text:
Property statistics from bond originator, ooba, show that house price growth has slowed in the first quarter of 2017 when compared to the same period in 2016. Price growth in the market for Q1 2017 stands at just 3.9%.
Fewer first-time buyers entering the market
The year on year purchase price for first-time buyers has increased to 5.5% which signifies ongoing demand from this segment. The economic downturn is however beginning to take a toll on this group – the percentage of applications processed by ooba from first-time buyers is down to 46% from 53% a year ago.
ooba's home loan statistics paint a similar picture:
- ooba's average bond size is up 3.9% year on year, however when compared to the 8.8% Q1 year on year increase that was recorded in Q1 last year, it is indicative of the reducing growth trend;
- Bank average decline rates are up 2.8% year on year;
- The percentage of deals that are declined by one bank but then approved by other banks is down to 30.9% from 33.4% a year ago. Whilst this trend is down, it does still highlight the critical importance of shopping around for a home loan in this market;
- ooba's resulting Approval rate is down from 73% in Q1 2016 to 71.6% now, driven primarily by increased affordability declines in respect of aspirant homebuyers whose personal income statements are under more strain.
- The average interest rate in Q1 2017 reflects 0.35% above prime, which is the same as it was in Q1 2016. This is a positive trend, driven by strong competition amongst home loan lenders for new business.
The impact of the recent ratings downgrades is likely to put more pressure on consumers and that will likely translate into reduced demand for residential property over the medium to long term
Post downgrade environment will be challenging
"Our expectation in a post downgrade environment is a movement, over time, to higher inflation, which in turn will drive higher interest rates, impacting consumer affordability and reducing housing demand, which in turn will keep house price growth constrained. Additionally banks cost of funding is likely to increase over time, which will lead to higher home loan interest rates being charged by lenders and again have an impact on affordability and property demand."
"With more challenging times likely to lie ahead in the property market, access to home finance for buyers will become even more important. ooba's ability to submit applications and negotiate with multiple banks on a buyers behalf, to ensure the highest approval rate in the market will continue to be a critical service to home buyers," concludes Dyer.


text:
Cignal-PBA POW James Yap continues to defy Father Time
Old rivals Olsen Racela, Johnny Abarrientos relish clash once again
At age 72, Robert Jaworski throws name if 'Return of the Rivals' gets a sequel
A year after retiring, Jayjay Helterbrand admits he misses Barangay Ginebra
Willie Miller honored to have had shootout with 'idol' Allan Caidic
Sisi Rondina owns up to UST Golden Tigresses' collapse
Jamica Aribas hit lifts DLSU Lady Batters past UP for solo lead
Chooks-to-Go POW Isa Molde embraces pressure brought by UP's pre-season success
Kly Orillaneda to do her best as NU's emergency setter
Perfect storm for Bea De Leon in first match of last season with Ateneo Lady Eagles
Allyn Bulanadi admits there's pressure to fill Michael Calisaan's shoes
Bulanadi, Ilagan take over in OT as Valencia-Baste outlasts Marinerong Pilipino
Isaac Go, Cignal-Ateneo hand Go for Gold-CSB harsh 28-point rout
LOOK: Rachel Daquis, Cherry Rondina headline PBA D-League muses
San Sebastian finds new backers to support NCAA, D-League campaign
Babes Castillo remains mum on NU departure, focused on rebuilding Sta. Lucia
Petron Blaze Spikers strut stacked team into Grand Prix
Mich Morente to play for F2 Logistics in PSL, to miss La Salle's UAAP campaign
Amanda Villanueva joins Sta. Lucia
Chin Basas in as reserve for loaded Petron
Alyssa Valdez relishes surprise reunion with coach Tai Bundit
Dimdim Pacres steals the show with impromptu dance routine
Jema Galanza's Red squad triumphs over Alyssa Valdez's Blue in PVL All-Star Game
Despite UAAP looming, Ateneo Lady Eagles still participate in PVL All-Star festivities
Creamline's Alyssa Valdez, Motolite's Myla Pablo headline PVL All-Stars
Martial artists Cherry May Regalado and Junna Tsukii dropped two bronze medals to the Philippine coffers, and the men's basketball team was thrown out of the...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The one thing your team needs...
In a world of increased complexity, your team's success depends on their creativity. When you can't access creativity, you are stuck with little or no innovation, inability to reach your clients and constituencies, and a frustrating sense of paddling furiously and not getting anywhere.
Take your team to the next level with Right Brain Solutions Team Training.
With training in team creativity, you can help them move forward in the ways you need to be more effective.
Module 1 - Intentional Change
- Responding To VUCA - Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity
- The Right Brain Loves Complexity: How the Left and Right Brain Respond Differently to Change
- How to Access the Right Brain
- The Importance of Achieving Flow
- Doing Change And Living to Tell About It
Module 2 - Intentional Communication
- How the Left and Right Brain Talk
- Affinity Diagramming: Get More Actionable Ideas From Your Team
- Building The Right Brain Trust
- The Role of Empathy
- Empowering Innovation
- Creating Compelling Messaging


text:
Every year Halloween creeps up on me like poison Ivy. The month usually starts off with a conversation that would go something like this. "What are you going to be this year?" My 6-year-old daughter would reply, "A princess" I'd say, "Again?" But not the same princess as last year or the year before that, oh no, a whole new thirty dollar costume of coarse and times that by three, the two older ones like costumes that are just more morbid like … [Read more...]
October 22, 2012 By


text:
My NEW Site Live now!!!!!!!!!
7 comments:
Check out my blog!! http://detoxtvv.blogspot.co.ukReplyDelete
I love love love your new blog! As a long time fashion lover, I've been searching for a brand that actually speaks about fashion in terms that make sense to me. The styles you make are so unique, and I can't wait to keep up on the new ones you're releasing. Keep it coming, because I for one am loving it!ReplyDelete
Madeline Rice @ SEO Marketing Machine
Love your site!! I was pretty psyched to hear that Jerusha Couture is up and running and live!! Have you checked out Yeah-Local.com? This might be a great channel for you to get the word out about what your product. You never know, but I found it interesting so could not help but to share!ReplyDelete
Rita Gibson @ YEAH! Local
Oh, I just adore that picture! All of those bags are enough to make me drool! LOL! At second glance, I'm noticing the shoes as well. You know I'm a bag gal because I didn't even notice the shoes at first, all I saw was those gorgeous bags! LOL. Glad to see the shop's up and running and I wish you much success!ReplyDelete
Andrea Hart @ LeetWeb
This is my first visit to your blog, your post made productive reading, thank you. http://www.datsbrand.comReplyDelete
This is my first visit to your blog, your post made productive reading, thank you. replica watches indiaReplyDelete
Worthy collection and content!!ReplyDelete
For more Handbags visit
Superbdealz Handbags


text:
Literary Birders! I don't think I've laid eyes on a Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) yet, since it's a Boreal bird, and Toronto isn't exactly in the middle of the Boreal forest.
Here he is in all his radical red glory! This bird is reason alone to visit Alaska and the Yukon, where he regularly hangs out. The Grosbeaks I'm accustomed to seeing around here are Rose-Breasted and, on occasion, Evening.
I encountered the Pine grosbeak a few weeks ago, in Banff, in Clea Roberts' wonderful poetry collection Here is Where We Disembark (Freehand Books, 2010). Clea is a fabulous poet living and writing in the Yukon. She writes beautifully about the Northern landscape and equally exquisitely about birds! She also has amazing taste in childrens' socks — if you meet her stunningly cute children, you'll be mightily impressed by the argyle patterns covering their feet! Here is one of my favorites from her collection:
Pine Grosbeaks
In February
even borrowed
colour is welcome.
Birds as red
and plump as apples
bob in the pine trees,
sharpen their beaks,
dream fine, green buds
months away.


text:
Welcome to the Onshape forum! Ask questions and join in the discussions about everything Onshape, CAD, maker project and design.First time visiting? Here are some places to start:
- Looking for a certain topic? Check out the categories filter or use Search (upper right).
- Need support? Ask a question to our Community Support category.
- Please submit support tickets for bugs but you can request improvements in the Product Feedback category.
- Be respectful, on topic and if you see a problem, Flag it.
If you would like to contact our Community Manager personally, feel free to send a private message or an email.
michael3424 ✭✭✭
- Username
- michael3424
- Joined
- Visits
- 114
- Last Active
- Roles
- Member
- Points
- 334
- Badges
- 13
- Posts
- 469
michael3424 earned the Fourth Anniversary badge.Thanks for sticking with us for 4 years.February 9


text:
Things got pretty crazy with Christmas and crises and such.
It's been a hard couple weeks, but it sure is nice to look back on some of the fun moments:
[bonus feature:]
Each Christmas Eve my kids get one present to open. The presents are delivered by the elves because Santa is busy. The elves' presents are always new pajamas. I started that little tradition because I wanted to make sure that the kids were in cute pajamas when I took pictures on Christmas morning.
I was sweetly surprised by how much they were looking forward to getting their pajamas from the elves this year, even though they are older now and they know it's me who puts the presents at the front door and rings the doorbell.
[end bonus feature]
I wanted to get a photo of myself after curling my hair with said curlers, but I was getting frustrated. Kaitlin gave me some expert tips...
Kaitlin's Pro Selfie Advice:
1. Hold camera at an angle.
2. Crop off top of the head.
3. Smirk.
4. Filter excessively.
I think I got it?
One of my favorite parts of the evening was when the musicians played songs during the broadcast of the Times Square coverage, the girls would get in a circle and dance. One by one, each girl would go in the middle of the circle and the other girls would cheer her on as she danced. Then they called me into the middle of the circle and cheered for me as I busted a move. I haven't laughed so much on a New Year's Eve in a long time.


