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Putting austerity on trial, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on Tuesday announced criminal charges against four high-level officials for their role in causing the Flint water crisis, including former city manager Darnell Earley, who made the budget-driven decision to switch the city's water supply to the dangerously corrosive Flint River.
"There are some who would simply wish that the problems in Flint would go quietly away, and there are voices out there who hope the poisoning of the water would be swept under the rug," Schuette said during a Tuesday morning press conference. "These voices hope to simply blame nameless bureaucrats, call it a day and move on."
"That's not how I operate," he continued, "that's not how we operate. Flint deserves better. The people of Flint are not expendable...People in positions of responsibility who broke that law must be held accountable."
Earley, as well as another former emergency manager Gerald Ambrose—both appointees of Republican Governor Rick Snyder—are being charged with false pretense and conspiracy to commit false pretense, which each carry a 20-year sentence, as well as misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty.
Earley, who ran the city from 2013 to 2015, "knew the plant was not prepared to produce water and, nevertheless, allowed it to be provided to the public," Jeff Seipenko, a special agent with the attorney general's office in 67th District Court, told the Detroit News. And despite concerns over health issues, Earley declined to switch back to the previous source, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.
Similarly, while serving as emergency manager in 2015, Ambrose overruled a city council vote to return to the cleaner, safer Detroit system, essentially "saying the people of Flint couldn't afford anything better than the rust-colored, foul-smelling swill being pumped from the river into their homes," as Curt Guyette, investigative reporter with the ACLU of Michigan recently put it. With the state appointment of an emergency manager, Guyette observed, "Democracy had been hijacked, with an austerity-driven autocracy installed in its place."
City officials Howard Croft, who was public works superintendent at the time, and his subordinate, utilities administrator Daugherty Johnson, also face charges of misconduct in office and willful neglect because they "put pressure on individuals at the water treatment plant to get the plant to work, despite having been told it wasn't ready," Seipenko said.
"All too often, there's been a fixation on finances and balance sheets," Schuette said during the Tuesday press conference. "This fixation cost lives. This fixation came at the expensive of protecting the health and safety of Flint. It's all about numbers over people, money over health."
Schuette's announcement brings the total number of people facing criminal charges to nine; two companies have also been charged with civil complaints.
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The latest round of charges reflects the findings of the Flint Water Advisory Task Force, whose March 2016 report (pdf) on the crisis declared unequivocally that its causes "lie primarily at the feet of the state by virtue of its agencies' failures and its appointed emergency managers' misjudgements."
But as the pro-democracy group Progress Michigan pointed out Tuesday, the criminal charges against Earley and Ambrose do not rectify the state's "disastrous emergency manager law."
"Frankly, the entire law needs to be relocated to the scrap heap of history or, in the very least, significantly altered until that day comes," said the group's executive director Lonnie Scott.
"The emergency manager law is fundamentally flawed because it takes away the people's right to vote and has remained unchanged since the Flint Water Crisis began," he continued. "Bill Schuette bringing charges against these emergency managers is ironic because he actually fought to preserve this undemocratic system of governing. Given that the only person emergency managers are answer to is the governor, we hope the investigation will continue to reach higher until everyone involved is brought to justice."
Nayyirah Shariff, director of the community coalition Flint Rising, echoed that disappointment.
"Here we are more than two years since the water crisis began and we still have the same draconian law in place, Flint residents are still without clean, safe water, and Bill Schuette himself is fighting a federal court order to deliver life-saving water to residents who otherwise would be without," Shariff said. "Flint residents say that so far they have not seen the results and justice they deserve. This unprecedented man-made crisis deserves swift, complete action to help remedy the harm of an entire city being poisoned."
"Bill Schuette and elected leaders in the State Capitol should not rest until every Flint resident has access to clean, safe water, wraparound health and education services, full reimbursement of their water bills, and the Emergency Manger Law is repealed in its entirety," Shariff continued. "We are tired of the selective showboating being masked as justice. We demand complete justice now and we will not rest until we get it."
When asked by a reporter Tuesday if the investigation will lead to the office of the Republican governor, Schuette said: "Nobody's on the table, nobody's off the table."
"The tragedy that we know of as the Flint water crisis did not occur by accident. Flint was the casualty of arrogance, disdain, and a failure of management, an absence of accountability, and shirking responsibility," Schuette added, vowing: "We will proceed to deliver justice and hold those accountable who broke the law."


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Heywood bus in doubt
SEAN Fleming TD has slammed the Minister of State, Ciaran Cannon TD for the new school transport regulations which mean that there will no longer be an entitlement to school transport for people in areas where families have traditionally gone to their local secondary schools.
"Minister Ciaran Cannon TD was very blunt in telling the parents from Raheen that those 16 students who were allowed onto the school bus to Heywood this year on a concessionary basis cannot be guaranteed this is future years," Dep Fleming said. "This is a dreadful situation and the Minister is indicating that in the future people in these areas should be going to the schools in Portlaoise."
The Minister also had similar bad news for people from The Swan who have gone to Heywood since it opened as a day school over 40 years ago, telling them they should instead go to the school in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny. Dep Fleming said he had ignored all reasonable arguments put forward by the parents and Laois public representatives to let common sense prevail in relation to Raheen and The Swan.
"It has become clear that there is only a small handful of problems like The Swan and Raheen areas in the entire country and if there is any remote willingness to let common sense prevail these problems could be resolved. The Minister has also made it clear that he does not want to make exceptions no matter how deserving the cases are. He said he would have the distances re-measured to verify the matter but held out no great hope for the future."
Dep Fleming said people were dissatisfied that the Minister appeared to have his mind made up before any meetings were held.
Dep Fleming said that this disappointing news from the Minister cannot be taken lying down and the parents involved will have to consider what alternative is now available in relation to getting common sense to prevail in this situation.

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm sitting in a children's play museum with my best friend, her nieces and my goddaughter and I figured know was as good as any to finally update this thing.
I came back earlier this week from a trip to New York with my friend Christina which was so fun. New York makes me appreciate the simple parts of my life. I can appreciate the make it here, make it anywhere spirit but thanks – I'll visit and leave.
All the same, I had a lovely time and there are parts of New York that are really beautiful.


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Images and words ©Bruno D'Amicis/www.brunodamicis.com
One day we decided to go further. A shepherd, in fact, had talked with us about a cave which, according to him, the lions used as a den and had offered himself to accompany us: it would take almost five hours of walk from Adjo, he said.
One day we decided to go further. A shepherd, in fact, had talked with us about a cave which, according to him, the lions used as a den and had offered himself to accompany us: it would take almost five hours of walk from Adjo, he said.
Barefoot and with a spear in his hand (a two-meter-long metal rod crushed and sharpened at the tip), he preceded us with a light pace. We followed him and got again into another gorge, down a steep path that ran along one of the walls. From there you could see well our goal: a sort of gigantic grassy "terrace", partly covered with large trees, which interrupted the long rock wall. On the cliffs above dozens of white slick denounced the presence of a large colony of vultures. Such a place would have suited well even a Tyrannosaurus rex, I thought.
Although my skepticism was chronic, I pondered on the lightness with which my fellows managed such a visit to the very home of the lions. I was wondering if that was something appropriate. Anyway, after what had been one of the most strenuous walks of my first 35 years of life, we reached the edge of the terrace. There we stopped to eat and rest. The shepherd said that we had to climb on the trees and, at sunset, the lions would have come out. So we did, waiting in vain until sunset and beyond: nothing. It was late and I suggested to return. I didn't feel at all comfortable: we were all alone, in the alleged lion area, with just a lamp among four, at more than two hours walk from the nearest settlement and without any equipment to deal with the night. Crazy stuff. We walked our first steps and into the light beam I saw it: a beautiful big turd, exactly like the one of a cat, just fifty times bigger and full of cow hair and bone fragments. A shiver along my back. It was then that we heard the first ROAR: a male lion was calling from two to three hundred meters from our position. I was afraid.
We had to move quickly to reach a safer place where to spend the night and so we took up a hard and almost onirical march into the most complete darkness, embraced by the velvet warmth of the African night, which was seasoned by a big chirping of insects, the distant laughters of hyenas and the roars of that damn' lion.
I put all my trust in the shepherd, who seemed so confident: I followed him for what seemed like an endless journey through the night, while "we penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness". So I felt, in fact: like Marlow, the protagonist of Conrad's novel.
We crossed again the deep rocky gorge climbing this time along a different trail and on the other side, finally there was our "salvation": a small farm. There, greeted by the friendly owners, we lit a fire and, eating enset bread and drinking fresh milk (welcome, diarrhea!) we discussed until late sharing the too many emotions of that evening. When we laid down, wasted, to sleep the one next to the other, it seemed to hear him: the ROAR was not far away. I felt like a Pang in my stomach and I groped in the darkness for the gaze of my friends. We heard it all again two, three more times. Believe me, that has been a long night ...
The next day arrived way too slowly for my taste and I had enough of it. I wanted to go back home and end it there, but we still had to spend one more night at Adjo and wait for the driver to come from Bonga and pick us up on the next day. As we returned to the village in the afternoon, I have found dozens of vultures feasting on a dead horse. Not even ten metres from them, a group of children were attentively watching the banquet: luckily, I was no more the main attraction. Then, as the day was fading a rumor spread quickly: ambassa had just been spotted not far from the last houses. We ran there, me, the interpreter and half of the village. And there, on the edge of the forest, half hidden in the lush tropical vegetation, nodded a lioness, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
A vision so beautiful and unusual, which made me wonder if the painter Henri Rousseau had not already experienced something similar in his life. The lioness was huge. After moments of hesitation, I realized that I was not of her interest and, a little reassured by the presence of my companions, I started photographing, first taking a couple of portraits with a long telephoto lens, but, eventually changing to a shorter lens and moving closer. I widened the frame to place the lioness in the wonderful context. I continued shooting until it became dark, then mixing the light from the flash to a portable spotlight. The lioness has moved only once to lay down on a different spot. Finally, we walked away in silence: that was it.
The photographs taken that day probably represent the first visual document attesting the presence of these animals in the afromontane rainforest, at over 2,500 metres above sea level. But the grotesque aspect of this story is also that so much effort would eventually dissolve in just some fractions of a second.
Is there a moral to this story?
Let's respect and start to believe paintings, fairy tales, rumors and songs, because we will never know where does hide "all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men." (J. Conrad)
And, in the meanwhile... in the jungle... the mighty jungle... the lion really sleeps tonight!


