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© copyright Alan Corkish; nothing may be reproduced without his specific written permission
Lorette: Alan, you've had so many jobs doing all kinds of things. Did you find poetry in these labours?
Alan: Indeed I do. I've written a series of fragments about the more unusual jobs I've worked at; whaling for example, which sickened me to the stomach, the stench and noise and sheer mindlessness of it all. I hope some beauty grows out of it though, in the fragments of poetry. Whaling apart I used to enjoy manual work; bricklaying on a Spring day can be exhilarating, it used to be Churchill's hobby didn't it? His way of relieving his depression. You get into a rhythm laying bricks or stone, like knitting I suppose, clickety click, clickety click… then you straighten your back and look at the arch or the wall you have created and it feels good. Manual labour can in itself be poetry.
Lorette: Tell me about the quarter century you spent in the communist party. Why do communists have such a bad rep? Do you still believe in them?
Alan: Those were the years when I gained my education. Do you remember that the tainted Mrs Thatcher told us there was 'no such thing as community'? I don't think many people believe that. The word Communist stems from the word community; and of course I believe in community. Not sure who you mean by 'them' but if you are asking do I still believe in people who want equality and an end to the exploitative system we call Capitalism then yes, I believe in them. I explain Communism to people thus; imagine two large houses with perhaps a hundred people in each. They each have the same joint income; say £10,000.00 a week. In one house they scheme to deprive one another of the 'income', they compete so that in the end one or two people end up very wealthy, many are comfortably off but many are very poor and even go hungry. This house is called Capitalism. In the other house they discuss each week how to spend the income for the good of all, they plan for the future and no one goes hungry but then no one becomes immensely rich either. This house is called Communism. Which house would you like your children to grow up in? OK so people say that Communism is all very well in theory but wouldn't work in practice because people are naturally greedy. Well my experience is not like that; the friends I have are willing to share and do not strive to accumulate wealth at the expense of others. Am I lucky to have such friends? Perhaps, but I think that, given the options, most people are generous, most people do not want to exploit humanity.
Lorette: What does anarchy mean to you? Is anarchy a viable possibility when most people aren't bright enough to care for themselves?
Alan: As a child I went to too many B movies; consequently I grew up with an image of an anarchist as someone filled with hate who threw bombs at people. I read Conrad's The Secret Agent when a child too; the 'perfect anarchist' therein had a glass vial strapped to his chest filled with nitro. He used to warn the police-chief that if they ever tried to arrest him he'd detonate it and they'd depart the world together. Later however; when wisdom and experience overtook the childish desire to be thrilled; I actually met anarchists, they were more likely to be toting flowers than guns. Anarchy is not however, at least not to me, a political belief; it is an inevitability. I think that Marx said that after Communism comes 'the wilting of the State', I imagine this as a form of anarchy. Part of the natural progress of the beautiful accident. The paradox now is that democracy is entrenched (I was going to say '...unfortunately democracy is entrenched' but decided not to provoke you too much) thus we would need to destroy all that exists before anarchy could be given a chance. I think I have difficulty shedding my childhood images entirely; maybe I'd be happy with a flower in one hand and a bomb in the other. I've certainly thrown a few verbal bombs in my life. I kind of bristle at the suggestion that 'most people aren't bright enough to care for themselves'. Who decides that? Who judges their fellow human-beings in that way? I know of no one except a few people with severe mental-health problems who are not bright enough to take care of themselves.
Lorette: Tell me your experience about getting sacked from the school.
Alan: Mmmmm; I was caught throwing verbal bombs :-).
Lorette: What are your views on crime and punishment?
Alan: The novel? One of my favourite reads. As reality... I have experience of committing 'crime' and of being 'punished'. For me; punishment seldom seemed justifiable, at least not the degree of punishment that was measured out to me. But then I was born into poverty in a very violent country; the Isle of Man. As a teen I was involved with gangs and with gang-fights and was frequently 'punished'; I've had every conceivable form of punishment including being birched. Punishment always made me more likely to re-offend because I believed then, that to gang-fight with other people who also wanted to gang-fight, was not a crime. When four burly police held me down whilst another judicially birched me I was filled with loathing for their cowardice and with contempt for their callous lack of comprehension. And then of course there's the issue of going back into gang-land bearing the scars. You become a sort of hero. You become labelled 'hard'. When you're 'hard' someone always wants to take a pop at you. The cycle continues. There has to be an alternative to Crime and Punishment; maybe Model Citizenship and Rewards? I much prefer Rewards to Punishments.
Lorette: What are some ways in which we could handle the problems of crime and chaos in this world?
Alan: Blow it all up and start again I guess. But if that's too radical then let's begin with definitions. Brecht asked who was the greater criminal; the man who founded a bank or the man who robbed it. I believe it is the man who founded it. Look at the Rockefeller billions made from banking; they went into arms-trading and alleged 'investment' in the third world (what an insulting phrase that is; 'third world'), which effectively meant paying black people starvation wages to keep the rest of us, in what is presumably the 'first world', fat, relatively idle and healthy. A bank-robber is at least honest in that s/he probably won't say that what they are doing is for the good of mankind or is the best thing to do in this the best of all possible worlds. As for 'chaos'; ALL is chaos, but it's a beautiful chaos! Vive la chaos! Vive la beautiful accident!
Lorette: You use that phrase again; what do you mean when you say that life is a 'beautiful accident'?
Alan: As I said earlier; I was born into poverty, life was unbelievably tough. Literally no shoes… little food… thieving to eat… that kind of thing. I found myself and my sisters attending many different Churches and Sunday Schools (learnt later in life that this was because they sometimes gave us free food). I couldn't make head nor tail of this God-business and later it dawned on me that it was just that; a business. Believing in God is a business which employs thousands of idlers to tend to the needs of the weak or those who wear religion like some perverted fashion-statement. Anyway; if there was a benevolent God watching over our estimated 6000 different religions I believe s/he'd have given up on us now. We've had thousands of years of Christianity-crap, Muslim-mumbo-jumbo and the like but we still invade countries to grab their oil with apparently not a hint of shame. If dear Mr Bush and dear Mr Blair are Christians then there just can't be a God. So what's the alternative? A beautiful accident I guess. And it is very beautiful at times; falling in love and doing what you believe is right in the world is 'good', and by 'good' I mean that it is somehow satisfying. If I'm wrong however, and there is a God, and s/he is like they say, then I'll end up in Hell with people like Lenin, Shaw, Marx and Che Guevara… but that sounds like heaven to me...
Lorette: I enjoyed reading my own thoughts in your words when it comes to dogs and their owners. Tell me about some of your favourite pets.
Alan: I've always had a cat when I've been in the UK or the Isle of Man. On the Isle of Man I also had dogs too but strictly working dogs, not pets. Cats seem to adopt me. My present wee creature turned up on the back step just about two months after my previous cat was killed, run-over by a car. (Cats have no traffic sense) The newcomer went to the vets with me to be cleaned up and vaccinated and I was told she was only about 4/5 months old. I knocked on every door in our neighbourhood and she apparently belonged to no one; so as I said; she adopted me. Boswell is her name (after Johnson's biographer) and I love her because she's beautiful, athletic and because essentially she's an anarchist; you'll never see her run for sticks or do tricks or fawn like a dog… and I often have the thought that if I collapse one day and die (I live alone), she'll probably either eat me or just depart and find someone else to 'adopt'. I find that thought strangely satisfying. Total independence reigns with Boswell and with all cats. I almost envy her.
Lorette: Am I to assume from your poetry that you suffer from bipolar disorder? Is madness a birthright of the poet, or is it a curse?
Alan: BP has been with me for as long as I can remember. And I don't object in the least to it being labelled 'madness' because it is just that. It has cost me dearly in my life but if it is true that my poetry and my strong sense of justice stems from it then I wouldn't want to lose it. Within the past year however I've began a new approach to it; constructively combating it, it's complicated but seems to be working. I've also accepted that only BP sufferers really understand BP so I've given up a life-long crusade to educate people. It can't be done. Actually I'd rather talk about something else…
Lorette: OK: Why did you choose to use a pen name for some of your books?
Alan: In case, when I grow older, I want to deny I ever wrote them.
Lorette: What kind of feedback did you get on your A to Z book?
Alan: Lots of emails. I had the complete book online until my publisher advised I remove it and I'd get emails regularly then; less often now. Mainly from young people. The book is vicious satire in parts, plain fun in others, but is also highly informative. School students today are beginning to demand respect from people in authority which I find stimulating. When I taught, most teachers used to whinge about how the kids had 'no respect' and I used to wonder why kids should respect them in the first place. 90% of the teachers I worked with in inner-city comps didn't give a damn for the pupils. If the A to Z makes people aware that teachers are effectively employed by pupils and so should act accordingly then I'll have made some small progress.
Lorette: When did you start writing poetry?
Alan: My mother did something wonderful when I was about 7 or 8 years of age. We had moved into a house that actually had electricity and an inside toilet; council property. She went to a sale soon afterwards and whatever possessed her I can't imagine but she bought me a battered old type-writer. It wasn't real, a sort of toy but it worked, printed dark blue letters onto paper, and I proudly announced then and there that I was going to be a poet. I even still have some stuff I wrote as a child… might release it some day, under a pen-name of course.