text:
Examples of what we will uplift
Special uplifts
Sign up to email alerts and stay in touch with the latest news about Bins and recycling.
Each householder is entitled to three free requests each year, depending on the type of materials to be uplifted
Customers should take items to their nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre whenever possible. Items can be placed into segregated streams and be recycled effectively.
Each household is entitled to three free Special Uplifts each year for materials not covered by the charges. Each uplift is limited to no more than 10 household items or 20 bags. Where a householder details a large amount of materials to be disposed of, the materials will be assessed by a supervisor and may be refused if it is deemed too large. Find out which items we will uplift.
Request a special uplift using an online form
Requests arising from refurbishments and home improvements and items which are not normally taken in and out of the house will be subject to a charge of £100. This includes items listed below:
Similar to the free uplift service, where a householder details a large amount of materials to be disposed of via the chargeable option, the materials will be assessed by a supervisor and may be refused if it is deemed too large. Advice on disposal options will be offered at time of assessment.
All of the above items can be disposed of and recycled, free of charge, at a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
If you have a re-usable item that could be donated to charity, please call the National Reuse Phoneline on 0800 0665 820 or contact our local Charities and Furniture recycling projects to arrange an uplift free of charge.
Items for uplift must be presented at the nearest point of collection for the vehicle, usually at the front of the property.
Uplifts take place seven days a week. An appointment date will be provided when you make your request.
Charges have been recently introduced to the special uplift service for certain items and types of material. To help residents understand the reasons for introducing these charges, view the Special Uplift Report 2014 approved by the Environmental Services Committee, which permitted the introduction of these charges.
There are no restrictions to the number of WEEE (Fridges and other electrical goods) uplifts, or charges applied, for these types of uplift.
Before requesting a special uplift, please review the list of items that can be uplifted free of any charges.
Request a special uplift using an online form
Other ways to request a special uplift
Visit our scheduling and appointments page below for information on when you can expect your special uplift to be done.
Please use the 'contact us' box if you have any questions. For more information, see 'related pages', 'downloads' or 'other useful websites'.
Special uplifts
How special uplifts appointments are scheduled


text:
The new feature targets engineers of turbochargers and pumps and can be used with the blade design module of CAESES.
Various export types are available for this domain, to have a robust and automated remeshing within design studies and shape optimizations.
More information can be found on the CAESES website.
[ Post Comment ]
< Easy FEA, CFD & Electromagnetics Simulation | Removing CAD Tools Ambiguity >
Comment Display Control
-1: 0 comments
0: 0 comments
1: 0 comments
2: 0 comments
3: 0 comments
4: 0 comments
5: 0 comments
No Comments
Newest First (Ignore Threads)
Highest Scores First
Oldest First (Ignore Threads)
Oldest First
Newest First
Comment Display Control
The following comments are owned by whoever posted them.
We are not responsible for them in any way.


text:
Revelation Online Assassin Class - Early Leveling, Combat & New ZoneCategory: Preview Game: Revelation Posted on Dec 21, 2016 9:09 am 2951Views 1Comments
The day the Assassin class went live on the CN client for Revelation Online, I gave it a try.
My first impressions are pretty good, but I find it a bit odd that you can only choose a loli as the female preset. From the Assassin trailer they showed off a male and female, both of them looking mature and badass. So.. it was a bit odd. Maybe they will add more presets and body types later.
The early skills are amazing. 10 minutes into the assassin and you already have cooler looking skills than most of the other classes. I ran the first solo dungeon and ended up in a new questing zone. I believe this update came with new zones for every class. Netease continues to bring new and amazing content to Revelation Online (CN) which means we will get it as well. I think we should get the assassin class shortly after OBT if not at launch of OBT.
You can check out this video made from a past broadcast over on my Twitch to see the Assassin in action.
I also want to make a correction, the bike is not the Assassin class mount but is an event mount.


text:
안녕 everyone!! EEEKKKKK I'm super super exciting about this review!!
As the title says I'll be reviewing Limecrime's Mint To Be, seriously I've been totally wanting to get this lipstick for a lonnng time believe me! But trying to find a place that sells it here in the UK, or finding somewhere that doesn't cost the earth for shipping charges was a nightmare to find. But I finally got my hands on one!! Seriously girls you won't believe how excited I am to have this lipstick!!
If you saw me you'd know that I seriously love matte lipsticks. I have a load of them in an array of colours most of which are from Mac. But I seem to have a tendency to go for a classic red or a deep burgundy/red/brown (that's a mouth full haha). However recently I've been wanting to get a green lipstick, green is totally unique and a colour that is extremely difficult to find! After seeing Mint to Be on Limecrime's site I fell in love and just had to get it!
By the way does anyone know where I can get a deep green lipstick? I really want a lipstick darker than Mint to Be.
Anyway I digress...
Mint to be is a gorgeous pastel mint green colour. In this photo it looks true to the colour it is in real life, however in the photos at the end of this post it's got a blue-ish look to it. But it is actually a true mint green.
Mint to be comes in an absolutely gorgeously cute purple bullet, with a silver holographic unicorn on the side. All of limecrime packaging is so cute especially their lip gloss! They've done a really good job with the packaging a big thumbs up from me :)
Swatch time^^
I apologise for my super pale skin my skin really has no colour at all this time of the year Haha><
Mint to be is super opaque and I only applied this lipstick once to get this colour pay off. It's super moisturising and feels really nice on the lips. Cause of the colour and type of lipstick I wasn't expecting it to be so pigmented it's really a lovely lipstick. I highly recommend this lipstick and the whole of the Limecrime line if you like colourful and unique makeup. One of the best things about Limecrime is that they are Vegan and cruelty-free I really love that about them.
♥♥♥♥♥ 5/5 Love it!
When wearing Mint to be I tend to keep my eye makeup pretty plain, cause I want the focus to be on my lips. So here I just made sure my face is clear of imperfections, concealing dark circles and any blemishes. For the eyes I washed a light colour all over my eye lids one that is a shade pretty much the same as my skin tone. Then to make the eyes pop I added some liner, a simple black liner and bold lips will always work well together.
Girls what do you think, will you be getting Mint to be?
Have you tried Limecrime before?
Let me know in the comments below:)
Thank you for reading
Until next time
Bye Bye


text:
Here are the posters that have been designed for decorating the party for Little Princess next year.
The images used on the posters are mostly from The Graphics Fairy, and posters were created using Photoshop and Pixlr-o-matic.
The free fon'ts were found at iDiY
Friday, November 25, 2011
Circus Carnival Extravaganza Posters
1 comments:
- Kelly said...
neat - I'm doing carnival for Elijah's birthday in January but it will be low key
- November 25, 2011 at 7:48 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Narangi is an Android app designed with the help of friends at the HomiBhabha Center for Science Education. It lets you draw with your finger in black on orange, and also sense what you have drawn -- when you move your finger on the screen, the device vibrates when there is black color under your finger. To clear screen, change the phone orientation from landscape to portrait or vice versa.
Watch a short video on Narangi.
Do you have any app ideas for people who are deaf-blind? If so, email Dr. Arun Mehta at arun (dot) mehta (at) gmail (dot) com.


text:
Free Shipping Days from 1 to 5 | Shipping Method Standard delivery
It is really annoying to see technical problems when you are using Avira antivirus. At this time, connecting with Avira Help Number UK is the best possible way to resolve the issue and for that, our toll-free help desk is 24 hours opened. Our technicians are highly experienced and resolve nay tech issue in a short while. get more info: http://www.geekwebservices.co.uk/anti-virus-support/support-for-avira/
Specific details
Condition For parts/Not working
71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom, WC2H 9JQ
Advert details
Advert ID: 34642
Viewed: 1312
Expires: 21-07-2020 10:33:59


text:
Bahala kayo! Robredo won't order LP lawmakers to leave 'supermajority'
Vice President Leni Robredo is leaving it up to her party mates from the Liberal Party to decide whether they should stay in the supermajority coalition in the House of Representatives since their counterparts from the Senate have already joined the minority.
"Tingin ko kasi na it's a decision na dapat sila ay gumawa. Kasi hindi naman ako bahagi doon," Robredo told reporters after attending a forum at the University of the Philippines Los Baños Friday (April 21).
While the Vice President acknowledged there was a previous agreement with her party mates in the House to support the administration, she said there's no stopping any one of them from joining the minority coalition.
"Gawin yung lahat ng magkakaya para maging supportive sa administration, iyon ang decision. At iyong hindi nagsang-ayon doon, iyon ang sumali sa minority," she said.
LP president Senator Francis Pangilinan, and Senators Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima and Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV jumped ship to the minority early this year in a major reshuffle in the Senate.


