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The University has calculated the total cost per year to educate each of its undergraduates.
The University has calculated the total cost per year to educate each of its undergraduates.
What is the cost of a home undergraduate education at Cambridge?
The annual cost per student, as calculated based on 2012/13 figures, is 16.6k.
|University expenditure per student on Home/EU Undergraduate teaching
|College expenditure per student on Home/EU Undergraduate teaching
|Cost per Home/EU Undergraduate in full time education (including College costs)
Why are there two sets of costs?
The Colleges and University co-operate in ensuring that undergraduates receive an education of the highest quality. The Colleges accept primary responsibility for admissions, the direction of studies and small-group teaching of their students, whereas the University provides lectures, coursework, and examinations.
College costs include the costs of teaching, tutorial support, admissions, scholarships and awards and other educational facilities met by the Colleges. Other services provided by the Colleges, including accommodation, sporting and social facilities, are excluded from these calculations which concentrate exclusively on the cost of education.
How is this calculated?
The University calculates the cost of home undergrad teaching by removing from overall University expenditure the costs of University Press and Cambridge Assessment, catering, conferences and other services, research costs and the cost of teaching postgrads and overseas students. An adjustment is also added to represent the cost of capital and to reflect the long-term cost of maintaining the estate. The cost per student is then calculated by dividing this total by the number of home undergraduate students.
Teaching costs incurred by the Cambridge Colleges (minus the fee paid by the Colleges to the University to avoid double counting) are then added in. This is to reflect the fact that responsibility for undergraduate education is shared between the University and Colleges.
How accurate are these calculations?
The model for calculating the cost of an undergraduate education at Cambridge uses data from published sources, from TRAC – a Government implemented costing system on whose methodology the model is based – and the Cambridge Colleges. The method is kept under review by the University's Planning and Resources Committee. The outcome is an average and not representative of actual costs for any particular student or course.
Do the costs include food, drink and other catering costs?
No. The calculations for the cost of an undergraduate education concentrate exclusively on the education costs. The cost of catering is explicitly excluded.
Do the costs factor in the value of Cambridge's world class research?
Teaching in Cambridge is delivered in a research intensive background, which clearly adds significant value to an undergraduate education at the University.
However, the contribution world leading research makes to teaching – in both the University and the Colleges – is not separately costed, and so is not included in these calculations.
What is TRAC?
The Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) is an activity based costing system that allows reported expenditure to take account of the full economic cost. TRAC was originally developed to derive indirect cost rates to be used in research grant applications to the Research Councils.
TRAC information is reported to The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) annually.
Is the cost the same for Overseas students?
The basic cost of teaching an Overseas student is the same but there are different additional support costs and a high level of spending on bursaries and scholarships through the Cambridge Trust, for example.
Is the calculation changing?
The basis of the current calculation was established three years ago and it has not been changed since. The cost itself is recalculated every year based on the latest available data and published in the University Reporter at the same time as our fee rates. In 2010-11 it was £14,800 and in 2011-12 it was £15,100. Home/EU fees have not changed during that period, hence the gap is widening.
Is the University of Cambridge calling for higher fees?
The University recognises that the responsibility for undergraduate education is shared between the student, the government and the University and it is appropriate that some of the cost should be covered from the University's own endowment. Whatever the funding situation, the University will continue to deliver needs-blind admission on academic merit alone.
However, the University also relies on its endowment to contribute to the costs of its world-class research, especially supporting our charity funded work which does not pay overheads but which makes such a vital contribution across a range of global issues. The University has no set view on what future fee levels should be, but the increasing shortfall in meeting the cost of an undergraduate education is already affecting our ability to sustain our world-class research activity.


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Exit Counseling
What is exit counseling?
Federal loans come with two primary learning opportunities: entrance counseling and exit counseling. Entrance counseling occurs at the start of your schooling, whereas exit counseling occurs at the end of your schooling. Exit counseling is your last occasion to learn about your rights and responsibilities regarding your student loans before it's time to write that first check.
In exit counseling, you review the available repayment plans, which determine the amount of your monthly loan payment, and you get a preview of options you may qualify for should you run into trouble making a monthly payment. Exit counseling also teaches good money management strategies, so you know how to create a budget and pay your bills when you're on your own.
When should I complete exit counseling?
Exit counseling is not only for graduates. You also need exit counseling if you withdraw or stop attending school, if you decide to transfer to a different school, or if you decide to go to school less than half time.

subset: commoncrawl


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The founder and General Overseer of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry, Warri, Delta State, Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin, a.k.a, Warri TB Joshua, has embarked on a futile mission of praying for an obese woman to lose weight.
The Prophet had few weeks back told young men and women in his congregation to choose their partners during a church service.
Fufeyin had also made it clear that his "critics are indirect promoters of his ministry," stressing that criticisms spur and encourage him to do more for the people.
The Warri-based specializes in praying for people with weight problems to lose weight spiritually.
In the trending video, he could be seen praying and trying to cast out obesity from an obese woman who is lying on the floor during a Ghana partnership meeting.
He could be heard screaming "That spirit that reduces weight, reduce this weight."
See video…


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Whether you are a party of one, or up to a party of 8, you can join this tour. Minimum of 6 people required. Your reservation will be in pending status until a total of at least 6 people have registered.
Freemark Abbey Winery
Freemark Abbey Winery traces its roots back to 1886, with a long lists of "firsts." The first Napa Valley winery, on record, to be owned by a woman. One of the first wineries to open a "sampling room" for visitors in 1949. The first and only commemorative Super Bowl 50 wine for 2016. After learning more while sipping on Freemark Abbey wines, enjoy a boxed lunch at the winery from one of Napa Valley's renowned gourmet food purveyors, Dean and Deluca.
Chateau Montelena
Built in 1888, the Chateau is made of stone in the style of an English Gothic castle gatehouse – uncommon now, and even more uncommon in the 19th century. World-renowned for their victory at the Paris Tasting in 1976, there is much more to the role that Chateau Montelena has played in shaping Napa Valley's history. Discover more while indulging in a tasting at this legendary winery.
Due to winery availability, stops may be altered as needed. We will advise of this ahead of time.Book Now
9:15 a.m. Pick Up
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Freemark Abbey - Tasting
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Dean & Deluca Lunch - Picnic Lunch at Freemark Abbey
1:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Chateau Montelena - Tasting
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Ing. Saviour Baldacchino has been reinstated President of the Chamber of Engineers following a secret vote on a motion passed by the Chamber members during the Extraordinary General Meeting of the 6th February 2014.
The Annual General Meeting for 2014 will be held on Friday 28th February 2014 at 5.45pm at the Professional Centre, Gzira.
As you are aware, the Council had introduced the postal voting system for the CoE elections 2013. The aim was to encourage more members to participate in the election of the Council Members of the Chamber. This system proved to be successful.
Members are advised that nominations for Council elections 2014 closed on 24th January.The voting document, together with an explanatory letter, will be sent by post two weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting.
Voting documents that are submitted by post must be returned to the Chamber of Engineers by latest noon of the 25th February. All voting documents will be placed in a sealed box and opened only during the AGM at the counting stage of the election.
Further to the Council communication of the 19th December 2013, regarding the change of President of the Chamber, an Emergency General Meeting will be held prior to the AGM on 6th February 2014 at 17:30hrs at the Professional Centre, Gzira.
The Emergency General Meeting shall have the following procedure:
The Council urges all members to attend this Emergency General Meeting. Kindly note that as per Statute, only current 2014 members would be eligible to participate.
The Chamber of Engineers took part during Discover University Open Week held recently. Chamber Vice President Ing. Ray Vassallo gave a presentation in the Engineering Pavilion (situated in front of the University Canteen). CoE members were invited to attend, together with their families.
The Chamber of Engineers held a seminar on Industrial Excellence, which took place on Monday 21st October at the Professional Centre in Gzira. During the seminar, presentations from the following leading companies in the local industry were given:
1. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Ltd.2. Water Services Corporation3. Abertax Quality Ltd.
This seminar was organised as part of the nomination evaluation process of the 2013 Malta Engineering Excellence Awards (MEEA) organized by the Chamber. The MEEAs will be held under the Distinguished Patronage of H.E. Dr George Abela, President of Malta on the 29th of November 2013 at the Verdala Palace. The award ceremony commences at 19:30pm sharp. This event is strictly by invitation.
© 2008-12 Chamber of Engineers, All rights reserved | developed by webmalta


