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"We are concerned about executives who are leaking sensitive information to the media??? And no wonder she's concerned. This was uttered by none other than the woman who thousands believe will soon force our national airline carrier into a crash landing situation.
Dudu Myeni, recently renamed Dudu Myeni-Zuma, by Julius Malema, in no small part due to her unusually close and special friendship with our President, has made a series of bizarre utterances over the past year, including: "My incompetence is a myth??? and "I cannot be blamed for the mess at SAA???
Well the truth of the matter is that as the now bizarrely re-appointed chairperson of the board, yes you can! The infamous Ms Dudu, who apparently holds a secondary school teacher diploma has been at the centre of the SAA controversy for some time. The SAA Pilots Association has been raising the alarm bells for a while, but their cries have been hushed by Dudu as nothing but bitterness, racism and sexism.
Then in December last year the unthinkable Nenegate Saga provided not only an almost fatal blow to our economy, but a bitter reminder of just how far one man will go to get his own way. Without delving too far into the details because we have all heard them over and over verbatim, but thousands of parts in this messy jigsaw have not taken too long to come together.
Since Dudu's re-appointment to the board, Finance Minister Gordhan has approved a R5 billion guarantee for the ailing parastatal, adding that he does not perceive Dudu as an "all-powerful person??? who can do as she pleases and that a competent CEO must be appointed as soon as possible. Obviously this decision was met with dismay by various members of parliament. Insiders at SAA have said that Dudu runs the company like it's her own private outfit, that the wasteful expenditure and abuse of power is nauseating to say the least.
So what do we take from this? Here's a former secondary school teacher who has replaced more than seven CEOs, running a multi-billion outfit into the ground, and once again we as tax payers can do nothing but watch it happen.
Where do we begin to set the example? The very nature of our business warns companies about the pitfalls of hiring incompetent, inexperienced and unqualified employees. We hold private companies to a high standard, while the pillars of our state start to crumble. If government does anything positive in this case, its showing us what not to do. Dudu is simply an incompetent greed monger who is being held in place by a very powerful ally. It's time for change. For now, Myeni's empire remains intact, but surely South Africa deserves better?


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The beloved actor passed away at the age of 65 after suffering complications following heart surgery at University Hospital in Coventry.
He was known to millions as Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, and co-star Radcliffe - who also appeared with Griffiths in a 2007 London stage production of Equus - has heaped praise on his pal for his support over the years.
In a statement, he writes, "Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career. In August 2000, before official production had even begun on Potter, we filmed a shot outside the Dursleys', which was my first ever shot as Harry. I was nervous and he made me feel at ease.
"Seven years later, we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humour made it a joy. In fact, any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him."
Griffiths' Withnail & I co-star Richard E. Grant has taken to his Twitter.com page to pay his respects to the actor, who played Uncle Monty in the 1987 black comedy.
He posted several photos from their time on the set of the cult movie and writes, "My beloved 'Uncle Monty' Richard Griffiths died last night. Chin-Chin my dear friend."
A slew of other celebrities have also taken to their Twitter accounts to mourn the star, with Snow White and the Huntsman actor Sam Claflin writing, "RIP Richard Griffiths. My lord, such a shame. hero", and actor John Simm adding, "RIP the Mighty Richard Griffiths. Very Sad news indeed."
In reference to Griffiths' 1990s TV police drama Pie in the Sky, Matt Lucas told his followers, "Pie is now in the sky. So sad. Brilliant actor."
Russell Tovey, who appeared with Griffiths in Alan Bennett play The History Boys, shared, "Really sad. Our mate and leader has moved on to the theatre in the sky. We will miss you so much Richard Griffiths. RIP you wonderful man."
Thea Sharrock, who directed Griffiths in Equus, Heroes and Sunshine Boys, adds, "I worked with Richard more times than any other actor. Everybody knew he was my favourite. He was the most tender, gentle, kind, generous, loving man. His curiosity was unending, as was his striving for perfection. I cannot imagine a world without all those stories. I will miss him so very very much."

subset: commoncrawl


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text: Congratulations to Nashi and Oscar who were voted by their peers to represent our school as leaders in 2020! We're so proud of you. A big shout out and big hugs to Jed, Millie, Tama, Addi, Wenyu, Erin, Dimitri, Tayla, Isac, Paige and Harry. The calibre of our candidates was exceptional and I know each and every one of you would do an amazing job as a leader. Well done for having a go!


