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Links to my reviews published in the Herald and Seattle Weekly, and etc.
Bohemian Rhapsody. "Has a dutiful, respectable air about it." (Herald link here.)
Wildlife. "While it has a formal visual style, as though emphasizing how trapped its characters are, it really comes alive in the energy between the performers onscreen."
For Scarecrow Video's blog, I submit a Seasoned Ticket session that looks back at Jim Jarmusch's early work. Read it here.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Bohemian Rhapsody, Bryan Singer, Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jim Jarmusch, Paul Dano, Queen, Rami Malek, Wildlife, Zoe Kazan | Leave a comment »


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Social Security: By the Numbers
Here are five facts about Social Security that might surprise you.
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subset: commoncrawl


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torqueds needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 45 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
Time Media INC
We provide website and software solutions for high schools and universities.
Home Page
School site design:
NO page break
Sliding Images
Embedded Video player
School Colors are Maroon and White, they like the look of Off White.
Very Clean and contemporary
Collegiate feel
Apple Sponsored school( need to have reference or Apple Logo.
Social network sites incorporated
Search Engine Bar
quick links
Sports page or secondary page with sports them available would be nice
Clean, Efficient,Contemporary, Collegiate
Examples of sites that generated the most interest....
Info about school
Name: Lincoln Consolidated School District
Mascot: WOLVES
Colors: Maroon and White or Grey
Current site: wolfpride.nwsc.k12.ar.us
2.Athletics Page
Something sporty that can serve as a portal to schedules, results, roster, video player images etc.
Url's are the same as above just access the sports pages.
3. Generic Secondary Page: This could be a teachers bio or a place to talk about current events going on at the school.
We want a rich site that really projects a great school image. Something with a collegiate feel but with the elements needed for a high school.


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Thank you for allowing me to serve you and all the citizens of Hamilton County! I'm excited to serve Hamilton County and I'll need your support.
I am deeply appreciative and humbled by the support I received in the May primary and general election in November 2016. I welcome the opportunity to continue serving as the taxpayer's advocate and I'm excited to keep striving to make Hamilton County a great place in which to work, play and live.
"That government is best that governs least." Thomas Jefferson's famous quote hangs in the Hamilton County Council chambers. It's a motto that I believe firmly in and will always uphold.


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Tax Implications of Owning an Interest in a Foreign Corporation
The international business environment has substantially changed over the past several years. The IRS and the US Justice Department are tightening reporting and taxation of those with offshore corporate ownership and offshore assets, investments and accounts. It is important to come into full compliance with FBAR reporting requirements as well as disclosures required on IRS form 8938.
US taxpayers have deployed foreign corporations in an attempt to defer taxation in the past. Due to recent changes brought about primarily by FATCA, if you own an interest in a foreign corporation or company, there are significant reporting requirements relating to your ownership interests and the financial activities of your company.
If you have an offshore company, or you own a controlling interest or any portion of a foreign corporation, you are required to disclose your ownership position within the company at the end of each calendar year, and provide informational disclosures pertaining to income and balance sheet reports. You may be required to file IRS Form 5471, the "Information Return of U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations." There are complex attribution aspects of US tax laws that mean a taxpayer can have an "attributed" or "constructive" ownership in a foreign corporation even though they don't have an actual (or indirect) ownership in the company. The failure to file the Form 5471 can expose the taxpayer to extensive penalties for being non-compliant.
Categories of Foreign Corporate Ownership – IRS Form 5471
Category 2 Filers
A US citizen or resident who is an officer or a director of a foreign corporation is required to be a Category 2 filer if any US resident or citizen, domestic partnership, estate, trust or corporation (termed a "US Person" in the form) has purchased 10% or more stock ownership by "value or vote." Category 2 filers are required to report ownership interest acquisitions by a US Person in the foreign corporation regardless of whether the Category 2 filer has an ownership interest in that foreign corporation or not. Category 2 filers must not only know and identify those who have "constructive" ownership in the company, but those who have actual or indirect ownership in the company.
Category 3 Filers
A US taxpayer is required to file form 5471 under category 3 when they already own stock and acquire an additional interest which accumulates to 10% or more of the stock of a foreign corporation. If someone who already meets the "10% Stock Ownership Requirement" becomes a "US Person" they would be required to file form 5471 under this category.
Category 4 Filers
If you are a "US Person" and owned more than 50% of a foreign corporation's stock for an uninterrupted period of 30 days or more during the fiscal year of the company, you are required to file form 5471 under this category. There are different "constructive ownership" rules under category 4 than in other categories of the form.
Category 5 Filers
US shareholders who own stock in a foreign corporation that is defined as a "Controlled Foreign Corporation" or CFC for 30 days uninterrupted during the fiscal tax year of the foreign corporation, and owned stock on the last day of that tax year would be category 5 filers. A CFC is defined as a foreign corporation where US shareholders own or control more than 50% of the CFC.
Contact the Experienced International Tax Attorneys at Allen Barron if You Own an Interest in a Foreign Corporation or have Questions About Offshore Corporate Ownership
The nature of international taxation and reporting requirements for owners of any interest in a foreign corporation or company, or who may have an attributed ownership interest in a foreign entity, have become quite complex. More importantly, the penalties for failing to file Form 5471 when required exposes US taxpayers to significant financial penalties and potential criminal tax liabilities.
If you own an interest in a foreign corporation or a "Controlled Foreign Corporation" or CFC, the Form 5471 can be quite complex and often confusing. It is important to contact the experienced tax attorneys at Allen Barron for a complimentary and substantive consultation at 866-631-3470. We will discuss the nature of your constructive or attributed ownership of foreign corporate interests, and develop a strategy to ensure compliance and minimize your tax exposure.


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High Gear Automotive Inc. offers auto repair services to Boca Grande, FL
If you are in need of a trustworthy auto mechanic near Boca Grande, we hope you choose our local repair shop! Here's some information about us.
Who? High Gear Automotive Inc. - We are Boca Grande's leading choice in auto repair. Our staff is well-trained with the goal of consistent and great customer service.
Where? Located conveniently for Boca Grande residents, our address is 2720 Avenue of the Americas.
What? 4x4 Services, Alignment, Brakes, Car & Truck Care, Diesel Repair & Service, Domestic Cars & Trucks, Electrical Services, Electronic Services, Engine & Transmission, Engine Maintenance, General Services, Heating and Cooling Services, Import Cars & Trucks, Miscellaneous Services, Tires, Transmission Services and Undercar Services
When? Schedule an appointment now by contacting us online or calling 941-475-0198. Don't let your vehicle go unattended.
Thank you for considering High Gear Automotive Inc.!