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Remember that riot rave Etienne De Crécy caused during 8 Years Culture Club in ICC in 2010? Or that time Crookers turned Ghent's Make Up Club into a sheer madhouse in 2008? Or how about when Proxy made the crowd go hysterical at I Love Techno in 2009?
Those were golden times.
And now, here we are … Splendid news for everyone who's nostalgic about those early 2000s where raving was life and electro music was king. December 9th will be the day the Earth stands still and hard-boiled electro beats will rise again. With a star studded international line-up in the form of ETIENNE DE CRÉCY, CROOKERS and PROXY in combination with a hell of a venue as we're setting sail for the ESKIMOFABRIEK - we're heading undoubtedly to one of the messiest parties of the year.
Starting off with this grand monsieur who's a key figure in the French capital's rise as one of the world's leading dance and electro music hubs, during the 1990s: ETIENNE DE CRÉCY. Few French producers can claim to have been as influential as de Crécy over the last twenty years and then especially between 2004 and 2010. He has peddled his talent under several different guises, including Motor Bass and Super Discount. He has worked closely with French new wave honoraries Air as well as Alex Gopher and Philippe Zdar. Just the thought of having him with us on December 9th, gives us instant goose-bumps.
Joining us as well are electro priests CROOKERS! This Italian producers duo, aka Francesco "Phra" Barbaglia and Andrea "Bot" Fratangelo, was formed in 2003. They achieved their big breakthrough in 2009 when they hooked up with U.S. rapper Kid Cudi on the U.K. number two hit "Day n' Nite". In 2011 Bot left the group to pursue a solo career, leaving Phra to carry on the Crookers name alone. With numerous remix credits for artists ranging from the Chemical Bros to Kid Cudi, Crookers certainly shaped a generation of clubbers.
A high energy electro rave wouldn't be the same without Russian producer PROXY. He has made a name for himself as a mysterious maestro. His strangely spellbinding sound has commanded dance floors all over the world. Without losing the modernity of his production, Proxy incorporates the raw sounds that inundated the bass scene. He has worked with Prodigy, Marilyn Manson, Moby, Peaches, Tiga, Boys Noize and many others. He asserts, "My music tells you what to do, but never why. Your ear may be afraid, but your body completes its labor."
Throw in Ghent's most notorious electro duo and ex-Culture Club residents GHENT BANGERS, the clashing sounds of experienced electro-ravers WHO ARE WE, the swishing electro smashers from BIGGY & SMALLS and the psyched up razor beats from U.M.S., and you'll get a reunion that will be highlighted in the book of Memorable Party Stories. So buckle up, because things will get messy and things will get trashy. The floor is our battlefield, sound is our weapon. Let's gather, let's rave, because electro is not dead.


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The appeal of Hawaii is simple: white sand beaches, clear blue water, towering palm trees, all without leaving the good ol' U.S.A. Bonus: these islands have a personality all their own, and plenty of culture to explore when you're not relaxing by the shore. Here are five things that are simply the best in the Hawaiian islands.
1. Leis
Many resorts welcome honeymooners with floral leis, but if yours doesn't consider ordering a pair for your arrival. Nothing says "aloha" like the fragrant scent of the local flowers.
2. Luaus
Consider this your first class in Hawaii 101. These dinner include the iconic foods of the islands, including lomilomi salmon, kalua pork cooked in an imu (an underground oven), haupia (a sweet coconut pudding), taro rolls, tuna poke (sure to be a hit with any sushi lover), and poi — which is an, um, acquired taste. Not that we're judging. It's all served up with elaborate performances, which might include dancers, fire eaters, and even story tellers.
See more: A Lush, Tropical Wedding in Maui, Hawaii
3. Hula Dancing
Learn to shake your hips at a variety of classes around the islands, and you'll take home a skill that will always remind you of your honeymoon.
4. Mai Tais
These fruity drinks sometimes come with little paper umbrellas and — in the best case scenarios — are served in playful tiki glasses that are sure to make it to your Instagram feed.
5. Surfing
If the two of you have any athletic ability at all, consider taking surfing classes while you're on the isle. The good news: Yoga classes teach balance, so if you've been making it to your local gym on a regular basis for a dose of "namaste" you may just be ahead of the curve. And, even if you struggle to stand up and ride the board into shore just once, it'll be a day you never forget. Plus, Hawaiian surf culture comes with its own hand signs and language, so you're sure to learn a lot even if you're not a natural ... and, best of all, wipeout pictures are almost always funny.


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'Everything is not about book here.'
This is the first book that I'll be reviewing, whose author I met beforehand. Met but didn't really know. Now after reading the book, I look at him with a side eye. If this book were fictional, I probably wouldn't have that reaction, but seeing as it's a memoir…
Sixty Percent of a True Story is Osisiye Tafa's debut novel and it is an excellent start to what is going to be a promising writing career. As a title, Sixty Percent of a True Story or 60% of a True Story certainly gets the brain working and stirs up conversation. At Tafa's book launch and book reading, the question on everyone's mind was – Which part of the tale was true and which part was merely a figment of Tafa's overworked imagination?
As titles go, this one works for me. I think it is an excellent choice for a memoir, since memoirs are not bound by the strictness of a biography as regards timelines, facts, and all that other really boring stuff. So I would give the title 10/10.
Sixty Percent of a True Story gives us a glimpse of life at the University of Lagos through the eyes of the protagonist and two of his friends. The latter part of the book also reflects on the initial struggles faced by a young man thrown into the 'real' world. I won't focus too much on the plot, as it is a memoir rather than a fictional tale and so the plot has a lot to do with how Tafa chose to live his life (in a very colourful manner, in case you were wondering); however for someone who spent many of her formative and her later years in a foreign land, I was able to, for the first time, experience Nigeria through the eyes of a Nigerian youth. And isn't this the beauty of written works? That one can live a life that you would otherwise not have lived. I would give the plot 8/10.
There were three main characters in the novel – Osisiye, Korede and Chris. And through these characters Tafa explores several different themes – education, homophobia, fraud, mental illness amongst others. However, Chris is a character I felt would not have been missed had he not been there; especially as his rather skeletal tale was told mostly through Osisiye's eyes, rather than his own. I would give the characters 5/10.
Just as she told us of Lot's miraculous exit from the town, Ify raised his hand.
'Yes, my dear?'
'So, ma, you mean till today we still don't know who did Pssssssst and made Lot's wife to turn back?'
If you like light hearted novels, or just plain comedy; don't be turned off by the heavy themes I mentioned earlier. Tafa's voice is witty and sharp. I laughed several times whilst reading the story and many quotes, passages are now stuck in my mind – from the yarn of the girl who refused his romantic advances because he didn't have a car, to his having to carry his lecturer's bag in order to pass the class (hence the quote at the start of this review). His writing style is choppy, he jumps from anecdote to anecdote; but it works somehow. I would give his writing 7/10.
Read this book. You'll be glad you did. You can purchase it at Terra Kulture, Laterna, Konga and Amazon.