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Sick animals/veterinary services
Yes, the BC SPCA recommends pet insurance. In fact, with every dog and cat adoption, you get a complimentary six-week trial of pet health insurance provided by Petsecure Pet Health Insurance.
With pet health insurance, you can lower the stress of paying for large, unexpected or unplanned expenses with a monthly premium.
Spaying or neutering your dog, cat or rabbit doesn't just help prevent accidental litters. It also has health and behavioural benefits for your pet.
Benefits of spaying and neutering your pet
Generally, neutering decreases aggressive behaviours in pets
- Neutered dogs are calmer and less likely to bite, attack or get into dog fights.
- Neutered cats and rabbits don't have the drive to mark and protect their territories and are less likely to spray or get into fights, resulting in fewer injuries.
Spaying ends the heat cycle in females
- Heat cycles are usually twice a year for dogs, and result in many unwanted behavioural changes including possible aggression.
- Cats generally go in and out of heat every three weeks between January and November.
- Female cats in heat can howl relentlessly, may try to escape to mate, spray or urinate inappropriately and attract unwanted male cats.
Spaying and neutering lowers the chance of reproductive health problems
- Studies show that spayed/neutered pets, on average, live longer.
- Spaying eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer and pyometra (life-threatening infection of the uterus) in dogs, cats, and rabbits. Up to 80% of unspayed rabbits will develop uterine cancer.
- Spaying reduces the risk of mammary cancer in cats, dogs, and rabbits.
- Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer in all species and lowers the risk of prostate problems in male dogs.
Spaying and neutering eliminates the drive to reproduce
- The likelihood of your male pet wandering away or escaping will be decreased.
- Male dogs can smell a female in heat up to a kilometre away.
- Once neutered, your pet will be less frustrated and may become a calmer companion.
Spaying and neutering provides an opportunity to have other important procedures performed
- Other procedures, as necessary, can also be done at the time of the operation.
- This includes procedures such as an identification tattoo or microchip, teeth cleaning, hernia repair and baby teeth removal.
Spaying and neutering prevents accidental pregnancies
- Research shows that the majority of cat pregnancies are unintended.
- Pregnancy is hard on the mom physically. Prenatal care, birth complications, and puppy/kitten care can be costly.
Spaying and neutering helps your community
- Research shows that, as an individual, you help reduce overpopulation issues in your community when you spay or neuter your pet.
- Spaying and neutering your pet helps reduce the number of stray or unwanted animals in your community.
- Reducing the amount of stray animals helps prevent other pets and wildlife from being injured or killed in fights.
- Fixing your pet helps lessen the amount of stray animals getting into or causing car accidents, getting into garbage cans and damaging property.
Learn how fixing your cat helps combat the cat overpopulation problem and how you can take action in your community.
But aren't there also some risks to spaying and neutering?
Yes, any surgical procedure carries some risks. However, the overall benefit outweighs the risk for most animals. Talk to your veterinarian about the best choice for your pet.
- Risks of surgery and anesthesia include pain, bleeding, infection, the incision opening up, or a bad reaction to the drugs used.
- Spaying and neutering removes reproductive hormones from your pet's body. This has many benefits but also has minor effects on bone development and other body systems.
- Several recent studies show higher rates of some bone and joint problems and cancers in purebred dogs spayed and neutered as puppies. These studies have attracted a lot of attention.
- The studies involved small numbers of dogs who were already predisposed to the problems being studied because of their breeds. More research is needed to understand these risks.
- If you are concerned about risks of spaying and neutering, don't just consult the internet. Talk to your veterinarian about what is best for your pet.
I still have questions about spaying and neutering
Shouldn't a female cat/dog have a litter before being spayed?
Will spaying/neutering change my pets personality?
Will my pet become fat/lazy once it is fixed?
What does spay or neuter mean?
When should my cat/dog/animal be fixed?
What does it cost to spay/neuter my cat/dog/animal?
Find out more about the benefits of sterilizing your pet and how February is spay/neuter awareness month.
If you are adopting your cat, dog or rabbit from the BC SPCA, spay/neuter is included in the adoption fee.
For other animals, the cost of spaying or neutering your pet depends on many factors and will vary according to each pet's circumstances and needs. For example, a large dog will cost more than a small dog. If your pet is overweight or in heat this can also add to the cost. Contact your veterinarian to get a more accurate idea of the costs involved for your pet.
The cost of spaying/neutering is small when compared to other costs of pet care, such as what you will spend on food for your pet over their lifetime.
Consider the possible costs if you do not spay or neuter. If your pet should wander off in search of a mate, you may be faced with paying fines and impoundment fees. You may also be faced with the additional costs of caring for puppies or kittens for whom finding homes may be difficult. Worse yet, think of the costs should your pet be injured while roaming for a mate.
Spaying or neutering is a one-time investment with life-long health and welfare benefits for your companion.
If you require financial assistance, learn about low-cost spay/neuter programs in B.C.
Vaccines protect your pet from getting diseases that are contagious and possibly fatal. Vaccinating your pet doesn't just protect your pet, it also protects other pets in the community who may be too young or sick to be vaccinated. Vaccines also protect against some diseases that can be passed from pets to people.
All cats and dogs should receive vaccines. Your veterinarian can help determine which vaccines are necessary and the best schedule for vaccinating based on your pet's lifestyle and age.
Talk to your veterinarian about vaccines for your pet.
Puppies and kittens should start their vaccines at six to eight weeks of age. Your puppy or kitten will need a series of vaccines before they are four months old. Schedules for adult animals may vary depending on lifestyle and vaccines needed.
Shelter or rescue animals may require more frequent vaccines while they are in the care of a shelter due to higher risk of exposure to disease.
Talk to your veterinarian about when to vaccinate your animal.
What is toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a tiny parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. It can infect both cats and people, but most healthy animals and people won't get sick because their immune systems will protect them.
How toxoplasmosis is transmitted to humans
Most people who get toxoplasmosis get it from eating undercooked meat or unwashed produce. Because cats only shed the parasite for the first few days after becoming infected, infection from cats is rare.
- Handling and/or eating raw or undercooked food
- Handling and/or eating unwashed fruits and vegetables
- Drinking unpasteurized milk
- Eating or drinking from contaminated sources
- Being exposed to cat feces from their litter box
- Being exposed to gardens or sandboxes that may have cat feces in them
Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy
Pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are more at risk for infection. If a pregnant woman becomes infected, her baby may have health problems.
Can pregnant women be around cats?
Yes, pregnant women can be around their cats, though there are some precautions to take:
- Do not change your cat's litter. If you have to change the cat's litter yourself, make sure you wear gloves and thoroughly wash your hands after
- Do not interact with any unknown cats
- Keep your cat inside
- Don't feed any raw or undercooked meat to your cat
Still concerned about your pet and your baby?
- If you have more questions or concerns about toxoplasmosis and your baby's health, please talk to your doctor.
- If you are concerned about toxoplasmosis and your pet's health, please talk to your veterinarian.
What is the rabies virus?
Rabies is a viral disease of warm-blooded animals that can be transmitted to humans. It is caused by a virus of the Rhabdoviridae family, which attacks the central nervous system and eventually affects the brain. Rabies is almost always fatal in animals and people once symptoms occur.
How is rabies transmitted between animals and humans?
The virus is transmitted through close contact with the saliva of infected animals, most often by a bite or scratch. It can also be transmitted by licks on broken skin or mucous membranes, such as those in the eyes, nasal cavity or mouth. In very rare cases, person-to-person transmission has occurred when saliva droplets became aerial. Bat bites can inflict small wounds and go unnoticed.
Who is at risk of being infected by rabies?
The rabies virus can infect any mammal. In North America, it occurs mainly in foxes, skunks, bats and raccoons, and can spread to domestic livestock and pets. In B.C. however, the only carrier of rabies is bats; no raccoons or skunks in B.C. have ever transmitted rabies.
How common is rabies in bats in B.C.?
It is estimated that one per cent of bats in the wild in B.C. carry rabies. In June 2004, four skunks in Stanley Park in Vancouver tested positive for the rabies virus. However, it was discovered that they all carried the bat strain of rabies; likely they had all been in contact with a rabid bat.
Cases of human rabies infection in Canada
In the past 20 years, three people in Canada died of rabies infection, one in Quebec (2000) and two in British Columbia (2003, 2019). These were the first cases of human rabies in Canada since 1985.
The most likely sources of infection for both individuals were unrecognized bat exposures. Without wound cleansing or post-exposure vaccinations, the potential incidence of rabies in exposed humans can be very high.
Does my pet need a rabies vaccine?
Dogs and cats account for fewer than 5 percent of all animal rabies cases in Canada. However, rabies presents a serious public health risk, and even indoor pets could come in contact with a bat. Some pets also need the vaccine for travel. Ask your vet whether your pet should be vaccinated.
What if my pet brings a bat home?
If your pet brings home a bat you should take your pet to a veterinarian. If the bat is available, your vet may send it for rabies testing. Additionally, your vet may vaccinate your pet against rabies and/or ask you to keep your pet in your home for several months to see if they develop signs of rabies.
If any person in your household has touched a bat with bare skin, seek medical attention from a doctor or local public health unit immediately.
What will happen to the bat?
The bat may be euthanized and sent for testing. As of April 1, 2014, CFIA veterinary inspectors are no longer involved in species collection activities. However, CFIA continues to perform and cover the cost for rabies laboratory testing involving domestic and wild animals and humans. This is vital as once the symptoms of rabies (flu-like including fever, headache, fatigue, progressing to GI and CNS problems) start to appear, there is no treatment and the disease is almost always fatal. However, wound cleansing and immunizations, done as soon as possible after suspected contact with an animal, can prevent the onset of rabies in virtually 100 percent of exposures.
What to do if there has been contact with a bat
Bat-to-person contact?
If treatment is given promptly after being exposed to (any bare skin contact) or bitten by a bat, the illness may be prevented by taking the following actions:
- Immediately wash the wound or exposed surface with soap and water for 10 minutes and cover the area with a clean bandage.
- Remove any clothing that may have been contaminated.
- Immediately call your doctor and local health authority for advice.
Bat-to-pet contact?
Please contact your veterinarian to have your pet vaccinated and discuss whether a period of isolation/ observation is required for your pet. If the bat is available, your veterinarian may send it for rabies testing.
Most unintentional litters (particularly with cats) occur because guardians waited too long to have the surgery done. The usual recommendation is before six months of age for cats, and before six and a half months for dogs. Consult your veterinarian to determine the best time for your pet. Female cats and dogs do not have to have a litter before being fixed.
The BC SPCA supports early age spay/neuter procedures for dogs and cats. Pediatric sterilization prevents excess litters by ensuring animals are sterilized before adoption. This helps combat pet overpopulation and euthanasia of unwanted animals. All major professional, academic, and animal welfare organizations in North America support pediatric spay/neuter for shelter animals.
The BC SPCA will continue to promote other methods of combating pet overpopulation, including education and public awareness campaigns, non-surgical methods of sterilization, traditional spay/neuter initiatives and behaviour training.
The BC SPCA believes pediatric spay/neuter to be appropriate with the following qualifications:
- The procedure takes place between 8 and 16 weeks of age
- The animal is judged to be clinically normal and healthy prior to surgery
- Proper surgical protocols specific to these young animals are employed
- Post-surgery complications receive special attention
We empathize with your situation; unfortunately, it isn't uncommon. Many animal guardians face difficult decisions when pets require serious medical care.
If you are seeking assistance to spay or neuter your animal, learn about low income spay/neuter programs in B.C.
The BC SPCA Animal Hospital offers an assistance program for low income people. If you qualify for financial aid, it will cover up to 33% of the cost of services provided at the clinic (not including exams, lab work, medication, vaccines or diets). Please note, however, that the BC SPCA does NOT provide financial aid to have procedures done at other vet clinics. For more information, please email email@example.com.
If you are not in Vancouver, you can contact your local BC SPCA to see if they are aware of any initiatives in your area that assist low-income pet guardians with medical expenses.
For immediate short-term help, you can apply for financing through programs such as Petcard.
Our recommendation for a long-term/preventative solution is to look into insurance coverage. With pet health insurance, you'll be able to remove the stress and worry of unexpected medical costs and provide your pet with the best medical care possible, at a low monthly premium.
We sincerely hope you are able to get the assistance you need.
No. Your pet will actually benefit from spaying or neutering, because he or she will lead a healthier and longer life. Pets become fat and lazy as a result of overeating and a lack of exercise, not from spaying or neutering. Furthermore, spaying a female eliminates the possibility of her developing uterine and/or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the chance of breast cancer. Neutering a male eliminates the risk of testicular cancer.
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Mersey Maritime is the representative body for the marine and maritime sector in the Liverpool City Region, UK, working with large and small businesses across 33 different sub-sectors of activity to improve their performance in a range of areas including supply chain building, information sharing and representation. Exis Technologies has been a member for several years.
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is the trade association for UK-registered companies engaged in international movement of freight by all modes of transport. Exis Technologies is an Associate Member.
Since establishment in 1952 the International Cargo Handling Association (ICHCA International) has promoted safety and efficiency in the handling and movement of goods by all modes in national and international transport chains. ICHCA has taken a keen interest in dangerous goods issues and supported the development of IMDG Code e-learning and CTUpack e-learning which they now promote to their global membership.
The purpose of the British Association of Dangerous Goods Professionals (BADGP) is to promote the safe transport of materials that present risk, by supporting the professionals who work in the business of Dangerous Goods. It is the only UK association designed to support those working professionally with dangerous goods. Exis Technologies is a member of BADGP and seeks to inform other members about tools and training to help with their DGSA roles.
Interferry is the only shipping association representing the ferry industry world-wide. There are currently 225 members (representing approximately 600 individuals) from 38 countries. Exis Technologies is an Interferry member and in recent years has been invited to present at Annual Interferry conferences.
SMDG is a non-profit foundation, run by and on behalf of companies and organizations working in the maritime industry, including container terminals, ocean carriers and related companies and organizations. Exis Technologies has been a member of the SMDG group for several years.