text: Current Vacancies HomeAbout CouncilCurrent Vacancies Western Downs Regional Council (WDRC) is a dynamic organisation committed to providing outstanding service to the local community. Everything we do is underpinned by our positive culture which includes being a future focused organisation that cares about its people and their safety whilst striving to make a real difference to our community. Are you interested in a job at WDRC? To apply for a particular position at WDRC, you can view Council's Current Vacancies above. We are also continuously sourcing candidates for high demand positions and would like to hear from anyone with the necessary experience or qualifications. We are currently seeking candidates for the below fields: Water & Wastewater Industry If this sounds like you, please submit an Expression of Interest by clicking the button above. The recruitment process includes candidates completing a pre-employment health declaration and you may be required to undergo a pre-employment medical including drug and alcohol testing. Applicants for all positions agree to WDRC conducting an independent employment check with your current (or most recent) employer prior to your formal appointment to the advertised position. WDRC reserves the right to close or withdraw vacancies before the advertised closing date without prior notice. Our behaviour reflects our organisational values; Communication, Leadership, Respect, Balance, Team Work and Accountability. We encourage and provide assistance to our employees to maintain a work/life balance with: Generous leave including flexible working arrangements (i.e. nine day fortnight or 19 day month applicable in some areas) Study assistance programs for career development Learning and development opportunities Employee Assistance Program Active social clubs Council provides competitive remuneration packages including attractive salary, hours, employee benefits and training and development opportunities. Relocation assistance may also be available for some positions. Find out more about: Current vacancies Work experience Study assistance Cadetships Traineeships and apprenticeships Graduates Tips on your application Expressions of Interest


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A + World Academy is sailing with Sørlandet for fifth school year. They will cross the Atlantic and Equator several times before returning to Kristiansand - her home port - in May 2020. Below you can read an update from the Dean of School - GG.
Dear A+ Family and Friends,
Salaam from Tangier, Morocco - the 'white city' that is Europe's gateway to Africa!
I stood on the dock of the beautiful new Tanja Bay Marina on November 26th and watched, with pride, as the majestic Sorlandet glided gracefully into the port and there was a lot of hustle and bustle on deck in preparation for coming alongside.
Tangier is where the wonderful Emily and I switched our roles as the Dean on ship.
Arrival Day was an academic day and students were busy in their studies. We started the day with Amalie's birthday celebration..yay...and in the evening we just chilled and watched a movie.
On November 27th our field experience was a wonderful cultural introduction to Tangier and its history.
We learned that Tangier has a wonderful blend of cultures and influences as, beside its native Berber population, it was governed by many nations like France, Spain, Britain and Portugal. In the mid-19th century it was turned into an "international zone" and France, Spain, Britain, Portugal, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Italy and the USA were involved. The rest of Morocco was divided between France and Spain. It was in 1956 that Tangier was returned to Morocco and became a thriving port. There has been a lot of investment and development in Tangier and now it is home to almost 2 million people including a lot of foreigners.
Our tour guides picked us up at 1000 and we set off to see the highlights of the city. The city is situated on a hill and we drove through misty rain and fog up the hill towards Cap Spartel. As we went up the hill through beautiful house, green trees and palaces and occasionally we could catch a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean waves hitting the shores. Cap Spartel, 15 km west, is an old promontory about 300 m (1,000 feet) above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. It had been critical in offering safety to various ships that crossed the waters. After the light house we stopped at the juncture where Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterrean Sea meet. A great opportunity for historic photos!
Our next stop was a highlight for our students…camel rides! Everyone who wanted to got to ride the camels and enjoyed the experience tremendously. Many students were also quite concerned with the proper treatment of the camels and spoke to the guides to ask about this…it was great to see such empathy from our young men and women.
We then went to see the amazing caves of Hercules. The caves are an intriguing complex -50% natural and 50% man made and the opening of the caves towards the sea is in the shape of Africa. Legend has it that Hercules slept here on his way to steal three golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides.
Our tour took us to the Kasbah in Tangiers next and we walked a short distance to our lunch destination: La Terraza de la Medina - a beautiful restaurant with great views. Lunch was amazing. Moroccan traditional music was being played by three elderly musicians dressed in traditional Moroccan clothes (djellaba - tunic) and a tarboush (a fez hat). Our starter was a vegetarian soup followed by couscous and chicken cooked in a tagine (traditional Moroccan pot). We ended the meal with a delicious baklava and mint tea. The service and hospitality of our host was incredible.
We also had the pleasure of experiencing a Moroccan cultural dance performance - a traditional Berber belly dance (which was completely unlike the Middle Eastern belly dance). It was entertaining to see the dancer pull different students and teachers up to dance with her. The lunch finished with a snake charmer showing us his skills and walking around putting the snake around various students' necks. Very entertaining to watch some students petting the snake and others recoiling but doing it anyway! So much fun was had by all.
The afternoon was spent walking through the Medina and its various markets and narrow streets…we also had a demonstration of traditional herbs and spices and some of us were excited to buy some products!
Students really enjoyed their cultural experiences of the day.
November 28th was shore leave day and the sun was shining! We were proud of our students for dressing conservatively and following our instructions regarding safety. They had a wonderful time exploring the city without any incidents and returned to the ship at 1800 with many snacks and some traditional Moroccan clothing. Shore leave had gone well and whew, that was a great relief to me!!
This port the students enjoyed an extra half hour of time before bedtime and that went really well too. Some lovely pictures will be uploaded to our social media so please keep an eye out for those.
We said farewell to Tangier at 1000 today - November 29th - school is back on as are our normal sailing routines. November 30th we will celebrate Emma and Andrea's birthdays...yay!
We hope to be in warm Las Palmas on December 6th.
Until then all of us here send you lots of hugs and our love!
Dean of Students
A+ World Academy


text: Add an Event Do you have an event you would like to appear on our website? Simply use the form below to submit your community event. Info! Required Fields * First Name * Last Name * Email * Event Title * Start Date * End Date * Event Category * --Select-- Recreation Calendar Town Calendar Veterans Community Hall Event *


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There are nearly one thousands and one hundred outlets and departmental stores in the 49 states of USA. If you want to shop at Kohl's departmental or outlet store you may visit your nearest outlet stores. If you don't know where are your nearest kohls department stores? you may find online. To find online just click on the following link and enter your city name, select your state and put zip code.
In the departmental store, you can shop with your family physically and choice favorites dresses or others. There are various payment options in outlet stores, such as you may pay with credit card, debit card, cash or others. All categories products are available in outlet stores. But it's dependable on stores stock. Once there were fast food products and the retailer was closed all fast food store at 2003. And the retailer doesn't provide fast food products now.
Advantage of departmental store shopping
You will enjoy the following benefits and advantage if you shopping from departmental store.
1. In an outlet store you will see physically and buy online.
2. No mistake chance.
3. You may use printable coupon code to get extra discount.
4. Some time store offer individual discount that is not online applicable.
5. No need shipping charges.
Related Article;
In 1998, the retailer announced online store where customer can be online shopping from home. Kohl's online store website address is www.kohls.com. Since 2000, it's still serving online. Now its online store the following products are available for all customers. Read more…


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As America ends a second consecutive below-average hurricane season since Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" incorrectly forecast greater and stronger tropical storms due to global warming, it's become apparent that media are trying new strategies to scare the public into believing the hysteria.
Last week, the game plan was to blame the California wildfires on climate change. This week, it's health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory diseases.
I kid you not.
As hysterically reported by Australia's Herald Sun (emphasis added):
Instances of obesity, food poisoning, and mosquito-borne diseases such as the deadly Ross River fever are also likely to rise as climate change raises average and extreme temperatures.
The Healthy Planet, Places and People report released yesterday, says mental health in rural areas is also likely to suffer from more frequent and more intense droughts.
Commissioned by Research Australia, the report predicts deaths from heart attacks, strokes and respiratory diseases, triggered by an increase in heatwaves, could triple by 2050.
Conspicuously absent from the report was how many fewer cold-related deaths would occur by 2050 if Australia warmed. Why do you think that is?
Regardless of the answer, the mission is clear: every problem currently facing the planet gets worse if temperatures rise. Does that mean all of these problems diminish if temperatures decline?
Certainly not according to a June 24, 1974 Time magazine article (emphasis added):
But there is a peril more immediate than the prospect of another ice age. Even if temperature and rainfall patterns change only slightly in the near future in one or more of the three major grain-exporting countries-the U.S., Canada and Australia -global food stores would be sharply reduced. University of Toronto Climatologist Kenneth Hare, a former president of the Royal Meteorological Society, believes that the continuing drought and the recent failure of the Russian harvest gave the world a grim premonition of what might happen. Warns Hare: "I don't believe that the world's present population is sustainable if there are more than three years like 1972 in a row."
As such, it appears that whether the planet warms or cools, we're all doomed.
Pass me the beer nuts.