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Monday, 15 April 2013
Win a Copy of Too Close for Comfort, my 1st Harlequin KISS novel
Too Close for Comfort is due out on May 21st in North America and features drop-dead delicious Mexican-American PI Zane Montoya - who appeared briefly in my last Harlequin Presents Extra One Night So Pregnant and got everyone hyperventilating - well, me anyway!
So I just had to write Zane's story. But I wanted to find him a heroine who would really challenge him and get behind that sexy, devil may care charm to the tortured and tender soul beneath. Step up Iona MacCabe, a feisty Scottish wildlife artist who's in California to track down the deadbeat who conned her father out of his life savings... Unfortunately said deadbeat is also on Zane's hit-list, and the last thing Zane needs after staking out the guy's motel room in Morro Bay for most of the night is some reckless kid breaking into the room and screwing up a six-month operation...
Uh-oh, I see trouble ahead... And moonlight and dancing and lust and... well you get the picture!
You can read a sneak peek from the first chapter of Too Close on my website here:
Psst.. This copy of the book also features a seriously smexy free novella by Aimee Carson called The Wedding Dress Diaries: the stunning intro to our wonderful Harlequin KISS continuity The Wedding Season by Aimee C, Amy Andrews, Yours Truly and Kimberly Lang...Which I guarantee you will not want to miss... I'm still fanning myself after reading it a couple of months ago!
So if you'd like to win a free copy of Too Close for Comfort (with Aimee's bonus novella), you can either enter the Goodreads Giveaway listed on the sidebar of this blog (which will be approved shortly and runs until 15th May!).
Or Enter the Rafflecopter below (PS, if you need help with the answer to the question, check out my website page for the book above!).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
9 comments:
- Jane Linfoot said...
Fave series of books - I quite like the way you have characters which link from one novel to another Heidi - although they aren't promoted as a series, it's cool to meet familiar friends.
I also enjoyed Kimberly Lang's series which had The Privileged and the Damned, and The Power and the Glory in, and Kelly Hunter's family series are great too.
Not personally so keen on series where different authors write linked stories tho.
- 16 April 2013 at 02:50
- Desere said...
I adore the KISS books they are so very addictive! Congrats Heidi I know this one will be another winner! Thanks for the cool contest!
- 16 April 2013 at 03:42
- Heidi Rice said...
Jane that's really interesting... I have to admit my books were never originally conceived as a series, that's just how they happened because new characters kept appearing on the sidelines in one book and then I'd think. God I've got to give that person a story.... I had to call a halt though with Zane's story to write the KISS continuity (which has four of us writing linked books) but actually it's a little different than the standard Presents continuities in that we came up with the stories ourselves and wanted to have an overarching theme, also they're quite interlinked with lots of group stuff going on.. TBH I love the books and loved planning them, but that might just be because I enjoyed having an excuse to email stalk Kimberly Lang, Amy Andrews and Aimee Carson!! Will be interesting to see what you think... Next book I'm picking up a character way back from Cupcakes and Killer Heels that a number of peeps have asked me about. Ruby's business partner Ella... But given the timelines of the books after Ruby's Ella's now 34!! So she's gonna be a bit older than your standard KISS heroine.
- 16 April 2013 at 12:09
- Heidi Rice said...
Hey Desere, thanks for your comment and your continued support. Much appreciated.
- 16 April 2013 at 12:11
I always love to read the linked series since it gives a peak over my old favourite characters.My fav link series is Brothers & Sisters series and hope Nate & Tess will be in Zane's story.
- 17 April 2013 at 01:23
- Heidi Rice said...
Hiya Suganya
Tess is certainly in Zane;s story, unfortunately I wasn't able to put the epilogue I had planned with Nate in because the word count was too long!! But may post that on my website once the book's out if readers ask for it.
- 17 April 2013 at 13:03
Too Close to Comfort looks good and I like connected books even if they were not always planned that way.
- 18 April 2013 at 15:54
What is your favourite series of linked books and why? Yours, Kelly Hunter's The Bennetts and Abby Green's Sheikhs because I like seeing connected books and seeing what other characters are up to in the next book
- 18 April 2013 at 16:02
- Heidi Rice said...
Brilliant choices Amanda... I love Kelly's Bennett series and Abby's Sheikh books too!
- 19 April 2013 at 02:28


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External Blu-Ray
Blu-Ray drives have been available for the PC for awhile now, but their popularity has been limited. This is likely due to a simple lack of public knowledge about the products, as virtually no one has been advertising their sale.
This a shame, because they are actually quite affordable. One of the most interesting things one can do with them is, using an external drive case, to create an external Blu-Ray disc drive. Such a drive is much smaller than a Blu-Ray player and can be taken anywhere, although it must be plugged into a computer which has media software capable of playing Blu-Ray discs in order to work. This brief guide will help anyone find a suitible external case for their Blu-Ray drive.
Purchasing the Blu-Ray Drive
There are really only two types of Blu-Ray that one might end up purchasing for a PC, and their effect on the external enclosure which should be used is obvious.
The first type is the standard 5.25" format drive. These drives are the same size as the CD and DVD drives which have been used in computers since the stone age. These drives will fit into any 5.25" external enclosure which is made to support a CD or DVD drive.
There is also a slim profile format which is both rare and expensive, but never the less exists. It is primarily meant for small PCs and laptops, but there are some enclosures built for it. They are great for the movie buff on the go with a good screen on her laptop, but, for our purposes, I would suggest staying away from these drives. They offer no performance increase and are only slightly smaller, but cost a great deal more and substantially limit enclosure selection.
Buying the Correct Enclosure
The idea of a drive enclosure seems simple. Find an enclosure, pop in the drive, and you're done. Simple, right? Well, not so fast. External drive enclosures differ from each other in a few important ways.
Build quality is one important difference, and it can vary greatly. The two most popular materials to build external drive enclosures out of are plastic and aluminum, and of the two the aluminum is usually the better option. It is just as light, it conducts more heat away from the hard drive, and it is not prone to cracking or fading in the same was as plastic.
Features also make a large difference, with the most important features generally being the inclusion of a fan and the option of hot-swapping. A fan is not a must-have for keeping a drive cool, but it isn't a bad thing to have. Noise should not be an issue because the sound of the drive spinning will easily drown out the noise of a fan. Hot-swapping is a feature that allows drive to be removed from the enclosure while the enclosure is on. It effectively makes any drive in the enclosure a Plug-and-Play drive. This is a must-have.
The last and most important trait to consider is the type of connection the enclosure uses. USB 2.0, Firewire, and eSATA (three way comparison here) are all popular methods for connecting an enclosure. Some drives offer multiple methods, but they also generally cost more. Any of the connection methods should be suitable, but I recommend eSATA (provided of course the computer it will be attached to has an eSATA port) as it provides the highest bandwidth.
Installing the Drive
Once the enclosure is in hand, the rest is fairly simple. Most external enclosures simply accept a drive by sliding it in and locking it with a mechanism or with screws. Once the Blu-Ray drive is secure inside the external enclosure, the enclosure can be connected to the PC and a power outlet. At that point it will be a plug-and-play device, and operate like any internal Blu-Ray drive would (you should just see a new drive with a new letter, ready to use, no extra tweaking should be needed).
Just remember that the external drive is still limited by the capabilities of the computer it is connected to. If the PC is too slow to properly display Blu-Ray then the external drive will not work any better than an internal one.


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September 2008
The LSE suffers an almost eight hour outage as a result of technical problems. The disruption was particularly significant that day given the FTSE 100 had already risen almost 200 points in early trading, with more than double the normal of shares changing hands, after details of the US Government's bailout of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The LSE maintained that TradElect was not responsible for the September 2008 outage, but has since, nevertheless, made the decision to replace the platform to improve trading speed.
June 2009
Reports first emerge that London Stock Exchange (LSE) plans to dump TradElect, a £40 million IT trading platform based on Microsoft .NET technology.
Dropping the platform, which had only been updated a year before by Accenture, was a dramatic admission that the system, despite pumping millions of pounds into the technology, was flawed.
July 2009
The exchange reports a fall in revenues during the same quarter, while uncertainty remains over the future of its IT setup.
August 2009
London Stock Exchange starts testing alternatives to TradElect platform in a bid to improve speed, and reduce costs.
September 2009
The open source community welcomes the news that LSE has chosen to replace TradElect with Linux-based trading platform Millennium IT.
The announcement sparks a war of words between open source pundits and proprietary systems makers such as Microsoft. TradElect is based on Microsoft. NET, and runs on HP ProLiant Servers and SQL Server 2000 systems within a Cisco network architecture.
IBM beats the drum about Linux, points out that LSE was the largest exchange to run Microsoft .NET proprietary systems while its German counterpart Deutsche Borse has moved to Linux environments with IBM messaging. Meanwhile Microsoft defends its position, and speaks out to detail its strengths as a supplier to exchanges with complex, high load environments.
October 2009
Reports emerge LSE plans to continue its acquisition trail and buy alternative trading facility, Turquoise Trading. Turquoise, the share trading system, backed by a group of the world's largest investment banks, is renowned in financial circles for investing heavily into its technology infrastructure to reduce latency. Ralph Silva, senior analyst at financial technology consultancy Tower Group, said the Turquoise was "easily a generation ahead of the LSE".
In the same month, the LSE completes its MillenniumIT deal.
But later that month, LSE is hit by a major data glitch that leads to an hour long outage, a lifetime for investors.
November 2009
On 11 November, another London Stock Exchange server software glitch halts trading
On 25 November, London Stock Exchange admits it has taken a £20 million hit on the soon-to-be redundant TradElect platform. The LSE reported a 37 percent fall in first half profits hit by increasing competition from new platforms such as Chi-X and Turquoise.
Within hours of this announcement, the London Stock Exchange is knocked offline. From about 9.30am, on 26 November 2009, the exchange is unable to complete trades and blames connectivity problems. The outage is seen by some as particularly embarrassing following the financial results.
December 2009
On 21 December, the LSE acquires a controlling stake in Turquoise, a dark pool or anonymous trading platform, which was launched by a consortium of banks a year earlier. Turquoise, which runs on the TradExpress platform from IT supplier Cinnober, will be merged with the LSE's equivalent Baikal platform and both will be moved to the new Millennium Exchange Linux platform from MillenniumIT. The move is seen as an aggessive step to slash trading times.
January 2010
The LSE begins migrating its systems to the new Linux-based platform.
February 2010
The first part of the switchover to Linux is pencilled in for September. "We will attempt to minimise disruption as much as possible by providing early access to the Millennium Exchange software code through our Customer Development Service," the LSE tells clients. The new platform is "highly scalable" and "agile", it says, describing it as "one of the fastest, most reliable and technologically advanced markets in the world". In case of any issues on the platform or external disasters involving the datacentre, an failover site is in place outside the city, it says.
The London Stock Exchange announces on 20 April that Turquoise will go live on Linux with a "big bang" approach, instead of a soft migration. The main cash markets platform, TradElect, is a larger platform and will be migrated more slowly, from 1 November. Two weeks later, the LSE creates creates virtual access to Turquoise so that co-located trading firms can test the new Linux platform, which it says will save it £10 million a year in costs.
July 2010
The LSE delays the Turquoise migration to Linux by two months to 4 October, in order to give clients and IT suppliers more time for development and testing. the new date, it says, is "scheduled in response to client and vendor feedback".
On 16 July, it becomes apparent that LSE chief technology officer Robin Paine has left the company. Paine had been instrumental in bringing in the Microsoft .Net-based TradElect platform. The reason for his departure is not confirmed.
October 2010
On 5 October, 24 hours after the Linux-based launch on Turquoise, the new platform experiences a one-hour outage. A "networking issue" is to blame, the LSE says, but no detail is given. Analysts say they expected "teething problems" on such a large migration.
The larger cash markets migration is looming. On Saturday 9 October, the LSE conducts its first live test of Millennium Exchange in the main trading environment. The LSE's clients, trading firms, use the "dress rehearsal" to get a feel for the new system and to test how effectively their trading technology interacts with Millennium Exchange.
The LSE claims, on 20 October, that its new Linux-based matching engine is the fastest trading technology in the world. The claims are largely accepted by trading technology experts, but observers warn that other exchange's systems - particularly those of NASDAQ in New York - are fast approaching the LSE's speed.
November 2010
After a third live test, on 1 November the LSE decides to postpone the launch of Linux on its cash markets, with rumours the system would go live on 15 November, the contingency date. The system would have gone live that day. It is understood that trading firms said more time was needed for the overall infrastructure to be ready.
A day later, a major problem on the Turquoise network knocks out the platform for two hours. The LSE declines to define the problem.
Later that day, the LSE tells traders that a "suspicous" incident has occurred on its network. The Financial Services Authority and police are informed. The exchange delays the migration until early 2011, because December is an agreed 'no change' period for technology.
On 4 November, it is reported that an IT contractor to the LSE has been suspended. No details are given.
A fortnight later, after traders express concerns over the capacity of the new network, the LSE says it has hired 81 C++ developers for the platform, in order to aid with the migration.