Lorette: What need can poetry fill?
Alan: 'need'? I don't 'need' to write poetry. I'm not one of these angst-ridden intellectuals who 'feel the need to write poetry'. I write when I'm angry. I write when I'm in love and mostly I write when love-departs. Roger McGough said the latter produces the best poetry and I have a feeling he might be right. I used to believe writing was therapeutic but lately I've abandoned that concept; it is however a way of seeing things more clearly. When I write about the alleged 'war' in Iraq (not a war in fact, a calculated slaughter) I see more clearly the terrible injustice of Operation Oilgrab and it makes me more determined to protest loudly. Hopefully some of this will rub off on the reader too. Maybe part of the function of poetry is to educate and inform.
Lorette: Is it true that only poets read poetry?
Alan: It's frequently stated that more people write poetry than read it and I'm not sure how I react to that; maybe it's no bad thing. Certainly a large proportion of the population apparently write poetry at some stage of their life. I leave poems lying round at the CAB where I work part-time and nearly everyone who picks them up to read makes a comment on them (sometimes favourable) and then invariably add something to the effect; 'I write poetry you know…' I also believe that people have a more wholesome attitude to poetry these days; it's there to be enjoyed and is not necessarily the abode of the intellectuals as it used to be in the 50's and 60's. In Liverpool, where I live at present, there are literally hundreds of poetry events staged each month and they're enthusiastically attended. So maybe the audience don't read poetry… maybe they do… but they certainly listen to poetry. I said before that I didn't 'need' to write poetry, but I do need to read it and to hear it being read. My favourite poems are those of Milton and Yevtushenko but I have to admit that Eliot, even though I find the man offensive as an individual, sometimes makes me catch my breath with phrases like: 'Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky, Like a patient etherised upon a table.' And 'A crowd flowed over London bridge, so many, I had not thought that death had undone so many.' Simple phrases, but perfectly sculptured, Eliot is a craftsman and an artist with words.
Lorette: Finally Alan, what is your hope, or ambition, as regards your own work?
Alan: No doubt about that; I want to see, at some time in the future, my major work; 'Glimpses of Notes' produced as an exhibition. 'Glimpses' covers around 50 years in time, roughly from my birth to the end of the Twentieth Century, and is approximately 25,000 words of what I call 'fragmented poetry'. I believe such poetry can be a beautiful visual experience. I want to linger in the background and eavesdrop as people wander around a huge gallery being confronted with fragments from 'Glimpses of Notes' rendered on granite, canvass, wood and glass, to have people step on traps which will project hologrammatic words into the air or trip tape-recordings of the poem being read by various voices. I want it hung in Braille with sensual representations available to feel and most of all I want the scents of poetry to trip across the gallery rooms. I want there to be a revolution in poetry which sees it presented to all our senses; not just the ear and the eye. I want people to come out of my exhibition exhilarated by something completely new and beautiful and... Hey I'm getting carried away, time to wind this up I think but just one final thing; if anyone out there has a few thousand quid to spare for an exhibition… get in touch.


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At PST, we have a team of respected and trained retired law enforcement and public sector officials with extensive experience in pre-employment background investigations, complex criminal investigations, workplace investigations and state-of-the-art interview techniques.
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[su_spoiler title="Christopher (Chris) Anderson" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
After 41 years of law enforcement service, Chris retired from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Police (DFW) following 30 years of service with DFW. During his time with DFW he held the ranks of officer, sergeant, regional captain, professional standards captain, and chief. While serving as agency chief he was responsible for labor negotiations, labor contracts, hiring decisions, and disciplinary actions.
Chris began his law enforcement career with the Tumwater Police Department. After two years with the city, he accepted a position with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, where he worked patrol, field training, detectives, and timber/marine operations. He was also a long-time member of the Thurston County Tactical Team. After nine years with the county, Chris was hired by the state and spent an additional two years as a member of the Lewis County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team.
During his career Chris received numerous awards including Deputy of the Year, several merit awards, an agency public service award, and a life-saving commendation. He has also successfully written and administered numerous funding grants at the local, state, and federal levels.
Chris has extensive experience conducting investigations including criminal, personnel, alleged misconduct, and pre-employment investigations. He earned state certifications as a first-level supervisor and middle manager, and in 2012 he completed command college. Chris was also a long-time member of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) and co-chaired its state vessel safety committee.[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title="Eugene (Gene) Beireis" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Gene retired from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2008 after 30 years of service as a Wildlife Control Agent and Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officer in the Yakima valley. During his career with the state, Gene conducted numerous game and poaching violations, some of which were the result of orchardists protecting their multi-million dollar crops. His assignments included Field Training Officer, Enforcement Recruiter, and two years as a Sergeant supervising the Tri-City detachment. Gene was awarded the Shikar Safari Washington Wildlife Officer of the Year in 2001 and 2003. Additionally, he was a member of the Yakima Valley College Criminal Justice Advisory Board.
Following his retirement from the state, Gene worked as a Court Security Officer at the William O. Douglas Federal Courthouse in Yakima. He was promoted to Lead Court Security Officer in 2014 and retired from the courthouse in 2017.[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title="Tim Black" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Tim started his law enforcement career in 1988 in Oregon. In 1991, he moved to New Mexico and became a deputy with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in the Four Corners region of the state. He worked as a patrol deputy, field training officer, firearms instructor, detective and polygrapher and then held first line supervisory and leadership positions in both the operational and administrative functions of the office, including internal affairs investigations. Tim is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, and he retired in 2012 at the rank of captain from the sheriff's office. After retirement, he worked as a contractor with a U.S. Joint Special Operations Task Force in the Southern Philippines where he managed an advanced training program for Philippine National Police Officers. More recently, Tim worked as a patrol officer on Whidbey Island before joining PST in 2016.[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title="Roy Butler" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Roy retired from the Battle Ground Police Department after serving a total of 40 years in law enforcement in Washington State. He began his career with the Mason County Sheriff's office in 1978. As a deputy, he served in patrol, with the detective unit, and in the Traffic Unit, where he was the lead fatal investigator for several years. Roy was a Field Training Officer and certified to train other Field Training Officers. He has extensive experience in accident investigations and completed the Washington State Patrol's technical level of investigation training. Additionally, Roy has conducted a variety of investigations including background, internal, criminal, and risk management investigations. Roy was promoted to Sergeant and became certified as a first level supervisor by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC). In 1993, he accepted a Lieutenant position with the Battle Ground Police Department, where he was second in command during a period of extensive growth in the city's population. Roy earned Middle Manager and Executive Level Supervisor certifications through the CJTC and is a graduate of the Command College and the FBI National Academy. He completed training in conducting background investigation from the International Chiefs of Police and has an AA degree from Clark College in Vancouver, Washington.
[su_spoiler title="Tom Byers" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Tom retired as a Captain with the Seattle Police Department after nearly 37 years of service. Tom has extensive command experience in police operations including precinct patrol, SWAT, canine, and mounted patrol. He has reviewed and investigated hundreds of internal investigations and use of force cases. Tom assisted in the development and administration of promotional examinations and assessment centers for the Seattle Police Department as a Special Examiner with the Seattle Civil Service Commission. He was also the commander of the Audits and Ethics Section, which involved supervising department audits and the application process for accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA). Tom was a Board Chair for the Collision Review and Firearms Review Boards.
Tom has a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Puget Sound. He completed the West Point Leadership in Police Organizations course and is career certified in middle management by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Tom is a 3rd degree black belt instructor in Tae Kwon Do and certified as a Verbal Judo Instructor.
[su_spoiler title="Ralph De Witt" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Ralph retired in January 2014 after completing 36 years of state service. He spent his first 25 years with the Washington State Patrol, with assignments in traffic, supervising the cadet testing program, working as a detective sergeant in the Internal Affairs unit, managing the Commercial Vehicle Section, and finishing his career as a Lieutenant in Tacoma.
For the past 11 years, Ralph has been a Revenue Agent for the Department of Revenue, six of those years based in Wenatchee as the Senior Revenue Agent for north central Washington. His job duties included investigating unregistered businesses operating in Washington, pursuing tax violators, and working with delinquent taxpayers to obtain regulatory compliance.
Ralph is a graduate of The Evergreen State College with a BA in Organizational Management. In addition, he completed Command School at Southwestern Law Enforcement Institute, in Dallas, Texas. Other completed courses revolved around internal affairs investigative techniques, basic and advanced Reid courses, and SCAN analysis. Ralph has participated on numerous oral boards for entry level and promotional candidates.
[su_spoiler title="Reinanda (Tina) Drain" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Tina Drain retired in May 2010 after nearly 32 years of service with the Seattle Police Department. She was a detective for 22 of those years in a variety of assignments, including Background Investigations (conducting more than 200 backgrounds), Burglary and Theft, and Missing Persons. Tina was also a member of the original squad that created and implemented the Domestic Violence Unit. She investigated hundreds of felony domestic violence cases over a period of more than seven years and trained other detectives when they came to the DV unit.