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Amazon | Goodreads | Author bio | Author website
This image is misleading. I read the book on my Kindle so there was never a moment when I was holding a hard copy of the book. Although technically I'm also not bald and my skin isn't an interesting blue-green color and I have internal organs and wear clothes. So there's all sorts of misleading information in this image.
This is why I refer to myself as a writer, not an artist. Why do I even draw these pictures?
Because it's more fun that searching for a stock photo to use, I guess.
Also, James Altucher, I am sorry for drawing the most unflattering portrait of you ever. I am, like I said, not good at drawing.
Also, artists out there, how do you draw a mouth so it is both speaking AND smiling at the same time? I couldn't figure it out.
Okay, on to the book.
- Get the book.
- Read the book.
I highlighted a lot of this book. 72 highlighted passages.
Here's a highlighted passage:
Every time you say yes to something you don't want to do, this will happen: you will resent people, you will do a bad job, you will have less energy for the things you were doing a good job on, you will make less money, and yet another small percentage of your life will be used up, burned up, a smoke signal to the future saying, "I did it again." The only real fire to cultivate is the fire inside of you. Nothing external will cultivate it. The greater your internal fire is, the more people will want it. They will smoke every drug lit by your fire. They will try to ignite their own fires. They will try to light up their own dark caves. The universe will bend to you. Every time you say yes to something you don't want, your fire starts to go away. You will get burned out.
Altucher talks about how the economy/world is changing and already has changed.
But this reliance on others has to come to an end. It was always a myth. Everything we hoped for. The society that we were told would be here, waiting for us, is completely gone and is never coming back. You can either take the blue pill (become depressed about an artificial reality that is never going to return) or take the red pill (fully enter the Choose Yourself era and take advantage of its opportunities).
Then he talks about what won't work anymore (don't wait for the powers of the old economy to pick you and keep you safe, that doesn't work anymore) and what will work (choose yourself, build a healthy life, take advantage of the opportunities around you, connect people, do good work, continual learning, take risks, don't let rejection stop you, find new combinations…).
There are some themes he talks about that are ideas I think about a lot. Things like doing what you enjoy, not letting stress/anxiety own you, arranging your life so you are not at the mercy of one decision maker, being open and creative, being honest…
Dishonesty works…until it doesn't. Everyone messes up. And when you are dishonest, you are given only one chance and then it's over. You're out of the game—at least until you get your act straight and you have to start from scratch with your tail between your legs. HONESTY COMPOUNDS. It compounds exponentially. No matter what happens in your bank account, in your career, in your promotions, in your startups. Honesty compounds exponentially, not over days or weeks, but years and decades. More people trust your word and spread the news that you are a person to be sought out, sought after, given opportunity, given help, or given money. This is what will build your empire.
And there are many other things he talks about that I haven't really thought about, but they connect to the other things (that I do think about), so I like that. I like those expansions and connections.
Also, I try to cultivate friendships the way Superman cultivates friendships. He doesn't hang out at the bar with Lex Luthor. Superman is only friends with the Superfriends: the Flash. Black Canary. Wonder Woman. Batman. They all have secret identities. They all see a world totally out of balance. They all have powers they use for good, and which they use to bring balance back to the world. All of my friends are superheroes, too. Each one of my friends has a different power. But they are all amazing powers and I'm blessed when I see those powers in action. And once someone joins the bad guys, they are no longer my friend. I'm busy saving lives. I don't need bad friends.
I also like his very real voice and examples and attitude:
And when I say "everybody", what I really mean is "me". I don't know anything about everybody. I only know what happened to me. And I was up to my neck in it.
I'm not going to quote anymore, because that's enough to get an idea and decide that you want to read the book.


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Graphic guide to our solar system
How long is a day on the moon? How wide are Saturn's rings? Find out with this visual tour through our solar system's most fascinating features.
While our own planet is fairly temperate, the solar system is home to some extreme temperatures. The closest planets to our Sun, Mercury and Venus, are blisteringly hot when compared with Earth.
In contrast, the planets furthest from our sun - Neptune and Uranus - are bitterly cold. The two are known as our solar system's 'ice giants'.
Our solar system's largest planets, the gas giants, are so large that some of their component parts would dwarf Earth.
The bodies in our solar system rotate at their own rates, giving each its own day length. Some are a similar duration to Earth's, while others are radically different.


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$5 Friday Internet Specials
from Karisa Schlehr May 06, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesStarting tomorrow morning, we are introducing $5 Fridays. Each Friday at 8 a.m. EST we will have a collection of selected resources on sale for $5 for 24 hours. A variety of items will be available each week including books, teaching series on DVD and CD, and music CDs. A preview of each week's sale items will be available on Thursdays here. Keep Reading
R.C. Sproul and Abdul Saleeb Discuss Islamic Theology in "The Cross and the Crescent"
from Karisa Schlehr May 06, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesWhat are the differences between Christianity and Islam? For the past week and a half, R.C. Sproul and former Muslim Abdul Saleeb have been going through the teaching series The Cross and the Crescent on Renewing Your Mind. In this investigative series, Sproul and Saleeb demonstrate how Christianity stands in stark contrast to the claims of Islam. Keep Reading
Free Messages Explaining What the Gospel Is and What It Is Not
from Karisa Schlehr Apr 15, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesWhat would happen if every time we spoke of the gospel we got it wrong? It is imperative that we know, believe, and proclaim no other Gospel than the one delivered by Jesus Himself. May these free streaming messages and resources help you as you study the biblical Gospel of salvation. Keep Reading
Free Messages on the Cross of Christ
from Karisa Schlehr Apr 02, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesWhy was Christ's death necessary? For whom did Christ die? What is the meaning of the cross and why is it so important? These are some of the most important questions every Christian needs to address. Take some time to listen to these free streaming past conference and teaching series that will help answer these difficult questions. Keep Reading
R.C. Sproul's Recommended Resources
from Karisa Schlehr Mar 19, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesR.C. Sproul has written more than seventy books and read countless more. Out of all of these books, which would he most recommend our students have on their shelves? Read his list of recommended resources along with a brief explanation of why he recommends them. Keep Reading
Understanding the Atonement — A Special R.C. Sproul Book Offer for Easter
from Karisa Schlehr Mar 18, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesEach Easter season we take time to reflect on Christ's death and celebrate His resurrection. But do we really understand the significance of the atonement? In his book The Truth of the Cross, Dr. Sproul surveys the great work accomplished by Jesus Christ through His crucifixion — the redemption of God's people — and considers the atonement from numerous angles. This is a great book to give to people, so we're offering special Spread-the-Word pricing. Keep Reading
R.C. Sproul's teaching series on Roman Catholicism
from Karisa Schlehr Mar 17, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesSome of the most frequent disputes that arise amongst Christians concern the controversies between Protestantism and classical Roman Catholic christianity. But what are the differences that divide Roman Catholics and Protestants? Are they important? For the past week, Dr. Sproul has been going through the series Roman Catholicism on his radio program, Renewing Your Mind, and will conclude the series on March 19. In this series, R.C. Sproul carefully and respectfully looks at the doctrines that are at the heart of the Catholic-Protestant divide. Keep Reading
Acts of the Apostles: Great Resources to Complement Your March Tabletalk Study
from Karisa Schlehr Mar 11, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesThe March 2010 issue of Tabletalk unpacks St. Luke's Acts of the Apostles through a careful, yet approachable, analysis, with hopes of encouraging readers to cherish this record of God's redemption through the work of His Spirit in the midst of His church. Here is a list of helpful resources that will complement your study through Tabletalk this month. Keep Reading
Stephen Meyer & R.C. Sproul Talk Intelligent Design, Philosophy & Education
from Karisa Schlehr Mar 08, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesOne of Dr. Sproul's main goals and missions over the years is for Christians to understand who God is and be able to defend their faith by knowing what they believe and why they believe it. Several years ago, Focus on the Family introduced a very popular DVD-based small group curriculum called The Truth Project. In 2009, a new DVD-based apologetics curriculum was released called TrueU, this time geared for students ages 15-22. Dr. Stephen Meyer is the host of that new series and Dr. Sproul recently sat down with him in our studios to talk about it. Keep Reading
Get Serious about Studying Theology with Ligonier Academy's Certificate Programs
from R. Fowler White Mar 01, 2010 Category: Ligonier ResourcesWhether you are a layperson, a church leader, and a Christian educator, Ligonier Academy's Certificate Program offers you a structured way to get serious about studying Theology at your own pace, at your own level of interest, and in your own home. Sign up today by calling 1-800-435-4343. For more information, visit LigonierAcademy.org. Keep Reading