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Our mission is to maximize the use of resources in support of student achievement.
What You Need to Know for the 2018-19 School Year!
July 10, 2018
When does school start?
Monday, Aug. 6 is the first half day, Wednesday, Aug. 8 is the first full day.
How do I register my child?
If your K-12th grade student is new to Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools, or is transferring between schools, enroll online by visiting https://enroll.cmcss.net.
To complete the enrollment process for new students, parents may need to go to their zoned school with these required documents:
- A birth certificate or other proof of date of birth
- State law requires that a copy of a student's state-issued birth certificate be in their cumulative folder. Schools can accept other proof of date of birth for registration, but the parent/guardian needs to provide a copy of the child's state-issued birth certificate.
- Student's Tennessee Immunization Record
- A complete medical exam is required for all Pre-K enrollees. Evidence of completed exam can be presented upon registration. A medical exam is recommended for all students in grades K-12 at time of registration. See the Health Services page for more information.
- Proof of Custody (if requested by school)
- Two (2) Proofs of Residence (Example: water bill, electric bill, lease agreement, or other residency, etc.) Other residency information may be requested by the school.
- Power of Attorney For Care of a Minor Child form (required in certain circumstances)
When are schools open to register new students?
High School offices open on July 16.
Elementary and Middle School offices open July 18.
What school supplies will my child need?
A great way to start the school year is to have your child prepared. Below you will find a list of supplies needed for the beginning of school. The supplies will be collected and stored for classroom use. Depending upon usage, at some point during the school year, students may need to replenish their supplies.
Sometimes teachers may request other items depending on the curriculum. Middle and High Schools have greater variance in supply lists, so it's best to wait till students receive the list from their teacher.
Tennessee Tax Free Weekend
The state of Tennessee's annual sales tax holiday is held every year, beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the last Friday in July and ending at 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday night. During this weekend, certain goods may be purchased tax free. The 2018 tax-free holiday weekend begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 27 and ends Sunday, July 29 at 11:59 p.m.
What is tax free?
- Clothing: $100 or Less
- School Supplies and School Art Supplies: $100 or Less
- Computers: $1,500 or Less
How will we learn about School Bus information?
Bus routing information will be emailed to enrolled students on the evening of July 20. Routing information for the 2018-19 School Year will be available on the website beginning Monday, July 23.
If you have questions, please call (931) 358-4089 for more information.
Please make sure that your child is at the bus stop five minutes prior to the posted time. Call (931) 358-2006 for information regarding cold weather, rain routes, and sub buses. Weather route information also will be displayed on the main cmcss.net website just below the Calendar. For parents of younger children, please ensure they either know their address or have it written down for them in a safe place. Also, caution your child to not get off the bus if the stop is unfamiliar to them.
Bus Rider Eligibility
State Law
TCA 49.6.2101 allows students living 1 1/2 miles beyond their assigned school is provided transportation.
CMCSS Qualifications
K-5 students qualify if they live 1/2 mile or more beyond their assigned school. Students in grades 6th-12th qualify if they live 1 mile or more beyond their assigned school. Students must attend the school for which they are zoned. For an exception to school attendance zones, a Special Request for Transfer must be made to and approved by the Student Services Department. Transportation will not be provided to students whose Special Request for Transfer is approved or to those students who apply for Open Enrollment (a window for application is announced in January of each year). In certain situations, such as high school college and career academies, limited transportation options may be available for enrolled students.
When is open house?
Elementary Schools' Open House or "Back to School Night" is Friday, Aug. 3.
Middle Schools will have Open House Aug. 16 and High Schools' Open House will be Aug. 23. Times for all Open Houses will be from 5-7 p.m.
When is freshman orientation?
Ninth graders will be contacted regarding their orientation. Six of the seven high schools will hold Ninth Grade orientation on Aug. 2. Rossview High School freshmen orientation will be July 25 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
When and where is 2019 graduation?
All ceremonies will take place at Austin Peay State University in the Dunn Center.
Thursday, May 23
Middle College at 10 a.m.
Adult Education at 1 p.m.
Kenwood High School at 4 p.m.
West Creek High School at 7 p.m.
Friday, May 24
Rossview High School at 4 p.m.
Clarksville High School at 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 25
Northwest High School at 9 a.m.
Northeast High School at 12 p.m.
Montgomery Central High School at 3 p.m.
How do students use technology?
Students in the Elementary schools work on Macs, while the resources in the Middle and High Schools are typically Dell PCs. CMCSS is pleased to provide 1:1 laptops to students in grades 5-12 for personal use to enhance their college and career readiness. Software is provided and integrated with the classroom curriculum to help develop computer literacy at an early stage.
Model classrooms can also be found in most schools, with expansion planned as allowed. This consists of document cameras and overhead projectors, lanyard microphones for instruction, and audio/video system.
Students are also provided a district email address through Microsoft Office 365 to encourage collaboration and communication in their studies.
How are inclement weather days decided?
The Chief Operations Officer (COO) takes as much time as reasonably possible to make a recommendation to the Director of Schools. We always err on the side of caution to ensure the safety of students. To make a good recommendation, the COO looks at weather data, and has transportation and operations staff checking the road conditions all over Montgomery County. He also is studying radar, as well as attending the national weather service briefings, and calling the forecasters. Sometimes the decision is easy. The more difficult decisions come with the timing or the significance of the event which don't allow to make a clear decision. When that happens, parents will be kept informed of the status of a closing decision.
To learn more, please view this Focus video: https://cmcssfocus.net/2015/03/16/cmcss-snow-days/
What is the makeup plan when students miss days for inclement weather?
- The first five days missed by students will not be made up and will come from stockpiled student days.
- The sixth day missed and subsequent days will be made up as available:
- January 7, 2019 (staff development day)
- February 18, 2019 (Presidents Day)
- Early release day on March 1, 2019 will be converted to a full day with thirty minutes added to eight additional school days to equal one day.
- Thirty minutes added to twelve days not to infringe upon the state testing window to account for one make up day
- Make up for days missed beyond this plan will be determined as circumstances require.
* This make up plan applies to missed student days. Teachers will be allowed three days missed due to inclement weather without making them up.
Date of CMCSS School Board Approval: July 24, 2018
How do stockpile days work?
From year to year, parents, staff, community and media request explanation of what a stockpile day is and how they work.
The law allows for 13 days to be stockpiled by students. Students stockpile days by going 30 extra minutes each day. Teachers do not stockpile days. The district chose years ago, with input from teachers and administrators, to use four of the stockpiled days as staff development which left nine student stockpiled days. A few years ago, again with teacher and administrator input, three early release days were added. This accounts for one more day to be subtracted from the nine which then leaves eight days from the 13.
The Board will forgive five days of the eight for students. Subsequent days would need to be approved by the Board for makeup or not.
It is prudent to make up the lost days as teachers have stated that they never have enough time with the students. Making the days up gives more time for teacher and student interaction and addresses the teachers¹ concern of time with students. Student achievement is impacted by student-teacher interaction.
In years past, we have made up days in a variety of ways and usually, that was dependent upon how many were lost and the time of year the inclement weather occurred. Other school districts do make up the days, but they may not make up all of them and may not have the days allotted for staff development.
How do I know when there are unplanned school closings?
Throughout the year, bad weather sometimes impacts our area during the night or early morning, making it difficult to make a school closing announcement in the afternoon or early evening. In an effort to help parents prepare, the Communications Dept. will make a call to all stakeholders on SchoolMessenger in the afternoon or evening before an anticipated weather event that could cause the closing of schools. This is to let stakeholders be aware of the possibility, and alert them to make plans "just in case." If schools will be closed, you can expect a call the following morning (between 5 and 5:15 a.m.) as you have in the past. If you do not receive a phone call, schools will be open. If the information about a school closing is known earlier than 5 a.m., information will be posted to the CMCSS website, the CMCSS Facebook page, Twitter, and released to Nashville TV stations and local media. When weather moves in early enough to make the decision on the afternoon/evening before, we will continue to follow our procedure of sending out a notification then.
How can I set preferences for the automated calls, texts and emails?
You can now choose how you want to be contacted by your school or the district. SchoolMessenger's InfoCenter allows the ability to view and listen to messages from your school or district, add, delete and verify your contact information, and personalize how you receive school communications such as this one. InfoCenter centralizes these communications in a unified inbox where you may access the contents of emails as well as voice and text messages. If you are associated with students in different schools, all matching records will be linked to your account. Simply set your communication preferences inside the SchoolMessenger InfoCenter parent portal here: http://schoolmessenger.com/start
How does CMCSS address bullying?
To distinguish bullying-related acts from other inappropriate behaviors, CMCSS defines bullying as: (a) harm occurs through an intentional act; and (b) a power imbalance exists; and (c) the accused enjoys carrying out the action; and (d) the accused repeats the behavior, often in a systematic way; and (e) the target has a sense of being persecuted or oppressed and is hurt physically and or psychologically. Bullying-related acts may include: Actions of engaging in reprisal or retaliation against any person who reports, who is a target of, or witness to a bullying-related act, or any person with reliable information about a bullying-related act; or actions in which one falsely accuses another of having committed a bullying-related act as a means of reprisal or retaliation or as a means of a bullying related act.
What is the attendance policy?
Student Attendance The Compulsory School Attendance Law in Tennessee (TCA-49-6-3001) requires children (ages 6-17 inclusive) to attend school each day. Students who accumulate five (5) days of unexcused absences will be required to attend a conference at the school with their parent/legal guardian and may be referred to Juvenile Court according to the CMCSS Progressive Truancy Intervention Plan (STS-P010). The following are official or adequate excuses that should be turned in to the Attendance Secretary in the school office:
- Medical note (doctor, dentist, hospital, etc.) for which the student was a patient
- Court note for which the student was required to be in court
- Funeral notice (obituary/funeral program of a family member)
- Military deployment paperwork-for military dependents, TN Law (TCA 49-6-3019) allows the following for out of country deployments:
- 1 excused absence when the parent leaves for deployment
- 1 excused absence when the parent returns at the end of deployment
- Up to ten (10) days excused absences when the parent is home from the deployment for Rest and Recuperation
- In addition, local policy allows up to five (5) consecutive days of excused absences (either before or after the deployment) when the parent deployment is less than twelve (12) months
- Military paperwork/documentation MUST be provided to the school for these to be excused.
- Parents or legal guardians may submit notes for students to be excused up to five (5) days per school year, for any reason. To be excused, notes must be provided by the parent or legal guardian, and received by the school within five (5) school days of the absence.
For high school and middle school classes, an absence per class is defined as missing ten (10) or more minutes of the class period. Make-up work: (Including suspension and remandment) Upon the first day of returning to school, it is the student's responsibility to make contact with the teacher(s) regarding make-up work. During the school year, make-up work must be completed within a number of days equal to the number of consecutive days of the absences. A grade of "0" shall be entered into the teacher's grade book for any missing work until the assignments have been completed and turned in.
Out-of-school suspensions shall be deemed unexcused absences.