Tina's other assignments included Patrol, Recruitment, Academy Instructor, and Public Information Officer. Additionally, she was a Hostage Negotiator for more than ten years, and was on the team that developed the King County Regional Amber Alert that eventually merged with the Washington State Patrol. Tina also served on a state task force that worked to improve missing persons investigations statewide. She produced a training video for law enforcement that was sent to every agency in Washington State.
Over the years, Tina received training in numerous areas including Reid Interrogation, Hostage Negotiations, NAMUS (National Missing and Unidentified Systems), Media Relations, and Homicide. Conversely, Tina has been the trainer at many venues, both law enforcement and private.
Apart from PST, Tina is an instructor for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center; teaching about missing persons and Amber Alert.
[su_spoiler title="Jon Frantzen" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Jon Frantzen began his career with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, where he carried a warden's commission. He was then employed by the City of Arlington, Washington, where he was engaged in all facets of police work including two times serving as acting Chief of Police. Jon was then hired by and served most of his career with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) in Everett, Washington. While employed with the SCSO, he worked a variety of assignments, including patrol, burglary/robbery, undercover narcotics, and outlaw biker intelligence.
Concurrent with his law enforcement duties, he also achieved Master Instructor status with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission where he then developed and taught classes in various subjects including defensive tactics, instructor development, communication skills and personal safety.
Additionally, Jon Frantzen has provided training throughout the United States in criminal justice and related topics such as instructor development, communication skills, personal safety programs, pepper spray, firearms training, long-range patrolling for emergency response teams and various tactical tracking courses. He retired from full-time law enforcement in 1993, and since then has provided training for many hundreds of local, state and federal law enforcement personnel, and also to members of the U.S. military, including many Special Operations personnel.
[su_spoiler title="Terry Gallagher" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Terry Gallagher served as a law enforcement officer for more than 32 years, including nine years as Chief of the Port Angeles Police Department. During the course of his career, he worked in a number of different positions that include patrol officer, DARE officer, detective, narcotics investigator, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, and Deputy Chief of Police.
Terry has extensive investigative experience and training. He spent approximately two years as a detective generalist, three years as a drug task force detective, and seven years as a detective sergeant conducting or overseeing all manner of criminal investigations and background investigations. In 2000 Terry advanced to the Deputy Chief position and served as the operations supervisor of a 32-officer department, essentially responsible for the department's patrol and investigative functions.
Selected as the Port Angeles Police Chief in 2007 after a national candidate search, he led a police department that also included a regional 9-1-1 center providing full dispatch services for 17 police and fire agencies. Terry has extensive experience in all phases of police department management including the entry level hiring and background investigation process. He has served as a member of entry and promotional level oral boards on many occasions and as an assessor on a number of promotional assessment centers.
Following his retirement from Port Angeles in March of 2016, he served as the Interim Police Chief in Oak Harbor, Washington, while the community searched for a permanent chief. Terry Gallagher is career certified at the middle manager level through the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice through The Evergreen State College, and is a U.S. Army veteran having served as a member of the Military Police Corps (1977-80).
[su_spoiler title="Jeff Gomes" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Jeff retired in March 2010 after 35 years with the Bellevue Police Department. Jeff has been an investigator/detective for more than 28 years. He has been assigned to the traffic division as a major accident/fatality investigator, Property Crimes Unit detective, Major Crimes Unit/Homicide detective, Seattle Federal Bureau of Investigation, and his last eight years as the department Hiring Coordinator responsible for the testing, oral boards, and background investigations of all commissioned and civilian personnel for the department.
Jeff has attended the following training courses in background investigations: John Reid: Integrity Interviewing course; Stanley Slowik: Objective Pre-employment Interviewing; Institute of Police Technology and Management: Background Investigation course; Public Agency Training Council: Hiring & Background Investigations; Glacken & Associates: Background Investigations for Police Applicants.
Jeff is a member of the Northwest Background Investigators Association.
Jeff has conducted more than 800 background investigations for the Bellevue Police Department. He has directed the investigations of 12 certified background investigators for the department in the areas of entry/lateral police officer, civilian dispatcher, information technology positions, and civilian volunteer positions.
Jeff is a certified instructor of background investigation courses by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. He has also written the current Testing, Hiring and Background Investigation manual for the Bellevue Police Department.
Jeff has B.A. degree in Police Science and Administration from Seattle University.
[su_spoiler title="John Gray" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
John Gray served in the law enforcement profession for 32 years, including 12 years as a Police Chief for Lake Stevens and Arlington. He worked for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office for 12 years; five years as a supervisor, three as a detective working several hundred cases of sex crimes and crimes against children, and was the staff assistant to the Sheriff handling complex plans. He came to Washington State from Oregon where he was a deputy sheriff and U.S. Park Ranger. He has extensive experience, training, and education in the management of an agency including screening and hiring applicants. He has conducted and supervised background investigations. He has completed the Integrity Interview Course offered by John Reid and Associates.
For Public Safety Testing, in addition to background investigations, he provides the service of assessment center promotional testing.
He is a life member of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and chaired the committees providing accreditation and management assistance to agencies.
John Gray is on the faculty for the Executive Institute at Western Illinois University presenting training and seminars. He taught management topics for the Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command for five years and was a part-time instructor for 10 years at Everett Community College in Washington State teaching courses in Child Abuse Investigation, Professional Development, Report Writing, and Officer Safety. He also teaches or guest lectures for criminal justice training agencies and organizations on the topics of budgeting, leadership, and supervision.
He has a Master of Education from Western Washington University; a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University, is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command, the Northwest Law Enforcement Executive Command College, and FBI LEEDS program, the International Association of Police Chief's Leadership of Police Organizations; and holds an Executive Certificate from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
He continues to publish articles on leadership and management topics in Police Chief Magazine, Law & Order Magazine, and Public Manager Magazine.
[su_spoiler title="David Henderson" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
David started his career as a Deputy Sheriff with the San Diego County Sheriff's Office in 1995. He transferred to the Vancouver (Washington) Police Department in 1997 and worked there until retiring in October 2018.
During his career with the Vancouver Police Department his assignments included Patrol, Field Training Officer, Corporal, Arson Supervisor and Investigator, Patrol Sergeant, Community Outreach Sergeant, and Backgrounds Sergeant. During his assignment to the Backgrounds Unit, David and three Detectives conducted 600 sworn and non-sworn background investigations, resulting in 64 police officers and 50 non-sworn employees hired by the agency.
David has an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Portland Community College.
[su_spoiler title="Glen Hobbs" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Glen retired from the Washington State Patrol (WSP) after 33 years of service. Glen started his law enforcement career working as a trooper cadet assigned to the Bremerton Communications Center. After graduating first in his trooper cadet class in defensive tactics, Glen was assigned as a trooper to the Field Operations Bureau in South King County. After 3 ½ years, Glen transferred to Southwest Washington to be closer to family and continue his work in traffic law enforcement. While in Vancouver, Glen became a Belt Weapons Instructor, VIN Inspector, and Field Training Officer. In 1992, Glen was selected as the trooper of the year for Southwest Washington and earned the Clark County Community Policing Award.
In 1995, Glen became a detective in the WSP's Criminal Investigation Division. During more than 12 years in the division, he worked as a certified collision reconstructionist and was a member of the statewide Crime Scene Response Team. As a detective, Glen was the lead investigator on hundreds of criminal cases including, homicide, sexual assault, burglary, robbery, fraud, perjury, theft, forgery, felony hit and run, vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, threats, kidnapping, arson, official misconduct, and threats against the governor. He also conducted criminal investigations involving state, city, and county employees, assaults (including assaults on police officers), officer involved shootings, auto theft, narcotics (including drug trafficking), and identity theft. Glen completed training in interviewing/interrogation as well as detective basic, internal affairs, organized crime, arson, and homicide training.
In 2008, Glen was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to Naselle in the Field Operations Bureau. Glen completed a four-week course on Leadership in Police Organizations and supervised eight troopers and an office assistant for approximately six months before transferring to Kelso. While in Kelso, he was asked to serve as a long-term acting Lieutenant and acting Assistant District Commander. During this assignment, Glen supervised six detachment sergeants and a property and evidence custodian.
In 2012, Glen was selected to supervise WSP's Special Operations Detachment in Vancouver where he was responsible for supervising the License Fraud/Investigation Unit, Serious Highway Crime Apprehension Team, Motors and the Public Information Officer. He also served as a Field Training Sergeant and was one of three sergeants on WSP's Best Practices Team. Additionally, Glen served as the District Recruiting Sergeant and was responsible to oversee physical, written and oral board testing for trooper cadet applicants in Southwest Washington.
In 2016, Glen received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission's Target Zero Program in Clark County.
[su_spoiler title="Robert (Bob) Howard" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Bob was hired in 1982 as a patrol deputy with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. For much of his career he policed our community as a Patrol Officer. He was selected to be an undercover detective with the Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit for two years and then worked for four years as a detective with the Property Crimes Unit. He also served as a DARE Officer for two years. Bob has the ability to utilize his training and experience to cultivate actionable information from witnesses and suspects and has been recognized for his success in getting challenging subjects to speak that were reluctant to speak to others. His ability to elicit information resulted in multiple cases being solved and criminal charges being filed where there had previously been little to no chance of prosecution.