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CEO Introduction
June has been a busy month for us; the NSW Federation of Housing Associations moved office, launched its new website and started trading under a new name – CHIA NSW. At the same time we have been finalising arrangements for the NSW 2018 Affordable Housing Conference 'Everybody's Home'. With the support of our sponsors – large and small – we have been able to assemble a great program with excellent speakers. We've had a few last minute additions and adjustments. A particular thanks to the Hon Paul Green MLC for joining the final panel session with the Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore, Tania Mihailuk MP and Jenny Leong MP.
One of our international speakers known to many of you, Craig Sanderson, CEO at Link Group in Scotland, has had to pull out after suffering a heart attack last week. Thankfully, the good news is that he's recovering well and we look forward to seeing him out here another time. Craig's place is being taken by Professor Kenneth Gibb, director of the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence and based at the University of Glasgow . Ken is preparing a video for us about 'The challenges for a National Housing Strategy – the Scottish Experience'.
Ken's session also features contributions from Scott Figenshow (NZ), Rosanna Mcgregor (Canada) and Hal Pawson. Brett Wake (National Manager Operations, CHL) will be facilitating a lively debate -with we hope plenty of audience participation -about what we all need to do to get Australia the national housing strategy it so badly needs.
CHIA NSW is pleased to see the National Housing and Finance Investment Corporation (NHFIC) appoint its first chair, Brendan Crotty. We've long advocated for a bond aggregator with Piers Williamson CEO at The Housing Finance Corporation our key note conference speaker back in 2016. Like the Australian Treasury led Affordable Housing Working Group we believe that the bond aggregator on its own isn't sufficient to make much difference to the social and affordable housing numbers. Governments at both the Federal and State levels need to invest – through any combination of land, capital grant and tax incentive. Until they do the numbers of homeless people, households living in rental stress or those unable to leave substandard or overcrowded accommodation will continue to rise.
The NSW Government brought down its 2018 Budget on 19 June. The budget contained some additional resources for housing – circa $15m per annum over four years to assist responses to homelessness and a total of circa $33M over the same period for Aboriginal housing. Existing programs Communities Plus and the Social and Affordable Housing Fund are welcome but add only a small proportion of the new additional social and affordable homes needed across NSW. We can also anticipate more affordable housing via development contributions in coming years. But a lot more is going to be needed if the cost of living for many in the State is to be really addressed.
ACHIA – NSW Aboriginal Community Housing Industry Association
The ACHIA Interim Committee have much to celebrate this month. After their considerable hard work over the last 12 months, June has brought two pieces of excellent news. The Aboriginal Housing Office and NSW Depart of Family and Community Services have demonstrated their ongoing support by providing grant funding for another two years. We would like to acknowledge the many Government staff who have worked with to help establish ACHIA and give a special mention to Sally Kubiak and Nick Sabel at the AHO. The grant allows us to appoint additional staff to help co-ordinate ACHIA's work and ensure the Aboriginal Community Housing Providers are well represented.
At the same time as the financial support came through the CHIA NSW Board approved a key foundational document – the Charter which describes how ACHIA will work and be governed.
A draft has been out for feedback and consultation with the sector and the final version is ACHIA Charter.
The ACHIA Committee believes that it is too early to aim for full independence and to set ACHIA up as separate legal entity. So at this early stage in ACHIA's development CHIA NSW has offered to continue to provide the auspices for the establishment of ACHIA. The CHIA NSW Board wishes to make it clear that the CHIA NSW does not have any interest of its own in retaining this role in the long-term and believes fully in self-determination. CHIA NSW will support moves to further promote the independence of ACHIA (for example, by establishing ACHIA as a separate legal entity) whenever this is desired by ACHIA.
ACHIA's Purpose
The purpose of ACHIA is to be the industry body for Aboriginal Community Housing Providers in NSW and in doing so:
- promote the human rights of all Aboriginal people in NSW to decent, affordable and secure housing;
- promote the right of all Aboriginal people to self-determination, including the right to choose a culturally appropriate social landlord;
- develop and support public policy which promotes a more just housing system for Aboriginal people in NSW;
- in partnership with counterpart organisations across Australia, develop and promote policy at a national level for housing justice and self-determination for Aboriginal people;
- support the development of best practice in the provision of housing for Aboriginal people by encouraging networking and collaboration between Aboriginal Community Housing Providers; and
- support the provision of culturally appropriate housing by mainstream community housing providers.
ACHIA will formally launch its Charter at the Aboriginal Caucus Day on 26th June. We are planning to hold ACHIA elections before the end of 2018.
NSW Homelessness Strategy
In last month's issue we highlighted the Australian Homelessness Monitor 2018 funded by Launch Housing and researched and written by UNSW's City Futures and Social Policy Research Centre, and University of Queensland's Institute for Social Science Research. It showed not just Sydney but also NSW experiencing increasingly high rates of homelessness. In five years homelessness in Sydney had jumped 48% in Sydney and 37% in NSW; far greater than elsewhere in Australia.
So the publication of the NSW Homelessness Strategy on June 10 setting out the Government's five year plan to tackle homelessness is very welcome. Its focus is on preventing people slipping into homelessness, intervening early and providing better support services.
It does not shy away from the numbers and paints a picture of what lies behind those headline figures. In 2016/17, 36,000 young people, aged 24 or younger used specialist homelessness services – an increase of 37% from 2013/14. The report goes on to say '90% of young people experiencing homelessness have witnessed violence in their home, 60 per cent have been in OOHC, and 50 per cent have a reported mental health issue'.'' Talking about domestic and family violence the report notes 'Despite only making up 3.3 per cent of the national population, one quarter of people in Australia accessing SHS due to DFV identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.' Older people make up an increasing proportion of homeless people. 'More than 15 per cent of people experiencing homelessness are over the age of 55 and this figure is increasing. Between 2013/14 and 2016/17, NSW saw 88 per cent growth in the number of women over the age of 55 years accessing homelessness services.'
On top of the existing funding, an additional $15M per annum over four years is allocated to social impact investment to prevent homelessness, to expand sustaining tenancy supports and add to the transitional accommodation numbers.
Amongst the new initiatives is one to expand the use of universal screening tools for homelessness and risk of homelessness in schools so services can intervene early. The initiative is based on the Geelong Model that demonstrated that young people referred for assistance were able to maintain school attendance and did not slip into homelessness. At the other end of the age spectrum the intention is to 'deliver targeted social housing options for older women in four to five locations, to be evaluated for expansion. Positively this includes reference to the model developed for the Sydney Women's Homeless Alliance.
Also to be applauded is the focus on a whole of government approach exemplified by the development of the Human Services Outcomes Framework and its application for homelessness, including 'introducing cross-agency requirements for reporting on homelessness outcomes'. Justice, Education and Health will also be involved. As referred to in last month's Housing Matters but worth repeating is the whole of Government cost of keeping someone homelessness rather than providing them with a home and where necessary supports. A whole of Government approach allows a whole of government approach to counting the cost. See the evidence.
In one area the strategy possibly does not go far enough by including the role social landlords can play in sustaining tenancies. For example FACS has supported and continues to support projects that build on CHP's existing practice to enhance responses to (for example) people experiencing domestic and family violence or who have complex needs. See an example here.
The strategy does not address the overwhelming shortage of social and affordable housing that is driving the rises in homelessness. It acknowledges the issue and references two existing initiatives that between them will add an extra 10,000 to 12,000 social and affordable homes over the next 10-15 years. As welcome as those these schemes are, this amount of new additional construction does not keep pace with population growth and means the existing shortfalls will increase. Tackling homelessness without more housing isn't going to be easy.
Housing, Homelessness and Mental Health
The focus on a need for additional affordable housing supply is capturing some in the health professions. As the Homelessness Monitor mentioned above noted in its report, AIHW data collected from specialist homelessness services in 2016/17 indicates that over a quarter of people accessing services reported mental ill health as an issue associated with their homelessness.
Last year the National Mental Health Commission (NMHC) held a national consultation to build a better understanding of the connection between housing, homelessness and mental health. They held workshops, carried out a survey and spoke to stakeholders about the key issues and gaps for people with lived experience of mental illness when they attempt to secure housing. The reports from the sessions and the overall paper can be accessed here.
While the service integration issue is recognised as important as are more responsive and understanding tenancy management services, the sheer lack of secure affordable housing is the overwhelming gap preventing both recovery and contributing to worsening conditions. Traditionally the focus in the mental health profession has been on the clinical and therapeutic responses – and it will remain but instances of individuals being discharged from programs and / or institutions into insecure housing and even homelessness is shifting their focus.
The Commission has appointed AHURI to conduct more in-depth research to inform its policy advice to government. The research is composed of a literature review and policy analysis, investigative panels and workshops. CHIA NSW is one of the 'housing' panel members along with CHIA, National Shelter, Housing Choices and the National Affordable Housing Consortium. The other participants were mental health professionals from across the country.
Amongst the lively debate was the suggestion that perhaps in some cases the best health intervention might be housing. Not too farfetched as this example from NY state indicates. The State calculated that 'New York Medicaid payments for nursing-facility stays are $217 per day, as compared with costs of $50 to $70 per day for supportive housing. Furthermore, preventing even a few inpatient hospitalizations, at $2,219 per day, could pay for many days of supportive housing. Hence a pilot to examine the outcomes. It will be interesting to see if the NMHC work helps promote similar trials here.
AHURI conference on Affordable Housing Supply Solutions
On 29 May, AHURI hosted Ready for Growth a national conference focusing on Affordable Housing Supply Solutions.
The conference was an opportunity to hear from the major parties on their support for affordable housing. The Hon Michael Sukkar MP, Assistant Minister to the Federal Treasurer spoke about the new National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation and the negotiations with States and Territories over the new National Housing and Homelessness Agreement with its requirement that they produce credible housing strategies.
Senator Hon Doug Cameron, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness highlighted data which shows the extent of affordability challenges for many Australians and teased some of the solutions Labor is considering including in its manifesto for the forthcoming Federal election.
The conference also saw the launch of new AHURI research on affordable housing. The inquiry into increasing affordable housing supply: Evidence-based principles and strategies for Australian policy and practice includes three strands of research:
- Supporting affordable housing supply: inclusionary planning in new and renewing communities
- Government led innovations in affordable housing delivery
- Paying for affordable housing in different market contexts
Conference sessions linked to these strands of the research:
Professor Nicole Gurran, University of Sydney, spoke about the research team's analysis of the contributions to affordable housing made by different planning systems. The research suggests that while the planning system can play a role, it is most effective when working to support other initiatives.
Professor Steven Rowley, Curtin University, spoke about government led innovations and facilitated a panel discussion. This session highlighted the need for government leadership and meaningful long term commitments to delivering affordable housing outcomes.
Professor Bill Randolph, University of NSW gave a presentation on paying for affordable housing, showing his team's model on the impacts of different market contexts. This session highlighted something that Senator Cameron had highlighted in his opening address – the need for government to support affordable housing delivery by addressing the yield gap.
SDA Pricing and Payments Framework Review
The Department of Social Security (DSS) has commissioned KPMG to carry out a review of the SDA Pricing and Payments Framework. The review was scheduled to take place three years into the operation of the Framework which commenced in 2015 and covers the period to June 2021.
The SDA Pricing and Payments Framework provides guidance to people managing or owning existing disability accommodation, and to investors looking to develop new SDA accommodation. This guidance includes areas such as benchmark pricing, dwelling price calculations, participant eligibility, dwelling eligibility and registration, and quality and safeguards.
A national group of community housing peaks has agreed to work together to provide input to the review and has engaged Joseph Connellan to draft the joint response. Joseph has consulted with a couple of providers in most jurisdictions, including NSW, as the basis for preparing a draft submission which was then sent to all CHIA NSW members for comment. NSW was also represented at the roundtable held in Sydney for SDA providers by the CEO of BlueCHP, Charles Northcote.
One change CHIA NSW members want to see is the introduction of an SDA pre-approval process so that new developments an be let 'off plan'. This would ensure that not for profit providers on tight margins do not lose much needed income.
Providers also raised concerns about the lack of demand data currently available to guide investment decisions, and that the introduction of negotiated SDA prices delivered a level of uncertainty that could drive away investors.
The review is scheduled to be completed by August 2018 and will be considered by the COAG Disability Reform Council at its meeting in September 2018.
Lessons we can learn from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry
Many in the community housing industry will have been following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. No one can forget the horrific scenes just over a year ago on 14 June 2017 when a fire in one flat spread rapidly through the whole building leaving 72 people dead. While the immediate focus was on the cladding used in the tower's renovation, other issues around the management of the building, fire prevention and safety and regulation also emerged. The Inquiry's terms of reference reflect these broader concerns.
Grenfell Tower is owned by the Royal London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. At the time of the fire, management was carried out under contract by a large Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) Kensington and Chelsea TMO. The TMO had been operating for many years, managed all the Council's social housing and reported to a Board.
While there are differences between the UK and Australia, the principles and standards around asset and tenancy management services, design and construction, strong governance and external regulation should be the same. Its timely then to consider the lessons when the community housing industry looks to expand and the National Regulatory System for Community Housing is about to be reviewed.
With permission from Housing Quality Network a not for profit organisation based in the UK Housing Matters is reprinting a recent blog from their CEO Alistair McIntosh who spent time in NSW working with CHIA NSW on scenario planning with CHP boards. The article pulls no punches about what in the UK needs to change and should get us thinking here too.
Grenfell Inquiry – Why expert evidence is terrifying for boards
Grenfell must change the way we do things for ever. We are starting to see the experts' reports to the Inquiry. If they are right, we have a long road to travel on safety. This is a big deal for your board.
Let's get one thing clear. For a lot of its history the board of the Kensington TMO was just like any other housing board. It had a very similar mix of the great and the good. And at times it had industry heavyweights round the table. Don't make the mistake of thinking you are better than them. It is for the Inquiry and the courts to say what the TMO got right and wrong. Time will tell. But we can learn a lot now from the submissions to the Inquiry.
Let's see how sharp you are. This is a minute from a TMO board meeting.
"Grenfell Tower Refurbishment – close liaison with London Fire Brigade and Fire Risk Assessor throughout the duration of the project. At the conclusion of the work some of the operational firefighters from the local Fire Station attended an onsite briefing where the contractor demonstrated the fire safety features of the building."
Yep that's what they were told. What questions would you have asked? Would you have asked any? Everything looks fine doesn't it? It wasn't.
What does a real expert make of it? Here's what Professor Torero says in his evidence. The language is hard going. But the verdict is lacerating for all of us. So, read it.
"The regulatory framework relies very heavily on competent professionals to provide the necessary interpretation that will bridge the gaps and resolve the ambiguities left by functional requirements, guidelines and standardized tests. Nevertheless, a competent engineer should be capable of interpreting the requirement to 'adequately resist the spread of fire over the walls…having regard to the height, use and position of the building' within the context of the needs of the fire safety strategy in the case of a specific tall building. In the case of the fire safety strategy of Grenfell Tower, 'adequately resist' should have been interpreted as being 'no' external fire spread.
"There is currently no definition of what is the competency required from these professionals, or skill verification approaches that should be used, so as to guarantee that those involved in the design … implementation, acceptance and maintenance of these systems can deliver societally acceptable … levels of safety. There is a need to shift from a culture that inappropriately trivializes 'compliance' to a culture that recognizes complexity in 'compliance' and therefore values 'competency,' 'performance' and 'quality.' Otherwise, the increasing complexity of building systems will drive society in unidentified paths towards irresponsible deregulation by incompetency." [My emphasis]
If he is correct we are not good enough. And we need better advisors too. Note the use of the term engineer. That is someone who knows what they are doing and can prove it. The professor is setting the bar high and no wonder.
I was appalled by the reaction to the Hackitt report. She suggested that we need to take a systematic approach to safety. What did a lot of the sector say? No, we want to go back to ticking boxes. Get someone to tell us that such and such a component is safe, and we will use it thus washing our hands of all responsibility. Hackitt and Torero give that idea short shrift. It never was that easy and it never will be that easy. When is there ever one single solution to a problem?
Where does this leave boards? On one level it is terrifying. Mistakes can have fatal consequences. And the assurances you thought you had turn to dust. No one will want to be on a board, will they? Then things will grind to a halt.
There is a way to sort this out. It is time for the assurance industry to step up. Let us have no more tick box internal audit reports. Please stop asking consultants to churn out pointless governance reviews. I call them Feng Shui reports because they drone on about the layout of the room. Who cares? It doesn't matter a jot. Then there are the drive by stock surveys that miss the bleedin' obvious.
It seems to me that lots of money is wasted on phoney assurance. Stop that and spend the money instead on the sorts of experts that Torero talks about. They will really help boards to sleep at night.
But boards will need to work harder and smarter. There is no way round that. I was flabbergasted when I read that new councillors in a borough that also had fire safety issues were complaining about 600-page long planning papers. Don't forget these are key to safety, you must start from the right point. Their answer was to ask for speed reading courses. It might be better to go for training by experts. Then you can ask for sharper reports that get to the nub of the matter a lot quicker.
As you read what the experts have to say about Grenfell you quickly realise that regulation can't stay as it is. We are going to have to bring back inspection or something like it. The IDAs these days look mainly at the money. Yes, that is a big deal. But it is not as important as safety. You've got to say that our current system of regulation is not fit for purpose to put it mildly. It was set up with the wrong priorities. The RSH (or someone) will be asked to get a grip on safety by the government. That is certain. You can expect to be inspected on how you keep tenants safe. And you must show that you listen to their concerns and act on them. But this time there will be no one size fits all official guidance (like the old Audit Commission KLOEs) or tick boxes to help you. Hackitt and Torero are right to put an end to spoon feeding. That's when good people switch off and things go badly wrong.
By Alistair McIntosh, HQN Chief Executive
Farewell to Kevin Saide, Training Manager CTS
As many of you may know by now I am leaving the position of Training Manager on the 29th June 2018 to move to Victoria whilst continuing to do some training delivery online.
I started at The Federation as a Trainer nearly 10 years ago having come from 30 years working in and later managing housing / homelessness services in Queensland.
Having heard Sydney was in trouble I came down here to see what I could do (despite all my cousins pleading for me to stay in Queensland) and landed a job at Sterling College as an Assessor. Well, my good intentions of saving Sydney didn't work as Sterling College was closed within 3 months of my arriving due to many compliance issues.
A couple of temporary jobs later I landed in the office of Laurel Draffen at The Federation who obviously saw some good in this smartass Queenslander (aren't we all) and offered me a position as Trainer and Assessor (temporary until proven) which I am pleased to say I did some 6 months later.
I must say having been a sole Manager of organisations with whom the buck stopped I wondered how I might go working for two Managers, Laurel and Adam the CEO. Well two CEOs later I am still here and have thoroughly enjoyed working for Adam, Lucy and Wendy. Former and current staff are incredibly committed to the Federation (now of course CHIA NSW) and I will miss the daily contact.
I have been more than impressed and humbled by the number of dedicated, compassionate and devoted people I have met who work in the housing and homelessness sectors from CEOs to administrative staff who are often the frontline people for all organisations.
So now to Victoria a State also in trouble to see if I can be of some service.
City West Housing welcome new Head of Development
City West have announced that Lisa Sorrentino is joining their team as Head of Development this week to help make affordable housing for people on very low to moderate incomes a reality in Sydney. Prior to joining City West Housing Lisa worked on urban renewal projects at Urban Growth NSW and also previously worked at Stockland in apartment delivery and business development.
Lisa is an experienced residential development executive with over 15 years of end to end development experience in urban renewal, mixed use, retirement living, and build to rent sectors within Australia and the United States.
As Head of Development Lisa will be responsible for all aspects of project development from acquisitions to handover to the tenancy team.
Lisa will help to ensure a strong pipeline of affordable housing developments will continue whilst leading the ongoing development of our five upcoming projects currently under construction or in planning.
Lisa said, "I am enthusiastic to join the team at City West Housing and looking forward to working closely with a range of stakeholders in the future to ensure we continue to contribute to the increase of the Affordable Housing supply in Sydney."
Leonie King, CEO of City West Housing said "We are excited to have a developer of Lisa's calibre joining our team. Like City West Housing, she is passionate about providing housing which is affordable for people on lower incomes. With ambitious plans for future developments underway in Sydney we look forward to working together to make living and working locally a reality for more people."
Media mentions
Over the past month CHIA NSW and CEO Wendy Hayhurst have been mentioned in the following news articles:
To kick off build-to-rent housing, taxes may have to be less progressive (30/05/2018)
NSW budget spends on transport, families (20/06/2018)
CHIA Exchange (formerly Fed Ex)Save the Date: 12 & 13 September 2018
Please save the date for the next CHIA Exchange. We will hold the next FedEx over 2 days on the 12 and 13 September 2018 at a new, more convenient venue – the Mercure Grand Central. The new venue is a few minutes' walk from Central Station in Sydney. More information surrounding the event will be sent in the coming weeks.