text:
Mainz maintain perfect start
Mainz maintained their perfect start to the Bundesliga season with a 2-0 win over 10-man Wolfsburg at the Coface Arena.
Last Updated: 24/08/13 5:53pm
Mainz maintained their perfect start to the Bundesliga season with a 2-0 win over 10-man Wolfsburg at the Coface Arena.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Nicolai Muller scored as Thomas Tuchel's men made it three wins out of three to join Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table.
To make matters worse for Wolfsburg, they had new signing Luiz Gustavo sent off as they lost their second game of the season.
Mainz appeared happy to sit back and let Wolfsburg tire themselves out in the first half, rarely touching the ball but at the same time keeping their opponents at a safe distance from their goal.
On the break, Mainz had the first big chance of the game, but Shinji Okazaki lost his nerve with only Diego Benaglio to beat and sent in a tame shot.
A goal-line clearance from Nikolce Noveski prevented Vieirinha from giving Wolfsburg the lead in the 28th minute before Diego missed the target for the guests.
Mainz changed their tactics in the second half and started to attack more often, although it was Ja-Cheol Koo who went close to opening the scoring early on with Heinz Muller making a fine one-handed save.
Mainz took the lead after an hour's play when Choupo-Moting converted from a corner.
The Wolves were reduced to 10 men when Gustavo picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Muller, who then netted Mainz's second and his fourth of the season.
He had no problem beating Benaglio after being put through by Johannes Geis and Mainz held on for their third consecutive win of the season.


text:
Schmitt's comments have sparked dialogue and he's not the only one that feels the way he does about the Planetary Society's position. This will be updated as I see more responses.
Here is the text below:
I wholeheartedly agree with Harrison's views in this matter. Attempting
to bypass Luna on the way to Mars is a mistake. There are several
reasons why:
1. Luna is interesting and valuable by itself. No matter how much more
interesting and valuable Mars maybe, the fact remains that Luna is the
best place in the Solar System to study the System's formation; it's an
abundant source of high-value metals such as titanium and aluminium; is
also an abundant source of helium-3, the best known fuel for nuclear
fusion; will be a preferable tourist destination for most Earthlings,
tourism already having been identified as the industry most likely to
initiate and drive a space colonisation effort; and will be the perfect
place to set up large deep space telescope arrays.
2. Practice for Mars. You don't sail to the Americas using brand-new
untested technology when you haven't even been to Ireland. Luna is the
perfect place to test a wide range of colonisation technologies before
taking them to Mars, with the distinctly significant advantage that if
anything goes wrong, the astronauts will be only a couple of days from
Earth and not 6-9 months. On Luna we will need technology for
non-fossil-fuel energy production; water mining, recycling and
purificiation; air production and recycling; production of steel, glass,
cement and other materials; dust mitigation; environment control; food
production; transportation; communications; etc., etc. While there will
be variations between the equipment developed for the two worlds, many
of the same problems exist, and developing the tools for Luna first will
be a much safer approach and will save time and decrease risk when we do
go to Mars. Apollo is the most successful space mission ever, yet the
first 10 missions did not descend to the lunar surface; their function
was to test every aspect of the technology and the mission before
putting it all together. We need to take the same safe, step-by-step
approach when colonising Mars.
To bypass Luna is short-sighted, impatient and dangerous.
shares many of the same views and vision for future space exploration. It is unfortunate
the society has lost focus, but I am glad Dr. Schmitt brought these issues to light.
Xxx X. Xxxx
UHH Geology graduate
Moon Society/Lunar Development World Map
Courtesy of James Rogers of Lunarpedia
View Larger Map
Blog Archive
- On Orbit XIV
- The Space Show
- Carnival of Space #80
- Kayuga (Selene)
- NASA Tests Lunar Rovers And Oxygen Production Tech...
- Responses to Schmitt's Email to The Planetary Soci...
- Tire/Wheel Analogue Developed for Lunar Rover
- On Orbit XIII
- Harrison H. Schmitt leaves NAC and The Planetary S...
- Carnival of Space #79
- The Space Show
- On Orbit XII
- Hubble Announcement
- They're Made Out of Meat
- On Orbit XI
- Major Hubble Telescope Announcement Coming
- The Space Show
- On Orbit X
- Raise shields!
- NASA Serves as Contractor for Odyssey Moon
- ▼ November (20)
18 November 2008
Responses to Schmitt's Email to The Planetary Society
Posted by Alexander Declama at 12:16
Labels: Space advocacy
1 comments:
- Dissertation Help said...
This blog is very nice and informative. it is pretty hard task but your post and experience serve and teach me how to handle and make it more simple and manageable.
Dissertation Help | Custom Dissertation
- April 5, 2010 at 2:27 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
- Photo sizesSquare
✔ Thumbnail
XXS - tiny
XS - extra small
S - small
M - medium
L - large
Home / Lorain County / 14-47 Sandstone Center of the World [9]
- 14-47 Historic Marker
- 14-47 Grindstone made from local sandstone
- 14-47 Sandstone Town Hall at Marker Site
- 14-47 Sandstone Eagle Statue at Marker Site
- 14-47 Sandstone Eagle Statue at Marker Site
- 14-47 Marker
- 14-47 Cleveland Quarries in Amherst, Ohio (Om3028)
- 14-47 Sandstone Center of the World, Amherst
- 14-47 Sandstone Quarry
- Title, side A
- Sandstone Center of the World
- Text, side A
- The City of Amherst was founded in 1811. Beginning in 1847, Amherst developed and prospered around the sandstone industry and its associated quarries. This sandstone proved to be an important economic blessing to our early settlers and is the foundation of Amherst's existence. Amherst sandstone shows lines of stratification or bedding when exposed in sections. Its natural beauty is enhanced by a virtual spectrum of rich and unique colors including deep reds, browns, yellows, and shades of gray. Amherst sandstone is well known for its quality, durability, and rich texture and has been utilized across our nation and throughout the world. Amherst is literally and figuratively built upon a rock, which extends deep in the earth.
- Sponsors
- Ohio Bicentennial Commission, Longaberger Company, Amherst Committee for the Ohio Bicentennial, and The Ohio Historical Society
- Address
- 206 S. Main Street
Amherst, OH 44001
- Location
- City Hall, 206 S. Main Street


text:
A woman suffered serious burns to her legs after a public toilet exploded.
The alleged incident was apparently caused by a build-up of methane gas in the lavatory at a bar in Barcelona, Spanish police are quoted as saying.
The fumes are said to have been ignited when the woman flicked on the light switch, causing a spark.
She was reportedly sitting on the loo at the time and later received skin grafts after suffering second and third degree burns.
Methane gas had apparently built up in the toilet because of poor ventilation and hygiene.
The victim has since taken the bar to court over the incident, Catalunya Radio reports.