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EWG News and Analysis
The latest from EWG's staff of experts >>
Vector-Borne Diseases on the Rise: Protect Yourself With EWG's Guide to Bug Repellents
Summer is the season for enjoying the outdoors, but as cases of diseases from mosquitoes, ticks and flea bites continue to rise, Americans must remain vigilant about protecting themselves by using an appropriate and effective bug repellent.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of bug-borne diseases tripled in the U.S. between 2004 and 2016, mostly from mosquito and tick bites. Lyme disease and West Nile virus continue to plague large swaths of the nation: In 2016 alone, more than 36,000 cases of Lyme disease and more than 2,000 cases of West Nile were reported. The agency also reported that nine new vector-borne diseases were reported in the U.S. during that period, including tick-borne Heartland and Bourbon viruses.
Bug repellents can provide protection, but how do you choose the right one? The EWG Guide to Bug Repellents can help.
We recommend choosing repellents with one of the following active ingredients, which offer adequate protection and have low toxicity concerns when used correctly:
- Picaridin
- DEET (less than 30 percent)
- IR3535 (20 percent)
The Environmental Protection Agency maintains an online database and search tool that allows users to filter repellents by active ingredient and identify protection against specific pests.
Tick-borne diseases made up more than three-fourths of bug-borne illness cases between 2004 and 2016. Since then, they have continued to be a problem. Although still considered relatively rare, cases of Powassan infections have increased in recent years, the CDC has said, and have been reported in multiple East Coast and upper Midwest states; a recent death in New Jersey resulted from an infection caused by tick-spread Powassan virus. However, changing climate and temperature conditions continue to shift insect and tick habitats, increasing the risk in areas previously unaffected.
For hiking, camping or spending time in wooded and grassy areas inhabited by ticks, permethrin-treated clothing and gear may be a reasonable alternative to traditional bug repellent.
Technically, permethrin is not a bug repellent but rather an insecticide, killing pests upon contact. Some studies show it offers protection against tick bites that is superior to traditional repellents; however, it is much less effect against mosquitoes.
The CDC recommends clothing and gear treated with 0.5 percent permethrin to prevent tick bites. However, it is neurotoxic and has been classified by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen.
Only a few published studies have investigated absorption rates of permethrin through the skin, and more research is needed to determine the health hazards associated with exposure through this route. If you choose permethrin-treated clothing, use them with caution, read labels and wash all treated clothing separately.
If you and your family are traveling outside of the U.S. this summer, beware of the risk of exposure to diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, chikungunya and Zika. For up-to-date information about potential exposures and travel information for more vulnerable groups, such as children and pregnant women, visit the CDC's travelers' health website.
Other ways to avoid bug-related problems:
- Avoid products that combine sunscreen and insect repellent. These must be applied more frequently for adequate sun protection, increasing exposure to chemicals in the repellent.
- Decrease the risk of inhalation by choosing lotion, pump or towelette repellents.
- Reduce skin exposure by wearing long pants, long sleeves and socks, and by tucking in clothes.
- Pregnant women should not use oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-3,8-diol, also known as PMD.
- Do not use repellents on babies under six months old. Do not use oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD on children less than three years old
- Make sure to apply permethrin sprays in a well-ventilated area and away from children and pets, since children are often more susceptible to toxins than adults and permethrin is highly toxic to cats.
For more information on top repellent choices, products to avoid and vector-borne illnesses, visit EWG's Guide to Bug Repellents.


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Welcome to Nolensville Road Baptist Church Online!
Thank you for visiting our website. We have tried to make this site as simple and friendly as possible.
It is our desire to provide you with information about our church, as well as
material that will be a blessing to you spiritually.
We are an independent, fundamental, Baptist church. We use soul-stirring traditional music and the
focal point in our services is the preaching of God's Word. We use only the King James Version.
Please take some time and look around. If you have any questions please contact us.


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See All Soybean Webcast Titles, News, and More
Note: For the best viewing experience on your PC, please use Google Chrome. For the best iPad viewing experience, you will be prompted to download the free Articulate Mobile Player app.
Summary: Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) or white mold of soybean is caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum has a diverse host range, infecting many weedy plant hosts and crop plants. In the Northern U.S. SSR is a major disease of soybean. In years when average temperatures are cool (70° F) and there is frequent rains or high humidity, SSR can cause significant damage to soybean crops resulting in yield loss. For every 10% increase in plant death at the R7 growth stage, yield can be reduced 2 to 5 bu/a. This presentation will highlight recent research conducted to understand how SSR epidemics move in soybean fields, cause damage on soybeans, and how to manage the disease. The research presented here is partially funded by the soybean check off though the North Central Soybean Research Program and several state soybean associations including the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.
United Soybean Board (USB) farmer-leaders develop and maintain partnerships with U.S. land grant universities and U.S. ag-focused research organizations such as the Plant Management Network to increase the transfer of checkoff-funded applied and practical production research information to U.S. soybean farmers. USB neither recommends nor discourages the implementation of any advice contained herein, and is not liable for the use or misuse of the information provided.


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We are the topmost manufacturer, exporter and supplier of premium grade Embroidered Purses. Our dexterous professionals use top quality fabric and advanced embroidery tools to design these purses. Available in various colors and patterns, these purses are cherished by ladies of all age group. In addition, these Embroidered Purses can be bought from us at rock bottom prices.
Key points:
B. CHOROSCH All Rights Reserved.(Terms of Use)
Developed and Managed by Infocom Network Ltd.


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On Sale
RODNEY WATERS HIS LAWN Print
This is a Randy Dangerfields print. Limited edition of 20 with a hand stamped Rodney on the back of each print to prove it's the real deal. These are part of my 2020 art project where I am learning to draw by making a daily piece of art with Rodney as my subject. This is a print of the Day 39 Rodney. These are sized at 5"x7" and are full color hi-resolution prints made on a professional laser printer and come on a matte off white cardstock.


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Have you ever wondered why you struggle so much as a Christian? In other words, why do we sometimes live defeated, have conflict and live frustrated lives. It's the result of patterns based on false beliefs, feelings that follow and the resulting behaviors. These are what the Bible describes as the flesh. These can be good patterns or bad patterns. They are all sinful.
The flesh is not our body. It is also not our old self (nature). Because some have confused these two, it has led to more defeat and frustration. The old self (nature) has already been crucified with Christ and removed forever for those in Christ. We don't have an old self (nature) and a new self (nature). We only have the one new self, but we do have the flesh.
What is the flesh? It is all of the ways we've learned to live independent of Christ in us, in hopes of giving life meaning – by trying to feel secure, competent, accepted, loved, and esteemed (SCALE). The fruit of living our life by the flesh always has consequences. That is why we need to discover and take responsibility for those patterns. Do you know yours? Every one of us has unique flesh patterns. They basically fall under two big categories.
Patterns that might look good to others but not to God such as:
Trying to perform well for love and acceptance.
Never admitting you are wrong.
Being a self-made man or woman.
Using money, success, possessions, etc., as a way to define yourself
Patterns that might look bad to others and to God such as:
Self pity.
Playing the victim.
Manipulating people for attention.
Using porn to relieve stress.
God's only solution to overcome these patterns of the flesh, is to humble ourselves and admit to God we can't deal with these through Try Harder Christianity. Then, we choose over and over to depend on the Holy Spirit in us, to allow Christ's life to flow through us to replace those old patterns with His love, His way, His truth and His life! That is how we can live freer and freer from the flesh (never perfectly, but more and more). "The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:6 (Death mentioned here, means miserable consequences. Life and peace means Christ's life freely flowing in us and through us.)
Do you know your specific flesh patterns? Do you know the beliefs behind each of them? We help people every day discover theirs and God's way to overcome them. We've seen many transformed lives!
Jack recently understood that his main flesh pattern was to keep people at arm's length. Why? Because he believed people would ultimately betray and hurt him. Once he saw this he admitted it to himself and to God. Then he began to trust Christ in him to love him, and to live through him, to love people in ways he never thought possible.
© Mark Maulding but it may be shared with anyone!


