
conforms to popular belief or not. I don't really care if some readers disagree
with me or not, but if my advice is helpful to anyone, then I would be happy
about that. I came to my opinions from twenty years experience of running a yard
of sixty dogs. I won't change my opinions for you and I don't expect any
experienced dogman to change his opinions for me. This article is for those that
are still learning and want to read an opinion that is somewhat different than
those they may have read before.
I would describe a game test as a hard roll for your dog, usually, but not
always thirty minutes or longer. It is a roll in which your dog will get hurt,
tired and getting the worst of the fight. This game test will tell you what your
dog will do when he is tired and being handled by his opponent. Does he have the
gameness to keep trying to win against a stronger dog, when he's tired and on
the bottom most of the time? How does he act in his corner? How does he scratch
into a dog that's getting the best of him? The game test will answer all of
these questions and also tell you about your dogs stamina and fighting
abilities. A game test should never be against an opponent of the opposite sex.
To make sure that your dog gets the most out of the roll, their opponent should
be several pounds heavier, but do not overdo this!
One reason to game test a dog is to see if they are worth a bet in a match. I
think that the better fighter a dog is, then the less game testing they require.
For instance, if you have a dog that easily handles dogs of his own size in
rolls, he would probably handle his opponents in a match as well. What is the
point in half killing a dog like this in a game test? He probably won't need
extreme gameness to win his match, because he will be the top dog most of the
time. A dog without much fighting ability will probably have to come from behind
if he is going to win. I would test this type of dog somewhat harder before
betting on him, because you must depend on his gameness and stamina to win a
match. The other reason for game testing a dog, would be if you were going to
use the dog for breeding. Any male or female I use for breeding purposes must
have passed a reasonable game test to demonstrate their gameness, stamina or
ability. If they could not pass this test, then I would not use them for
breeding purposes, no matter how well bred they might have been.
I think a dog should be at least two years old and mentally ready for a game
test. They should be fully started and have been rolled at least four times.
Some slow starters are nowhere near ready at two years old and you must go by
the way they act and not their actual age. Your dog should be in perfect health,
because the test will put a strain on their heart and system. I don't condition
a dog for a game test, but they should be lean and healthy, but not conditioned
as for a match. One of the reasons I game test a dog is to see how they act when
they are tired. If they are conditioned it will take longer before they are
tired, forcing the test to take longer and your dog to take more punishment. I
also use these tests to see how much natural 'air' the dog has and it hard to
tell this when you have worked them for six weeks. I try to roll the dog that
I'm testing into a bigger dog that wrestles well, but doesn't bite hard. I
believe that most dogs will quit, because they are tired and on the bottom, not
from being bitten hard. The idea is to test the dogs gameness, not to break its
bones. I also try to avoid rolling them into a dog that fights in the mouth, so
that they won't lose any teeth.
You should always be in control, remember this is a roll not a match. Have an
idea of how you are going to test your dog. Pick an opponent of the same sex,
that is about five pounds larger, a strong wrestler, but not a hard biter. This
dog should outfight yours, without cutting them up or breaking any of their
bones. Make sure to have a watch on, don't guess at the time, know how long the
roll has lasted. The game test is to find out if your dog is reasonably game.
You must use some imagination and make an educated guess as to their gameness,
by the way they act during a reasonable game test. If you insist on knowing for
sure whether your dog is dead game, or not, then you will probably end up
killing him. I can truthfully promise anyone, that a dead dog makes a poor dog
for future matches. A dead dog does not make much of a stud or brood b###h
Many game dogs are killed each year in game tests by dogmen that don't know what
they are doing. The story is always the same, "Gee!, he was the gamest,
toughest, best damn dog I ever saw; too bad we took him a little bit too far in
his game test, now he's dead..." Any fool can roll a game dog to death, it is up
to you not to take him too far. I can watch a dog in a hard thirty minute roll
and know about game they are. Sometimes I am confident in a dogs gameness after
watching him roll for only fifteen minutes. I have the experience and the
ability to know a dog is deep game without taking him to deaths door. I have
learned what to look for. I have used my method of judging a dogs gameness from
a medium hard roll and I have almost never been wrong. Yes!, a couple of times a
dog that I'd thought to be dead game did quit in a long, hard match, but 98% of
the time my judgement of a dogs gameness has been correct. This may seem like
bragging on my part, but I do have the ability to spot a game dog, without half
killing them in a roll and I do know other dogmen that have this ability.