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This year I took part in another Great South Run. After last years success with a 1:03:00, I was up for giving it another go, but this time with the aim to have fun and enjoy the day out! For those who don't know of it (really?), it is a 10 mile race around our beautiful city of Portsmouth. It takes you along the entire stretch of the Portsmouth seafront and also around a lot of the city including the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. You get to run past the HMS Warrior and Victory ships which is always a treat. For the second year running we were treated to great conditions. This year saw the race happen a week earlier than it normally does. Great choice that was because the weekend after was scheduled for rain and the weekend before was a windy one. Excellent placement!
It has been a year of extremes for my own running. The long distances and training over the past year have left their mark in the form of a number of ongoing injuries that do not seem to be shifting at all. They don't stop me running, but they are holding me back quite a bit. Still, I get to enjoy my running most of the time and I believe they will eventually go. I've been working with a physio called George from Up and Running at Roko, and learning how to incorporate stretching into my routine. I must say, George has been great. He gets absolutely mad at me for not listening to his advice on rest. I get that. I annoy myself with it. But we've come to a mutual understanding that my running is my daily medicine does. I need it to balance everything going on in my busy life. So, the Great South Run finally arrived. Training since the UTMB CCC has been slow going and hard. Trying to get faster and fitter and getting the legs to turn quickly has been difficult but also interesting. It's not helped by the injuries but the whole entire process has been a learning one as always.
Earlier this year I was offered to join the Hoka One One (remember, pronounced o-nay o-nay yep?) family as a Hoka Racer, which was just a dream come true. I did wonder for a while if they had the right runner!? I am not the fastest runner out there by any means, but I guess if passion and love for running was measured in speed, I'd surely be up there. Like many others, running has become such a major part of my life. It is never far from my thoughts, challenging me, helping me develop new ideas and solving issues in every aspect of my life, and also introducing me to new amazing people and places. To now be racing for a brand I love so much and representing them in races is just a dream come true. Hoka One One running shoes that have been so kind to my legs and body ove the years and I'm extremely pleased and proud to be running for them. So the Great South Run was going to be my first time running in my gear! Awesome!
This year IBM had been great in refunding us half of the entry fee to run as part of a corporate team. I ran alongside a few other runners from IBM and we all met up before the run to get some group photos. It was awesome to have support from IBM too who have invested a lot of time and money over the past year to help support a healthy work life balance. At the site we work on during the week, we have access to plenty of great facilities to keep in shape. We have a load of different sports activities available and a brand new state of the art gym with a ton of equipment in it. There are some lovely routes around the area and a large group of us run each lunch time during the week. Back to the race day though. After our photos were taken, we headed down to the warm up area at the back of the D-Day museum and did a few laps hoping to see some of the elites, however they all been taken in to the starting area by then. Before long we were down there in amongst the crowds. Not too near the front, but far enough forward. Someone mentioned that a certain Jimmy Mallet(?) was at the start with his gigantic hammer and I just looked blankly as I'd no idea who in hell he was. I had to explain that I grew up in South Africa. All was forgiven. Soon we were off. I starred strangely at the man with the hammer and decided not to get hit. Lots of people were heading towards him however.
The race itself was pretty standard. Kicked off at about 6:30 pace and pretty much stayed about there all the way around as best as possible. I saw a few people I knew during the race and had some nice chats. I saw David Poole sporting his Bad Boy Running kit and another runner I know who was aiming for his ten mile PB. I really got into the crowds this year and decided to run through the Rose and Thistle Pipe Band who always play under the bridge near Gunwarf. For those who know me well, I am a member of this band and have been for years now. Of course I don't play with them during this parade as I'm usually running. I ran through their circle this year and got to high five them all which was fantastic. They were on a short break between tunes when I got there so perfectly timed. I also did a lot of high fiving all the children who support the event so well. Lots of them put their little arms out hoping to get some back from the runners so it's really good fun to line up and wind up a really big high five for them all. These are potentially our future runners! At mile seven I was going strong and well and relatively comfortable as was planned and so this year I decided to stop for my family and friends and get a photo with them all. It was great fun to see them all. Usually it's quite high fives going through but I took my time this year. I then saw some more friends at the Eastney end of the run as we know a lot of people who live that end of the front. Was awesome to see them all. Ben, one of my core team of run directors at junior parkrun was handing out jelly babies along Henderson road which was great. The final couple of miles was quite funny. I still had some breath in me to talk and tried to get some conversation out of a large group of us who had bundled up together. It was so quiet. "The weather has been good to us this year again hey?" —– met by complete serious silence. Saying that, a guy next to me eventually replied and we chatted a bit. I guess it's not the ideal place in a race to be striking up conversation, but at times it's nice to take the edge off of the pain.
I came through the finish in 1:06:15 this year, which was pleasing. I'd wanted anything under 1:10 and expected to be no faster than 1:05. Target achieved. Like last year I peeled through a gap to my left after the finish to take a sit down and bumped into some of the elites who had finished and were all changed and probably ready to go home. Was great to meet Chris Thompson again with another lady who may have finshed the race but I didn't recognise her as she had big sunglasses on. My friend Dave Harvey who had come over to see me, and I got to meet Eilish McColgan who had absolutely obliterated the competition in the ladies race. She'd also broken her mums record time in what was a very incredible run. She looked fresh as a daisy though! Not to hang around too much around there making a nuiscance of ourselves, we headed towards the finish funnel and collected our goody bags. To my annoyance, the bag contained a bloody technical shirt! Argh, not another one! When are the race organisers of these huge events going to give us the option to take a shirt or not? It's got to be so easy to do surely? Anyhow, we collected our stuff and then ended up meeting a ton of finishers and friends at the exit of the finish funnel which was getting majorly congested. I started to get a bit cold after a while and so decided to head off home for a jog. On the way back I saw one of the IBM team finishers who was making his way through the final mile. Some shouts of encouragement were fired his way. I was surprised just how many runners there were still making their way around. It goes to show just how big this run is.
On the results side of things, we had an added bonus. Our team won the entire corporate team events category! In other words – a first place in the Great South Run! Ok, so it's not quite that good, but it's a great result for us. Extremely cool. A couple of our team members ran 1:04.xx times and another ran a similar time to myself. Lovely result!
The Great South Run is where running races started for me. It's on my doorstep and is still an awesome event that attracts so many people. Everyone is running for their own goals to be reached and you hear and see so many fantastic stories. Well done everyone! As always, happy miles to you all and enjoy the winter running…xxx
PS – if you got this far through my post well done. I can hear you wondering what shoes I wore for this race. I wore the Hoka One One CarbonX. This shoe has grown on me the more I use it. The first time I ran in them they felt quite different than anything else I had used before. They feel a bit like they are missing pieces of sole at first but it's not off putting, just different. A super fast yet very cushioned shoe. Really comfy. Check here for more information. I also raced for the second time with my new Coros Apex watch. If you haven't yet tried the Coros watches, do check them out. The battery life is immense if you want a watch that can last a month in full GPS mode with heart rate too, and is simple enough to be really easy to use without any of those added features you just don't want or need. Coros are definitley growing in popularity.