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User-Generated Content (UGC) Influence on Hotel Bookings
User-generated content (UGC) means digital content created, uploaded and shared publicly online by consumers or end-users through pictures, videos, blog posts, discussion boards, product or service reviews, comments, tweets etc. UGC can initiate a conversation among unpaid contributors through popular social platforms that include the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and so many other social networks. So what does this all mean for your hotel and the possibility of encouraging bookings? Now-a-days just about everything!
Various studies have shown some compelling statistics:
- Neilson has shown that consumers look to recommendations from those they know for purchases 92% of the time.
- McKinsey has shown that word of mouth marketing generates twice as many sales as paid advertising.
- Tomoson has shown that, on social influencer marketing, ROI is $6.50 for every dollar invested.
- Reevoo showed that 72% of people searching out hotels would use UGC as a basis for their purchasing decisions.
- TurnTo Networks just released a consumer study that shows 90% of consumer purchasing decisions are based on UGC
Benefits of UGC for Hotels
In today's digital world, no one can deny the impact of social media on companies, products or services provided. People share their activities, opinions and interests through the various social networks. UGC becomes an invaluable resource for hotels where these exchanges can create booking opportunities. Its benefits can be seen through:
- Authenticity & credibility: We have grown skeptical of traditional marketing content to make purchasing decisions because the source is the brand itself. Instead, more and more, the trend is to search out the opinion and comments from peers to make purchasing decisions. We want to hear from people like ourselves with authentic accounts about experiences.
- Personalization: Hotels get to have exchanges with guests or prospective guests where they interact with each other through the many social networks. UGC is unique in that it taps into consumer trust and relationship building. This is where brands learn what resonates with their target audience. So these exchanges create a meaningful interaction and encourage other guests to submit content.
- Cost benefits: The costs of traditional advertising and marketing campaigns are always a strain on hotel budgets. But the cost of content creation is included in this marketing approach. After all, the source is the user's exchanges posted publicly through social networks.
- Re-purposing unique content: Users contribute new content all the time so information is always fresh. Hotels can re-purpose influencer content into blogs, web page copy etc. It helps the hotel marketing team keep content interesting and encourages users to stay engaged. It allows the hotel/guest relationship to develop beyond check-out.
- Social traffic increase: A social media influencer in the hotel industry has established credibility and has a large follower base. They don't have to be celebrities. They can be bloggers or thought leaders. In all cases, their authentic approach can have an impact on consumer behavior. It wouldn't be far fetched for consumers to be persuaded to listen to their views, appraise the information and check out your hotel site when considering a hotel booking. It would also be important to keep in mind that, in this digital age, millennials are the largest and most influential of all age groups. They are turning off traditional ads and looking to engage in real-time conversations with brand advocates for their purchasing decisions.
- Building SEO value: According to Kissmetrics, 25 percent of search results for the top 20 largest brands are links to UGC. Positive guest reviews can raise your SEO ranking. Also, gaining knowledge of the most frequently used words and phrases used by your audience can help your keyword optimization research.
- Audience insights and sales leads: Through UGC, hotel marketers can analyze exactly what content is being shared and helps understand what your guests or prospective guests find most engaging. This information can provide valuable insights that can help generate leads and increase sales.
In the end, it's all about people – your guests, your followers, your brand champions – and their experiences, thoughts and mentions of your hotel. If your hotel hasn't considered UGC within your marketing strategy, you will be missing out on the possibility of a great many booking opportunities.


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My Year - Kelly Lou Ging
What was your personal highlight of 2017?
I got married in April – definitely the best personal highlight of the year! Also being the first Laois person to reach the final of Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur was something I will never forget.
Did you achieve all you wanted to achieve in 2017?
Yes. I write realistic goals at the beginning of the year. My biggest goal was to open a second outlet which I did early December.
What was your biggest disappointment/regret of 2017?
Not getting the chance to take a proper honeymoon – something that I will be doing early in 2018
What was the greatest challenge you faced in 2017?
Opening our new café in Parkside within a very short timeframe and opening in December, the silly season!
What was a standout moment for you in 2017 in the cultural sphere
Electric Picnic is a highlight every year. We bring our vintage catering caravan Gloria and serve hot drinks and cakes for the weekend in Trailer Park. The atmosphere is magic and everyone enjoys the weekend, even though it is hard work too.
Who was the standout personality for you in 2017?
I'm a big fan of Donal Skehan. I have followed him for years and I admire his work ethic and how he is representing Ireland and the Irish food industry at an international level.
What are your goals/ambitions for 2018?
To continue to grow the business and spread sweetness.
What is on your 'To Do' list in 2018?
Aside from going away on honeymoon, I would really like to write a cookbook.
What is your biggest fear for 2018?
Everyone has the fear of failure but I try to think positively and not focus on what might go wrong.
Aside from yourself who would you like to see be successful in 2018?
Partaking in the Ireland's best young entrepreneur program (IBYE) I met so many amazing young entrepreneurs both local and national at different stages in their business and I would love to see them all be successful and I enjoy following their business journeys.
What sporting event would you most like to attend in 2018?
I'm not a huge sports fan but I'm sure I'll be cheering my Dad on at a marathon or cycling event.
What cultural event would you most like to attend in 2018?
Definitely the Electric Picnic. Wouldn't miss it
Who you you say is 'One to Watch' in 2018?
There are a lot of great female entrepreneurs in Laois, but I think Heidi Higgins is the one stand-out person that will do well.
What are your hopes for Laois in 2018?
I would like to see more businesses open up in Laois. We have great potential here, a brilliant central location. I would love to make people aware that you don't have to be in a large urban area to make your business succeed. I would hope that local people would support local businesses, shop locally and make Laois thrive.


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Full access to all Prolog Project Management functionality, providing project teams the critical information when and where they need it. Trimble's GCManager Subscription Suite gives the flexibility to access Prolog construction project data via Desktop, Web or Mobile solutions. Contractors and their project teams can access real-time Prolog online or offline, and in the office or out in the field.
With our different licensing options, you can choose the model that works best for your organization:
GCManager can be deployed based on your organization's needs. You can install within your organization (on premise) or Trimble can host it for you with our Prolog Sky hosting. All product updates are included as part of your paid GCManager subscription service during the subscription term.
Need to send Prolog data to a financial application or other database? No problem! Prolog's Web Services platform provides integration support to your third party applications. Prolog also works with Trimble Connect to provide more effective collaboration and bring your project teams and stakeholders together into a single ecosystem.
For years, construction companies have been implementing an ever-increasing array of technology to plan and build safer and smarter. While all this technology has helped companies to run more efficiently and effectively, the full potential of the accumulated data continues to go unrealized. Scattered across various spreadsheets, systems, databases and applications, access to and integration of this wealth of information remains expensive, slow and cumbersome.
Lantern Data Systems is a Trimble partner that is helping customers to bring projects and information together to enable more informed, data-driven decisions. With single, intuitive platform, Harnessing the power of project data, Lantern is enabling contractors to be more competitive and ultimately, save time and money.
Recorded January 26, 2016
This is the first in a series of webinars highlighting the many ways Trimble Prolog integrates with cross-functional business systems to improve efficiency and reduce rework.
Because controlling costs is such a critical element in managing large projects, many progressive project managers are seeking ways to automate the flow of cost data throughout the project lifecycle from concept all the way to completion. In this installment of Building With Trimble, we uncover how automated data connections between feasibility, cost estimating and project controls eliminate many manual steps, reduces project risk and transforms project teams' overall productivity.
Recorded September 29, 2015
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All the content of this website is
© copyright Alan Corkish; nothing may be reproduced without his specific written permission
By Janet Sutherland, 2006. ISBN: 0-907562-88-4 Shearsman Books Ltd, 58 Velwell Rd., EX4 4LD www.shearsman.com ...86 pages £8.95 plus p/p £2.75 (from Amazon)
I had not wanted to like this collection. For 'one' it's too damn expensive at over 13p a page (That equivalent would have my current novel retailing at close to £50.00 a copy!!!) and for 'two' I read the rear-cover blurb by the poet Gillian Allnutt and went 'Ugh!' then spat on the floor next to my computer (There's quite a moat there currently as I'm writing lots of poetry reviews). Ms Allnutt speaks of Ms Sutherland as 'an attentive poet' one whose poetry exists 'where sounds and syntax will not break the silence in which something can be said.' ...whatever the hell that means. Pompous drivel or what?
I also did not want to like Ms Sutherland on a personal level because not only did she work for Relate but she also worked as an 'Adult Education woodwork tutor'! I could imagine her in her denim overalls hefting an axe to sculpt a totem pole which would phallically symbolise the spirit healed through counselling… without even having the decency to wear fishnet stockings and suspenders under her work clothes (OK personal perversions and prejudice emerges here, but my own Relate counsellor told me that it was good to spit it out – the moat deepens).
So, I dipped my metaphorical pen into a well of metaphorical sulphuric acid and opened this very slim, very expensive, Arts Council of England sponsored collection at the very first poem in the book, the first of 73 offerings. The poem was called Hearth, it was brief, I read it, I reread it, I dwelt on lines like; 'Sometimes the ear listens/ without thought'... and thought to myself (with my brain); do ears actually think? If not what's the point of referring to an ear that 'sometimes' 'listens without thought'? …and I moved onto the following line; 'Unbuttoning the heart...' …hearts with 'buttons' then? Pre-war hearts presumably? Hearts built before they invented zips? This was going to be easy, I would dissect this pretentious rubbish ruthlessly... but you know, my Mum used to say that sometimes the whole really is much greater than the sum of the parts. So in deference to Mum I stepped back and looked at the poem as a whole:
H e a r t h
The hiss of flame before earth
Sometimes the ear listens
without thought
Unbuttoning the heart
we hear the rain
from a wet coat
leaping and cracking
on stone
The title Hearth conjures an image, that single word seems to me to be slightly archaic, almost quaint, it existed long before Aga cookers's and central heating... the first line of the poem adds to this sense of the past, an almost timeless space; 'before earth' and this ethereal nostalgia is expanded upon with the image of the rain being shaken from a coat so that the drops crackle on a stone floor. A stone floor, not, methinks, modern crafted trendy Yorkshire slabs at £120.00 a square yard but these (in my mind) are rough chunks of Welsh slate in the kitchen of a worker's cottage. The 'whole poem' conjures for me, a haunting image, like a rough and intimate charcoal sketch... and I enjoy the way the poet teases with words like 'earth' and 'heart' which reflect their presence in the title; Hearth. So I have to reconsider a horrible possibility; maybe, initially, my ear listened without thought. A further horrible possibility emerged; that I was going to be denied the pleasure of disliking Ms Sutherland and her poetic offerings... maybe…
I turned the pages at random and read a poem about kissing a stranded mermaid; 'flies will be sipping from her lips/ sand in her gritted eye', and I read another tender and humorous love poem to a spider; 'i have left you four flies/ three are in the freezer next to the joint of beef/ the other is wrapped in christmas paper/ tied with a pink ribbon', the poem ends with 'p.s. i love you' Oh cripes! If she can be tender and thoughtful about spiders and has a wonderful sense of humour I might even begin to like her! Heaven forbid!
Anyway, there was still a lot I hadn't read and so I did a single read through the whole collection which took me all of twenty five minutes and concluded that most of the shorter poems are snapshots; not snapshots of events so much as snapshots of events captured in phrases that linger, tempting the reader to consider whether or not they are wise phrases or pseudo intellectual crap. An example of the latter is In the hospital grounds which is about newly blind people learning Braille and young trees that tell lies; sort of Patience Strong trying to appeal a little higher up the scale, trying to climb above appealing to maiden-aunts, homespun philosophers and faith-healers. The poem doesn't work, it annoys actually, but gently so, as does another offering in similar vein; When he had cut up her clothes. Both of these seem like poems written by someone who hasn't really lived but wants you to believe that they have. Wearing my 'I-might-actually-like-this-stuff' hat I tried hard to find excuses for these intruders but gave up; after all even Wordsworth made the odd clanger ('You see a little muddy pond/ Of water, never dry,/ I've measured it from side to side:/ 'Tis three feet long, and two feet wide.' {from; The Thorn). BUT; the intruders are in the minority and anyway I concede that it might be me; maybe they're not imitations of Patience Strong but that they are just so staggeringly perceptive that my mere male brain fails to comprehend their enormity. Maybe…
A poem which reflected the title of this collection moved me deeply with its simplicity; Felling the apple tree is decidedly not Patience Strong, it is simply observed profundity in that it toys with the inevitability and yet the sometime beauty and dignity of death and contains within it also an underscored celebration of life and living. And what if the poem does seem to have been fed by another powerful poem of Michael Hannon's, Blessing & Dispersal, which contains these lines: 'Friends, let's light a good fire today,/ burning the heartwood first.// This life won't last forever.' Sutherland's poem still stands on its own two feet as do the vast majority of Ms Sutherland's offerings herein when I read each of them as a whole. Ugh! Did I say that? 'the vast majority'? Yes, I guess I did; what's more if it wasn't so annoyingly expensive I would even urge you to rush out and buy a copy, as it is I recommend you order it from your local Library (I refuse to have anything to do with 'Lending Resource Centres') and when you have read these poems and hopefully enjoyed most of them, sit down and write a letter to the Arts Council of England asking them how it is that a collection of poetry sponsored by them, a mere 86 pages, still sets a prospective purchaser back close to £12.00 including p/p. This work needs and deserves a wider audience but if you can buy substantial collections by Wordsworth, Bukowski or even T S Eliot for under a tenner, why would you bother?
© copyright Alan Corkish 2006
David Jaffin
Dream FlowPoems
A review for The Journal 2006