text:
I thought WWE Hell in a Cell on Sunday would set up and possibly lock in the champions heading into WrestleMania XXX.
Now, with Randy Orton as WWE champion and John Cena as world heavyweight champion, I'm not so sure.
I was very surprised and disappointed that WWE didn't have Daniel Bryan win the WWE title.
That sentiment was shared by Daytona Beach's Gary Van Auken, who attended the event in Miami.
"Bryan losing was a huge disappointment," Van Auken said. "It's like four months in a row now. Everybody in the building is chanting for Daniel Bryan. It happens outside the arena and during other matches.
"I don't think they're going to drag it (his eventual title win) out. But I think eventually it'll be Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H."
Van Auken thought the crowd was solid.
"They were into it," Van Auken said. "They started off really well and then hit a lull in the middle with some non-suspenseful matches."
Although I thought the triple-threat match was somewhat busy, Van Auken enjoyed it.
"It was the most exciting match," Van Auken said. "It was a good match all along, with some good spots like the superplex to the outside. Everybody was rooting for Goldust and Cody Rhodes."
And as for John Cena?
"We loved Cena winning," Van Auken said. "The crowd all night was either doing the "Yes!" or "Cena" chants throughout the show.
"There were also a lot of 'We want Ziggler' chants, as he was visible commentating."
I asked Van Auken about Paul Heyman being on top of the steel-cage structure for the CM Punk vs. Ryback match.
"We forgot he was up there," Van Auken said. "It was a neat idea. As soon as he went up there, it locked in that Punk had to win."
Great point.
Thanks for your comments, Gary.
Now, let's review:
Damien Sandow beats Kofi Kingston. REACT: This match was thrown together, as Big E. Langston vs. Curtis Axel was scrapped due to Axel's injury. This match even had a commercial during it. Smart to have Sandow win, but nothing special here. Pretty average. PICK: None.
WWE Tag Team Title Match
Cody Rhodes/Goldust beat The Usos and Seth Rollins/Roman Reigns. REACT: I thought this match was too busy. It had its strong points, highlighted by the superplex to the floor by Rhodes on Seth Rollins. Awesome move. Goldust and Rhodes continue to shine. PICK: I'm 1-0.
The Miz calls out Bray Wyatt, is beaten down by Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, who get beaten down by the returning Kane, who chokeslams The Miz. REACT: This was a filler segment to try to advance a feud. It was confusing, though, as Kane assisted The Miz and then chokeslammed him.
Fandango/Summer Rae beat The Great Khali/Natalya. REACT: I reported here recently that Summer Rae would start getting a push. The result supports that theory. Summer Rae, and even Natalya, were halfway decent in the match. Fandango couldn't do much with the huge and slow Khali. Nice job, ladies. PICK: None.
Big E Langston beats Dean Ambrose by countout. REACT: Awesome matchup on paper, but these two didn't deliver a great one. Smart to have no clean winner, as Langston is starting to get a huge push and Ambrose shouldn't be losing to stop his momentum. I think these two just need a few more matches together. PICK: None.
Handicap Hell In a Cell Match
CM Punk beats Ryback. REACT: Yes, Ryback is officially in the doghouse. I couldn't stand how Paul Heyman was on top of the cage the entire match. What was the point of that? These two, sadly, didn't work well together. No fault of their own, necessarily, but just a bad matchup. The best part of this match was the post-match with Punk climbing to the top of the cage and beating down Heyman with the kendo stick. PICK: I'm 1-1.
Los Matadores beat Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro. REACT: Nothing great here. I'm glad Los Matadores got a much-needed win, but I'm surprised it came with the pin and then humiliation from Torito on Antonio Cesaro. I counted 29 rotation swings by Cesaro, and I believe his TV record is 30. Win there, but this match wasn't that great. PICK: I'm 2-1.
World Heavyweight Title Match
John Cena beat Alberto Del Rio. REACT: I couldn't stand how WWE teased Sandow cashing in several times during this match. Really, though, it made sense to have Cena win here and not lose the belt to Sandow. It's John Cena, for crying out loud. I just can't figure out the direction WWE is going with this title. Maybe a unification bout at WrestleMania? The match was very slow, especially early on. I believe it was because Cena was somewhat limited coming off injury. The match wasn't that horrible compared to the rest of this card, though. PICK: I'm 2-2, then 2-3 for the cash-in prediction.
WWE Divas Title Match
AJ Lee beats Brie Bella. REACT: Pretty average Divas match. I'm glad AJ retained the title, but what the heck is next for the Divas division? PICK: I'm 2-4.
Hell In a Cell for the WWE Title
Randy Orton beats Daniel Bryan.
Special Referee: Shawn Michaels.
REACT: Sad Triple H and Shawn Michaels stealed the spotlight from Orton and Bryan. I don't get it. Nor do I get Bryan losing this match. Enough is enough with Bryan not being champion. This is right up there now with The Rock beating John Cena at WrestleMania. I want to know the real story behind this. Does WWE really just not have faith in Bryan as a champion? I'm starting to believe this. Orton and Bryan put on what was probably the best match of the night, but that's not saying much. The ending was rather busy with HHH and HBK spending too much time chatting. I liked Bryan taking out HHH, and I'm not stunned HBK took out Bryan to lead to the pin. I understand Big Show was "threatened with arrest" if he showed up, but that left little options to assist Bryan. PICK: I'm 2-5.
ANALYSIS: There of the nine matches/segments were unannounced. That's not what is best for business. While Axel reportedly had an injury, that's bad planning. Other than Cena and Orton winning the belts — which is big for the history books — this was a very dry PPV. Nothing great. Nothing shocking. No five-star matches. And HHH and HBK hogging the spotlight at the end of a world-title match, with Bryan losing yet again. GRADE: D+.
WHAT'S NEXT: JAWBreaker plans to attend Monday Night Raw in Orlando. I'd like to see Bryan win the WWE title, but I know that won't happen. I'd go as far as saying we're more likely to see a unification world title match at WrestleMania XXX between Orton and Cena. Sadly, that might be what HHH thinks is best for business. I totally disagree. WWE is missing its chance and losing fans day-by-day with every Bryan title-match loss.
Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth, Kaitlyn and Josh Mathews host WWE kick-off show. REACT: Ziggler has dropped that far now? Shaking my head…
Konnan said he would get rid of Brad Maddox, JoJo, Rosa Mendes, Curtis Axel, 3MB and Aksana. Konnan said he would push Dolph Ziggler and Antonio Cesaro. REACT: I agree 100 percent with Konnan's pushes. I don't have any major problem with his de-pushes.
Carter familiy looking to sell TNA Wrestling? REACT: This doesn't shock me. Of the rumored buyers, I think Jeff Jarrett and WWE would be ahead of Viacom and Eric Bischoff.


text:
On casual visits to Tlatelolco, one may not realize the depth of the majesty at one's feet. Beneath today's avenues and the enormous apartment blocks, there is still, always, the memory of one of the most striking islands of the old Mexico-Tenochtitlan. It's still a site so relevant to Mexico City, that the idea of Cuauhtémoc here asking Cortes to kill him, is practically a living echo. That the final Aztec warriors gave their lives, here, to a lost cause, could have been what happened yesterday.
The very soil of Tlatelolco bears so much history that archaeologists have almost considered excavating it just too important to the capital district. A few years ago, the suspicion that only a part of the pre-Hispanic city had been unearthed was confirmed, with the clarity of a bell. Excavations in the neighboring Colonia Guerrero, led to the in 2016 discovery of the base of an immense pyramid. Once a sacred precinct, it had been built some 650 years ago and dedicated to the worship of Echécatl-Quetzalcoatl, a relentless god of the wind.
The vestiges of the temple, made from tezontle and stucco, are well preserved. Three meters below the pavement they seem eager to tell their story to city residents and to see light again. In the dark these many centuries, a supermarket had been built on top, and this was recently demolished to give way to a planned larger shopping center.
In addition to this impressive architectural vestige, the site has also revealed a series of tools from the time: spines of maguey, the winches of looms, pottery shards and even the remains of a newborn baby. All the pieces together help to explain this past, full of enigmas.
The discovery by specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) was such that the excavations have answered many archaeological questions. The pre-Hispanic monument all but gives an entirely new face to the already emblematic neighborhood. Around the pyramid base, a wall is planned with glass observatory windows so that visitors can safely view the entire excavated area.
On every walk you take in Mexico City, remember that, always, beneath your feet are likely the memories and monuments, of people just like you, who walked in these same spectacular places.
Main Image (above): La Jornada
Though the internet makes lots more information available to lots more people, Mexico City libraries have simply not been supplanted. Charged with continually re-inventing themselves, and their places in the public imagination, one can still encounter eras gone by and great historical minds in a library as in few other places.
Knowledge, after all, belongs to everyone. Opening a book, reading it at a study, or just meeting in the silence of one these Mexico City libraries enhances concentration, and provides a welcome respite from everything going on out there in the world.
Of all Mexico City libraries, the oldest were part of the church and one or another of its offshoot organizations. Among these was the Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, founded in the 1530s and surviving today as the Biblioteca José María Lafragua. Most of these ecclesiastical libraries were not truly open to the public, and Mexico had to wait for the National Library of Mexico, inaugurated by Benito Juárez in 1867 to enjoy the benefits of a truly public library system.
The list below is intended to let you enjoy some of that system, too.
Opened just ten years ago, in 2006, the Vasconcelos is visited by thousands for the sheer spectacle of its innovative design. Graced by the iconic whale from artist, Gabriel Orozco, it's always a good library for art and visual spectacle. The facade retains something of a colonial appearance, but for sheer scale, and jaw-dropping space, the interior must be experienced.
Address: Eje 1 Norte Mosqueta S / N, Buenavista
We've written a lot about it in these pages, but the UNAM library with the Juan O'Gorman murals remains one of the most outstanding of all Mexico City libraries. As a UNESCO site with some 428,000 volumes in the collection, it's the biggest in Mexico, but lots of folks visit just to see the facade and the surrounding grounds.
Address: Circuito Interior S / N, Coyoacán, Ciudad Universitaria
Opened by Benito Juárez in 1867, there's still a good one million books inside, today administered by the folks from UNAM. Originally located in the San Agustín church in the city center, the current building was opened in 1979. Geometric, and massive, it's an extraordinary place to visit.
Address: Av. Universidad 3000, Coyocacan
Specializing in economic materials, this collection of some 86,350 books and 114,852 journals is administered by the Secretary of Finance and Public Credit. Founded in 1928, it's one of the cities true public art spectacles. Inside the main nave of the old Oratory of San Felipe Neri "El Nuevo," the baroque façade outside is just the beginning. Inside, the murals are futuristic, and not to be missed.
Address: Av. República de el Salvador 49, Centro Histórico, col. Centro Histórico
One of Centro's truly outstanding historical buildings, for centuries it was the convent of the Clarisas from the 16th century. Today it's something like a "Library of Congress" with a stunning collection of publications and artifacts, but also with a lush, deep, dark intellectual interior, that beckons from centuries past.
Address: Tacuba 29, Centro Histórico
Photographs this page: Flickr – Creative Commons
Mexico City's Tepito neighborhood has for a millennia history offered resistance, rebellion, and hope. Tenochtitlan relegated dissidents to Tepito's crooked alleys. The "brave neighborhood," even hundreds of years later, is still marginalized and bent on survival. Somehow residents seem to bear that history in the very DNA.
With a reputation for violence, deprivation, and overcrowding, some of the great characters of Mexican history have come from Tepito. The cradle of Mexican boxing, in the 1970s an important literary movement emerged in Tepito, and the neighborhood has contributed as much to the culture of the city and country as have many, much wealthier places.
Among all the stories of people whose hard work is performed with an enviable dignity, there are thousands of women who carry out similar work for their families. Resident Mayra Valenzuela Rojas remarked, "In Tepito there's a matriarchy (…) Every woman has her own story. Each of us is a spark, but together we are lighting a candle for Tepito."
German photographer, Anja Jensen, is currently exhibiting her work in a show called "Ciudadanas-Caminamos a oscuras" (Citizens-We Walk in the Dark). Having spent months in Tepito, she's documented the women challenging the stereotypes of the neighborhood.
Jensen was assaulted and threatened, but she was also clothed and cared for by the women who opened their stories and lives to her. The result is a series photographs, "Las Cabronas de Tepito," (Bad Girls of Tepito) a collective portrait of the matriarchy whose fervor makes the neighborhood better and regularly improves the lives of the people living there.
The photographs will be exhibited through February 12, 2017, as part of the Mexico-Germany Dual Year, at the German Pavilion on the Plaza Rio de Janeiro, in Roma Norte.
Photo: letraroja.com