I also know other experienced dogmen, who cannot tell if a dog is game unless
they see the dog take his death game. If you don't have the experience or
ability to tell if a dog is game during a reasonably hard roll, then I suggest
you have a trusted friend, who does have this gift, with you when you game test
your dogs.
Here are some of the things I look for when I'm testing a dog for gameness:
1. A game dog always thinks he's winning even when he's losing. He enjoys the
fight and has a confident look on his face. He always keeps trying to win.
2. When a game dog is taken to his corner, there's no doubt that he's going to
scratch. He is always looking at his opponent and trying to get at him.
3. He scratches straight and hard, without hesitation.
4. He will stay in holds if he can
I breed and match dogs under the Cajun Rules. The Cajun rules is a scratching
contest and scratching is the name of the game. A dog can make every 'bad move'
in the book. He can turn, yelp, cry, drop his tail and put the hair up on his
back, but if he makes his scratches in time, he can win the match. On the other
hand, your dog can fight like an ace, throw his opponent all over the pit and
cut him up, but if he fails to scratch, then you lose. I have seen many fight
end up with the winner being a beaten up mess and the loser with hardly a
scratch on him. Why?, because the beat up dog made his scratch and the other did
not. Your dog can have all the ability in the world and be a mile ahead, but if
he doesn't scratch, then you lose! This is why, the way in which my dogs act in
the corner, between scratches and the way he goes across on his scratches, is so
important to me. If he hesitates to bite the other dog when he gets there, then
I lose confidence in the dog. Hesitation on the scratch or slow scratching is
just a step away from not scratching at all. When I have the pleasure of
watching a truly game dog in action for thirty minutes or so, and then see him
screaming and struggling to get back to the opponent, at the end of a roll, I
feel in my bones, that he is game. Matching a dog is always a gamble anyway. No
test that you can give a dog will guarantee that he will win his match. The idea
is to find out if he is reasonably game, without 'rolling' the life out of him.
This is no joke!! I have seen great dogs ruined by unbelievable game tests.
These dogs passed their tests, but they were never near as good after the tests
as they were before it. I have noticed in rolls and matches, that dogs usually
got hurt when they could no longer fight back. As long as they were able to push
for a hold they usually didn't get hurt too bad, even when they were badly
outfought. But, when a dog could only lay there and take it, the other dog could
push into the bites and shake out his holds. It's like the boxer that's been
stunned by a hard punch and can't keep his hands up to block or punch back. The
other boxer can now hit him clean and with full force. The hurt fighter cannot
block the punches or roll with them, so he takes it full force, blow after blow
and can be seriously hurt.
It's the same thing with a dog that's too tired to fight back, he can be badly
injured. Watch the game test closely and if your dog gets so tired that he can't
fight back, you should stop it right then. Scratch your dog and call it a day.
If you are an inexperienced dogman and have a more experienced dogman helping
you to test your dog, then make sure that he has your best interests in mind.
After all, he didn't buy you dog or raise it from a pup. He has nothing invested
in your dog, and unless he is really your friend, it's nothing to him if your
dog is ruined.
When I was first starting in the dog game, I had a so-called friend 'help' me
test my dogs. This man had much more experience than I did, so I listened to his
advice. Every time I tested a dog, he would tell me to roll it harder or to
bring in a second dog on the one I was testing. Even when I was satisfied that
the dog I was testing was game, he would try and get me to keep the test going.
Then it dawned on me, that when this man tested his own dogs, he didn't roll
them for that long or that hard. It was only when MY dogs were tested, that he
encouraged such long. hard tests. He was not my friend and he only wanted me to
ruin my own dogs, so that he could sell me some of his own 'game' dogs.
I believe that some of the game tests suggested by some well known books are far
too hard. The Armitage book "Thirty Years with Fighting Dogs" has a severe game
test that Mr Armitage recommends. He says you should use two rough, hard-biting
dogs, much larger than your own dog. He says to roll your dog for twenty minutes
with the first big, rough dog and then immediately put the second dog on him for
another twenty minutes. He says that if your dog will scratch after that, then
he's worth a bet. I agree that a dog which lived through that and scratched,
would be worth a bet, if you ever got him healed up. If you tried that Armitage
test with todays dogs, you'll kill the dog you're testing more often than not.