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Remove VideoMediaPlusPlayers
What is VideoMediaPlusPlayers?
VideoMediaPlusPlayers is very similar, almost identical, to MediaPlayersvideos, MediaPlayerPlus, and VidPlusMediaPlayer programs. In fact, it's a third-party app, which tries to convince people that it's capable of improving quality of online videos. Unfortunately, security experts consider this add-on to be an adware or a potentially unwanted program (PUP). Of course, if you consider this app to be useful, you may download it to your computer and use it freely if you are not scared of the negative consequences that it may cause. You should be aware that once installed VideoMediaPlusPlayers virus may start using your PC's resources and seriously diminish its performance. Besides, it may continuously connect to the Internet in order to install updates. However, you should not forget that programs that are related to third parties may act in an unfair way and may try to download other potentially unwanted programs. By the way, your browsing activities may be seriously disrupted by an excessive amount of the 'Ads by VideoMediaPlusPlayers'. Be aware that this adware may bring sponsored advertisements filled with deals, coupons, and similar things. The problem is that some of the VideoMediaPlusPlayers ads may be filled with questionable content. So, unless you known which ads are reliable and which are not, we do not recommend clicking on any of them. Finally, it's important to warn you that this adware is capable of tracking you and collecting non-personally identifiable information about your browsing habits. Even though it's not set to collect personally identifiable information, be aware that it may gather your IP address, PC's location, email address, search terms, mostly visited websites and similar information that may also be used for wrong reasons. Due to all the fact that we have listed here, we highly recommend you to use a reliable anti-spyware, such as Reimage Reimage Cleaner and remove VideoMediaPlusPlayers virus without any delay.
How can VideoMediaPlusPlayers hijack my computer?
As we have already mentioned, VideoMediaPlusPlayers is a potentially unwanted program or an adware that may infiltrate computers very silently. It may spread as an 'optional download' in one pack with various freewares and sharewares. Since people often fail to install free programs correctly, they are frequently tricked into installing third-party apps (plug-ins, add-ons, toolbars, extensions) without even being aware of them. If you want to stay safe, you should NEVER accelerate freeware's installation and avoid Quick or Basic installation option. Instead of that, you should opt for Advanced or Custom installation option and monitor the entire installation process step-by-step. Try to find the list of 'optional downloads' and make sure that you unmark all ticks that are already set for you. DO NOT miss to opt out of 'additional components. Otherwise, you may start experiencing VideoMediaPlusPlayers redirects and may start receiving annoying pop-up ads.
How to remove VideoMediaPlusPlayers virus?
Do you know that adwares tend to spread in one pack with other potentially unwanted programs? Due to this fact, we recommend removing VideoMediaPlusPlayers virus or any other PUP automatically in order to remove other unwanted apps as well. In case you do not want to use additional software, you may try to follow the guide that is given below:
You may remove virus damage with a help of Reimage Reimage Cleaner . SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
To remove VideoMediaPlusPlayers, follow these steps:
Erase VideoMediaPlusPlayers from Windows systems
- Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- If you are Windows 10 / Windows 8 user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel and Uninstall a Program.
Uninstall VideoMediaPlusPlayers and related programs
Here, look for VideoMediaPlusPlayers or any other recently installed suspicious programs.
- Uninstall them and click OK to save these changes.
Eliminate VideoMediaPlusPlayers from Mac OS X system
- If you are using OS X, click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications.
- Wait until you see Applications folder and look for VideoMediaPlusPlayers or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.
Delete VideoMediaPlusPlayers from Internet Explorer (IE)
Remove dangerous add-ons
Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top right corner of the browser and choose Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for VideoMediaPlusPlayers and other suspicious plugins. Disable these entries by clicking Disable:
Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
Click on the gear icon (menu) on the top right corner of the browser and select Internet Options. Stay in General tab.
- Here, remove malicious URL and enter preferable domain name. Click Apply to save changes.
Reset Internet Explorer
Click on the gear icon (menu) again and select Internet options. Go to Advanced tab.
- Here, select Reset.
- When in the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset again to complete VideoMediaPlusPlayers removal.
Remove VideoMediaPlusPlayers from Microsoft Edge
Reset Microsoft Edge settings (Method 1):
- Launch Microsoft Edge app and click More (three dots at the top right corner of the screen).
- Click Settings to open more options.
- Once Settings window shows up, click Choose what to clear button under Clear browsing data option.
- Here, select all what you want to remove and click Clear.
- Now you should right-click on the Start button (Windows logo). Here, select Task Manager.
- When in Processes tab, search for Microsoft Edge.
- Right-click on it and choose Go to details option. If can't see Go to details option, click More details and repeat previous steps.
- When Details tab shows up, find every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right click on each of them and select End Task to end these entries.
Resetting Microsoft Edge browser (Method 2):
If Method 1 failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method.
- Note: you need to backup your data before using this method.
- Find this folder on your computer:
- Select every entry which is saved on it and right click with your mouse. Then Delete option.
- Click the Start button (Windows logo) and type in window power in Search my stuff line.
- Right-click the Windows PowerShell entry and choose Run as administrator.
- Once Administrator: Windows PowerShell window shows up, paste this command line after PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> and press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml -Verbose}
Once these steps are finished, VideoMediaPlusPlayers should be removed from your Microsoft Edge browser.
Uninstall VideoMediaPlusPlayers from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions
Open Mozilla Firefox, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Add-ons → Extensions.
- Here, select VideoMediaPlusPlayers and other questionable plugins. Click Remove to delete these entries.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
Click on the Firefox menu on the top left and click on the question mark. Here, choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Now you will see Reset Firefox to its default state message with Reset Firefox button. Click this button for several times and complete VideoMediaPlusPlayers removal.
Get rid of VideoMediaPlusPlayers from Google Chrome
Delete malicious plugins
Open Google Chrome, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Tools → Extensions.
- Here, select VideoMediaPlusPlayers and other malicious plugins and select trash icon to delete these entries.
- Click on menu icon again and choose Settings → Manage Search engines under the Search section.
- When in Search Engines..., remove malicious search sites. You should leave only Google or your preferred domain name.
Reset Google Chrome
Click on menu icon on the top right of your Google Chrome and select Settings.
- Scroll down to the end of the page and click on Reset browser settings.
- Click Reset to confirm this action and complete VideoMediaPlusPlayers removal.
Erase VideoMediaPlusPlayers from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions
Open Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences.
- Here, select Extensions and look for VideoMediaPlusPlayers or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them.
Reset Safari
Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari....
- Now you will see a detailed dialog window filled with reset options. All of those options are usually checked, but you can specify which of them you want to reset. Click the Reset button to complete VideoMediaPlusPlayers removal process.
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China's International Leadership
From February 26th through the 27th I attended a symposium at the University of Texas in Austin, TX on China's Emergence: Effects on Trade, Investment, and Regulatory Law.
Here are some thoughts on the more notable issues raised at the symposium:
Raj Bhala, a professor of law at the University of Kansas and a graduate of Harvard Law, Oxford, and the London School of Economics, spoke about China and the Doha trade round. He suggested that China's actions at the WTO's Doha round discussions demonstrate that China's claims to be a global player in the highest echelon of nations are premature.
Bhala argued that China's failure to take leadership to promote the common good with a compromise solution for the Doha round is a worrisome indicator for the future of the agreement. Without the leadership and investment of time and effort by one of the world's most populous and economically involved countries, it may be impossible for Doha to become satisfactorily resolved.
Some tangential issues raised by Prof. Bhala's talk were:
(Note: Professor Bhala merely raised the topics; the below research and musings are solely the work of China Comment's point of view that has been shaped by a synthesis of Bhala's lecture and other sources.)
1) China's Leadership in International Forums, or lack thereof
China has sent peacekeepers to the Caribbean and to Sudan (and accounts for 2,200 of the over 115,000 UN peacekeepers); and recently it has wielded its UN Security Council veto more forcefully, but China still appears to ascribe to the policy of waiting and seeing how circumstances develop before taking a firm stand on an issue.
For long, China would not wield a UN veto, instead abstaining when it disagreed with a policy. (China has only used its veto around six times in the past thirty years.) But recently, China vetoed resolutions attempting to levy sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2008 and Myanmar in 2007.
Although China's comments about abandoning the dollar as the world's standard trading currency surprisingly seemed to indicate a more assertive country, any comments that the Yuan will in the near term present a significant threat to the Dollar as a reserve currency are likely idle speculations, not the least because the RMB still trades in a managed band and is not fully convertible. There does not seem to be enough being done by the Chinese, other than a few meetings with Brazilian dignitaries to suggest that the proposal has merit and is being advanced for any reason other than to distract from US policies pushing for Chinese currency revaluation– although China Comment will follow the situation. (A measured and detailed discussion of the merits of Zhou Xiaochuan's plan is presented by Pieter Bottellier which reveals that the suggestion is FAR more nuanced than a mere call for the RMB to supplant the dollar. Jeffrey Sachs sees some merit in Zhou's plans, as do others. Brad Setser at CFR has a good round-up of all the important people's views on the subject.)
China also failed to take leadership on agricultural trade issues during the Doha round. It could be argued that China used India's objections to the Doha trade rounds in 2008 as diplomatic cover to likewise reject the deal in order to avoid being criticized too harshly for their demurral. (See some collected views from major newspapers on who caused Doha to fail, HERE and HERE). [Note: The topic of China's actions in Doha is far too expansive to discuss here. Likewise, the topic of China's leadership in agricultural trade is beyond the scope of this digression.]
Gao Guangsheng, Director General of the National Coordination Committee on Climate Change, did posit an interesting argument about how the world could help decrease China's pollution. He suggested that the developed countries pay China 1% of their GDP, about $350 billion in 2008 (Because, in past eras, developed countries were allowed to pollute as much as they wanted). It is a little difficult to take Gao's environmental-hostage-taking demands seriously.
China Comment suggests that as China becomes more confident in its economy vis-a-vis America, it will increasingly throw its heft behind solutions and ideas. But before it can do this, it will have to become an international financier and investor. China has already begun to travel down that road, with an April 2009 annoucement that it would create a $10 billion investment cooperation fund, and offer $15 billion in credit to its Southeast Asian neighbors to promote infrastructure development (also "the trade value between the ASEAN and China increased from 59.6 billion US dollars in 2003 to 171.1 billion US dollars in 2007, growing at an annual rate of 30 percent"). Additionally, China made a May 2009 agreement to lend $10 billion to Petrobras, and has entered into assorted lending contributions to African countries, from Zambia to Mozambique (for a Hydroelectric dam).
Still, China has some way to go to compare its giving to the billions that the United States and Japan and the EU donate to the UN (US donated 22% of the UN's budget. China paid 2.03%.), the IMF (China contributes 3.72%, the United States contributes 17.09%), and other organizations and countries. With China's billions in reserves, however, the country is flush with enough cash ($1.95 trillion in forex reserves; and over 1,000 tons of gold) that strategically spent, can make a huge difference.
2) China's International Diplomatic Style (Its "Grand Strategy")
China's putative international diplomatic style is to exert a large amount of "soft power," to not "ruffle feathers," and to pursue a policy of peaceful development. (China Daily, December 2005) China also expresses a support for multilateralism, which is a bit strange given that China also demands to resolve natural resource disputes bilaterally rather than multilaterally, specifically in regards to the Spratly dispute (Valencia, Mark J., Jon M. Van Dyke, Noel A. Ludwig, Sharing the Resources of the South China Sea, 1997. 118.)
China's policy of peaceful development, however, is sometimes looked on negatively by other countries as the Chinese can be seen as global free riders, who do not assume their international obligations, who contribute too few soldiers to UN peacekeeping missions, who contribute too little money to international lending institutions, who pollute the environment, and who have for long done too little to rein in their troublesome neighbors- like North Korea.
China has attempted to involve itself in multilateral institutions for discussion in both the economic realm (ASEAN) and the security realm (the SCO) in order to gain influence in a non-threatening fashion while working with regional allies.
– This topic certainly merits more in-depth study and research in a future article.
3) China's Ultimate View of the International Trading System
– What are China's long term goals? Its suggestion that the dollar be replaced as a global reserve currency may indicate a desire for China to assume economic leadership, but when will that be feasible? And what sort of leadership will China take? Will they be promoters of free trade- China has signed many bilateral free trade agreements (See China Comment's Article), or will they be less ideological, and more realist in their plans- not pushing any philosophical strategy save that of friendship with China?
China does not seem to have yet taken leadership in inventing a workable global trade structure, one that is harmonious for all, or even one that is China-centric. When will the confidence to create and propose such a system come? Reflecting on China's financial philosophy, and comparing that to the invention of Western financial philosophy- it seems that ideas for world financial structure are implemented only in times of great crisis or upheaval; Post Cold War-WTO, Post WWII-Bretton Woods (which had concepts germinated during the Great Depression and WWII), Great Depression Keynesianism (which had concepts germinated after World War I and in the early years of the Great Depression), and that the ideas which eventually shape the system originate from the "great power" at the time.
It could be a chicken and the egg problem of whether economic leadership causes a country to become a great power or if only great powers can take economic leadership, but even if China has decided to avoid its chance to grab world economic leadership during the current crisis as Prof. Bhala indicates, I believe that China and its academics are consolidating ideas and preparing themselves for the next worldwide military crisis, or are awaiting the next cyclical economic crisis (c. ~2012-2015) to grab its next opportunity. And when that opportunity arises, much of the thoughts germinated by Chinese academics during this current crisis may very well become world policy.
Note: It would be useful to conduct a literature review of Chinese academic writings on world financial markets. Since time for that project currently eludes me, I will point a link here to Michael Pettis' wonderful site on China's Financial Markets. The Jamestown Foundation may also occasionally have some information on what China's academics are currently thinking.