text:
In a surprising finding, it has been revealed that close to a fifth of students are unemployed six months after they graduate from universities in Britain. This is a remarkably worrying situation, considering most of the students in question spent three years at school and took out loans to pay their tuition.
The rate of unemployment is different for various universities, showing that where you go to school matters more than people would think. For example, London South Bank University has an unemployment rate of 22.6% for students six months after they graduated. This figure is considerably lower for institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and UCL.
Studies have shown that individuals with eReaders, or those who read eBooks on their computer, will read more than those who stick to traditional paperback books. With online libraries now on par with or surpassing the levels of traditional libraries, using the internet as a resource is of paramount importance. Instead of looking around a local bookstore for the textbook you need, simply find the appropriate eBook on the internet and begin reading.
While creating your resume and applying to jobs, it is important to use the internet as a reference point. Instead of filling out applications by hand, everything can now be done online. You can also read job applications, online courses and other training manuals on your computer. Not only does this enable you to gain a great deal of knowledge, but it allows you to do so at a speed that you are comfortable with.
Take time to reevaluate yourself in terms of the skills that you possess and the jobs that you are right for. Participate in online studies, online IQ tests and quizzes that give you an idea about your general knowledge. Download books or IQ tests onto your eReader or computer that are relevant to your field of choice.
With digital reading you can store thirty, forty, or fifty books onto your hard drive without giving it an extra thought. Imagine having to keep track of that many hardcover books! Digital reading is the best way to ensure that you are well educated, prepared, and confident when going into the job interviews that could determine your short and long term future.