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- roll over image to zoom
Watercolor Painting
Created by Sandra Humphries
"Illumination" was inspired by living in the Southwest, and seeing the cliffs and mesas change colors at different times of day. The artist uses glazes to find rich color, and detail to show patterns in nature. This piece is painted on 300 lb Arches paper, mounted on board and matted to a size of 30 x 38. Dimensions below refer to the image size. All paper and boards are acid-free.


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By Gabriella Burnham
I&M Staff Writer
On Sunday morning, as the 35th annual Opera House Cup Regatta got underway, Nick Judson, executive director of Nantucket Community Sailing, had a terrible feeling in his stomach.
Not another 1998, he thought. That was the only year the classic sailboat race has been canceled, and it was due to lack of wind. Sunday morning seemed to be heading on a similar course.
� But the wind eventually did pick up from a fickle northerly to a steady breeze out of the northwest. The change turned out favorably for Black Watch, a 68-foot yawl out of Newport that crossed the finish fourth overall in two hours, 27 minutes and 45 seconds, and with a corrected time of 2:20.57, good enough to place skipper Trevor Fetter and his crew in first.
�We were very pleased that the wind started to build because Black Watch needs wind. We�re not good in light air. Our strategy was to get a fast start, and we were very fortunate that we started at the pin end of the starting line. We were going fairly fast right at the start,� said Fetter, who sailed last year on Black Watch (which finished second in the Classic Division) and has sailed with Senator Ted Kennedy in the 12-meter regatta for the past five years.
The Opera House Cup, in which vessels of all shapes and sizes race against one another, is decided on a complex formula that combines a boat�s rating (a numerical interpretation of how well it should compete) with its actual finish time. The Opera House Cup also tacks on penalty time for boats that have previously won the race in a further attempt to even the field.
Photo by Jim Powers
The start of the race left plenty of time to catch up on sleep, as it was delayed an hour and a half due to no wind.
Photo Gallery
On Sunday, the current was moving from west to east, so Fetter charted his course to the left, attempting to keep his tacks to a minimum.
�Most of the rest of the leg was reaching, but we were pretty fast on the reaches. We drew all the sails we could, and at one point we were flying five sails in total,� he said.
The Sparkman & Stephens designed yawl, originally built in 1938, cruised at about nine knots on the second leg, charging through the 15-mile course.
Fetter and four other sailors restored the wooden yawl (which was first used by the Navy during World War II to patrol for German U-boats in Long Island Sound) last year to compete in a number of different classic series, nationally and internationally.
�We relaunched it in May of 2006 after a very lengthy restoration. This is our second season racing,� said Fetter, who hopes to race the boat again next year.
Surprisingly, the OHC fleet cruised tightly together for most of the race, making it an interesting regatta for spectators, said Judson.
�I�ve never seen so many close finishes, where people were shooting the line. Two Alerions were racing for 15 miles together, and it came down to the last 100 feet.�
Those two Alerions were Bapple and First Tracks, which finished 23 seconds apart in uncorrected time. Bapple finished eighth overall with a corrected time of 2:24.57, placing first in the Alerion class, and First Tracks finished 10th, with a corrected time of 2:25.20.
Winning the Classic division was Black Watch; White Wings took the �Spirit of Tradition� division with a corrected time of 2:23.25, placing third overall, and Columbia won the 12-meter class with a corrected time of 2:23.10, placing second overall.
�There were a couple of things that were happening (in the regatta). Based on the conditions, we had a smaller upwind leg in the first part, two really nice reaches, which helped the schooners. A lot of those boats were able to scoot way ahead. Also, the conditions in terms of current, by the time the smaller boats rounded the first mark, the current was in their favor. It really helped a lot of little boats,� said Judson.
One of those smaller boats was the Molly Rose, a 28-foot gaff sloop catboat, which finished last overall, but claimed the Gwen Gaillard �Spirit of the Race� Award, given to �the person or vessel which exemplifies the spirit of the Opera House Cup.�
Photo by Jim Powers
Classic wooden sailboats charge toward the finish with Great Point Light providing the backdrop.
Photo Gallery
�It wasn�t the fastest boat out there, but they stuck it out, and it was great to see. I mean, Nantucket is known for its catboats, so it was great to see one out there,� said Judson.
Performance Awards were also given to Juno, Shadow and Arion for exceeding their expected performance given the conditions.
�Basically, we look at the boats and their sizes, and the types of boats, and see who has really sailed well in the race. They may not have been first, second or third, and you look at a boat like the Arion, this ketch, that�s in the Spirit class, really sailed well. She�s right up there with the 60-footers,� said Judson of the 42-foot sailboat.
Arion placed 13th overall, while Shadow placed 18th, and Juno 37th.
�Juno is a schooner. Schooners are not known for their ability to sail upwind. Sailing as fast as they did, especially in a shorter-length course, was impressive. The bigger boats need a strong breeze and longer course,� said Judson, who added that the small-class sloop Shadow, only 27 feet long, maintained its course to place among the larger, faster boats. �It�s a pretty impressive race,� he said.
Last year was the first year that the OHC had an official sponsor, Panerai, an Italian luxury timepiece company with a U.S. base of operations in Naples, Fla., which donated barometers to each of the division winners, and a Panerai watch to the overall winner again this year.
�What�s most important about the Opera House Cup is, it�s continued to do what Gwen (Gaillard) and Chick (Walsh) (the late founders) had hoped it would do in the beginning: To get people psyched up about sailing. You can just take a look at Brant Point, where hundreds, maybe thousands of people go out to watch the Rainbow parade. It gets that feeling of fun and sailing, and that�s what�s important,� said Judson.