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Solo 75 2 Stage Carbon Fibre
- Integrated 75mm bowl.
- Lightweight carbon fibre legs.
- 3-position leg angle locking - no spreader.
- 2-stage rapid leg lock extension.
- Air Cell carry strap.
- Leg spike with wind-down rubber feel.
- Neoprene leg protection.
The 1501 2-Stage telescopic Solo 75 Rapid Lock carbon fibre tripod is designed for the single operator aiding fast and secure set up to 1614mm (63.5") height and as low as 234mm (9.2"), packing down to a compact 700mm (27") for transport.
Solo tripod series is developed for those that require the greatest degree of freedom without compromising stability. The Solo series is the most versatile, compact and easy to tripod in the Miller range.
The Solo 75 2-stage tripod uses the most advanced carbon/basalt fibre tubing for the highest stiffness to weight ratios there is, high strength magnesium and die cast alloy components are incorporated to provide an ultra-light tripod. In addition to the 2-stage telescoping design, Miller has eliminated the need for a spreader with an innovative leg angle control that incorporates a safety lock to ensure quick and easy setting of the tripod.
With an ultra-low minimum height of 234mm (9.2") to the heights of 1614mm (63.5") safely with no spreader and easy ball levelling you are guaranteed outstanding, stable images from any angle across any terrain.
Specification - Solo 75 2 Stage Carbon Fibre
|Maximum Payload Capacity
|20kg (44.1lbs)
|2.4kg (5.29kg)
|Height Range
|234-1614mm (9.2-63.5")
|Transport Length
|700mm (27.6")
|Mounting Base
|Ø75mm (2.9") ball levelling
|Leg Extension
|2-stage telescopic
|Lock Type
|Concentric Rapid Lock
|Leg Material
|Carbon fibre
- Solo Dolly to suit all Solo tripods
- Solo Shoulder Strap Aircell to suit all Solo tripods
- D36 Solo leg cover set of 3 to suit all Solo tripods


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Central PA's LGBT News Source
Hello, Dr. Deano here and I would like to talk to you today about the psychology of the color orange, especially since it pertains to me!
Orange is an energetic color, bringing out feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and warmth. It is bright, happy, and uplifting, full of vibrancy and fun (like me!). Orange cats (and the people who love them) are usually warm-hearted, agreeable, optimistic, extroverted, cheerful, and adventurous. Sounds like me so far! Our deepest need is to be with people, to socialize with and be accepted by them. I'm a people person! Orangies rejuvenate in the most difficult moments and move on easily from life's set-backs.
I love to play, especially with the laser pointer, and then flop down by your side, my motor rumbling the whole time! So whatever the shade--orange, tangerine, apri"cat", marmalade, or ginger, I'm a loving, calming, charming guy who would flourish in a home without other cats.
Love me, feed me, never leave me, and I will be the most well-adjusted cat you could hope for! So stop by my office and ask for an appointment with Dr. Deano, the cat "therapist" with orange appeal! I have a PhD in LOVE!
Click here to open your heart and home.


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We Are Professional Preschool & Kindergarten Photographers in Adelaide offering a wide range of packages and products from just $20!
Specialising in kindergarten, childcare and pre-school photographers, we provide families with cherished childhood memories of professional quality portraits at kindy photo prices across Adelaide! We also offer a fantastic "graduation portrait" service for preschool aged children – have a look at our info if you would like to have your centre graduation photos taken this year!
Your photo day is customised to ensure a professional and smooth running day, with a wide range of portrait packages for families to choose from. We offer families photo packs INCLUDING the ever popular "pre-school photo day books" everyone loves!
We love to exceed expectations in every way and understand children need a different approach for their photo day. Along with that comes our 100% money back guarantee with each and every photo! Importantly our photographers are fully immunised, including whooping cough and have current DCSI screening – paperwork which we carry at all times and public liability insurance.
On photo day, we have lots of fun playing games with the children. It's important to create a connection and make children feel comfortable before we start taking photos! We never rush and spend the time necessary with each child to get to know them, the end result, warm & engaging portraits you will want frame and hang on your walls. We get down to their level and connect with them through play. We play silly games and make it fun, it's then children relax and we get the best smiles from children without them needing to say "cheese". The reason we have grown so much over the past decade and photographed so many children across Adelaide would have to be our "mummy test"….it's really as simple as ensuring that each and every photo that leaves the studio would be proudly displayed by parents in their home.
On photo day in childcare centres, we like to arrive early in the day, ready to photograph by 8am when everyone is fresh and looking their best. We start with the youngest children first and endeavor to have them photographed prior to any naps.
In kindergartens, we will be there at "drop off" time to greet parents and answer any questions they may have before the kindy day begins. In both childcare centres and Kindergartens, we have your photo day completed prior to lunch for minimum disruption as much as possible. Some kindy's choose to have us arrive a little later in the morning once children have settled for the day, we still aim to be finished prior to lunch wherever possible.
Families who make a special trip on a non-attendance day will be prioritised in order of arrival. We ask these families arrive before 10am on photo day to ensure your child is included in the group photo.
Why Choose Us:
- Simple pre-paid system
- Professional editing and presentation of EVERY photo to the same standard as our private portrait sessions
- 20+ years experience photographing children
- 100% satisfaction guarantee on all photo packages
- Re-order service available for families, including DIGITAL FILES!
- A wide range of packages to suit all budgets, starting at just $20
- Fast turn around and prompt delivery of your photo packages (no longer than 3 weeks)
- Complimentary digital staff photos for your centre or kindergarten to use as needed throughout the year
- Retouching service for minor blemishes included in our price (with parental requests)
Dates for 2019 are almost at fully capacity, however we will always find a way of accommodating new clients. Please contact us if you would like further information or would like Photoplay Studios to visit your Preschool, Childcare Centre or Kindergarten.
Go back to our portraits page.


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If you've been reading my blog in the last week, you'll know I've been soaking up the French sunshine, while my blog was kindly taken over my Olivia and Poppy from DollySnowFlake. I went with my family over to France on the ferry, and spent lots of time touring Northern France - and obviously my first visit to PARIS!!!!! (ahh). I would definitely recommend France for a holiday! Our usual family holiday just consists of a hot country, a pool and not doing very much, but in France there's so much to see and do - it was fab!
During the trip, we visited lots of fishing ports and beaches around the Somme coast of France. Every where we went we were tempted by the yummy ice creams, French baguettes and mussels! Sadly there wasn't the same optimism to try the snails - maybe next time? We also visited the city of Amiens, which is very beautiful and where I realised my love of cake!
1. Try and learn a few phrases, in some areas, nobody speaks English, and it can be quite a problem when trying to read restaurant menus and ordering food!
2. Take a wardrobe that's suitable for all weather, it's hot in France, but it can rain too!
3. Take a Sat-Nav, you'll need it, the roads are easy to use, but getting lost isn't hard.
Lots of Love,