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Our candidates
- Dr Louise Irvine - South West Surrey
- Dr Carl Walker - East Worthing & Shoreham
- Mark Jarnell - Chorley & South Ribble
- Dr John Dean - Central Devon
- Neal Stote - Redditch
Our manifesto
Will 2017 be the year NHA gets its first MP?
We may be a small party but our candidates are all knowledgeable about the NHS and passionate about public service - qualities lacking in many MPs from the main parties.
We are part of the overwhelming push to oust the current government from power. We are in no doubt that another five years of the Tories will see the end of the NHS as we know it. A new system is already being entrenched in its place, based on Accountable Care, a UK version of US Medicare. With the first Greater Manchester contract for £10bn out to international tender the real possibility has been opened up of sections of the NHS being owned and run by US private health companies. That has to be resisted with all we can throw at it. An NHA MP would be a voice consistently holding up a mirror to the Tories if they win and Labour to its promises if they win. And we will continue to keep you informed either way.
Some campaigners are saying only a vote for Labour counts
Let's leave aside for one minute (but not forget) the role New Labour has played in the commercialisation of all our public services, will voting Labour everywhere 'save the day'? The answer is no. It's not total numbers that count - it's where they are cast.
The big parties spend their time and resources on marginal constituencies - where the gap between the sitting MP and the nearest rival means it can easily change hands. In these constituencies small parties or strong independents can shift the balance of power for good or ill. But there are constituencies where the seats are considered 'safe'. It's here that ideas about Progressive Alliances become interesting - especially when Jeremy Hunt is the target. It was 'safe' Conservative Tatton where Martin Bell had his surprise victory. And our own co-founder Dr Richard Taylor won twice as an Independent Health candidate in Kidderminster.
These are rare achievements but they do also represent something else - the opportunity for different voices to be heard in Westminster. We've never been on the brink of losing the NHS before. We think it must be time for one of those rare achievements. Give public service a voice.
Some people are worried about voting for a 'single issue' party
The NHA is not a single issue, although as single issues go the NHS is huge. But the NHS doesn't function in a vacuum. Housing, education, support for the unemployed, unwell and disabled, good employment opportunities - all of our domestic policy issues which are the business of government - combine to promote good health or make us ill. These are the 'social determinants of health', and are also key party policies.
We urgently need your help in raising funds for our general election campaign
We don't have a 'war chest' on hand for snap elections. We don't have billionaire donors willing to help fight against privatisation. But we DO have our members and supporters, our Facebook and Twitter followers.
Will you help us raise the money to stand our candidates? We need as much time as possible for their campaigns.JOIN NOW DONATE TODAY