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LEO, Moon of creativity and passion
Warm and fun loving
The WAXING MOON TRANSITS LEO from Sunday, May 20, 9.10 am,
to Tuesday, May 22, 12.02 pm, with the ingress into VIRGO
Suitable energy for creative work, especially of the visual type, display, fun, joy, drama, theatre, inspiration, organization, leisure, pleasure, vacation, spending fun times with the children, being a child again, love making, romance, passion. Purchase of jewellery, gold, precious objects, luxury items, cats. Action motivated by spontaneous need for self expression. Dramatic display of generous feelings, warm hearted, loyal, passionate, but somewhat egotistic. Beware of domineering and controlling attitudes, ego inflation, extremes of passion, exaggeration, arrogance, pride.
*** In the garden Leo, like all the other Fire Signs, is traditionally considered too hot, dry and barren for growing anything. Its energy is very suitable instead for cultivating, general maintenance, pruning, pest control, weeding, and harvesting. Great Moon time for designing the garden, introducing ornamental objects and features, and, of course, Garden Parties.
*** Healing Herbs: Borage, Hawthorn, Motherwort.
A note: the garden activities associated with the Moon Sign depend also on the cycle the Moon is in. The Moon transiting through a fertile or productive Sign will no be so favorable if the Phase is not a productive one, and vice-versa. For best results the Sign and Phase of the Moon have to be considered together.
Crescent Moon
The CANCER CRESCENT MOON PHASE started on Saturday, May 19, 4.41 am,
and will end on Tuesday, May 22, 1.49 pm, with the VIRGO FIRST QUARTER MOON PHASE
The Crescent Moon occurs half way through the first week of the Waxing cycle, when the Moon is transiting 45 degrees ahead of the Sun and looks like a beautiful crescent in the western sky after sunset. Psychologically this is an enthusiastic time, in which lots of ideas crowd our mind and we may feel that the sky is the limit. It is a slightly naïve Moon time, but also one full of hopes and dreams (the bright crescent shows now the shadowy sphere of the future Full Moon. The energy of the Moon however needs maturing at this stage and grounding. The first difficulties may appear, the first chinks in the armor; but the challenge is not strong enough yet for us to build up on it.
*** In the garden this is an excellent growing time: everything can go in now, but in particular leafy vegetables and all plants that we grow for their above the ground parts, but only when the Moon is transiting through the very fertile Water Signs or the productive Signs Taurus, Libra and Capricorn.


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In his opening speech, British Ambassador to Slovakia Andrew Garth spoke about the conditions for launching a business in Great Britain as well as advantageous direct flight routes between the two countries and high quality business infrastructure including a railway connection, the TASR newswire reported.
According to British-Slovak Business Centre executive director Christopher Plant, Slovak entrepreneurs need to possess sufficient courage and be ready for involvement on British markets.
"Running a business in Britain is extremely simple," Plant told TASR. "A firm can come to the British Trade Chamber, where it'll be offered support in the early stages. The network of British trade chambers is developed, associating 104,000 companies, and Slovak businesses have an opportunity to join this community."
He added that the Slovak and British business environment offers opportunities not only at the local but also global level. The largest scope for investments and imports can be found in the manufacturing sector, food industry and services, with the British market boasting 64 million inhabitants who might be potential clients for Slovak firms.
"Britain as the seventh largest economy in the world represents a global trade and business hub. Opportunities for our firms there are enormous," Bratislava SOPK branch director Juraj Majtán told TASR, adding that it is necessary to promote and raise awareness about business opportunities in Britain first, however.
"The majority of Slovaks who settled down in Britain went there for work or study and less for business," Majtán said. "We'd like to change this and encourage them to either start a business or establish cooperation with British companies."
12. Jun 2015 at 7:40 | Compiled by Spectator staff


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Another recognised leader that Finance Monthly speaks to is Tony Snaith, the CEO of Communicate PLC. Here he tells us in more detail about his CEO responsibilities and the company's biggest achievements and goals for the future.
How did your career path lead you to becoming a CEO of Communicate PLC and what motivates you about working within the telecommunication sector?
I have worked in the comms industry for over 30 years and originally started as a Network Engineer and actually installed the very first commercial Cat5 cable system in the UK for Sumitomo Bank in London back in 1991. We then rolled out installations for all of the major banks throughout the City and then nationally. Another major milestone was installing the very first Avaya (then Lucent) Definity Call Centre System in the UK in the early nineties for what was Halifax General Insurance a new subsidiary of the building society. It was here that I originally had the idea of providing a fully managed IT and telecoms infrastructure service and actually presented this to the Halifax who had at that time around 40 service (business) centres and over 700 branches. We planned to have engineers in each business centre who would then service 15-20 local branches on a full-time basis. The business model was viable, although the internet at that time would struggle to support what we required without hugely expensive leased lines. The idea was planted but it took another 20 years to deliver it (let's hope Openreach don't take as long for the next stage of development).
The thing that motivates me most with this business is seeing other companies grow and develop using our technology. That way it's a win-win situation and we both benefit from the growth.
CEOs are well-positioned to lead and change the culture of a company. What goals did you arrive with as CEO of Communicate PLC?
I decided very early on that we needed to own the infrastructure and hardware to allow us to grow exponentially. Having lots of different products and manufacturers to keep happy was never going to work if we wanted to grow as we have done. We proved the model worked in the early days and then just rolled it out very successfully across the UK. I have also always believed that people prefer dealing face-to-face so we decided to place engineers and offices in all our major hubs. We have an open door policy so that clients can call in and discuss any issues with us directly instead of having to travel and schedule meetings.
What were some of your biggest achievements in the past twelve months?
Without doubt number one has been the addition of Touchdown Offices Limited to the group. We quickly ascertained that the business would be a fantastic fit for Communicate allowing us to have our own SIP platform and route telephone calls globally over IP. As part of the acquisition we gained some fantastic staff with many years of experience, some big global clients and over 10 million minutes per year routed on the platform. We are now busy migrating existing clients over to the SIP platform and offering resilient connections that can absorb huge fluctuations in call volumes. Once again the fact we own the platform and do not have to rely on others to sub contract our services to gives us greater control of quality, resilience and cost.
The second was outgrowing three of our original offices around the country giving the staff a bigger, more comfortable working and meeting environment and also building bespoke tech suites on site. The Tech Suites are our high-tech showrooms which allow us to demonstrate products and services to clients in a calm, controlled environment without having to rely on travelling and wasted time. The sooner they see it, the sooner we can implement it.
Third was introducing a staff EMI scheme that rewards staff with shares and options for contributing to the success of the business. I have always believed that your engineers and support staff are the lifeblood of the business and need looking after and we will continue to grow the scheme as we get bigger and develop across Europe and globally.
What were Communicate PLC's beginnings and how did it develop into the company that it is today?
We started in 2011 with four staff at Wynyard Park in the Tees Valley. The idea was, and still is, to be the provider of choice for IT and Telecoms managed services to business parks throughout the UK. We offer landlords a new revenue stream that was previously never available to them. BT, Virgin, Talk Talk, etc. would just come and install their internet and telecoms services to tenants and expect the landlord to provide the access and all the space and power they required, taking 3 months to connect tenants up. We quickly purchased what we needed and put everything in place and connected clients up straight away. We can now offer whatever internet bandwidth a client needs from 10Mbs to 1GB at any of our sites on a flexible monthly basis.
We were then invited to replicate this at Discovery Park in Kent, the old Pfizer UK Headquarters and this proved a turning point for the company. We were suddenly working with world class, global organisations such as Pfizer and Mylan and have since added National Grid and Hornby to our portfolio along with another 130 clients on site. Once we demonstrate the savings and benefits of transferring technology service to us directly to the CEO or FD then the question simply becomes: 'how soon can we proceed?'
Colworth Park in Bedfordshire quickly followed where we work with Unilever providing site services to both them and new clients in a serviced office environment. We took this site over from a previous company that were unable to offer all the services we could.
Two smaller Business Parks in Kent and Durham have also come online recently and are rapidly expanding as new tenants move in.
The recent addition of Touchdown has significantly added to our portfolio and in four years we have added over 250 clients and doubled turnover every year to an expected £3m for this year. We are forecasting organic growth of £10m for 2017 and £30m for 2018 without any further acquisitions. A flotation is also planned towards the end of 2017 to facilitate our growth plans.
Communicate PLC currently supports Five Business Parks spread across the UK – how is the company's chain of command set up, and how often do you work with its other branches?
Each park has its own Infrastructure Manager responsible for delivering services to tenants. We have a central Network Operations Centre (NOC) with HQ and billing and administration facility located at Wynyard. This enables site staff to do what they are good at, move new clients in, relocate growing clients, respond to service desk issues and demo new services. I usually visit each site at least once a month and get to meet virtually every client – if not in person, then via Video Conference. I am happy to give my mobile number to any client and am always available to discuss any aspect of our business.
Looking into 2016, what do you anticipate for the company?
We are busy integrating Touchdown into the business and some of their existing long-term clients are looking to discuss additional services we can provide to them. Meetings are already planned for Paris and Barcelona with a major global financial business to demonstrate to board level how our model would benefit their business.
There are also a number of other acquisition targets lined up and our shareholders have already confirmed funds are ready and available to use when required.
We have a new FD and two new Non-Exec Directors who have joined us from Touchdown to offer additional experience to our board in what looks like a very busy few years.
Touchdown Offices Proposition
With a wealth of experience that spans well over a decade of supporting and building long-term relationships with clients, we have many customers within the finance sector, including managing in excess of 5 million minutes of mission critical traffic per year for one of the biggest insurance companies in the world.
Touchdown specialise in personalised telephony services that help manage your business calls effectively. Services include Virtual Numbers with flexible business phone numbers, local or national, single or multiple destinations and Call Management Services to manage and monitor your calls, make call recordings and add bespoke multi-layer interactive menus.
Here are some of the benefits our clients are enjoying:
- Excellent account management – response time is set as 2 hours however we always get a response within minutes
- Year on year savings – Set out cost saving targets over 2 years but actually achieved them within 12 months
- Flexibility to re-route calls in disaster scenarios enabling them to meet Business Continuity Plans
- Giving our clients presence within each country
- Consultative approach to our requirements – customised platform that specifically benefits our projects
- My clients can now contact me when I am not in the office which is really important to making my business grow
- As well as providing a very efficient service it obviously saves me money not having to employ someone to answer my calls