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S: The School Excursion
BC: This book is about Mr Grump making a School Excursion. Josh,Tim,Sky and May think there not going to like it, but they actually do. But what they don't know is that a monster lives there...
FC: JOURNAL The School Excursion by Xander Shirley
1: Day one it all started when the school principal Mr Grump organised a School Excursion. "Hey josh i do not want to go on that," whispered Tim. "neither do i,"I replied. i thought this was bad. Suddenly May burst from behind me. AAAAAHHH i screamed. All she did was laugh She got me again but I'm still scared about the Excursion. the next day i found out we had to go on the Excursion but i didn't want to go. i was so scared i ran home out of school and thats how i ended up in Mr Grumps office the next day. All Mr Grump dose is Yell i didn't like him at All. OK now i am scared but i can't run home because i don't want to be in Mr Grumps office again. yea so now I'm going to tell you what's so bad the Excursion is today. it was a 3 hour trip there but it Actually wasn't so bad in fact i felt fine so i don't know what i was scared about. | Day Two then we had to split up i was with Tim me Sky and May i can say I'm lucky these guy's are my friends and I'm joyful that I'm not With Brendan the school bully. I was scared very scared. i while later it got dark the birds did not say a word the wind had stopped blowing the trees where cracking the leaves where falling off all of the trees and then RRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR A big noise started going on i shouted to May Sky and Tim but that other noise was to loud that they couldn't here me. i think it burst my ears it was so bad. RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAhhh i screamed. i just got hold of four leaves that where full of luck and here they are. | Day three While we where stuck the school bus left without us The idea was to find that monster and get home. we'd been walking for a while when we saw A GIANT SHADOW!!! i looked behind us RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR it was a dragon that had been making the noise AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH i screamed i started to run but then a giant blob of water landed on me the dragon was crying it then said "all i wanted was to be your pet," thats what the dragon said so i walked over to him and said "it's OK we will fly together on the high sky's you will be my pet,".
2: Day Four today me and my pet where flying in the sky yea so it was wired to see people so tiny but it was still fun. now I'l give my dragon a name i'm thinking it should be fire blast and then i asked him if he could blow fire and he said yes so i called him Fire blast hey fire bast i called can we go down and as soon as i did he swooped down from the sky and let me off at the school gate. | Day Five we'll now i have to hide him from mum and dad so i don't know how i'm going to do that.... then i had an idea me and him would live by ourselvs on a mountain top without them knowing so i got all of my stuff and some food and went with fire blast I thought that i was being stiuped but it looked like fire blast liked it and thats where i stayed for 5 years. | THE
3: END | i hope you liked this book after reading it. | by Xander Shirley Signiture (R)


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Namco Bandai has announced that the next chapter in the Soul Calibur franchise, Soul Calibur: Lost Swords, will be available this winter in North America and PAL regions. The Soul Calibur's spin-off will be a free-to-play title available exclusively for the PS3.
Soul Calibur: Lost Swords' gameplay will focus on single player and mission modes, offering a highly customizable solo gameplay experience. Unfortunately, this might mean that the game won't include a multiplayer component. At the moment, only 3 playable characters were confirmed: Mitsurugi, Seigfried, and Sophitia.
According to the press release, the game will also include a brand new item discovery and forging system, with players having to strategize which weapon to use in battle since the game will also include elemental-based fighting mechanics. This means that every weapon in the game will have an element associated with it, and knowing its strengths and weaknesses is crucial to winning the battle.
"The SOULCALIBUR series has long been known for its substantial single-player modes over the past 14 years. SOULCALIBUR LOST SWORDS allows the development team to expand the solo-fighting game concept further than it has ever gone before with new loot-drop gameplay, elemental-based weapons, and deep character customization options that the series is known for," said Olivier Comte, Senior Vice President for NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S.


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Stoneware Bird Feeder-Large
Handcrafted pottery bird feeder is sculptural art for the garden and birds!
Fine stoneware is high-fired and weather-proof in the toughest winter conditions, will not fade or discolor in hot summer sun. Attracts songbirds with a generous perching area, accommodates most seed mixes. Overhang roof and drainage in seed tray helps keep seed dry.
Unique bird feeder features lift-off roof for easy filling and cleaning, holds approximately 3 to 4 lbs. seed.Ready to hang with strong coated stainless steel wire. Lead-free glaze for birds' health, variations may occur in color and texture as each piece is hand made.
By Anthony Stoneware
Measures 11" tall
Item Weight 4.2 lb.
Handmade USA


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Chandralekha is one of the finest celluloid entertainers ever produced in India. Film critic V.A.K. Ranga Rao describes the film as "the most complete entertainer ever made." Made in Tamil and, later, in Hindi, Chandralekha was one of the biggest grossers in Indian cinema history. Shorter versions of the film in English were screened in the U.S.A., Japan and the Scandinavian countries in the 1950s.
Sixty years ago the biggest box office hit of Tamil cinema was released. When made by the same studio in Hindi, it was so great a success that it opened up the theatres of the North to films made in the South. This is the story of the making of that film, Chandralekha, recalled by Randor Guy.
With the smashing success of Chandralekha, S.S. Vasan became a national figure, but in his simple garb (he always wore a dhoti, shirt and slippers like the average South Indian in the street), he did not look like a movieman at all. Yet he was to become one of the finest directors in Indian cinema. His feel for a good tale, his passion for editing and his untiring industry were the keys to his success as a director.
He turned to Chandralekha after two of his films, Mangamma Sabatham (1943) and the Telugu Balanagamma (1942), both based on popular folklore, turned out to be superhits, netting profits of Rs. 4 million, a staggering sum in the 1940s.
S.S. Vasan
The famous drum dance scene. (Courtesy: Film news Anandan.)
He wanted to produce a colossal celluloid extravaganza a la Cecil B. DeMille and asked his story department to come up with a screenplay. Gemini writers, like Kothamangalam Subbu, Ki. Ra. Sangu Subramaniam, Veppathur Kittoo and others, saw Mangamma Sabatham and Balanagamma as heroine-oriented stories and, not surprisingly, looked for another such tale to narrate to Vasan.
When they told him the story of a tough, talented woman – she is so smart, she outwits a vicious bandit, delivers the final insult by slashing off his nose and, as a finishing touch, fills the bloodied gaping hole with hot, red chilli powder! – he thought it too gruesome, crude, even vulgar. But when he threw it out, one thing stuck in his mind: the name of the woman, Chandralekha.
He immediately announced his next film as Chandralekha, publicising it with front-page advertisements in all the leading publications. Yet, at the time, Vasan had the title but nothing else.
The frantic search for a story now began. Three months later there was no story in sight. Vasan began to get impatient. One day, he told the writers he was shelving the project and would concentrate on making Avvaiyyar, another dream of his. Veppathur Kittoo, however, pleaded for one last chance and got a week's time.
Kittoo, who was director T.G. Raghavachari's (aka Acharya) assistant and favourite disciple, used to call on his guru at his home every morning. That lucky morning, he saw a book on TGR's desk, a novel called Robert McCaire the Male Bandit by G.W.M. Reynolds (of the Mysteries of the Court of London fame). Kittoo began to flip through it and read...
"...it's night in rural England and a mail coach convoy trots its way, when, suddenly, Robert McCaire, the bandit, and his henchmen on horses emerge from the surrounding darkness, hold up the convoy and rob it. Hiding under a seat is a young woman fleeing from a harsh home. She is a dancer and when she refuses to dance, the bandit whips her into submission..."
Vasan was fascinated when he heard Veppathur Kittoo narrate a story based on this episode and he decided to go ahead with the film. He named the heroine 'Chandralekha' and his enthusiasm was so great that he did not unduly bother about the absence of the rest of the story.
Over five years, from 1943 to 1948, Chandralekha was made, re-made, re-re-made, scrapped, re-shot, scrapped and re-re-shot, with the film ultimately costing over Rs. 3 million. It was the most expensive movie made in India till then.
The script called for two major roles, the two sons of a king, the elder being the good prince, his brother a villainous, amoral person. M.K. Radha, tall, handsome and talented, one of the earliest successful heroes of Tamil cinema, was on Vasan's payroll. (Gemini Studio had a 'stable' of actors.) He would be a good choice as the younger prince, Vasan felt. But M.K. Radha, like most South Indian stars, was worried about his 'image' and did not feel happy about being asked to play the villain. He, however, found it a delicate task telling his boss, so he left the unpleasant task to his wife. His wife, a former actress, succeeded in convincing Vasan, who agreed to cast MKR as the soft prince, whose role was more passive.
The role of the younger brother, Sashankan, now presented problems. Vasan chose K.J. Mahadevan to play the role and Acharya, who was named the director, nodded his tufted head. England-educated KJ (as he was familiarly known) was sophisticated, soft-spoken and cultured. He had played the hero in Thyaga Bhoomi, the first film distributed by Vasan. Some scenes were then shot with KJ as the prince who turns bandit to create chaos and confusion, but the 'rushes' proved disappointing. So, Ranjan (R. Venkataramana Sarma in real life), another college-educated, sophisticated Tamil actor, who had played the father and son in Gemini's Mangamma Sabatham, was chosen and proved an apt foil.
Gemini Studio, right in the heart of the city, thereafter became a veritable hive of film-making activity. Kothamanglam Subbu recalled years later, "During the making (of Chandralekha), our studio looked like a small kingdom...horses, elephants, lions, tigers in one corner, palaces here and there, over there a German lady training nearly a hundred dancers on one studio floor, a shapely Sinhalese lady teaching another group of dancers on real marble steps adjoining a palace, a studio worker making weapons, another making period furniture using expensive rosewood, set props, headgear, and costumes, Ranjan undergoing fencing practice with our fight composer 'Stunt Somu', our music directors composing and rehearsing songs in a building... there were so many activities going on simultaneously round the clock."
Beautiful, buxom, with lovely eyes and sensuous lips, T.R. Rajakumari, a talented actress, dancer and singer, the first 'dream girl' of the Tamil cinema, was cast as Chandralekha. (An early 'house ad' for Chandralekha on the inside cover of the Nandanar song-book printed in September 1942 carried the name of K.L.V. Vasantha as Chandralekha. Why did Vasan give up KLV and choose T.R. Rajakumari? A possible reason was that Vasantha was moving to Modern Theatres, Salem unit, as a permanent artiste. She later became the wife of T.R. Sundaram who owned Modern Theatres.)
There was a minor role, the hero's bodyguard, which, a talented stage-actor, who had been on stage from boyhood and graduated to female roles – he had even grown his hair long for this purpose – coveted. He called on Veppathur Kittoo several times asking for a break, even an also-ran role. Eventually Kittoo took this slim, struggling stage actor to the 'Boss' who had seen him perform on stage. To the astonishment of Kittoo – and the poor actor – Vasan told the aspirant bluntly that he was totally unsuited for films and warned him not to be lured by the honey-coated words of film people and give up the stage. Vasan later told Kittoo that the actor had a squint eye and chided his assistant for wasting his precious time! The actor whom Vasan turned down was Villupuram Chinniah Pillai Ganeshamurthy, later known as Sivaji Ganesan! The rift between the two that began then never quite ended.
TGR began shooting the film and for the next five years. Vasan thought of nothing else. According to Veppathur Kittoo, TGR directed more than half of Chandralekha. Then, Vasan and Acharya had some misunderstanding over the shooting of some sequences at the Governor's Estate (now, Raj Bhavan, Guindy), and Acharya walked out of the film. Vasan took over, making his debut as director.
At one stage, Vasan decided to add a circus as part of the film and the screen story was re-woven accordingly. In her attempts to save her lover imprisoned in a mountain cave, Chandralekha seeks the help of a passing circus company. The famous comedy pair N.S. Krishnan-T.A. Mathuram were roped in as the circus performers who helped the hero to rescue Chandralekha from the clutches of the villain. Later, to repay her debt of gratitude, she joins the circus and works as a trapeze artiste. Kittoo travelled all over South India and Ceylon and he watched over fifty circus companies perform before he found the right unit.
The shooting of the circus scenes was entrusted to K. Ramnoth. A brilliant technician and a camera-wizard, he captured flying trapeze acts high above the ground... wild animals fighting... and a shot that is breathtaking even by today's standards... To quote Kittoo, "In those days, we had no zoom lenses and yet Ramnoth did it. One night, while Chandralekha is performing on the flying trapeze, she notices the villain's henchman in the front row. She is on her perch high up and he is seated in a ringside chair. Shock hits her and to convey the shock the camera zooms fast from her to the man. Today, with a fast zoom shot it can be done very easily, but there was no such lens forty years ago. Ramnoth did it using the crane. He planned it well and rehearsed the shot for long. He took the shot 20 times and selected the best 'take'. It was amazing!"
Then there was artistic and brilliantly choreographed drum dance, the highlight of the film and the first of its kind in Indian cinema.
Chandralekha arranges a spectacular dance in which many dancers, including herself, dance on a number of tall drums, inside which her lover's men are hiding, waiting to come out and fight the villain. Vasan had nearly 400 dancers on monthly salary and they had daily rehearsals for six months; that single sequence cost Vasan Rs. 5 lakh (half a million) in the 1940s, it was said. The man who designed all this was Chief Art Director A.K. Sekhar, whose contribution was palatial splendour. The two music composers, M.D. Parthasarathy and S. Rajeswara Rao, created a fine blend of lilting music of many schools, Carnatic, Hindustani and even Western – waltzes, jazz, etc. – and many of the songs became hits.
To top it all, Vasan came out with a gigantic publicity campaign which made the nation sit up and take notice. His budget was said to have been nearly a million rupees, an incredible sum in those days. Full-page ads,
huge multicoloured posters, glossily printed brochures, press books, expensively printed songbooks, were to be seen everywhere... it was all unheard of in India.
Chandralekha, made in Tamil and Hindi, created a sensation and smashed box-office records all over the country. Its Hindi version opened the doors for South Indian producers to sell their Hindi-wares in the North.
Honours came seeking Vasan, but he took them in his stride. He sat on many committees and panels and bodies connected with the Indian film industry. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha for a term, and served as a director of a leading bank. But it was as S.S. Vasan, South India's 'Cecil B. DeMille', that he will be remembered. (Excerpted from Starlight, Starbright with the permission of the author.)
© 2008. All rights reserved. Madras Musings.
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The centrally located 4 star Scandic Copenhagen Hotel offers 486 rooms and suites with facilities to suit both business and leisure travellers. Situated in the midst of the capital with views of either the city or Copenhagen`s famous lakes, the Scandic Copenhagen is well placed for visitors to enjoy the city`s sights, museums, nightlife and extensive shopping possibilities. Only 5 minutes walk from the Tivoli Gardens amusement park, the hotel`s situation in the heart of the city could not be any better. An extensive hot buffet breakfast is available to all guests, and delicious meals can be enjoyed in the Blue Garden Restaurant where the best of international cuisine is available. In addition to the Lobby Bar, guests can also enjoy a glass of fresh draft beer in the Red Lion pub.
Club Travel Destinations