text:
While prisoners may have lost their right to freedom based on their crime and conviction, they still retain the same fundamental constitutional rights that free citizens do, with few exceptions. The exceptions involve rights that would conflict with the prison system's ability to safely, effectively and efficiently run the institution, those that would risk the safety of prison staff, the public or other inmates, and any right that is in opposition to the basic prisoner status, and governmental interests of the state. The three governmental interests that have been defined as establishing a necessity to curtail inmates' rights are: "maintenance of internal order and discipline; securing the institution against unauthorized access or escape; and rehabilitation of prisoners" (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005, p. 4).
When prisoners feel their constitutional rights have been violated they first need to attempt to address the issue through administrative channels at the institution they are housed at. This requirement was mandated by the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) passed in April 1996 in attempts to reduce the number of Section 1983 lawsuits filed in federal court. If administrative remedies do not satisfactorily solve the prisoner's dilemma then the prisoner has the right to file a Section 1983 lawsuit in federal court. The purpose of a § 1983 lawsuit is to "improve prison or jail conditions and/or obtain monetary damages from prison officials". If the suit succeeds, case law will set precedent that will not only better things for the prisoner filing the lawsuit but for all prisoners, as the new case law will set new exacting standards on prison conditions and/or the treatment of inmates in regards to various issues. (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005).
Case law throughout the years has specified specific constitutional rights that cannot be denied to inmates, as well as other constitutional rights that can be curtailed. The general criterion that is used to determine whether a specific policy within an institution may or may not violate a prisoner's rights involves asking a simple question: Does the policy that restricts the inmate's right serve a legitimate penological interest? If so, then the policy will not be deemed unconstitutional even if it essentially diminishes a particular constitutional right for the inmate. In Turner v. Safley (1987), the Court defined four tests to determine if a jail or prison policy was valid (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005, p. 9):
- whether there is a valid, rational connection between the regulation and the legitimate government interest put forward to justify it;
- whether there are alternative means of exercising the right that remain open to prisoners;
- the impact that accommodation of the asserted right will have on correctional officers and inmates, and on the allocation of prison resources generally; and
- The existence of ready alternatives to the regulation.
If an institutional policy passes the above four tests, then the inmate's constitutional rights may be denied. While individuals in the custody of the state do retain many of their constitutional rights, the same rights provided to law-abiding citizens, many of these rights have been diminished based on case law which has declared various penological interests as taking precedence to the rights of inmates. (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005).
Case Scenario
An offender was sentenced for two years for his third grand theft, and was moved to a state prison. During his second week, he was subjected to abuse and humiliation—hazing—from some other prisoners. This treatment continued unchecked, so he informed prison guards on two separate occasions of the abuse during his third week. The prison guards ignored his complaints because they did not want to upset the customary prison ritual of older prisoners scaring the new ones. The guards assumed that he would eventually fit into the prison culture.
However, his complaints led to him being beaten up by other prisoners. He pleaded with a prison guard to transfer him to another wing in the prison because of the continued abuse he was receiving. The authorities denied his request. He was ultimately raped and beaten, repeatedly by several prisoners, over a span of two weeks before being transferred. He also contracted two sexually transmitted diseases during the assaults. Subsequently, he brought a suit against the state for cruel and unusual punishment.
Deliberate Indifference
Deliberate indifference is a phrase coined by the Supreme Court in Estelle v. Gamble (1976) and has been used since in many different cases. Depending on the type of case being referred to, the meaning of "deliberate indifference" can vary. In conditions-of-confinement cases, such as the case scenario above, it essentially means a "culpable state of mind"; however, it can also mean "obduracy and wantonness" in deadly use of force cases, "using force maliciously and sadistically to cause pain" in non-deadly use of force cases, and the "unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain" in medical cases (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005, p. 99).
Wilson v. Seiter (1991) states that, "Deliberate indifference is required for liability in conditions-of-confinement cases. In conditions-of-confinement cases under § 1983, deliberate indifference means a 'culpable state of mind' on the part of prison officials." (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005, p. 15). Essentially, what this means is that prisoners have to be able to prove ill intent by the official or institution that they are filing a claim against–negligence is not enough; the official has to have willfully and knowingly, with ill intent or indifference, caused damage to the prisoner. Needless to say, this makes it very difficult for inmates to succeed in conditions-of-confinement cases. (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005).
In the scenario presented above, the inmate's plight began with the guards having no ill intent in not transferring the inmate, nor did they "know" that the inmate would be harmed. If the harm that befell the inmate had occurred over one evening, followed by a transfer once the guards realized the inmate had suffered rape and other injuries, then based on Wilson v. Seiter (1991), there is a good possibility that the inmate's suit would not succeed. However, the scenario states that "He was ultimately raped and beaten repeatedly by several prisoners over a span of two weeks before being transferred." The length of exposure to this abuse eliminates the possibility of the guards claiming they did not "know" the inmate was in danger. Allowing this abuse to continue against the inmate for a period of two weeks implies deliberate indifference on the part of these guards. The inmate would more than likely have a successful § 1983 suit against the guards and the prison. Of course, before filing his § 1983 suit he would have to exhaust all administrative remedies first in order that his suit is not dismissed by the Court (a requirement of the PLRA discussed above).
The guards, being official employees of a state prison, can be personally held responsible for the harm caused to the prisoner. While state employees acting "under color of law" retain qualified immunity, meaning they cannot be sued for "doing their job", they do not have absolute immunity. In cases of deliberate indifference toward an inmate which causes harm to the inmate, the prison guards can be held personally responsible for their negligent actions. If the guards had notified their superiors about the situation and were ordered not to transfer the inmate, essentially making the negligent decision their superiors and not their own, then it is doubtful that the prison guards would be held personally responsible, but outside of that possibility, the prison guards would be personally responsible for their actions or inaction. The inmate in this scenario would probably win not only an award of compensatory damages but punitive damages as well, as set by precedent in Smith v. Wade (1983). (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005).
Farmer v. Brennan
This scenario is similar to Farmer v. Brennan (1994) which states, "A prison official is not liable under the Eighth Amendment for injury inflicted on an inmate by other inmates 'unless the official knows of and disregards an excessive risk of harm to an inmate'. It is not enough for liability that 'the risk was so obvious that a reasonable person should have noticed it." (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005, p. 115). It should not be hard for the inmate's counsel to establish that the prison guards in the case scenario "knew and disregarded" an excessive risk of harm to the inmate–he was raped and harassed over a two week period after the guards had already been made aware of his hazing by the other inmates.
City of Canton, Ohio v. Harris et al. (1989)
Canton v. Harris (1989) answered the question: Can a municipality be held liable under 42 USC § 1983 for constitutional violations resulting from its failure to train municipal employees? The Court said yes. In this particular case, the scenario involved failure by police officers to provide medical assistance for Harris after her arrest, rather than a scenario involving prisons. (ACLU, 2009). However, it can be safely assumed that a jail or prison could also be held responsible for constitutional violations against an inmate due to the institution failing to properly train its correctional officers. In the case scenario, it is possible that the prison guards could claim that they did not "know" there was serious risk to the inmate, but if that is accepted as true then prosecution could easily argue that the prison guards should have known and that their ignorance in this scenario is due to "gross failure" to train on the part of the institution. In that case, the institution would be held liable for not training its officers properly so that they could determine when an inmate was in grave harm.
Barriers to Filing Suit
Due to a massive increase in the number of § 1983 claims filed by inmates, legislation has attempted to curtail the clogging of the court systems with these claims in various ways. One of these ways was already discussed: the passage of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) in 1996 which creates several requirements (or barriers) that inmates must meet before they can file a § 1983 claim in federal court. These include: "the exhaustion of administrative remedies before inmates can file a lawsuit in federal court under Section 1983; a filing fee of $150 on every case an inmate files, unless the inmate is indigent; limiting attorney's fees to 150% of the hourly rate established for court-appointed attorney's; and the screening of inmate filings and the dismissal of frivolous or malicious lawsuits that fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted." (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005, p. 7).
With respect to the case scenario, the inmate will face the above barriers before he can file a § 1983 case in federal court. First, he will have to exhaust all administrative remedies set up by the institution. This may, in fact, be the toughest barrier for the inmate to traverse. In addition, once all administrative remedies have been exhausted, if he still wishes to file suit he will need to prepare the proper paperwork and come up with $150 to file it. This can be difficult for an inmate to do with limited job opportunities and low wages. If the inmate can prove indigence, the filing fee will be waived; however, proving indigence may be a barrier in and of itself.
Stop Prison Rape
The inmate can seek help from organizations like Stop Prison Rape (SPR). SPR, now known as Just Detention International (JDI), is a "national human rights organization that seeks to end sexual violence in all forms of detention" (Just Detention International, Inc., 2010). JDI includes the following goals in their mission statement: "to ensure government accountability for prisoner rape; to transform ill-informed public attitudes about sexual violence in detention; and to promote access to resources for those who have survived this form of abuse." (Just Detention International, Inc., 2010). In addition to being instrumental in the passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003, JDI has many services and programs to assist inmates such as the inmate from our case scenario.
Strengthening & Weakening the Case
The inmate in our scenario could not strengthen his claim by stating that a reasonable person would have noticed the risk to the victim. As mentioned above in review of Farmer v. Brennan, "It is not enough for liability that 'the risk was so obvious that a reasonable person should have noticed it." (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005, p. 115). In addition, the inmate has to show that the prison guards knowingly and with ill-intent or indifference caused the injury or harm.
Ironically, Farmer v. Brennan (1994), discussed previously, could be used to both strengthen and weaken the inmate's case. The inmate's case can be strengthened, by focusing on the fact that the inmate was abused and assaulted for a period of two weeks after having already informed the prison guards of "hazing" abuse against him by other inmates and requesting a transfer. As previously stated, it would be difficult for the prison guards to claim ignorance to the suffering the inmate experienced during those two weeks–it wasn't a one-time thing… he was abused again and again over a two-week period.
The victim's case could be weakened by the defense, however, by claiming that Farmer v. Brennan (1994) specifically sets precedent that a prison official is not responsible for injury or harm caused to an inmate by another inmate unless it can be proven that "the official knows of and disregards an excessive risk of harm to an inmate" (delCarmen, Ritter, & Witt, 2005, p. 115). Defense could argue that the prison guards were informed only of "hazing" concerns and that this behavior was standard toward new inmates in the institution, citing no previous incident of harm or injury being reported by inmates who had previously endured this hazing. Since a situation such as this had never arisen in the past due to hazing rituals, the Defense could argue that there was no way that the prison guards could have "known" that the inmate would suffer these assaults. Defense would also have to be able to prove that at no time during the two-week period in which these assaults were occurring, were the prison guards aware of any abuse above "hazing" (they were not cognizant of any serious physical or sexual abuse).
Case law has set many precedents that provide us with guidelines in many situations, and even specific tests to determine when an action or policy would be considered unconstitutional, and yet there are many cases that still leave professionals, and scholars alike, debating on what the outcome of the case would be if decided by the Supreme Court. This is perhaps one of those situations especially with only the information provided in the brief case scenario. The ruling would come down to whether the courts believed the prison guards knew of the ongoing assaults against the victim and still refused to transfer him. If the courts could be persuaded that the prison guards did not knowingly leave the victim in a dangerous situation and were unaware of the abuse he suffered over the two-week period, then the inmate's suit will fail, since prison officials are not responsible for harm caused to an inmate by another inmate unless they were aware of the danger and did nothing to prevent it. On the other hand, if the court believes that the officers were aware of the danger to the inmate, and for unknown reasons chose to leave the victim in the situation as opposed to transferring him, then the victim's suit would succeed.
Works Cited
ACLU. (2009, December 23). City of Canton, Ohio v. Harris et al. Retrieved March 16, 2010, from ProCon.org: http://aclu.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=523
delCarmen, R. V., Ritter, S. E., & Witt, B. A. (2005). Briefs of Leading Cases in Corrections. Albany: Lexis Nexis.
Just Detention International, Inc. (2010). Mission Statement. Retrieved March 16, 2010, from Just Detention International: http://www.justdetention.org/en/mission_statement.aspx


text:
A "Guest" blog from my daughter, Rebecca Feiler
Girls Inc. is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated
to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
Among other things they have programs that encourage
girls to excel in school, especially in math and
sciences, and has created innovative programs that
help girls confront subtle societal messages about
their value and potential, and prepare them to lead
successful, independent, and fulfilling lives.
Recently Girls Inc. collaborated with American Girl
(whose mission is to celebrate girls by selling
age-appropriate books, magazines, movies and dolls to
help foster girl's individuality, intellectual
curiosity, and imagination). Together they started an
"I can" campaign to encourage girls to "Believe in
yourself and each other. Believe in your power.
Believe in your strength."
The campaign is selling bracelets for $1 that ask
girls who wear the bracelet to make the "I can"
promise of : "I can be myself, follow my dreams, and
always do my best. I can reach for the stars, lend a
hand to others, and be a good friend. I can make a
difference! I promise to try."
Who would be against this empowerment of young women??
The American Family Association. The AFA has started
a petition to stop the campaign because Girls, Inc. is
"a pro-abortion, pro-lesbian advocacy group."
Unbelievable! This is infuriates me to the fullest
Here is the statement of "proof" that the AFA offers
to show that Girls Inc. is a bunch of lesbian, baby
Girls Incorporated encourages all girls to develop
positive sexual identities and to function comfortably
as responsible sexual beings...Girls have a right to
positive, supportive environments and linkages to
community resources for dealing with issues of sexual
...We recognize the right of all women to choose
whether, when, and under what circumstances to bear
children. Reproductive freedom and responsibility are
essential to other rights and opportunities, including
pursuit of education, employment, financial security
and a stable and fulfilling family life.
Here are the actual programs that the money raised
from the bracelets goes to:
Girls Inc. Operation SMART®, which builds skills in
science, math and technology;
Girls Inc. Discovery Leadership®, which develops
leadership skills and community awareness; and
Girls Inc. Sporting Chance®, which encourages athletic
skills, cooperative and competitive spirit, and an
interest in sports participation.
There are actual groups threatening to boycott
American Girl if they continue to collaborate with
Girl's Inc.
To show my support for the "I Can" campaign I bought
the bracelets and emailed the president of American
Girl that I support their collaboration with Girls
Click here to buy a bracelet.
Thanks for listening to my rant,