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The middle ground on climate policy
Climate change makes people angry. The left refers to skeptics as denialists, corrupt, heartless, and stupid. The right refers to activists as traitors, fools, frauds, and socialists. Discussions about global warming and climate policy hardly live up to the word "debate" and are more likely to descend quickly into name-calling and dramatic assertions of doom.
When I wrote a monograph back in 2007 looking at some details of a carbon tax, I very intentionally side-stepped the heated debate about the science and just looked at the economics. This earned me hate mail from both sides of the isle.
Compromise seems unlikely, but it is worth at least considering our options.
The key part of the policy puzzle – that often gets ignored in the climate shouting matches – is that effective mitigation can only be achieved with a strong global binding deal. Without such a deal, everything else is smoke and mirrors.
How Gillard could improve the carbon tax
The debate about the carbon tax is so passionate and divisive that a compromise is almost certainly out of the question. But that doesn't mean we can't consider the thought experiment. I am on the public record as being against Gillard's carbon tax, but after Ross Garnaut came out recently talking about linking the carbon tax with other tax cuts I started thinking about what else could be done to make the carbon tax "less bad". The following are the demands I would put to the government if they wanted me to consider supporting their new tax…
1. The first requirement, and non-negotiable for me, is that the tax cuts must be at least as large as the new carbon tax. I believe that the federal government is already too big, and I am very strongly opposed to any policy that would further increase the size of government. If the proponents of a carbon tax really believe that the policy is vitally important then they should be willing to offer large tax cuts, even if that means they need to cut government spending.
2. My second requirement, which is also a game breaker, is that the carbon tax must not later convert into an emissions trading system (ETS). While both will have a cost to the economy, in my opinion an ETS is worse, and is likely to be an ever-growing bureaucratic and regulatory nightmare. If there must be a price on carbon dioxide, then it should remain at a low, simple, and predictable tax.
Questioning the climate crusade
From the 16th to 18th of May the Heartland Institute will be hosting their 4th international conference on climate change in Chicago.
Heartland takes a position that has variously been described as "denialist", "skeptical" or "realist", but which I like to call "non-scared". I say that because the conference includes science contrarians (Willie Soon, Richard Lindzen, Fred Singer, Chris Monckton), but it also includes people who accept the mainstream story of a warming planet caused by greenhouse gases (and I cautiously include myself in that category) but who nonetheless don't believe this represents an impending catastrophe, and it certainly doesn't justify rushing into bad public policy.
Why I oppose the ETS proposal
Yesterday, Malcolm Turnbull explained his reasons for supporting the ETS legislation. The ALP has jumped on the opportunity to attack the Liberals, while some Liberals have jumped on the opportunity to attack Turnbull. Just to be different, I thought I'd actually engage the ideas.
I'll start with some points of agreement with Turnbull. I agree that the world has gotten warmer over the last 100 years (specifically between 1910-40 and 1970-2000) and that some of the latter warming is due to human emissions of greenhouse gases. I agree that if we continue to emit greenhouse gases then we can expect some continued warming into the future. And I agree that this will cause costs in some areas.
Where I disagree with Turnbull is (1) I don't think we should exaggerate the expected net cost of global warming; (2) I do not agree that an ETS is the most market-friendly policy available; (3) I believe the long-term solution must be production-based (new technology) not consumption based (lower energy use); and (4) I don't believe that an ETS will pass a benefit-cost analysis and therefore it shouldn't be introduced.


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Be good to your vacuum cleaner and it will suck, if you're lucky
Japan's vacuum cleaner market is bigger than you might think. About 5 million are sold a year, which could be considered a lot for a country of 130 million if you think about how long a vacuum cleaner should last. Then again, there is that age-old marketing concept of planned obsolescence. Until about 10 years ago, there was little reason to go out and replace your vacuum cleaner the way you would replace, say, a television or computer. The basic mechanism of a vacuum cleaner has never changed over the years, so as long as it worked there was never much reason to want a new one. When I first came to Japan, I was given a little red Toshiba vacuum cleaner by someone who was leaving and it lasted me another 15 years.
Since then, manufacturers have added features in order to encourage people to replace perfectly good VCs like that Toshiba: floor sensors, flea zappers (for tatami), quieter motors. Such filigree only complicates the machine, providing more reasons for it to break down. About ten years ago, the big sales point, introduced by Dyson, was the so-called "cyclone" cleaner, which means no need for bags, thus reducing maintenance costs and appealing to environmentally aware people who wanted to cut down on waste. I bought one of those a few years ago, made by Mitsubishi, and it's turned out to be a lemon. Instead of a bag, it has a complex series of compartments and a self-cleaning fan that broke down several months after the warranty ended. As a result the sucking power is diminished and every time I remove the dust I also have to take the fan apart and clean it by hand.
The latest trend in vacuum cleaner technology is self-operating robots, though they aren't entirely new. In 2002 Toshiba released a robot vacuum but it didn't sell well, so they discontinued it. American maker iRobot's Roomba has been much more successful, and among gadget otaku it's something of an obsession at the moment. Since Roomba went on sale in Japan in 2008, iRobot has sold about 130,000 units. The goal for 2010 is 100,000 units.
The automation, which is based on mine-detection technology, sounds advanced. The disc-shaped cleaner senses floor type, adjusting the power accordingly and avoiding ledges. It can also detect the amount of dirt in a location and thus spend more time there cleaning. It will "cover" one room up to four times in a single session and return to its recharger base once it "decides" that everything is spic-and-span. It is not very good at cleaning narrow areas and corners, and though none of the promotional materials mention it, I would imagine you still have to carry the thing from one room to another. One full charge is enough to clean four rooms.
In September the price of all the models in Japan were cut by a little more than ¥10,000, and depending on the features (Japanese consumers have insisted on a separate remote control, which would seem to negate the whole point of having a robot) you can expect to pay between ¥50,000 and ¥80,000. Is it worth it, in the long run at least? That depends on how robust the mechanism and the software is, but celebrity economist Kazuyo Katsuma swears by it. A dedicated homemaking nut, she says it isn't expensive if you compare it to the cost of hiring a housekeeper. I'd accept that argument if Roomba also did windows.
Tags: vaccum cleaner