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Region Engineering Group grew from the company Region-Engineering Ltd, established in 2004. We currently provide a wide range of design and construction services, including: management and construction of large turnkey projects and architectural-engineering design. Over the years, we have developed a unique approach that helps better identify the key stages of any project. This approach, together with extensive professional communication at all stages, have saved our Customers money and time by avoiding common design mistakes.
Currently, the group of companies operates from the main office in Moscow, where our team handles all project & construction management issues (communication with clients, an adaptation of projects to local norms, tender preparation and evaluation, cost estimation etc).


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This Sixton sock box includes three pairs of cotton socks in three amazing animal prints, as well as a detachable sparkly bee pin that can be taken off and attached to each pair or worn as a separate statement accessory.
One size fits all
Composition: 65% cotton / 35% spandex


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Since you didn't provide us with information on exactly how you defined the field it's difficult to determine why you're experiencing the problem, especially since IBM's extensions to COBOL now accomodate all the instances where you weren't supposed to use JUST RIGHT.
About all I can suggest right now is that you make sure that: 1) the field is an elementary level field, and 2) the field is large enough to handle the source field's data so it doesn't truncate.
Hope this helps some.
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H.R.5991 - Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act of 2012112th Congress (2011-2012)
BillHide Overview
|Rep. Heck, Joseph J. [R-NV-3] (Introduced 06/21/2012)
|House - Natural Resources; Armed Services; Agriculture
|Latest Action:
|House - 08/13/2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry. (All Actions)
This bill has the status Introduced
Here are the steps for Status of Legislation:
- Introduced
Subject — Policy Area:
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- View subjects
Summary: H.R.5991 — 112th Congress (2011-2012)All Information (Except Text)
There is one summary for H.R.5991. Bill summaries are authored by CRS.
Shown Here:
Introduced in House (06/21/2012)
Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act of 2012 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require amounts received through FY2020 (currently, through FY2010) from leases under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to be available to the Secretary of the Interior for implementing the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as well as the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) complete and finalize the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to analyze the potential impacts of a program to develop solar energy on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and any necessary amendments to land use plans for such land, and (2) amend any land use plans to provide for the development of renewable energy.
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to: (1) prepare and publish a notice of intent to prepare a programmatic EIS to analyze the potential impacts of a program to develop solar and wind energy on National Forest System land and any necessary amendments to land use plans for such land, and (2) amend such plans to provide for the development of renewable energy on completion of the programmatic EIS.
Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to submit a report that: (1) identifies locations on land withdrawn from the public domain and reserved for military purposes that could be developed for renewable energy production, and (2) describes the administration of public land withdrawn for military purposes for the development of commercial-scale renewable energy projects.
Requires the Secretary of Interior to establish a wind and solar leasing pilot program on: (1) public land administered by the Secretary or National Forest System land administered by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) land not excluded from the development of solar or wind energy under a land use plan established under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the National Forest Management Act of 1976, or other law. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) make a joint determination on whether to establish such program within two years, (2) establish such program unless they determine that the program is not in the public interest and does not provide an effective means of developing such energy, and (3) require as a condition for any authorization for the development of such energy on such land the payment of a royalty.
Establishes in the Treasury the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in regions impacted by the development of wind or solar energy for addressing and offsetting the impacts of such development on federal land, securing recreational access to federal land to provide enhanced public access to existing federal land that is inaccessible or significantly restricted, and carrying out activities authorized under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965.
Requires such Secretaries to determine the feasibility of carrying out a conservation banking program.
Prohibits wind or solar generation projects with a capacity of 20 megawatts or more that are issued a lease, right-of-way, permit, or other authorization from being subject to the rental fee exemption for rights-of-way under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.


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A new CrossFit box recently opened in Yreka, and my friend Jayne talked me into going with her Saturday morning. Full disclosure: I avoided CrossFit for a long time because I was pretty afraid of dying/puking/somebody telling me I should stop eating cheese because CAVEMEN. (Calm down, Paleo fans: I'm sure your body is better than mine and you will outlive me by decades. I still choose Brie.)
The good news: I had a ton of fun, and nobody diet-shamed me. The bad news: I'm afraid to go back because I haven't been able to lift my arms above waist level since Saturday. Seriously, I had to ask Dave to put my pajamas on me like a damn toddler on Saturday night.
I am happy to report that I'm already seeing some positive changes in my health. For example, I thought about drinking a beer Saturday night, but decided it wouldn't be worth the effort to lift the bottle to my mouth. Maybe this is CrossFit's secret to success: tiring the arm muscles to the point where they're physically incapable of lifting anything heavier than a kale leaf.
All joking aside: I can't wait to go back. I had no idea my upper body was so weak, and I'm determined to do something about it. I also wouldn't be mad if my butt was a little more Beyonce and a little less Roseanne Barr. I know it can be a good thing to work through sore muscles, but at this point I feel like it might not be wise to lift heavy stuff when the act of fastening my bra feels like summiting Everest. Any CrossFit experts reading? Please advise in the comments.