Bob began a second career in 2010 with the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) at the Monroe Correctional Complex, an adult prison with more than 3,000 prisoners and 1,000 employees. As a member of the Investigations and Intelligence Unit he investigated allegations of smuggling of narcotics and other contraband, investigating cases of extortion, assaults, sexual assaults, Security Threat Group (gang) activities, fraud, and a variety of other offenses. His investigations at the prison included offenders, visitors, volunteers and occasionally an employee. During Bob's time as an investigator at the DOC he worked closely with multiple agencies including the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force, Seattle Police Department Homicide Unit, the Snohomish County Regional Drug Task Force and the ATF.
[su_spoiler title="Cindi Ketchum" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Cindi Ketchum retired from the King County Sheriff's Office in 2008 after 21 years of service. Her assignments have included reactive and proactive patrol, undercover, criminal and internal investigations, training, and supervisory roles. She has been a field training officer, master police officer, and acting sergeant. As a plainclothes detective assigned to the Street Crimes Unit, she was involved in investigations including street level narcotics and prostitution. In the Special Assault Unit, she investigated crimes of sexual assault, child abuse, and elderly abuse. During Cindi's assignment to the Internal Investigations Unit, she investigated allegations of misconduct by department members and conducted background investigations on police candidates. Cindi also spent eight years assigned to the Special Support Enforcement Unit, a federally funded unit responsible for locating and apprehending parents who are delinquent or refusing to pay child support.
In addition, Cindi has served on numerous oral boards for entry level and lateral police candidates. She has also received specialized training in both beginning and advanced Reid Interview Techniques, FBI Interview Techniques, Psychological Profiling, and Community Oriented Policing.
[su_spoiler title="Morley Kwaschnefski" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
After serving eight years in the United States Marine Corps, Morley began a career with the Orange County Sheriff's Department in 1990. He was assigned to in-custody operations and patrol before being selected as a member of the Tri-Cities Direct Enforcement Team, which focused on career criminals and crime trends. Morley was appointed to the Gang Unit, writing and serving countless search warrants and testifying as a gang expert in high-profile gang-related trials. He went on to join the Transit Police Services Right of Way team.
After being promoted to Sergeant, Morley returned to the Orange County Jail where he oversaw the Community Work Program. He was selected to become the North Investigations Sergeant where he supervised eight detectives who investigated crimes that occurred in North Orange County, John Wayne Airport, all county courthouses, three county harbors, and all five county jails. As the North Investigations Sergeant, Morley was also tasked with implementing the Armed Prohibited Person's System, which identified individuals no longer fit or authorized to own firearms. Morley retired from the Orange County Sheriff's Department in 2015 after almost 26 years of service.
[su_spoiler title="Oma LaMothe" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Oma LaMothe earned her Juris Doctor degree from Seattle University and is licensed to practice law in Washington. She worked as a King County Senior Prosecuting Attorney for 20 years, representing many agencies including the King County Sheriff's Office and represented King County in numerous trial and appellate court matters. She served as a key advisor for executives and department heads on business and legal issues. Oma has degrees in Law & Justice and Sociology from Central Washington University.
[su_spoiler title="Bryan McNaughten" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Bryan has 30 years of law enforcement experience, the last 27 with the Kirkland Police Department retiring in 2014 as a Sergeant. While in patrol he was a Field Training officer, Bike Patrol Officer, and Hostage Negotiator. Bryan was a certified narcotics investigator with the Eastside Narcotics Task Force where he worked in both plain clothes and in an undercover capacity participating in over 300 drug investigations. He was subsequently assigned to supervise the Investigations Unit where he oversaw all felony crime investigations and was instrumental in developing the Family Violence Unit for the department. Bryan supervised for more than 20 years with responsibilities including the supervision of the Traffic Division, the Community Services Unit, School Resource Officer Program, and he was also supervisor of the Pro Act Team and the Crisis Negotiations Team with the Kirkland Police Department.
Bryan demonstrated an aptitude for successful interviewing throughout his career and was influential in the development of new officers in this area throughout his career. He received considerable training in the areas of interviewing, communications and interpersonal interactions, as well as nonverbal communications and specific background investigations training such as Stanley Slowik: Objective Pre-Employment Interviewing. Bryan has participated in several interview/oral boards for both commissioned and non-commissioned hirings and has conducted numerous background investigations of applicants for law enforcement positions. His educational background is in criminal justice and psychology.
[su_spoiler title="Ron Miller" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Ron worked for the San Diego Police Department as an intern criminalist, University of California Berkeley Police Department, and the City of Concord, California, in positions as a patrol officer, detective, crime scene investigator, and assistant bomb technician. After 12 years of sworn law enforcement he became a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed mental health counselor, doing psychotherapy and forensic mental health. Conducting critical incident stress debriefings for public safety agencies and private industry were part of his clinical practice along with treatment of PTSD for public safety personnel. Ron then began conducting psycho-social investigations for defendants in capital murder cases at the trial and appellate levels. He has also worked on general homicide investigations and other major crimes in the private sector.
Ron retired from his clinical/behavioral forensics practice in 2016 after 44 years of related work in the judicial system. He was commissioned by the Clark County Sheriff's Office as a volunteer cold case homicide investigator, is active in community services, has been a search & rescue volunteer for 35 years, and is a certified firearms instructor. Ron is a published contributing author to several international investigative textbooks and is an investigative seminar presenter.
Ron was trained as a forensic scientist at the University of California with a Bachelor of Science degree, earned a Master of Arts degree from University of San Francisco in public service, and has Master of Science degree in clinical mental health from Cal State University at Hayward. [/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title="Dean Mitchell" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Dean began his 35-year law enforcement career at the Ellensburg Police Department as a dispatcher and interim police officer. He was hired as a police officer for the Moses Lake Police Department in 1979 and graduated from the basic law enforcement academy in Seattle. Dean held the positions of patrol officer and sergeant, served as a DARE officer, and was responsible for overseeing the department's reserve officers.
Dean was promoted to Assistant Chief in 1991 and oversaw the operations and clerical staff. He served as the department's accreditation manager when Moses Lake was one of the state's first police agencies to achieve state accreditation. Dean played a significant role in creating the Moses Lake Regional Tactical Response Team as well as the Columbia Basin Investigative Team, responsible for investigating deadly force incidents.
Dean was promoted to chief in 2004 and retired in 2013. After retirement he worked five years as a contract private investigator for Clear Risk Solutions and investigated school, municipal, and county claims within the state. Dean obtained his executive level certification through the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, is a WASPC/FBI Command College graduate and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Justice from CWU.
[su_spoiler title="Marcia Nelson" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Marcia Nelson retired in early 2017 after working for 33 years as an attorney in the Seattle City Attorney's Office. She represented many departments of the City of Seattle including the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light and the Seattle Municipal Court. Marcia also represented individual employees of the City when they were individually named as defendants in civil lawsuits. For the last seven years of her service, she was the Torts Director and, in that capacity, managed the defense of individual police officers who were sued in police action cases, which included allegations of unconstitutional policing such as excessive force and wrongful arrest. She regularly handled lawsuits in King County Superior Court and handled many lawsuits on appeal to the Court of Appeals and the Washington Supreme Court.
She earned her Juris Doctor degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. She attended the University of Washington and earned her B.A. from Evergreen State College.
[su_spoiler title="Steve Oderman" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Steve Oderman has more than 33 years of law enforcement experience. He retired as a Lieutenant from the Olympia Police Department with 28 years of service. His assignments included Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Detectives, S.W.A.T., and Field Training Officer. As a Lieutenant he managed a number of units and programs including Field Operations, Detectives Division, Special Operations, Internal Investigations, Background Investigations, and the Thurston County Critical Incident Team. Steve has had extensive experience conducting or supervising background investigations for both entry level and lateral candidates.
Steve earned a B.S. Degree in Criminal Justice from Washington State University. He is career certified at the management level by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
[su_spoiler title="Shari Francois Ostrem" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
After 34 years of law enforcement service, Shari retired as a Captain from the Redmond Police Department. During her 24 years with Redmond she held the rank of Captain, Commander, Lieutenant, Detective, and Officer. Shari participated as a patrol officer, field training officer, officer-in-charge, narcotics detective, patrol and investigations lieutenant, patrol, investigations, and administrative/internal affairs commander, and operations captain. Shari spent much of her law enforcement career conducting criminal, personnel, and alleged misconduct investigations and pre-employment interviews. She also has more than 25 years' experience conducting backgrounds for entry-level and executive-level applicants.
Shari began her law enforcement career in 1984 as a Reserve Police Officer with the City of Orange, California. She went on to become a full-time police officer with the City of Cypress where she spent 10 years and worked patrol, field training officer, crime prevention, DARE Officer, and was a detective working property crimes and crimes involving persons.