I have seen two dogs used to test one dog many times. I personally don't think
it's a good idea. If your dog has been fighting with the first for twenty
minutes or more, he will usually be too tired to stay with a fresh dog. The
second dog will give him a beating much worse than he would take in a match. He
only has to fight one dog for money, so why use two dogs for a test? Some dogs
that would be dead game to one dog will get confused and quit against a number
of different dogs in a row. If you pick the right opponent for your dog to roll
with, then one dog is all it takes to test your dog. Test your dog once only to
your satisfaction. Many times I have seen dog men roll their dogs very hard.
When the roll is over, they think that he's game, but they're still not sure. So
two or three months later they roll him hard all over again. I've heard of some
dogs being tested four or five times over. This is crazy! Test your dog one time
only and never test him again. A game test is harder on a dog than are most
matches. The dogs that are tested four times could have won four matches, but by
the time his stupid owner finally gets up the courage to match him, He's all
used up from game tests and his chances of winning are decreased.
Test your dog the same way, regardless of their breeding. Many dog men will test
a dog to within an inch of its life, if it's breeding is different to their main
line. They 'baby' the dogs of their own bloodlines and look the other way or
make excuses if they look bad. School them all correctly, give them all a
reasonably hard test and let the chips fall where they may. A well known dog man
is famous for the insane game tests he puts dogs of other bloodlines through. He
is out to stop the dog and prove that this line is not as good as his 'family'
line. He rolls the dog he wants to stop very hard and then the next day, when
the dog is still too sore and swollen to get out of his doghouse, rolls him hard
again. He continues to roll the dog hard everyday, until it quits and then says
he knew it was a cur all the time. This only proves that any fool can quit any
dog that has hair on it, if that's what he wants to do. This guys own bloodline,
his family, are not game dogs, but he babies them in their rolls. His dogs
wouldn't take 1/10th of the punishment he hands out to dogs of other bloodlines.
Some dog men, although not as extreme as this guy. do tend to test other lines
much harder than their own.
I believe many dog men flat out lie about how hard they test their own dogs.
After all, you weren't there when they tested their dogs so you have to take
their word for it. If one dog man is saying he rolled his dog into a five pound
bigger dog for thirty minutes, then the next dog man has to top him. He says he
rolled his dog with a ten pound bigger dog for an hour. Then another dog man
comes along with the story of using three different dogs on his dog for an hour
and thirty minutes. The harder the game tests are in these stories (lies), the
gamer it's supposed to make their dogs look.
Many times I hear of a dog that has been through an unbelievable game test,
never made a bad move and scratched like a rocket. This dog has been with three
or four rough ones, off the chain for almost two hours. Then this same dog is
matched and he quits in less than an hour after taking very little punishment.
How could this happen? Simple! The dog was never tested that hard. The game test
was a Bulls**t story. I have been at some game tests and seen what really
happened and then heard about the same test some time later. The test that I
hear about is absolutely nothing like the test I witnessed.
Let's say a guy is testing his dog with his fellow dog men and drinking buddies.
They're all a bit high, but they check their watches when they start the test.
The dog rolls with the first dog for maybe fifteen minutes. Then, to make the
test a real good one, he has one of his friends go home and get another dog. It
takes twenty minutes to get back with the second dog, during which time his own
dog has had a good rest. Then he rolls his dog into the second dog for ten
minutes and his dog scratches. Then to make sure that no-one can doubt his dogs
gameness, he has another friend go and get a third dog. It takes another
twenty-five minutes for this third dog to get back. His dog goes another five
minutes against the third dog and scratches again. The owner checks his watch
and sees that one hour and ten minutes has passed. "WOW"!! he says. Over an hour
and ten minutes with three dogs in a row; can anybody doubt the gameness of his
dog? He has taken a rather mild test and turned it into something it was not.
His dog never went anymore than fifteen minutes with any one dog and got plenty
of rest between each new dog. So!, don't believe everything you hear about how
game dogs are tested. Most of it is Bull. If you roll a lean, healthy dog off
the chain into a slightly bigger dog for thirty to forty minutes, you should
know plenty about his gameness, if you know what to look for. If you are
careful, you can learn about his gameness without taking too much out of him.
Then you can match a fresh dog with all his teeth.