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Congress approves weird definition of 'highly qualified' teachers
Corrections: An earlier version of this incorrectly said an appellate court ruled a federal regulation on teachers "unconstitutional." Rather, it said the regulation was illegal because it did not fully meet a credential standard set in No Child Left Behind. Also the continuing resolution passed by Congress was not nearly 2,000 pages, as earlier stated.
So they've gone ahead and done it. U.S. legislators passed legislation that includes people in teacher training programs as "highly qualified" teachers.
Congress approved a "continuing resolution" that will fund the government until March.
It contained a provision to cover a $5.7 billion shortfall in the Pell Grant program, which provides money for low- and moderate-income students to pay for college tuition.
In a seemingly contradictory move, Congress also wrote into law a 2002 federal regulation that allows teachers still in training programs to be considered "highly qualified" under No Child Left Behind.
So Congress wants students who qualify for Pell grants to go to college, but it apparently doesn't mind calling non-certified teachers who are still being trained "highly qualified." And because of this designation, school districts aren't required to tell parents just how little training their child's teacher has had.
In September, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declared the "highly qualified" regulation illegal because it did not fully meet a credential standard set in No Child Left Behind. But its supporters moved quickly to get Congress to not only save it.
Congress did, giving a gift to alternative teacher training programs such as Teach for America, which trains participants for five weeks before sending them into high-poverty schools.
Opponents of this definition of "highly qualified" note that these non-certified teachers are concentrated in high-poverty schools, serving children who actually need the best teachers with the experience to know how to handle their needs.
The office of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who is chairman of the Senate's education committee, sent me an explanation of why he supported the move. It said:
"There is broad, bipartisan agreement among members of Congress and the Obama administration that it is the intent of Congress for alternative-route teachers to be considered highly qualified, consistent with the regulation that has been in place for several years. Chairman Harkin strongly believes that teacher quality is essential to student success, and intends to address this issue as part of a comprehensive ESEA reauthorization. While that process is underway, the 9th Circuit's decision – which reverses a previous court ruling in favor of the regulation – could cause significant disruptions in schools across the country and have a negative impact on students. Maintaining current practice is a temporary solution, and underscores the need to act quickly and reauthorize ESEA early in the next Congress."
But there are holes in that argument.
Here's a response from the plaintiffs' attorney in the Ninth Circuit case, John Affeldt, managing attorney at the non-profit civil rights law firm, Public Advocates in San Francisco:
"Senator Harkin's statement fails to acknowledge that what the courts have called an illegal definition of a "highly qualified" teacher has never been part of the law, and was rejected by Senator Kennedy and Congressman Miller early on.
"To write what was an illegally expansive regulation into law will be a major change from the past. To permit a teacher who may have only just enrolled in preparation to be called "highly qualified" before they have met any training standards defies common sense. To visit those under-prepared teachers disproportionately on low-income students and students of color-and on special education students who are among those most often taught by under-prepared teachers--and then hide that fact from parents and the public--flies in the face of the equity, transparency and accountability that NCLB and our leaders apparently stand for.
"The fear of 'significant disruptions' in the teaching force has no basis, as the court case is currently being appealed and no classrooms will be affected during this school year.
"Furthermore, where there are needs, schools will continue to hire less-than-highly-qualified teachers, as is the case in several hundred thousand classrooms today. NCLB permits such teachers to continue to be employed as long as they fill shortage areas, are publicly disclosed and equitably distributed.
"If this were just about enacting a "temporary solution" to avoid short-term disruptions, the language would not seek to modify the highly qualified teacher definition for the next 2½ years. Instead, it has now become more important to maintain the status quo of using poor and minority schools as the training grounds for interns than enforcing teacher equity as NCLB called for and as parents are demanding. In fact, the real disruption is to the democratic process.
"Significantly modifying the standard of teacher quality owed every child in the nation is not something that should happen at the close of session, in the dead of night, behind closed doors in an appropriations bill, but where it is supposed to-in the light of day during the ESEA [Elementary and Secondary Education Act] reauthorization."
You can read a fuller piece by Affeldt on Huffington Post.
Follow my blog every day by bookmarking washingtonpost.com/answersheet. And for admissions advice, college news and links to campus papers, please check out our Higher Education page at washingtonpost.com/higher-ed Bookmark it!
Valerie Strauss
| December 23, 2010; 5:00 AM ET
Categories: Congress, No Child Left Behind, Teachers | Tags: congress, continuing resolution, highly qualified teachers, teachers
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This issue affected me when I was in my teacher certification program. Since I was "highly qualified", I couldn't be reimbursed for my outlays for the program, which wound up to be about $8000 over 2 years. Teachers who were already teaching and who were not deemed "highly qualified", were reimbursed for their outlays to get qualified. Having a little skin in the game is good, but when you make are making a financial sacrifice to teach it was a tremendous bite at $45,000 a year to cover the costs. I already have a Master's Degree. How many years do I have to stay in school and shell out? Why does higher education hold the highest ground in the economy nowadays (they raise tuition every year despite a 4-year downturn) and force everyone into debt to get a chance to get a decent job?
Posted by: thetensionmakesitwork | December 23, 2010 8:40 AM | Report abuse
The ugly truth of urban schools is the difficulty in staffing them with allegedly 'qualified,' 'experienced,' teachers. Teachers with tenure/experience do not choose to work in the 'hood, and until we face that fact we'll never solve this problem. Teacher-union contracts allow tenured teachers to have first priority in teaching assignments, and many of these teachers, as is their choice, choose not to teach in urban areas. Even charter schools that have more freedom in hiring teachers suffer from finding teachers who want to teach urban children.
I could write a thesis on the reasons behind this, but this is not the place; the issue exists, we don't confront it, and until we do the problem of quality teachers where they're needed most will persist.
Posted by: pdexiii | December 23, 2010 9:45 AM | Report abuse
Watch out Valerie.
Teach For America will be in DC Feb 11-13 to celebrate their 20th anniversary.
Ms. Kopp, who gets $279,525 plus another $54,000, is bringing Justin Beiber along.
Posted by: edlharris | December 23, 2010 9:47 AM | Report abuse
Arne Duncan got this passed to pave the way for massive teacher firings under RTTT. He hopes to see lots of teachers fired, and this will allow these teachers to be replaced.
This is immoral. Obama needs to be voted out. Also Tom Harkin.
Posted by: jlp19 | December 23, 2010 2:39 PM | Report abuse
Look, everyone is getting really complicated about this. I've been teaching for 15 years. The bottom line is that more experience DOES equal a higher level of insight and teaching quality. Yes, yes you are going to have weaker teachers than others, just like you have weaker professionals compared to others in all areas of work. Statements have been made that if only the bottom 5% of teachers were removed, then somehow that would eliminate the dropout problem, or "fix" our economic competitiveness (research? I think not.). That's just BS. I can argue that if we just got rid of the top 1% of abusive corporate CEO's, then perhaps the employment rate would skyrocket, and we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. But of course, those in power don't want to face that truth; they would rather blame it on teachers. The simple fact is that over 25% of our children are in poverty, and the majority of the low scoring students on the NAEP and international studies are those children. And the majority of the dropouts are those same types of students. The real answer to helping these children, as Dr. Stephen Krashen has written: access to books, having qualified school librarians, and food security. The relationships teachers make with their kids often helps with the actual instruction, and the most experienced teachers know how to do this. Suggesting that a six week course at Teach for America is going to produce great teachers is nonsense, and it only underscores this fact: private industry will do whatever it can to open up the education marketplace for profit. Less experienced teachers=lower salaries= lower benefits to cover= higher profit margin. Over the lat ten years, semi private charter schools have increased from 1,000 to 10,000, based often on the new market tax credits available for hedge fund managers that invest in areas of high poverty. This is REALLY about turning public moneys into private capital. And any way these very powerful folks, like Bill Gates, Eli Broad, or the Walton Family, can turn the public's attention away from their real agenda by using false premises, is good for their bottom line. They scream injustice when they are the producers of that injustice.
The classroom is in an of itself a lab of experimentation. The more years one has behind oneself in the class, the better one becomes as an expert in teaching, not the other way around. Look at ANY profession, and this is true. Teachers are being scape goated for the purposes of destroying a public good for corporate greed.
Posted by: jlucido | December 24, 2010 10:56 AM | Report abuse
As a brand new teacher in 1970, I was put in the projects to teach. I was ill prepared and certainly would have performed better had I had experience. This would probably have been true in any teaching situation.
I learned more about teaching and learning in this environment--but the students I taught in that first year were victims of my inexperience. It was very serious on the job training. I believe that I became a better teacher every year that I taught.
The one quality that I did have that first year was that I cared. I hope the students benefited from this. With all the talk of testing students and what makes a good teacher, the most important trait, I think, is that the teacher cares about the students and what they learn. The most intelligent and best trained teachers will probably be ineffective if they do not care about the students. (Please note that I did not say they must care about the test results.) Certainly, testing is a part of teaching, but it is far from the most important part. There are all sorts of ways to evaluate students and there must be all sorts of ways to evaluate teachers.
From conversations with friends and acquaintances who know young people who have joined Teach for America, the stories that I hear are not positive. These enthusiastic young people feel they have been thrown unprepared into this environment.
When I was put into the projects, I had a degree in Elementary Education, but, I, too, was unprepared. Coming from a middle class background, nothing prepares you for the poverty and lack of motivation from families who place little value on schools. All parents love their children and want good things for them. The problem is that some people do not realize how important education is and how great a change it can bring in their children's lives. They don't realize how important it is for their children to get to school every day.
To sum up a rambling note: I know that experience makes a better teacher-but enthusiasm counts, too. Some teachers who have taught for years lose interest and need to quit. I also believe that there are rare people who are natural teachers with little training. A good administrator knows when he has one of those. He should also know when an experienced teacher is getting "burned out" and help that teacher regain enthusiasm.
Posted by: mmkm | December 28, 2010 4:11 PM | Report abuse
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The Italian government has pushed through a decree allowing the police to summarily expel dangerous EU citizens. The move follows the fatal attack on a 47-year-old woman in Rome, allegedly by a Romanian immigrant.
An Italian police officer answers journalists questions after a Romanian was arrested for allegedly raping and beating a 47-year old woman, who died on Thursday night.