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Hi all, I am using Pentaho v7.1 in Centos 7 VM and MapR 5.20 in another Centos 7 VM.
I am trying to add Drill connection to Pentaho using Generic Database. The error showed:
Error connecting to database: (using class com.mapr.drill.jdbc41.Driver)
[MapR][DrillJDBCDriver](500150) Error setting/closing connection: Client needs authentication but server doesn't support any security mechanisms. Please contact your administrator. [Warn: It may be due to wrong config or a security attack in progress.]


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Joy & Sorrow Unmasked: Arias and Orchestral works by Bach and Handel
DVD recordings of concerts do not always promise the most exciting of visual spectacles, especially when filmed in an auditorium as plain as the Trifolion Centre Culturel in Echternach, Luxembourg, but this concert by the European Union Baroque Orchestra under Lars Ulrik Mortensen is worth viewing if you value not just Baroque music but its future in performance as well. EUBO is an orchestra of young professionals and students brought together to train, tour and play together for six months, and very good they are. The personnel is completely different each year – onstage here are the 2011 crop – but the inspirational effect of seeing and hearing them is a constant.
They are joined here by Swedish soprano Maria Keohane in a programme that mixes Italianate sorrowing by Handel and Ferrandini with more joyously inclined Bach. It shares three numbers with the recent 'Pure Handel' CD, and my admiring comments on that (8/13) can be applied here too. Keohane shows sparkling virtuosity in Jauchzet Gott, but also affecting vulnerability in Ferrandini's poignant Il pianto di Maria. She does go a little sharp sometimes, but it hardly matters when she can command such attention. Mortensen directs his eager players with sure hand and keen ear for detail.
It is the enthusiasm of the young musicians that is this film's lasting impression, thanks in no small part to the alert intimacy of the direction. Cut together with a sympathetic ear for the music's dialogues and pacing, the individual and group close-ups highlight the smiles, knitted brows, darted glances, dropped shoulders and ecstatic eye-closings that show the fleeting relationships and intense personal moments of playing in a group like this. Who would not enjoy playing the Third Brandenburg Concerto in such conditions? And who can blame that violinist who, after Keohane and concertmaster Huw Daniels have duetted exquisitely in the encore from Handel's Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, wipes away a tear?


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I can't answer the question but I'm definately curious about how someone would go about exploiting a vulnerability within a LAN sitting behind a router running NAT/NAPT…where would you start? Routing Tables? Hacking the modem?
I have 1 XP SP2 Machine running providing PPTP VPN connections and a Webcam Security System (webcamxp)
Forwarded Ports 1723,gre,7 for the VPN and just 81 Webcamxp plus 82 if I needed sound….but my mic is broken.
If I run a Security Scan on my host name (myhostname.dyndns.org) using LAN Guard Network Security Scanner with NAT/NAPT forwarding ports to 10.0.0.*** (XPBOX) the scanner doesnt find any computers or return any results….
BUT if I stick my XPBOX into a DMZ (aka Default NAPT – on a Speedtouch 530) and run a scan from the outside I can see all my open ports 1723-XPVPN -81 WebcamXP -80 Apache aswell as a list of all possible exploits….
So having NAT/NAPT enabled is definately good but how would one go about gaining access to the LAN….would remote administration have to be turned on for someone to change modem settings???
The only way I can see someone gaining access is by attacking webcamxp there are vulnerabilities in the sanitisation of chat text and cross site scripting e.g. http://myhostname.dyndns.org:81/chevron-script-chevron-alert('alert')-chevron-/script-chevron-
Although these vulnerabilities appear to now be patched…..what other options would one have?? PTPP VPN Hacking…..is possible but I'm using MS-CHAPV2 which is pretty hard to crack….MS-CHAPV1 is supposedly fairly easy but still difficult to pull off….
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Welcome to Tenderwin
Tenderwin is a professional tender writing and bid management firm. We are fully conversant with all aspects of public and private sector procurement and have an in-depth understanding of tenders, bids and public & private sector procurement procedures and practices, incorporating:
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I've been doing paper crafts again making "A Card In A Box" for my Mum and my hubby's Mum's Mothers Day this week end coming. They are on the left and the trial one in white is in the middle.
Here they are closer...the greeting goes on the back.
They fold flat for posting
but pop up once opened
They are really easy to make and there is a tutorial below here if you want to know how to make them yourself. Now I'm off to snoop on other peoples desks!
Annette In Oz


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Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Questions for Commissioners on their mortgage bail-out plan
Here are some questions I think should have been asked prior to them making such a decision - though I doubt they even thought about most of these. Primarily, they've got a lot of TANF money ($400,000 by news accounts) that they need to spend by the end of June or it goes back to the state and federal governments. So I'm sure this 'program' makes perfect sense to them.
1) How many foreclosures are there in Lucas County and how does this number compare to the past 30 years, especially to years when there were similar difficult economic times and downturns in the housing markets?
It's one thing to say we have some of the highest foreclosure rates in the country - it's another to look at the historical foreclosure rates within the county. Nationally, the foreclosure rates in the 1980s were higher than now - and yet, we somehow managed to survive without such programs. Why is that?
2) How many of the foreclosures in the county are a result of a one-time event (like loss of a job, unexpected medical bills, or even divorce - the reason for a large number of foreclosures) versus a personal decision to take a loan with an adjustable rate mortgage or to purchase a more expensive house than could actually be afforded?
3) How many of the $1,000 vouchers did the county give out to help people make mortgage payments? Basically, how many tax dollars have already been spent on what the Commissioners said was a failed attempt at addressing the problem? Are the recipients of the $1,000 vouchers going to be eligible to get another handout - this time up to $5,000? And, in keeping with the standard illogical actions of government - if the $1,000 didn't accomplish the goal, shouldn't more money be the solution?
4) What evidence exists to prove that handouts to these individuals will "stem the tide of rising foreclosure numbers" as Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak claims?
5) How will this program avoid just prolonging the problem? Will there be a financial analysis of the individual's ability to meet their obligations PRIOR to giving them the handout? If an individual cannot meet their current mortgage obligations, will anyone actually recommend that they sell the home they cannot afford and move into housing that they can?
6) If an individual does not have the earnings or assets to continue paying their current mortgage costs, how will a one-time cash gift help them in the long-term? What long-term solutions will they be required to take? Should they have to take a second job - like so many already do - so that they can meet their financial obligations?
7) Will recipients be required to eliminate unnecessary spending PRIOR to being eligible for this handout? Or will individuals be allowed to continue to spend money on luxuries while getting taxpayer money to cover their necessities?
8) If credit counseling and other services are mandated as part of the problem, will individuals have to repay the $5,000 if they don't complete the courses? Or will they just be allowed to 'take the money and run'? If the money is to be repaid, how will it be collected?
9) How does this plan help all those who are making sacrifices in order to meet their mortgage obligations? How does this bailout encourage responsible citizens to continue to be responsible? Doesn't government spending - at all levels and for all things - drive up the costs for everyone, including those who are struggling, but are still able to pay their bills ... pushing those who are on the brink into the situation this program is trying to avoid?
Here's the problem: if the Commissioners were really interested in a long-term solution to the high costs of home ownership, they never would have voted to put increased - and new - tax levies on the ballot - as they have done every time they were asked.
If they were really interested in 'helping' people afford their homes, they wouldn't have spent 8% more in 2007 than they did in 2006 - or plan for another 2% increase in county spending in 2008. They'd actually reduce the cost of county government so they could reduce the amount of taxes (property and sales) it costs to pay for it.
If they were really interested in solving the problem, they'd work on creating a business-friendly environment so that companies would be profitable here, and would expand and grow, providing good-paying jobs for county residents.
However, all those things require hard work and making difficult decisions - including telling people 'no' when they ask for funds. And it's so much easier to just give out money to a few eligible families, get a bunch of headlines and then campaign on how you 'helped' people in need.
3 comments:
- Tim Higgins said...
I would agree with everything that you said, but would like to take a different approach to the question, and look at something that I have not heard brought up in this discussion.
The federal government is already providing significant financial support to those who purchase homes. It is a deduction to the amount of the income tax paid based on the interest that they pay on their mortgage. Depending on the size of that mortgage and the interest rate, this can be a rather sizable addition to the amount of their net income.
As one who is currently a renter in Toledo (unwilling or unable to make a commitment to the city as of yet), I receive no part of this. I get no part of the rent that I pay returned to me in the form of a tax deduction, nor do I build equity through the money that I pay in rent. Never the less, if I don't make the payments required of me every month, I too am subject to a process no less final than foreclosure (known as eviction).
As you pointed out in this piece, perhaps our County Commisioners would serve us better by attempting to make the county a place that fosters true economic development, which would help us to help ourselves. Perhaps a consideration to take less money from us in taxes would allow us to pay the bills that they seem so depserately to want to help us with. Perhaps doing a little more of the county's business and a little less political grandstanding would be more in order.
- Maggie Thurber said...
agreed, Tim, and nicely said.
- Hooda Thunkit said...
Of course, your logic, as usual, is flawless and spot on.
Is it any wonder that our "Robbing Hood" commissioners are popping up like prairie dogs, for the quick sound bite/photo op and then immediately heading back into their holes for cover?
I'd LOVE to hear their answers to the questions that you posed.
(Hammina, hammina, hammina, etc.)