text:
Published Originally on Apigee
The chief digital officer has to juggle multiple priorities, foci, and investments, ranging from within the enterprise to its edge. Having been charged with growing an enterprise's business, CDOs need to enable their companies to successfully undergo a digital transformation. This digital transformation includes enabling the enterprise to plan, build, and maintain products as well as market to, sell to, acquire, retain, and support users through digital or digitally enhanced products and processes.
Defining a successful digital business strategy requires a deep understanding of users' preferences and behaviors and also requires the ability to track changes in user behavior and their consumption and demand patterns. Understanding users' preferences and behaviors requires the ability to track customer behavior over time and across channels. Tracking changes requires a set of analytics that enables the CDO to measure, at an aggregate level, the behavior of segments and micro-segments of users and also to understand, at the individual level, the current state, engagement, and problems faced by a user or a partner.
Building a digital enterprise requires the ability to track and accelerate innovation, agility, and experimentation in the enterprise. Democratizing access to data and building-block services for developers requires a systematic audit, curation, and exposure of enterprise capabilities as reusable APIs with the ability to track, monitor, and aid the usage of such services by developers and partners efficiently, quickly, and successfully.
Here are the six dimensions of an analytics plan that a CDO should build and track to enable better decision making.
Business KPIs
A CDO's main goal is to grow the enterprises' business. To achieve this, the CDO must track two key types of business KPIs: traditional business KPIs and digital KPIs.
Traditional Business KPIs are those that the enterprise uses to run the business, such as customers, average revenue per user (ARPU), churn, and revenue/profit.
Digital KPIs include traffic and revenue from digital touchpoints and the total and rate of acquisition of new users, customers, developers, partners, and devices. Tracking business KPIs involves tracking both the absolute numbers and the trends, which can signify changing consumption and demand patterns and serve to alert the CDO about potential problems with customer satisfaction or the services supply chain.
Specifically, a successful CDO will:
- set up organizational structure and processes to understand and attribute KPI changes to market, competitive, or product forces
- define marketing and product strategies to drive usage, revenue, customer, developer, and partner acquisition and retention
CDO's Business KPI Dashboard
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation can be defined as, and measured by, the acceleration of innovation and agility in an enterprise that ultimately leads to new, compelling user experiences and is marked by higher usage and revenue.
CDOs should measure the following aspects of digital transformation to detect organizational and personnel challenges around innovation, process roadblocks that hurt agility, and a lack of crisp product and/or platform positioning that impacts both reach and the level of partner and developer engagement.
Innovation: The ability of the enterprise to bring new, compelling products and services to market, measured in the APIs and apps delivered to users. New products can be defined as new products for existing users, products designed to attract new users, or new markets and products designed to attract users of competitive products.
Agility: The ability of the enterprise to improve its products and services, measured by the rate of improvement of apps and APIs. In other words, how quickly can an enterprise expose its services as APIs and how quickly and easily can these APIs be adopted by developers and consumed by apps?
Reach: The ability of the enterprise to attract new users, developers, and partners to their platform, products, and services, measured by the rate of new user, developer, and partner acquisition and the churn rate of these users, partners, and developers.
Time to Maturity: The time taken by APIs and apps to "go live" and be used by real users, as measured by the time from the first definition of the app or API to when it is available for consumption.
Partner and developer engagement: Developer and partner engagement with the enterprises' platform as measured by the rate and breadth of platform features usage over time, including the rate-of and time-to success of developers and partners.
Ecosystem density: The measure of the "consumption" and "supplier" relationships that an enterprise has with other businesses (through APIs). Let's take as an example an API that allows you to send photos to print from your mobile device. When used by and offered from services like Shutterfly, Flickr, and Instagram, for example, this API is the core of a much denser and robust ecosystem than if it were being used solely by any single app or website.
Similarly, say an app were to consume not only the print API but also APIs that offer users related services, such as viewing photos online and creating albums and slideshows. Then that app offers a richer experience to its users than if it only offered the print API functionality. The progress and success of an enterprise's digital transformation can be measured by the density of the ecosystem—by how connected and how integral a part the enterprise plays in its digital supply chains and how robust the complex partnership models and supply chains are.
Specifically, a successful CDO will:
- audit and optimize organizational setup and process efficiency regularly to understand rates of innovation and agility and identify internal roadblocks
- commision strategies for improvement of developer and partner engagement through new products and services and better support and training
- understand and remove bottlenecks in partner and developer onboarding, including the most common reasons for failed or prolonged onboarding process
CDO's Digital Transformation Dashboard
The most pronounced impact of a digital transformation is evident in the changing behavior and transaction patterns of an enterprises' users. Digital channels sometimes replace or cannibalize traditional channels, but more often they help and enhance multi-channel transactions. As customers navigate and interact with the enterprise across multiple channels, a CDO needs to be constantly aware of the shift in those customers' product access and acquisition patterns. This awareness is shuttled into strategic investment decisions across channels and often into building bridges between channels to enable easy context switching for users.
Channel awareness is turning out to be one of the key tenets of data-driven decision making for the CDO.
A successful CDO will:
- define product strategies to enable better cross-channel usage of your products and services
- define and design channel-specific workflows and cross-channel workflows to adapt to end user usage patterns
- track
- traffic and revenue by channel
- the most common channels where high value transactions begin and end
- transactions that transcend multiple channels
- users that use multiple channels to start and end transactions
- users that shift and change the channels through which they interact with the enterprise
CDO's Channel Tracking Dashboard
Apps and APIs
The CDO brings the app and API revolution to the enterprise by exposing old and arcane services as reusable, lightweight, and accessible APIs, designed to be consumed by lightweight and purpose-built apps.
CDOs track app and API metrics to understand and track the adoption, engagement, and usage of their products and services and to determine, optimize, and fine-tune investment decisions. Metrics include revenue, traffic, QoS, unique users, ratings of apps (consumer) and APIs (partner/developer), active apps, devices, and geo-distribution of traffic and revenue.
A successful CDO will:
- track and understand trends and changes in KPIs, inlcuding unique users, usage, and app ratings to implement product strategies to build better products
- use KPIs as an impetus to explore new market and customer segment opportunities and make timely investment decisions
CDO's Apps and APIs Dashboard
Developers and Partners
Developers and partners are the channels to grow the enterprise. A healthy developer community and a diverse partner ecosystem is a sign of a thriving enterprise and a leading indicator of digital success. CDOs should measure the cost and likelihood of developers and partners successfully onboarding to their platform and launching new and innovative apps that are desired and used by users. Metrics such as cost of developer acquisition (CODA), partner onboarding success rate, and partner onboarding time are key to tracking the health of the developer and partner community. At any point, the CDO should have information about the revenue and traffic from a partner/developer, the QoS experienced by the partner/developer, apps built by these partners and developers, and the unique users delivered via these apps. This information is used by the CDO to fine-tune developer/partner onboarding processes and to craft marketing strategies that attract, retain, and engage developers and partners.
A successful CDO will:
- define strategies to reduce cost of developer and partner acquisition and onboarding
- remove bottlenecks and provide a better developer experience to strengthen platform adoption
CDO's Developers and Partners Dashboard
News: Internal, Ecosystem, and External
Last but not least, CDOs need to stay abreast of relevant news and information that impacts their industry, ecosystem, enterprise, organization, or specific app or API team. CDOs should track how their apps and APIs are being talked about on social media, and listen to learn about product or service issues that are likely to cause dissatisfaction for developers, partners, and users. In addition, they should closely track how new releases and versions of their services, APIs, and apps impact usage and revenue.
A successful CDO will:
- manage the perception of a business' products and services on social media and arrest and address negative trends and user and developer dissatisfaction
- design and implement market and competitive research pipelines to uncover new trends and changing end-user behavior patterns
CDO's News & Releases Dashboard
A CDO is tasked with a challenging job: to be the chief digital strategist for the enterprise, and to shake up an enterprise and make it digitally relevant and able to successfully adapt to changing user preferences, behavior, expectations, and access patterns. A data-driven approach and culture is the best asset that a CDO can nurture in the enterprise to make objective decisions and track the impact of those decisions and actions.
If you are a CDO, we would love to hear from you about analytics and other techniques that you are using to bring about the digital revolution in your enterprise!