It was the latest in a spate of attacks blamed on foreigners that has prompted the government to give the authorities the power to summarily expel European Union immigrants deemed dangerous.
Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano signed a decree Thursday allowing the expulsions of EU citizens "for reasons of public safety," to fight "episodes of heavy violence and ferocious crime." The decree had been approved by a special meeting of Prime Minister Romano Prodi's cabinet on Wednesday night in response to the public outrage over the attack on Giovanna Reggiani. The 47-year-old died on Thursday after she was taken off a life-support machine. She had been found in a coma after being raped, beaten and dragged into a ditch. "Horror in Rome," was the headline on Thursday's Il Messaggero, one of the city's daily newspapers, which called for an "end to tolerance."
Italian officials have long urged Bucharest to help them counter the influx of Romanians, who now make up Italy's biggest foreign immigrant community. But Romania's Interior Minister Cristian David urged Italy not to adopt policies based on isolated cases. "We're also pained by what happened but we also think these are isolated, exceptional cases that damage the image of our country and our citizens," he told Italian television station RAI.
While the European Union guarantees the free movement of citizens, countries have the right to deny entry to certain people, such as football hooligans, if they are deemed dangerous. Under the new decree, Italian police could expel EU citizens without trial if they are deemed dangerous or have past criminal convictions.
The suspect in the fatal attack on Reggiani was identified as 24-year-old Nicolae Mailat, who had been living in a Roma shantytown on the outskirts of Rome after fleeing a three-year prison sentence for theft in Romania. A series of violent crimes in the capital have been blamed on Romanians in recent months: the Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore was punched in the face by muggers and a cyclist died a few weeks after a violent attack by three Romanians left him in a coma.
According to Rome's Mayor Walter Veltroni, "In the first seven months of the year, Romanians made up 75 percent of those who raped, stole and killed. We clearly have a specific problem." The attacks have shocked the city, where street violence has long been unusual. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, Romanians committed 76 murders across Italy between January 2006 and June 2007 and were also responsible for half of the recorded rapes in the country for that period. They also topped the statistics for people trafficking and forced prostitution.
The issue of crime has further undermined the waning popularity of Prodi's center-left government, with the right-wing opposition accusing the government of being lax on immigration and ignoring the issue of rising crime in the capital. The right-wing National Alliance welcomed Thursday's expulsion decree but said it doesnt go far enough -- it wants to see jobless EU citizens expelled too.
On Thursday night the crackdown had already begun, with police arresting 17 Roma people for not having ID papers during raids on settlements along the banks of the River Tiber.
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Supreet Jossan 4 Min Read
Social commerce represents 5% of the online revenue this year, resulting in an estimated $14 billion in sales by the end of 2015. According to the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study, 93% of Americans believe that a company should have a presence on social media sites and 85 percent believe that these companies should use these services to interact with consumers. These days most companies have some type of social presence as they use Facebook to share posts, LinkedIn for networking and articles, Instagram and Pinterest to showcase products.
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text: As if the list of trials for Pakistan was already not long enough, another challenge has popped up. On May 15, India successfully test fired its acclaimed, indigenous supersonic interceptor missile as Advance Air Defence, which is a product of the missile interception technology, to destroy an incoming hostile inter-continental ballistic missile in mid-air in an endo-atmospheric (short range) altitude (i.e. below 100 kilometres, within the earth's atmosphere). After 11 failures, this was the 12th test that finally yielded fruit for India. With that, in South Asia, India heralded the era of constructing an anti-ballistic missile defence shield to protect its air from the entry of any nuclear-armed ballistic missile.It was the Kargil war of 1999 that afforded India with an opportunity to make the US rethink its policies towards South Asia, the region where two nuclear giants, India and Pakistan, had locked horns with each other over the issue of Kashmir. Reportedly, during the war, both India and Pakistan deployed their nuclear-armed ballistic missiles (titled under various local names) against each other in case a full-fledged war erupted. India became able to convince the world, and especially the US that this time India was not only the victim but also it was exposed to a military nuclear foray from Pakistan into its controlled area. At that time, the preference of the world was to obviate a nuclear war between the two embattled neighbours. The US asked India to exercise restraint from launching any counter-offensive on Pakistan across the Line of Control (LoC) or the international border, as India's retaliation could have spiralled the situation into a nuclear conflict with Pakistan not desired by the US. India submitted to the request. In the post-war phase, when Pakistan was celebrating its perceived victory over India, the US had been offering India a 10-year defence pact called the New Framework for the US-India Defence Relationship (NFDR). The pact was concluded between India and the US in July 2005. The pact offered India the facility to acquire an anti-ballistic missile defence system. The pact was not only an expression of strong US-India bilateral ties — which were already in the process of consolidation in the post-Cold War era — but it was also a signal for ending the practice of offering Pakistan parity with India. With that, in South Asia, the balance of power tilted in favour of India. Similarly, through taking the first step towards developing the defence shield, India has enhanced its self-defence ability. With that the balance in South Asia is disturbed.The history of South Asia depicts that here peace is enforced through the fear of nuclear strike. Pakistan used nuclear deterrence to strike a balance with its nuclear neighbour in South Asia. Nevertheless, for the time being — and though this method is pregnant with self-destruction — Pakistan can value its doctrine of using tactical nuclear weapons to be used on its own land (for a limited nuclear strike) in case Pakistan's any area is invaded by Indian army under the Cold-Start Doctrine, which India adopted in 2004 to counter Pakistan's asymmetric wars through non-state actors from across the border. Reportedly, F-16 fighter planes bought and flown by Pakistan are incapable of carrying a nuclear weapon to drop in case war breaks out with India. The ballistic missiles Pakistan developed somehow over the years are no doubt capable of carrying nuclear warheads, but these missiles have now become useless against India, which is on the itinerary of developing an anti-ballistic missile defence shield along its border.In this way, there are certain implications for Pakistan regarding India's anti-ballistic missile defence shield. First, the defence shield has rendered the concept of minimum credible nuclear deterrence — which Pakistan imposed on South Asia through developing and testing its strategic nuclear weapons — insignificant. Secondly, the defence shield has undermined Pakistan's first nuclear strike competency or option and instead, the defence shield has boosted or even restored India's second nuclear strike capability. Thirdly, the defence shield has relegated Pakistan to taking refuge once again in its near-abandoned idea of looking for strategic depth in Afghanistan. Fourth, the defence shield gives India some space to maneouvre whenever Pakistan launches its alleged asymmetric war against India. Fifth, the defence shield reinforces the numerical strength of the Indian army and affects the future of Kashmir.India's anti-ballistic missile defence shield poses another dimension of implications for Pakistan. It is that Pakistan has to look for buying its own anti-ballistic missile defence shield from the countries ready to sell it. The two nearest options to buy any such technology could be China and Russia, though their quality of missile interception technology may not be a match for that of the US. The third option could be the US itself; however, prospects for this option are bleak because the same US-India pact, the NFDR, allowed India to enter into a nuclear energy deal with the US. The energy deal later matured in 2008 as the 123 Agreement. Pakistan kept on agitating against the nuclear energy deal and requesting the US to have one such deal with it too but to no avail. When the US has not paid any heed to Pakistan's requests on nuclear energy deal, it is obvious that the US will not listen to Pakistan's entreaties for providing it with the anti-ballistic missile technology. Lately, the US has refused to subsidise eight F-16 planes that Pakistan wanted to buy. Collectively, these points show that Pakistan is currently not on the preference radar of the US.In short, the anti-ballistic missile defence shield has not only shifted the initiative of launching a nuclear strike into India's hand but it has also brought the initiative of introducing a conventional war into India's hand. Similarly, the defence shield has not only reduced the options with Pakistan to launch an asymmetric war with India but it has also brought Pakistan back to square one where Pakistan has to fortify its defence afresh. The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Orchestre National de l'ORTF
Jean Martinon, conductor
Throughout his life Claude Debussy struggled against the massive influence of Richard Wagner. One of the complete novelties of Debussy's music was that it rejected the thick textures of German music, turning towards the South and the Mediterranean for inspiration. Available on the EMI budget series "La Voix de son MaÓtre", this album contains Debussy's three orchestral masterpieces: La Mer - Prťlude ŗ l'aprŤs-midi d'un faune, Nocturnes. L'Orchestre National de l'ORTF (today's French National Orchestra) turns in a distinguished performance under the transparent and remarquably committed direction of Jean Martinon.
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano
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Several months after the death of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920 - 1995), Deutsche Grammophon reissued on two compact discs what originally had been released on three separate full price CDs. This new edition is thus excellent value for money. Rather than limiting these works to their French idiom, the ingenious Italian pianist glorifies their universal import. Michelangeli was the only pianist to dare to emphasize the occasionally monumental structure of this music. Worse still, to put his finger precisely on what Debussy owed to Wagner. Listen to La Cathťdrale engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral).
London Symphony Orchestra
Pierre Monteux, conductor
A genius at orchestration, Maurice Ravel knew better than anybody how to hit the listener right between the eyes. Listen to the Bolťro whose hypnotic rythm brings to mind the sassy creations of Christian Lacroix, or the delirium of La Valse, as provocative as Jean-Paul Gaultier. The legendary French conductor Pierre Monteux's musical direction is as classic as a Dior suit.
Samson FranÁois, piano
Orchestre de la Sociťtť des Concerts du Conservatoire
Andrť Cluytens, conductor
The Concerto for the Left Hand is one of the four or five most perfect concertos of the repertoire. Ravel wrote this strange masterpiece for the Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who had lost his right arm in the trenches of World War I. Samson FranÁois and Andrť Cluytens channel with incredible ease the concise energy of the tightly-knit proportions of this concerto. Their interpretation of the more traditional Concerto in G is on the same order.
Ginesa Ortega, cantaora
Orquestra de Cambra Teatre Lliure
Josep Pons, conductor
harmonia mundi
Born in Cadix, the son of an Andalusian father and a Catalan mother, Manuel de Falla like his compatriot Isaac Albeniz contributed to the rebirth of Spanish music at the turn of the century. El amor brujo is derived from an old gypsy tale about a couple, Candelas and Carmelo, that the ghost of Candelas' dead lover trys to destroy. The opera's famous Fire Dance draws its inspiration from gypsy flamenco, a musical tradition that fascinated Falla. The Catalan Josep Pons, who conducts the original 1915 version of the score, paints this music in the darkest hues.
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Dear Panda and Razor Hawk patrols,
You should have received an email from ASPL - Advancement Fletcher Dix regarding the upcoming merit badge classes.
I would recommend that all of you sign up for First Aid Merit Badge as your first choice and Citizenship in the Community as your second choice.
I would strongly suggest responding to Fletcher's email to let him know.