text:
Q & A on Autism Funding in New Brunswick
If you have been following along with us over the past 2 weeks you probably have already read both of Rebecca's posts on the new standards for funding for Autism Early Intervention Services. If not, I urge you to read them here and here. Rebecca spent hours speaking with Jeff den Otter, EECD program advisor, and with Danielle Pelletier, clinical director of Autism Intervention Services Fredericton, to make sure that she understood everything that the EECD document was outlining, so that we could best respond to the questions we were receiving from concerned parents, and also so that we could fully understand it ourselves. The knowledge she obtained helped to explain a lot of the good changes the new standard is trying to implement, but in doing so it also helped highlight the many gaps in the new policy, which we felt – along with many other parents – needed to be addressed. This led Rebecca and Lindsay Farrell (an active autism advocate and parent in our community) to organize an information session so that we, as parents, could be the voice of the community and ask the questions that should have been asked before the standards document ever became finalized.
We invited all parents in the community to join us at the session where den Otter, Nicole Gervais (Executive Director of EECD), and Pelletier would attempt to answer our questions and acknowledge our concerns. Den Otter and Gervais represent the governmental agency that helped to establish the new standards that agencies will need to be held to. After introductions were made Gervais took the floor indicating: "There are no cuts to services. The 20 hours are still there, still available and we strongly encourage that you take full advantage of these services; it is there for you and for your child. We know that in order to impact, we need to have that intensity for your child to go to school and reach their full potential. The funding for the 20 hours have not changed, it has always been the same. As has the training requirements that are outlined in the standards. I believe that New Brunswick has the best Preschool program in the country. We want to maintain that because we see the impact that it has on the lives of these children and we want to continue that. So everything we are doing and planning is to maintain that and increase that quality. I commit to you today that what we are building is to support your child and you as a family."
Why the new standards then, and where did this all begin?
The program had been in place for the last 8 years, but after receiving numerous calls from around the province from concerned parents indicating that they were not receiving the full 20 hours of intervention that were promised to them, that caught the department's attention. "When you get one complaint, ok, and when you get two you say ok," Gervais said. "But once you start receiving a few you say well may be there is something there."
This led them to run an audit, and to go to the agencies to see for themselves what was happening and how things were being run. What we need to understand here, and what Rebecca has said in previous posts, is that these agencies are for-profit businesses that, although funded by the government, are free to make their own decisions about the way funds are distributed and the business models/practices used. However, it was always mandated that 20 hours of direct services be given as this is what the funding has always been based on.
"The audit that we did confirmed that there were a number of children who were not receiving the 20 hours that were being purchased by the government for your child on your behalf," Gervais explained. "So we thought, how can we do this, because this program has more than doubled since 2008, and in the last 4 years it has increased by 64%. So it is not that we are cutting the funding, but we want to make sure that each dollar we are spending is going to your child."
We all agree that our children should get the 20 hours that are being paid for them to get and that agencies should be accountable for this, but I think that focusing the funding only on direct hours is incorrect. The ASW that provided the 20 hours of face-to-face time is merely a small part of a greater team whose portion is primarily indirect. Should funding be solely based on the direct hours received or should funding be subdivided into a portion for each?
The second part of the revised standard is to allow the parent to decide how many hours – up to the mandated 20 hours – that you as a family can commit to. In the past it has always been that 20 hours is what you are getting and that is what we are paying for. There was no thought on what can the parents actually commit to. "Twenty hours a week for 52 weeks for 2 – 3 years is a big commitment," Gervais said. "I want the best for my child, but sometimes it is not possible for me to bring my child for 4 hours, 5 days a week for 52 weeks until my child goes to school. So we are making it possible for you to have a bigger place in this model. So if for this time you can only do 4 days, then you have an agreement that that is what you are going to get. So in 2 months if you decide that you can now do the 20 hours a week, then the agency and the government will both honour that and your child will receive the 20 hours."
While in theory that sounds great, there are still concerns in this type of model, especially from an agency standpoint. If a family decides that they can only do 15 hours a week, do you hire someone part time? What if a family that was already receiving 20 hours decides they now only want 15 hours: do you then not pay that staff for the 5 hours they would have been paid for? Or what if after you carefully balanced the number of hours families can do against the number of staff you have, a family says they can now increase from 15-20 hours. You don't have anyone available to do those extra 5 hours per week, so then what? Do you hire and train for just 5 hours per week? That will take time, it's not as if they can just turn the service offering on an off like a tap.
I understand that the government wants to pay for the hours serviced but I think that from an agency standpoint and from an employee standpoint that this may make it very difficult for the agencies to keep their staff in an environment that already sees a large turnover.
"We have met with the agencies last week and have made a few changes based on their concerns," Gervais indicated. She did not, however, go over any of those changes but merely indicated these changes would not affect the client in any way, only the agencies. She then went on to call to the parents for their voice in this matter: "One of the things that we have heard in the last two weeks is where are the parents' voice? You are talking about my child. You're making all these decisions, all of these changes but you have never asked me. SO I am making a commitment today that from here until October we will hear your voice. We are not sure if this will be through a questionnaire or town-hall meeting, but we will hear your voice."
Den Otter then took the stage to indicate that the program standards are there to show a model of service and what is actually offered. They are a boundary for us to follow, a guideline to all of us to hold the agency accountable to these standards. He indicated that when he started to get calls from panicked parents who called him after reading the letters they received, that he was taken aback. There were a few areas that parents seemed most concerned about, one being the new service letter agreement: "The letter says first of all that there will be a new service level agreement which clarifies your responsibility as parents and the agencies responsibility to you," he explained. "We used to just sign a funding agreement indicating how many hours you signed up for and there was nothing else in it."
We think the new service letter agreement makes sense. You are signing up for a service and this holds the agency accountable to what you, the parent of the client, should receive. It also puts a bit of responsibility on the parent to be well aware of the hours you are committing to for service.
The second most concerning part of the letter that parents wanted answers to was in regards to attendance: "I've always said this, our standards said we give 20 hours whether you need it or not, so we funded 20 hours regardless of if people took it or not, so there was a substantial amount of money given for visits that were not kept."
Den Otter indicated that although the government will still advocate for 20 hours a week, they are now allowing parents to have more flexibility with this, which Gervais stressed as well. The third-biggest issue was that parents were told that on the fourth missed visit that they would have therapy cut off or suspended.
"This is untrue," den Otter clarified. "We would never do that; that is not what we are about. So the behind-the-scenes work was working with people who wondered how they would manage their agency with a little tighter set of controls. We will review that and we will adjust as needed, but we have to remember we don't want to be spending bags of money for lack of service. We also don't want to be so tight that it becomes impossible for agencies to provide their services. There is a balance there." He went on to say that services to your child will not be removed for a child who is sick – they'll find ways of working around that. There is flexibility, he said, and they will look at things case by case. However, as we have pointed out – there's absolutely nothing in the document that speaks to the fact that medical appointments or illnesses could be "exceptions" to the rule.
Another misconception is that funding was changing. Den Otter went on to say: "No, there are no cuts. That is not true." Since the program started, funding was about 2 million dollars and the funding now is around 15 million. Why are current changes happening? "We want to shorten wait lists and get kids in as quickly as possible. They are happening so that we can make sure kids are receiving the hours they are supposed to receive."
The audit showed that in some agencies children were only getting 80% of the services they were supposed to be receiving, which is why they went down this road. In terms of the 95% target, den Otter indicated that, "The 95% attendance plus two weeks of vacation, this is a number we felt was attainable over time. This means we are giving up 5% of the budget for every child. Instead of putting out a blanket 90%, we would rather make adjustments based on an individual case."
He also indicated that lost hours can be recouped with extra sessions over the next three months. The thing to note here is that if you miss more than 95% you should not immediately lose service if you have valid reasons for missing time. "Parents do not have control over their kids being sick or medical appointments," den Otter said. "This is out of their control. We will find ways to work that out with the agencies."
In terms of employee pay and benefits, den Otter indicated – as Rebecca clearly outlines in her previous posts – is that this is entirely up to the agencies. "Our arrangement with our 6 agencies is a purchase of service. We will give you this much money in exchange of 20 hours of face time. The assumption is that this money will cover 20 hours of direct intervention and clinical support time and to an extent should cover when staff are sick or weather."
He indicated that they never told agencies how much should go to each part of their business. There was no outline for this and they see now that many agencies follow very different models but that the responsibility of paying staff is entirely on the agency. They are not prepared to go in and dictate how agencies should be doing this.
Den Otter then briefly touched on training. In the Standards doc, it does show that the government expects staff to come in with a certain amount of knowledge or training (which has not changed). He indicated that most agencies have an internal training component and that the EECD is also working on an internal training program, which will allow them to standardize training across the province. They have a pilot program that is already in the school systems, which is doing well, but they are still working on the preschool and agency component to this program. They would love to be able to open this training up to parents as well.
Again, this all sounds great, but what was never answered was how agencies should be paying for the training for new staff coming in currently. After going over my notes I emailed den Otter to get more clarification, but unfortunately there really doesn't seem to be a good answer here: "We are working to sort out the training question given the issues that some agencies have raised and we will ensure that the agencies have the opportunity, and will monitor to ensure that all staff working with children are trained and supervised."