During her career, Shari received numerous awards including Citizen of the Year, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers Award, Narcotics Officer Enforcement Award from the Drug Enforcement Administration, and citations for her work with the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program in Cypress from 1987 to 1990.
Shari earned her first level supervisor certificate and middle manager certificate through the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien, and she graduated from the Northwestern School for Police Staff and Command in 2011. Sheri has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Columbia College with a focus in Criminal Justice.
[su_spoiler title="Rich Phillips" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Rich retired in 2014 following a 34 1/2-year career with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. His assignments included Patrol, Field Training, Master Defensive Tactics Instructor, Marine Sergeant, and Land Sergeant. During his career he also served at the Washington Criminal Justice Training Academy (BLEA) as TAC Officer from 2002-2005, lead Defensive Tactics Instructor in 2006, and Assistant Commander from 2008-2010. Rich attended the FBI Command College in 2009.
Rich is a recognized defensive tactics/use of force instructor. He recently served on the Joint Legislative Use of Force Task Force representing the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs. (WACOPS) He is a former instructor at both Skagit Valley College and Everett Community College.
[su_spoiler title="Vic A. Peirsol" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Vic Peirsol has more than 40 years' experience in campus law enforcement and campus security. Vic was with the University of Washington Police Department for 30 years, rising to the rank of captain where he served as both Patrol Commander and Support Services Commander, supervising commissioned and civilian personnel of various ranks. During his career he was also assigned supervisory responsibility for UWPD's Special Event Unit, Special Protection Unit, and the Hostage Negotiation Team.
Vic also chaired a Washington State Electronic Crime Information & Research Group from 1995-1997 that brought together regional, state, and federal law enforcement resources along with prosecutors to partner with representatives from local higher educational institutions and hi-tech businesses to address the explosion of computer and internet related crime issues.
During his law enforcement career Vic served on both entry level and promotional oral boards as well as assessment center processes for multiple police departments in the region.
After retiring from the UWPD Vic spent seven years working for Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound where he managed media outreach. In 2005 Vic joined Seattle Pacific University as Associate Director of Safety and Security and concluded his service there in 2015.
Vic has an A.A. Degree in Law Enforcement from Shoreline Community College and a Ministerial Diploma from Eugene Bible College. He is a graduate of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center Basic Law Enforcement Academy. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 129) and has attended dignitary protection training sessions from the US Secret Service in Washington D.C.
Vic completed Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission's Middle Management Certification in 1990 and is a graduate of the Law Enforcement Executive Development Command College.
[su_spoiler title="Doug Rickard" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Doug started his 28-year career in law enforcement in 1988 as a Reserve Deputy with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department in the mountain community of Big Bear Lake, California, and in October1989 became a full-time Deputy. He completed the San Bernardino Sheriff's Academy in February 1990 and was assigned to the Central Jail, Barstow Station and the Big Bear Station. While working as a Deputy, Doug's assignments included Patrol Deputy, Search and Rescue Coordinator, Defensive Tactics Instructor, and Firearms Instructor. During his time as Traffic Enforcement Officer he earned the Mothers Against Drunk Driving award for DUI arrests.
Doug was hired by the Vancouver Police Department in March 1995 and was assigned to patrol duties. He was assigned as the Department's training officer in 1998 and became a Defensive Tactics Instructor and Range Master. Doug's responsibilities included ensuring that department personnel received all required training and maintained the appropriate documentation.
During his tenure as Training Officer, Doug became an adjunct Firearms Instructor for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) and was one of five Master Firearms Instructors in the state. Over the course of 16 years, he trained hundreds of law enforcement officers to become handgun, shotgun and rifle instructors.
Doug volunteered with the Cowlitz County Fire District 1 as a Firefighter and EMT. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and became the Department EMS Officer.
Doug served as a leader for the Tactical Medics with the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT Team and was responsible for tactical training of EMS providers to provide medical support in high risk situations. Additionally, Doug and his team trained hundreds of local, state and federal law enforcement officers in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC). H also helped train all law enforcement personnel in Clark County in First Aid, CPR and AED application.
After retiring at the rank of Corporal from the Vancouver Police Department in January 2017, Doug worked for the Portland Police Bureau as a Background Investigator for 17 months and completed more than 90 background investigations on civilian and sworn officer applicants.
[su_spoiler title="Erika Smith" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Erika retired from law enforcement after 16 years of service with the Costa Mesa Police Department and Mercer Island Police Department. During her career, she served as a patrol officer, firearms instructor, SWAT Operator, hostage negotiator, peer support officer, and field training officer. In the course of her duties, Erika obtained extensive investigation experience and routinely testified in court. She has attended specialized schools including interview and interrogation training through the Behavior Analysis Training Institute (BATI), Advanced Crisis Negotiations through California's Disaster Preparedness and Critical Incident Response (D-Prep), and California POST peer support training. She earned her master's degree and is an associate professor for the criminal justice program at Everett Community College. [/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title="Bryan Stanifer" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Bryan Stanifer retired in 2019 after more than 31 years in the criminal justice field, including 29 years of service at Lynnwood Police Department. He spent six years as an officer primarily serving in patrol, training, DARE and SRO assignments, five years as a supervisor, seven years as a command-level officer (Patrol, Criminal Investigations/Narcotics, Community Services/Administration) and the last 11 years serving as Deputy Chief of Police (Bureau of Field Operations and Bureau of Investigations and Services), including a short assignment as Interim Chief of Police.
As a supervisor and commander, Bryan conducted and supervised many administrative/internal and background investigations. As a deputy chief, he personally conducted numerous high-level background investigations which were required per the city's municipal code for director/deputy director-level applicants. Bryan has in-depth experience and knowledge of all aspects of the hiring process and subsequent training function of new hires.
Bryan also served as a board member for Snohomish County 911 and the Snohomish County Emergency Radio System. He was an active participant in a group that successfully consolidated three large organizations and was instrumental in the successful passage of a sales tax proposition to fund replacement of the radio system.
Bryan has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, FBI LEEDS, Washington State Command College, and is Executive Level Certified from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
[su_spoiler title="John Wasberg" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
John Wasberg retired as a Senior Counsel in 2011 after 37 years in the Washington State Attorney General's Office. In 1971, John graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. degree, and in 1975 he graduated from the UW's law school.
From 1975 to 1983 he worked in successive full-time assignments in several AGO divisions, including, from 1979 to1983, the AGO's Criminal Justice Division (CJD). From 1983 through 2011, while continuing to do work for the CJD, his primary assignment was with the AGO Labor & Industries Division. At retirement, he was the AGO L&I Appellate Advisor. He argued numerous L&I cases in the Washington appellate courts and the several L&I cases in the Ninth Circuit.
From 1978 to 2000 his CJD work was as (1) the AGO's advisor to the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC), (2) the sole editor of the CJTC's monthly Law Enforcement Digest (LED), and (3) a law enforcement classroom instructor on a number of subjects. From January 2000 to his retirement in April of 2011, his primary CJD work was to co-edit the LED and to present update training.
Since retirement in 2011, John maintains active attorney status. He continues as a volunteer on the CJTC's LED, and he continues to annually update several outlines and articles for the CJTC LED Internet pages. John also continues to participate in the Police Legal Advisors group of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), and he helps out on WASPC amicus briefs authored by members of the Group. He also continues to present training on law enforcement subjects several times per year.
[su_spoiler title="Cameron Webster" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Cameron retired from the King County Sheriff's Office in 2010 at the rank of captain. For four years he was the commander of the Internal Investigations and Background Investigations Units. Since 2010 he has been a Special Investigator retained by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Cameron has a great deal of experience interviewing people in both pleasant and unpleasant circumstances, and in helping to determine a person's suitability for positions of public trust, as well as for positions requiring various levels of security clearances.
Cameron also recently retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve at the rank of Commander. His most recent assignments involved intelligence and liaison work, representing the Coast Guard at other agencies such as FEMA, the State Department, and USAID, as well as doing liaison work with and in the countries of Canada and Kuwait.
Cameron has an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice. He has served as a guest instructor at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center and is a certified Critical Incident Stress Management Team Member. He has attended a long list of nationally recognized interview/interrogation and internal investigation/employee discipline courses through such organizations as Reid and Associates, LRIS, IACP, Thomas-Means and PATC.
[su_spoiler title="John (Jack) Williams" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Jack retired in January 2016 as Chief Deputy after 30 years of service with the U.S. Marshals Service. He has conducted investigations related to candidate backgrounds, threats to the judiciary, fugitive location and apprehension, employee misconduct, and retail and warranty fraud. Jack spent five years leading the Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force, which included deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service and detectives from the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff, and Washington State Department of Corrections and their work focused on high-priority violent offenders from those jurisdictions.
Jack's experience as a fraud investigator includes working in the information services industry, conducting card-not-present investigations, directing outside investigators, working closely with corporate legal teams and making criminal referrals to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Training courses successfully completed include Wicklander – Zulawski Criminal Interview & Interrogation Advanced Seminar, John Reid Advanced Interviewing Techniques and the Federal Criminal Investigator Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Jack has First Level Supervisor and Middle Management certifications from the WSCJTC and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington.[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title="Greg Wilson" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Greg Wilson serves as the Director of Investigations and brings to PST more than 32-years of diverse and progressive public safety experience serving three different municipalities in the Puget Sound region.