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Scrap Car Sisland, Scrap your car for free
Local, reliable car collection service in Sisland, Norfolk. If you have an old car that you are not using you will still be expected to keep it taxed whilst it is on the road. Do not pay to have your old scrap car towed away. We will collect your vehicle at no cost to you and recycle it in the most environmentally sound way!
Sisland, Norfolk - Breaking News
As well as offering a completely free collection, we are also currently able to offer cash for scrap cars in Sisland depending upon the weight of the vehicle!
If you'd like us to make you an offer just ask when calling or add 'CASH QUOTE PLEASE' in the 'Additional Info' box when submitting our online form.
- DVLA notification
- Environment agency approved recycling facilities
- Completely free collection!
- Nationwide coverage
- Convenient collection times
Complete the form to the right or just give us a call on 0800 043 5100!
Choose Scrap Car Sisland
Here at Scrap Car Sisland we have many happy customers and considering we have been trading for a while now we are still going strong. We know the Sisland area so well we can be with you in under 30 minutes. We set a time slot and we will not be late we have a reputation that is great for service and customer satisfaction. We offer a range of collection times to suit you and your life.
Scrap Car Sisland ensures that your car is recycled the right way. A lot of companies out there will sell on your scrap car and not even notify the DVLA that the vehicle is no longer yours. This leaves you vulnerable legally, and can easily result in you being fined. When we collect a scrap car in Sisland we always ensure that the DVLA have been notified that the car is going to be scrapped, so that should keep your mind at rest. We always scrap vehicles in the best possible way, meaning whatever can be recycled is and reused, keeping the environment clean.
Make sure you do your bit for the local community and scrap your car in the correct way. Having scrap cars littering the streets of Sisland makes our area unsightly, so scrapping your old car will be helping our community. The free and easy scrap car collection company, call us today!
The car scrappage scheme
The car scrappage scheme for Sisland may seem like a great idea. However, you cannot purchase any vehicle on this scheme. You can't just go and buy any vehicle you want This is a very frustrating issue as you have got to buy a car that is in the current scheme.
How to scrap your car
It is very easy to scrap your car in Sisland. Our phone operators are on hand to answer any of your questions. Otherwise, just take a look at our helpful guide to scrapping your car so that you know the procedure before calling.
Reasons to scrap your car
There will be a lot of reasons for you to scrap your car. One of the main reasons for scrapping a car will be that it has failed its MOT, and the work costs to much to put it right. If you have a scrap car that is unusable you need to either declare it off the road or scrap it, otherwise your will continue to need to pay road tax on the car.
Just call us on 0800 043 5100 or fill out the following form:


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I'm moving :)
Finally finally finally.
I'm moving from the far far faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar edges of the city in a less then desirable area.
To somewhere smack downtown.
Within walking distance to almost EVERYthing cool and fun about Toronto.
The next 6 weeks is going to be crazy.
But I'm so excited.
It has been a long time coming.


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Considering where Novak Djokovic began his year he was able to quickly put his defeat by fast-rising German Alexander Zverev in the ATP Finals title match into perspective on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Serb was odds on to crown a magnificent six-month streak by claiming a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals crown but Zverev stopped him in his tracks, winning 6-4 6-3.
Djokovic will still end a year ranked as number one for the fifth time, an improbable achievement considering he had elbow surgery in February, suffered a woeful run of form on his return and slumped to 22 in the world rankings in June.
After reuniting with his former mentor Marian Vajda, he has been a man reborn and began a storming comeback to the summit of men`s tennis, winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open to take his Grand Slam collection to 14.
Going into Sunday`s final against Zverev he had won 35 of his previous 37 matches and, despite an off-night, still looks capable of dominating men`s tennis next year.
"If someone told me (I would end the year as number one) at that time it was looking quite improbable," he told reporters.
"Not just ranking-wise, I wasn`t playing even close to where I wanted to be at in terms of level of tennis.
"No one likes to lose, and I`ve just come off court but you put things in a larger perspective, see things a bit differently. All the positive things that I have to reflect on and also take from this season, especially the last six months."
Djokovic was uncharacteristically ragged against Zverev, but took nothing away from his opponent, even though he said he had not been feeling fully-charged for a few weeks.
"I`m happy that he won the big title because we have a really good and friendly relationship," Djokovic said of his fellow Monte Carlo resident. "We train a lot. We see each other a lot. He comes from a really nice family.
"Health-wise I haven`t been really perfect in the last three, four weeks. That took a lot out of me. But overall it was a phenomenal season that I have to be definitely very proud of."
Source: http://zeenews.india.com/tennis/comeback-king-novak-djokovic-puts-shock-loss-into-perspective-2156655.html


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MNS Gives Pakistani Actors an Ultimatum to Leave India in 48 Hours or be Pushed Out
| Updated On: 24 Sep 2016 1:05 PM GMT | Location :
Fawad Khan among many other Pakistani Actors and actresses asked by the Raj Thackeray's MNS to leave India in 48 hours and threatened that they will be pushed out if they don't leave within the given timeframe
Following the attack in Uri, many Bollywood celebrities and associates have criticised Indian producers like Karan Johar for roping in Pakistani actors and actress for Indian movies. However, on Friday, the committee of film worker's association, belonging to Raj Thackeray's Indian Nationalists Party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has given all Pakistani artists, who are currently residing in India, an ultimatum to leave the country within 48 hours or face the consequences of being pushed out by the party members.
MNS member, Amey Khopkar's statement had been published in Indian Express in which he said ""We gave a 48 hour deadline to Pakistani actors and artists to leave India or MNS will push them out."
Khopkar has further threatened to beat up Pakistani artists if they were to defy their commands of exiting the country. "Pakistani artistes will get beaten up. Along with them, we will also beat up whichever producer or director is with them," he said. (Pakistani kalakaar toh maar khaingey hi, saath me jo yahan producer, director hain unko bhi peetengey) he said in Hindi, threatening Bollywood's producers and directors who decide to further work with Pakistani artists.
Another member of the party, Shalini Thackeray has said that she and her party are not going to allow release of movies which have featured Pakistani actors and actresses. "The two movies that are going to be released are Shahrukh Khan's Raees and Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil in which Pakistani artists have acted. We are not going to allow them to release"
Although there have been counter statements made by personalities from the film industry, asking to keep political issues away from the entertainment realm, Pakistani artists seem to be in a tough spot and are predicted to face some amount of trouble for the coming few months. Their career in Bollywood are surely at stake, at least momentarily, until things take back their normal course.
As for upcoming movies, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil featuring Fawad Khan, which is due to release in October and the movie Raees featuring Mahira Khan, which is due to release next year in January, may face troubles in certain areas of India while MNS tries to put a stop on their release.


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CommonLawgic, being a non-profit supporter of the nationwide cleanup campaign "Let's do it Greece" for the last six years, assisted and coordinated for the third consecutive time the environmental action for the Municipality of Piraeus (Cross Monument in Piraike) on Sunday April 29th, 2018.
Yanna Pavlopoulou, as Managing Partner of CommonLawgic (www.commonlawgic.org), a non-profit Sustainability Research Institute and Network Platform, is happy to announce the launch of our close cooperation with Mrs. Popy Lyrintzis, LYRINTZIS KCL GROUP - QMS Maritime Training Center http://www.kclgroup.gr/ with joint events, kindly hosted at their excellent Training venue in Piraeus.
For your information, have a glance at QMS Training Program. April 2017.
https://lnkd.in/gSVJJd2 on specialized Technical, Management, STCW Workshops and Seminars.
Stay tuned on our forthcoming joint ventures! .........................................................
The Mayor of Piraeus and ECOMASYN supported "Let's do it Greece 2015"!
The voluntary nationwide waste cleanup campaign "Let's do it Greece 2015" (www.letsdoitgreece.org) was successfully accomplished on Sunday, April 26th, 2015, for the 4th consecutive year. "Let's do it World" volunteer cleanup movement, first evolved in 2008 in Estonia and then spread as the largest and fastest growing volunteer environmental campaign internationally, with the participation of 108 countries and 8 million volunteers (http://www.letsdoitworld.org). People from every part of the globe participate in the campaign by cleaning, on one particular day, their cities, their neighborhoods, parks, forests, beaches and riverbanks, conveying a message of positive activism for the volunteer protection of the natural and urban environment. Mrs. Yanna Pavlopoulou (COMMONLAWGIC), as founding Supporter and Steering Team member of "Let's do it Greece", explained -at a joint press Conference with the Mayor of Piraeus, Mr. Yannis Moralis - (photo no 1) the aims of their action: "Let's do it" internationally branded, voluntary campaign takes place for the fourth time in Greece in multiple places but on the same day. Our "zero-budget" campaign managed to inspire "self-organized" volunteer cleanups throughout Greece, as an alternative way of action against existing environmental problems. As many as 1970 volunteer civil society and public organizations joined to support our initiative. We expect to motivate and "seed" our message to 38.000 volunteers at 500 cleanups around Greece, through social media networks, our website and "word of mouth" peer influence."
Mrs. Pavlopoulou and Nikos Kioussis invited the citizens of Piraeus to actively join for ONE DAY "Let's do it Greece 2015" with families, colleagues and friends. Mr. Yannis Moralis symbolically promised (by co-signing their "t-shirt" that already bared the signature of many prominent volunteers) to support their initiative, providing volunteer executives & municipal resources in order to effectively coordinate cleanup actions in 13 sites all around Piraeus! (photo no 2).
The Piraeus Mayor undoubtedly kept his promise, actively attending every single cleanup, escorted by his family and friends! The voluntary cleanup at the ancient fort of Peiraiki coastline (Piraeus) joined many members of the newly founded consortium ECOMASYN* namely volunteers from OCEANKING, C&A KASSIDIARIS, SPANOPOULOS GROUP, KAMINCO, SGL ENGINEERING, GKC REPAIRS, ARCO, RINA, COMMONLAWGIC, P. KOKKINIS, DL AUTOMATION, KOPOUKIS. They supported this CSR action and enjoyed a meaningful Sunday ECOMASYN gathering. (indicative photo No 3, ECOMASYN banner held by the companies' reps before the Greek flag and the Holy Cross ).
ECOMASYN founding members, Panos Yannoulis (front line), Stavros Kassidiaris & Yanna Pavlopoulou (holding the "Let's do it" banner) with volunteers at Peiraiki (Holy Cross site). The Mayor of Piraeus in the middle (embracing his baby son) among volunteers. (Photo No 4)
*ECOMASYN (www.ecomasyn.gr) is a marine cluster, legally formed as a non-profit synergy of ship retrofit related businesses, mainly based in Piraeus, assisting its members to provide integrated solutions to their clients. ECOMASYN aspires to create technology sharing schemes and benefit through cooperation; develop the retrofit/ship repair sector and advance relative services, through consultation, training and the support of class societies. Moreover, their main objective is to build trust to clients about the high level services that can be provided in Greece at a quality/cost/time effective way. Members' services are within the spectrum of "Green Shipping", focusing on Energy Efficiency through type approved systems of Scrubbers/emissions abatement, Ballast Water Treatment, LNG and Alternative Marine Fuels. At this green «one stop shop» synergy, the customer could seek volunteer advice and information in an integrated way, in one place (Piraeus/Greece), from a variety of excellent service providers and products, on all services (research, deployment, advisory, training, quality assurance etc.). ECOMASYN Board members are: Stavros Kassidiaris, C&A AUTOMATION (President), Apostolos Belokas, SQE MARINE (Gen. Secretary), Apostolos Sigouras, NAFSOLP (1st Vice President), Sof. Kokkinis KOKKINIS LTD (2nd Vice President), Sp. Leloudas SGL Enginnering (Treasurer), Panos Yannoulis OCEANKING (Dean), Josef Mantzaris, KEK APOPSI (Sp. Secretary).
Founding partners are ALPHA MARINE, ARCO, C&A KASSIDIARIS, COMMONLAWGIC, DL AUTOMATION, ELECROPNEUMATIC, FARAD, GKC REPAIRS, KAMINCO, KEK APOPSI, P. KOKKINIS, KOPOUKIS, LAZARIS SA, MARITA HELLAS, NAFSOLP, OCEANKING, SGL ENGINEERING, SPANOPOULOS GROUP, SQE MARINE, TEXNAVA SA. Associate (Supporter, Sponsor) members are Lloyd's Register, RINA, Bureau Veritas, HELLENIC REGISTER, INSB.
Yanna Pavlopoulou and the team of CommonLawgic supported at a fully non-profit and voluntary basis, the negotiation and establishment of ECOMASYN as a functioning legal entity.
CommonLAWgic regularly hosts social events, ensuring networking opportunities, communication and understanding between advisors, Members and other stakeholders. The Executive Board has the main responsibility to draft the action plan and set targets and timeline of selected initiatives.
Happy New Year 2015 ! For the festive season, CommonLawgic joined "Let's Do it Greece" into a great Recycling initiative conducted by Golden Hall in favor of "MAZI GIA TO PAIDI" . ALPHA GREEN SA gave money for the total weight of recyclables collected, directly to"MAZI GIA TO PAIDI" synegy of Associations. We enjoyed our Christmas and New Year gathering serving the environment and social causes.
Commonlawgic supported the nationwide cleanup campaign"Let's Doit Greece" as Official Supporter for the third consecutive year http://www.letsdoitgreece.org/contents.aspx?catid=42. Yanna Pavlopoulou and Prof. Konstantin Aravossis served again as valuable members of the Main Organizing Committee http://www.letsdoitgreece.org/Contents.aspx?CatId=94. The clean-ups successfully take place in 300 different cities and sites (beaches, rivers, urban areas, caves and the sea - with scuba divers-) with the participation of 1000 organizations and 37.000 volunteers! Our special thanks to Peggy Papastavrou, Zach Tsagkas, Markos Kantzios and Giorgos Katselis and all our friends! In April 14th, 2013, we were priviledged to involve in CommonLawgic's clean-up in Glyfada the U.S. Ambassador, Mr. Daniel Smith and the representative of the Let's Do It World, Mrs. Kadi Kenk, together with 90 more volunteers. Photos can be found on www.letsdoitgreece.org. Let's Do it again soon...
CommonLawgic supports a digital art gallery start-up: ARTIA GALLERY (www.artiagallery.com) that participates in Platform Project @ Art Athina 2013 and 2014 in the context of "ART ATHINA" INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR at the Tae-Kwon-Do Olympic Complex, Piraeus Greece.
Platform Project @ Art Athina will present 45 platforms – artists' initiatives from 16 countries with more than 500 artists. The platforms come from: Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Switzerland, UK, Germany, Austria, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Sweden, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Finland, France, Russia, Serbia." ARTIA GALLERY, will present the group project EMEIS33, a sculptural composition composed of works created by 33 renowned and emerging Greek artists, sending the message of partnership and cooperation as a means to move forward from our harsh reality.
Yanna Pavlopoulou joined the GRI G4 Sustainability Reporting Conference in Amsterdam from May 22-25th, 2013 and was fully informed over the changes of GRI G4 Guidelines. CommonLawgic is formally thereon an Organizational Stakeholder of this major Sustainability Framework, applicable in 5000 companies and 80 countries.
CommonLawgic supported the GARMIN Ziria Skyrace, a 30km. mountain marathon running up to 2.400m. that took place in June 2nd, 2013 with 300 amazing athletes from many countries. Our member, Gosport (www.gosport.gr) were the efficient organizers of such an exceptional event!