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Custom Dwelling Improvement & Repairs Of Hampton Roads Virginia Seaside, VA 23454
© J.D. Rock Custom Dwelling Improvements 2013 – Frederick, MD. In some cases, a enterprise' grade could also be lowered if the BBB doesn't have ample details about the enterprise regardless of BBB's requests for that data from the enterprise. As soon as completed, submit the plan to the Planning for evaluation, and, if all are standards and requirements are met, we are going to issue you a Zoning Clearance A Constructing Permit is just not required.
Mark came out, measured my roof, and worked up a quote for was skilled and courteous. We employed Custom Home Remodeling for a kitchen remodel and some new home windows. Lastly, bring your plan to the Planning Counter for assessment, and, if all requirements and necessities are met, we will put an approval stamp in your plan to your records. The BBB grade relies on BBB file information about the enterprise.
Now that you have your Zoning Clearance, your next step is to obtain a Building Allow. Great Falls, VA residents can contact EHD Design Build Group for any of their design, planning, remodeling, or renovation wants for his or her customized dwelling addition. I do recognize Customized Home Enhancements giving it a second shot to make a happy buyer.
Upon getting a Zoning Clearance, your next step is to obtain a Building Allow. Team arrived on the agreeable time and date and immediately started the substitute project. I'll positively use Custom again for future initiatives. I might highly recommend Custom Dwelling Improvements for any dwelling enchancment needs. Customized House Enchancment has been installing vinyl replacement windows, siding and gutters for over 60 years and has established a sound repute for its modern vinyl home windows, commitment to quality and skilled installation.
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You are here
May 2014
2nd Grade Superhero Day!
Kindergarten End-of-Year Program
5th Grade End-of-Year Program
4th Grade End-of-Year Program
Bike Helmets Donated by the Utah County Health Department
Over 100 BIKE HELMETS were given away on Wednesday 5/21 as part of the PTA Safety Assembly! The PTA applied for and received the bike helmets from the Utah County Health Department because of the safety programs we've implemented at East Meadows. After the Safety Assembly on 5/19 which included Student Council, PTA, a bike safety video and a visit by Officer Warner of the Spanish Fork Police and registering 70 bikes and scooters, we pledged to be safe this summer and year round. THANK YOU to everyone that reviewed the safety pledge and returned it signed. You were entered into the drawing to receive a helmet! It was fun to see the happy faces of students and teachers as the helmets arrived. Remember to label your helmet with your name and that the PTA motto of "GREEN means GO safely" is practiced year round so practice safety this summer also. Thank you to East Meadows, the Utah County Health Department, the SFPD and the East Meadows PTA.
3rd Grade Spelling Bee
3rd Grade End-of-Year Program
The 3rd grade students presented their end-of-year program on Tuesday, May 20, 2014. The theme of their program was: It's Easy to be Green. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! They even made hand instruments out of recycled products. Thank you 3rd grade teachers for a great school year!
Safety Assembly
The PTA and the student council joined together to put on a safety assembly for our students. With school coming to an end and summer break fast approaching it is good to review some safety tips. They reviewed such things as bicycle safety, crossing the street safely, wearing the proper clothing, and stranger and pet danger. Officer Warner, from the Spanish Fork Police Department talked with students and encouraged them to follow these safety guidelines and to wear helmets when they ride their bikes or scooters. Each student was sent home with a safety pledge to be signed by them and their parents. If they are turned in they will be put in for a drawing for a helmet. The Utah County Department of Health donated 100 new helmets to our school. We want all of our East Meadows students to have a FUN and SAFE summer break.
What's UP? Great Teachers at East Meadows Elementary!
We have great teachers and staff at East Meadows Elementary. The PTA, parents and students were able to express appreciation to the many teachers and staff at the school, by providing breakfast one morning, lunch another day and a sweet treat to end the week. The students could purchase carnations and give them their teacher. Thank you to all who helped in any way! Thank you teachers for making East Meadows the BEST school!


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To Fel and Back
|Speak with Kyra Lightblade
|Complete the Felwing Ledge Scenario
|Return to The Fel Hammer
DescriptionMardum has its fair share of secrets, one of which we found not too long after we took control of the Fel Hammer. It's a breeding ground of sorts, festering with fel bats.
We've been capturing the pups and trying to train them up for our efforts against the Legion.
But the other day, we caught an even greater prize, something worthy of your position, Slayer.
Speak with Kyra and she'll provide you a ride to the ledge.
Never would I have thought an adult fel bat could be tamed, but your efforts seemed to have prove otherwise. This is a promising revelation for us.
But for now, let all see what you have accomplished.
But for now, let all see what you have accomplished.
RewardsYou will learn:
|Slayer's Felbroken Shrieker
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The Wowhead Client is a little application we use to keep our database up to date, and to provide you with some nifty extra functionality on the website!
It serves 2 main purposes:
- It maintains a WoW addon called the Wowhead Looter, which collects data as you play the game!
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Police suspect Vail woman of stuffing smoked salmon into her neighbor's gas tank
VAIL — There's not a stuffed salmon recipe on Earth that asks you to stuff your salmon into your neighbor's gas tank, but that's what Vail Police found.
A Vail resident received a rap on the wrist after she allegedly stuffed smoked salmon into her neighbor's gas tank.
Not canned salmon, as originally thought, but smoked salmon.
The neighbors live next to each other in a duplex and have been feuding for months over the usual neighbor stuff — parking, loud music and cable TV.
Vail Police got involved when an elderly man called to report that when he tried to gas up his minivan at the West Vail Shell, he removed his filler cap to discover that the nozzle was stuffed with when he thought was canned salmon.
Alas, no, it was smoked salmon, a Vail Police officer discovered when he was summoned to the scene of the crime.
A quick investigation uncovered a few facts:
• The man's neighbor, living in the duplex next door, had served smoked salmon for dinner the night before.
• They had leftovers.
• She denied knowing anything about the smoked salmon stuffed into her neighbor's gas tank and could not imagine how it got there.
• She allegedly plays her music really loudly during the day, as well as other non-neighborly behavior, which irritates the elderly couple next door.
• When the Vail Police officer asked her about it, she looked down and to her left twice during a 20-minute conversation with the officer.
• The officer explained that, under no uncertain terms, he did not believe that she had nothing to do with stuffing smoked salmon into her neighbor's gas tank.
• She insisted to the officer that her neighbors were also being non-neighborly and had given Comcast permission to run a cable by digging up her yard. Comcast, the officer patiently explained, has a utility easement and doesn't need anyone's permission.
• The officer explained that she needed to let her elderly neighbors "live in peace."
• No charges were filed, although a local mechanic charged the elderly couple $211 to clean up the salmon and their gas tank.
The officer also suggested that the elderly couple hire an attorney; they hired Sarah Baker.
"This incident may have high humor value, but it is one incident in a much larger story that is really disturbing to my client, the elderly neighbor to whom it is happening," Baker said.
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and email@example.com.
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The church was started by Jesus. Jesus told the church to "Go and preach the gospel to every creature." This is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed. Every 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month, we set aside a special time to work at being obedient to Christ's command and to share the love of Christ with others in our city.
1st Saturday is tea & coffee outreach (Apr-Oct) – Letterbox outreach (Nov-Mar).
3rd Saturday is community outreach giving tracts out in the street.
Join us this week for our Great Commission Saturday.
What is it? An opportunity for involvement in the very purpose for which the church was started. A place to use your unique abilities to meet and talk with people, to write letters, to make phone calls, to work on reaching out to those who need Christ's love.
Who is it for? Anyone who has a desire to be involved. Young and old alike. Families and single people. We have a place for everyone to be involved.
What time does it meet? Every 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month at 12.00 PM at Northwest Baptist Church. (tea & coffee outreach @ 2.30pm Apr-Oct)
What will we do? We meet at the church for prayer and a short challenge from God's Word. Then we go out into our community for about an hour doing something like visiting, passing out tracts, making phone calls, writing letters, or doing some random act of kindness to show Christ's love in a practical way. We will be working both at the church and in the community.
This is what we will be doing at the church.
- Prepare leaflets for the next Saturday outreach.
- Prepare other tracts and material.
- Send condolences to those who have had a death in the family.
- Send congratulations to those who have had a birth or wedding in the family.
- Send information to new move-ins.
- Write letters and make phone calls to absentees.
- Send text messages, write emails, and do facebook.
This is what we will be doing in the community.
- Knock doors and share the gospel.
- Put leaflets in letterboxes.
- Do regular visits to attenders and contacts and set up Bible studies.
- Visit shut-ins in the hospital, nursing homes, and private homes.
- Visit people who have recently moved into the area.
- Do street evangelism.
- Do servant evangelism.
- Do seasonal outreach.