Greg began his law enforcement career at the Renton Police Department and was one of the founding members of the Federal Way Police Department where he served many roles, including Commander of Professional Standards. Greg retired after serving more than 10 years as the Chief of Police in Mountlake Terrace. Greg has extensive experience conducting and/or managing criminal, background, internal affairs, and workplace misconduct investigations.
Greg received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington State University; is a graduate of the 219th Session of the FBI National Academy and the 67th Session of the FBI's Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. Greg is a life time member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a recipient of the Patriotic Employer Award from the United States Department of Defense. Greg is a certified Leadership/Ethics Instructor for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and has conducted leadership, ethics and management courses across the nation to federal, state, and local public safety agencies.[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title="Brenda Young" class="my-custom-spoiler"]
Brenda's assignments during her 30-year law enforcement career with the Yakima Police Department included patrol, criminal investigations, community services, training, internal investigations, crime analysis, and hostage negotiations. In 1998 she was promoted to Sergeant; after several years working patrol and in other various departments within the police department, she was transferred to the Detective Division Special Assault Unit where she managed hundreds of investigations involving misdemeanor and felony assaults, crimes against children and incidents of suspicious deaths of minors. Additionally, Brenda served on numerous oral boards for entry-level police candidates for city, county, and federal agencies.
Brenda was instrumental in developing then overseeing the Yakima Police Explorer Post, which became a valuable source for the department for hiring new and qualified officers and support staff. She collaborated with city and county officials to develop a protocol for sex offender tracking and was a certified Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) instructor teaching self-defense to residents in the community and surrounding areas. While supervising the Special Assault Unit, Brenda obtained grants for up-to-date tools and training for investigations. She has earned certifications for criminal investigation, interview and interrogation techniques, and background investigations. After retiring from the Yakima Police Department, Brenda served on the City of Yakima Civil Service Commission for four years.
Brenda has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Washington State University.[/su_spoiler]
Trust Comes with Experience
Our investigators combine for an unparalleled 350+ years of experience and we've completed over 3000 investigations.[/su_note]
[su_divider top="no" style="dotted" divider_color="#0c253d" link_color="#0c253d" size="1″]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Presh Floral offers private group workshops which are a fun and creative activity for bridal showers, bachelorettes, team building, and other gatherings. Please visit our blog to see more pictures from a past Presh Floral workshop. Usual class topics include bouquets, centerpieces and floral crowns. Class locations depend on the size and preference of the group. We usually request a minimum of five guests to schedule a workshop. To inquire about a hosting private workshop, please fill out our contact form or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com and indicate your preferred date(s) and approximate number of guests.
From time to time Presh Floral offers other floral design workshops which will be listed on this page. We typically offer these classes around holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day. Please check back for updates or sign-up for our mailing list here to be notified when classes are posted. Advance registration and payment is required for these workshops as spaces are limited.


text:
Conspiracy-Fueled Anti-Government Patriot Groups Explode With Anti-Obama Hatred
by David Badash on March 6, 2013
The number of conspiracy-fueled anti-government "patriot" groups has increased more than 900% since President Barack Obama's election in 2008, growing from 149 to 1360. These groups are all anti-Obama, many are paramilitary and militia hate groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks them, calls the growth "explosive" and notes they've "reached an all-time high."
"As President Obama enters his second term with an agenda of gun control and immigration reform, the rage on the right is likely to intensify," the SPLC reports:
For many, the election of America's first black president symbolizes the country's changing demographics, with the loss of its white majority predicted by 2043. (In 2011, for the first time, non-white births outnumbered the births of white children.
The Southern Poverty Law Center notes the patriot movement "generally believes that the federal government is conspiring to take Americans' guns and destroy their liberties as it paves the way for a global 'one-world government,'" and adds "in the wake of the mass murder of 26 children and adults at a Connecticut school and the Obama-led gun control efforts that followed, it seems likely that that growth will pick up speed once again."
"Even before the Dec. 14 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, gun and ammunition sales shot up in the wake of the re-election of the country's first black president, the result of shrill conspiracy theories about Obama's secret plans to confiscate Americans' guns," reports the SPLC's Mark Potok:
When the killings actually did spark gun control efforts that clearly had not been in the Obama administration's plans, the reaction on the political right was so harsh that it seemed to border on hysteria.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) proposed a law that would nullify any executive gun control actions by Obama, accusing the president of having a "king complex." U.S. Rep. Trey Radel (R-Fla.) said the president could be impeached for those actions. State lawmakers in Arizona, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee proposed laws that sought to prevent federal gun control from applying to their states.
Richard Mack, a former Arizona sheriff who sued the Clinton administration over the Brady Bill's imposition of background checks on gun buyers, claimed that of 200 sheriffs he'd met with, most "have said they would lay down their lives first rather than allow any more federal control." Matt Barber of the anti-gay Liberty Counsel said he feared that the nation, which he described as already on the brink of civil unrest, was headed for "a second civil war." "Freedom ends. Tyranny begins," tweeted Fox News Radio host Todd Starnes. "Get ready," TeaParty.org said. "Right now government gun grabbing plans are being covertly organized."
"MARTIAL LAW IN THE UNITED STATES IS NOW A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY!" added the ConservativeDaily.com's Tony Adkins, responding to Obama's use of executive orders to further gun control with a doomsday prediction that could have come straight from the Patriot movement. "SUSPENSION OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION IS A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY!" The Conservative Monster, a similar website, concluded that the president was conspiring with a variety of foreign enemies "to force Socialism on the American people."
The Daily Beast compiled this Storify account of how conservatives reacted to President Obama's call for solutions to the gun violence epidemic in January:
Source: http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/co ... 3/06/61907
John Greenewald, Jr.
The Black Vault Website Owner / Operator
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text:
TUBORG Restaurant "SHIVA BAR" Ø11m Dome H5,5m V4
- Category: Public buildings
"Shiva Beach Bar" and "Shiva Chill Bar" are trendy lounge restaurants based in Lithuania. Shiva Beach Bar was the first bar on a beach in Lithuania which changed all the cultar on Palanga's beach life.
Additional Info
Object page: SHIVABAR
Object address: Palanga, Lithuania
Technologies: Glass window
Project date: 2012
Floor area, m2: 95
Cover area, m2: 180
Geometry type: Icosahedron
The GEODOMAS Team will gladly answer any questions you might have and offer their creativity and experience to come up with the best solution for your project. Do not hestitate. Get in touch!
Portable Domes
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text:
Probably the best performing stock in the S&P today is that of private-jet maker Textron, which received a double whammy of upgrades from taxpayer darlings Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. Yesterday, MS upgraded the stock from an Underweight to an Overweight, passing Neutral, and putting a $25 price target on the stock. Today, Goldman, never too far behind, especially in names in which it is significantly axed in CDS and other OTC products, upgraded the Cessna maker from Neutral to Conviction Buy, with a price target increase from $16 to $23.
Just what drove the two firms to suddenly see such previously undiscovered value in a company in which sales of its flagship Cessna Citation airplane account for almost 40% of its $10 billion annual revenue (total Aircraft sales accounted for $5.7 billion of 2008 revenue, of which Citations represented 72%)? Perhaps it is the flourishing private jet market now that Vik Pandit can easily go out and buy the much maligned Dassault Mirages that almost cost him his head in January? Hm, maybe not. Is it its "stable" Industrial business which is such an alleged cash cow, that none other than Goldman was hired to sell the division in February according to Debtwire, yet the lack of any subsequent transaction indicated the "chirping" obtained as a response of any and none acquisition interest on behalf of possible buyers. Is it is experienced executive team, which saw the forced departure of CFO Ted French back in February after singlehandedly decimating the company's stock price? Oh wait, it must be all those takeover rumors spreading in April that the company was to be imminently acquired by some shady Saudi concern? Nah, that turned out to be a case of rumor-mongering which ended up costing the source his life.
Well, if not all that, then where will all this pent up value come from? Let's check out the Goldman report:
The following could act as positive catalysts and drive shares higher, 1) TXT's Analyst Day on Sept. 9, 2) improved Auto production driving upside at Industrial, given that 60% is Auto, 3) business jet data continuing to improve, 4) asset sales or additional liquidity related events could occur by year-end as credit markets keep improving.
A year ago, each of Textron's businesses were going the wrong way: Corporate profits and the Industrial economy were rolling over, which had negative implications for Cessna and Industrial, Financials were facing severe challenges which had negative implications for TFC, and a leadership change was about to take place in Washington with negative implications for Defense and therefore Bell and Systems.
Today, we see the exact opposite occurring: Corporate profits and the Industrial economy have likely troughed and are turning the corner which should drive improving data and results at Cessna and Industrial. Credit markets and financial conditions are improving, which should drive slower losses at TFC and allow the company to smoothly exit the business over time. And while we remain negative on Defense, we can now see how Bell and Systems are better positioned than other Defense companies under the priorities of the current Administration, and in aggregate can grow in a declining budget environment.