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By the end of 2016 the balance of global power could be very much tipping towards women. The UK's new prime minister, Theresa May, is keeping her cool in the midst of political mayhem and Hillary Clinton has her sights set on the US presidency. If the media can stop talking about their hairstyles and choice of shoes long enough to listen to what they say, we might learn a few things about how to get to the top as women.
From the boardroom to television panel shows, women are having a more visible presence in today's working world. Yet, we are still naturally more risk averse to public life and taking on leadership roles than men, despite having an amazing array of skills essential to the smooth-running of families, businesses, charities, political parties and so on.
Although men are more prominent and confident in public life, there is one thing that continually tops the list of a person's biggest fears, regardless of gender: public speaking, closely followed by walking into a room full of strangers.
Unsurprisingly, a whole industry has built up around conquering the fear of speaking in public.
Stand-up comedy is a heightened form of public speaking and most people say to me that they could never perform comedy when I tell them about what I do with Funny Women. I have worked with thousands of women as a comedy producer over the last 14 years, which has given me a unique insight into different performance styles and methods for building confidence, and I do truly believe that everybody has the ability to be funny, to entertain, and, in doing so, build better relationships – in both business and leisure.
I also like to challenge the rules laid down by the presentation industry because I know first-hand that women have a different mind-set coupled with an innate ability to use humour when it comes to communication. Here are a few basic guidelines which will help you to find your funny and get your voice heard.
Speaking in public can be a tougher call for women than men as female brains are wired slightly differently to their male counterparts. Women take longer to formulate and process our responses, because we have so much more going on in our prefrontal cortex. While this gives us a greater mental bandwidth for multi-tasking, it is often misinterpreted as procrastination, when in fact we are mentally weighing up the pros and cons before we act and say anything.
Learn how to use this ability to be a powerful and effective diplomat, especially if you aspire to public life. Don't feel pressured into a particular style of presenting, but go with what feels comfortable for you. Say it like it is and act natural.
Discover your style of presenting, whether that is standing up, sitting down, or moving about. Just be wary of pacing as this tends to distract from the content. Only use PowerPoint to illustrate your talk, draw attention to a point or get a laugh, don't just write out your script. When it comes to slides, pictures are always better than words. You want your audience to listen to what you are saying, not be reading ahead. Less is always more powerful.
Maintain eye contact with your audience, whether it is to 500 people in a room or five people around a boardroom table. At Funny Women we work with voice coaches who teach a range of techniques, which help people envisage their audience. Once you have 'got cosy' with them, the rest will be plain sailing.
The best comedians have performed their acts hundreds of times in their heads as well as on stage. The old adage of practising your material in front of a mirror with a hairbrush still stands. Watching yourself in such close quarters will also make you aware of how you use your hands, help you adjust your posture, and learn to focus your eyes. Check how often you blink and even what clothes look right. Film yourself and watch your performance back - it might be painful at first, but it will be valuable for you to learn what does and does not work.
Match your public voice with your virtual voice so that there are no surprises when you turn up to speak. Ensure that you represent yourself consistently on your website, via social media, emails and even in good old-fashioned letters. So often you meet people in person and they are completely different to how they are portrayed on the internet. Get a good up-to-date portrait photograph taken and, if necessary, get some expert advice about writing a profile. Don't be afraid to use the same sort of jargon and colloquialisms that you would when speaking out loud.
As an expert you know your subject better than anybody else and, if you second guess yourself, so will your audience. Everything you need to say is filed away in your brain and you just need to find the best way to access this. Cue cards, slides with pictures or even notes written on the palms of your hands are useful. Anything goes as long as you can carry it off with confidence and a smile.
A pithy one liner has more impact than going all around the houses with a meaningless analogy. If you hear something good, write it down as you might be able to use it later. Conversely a good storyline can really help to illustrate a situation or impart some advice. Just cut out the excess and think about how you might feel on the receiving end of this narrative. Good stories have a beginning, middle and an end. They help people remember the point you're trying to make.
Check out both TED and The Moth for lots of good online talks and storytelling. Listen to other people talking when you are out and about, travelling on public transport or queuing up in the supermarket. You never know what witticisms you might pick up along the way.
Lynne Parker is the founder and chief executive of Funny Women, comedy experts helping women to perform, write and do business with humour. Funny Women runs public workshops and provides bespoke training and coaching for individuals and organisations. Visit the Funny Women website for more details or go along to the next Stand Up to Stand Out comedy workshop on Saturday 3rd December, where you can find out how to use humour to empower you, improve your presentation skills and make what you say memorable
This contributed article has been written by a guest writer at the invitation of Procurement Leaders. Procurement Leaders received no payment directly connected with the publishing of this content.
Please see the Procurement Leaders disclosure statement for further details.
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