Many of the dogs from my yard have proven their gameness for my customers in
two, three and four hour matches. I have never found it necessary to roll a dog
for more than forty-five minutes or to use more than one dog against him. If you
plan to test a dog that's over six years old, please remember that they can't be
tested as hard as a youngster without putting their health in danger.


text:
J. William Wulf, M.D. is the Corporate Medical Director for Central Ohio Primary Care Physicians (COPC), the second largest physician-owned medical group in the country. Dr. Wulf is driven by innovative changes and quality healthcare initiatives such as Meaningful Use achievement and Patient-Centered Medical Home adoption that will result in improved patient care and overall patient satisfaction. COPC is fully electronic allowing for continuity of care in all settings including outpatient, ancillary, urgent care, hospitalist services and skilled nursing facilities.
Dr. Wulf graduated from The Medical College of Ohio in 1985 and is board certified in Internal Medicine. In 1996, he became one of the founding members of COPC and was named Corporate Medical Director in 2007.


text:
Re: bracketaccess or $bracket-apply$ ? John Cowan 22 Sep 2012 17:42 UTC
David A. Wheeler scripsit: > Should we map x[foo bar] to (bracketaccess foo bar), as it currently > does, or ($bracket-apply$ foo bar) ? > > I'd like to hear people's opinions! Well, you know my opinion. Another advantage of a symbol with two $s in it is that it's less likely to already be in use; indeed, I have rarely seen any Scheme identifiers with $ at all, even though the requirement to support it as an extended alphabetic character goes back to R2RS. Of course, any Lisp variant that supports \-escaping or || can handle $bracket-apply$ fine. -- "Well, I'm back." --Sam John Cowan <email@example.com>


text:
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Aviation History
FLIGHT International. 25 December 1975 923 SPACE SHUTTLE Within a decade from now most of America's in ventory of conventional throwaway launch rockets will have been replaced by a more elegant and hopefully cheaper ladder to orbit. Though costing an order less than the sum spent to put men on the FINISHED structural components and equipment from 10,000 companies across the length and breadth of the United States are being assembled at Palmdale in California to form the first Space Shuttle, a winged rocket that combines aeronautical and space technology in an endeavour to exploit the military and commercial possibilities of space in an economic way. The design of the Space Shuttle has now been frozen, at least for OV-101, the first of the two vehicles being put together by Rock well International. The initial Orbiter (the aerodynamic vehicle itself, without the huge external fuel tank or the equally impressive solid-propellant booster rockets) will be towed out into the sunlight on September 17 next year at Palmdale. In a sequence of progressively more advanced tests it will be flown, captive atop a Boeing 747, from the Flight Research Centre at Edwards AFB beginning on April 1, 1977, and then air-launched for glide tests starting in July of that year. The second Orbiter, OV-102, will meanwhile be delivered to the Kennedy Space Centre, on the other side of the continent, during August 1978. A month later the tank and boosters will be delivered and offered up. The complete Shuttle vehicle, with a crew of two aboard, will make its first flight into space on April 1, 1979. Three months later, on July 1. it will soar into orbit Moon, the challenges of turning a traditional one-shot vehicle into a kind of space airliner are just as great. The TECHNICAL EDITOR reports from Downey and Canoga Park, California, industrial birthplace respectively of the Shuttle and its main engines. around the Earth carrying the first fare-paying payload. Undoubtedly the Shuttle will be a technical success. Many of the people at Nasa, particularly at the Flight Research Centre, which tested the supersonic, hypersonic and lifting-body research aircraft, and at Rockwell, which built the Mach 6-7 X-15, have applied their skills to the design of this symbiosis of launch rocket and aeroplane. But the economics of using the Shuttle to launch relatively small payloads remain obscure. Nasa, canvassing the likely needs of America, Europe, the Third World and even Russia, has come up with a tentative list of payloads, the mission model, which defines some 572 flights during 1980-1981, the first decade of Shuttle operation. This is a significant reduction from the 725 flights forecast in the original, October 1973, mission model. The Shuttle is undoubtedly best suited to boost heavy payloads, particularly manned laboratories, to low Assembly of the first Orbiter, below, is now well advanced at Palmdale. Here the fuselage is structurally complete, though lacking the pressurised flight-deck module, and the fin and rudders are already in place. The structure across the centre section is not a mainspar—the Orbiter has a low wing—but is a gantry giving access to the interior of the vehicle
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