So in essence - yet another strong upgrade based on assumptions of a mean reversion in an economy that is still struggling to define the bottom of what the new normal is, where 10% unemployment will be standard, yet where corporate executives are expected to scrap their existing fleets of Cessnas every 5 years to keep up with the Joneses. And, just for kicks, as it has worked so well with the overall massively squeezed market, Goldman throws a little Hopium in there, as "cancellations are likely to improve going forward."
But hold on a second, wasn't Textron sued less than a month ago for alleged misrepresentation of its backlog? It is good that Goldman has such better visibility into the order book than even the corporate office.
And speaking of the corporate office, it's job has been hard, but not from making planes, but rather from working overtime handingout pink slips. According to a recent presentation, the company fired 50% of its employees, has instituted 7 weeks of furloughs, has closed its Bend, Oregon facility, transferred two other facilities, and has consolidated various leases. Surely, these are the hallmarks of a company that can not wait to get back to the historical trendline, and is aggressively gearing up to do so. If, however, by gearing up you mean firing half the staff, then yes, you are correct. This does not seem to preclude Goldman from believing that the current depressed book-to-bill ratio must be indicative of something being afoot.
So maybe when looking at mean reversion, the chart below is the right one to contemplate:
And lest we forget, Textron is still the proud owner of that cancer better known as Textron-Financial, its captive financing division, which almost caused the bankruptcy of the firm when its CDS was trading at all time wides last year and virtually everyone had thrown in the towel on the name. But, of course, "credit conditions have improved."
So what are the potential downsides in this trade that seemingly can do no wrong? From Goldman:
Key Risks:
1) a reversal in credit market improvements, 2) a lack of investment at Cessna, 3) the impact of the broader economic environment.
In other words, the things that brought the firm to the edge, are the same that will likely bring it to the edge again, of course if one were to scrap the Hopium, V-shaped recovery expectations and any potential conflicts of interest. Which begs the question, what are the relevant disclosures? We present them below:
Goldman Sachs beneficially owned 1% or more of common equity (excluding positions managed by affiliates and business units not required to be aggregated under US securities law) as of the second most recent month end: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs has received compensation for investment banking services in the past 12 months: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking services in the next 3 months: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs has received compensation for non-investment banking services during the past 12 months: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs had an investment banking services client relationship during the past 12 months with: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs had a non-investment banking securities-related services client relationship during the past 12 months with: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs had a non-securities services client relationship during the past 12 months with: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs has managed or co-managed a public or Rule 144A offering in the past 12 months: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs makes a market in the securities or derivatives thereof: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs is a specialist in the relevant securities and will at any given time have an inventory position, "long" or "short," and may be on the opposite side of orders executed on the relevant exchange: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
Goldman Sachs holds a position greater than U.S. $15 million (or equivalent) in the debt or debt instruments of: Textron Inc. ($15.50)
But of course, specualtors, pardon, investors are well aware of all these issues as they lap up TXT stock all the way into the stratosphere, where Morgan Stanley and Goldman, will, for whatever reason, be more than happy to see it, and do with it as they see fit.


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B6300dn laserprinter 128MB 34ppm 1200x1200dpi A4 Network and Duplex capability
Oki has a more holistic view of Mono Printing - why offer faster speed of printing if you do not have the processor power to handle the information on the page? Why worry about first page to print times if you do not have enough memory to complete printing your job? Oki offers class leading printers like the B6300 with impressive speed, processor power, memory, duty cycle, toner capacity, trays and reliability which will improve your business productivity.The B6300 printer delivers a cost-effective solution for all your businees printing requirements for medium to larger workgroups - . The fast time to first page makes the printer ideal for heavy duty customer-facing applications or larger workgroups where time at the printer needs to be minimised. The B6300n offers a number of productivity enhancing features including optimal paper handling. For instance, the Offset Catch Tray option separates each print job from the next, allowing easy recovery of individual users' output in the workplace. The additional paper trays offer large capacity storage of multiple paper types and envelopes which speeds up mailshots or mail merges.
Oki's stringent quality and design standards together with the capability to print up to 150,000 pages per month ensure uninterrupted reliability. That means busy workgroups can be assured of continuous, consistent output no matter how hard the B6300 is working. There are many features on the B6300 printer that contribute to the machine's efficiency and larger workgroup productivity, yet all this functionality comes at a very competitive price, making the B6300 the best ever value in serious workgroup printers.
• 34 pages per minute
• Network Capability as standard
• 350Mhz Processor
• 1200dpi x 1200dpi for quality business documents
• Input capability - minimum 700 pages maximum 1800 pages.
• Upgradeable options which offer full flexibility and allows your investment to grow with your business printing needs.
• Face up tray as standard
OKI B6300dn, 1200 x 1200 DPI, A4, 34 ppm
OKI B6300dn. Maximum duty cycle: 150000 pages per month. Maximum resolution: 1200 x 1200 DPI. Maximum ISO A-series paper size: A4. Print speed (black, normal quality, A4/US Letter): 34 ppm


text: Both summer and the end of the school year are almost here, but that doesn't mean things are slowing down for the students at Krieger Schechter Day School! On June 4, the eighth grade students returned from Israel, where they spent two weeks sightseeing, traveling and learning as a culmination of their studies at Krieger Schechter. This trip takes place each year and each year the students, as well as the faculty and staff who join them, come back with hundreds of photos, videos and stories that stay with them for the rest of their lives. Click here [1] to see photos from the trip and visit our YouTube [2] channel for daily video updates. We also established a special Twitter account just for the trip so that the students could tweet live from Israel and those archives tweets can be found @KSDSIsrael [3].


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David K. Johnson, Associate Professor
The Lavender Scare: Washington's Deviant Bureaucrats
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 4:00pm
Intercultural Center (UCEN)
David K. Johnson (Ph.D. Northwestern) is an Associate Professor in the history department at the University of South Florida. His first book, The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government, (University of Chricago, 2004) won three awards, including the Herbert Hoover Book Award and the Randy Shilts Award for Gay Nonfiction. A documentary film version of The Lavender Scare by Emmy-award winning director Josh Howard is currently on the film festival circuit. Johnson co-edited The U.S. Since 1945: A Documentary Reader (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), an anthology of primary source documents for students studying modern American politics and culture. He was a contributing author to the National Park Service's LGBTQ America: A Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer History. Johnson has held fellowships at the National Humanities Center, the Smithsonian Institution, the Social Science Research Council, CUNY's Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies, and the Leather Archives and Museum. He is currently cokmpleting the book "Buying Gay: Physique Magazines, Censorship, and the Rise of the Gay Movement," whichchronicles the rise of a gay commercial network in the 1950s and 1960s.
James Smither
Bridging the Gap: Using Oral History to Tell Veteran's Stories
November 8, 2017 4:30pm
Military veterans, both old and new, often want to share or record their stories, but are not sure how to go about it, and friends, family and others in the community often want to learn about those stories, but do not know what to ask. The gap between soldier and civilian is substantial, and can never be fully bridged, but properly conducted oral history interviews go a long way toward giving a proper voice to individual veterans and presenting their stories in a way that a broader audience understands. Dr. James Smither, Director of the Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project, will discuss some of the ins and outs of recording and archiving interviews with veterans, as well as the value of the interviews to the veterans and their families, to researchers and the public at large.
Phil Portluck
F Street: The Place Beyond the Ridge
Monday, January 22, 2018 4:00pm
Michigan Room A
Join photographer, writer, film documentary producer, soical justice activist and native Washingtonian, for a screening and conversation of F Street: The Place beyond the Ridge. This video portrait of downtown D.C.'s historic Main Street looks at the history of F Street, NW, from Third to 15th Street. The filmmaker examines how F Street has held its own for nearly 200 years as the tide of commerce has ebbed and flowed, often leaving in its wake empty streets and vacant buildings. In addition to historic views, the filmmaker photographed a year in the life of F Street from 1980 to 1981.


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My name is Nicholas Cheung. If you Google my name, it says that I'm a musical artist.
Although there was a point in my life where I aspired to be a full-time musician, it is no longer the professional path I am pursuing. For the past year or so I've been working full-time with HYPETRAK's (HYPEBEAST's music site) editorial team, where I get to express at my musical interests from a journalistic point of view. I don't always enjoy the things that I have to post and write about, but the job gives me a lot of insight into the music and Internet industries that I didn't know about (or wouldn't have cared about) before joining the team.
When I'm making my own music, I can create anything I like and the product I create will speak to a niche group of fans that like the same stuff. At the same time, I won't reach the rest of the people who may not understand or care about what I like.
Working in a publication forces me to have to think beyond my own interests, and although it can be demanding, it helps me see the bigger picture and opens up a lot of new business perspectives.
Working at HYPETRAK is a complicated process of creating content to get hits, and grow traffic. Even if they get millions of views, it doesn't guarantee money, unless they are showing constant growth. It's why I don't want to make my music a business. It becomes about so much more than just the music when you think about the internet and cultural capital.