Prior to the changes our local agency was using the second month of funding in order to pay their staff during the training period (with the first month paying for evaluations and diagnosis confirmation, and also being used as time to recruit staff). However in the new model, funding is 100% based on direct hours. No direct hours, no funding. During the first month that a worker starts with an agency they will not be given direct hours and so cannot longer use the (second) month of funding to pay for this. It is clear that not only is this a concern for us as parents, but it is also a concern with the agencies.
Pelletier, clinical director of Autism Intervention Services Fredericton, our local agency, then took the stage to explain a little bit about how she runs her company. Keep in mind, she is one of 6 agencies and not all agencies have the same models or practices, and and she couldn't speak for the other 5 agencies. Our meeting was organized for local parents, so Pelletier spoke to issues from a local agency perspective and not as a representative of all agencies.
"I still feel like I have questions and I speak with Jeff and Nicole often," Pelletier explained. Currently nothing at her agency is going to change for now (the next three months). There are a lot of details that she needs to manage, but she has always reconciled hours.: at the end of the child's therapy she always gave back money not used for hours (not to a 95% standard, but to some degree). However she felt that doing this on a 3-month period may make this "difficult" for her as a business.
She said she has been trying to push to the government that she does not want to feel pressured to provide hours before she feels her staff is ready. She wants to always make sure her workers are well trained before she offers any services to a client. "I do have some concerns around training, not only when they first start, but ongoing training. I did express that this is a job that requires flexibility. In the past if a client calls in sick we would pay the worker and have them overlap or do indirect work, but I think we might need to be tighter with that and that is where the 95% will come into play."
At Pelletier's center, employees get 5 paid sick days, which does come out of the funding used for the client and any time an employee calls in sick above these 5 days has always been unpaid and she does not feel that this will change. One of her concerns is in regards to snow days. Currently she closes her center whenever schools are closed for the safety of her staff. Many of the ASW's must drive an hour or more to reach their client. She does not feel comfortable sending her staff out on roads that may be dangerous, to a person's house where they may not have had time to shovel or plow out their driveways etc… Pelletier indicated that she is still going to be working along with the government to go over some of the concerns that she has and hopes that they will be worked out over the next few months.She has asked if they could pilot this and gather data across the province and then reevaluate this in a few months.
Q: Is there an ability to have a pilot? Is there a timeline for changes?
A: Nicole Gervais indicated that no they would not call this a pilot but that they are taking the agencies' concerns seriously and they will monitor and evaluate this. She indicated that the first quarter will be the most telling as to whether this will or will not work, but also noted that it could take up to 6 months of data to get a good reading.
Jeff answered that yes we do need to look at and we do need to review, but they want agencies to take this seriously and try to adjust to new practices before deciding this will not work.
Q: Currently you are holding agencies to 20 hours but you have no control on whether they truly are doing that. You trust that they will be forthcoming so when will we see actual accountability by the agencies? Will there be a streamlined consistent process across the province?
A: Gervais answered that the changes right now are only geared to funding, one penny in one penny out. Phase 2 will be geared towards looking at the clinical work that is happening in the agencies in hopes to do just that. They hope to look at more parent training, they want to monitor more closely the results in the children and the impact that it has, but currently there is no firm timeline as to when phase two will be done, but Gervais is hoping that by April 1st next year, this clinical piece will also be standardized.
Q: Is each agency currently assigned a case manager or external auditor to hold them accountable?
A: Firstly, they have been assigned a spreadsheet that all agencies must fill out so that government can compare from agency to agency. They have assigned one person that will look at these spreadsheets monthly so that they can see how things are going and to provide support to the agencies.
Q: Within the 20 hours a week what do those dollars go to?
A: The monthly amount is based on the face-to-face time, the material preparation etc… (The EECD) tracks direct and indirect time as the funding is based on the 20 hours. The money we are providing agencies is 20 hours of intervention and all expenses that go along with those 20 hours.
Q: Should the standards have been written in a language that was more geared to the parents and the community?
A: Although the standards are made public, they are meant primarily for the agencies and this is what has lead to a lot of the confusion with some of the policies even though many have actually not changed.
Q: So when you let the parents have a voice are you going to take our concerns seriously and make changes based on this?
A: Gervais indicated that the way they will do this is if there is a global concern over something then yes, they will review this. But if there is just one voice saying they don't like this piece, then no they would not change that. They will also look at the parents' ideas for future changes as well to help build the program and make it better
Q: Why is this punishing the children by reducing the their therapy time when the parents or agency meet a challenge. Is it not better to help the parents with delivery and make this the same across the province?
A: The child's therapy times are not being reduced unless the parents indicate that they can not meet the 20 hours and agree to a reduced schedule. The 20 hours is there for all children; this is not changing.
Q: If you have a reduced schedule and want to increase the hours later on can we do this? Is there a wait time for this? Will ASWs not have to be reassigned?
A: Pelletier answered that she personally would need 2 months to be able to recommit to 20 hours, so if a client wants to restart at 20 hours next week this would not be possible. The agencies will need advanced notice and this is something she has mentioned to the government.
Q: At AIS if a parent asks for training they will try to give parent training on ABA to help the parent with consistency, but many other agencies do not seem to offer this. What about funding for parent training?
A: Der Otter indicated that with the internal training they are working on, they would love to eventually see a parent component to this. Currently however this is not in the model.
Q: How do you decide how much money you will take from agencies when clients do not meet the 95% attendance? What portion of the funds will you take away from the agency, a percentage of the entire fund or is it a % of just what is being used for direct hours?
A: Der Otter and and Gervais said that it will be the entire hourly amount for each hour missed. Pelletier stressed there is a concern in regards to this, but that she will not be able to tell how much of a concern it is until they see how it plays out over the next few months.
Q: Am I putting my worker at risk of getting paid if I cancel more the 95%?
A: Pelletier answered that she will not know until 3 months after the model is in place. She does not see herself not paying her staff, but if she gets in the red due to too many cancellations then she does not know. Only time will tell.
Q: Is there anything that will change right now at AIS? Is it business as usually?
A: Pelletier indicated that she feels it will put pressure on scheduling, but she feels she needs to take data on everything and see where it will lead. Gervais also indicated they may need to extend this data period to 6 months, especially where we are going into summer. Pelletier maintained that her plan is business as usual and to maintain quality. As for other agencies this is something that agencies will need to determine independently as each of their models are different.
Q: Do agencies meet? Do you share resources?
A: Danielle explained that no, agencies do not meet on a regular basis and most agencies would already have a really good bank of resources. Where she feels agencies could learn from each other is in regards to each agency's internal practices and to allow for more consistency across the board.
Overall the information session was a success and many questions were answered, however it also showed there are large holes that still need to be worked out. One of the major holes we see stems from the very beginning when these agencies went into practice. There is no consistency. Each agency was given the same amount of funds, but it was up to each agency to determine how those funds would be handled to pay for the direct and indirect therapy hours, plus the operational costs they had.
There was no business model that all agencies needed to follow and I think this is why some agencies are going to have a harder time meeting the new standards and come out on top. I think that if all agencies had been following the same business model, paying staff the same way all along that these changes would be much less noticeable. This is not to say our agency is better than your agency; I'm sure our agency also has things they can improve. What we are saying, however, is that if all agencies followed the same model, perhaps there would have been less room for varying interpretations by each agency.
I also feel that the government has dropped the ball here in terms of training and has not clearly outlined how agencies will cover that cost. As I stated above, funding is only given based on so many hours of face-to-face time, but during a training period the new employee would have no face to face time with the client. In the past agencies like AIS used the second month of funding to pay for this, but in the new standards that would no longer be possible. Having Pelletier also indicate some concern over this makes me even more concerned over how this will occur. If agencies do not have the funds to train new staff it will mean longer wait lists for new clients as they wait for current clients to complete their therapy before starting someone new. That is unacceptable. Training of staff should have been clearly outlined in the document and if anything, there should be separate funding for training that is not part of the direct funding for the child, at least until the internal pilot that den Otter has indicated is in the works is actually available.
I personally do see some good points in the new standards, but think these new demands will be hard for some agencies to meet. If for example you have been paying your staff maybe more than you should have been, and have less banked away, then you may be in for a harsh reality. As parents, we will definitely feel that the pressure is on us for our workers getting paid or not and that is only one more thing to add to an already full plate for many of us.
My son rarely misses therapy; I think the center has cancelled on us more often then we have ever cancelled, so I know we fall closer to the 95% or higher bracket of attendance. But I have only one child. I can see where a parent with multiple children who might receive therapy at home, for instance, may have a much harder time meeting this 95% due to doctors appointments or illnesses for any of their children. Knowing that our hours won't be cut if we go over the 5% that is allowed does relieve some stress, but knowing that when we do go over that our worker may not get paid or that we are putting the agency in jeopardy financially makes me a little uneasy.
Personally I think that before something this strict was implemented that the government should have first looked at having a consistent business model across all agencies. They should have first and foremost outlined how the agencies would pay for training and then they should have outlined the standards agencies are to be held accountable to once the rest was in place. I understand the need to hold the agencies accountable for the services being provided and the hours being given to the children, but I think that there would have been a much better, gentler approach to making these changes.
Rebecca and I will continue to be on top of this as it progresses but I hope that they hold true to their word that they will re evaluate this with agencies over the next few months and that they are working with the agencies to help with their concerns. We will, however, need to see proof of that commitment before we are fully convinced that services in New Brunswick are not in jeopardy.
6 Comments
Do you have a date for a meeting in Saint John??
I just spoke with Josee Nadeau who works for Nicole Gervais. There is a
office (Off Millidge Ave.) It was indicated to me there should be information forthcoming prior to that.
Sorry..there is a MEETING scheduled for Saint John for June 24th at 630pm.
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