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Review on Household Uses for Aluminum Foil - Does it Work?
Can You Recycle Used Aluminum Foil?
Yes, you can.
Aluminum foil is one of the most common household items and is found in almost every kitchen. It has been in use in a variety of ways, ranging from industrial to domestic applications.
It is also one of those household items that can be put to lots of uses. If you Google, you will find several recommendations on what to do with used aluminum foil.
I decided to try to test some of these recommendations and check if it actually works.
Here are my findings.
1. Remove Wrinkles on Silk Clothes with Aluminum Foil
If you have silk, wool or rayon clothes, you know the frustration of Ironing it to perfection. It always requires quite a few passes of the iron, to flatten the wrinkles.
These materials can't take direct heat and the iron temperature has to be set to low.
It is claimed that by using aluminum foil, it can solve this problem.
The instruction says to place aluminum foil under the ironing board cover. The indirect and reflected heat from the foil will speed up and smooth the wrinkles.
Evaluation Result
Unfortunately, I didn't get the result as I had hoped for. I followed the above instruction, but there was no improvement in the ironing process. It took me just as long to remove the wrinkle, with or without the aluminum foil. Maybe my iron isn't good enough?
2. Starch Build Up on Iron
One of the methods to remove starch build up on your iron is to use vinegar and baking soda mixture. However, running a hot iron over a sheet of aluminum foil is claimed to be a faster and more efficient way to remove this starch build-up.
Evaluation Result
I decided to test this and surprisingly, it DOESN'T work. See the before and after photos. I tried on both recycle and new aluminum foils. Also, tried on the shiny and matte surfaces, still no difference.
This is frustrating as I need to remove that starch build-up on my iron. So now I have to try other methods!
3. Anti-Cat Spray
It is claimed if you hang or lay an aluminum foil sheet at places where your cat or dog likes to spray or do their business, it will stop them from doing so.
Evaluation Result
I did as described and my cat hasn't done it yet. So does it mean it works?
Maybe or maybe my cat decided to go somewhere else? But so far so good.
4. Scouring or Scrubbing
Instead of using steel wool try aluminum foil to scrub and scour your dirty and greasy oven, pots or BBQ grills from any burnt or food that got stuck on these utensils. Crumple a small sheet of aluminum foil, or recycle a used sheet, into a coarse ball. Use it to scrub the dirt off.
Does it work?
Evaluation Result
I tried on my toaster tray and from the before and after photos, you can see that there's not much improvement. I am not impressed and convinced that it will work. My recommendation is to use the commercially available grease cleaner or homemade vinegar and baking soda mixture.
5. Sharpen Scissors with Aluminum Foil
The next time you need to cut a sheet of aluminum foil for your cooking, don't just tear them. Use a pair of scissors to cut it. It will keep the scissors sharp.
If your scissors are already blunt, then fold any used aluminum foil so that it is eight to ten layers thick. Now cut the foil a few times with the blunt scissors. It is supposed to sharpen it. If it is still blunt, repeat the process.
Evaluation Result
Oddly enough, it works. It is easy and doesn't take too much effort to get results.
6. Rub Off the Rust Spot
Use a crumpled aluminum foil to rub off any rust spot from any metal surface. You may want to use recycled foil for this work.
I tried it on my metal gate that has rust spots at several places. From the before and after photos, using aluminum foil is an excellent tool for this job. It works. The rust came off easily.
Recycle Your Aluminum Foils
From these tried and tested reviews, it seems to work on about 50% of the suggested new uses for aluminum foil. Since it is available in most households, It will come in handy for those jobs.
So, next time you are done with your cooking, don't throw away that aluminum foil. You will find new uses for it.
Do you have success in the works that I had failed? Or do you have success in other uses? Share it with us here.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2012 Mazlan
Thanks for sharing your blog. You have displayed different uses of aluminum foils. Yes because of flexibility, good conductor of heat and more aluminum foils can be used for different purpose. Keep your blog sharing with new aluminum updates.
This is so cool! I had no idea that aluminum foil had so many uses when it came to getting things clean. Thanks for all the tips!
What interesting ideas! We used aluminum foil for our cats and it worked - I think they can't stand the feel of it on their feet and so they left it alone. We also placed some on our couch to keep them off the cushions. It is great to know that the foil really will sharpen scissors!
I've used aluminum foil with hot water and baking soda to remove tarnish from silver. The aluminum acts as a catalyst in the process.
Wow, I had never thought aluminum foil could be so versatilely useful. I'll try using it to sharpen my scissors today!
Excellent ideas! I've used aluminum foil on my glass pans when I didn't have an SOS pad and it worked too, I thought it would scratch the glass but it didn't :) I will be trying the sharpen scissors one shortly. I have so many dull scissors!!! Great read! Voted up and shared :)
I have scissors sharpeners and they work well. The can opener sharpener also works well. I use waxed paper to clean the iron and it works. Just put it on the ironing board with an old piece of cloth under it and iron, wiping it onto the cloth.
I am quick to throw foil away after a meal; I will think twice before I toss the next piece in the trash. I will be trying it on a few pairs of scissors - they always seem to end up dull for one reason or another.
I must say, I like the fact you tried some of the tricks you learned about. It shows thought and genuine experimentation on your part.
Voted up and useful!
Great hub and suggestions for using foil. I need to sharpen my scissors so I will try the idea. Thanks for posting this helpful hub. Voted up and useful.
You forgot one....to keep aliens from reading our thoughts. j/k
Seriously though, that's good to know that you can sharpen scissors with foil. I know I have a few dull ones laying around the house.


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An intrepid reporter for miRNA research
October 2010
ST. LOUISSigma Life Science, the research business unit of Sigma-Aldrich focused on innovative biological products and services, reports that it has teamed up with Menlo Park, Calif.-based SwitchGear Genomics on a joint project to develop and distribute a novel microRNA (miRNA) target reporter system.
By combining SwitchGear Genomics' expertise with Sigma's versatile lentiviral technology, the companies expect these "ready-to-use reporter vectors" to simplify miRNA target validation, enabling researchers to investigate gene regulation in a variety of biological pathways. Moreover, researchers reportedly will be relieved of the need for time-consuming and laborious reporter cloning. Use of Sigma's patented lentiviral technology is expected to allow the SwitchGear GoClone miRNA target sets to be used in a broad range of cell types, including primary cells and stem cells.
The effort emerges in large part from Sigma's effort about two years ago to pursue a strategic focus for life sciences to help scientists worldwide to better understand biology, says Helge Bastian, Sigma's vice president of global marketing, business development and strategy for the research biotech business unit.
"That is very big in our house, to develop products and technology to read the cells and understand pathways and molecular mechanisms, and do much more than just workflow technologies and techniques," he adds.
"Also, researchers want better understanding of primary cell lines, which is where everyone wants to work because that helps them understand best what's happening to cells in vivo," continues Supriya Shivakumar, Sigma's global commercial marketing manager for functional genomics.
The time is right to pursue a joint project like this, in part because one of the big pushes right now in the pharma and biotech markets is a focus on functional validations, says Nikos Hontzeas, Sigma's product manager for functional genomics.
"This is a very exciting joint effort," says Dr. Nathan Trinklein, CEO and co- founder of SwitchGear. "We believe that combining unique technologies from SwitchGear Genomics with Sigma's industry-leading lentiviral technology and production capabilities will enable researchers to study miRNA function and gene regulation on an unprecedented scale."
As Bastian explains, the technology the two companies are developing can be looked at as a way to get data almost straight from the cellular system researchers are using.
"It's an immediate readout from the cell, which is an elegant and straightforward way to understand the results of your experiment," he says.
Futhermore, as Shivakumar adds, the technology isn't just for validation of targets that researchers want to pursue, but can also be a screening tool "that can identify new ones that you didn't necessarily expect to play a role."
The collaboration fits well into SwitchGear 's mission, as its founders see themselves and their colleagues as leaders in the fields of computational regulatory element prediction, experimental validation, functional characterization and data analysis, and this "puts us in a unique position to fulfill these unmet needs by providing the research community with high-throughput tools to assay regulatory element function across the genome," Shivakumar says.
As SwitchGear's leaders note on their website, new tools and services offered by SwitchGear Genomics are intended to enable researches to gather novel data, greatly enrich existing genomic data sets and focus on experiments rather than resource developmentor, as Sigma's representatives add, an overwhelming amount of time wasted on workflows.
Code: E101009
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Our intentional Tot School time has been few and far between. We play, read and color a lot, but I haven't spent a lot of time preparing any specific activities for Tot School.
This week has been different (so far).
coloring a Kangaroo with a red crayon (Lucy's letter this week is 'K'
this week so Daphne wanted in on the action)
building with Lucy
throwing red balls into a bucket
sorting red objects - sparkly hearts, red counting bears, red unifix cubes
Daphne's first collage - attaching red items to contact paper! She worked and worked on this!!
Daphne is constantly trying to name colors but can't identify any yet (totally normal, I know) so I thought doing a week of a specific color would give her an introduction to each color. Right now, almost everything is pink - imagine that! This week is RED! She still called everything pink - but I overemphasized that the objects were all red!