Since I don't really look at music in terms of genres, over the next few weeks I'm going to share five artists/songs/music-related tracks that I've been excited about for the past few months.
Chris Stapleton – Tennessee Whiskey
I don't follow country music too heavily at all but I do like some of the stuff out there. I know the genre gets a lot of flak for some reason, but I like a lot of the melodies, instrumentation and vibe when it's done well — not to mention that historically it's got very close ties with blues and soul. Being a fan of guys like George Strait and Josh Turner, Chris Stapleton's "Tennessee Whiskey" sonically resonates with me a lot. It sounds very similar to Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind" but Chris has an ability to deliver impressive melodic runs like Sam Cooke, and not to mention, that voice too.
This is probably one of the best songs I've heard in a long time and it's definitely a modern classic.
Nicholas Cheung is currently working as an editor at HYPETRAK.
You can find his music on youtube, his debut EP, and his collaborative album, ARTIFEX with NAK here or contact him at email@example.com.
Nick's posts will appear on the blog every week for the month of January! If you'd like to curate a month of blog posts, please contact us via the website!


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Tesserent provides a world-class managed security service based on our own proprietary security platform and specialised technology from the world's leading security vendors. We source best-of-breed security technologies and overlay them with the Tesserent management platform and local support from our team of security engineers. Only Tesserent can provide you with such a comprehensive security solution.
Tesserent is a Palo Alto Networks NextWave Managed Services Program Partner.Palo Alto Networks is one of the global leaders in cybersecurity, providing a wide suite of enterprise-grade next-generation firewalls, and security services.
Cisco's Sourcefire is leader in intelligent security solutions. From a next-generation network security platform to advanced malware protection, Sourcefire provides customers with its Agile Security technology.
SXiQ is a leading cloud and digital transformation company. SXiQ's own software defined cloud platform features automated provisioning, security, management and monitoring, and can be privately installed on-premises or in any data centre environment.
Nucleus Cyber is the AI-driven security solution for the intelligent workplace providing dynamic and granular data security. The company's NC Protect platform dynamically adjusts file security based on real-time comparison of user context and file content to enforce data governance policies for more secure collaboration.
Renowned for accuracy and speed, ClamAV is an antivirus engine that detects trojans, viruses and other related malware. The de facto standard for mail gateway scanning with one million unique IP addresses downloading daily updates.
AlienVault's SIEM platform unifies all of your essential security tools in one location and combines them with real-time threat intelligence.
Cyren is a provider of email security, Web filtering and antivirus solutions. Tesserent leverages Cyren's powerful web categorisation engine and anti-spam gateway.
Equinix is a premium global IBX data centre and colocation provider offering fast application performance and the lowest latency routes worldwide.
Sophos is a consistent Gartner Magic Quadrant leader in cybersecurity. Sophos technology is integrated into Tesserent's security platform, benefitting customers with a powerful security layer that provides effective protection against known and emerging malware threats.
NEXTDC is one of Australia's premier data centre providers and hosts some of the biggest public and private cloud providers in the world.
Nextgen Group is a leading supplier of network connectivity, Data Centre facilities and cloud services to Australian businesses, government and telecommunications service, providers.
Procera Networks is a provider of intelligent policy enforcement solutions based on Deep Packet Inspection technology that enables network operators to optimise visibility and control of their networks.
SpamAssassin is a widely-deployed mail filtering system based on content-matching rules. It uses a variety of mechanisms including header analysis, Bayesian filtering, DNS blocklists, and collaborative filtering databases.
SURBLs allow you to block messages that have spam hosts that are mentioned in message bodies. Software such as SpamAssassin can parse URIs in message bodies, extract their hosts, and check those against a SURBL list.
The Spamhaus Project tracks spammers and provides real-time anti-spam protection for Internet networks. Spamhaus' spam-blocking databases are used by many email service providers and Tesserent is no exception.
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This is what makes the latest study from Professor Wintemute, MD, MPH, especially hilarious: It seems that it consists of going "undercover" to gun shows and taking note of anything that "looks illegal". I'm sure it will be as packed with factual knowledge and sound research as his last effort.
Doc Wintemute has inspired me, however. I'm going to do a study on improper surgical procedures in the operating theaters of America. I'm just going to grab a mask and gown and go hang out in OR's, and note when stuff just looks wrong to me.
In her trademark condescending tone, Tamara mocks Prof. Wintemute as one who is unqualified to speak about gun violence. On the contrary, Dr. Wintemute is the Director of the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, and as such is one of the most qualified to speak about this.
The treatment is similar for Dr. David Hemenway and Dennis A. Henigan and of course the biggest target of all is Paul Helmke.
Why do pro-gun folks resist these intelligent and highly educated men so aggressively? Why is it necessary to attack them on their expertise as well as their veracity? What's wrong with simply discussing the issues? I'll tell you what I think.
I think what explains the incredibly nasty attitude on the part of so many pro-gun writers is that they realize they're wrong. They realize that anyone who refuses to join in a common effort to find a way to diminish gun violence is in the wrong. Well, why would they do it then? Out of fear. Out of fear and insecurity.
What's your opinion? Do you have any other explanation for the behavior and rhetoric of the gun enthusiasts? Do you think they are representative of the whole, or are they just a very vocal minority? We've had a number of gun owners around here who do not fit this weird stereotype, Don and Zirgar, to name just two.
Please feel free to leave a comment.


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Can photo-blogging improve a community?
I went to a creative meeting last week and on the way home noticed there were no cars parked outside the Black Horse and took the opportunity to photograph it at night. Lots of pubs have closed down in the Black Country but this one is doing well because it's run well.
Wednesbury and Darlaston
It's not easy running a small business these days and so I hope this year to publicise the small businesses near where I live. I live in between Wednesbury and Darlaston in the Black Country. If you read my post yesterday you'll know I'm trying to become an effective community blogger and photographer for both these towns. If you haven't bothered reading the 'about this site' page I'll tell you who I am anyway.
The Mission
My name is Mike Maynard and I started this site just over four years ago since then I've become more serious about photography and I've got all the kit now including a professional Speedlight for indoor events. I'm not an expert, I constantly try to improve my writing, photography, social media skills and my knowledge of search engine optimisation, just to mention a few things. I'm also trying to define more clearly what I want to do with my life and the life of this website. I have been developing the role of community blogger and photographer and I enjoy taking photographs of events and of the local landscape.
Selling the Black Country
No, I'm not going to put the Black Country up for sale, not yet anyway. We do need to market it and make people aware that it has changed. It used to be smoky and dirty but all that has changed and it is beginning to look much greener and a more pleasant place to live. The images of industry and grime, at least on this website, have been replaced by images of nature reserves, parks and historic buildings. We need to sell the Black Country with images of prosperity not deprivation. We need to sell it first of all to the people who live here and persuade them to think local. Not just shopping local, but getting involved more in the community.
Both Wednesbury and Darlaston have art groups and there is a big interest in creative pursuits but they do need to be encouraged more. The local libraries, town halls and art galleries can play an important role in this. There are signs that this is already happening. I do get the impression that people do need to come out of the closet and create awareness of what is going on. I hope I can use the skills that I have to try to make that happen.
Social media is very useful for publicising events but it's not as simple to use as many people imagine. You need to create a presence and create a positive image. My Facebook page is in competition with many more Facebook pages so I have to help people find the page and then encourage them to visit often and make the page worth visiting. I also have to gently steer the page fans to a call for action, which is clicking the link to this website. Social media skills are very important in promoting local business and I hope to boost the effectiveness of social media in promoting localization.
So I ask myself can photo-blogging improve the community? I think it can. This post will probably be around 600 words but there is another message contained in the images. The images say so much more about the community I live in.
Social experiment
If you would like to be part of this social experiment and even have your say about it, just follow this blog. You can follow by entering you email address in the space at the top of the sidebar or simply follow me on Twitter for updates. You can see more of my ideas and my efforts to photo-blog to success on my Facebook page.


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Relaxation and Decomposition Methods for Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming
- Citations
- 14k Downloads
Part of the International Series of Numerical Mathematics book series (ISNM, volume 152)
Part of the International Series of Numerical Mathematics book series (ISNM, volume 152)
This book presents a comprehensive description of theory, algorithms and software for solving nonconvex mixed integer nonlinear programs (MINLP). The main focus is on deterministic global optimization methods, which play a very important role in integer linear programming, and are used only recently in MINLP.
The presented material consists of two parts. The first part describes basic optimization tools, such as block-separable reformulations, convex and Lagrangian relaxations, decomposition methods and global optimality criteria. Some of these results are presented here for the first time.
The second part is devoted to algorithms. Starting with a short overview on existing methods, deformation, rounding, partitioning and Lagrangian heuristics, and a branch-cut-and-price algorithm are presented. The algorithms are implemented as part of an object-oriented library, called LaGO. Numerical results on several mixed integer nonlinear programs are reported to show abilities and limits of the proposed solution methods.
The book contains many illustrations and an up-to-date bibliography. Because of the emphasis on practical methods, as well as the introduction into the basic theory, it is accessible to a wide audience and can be used both as a research as well as a graduate text.