text:
Unrest spirals in Manipur over bills
The ongoing public unrest demanding the President's assent to three bills passed by the Manipur Assembly intensified today with supporters blocking the roads and students protesting on streets.
- Published 31.05.16
Imphal, May 30: The ongoing public unrest demanding the President's assent to three bills passed by the Manipur Assembly intensified today with supporters blocking the roads and students protesting on streets.
College students also threatened to join the agitation in support of the bills while women's organisations announced that they would join the movement from tomorrow.
Spearheaded by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit (ILP) System, civil society organisations and people in the valley have been agitating to force the Okram Ibobi Singh government and political parties to take up the bill issue with the Centre.
The current phase of agitation began after Ibobi Singh failed to take a political delegation to Delhi to meet President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh seeking the President's assent to the bills.
An all-party meet held on May 9 resolved to depute a political delegation to Delhi led by Ibobi Singh to seek the President's assent to the bills. The failure of the chief minister to take the delegation angered the bill supporters.
Following an intense agitation by the joint committee, the Manipur Assembly unanimously passed the Protection of Manipur People Bill, Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill and Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second amendment) Bill on August 31.
The bills are now awaiting the President's assent.
Today, the bill supporters turned out on the streets at various localities in the valley, blocking traffic. School students also left classes and held demonstrations in the streets in and around Imphal city.
The bill supporters were provoked by crackdowns on agitating students by police on Saturday and yesterday. More than 20 students were injured in crackdowns at Kwakeithel on the outskirts of the city on Saturday. Altogether 15 students were hospitalised after the police used water cannons to disperse the students in Imphal city yesterday.
The police action angered people, leading to road blocks at various places today. Women organisations today announced that they would join the agitation from tomorrow to protest the police action.
"The police are committing excesses while dealing with the students. We will join the agitation from tomorrow," L. Memchoubi, an activist, told reporters.
Similarly, students from 10 colleges in the valley today joined hands in support of the bills.
"The political party's delegation should visit Delhi by June 2. If they fail to do so by the deadline, the students of the 10 colleges will join the agitation from the next day," said Dhanachandra Khaidem, a spokesman for the students.
He said the students would shut down the administrative blocks of the colleges and would boycott if any examination came up.
The Ibobi Singh government deployed police personnel, equipped with adequate tear gas and smoke bombs.
The agitators marching towards the chief minister's office at Babupara were blocked by the police at various points.


text:
by Natalie Dest
Since her debut album "Don't Forget" back in 2008, singer/songwriter Demi Lovato has transcended from a Disney Channel star, to a pop sensation with a killer vocal range.
The 24-year-old has been in the spotlight since her notorious days of "Camp Rock," back when the Jonas Brothers were the hottest boy band of their generation. After years of battling her mental illness, Lovato has been viciously climbing the charts with her soulful yet daring pop hits. With chart topping tracks such as her summer anthem "Cool for the Summer," and break-up single "Really Don't Care," she continues to be recognized as one of the industry's best vocalists. To say the least, the girl can sing.
With five Billboard topping albums, Lovato consistently stuns her fans, better known as "Lovatics," with pure emotion and high ranged vocals into every release. Her fifth and newest album "Confident," released back in October 2015, was able to land her first ever 2017 Grammy nomination.
Lovato was up against former nominees Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Sia and Adele for Best Pop Vocal Album. All of these artists vary in style and vocal sound. However, it's the lyrics and soul that sets aside "Confident" from the rest of the albums nominated. In saying so, I'm not going to rule out the other artists as untalented or unworthy of a Grammy themselves. We've seen Grande deliver dynamic vocal performances herself, Bieber top number one on Billboard continuously, and Sia produce songs unlike no other. As for Adele, we saw her walk away with five Grammys herself that night, Best Pop Vocal Album being one of them. But as for Demi, it's a different category entirely. Unlike anyone in her generation, Demi delivers it all.
The album "Confident" embodies Lovato as a graduate teen, promoting self-empowerment and assertion of confidence (hence the album title). The first track titled "Confident," sets off the album with a sense of women empowerment and independence, as Lovato belts the lyrics "what's wrong with being confident?" Following this head-held-high strutting anthem, fans are met with Lovato's definite vocals on mid-tempo tracks that make her stronger-than-before presence clear. With it's distinct sound, the pop anthem "For You" is accompanied by a backup choir singing the lyrics, "For you I would do anything," as Lovato sings about summoning her inner strength.
In addition to these upbeat toe-tapping tracks such as "Stars" and "Yes," this album is highly noted for Lovato's soulful ballads that landed her the nomination slot. The lost love ballad dedicated to her dad entitled "Father," clearly demonstrates Lovato's talent of meaningful lyrics. Through her distinct pain, the lyrics "I know you were a troubled man. I know you never got the chance, to be yourself, to be your best. I hope that Heaven's given you a second chance," resonate as Lovato's soul belts the words. Similar to "For the Love of a Daughter" on past album "Unbroken," "Father" tells the story of her estranged relationship with her dad who had passed away in 2013.
However, no track on this album compares to her "post-break up" love ballad "Stone Cold," a deserving Grammy award winner within itself. We haven't seen such a raw track from Lovato since her 2012 post-treatment single "Skyscraper" and self-inflicting inspired "Fix a Heart."
"Stone Cold" is soulful emotion, a track that continues to emphasize Demi's powerhouse vocals and rawness, specifically seen within her live performances. With just the accompany of a piano, Lovato has her strongest track yet to date. She is seen to belt out each verse with a wistful feeling as her voice drops and breathes "I'm happy for you." Clearly drawing from a personal sense of pain, the lyrics "I'll take the pain, give me the truth. Me and my heart, we'll make it through," are directed towards a former lover who is no longer.
Chills are simply unavoidable when taking a listen to this track. It's almost certain that "Stone Cold" was the winning component to Lovato's record that landed her nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.
All of Demi's lyrics would lack their long lasting impact if it wasn't for her incredible, unlike no other vocal capability. All five albums demonstrate the range of her voice and the expression she creates with her music. Through both the low and high notes, her soul is beautifully sung through her extremely versatile and flexible voice. With Demi, you cannot just listen to one of her songs blankly. The amount of emotion poured into her voice is astounding, as if she's creating a masterpiece every time.
If Demi is constantly being recognized for her vocal and emotional power, the question remains; why is she still left empty handed? All in all, "Confident" is a dynamic pop production that let's Lovato's powerful voice soar to new emotional and vocal highs. Demi Lovato is no longer a Disney starlet, but rather a grown musician long overdue of her recognition. It's about time this artist walks away with a Grammy.


text:
Friday, November 4, 2016
Troop Program Ideas: Lemonades Umbrella
It's Fall again, and even in Texas it can get overcast and rainy. Be prepared for the rainy season with a Lemonades Umbrella!
Step 1 Start by running the painter's tape along the side of each of the arches on the umbrella like the example in the photo to the left. The tape should extend from the edge of the umbrella all the way to the center where the ferrule is (the metal tip).
Step 2 Once you've taped all of the arches, paint the yellow space between the strips of painter's tape. Once you've painted the entire area between the strips of blue tape, let the paint dry for 20-30 minutes.
Step 3 After you've painted the arches, run the painter's tape along the bottom of the umbrella about 2-3 inches from the edge. Be careful not to tape over your freshly painted lines — you don't want it to smudge!
Step 4 Once the painted edge of the umbrella has dried, remove the painter's tape and get ready to use your paint brush. Take a small amount of paint and carefully paint a rounded edge in the bottom right and left corners of each panel.
Step 5 Now that you've had some practice painting the rounded corners on the bottom of the umbrella, use the same technique on the top corners.
Step 6 Once you've finished painting the first slice of the lemon on your umbrella, repeat these steps on the remaining panels. Once the paint has dried on all of the panels, your umbrella will be ready to use whenever you need it!
For more Girl Scout activities, programs and information about the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, visit www.gssjc.org.


text:
What is a DMP?
A Debt Management Plan (DMP) is designed to help anyone who may be struggling or in arrears with money they have borrowed. Any debts which are managed through a DMP will ultimately be paid off in full providing payments are maintained throughout its lifetime.
Payments in a DMP are normally calculated on what you can afford and not on what you owe. Charges and interest may be frozen or reduced but this will depend on your creditor. Payments to creditors may be reduced, which could in turn increase the length of time taken to repay outstanding debts or arrears to creditors.
Any communication you receive from creditors included on a DMP is normally managed by your DMP provider.Continue to the next section How does a DMP work?


text:
Next: Click to go to the next screen in the course. Use this button each time you are finished viewing a screen and are ready to move on to the next one.
Back: Click to return to the previous screen.
Resources: Click to access program resources such as a glossary.
Exit: Click to close the current window and return to the course menu to select another module.
Prompt: The text prompt on the lower left corner of the screen displays instructions on what to do next.
Progress Indicator: The progress indicator on the upper right hand corner of the screen, below the course title, displays your location within the module.
The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute wishes
to thank the following experts for their assistance on this course:
Victor Arguelles
Instructional Designer
Kathleen McDermott
Quality Assurance Coordinator
Liz Watkins
Graphics/Media - Animations
Albert O'Connor
Video Editor


text:
What is an LMS?
A learning management system (LMS) is a software application that allows you to administer, document, track, report and deliver of courses. A learning management system (LMS) allows you to create, distribute and track training anywhere, on any device.
What is an LMS use for?
What are the advantages of an LMS?
What is our solution for LMS?
An all-in-one e-learning platform, Intelligent Talent Management™, offers a personalised approach to professional development. Using a universal cloud platform with a dynamic workflow engine and a flexible portfolio of learning applications, it is designed for the easy implementation and management of any workplace learning experience.
Recognized by industry leaders around the world, our cloud platform is extremely specialized, dynamic and engaging to enable talent management and development for the generations to come.
Contact us now to learn more about our Learning Management System.


text:
Hi folks,
Well I finished my latest CH4 Beastman Zolkor:
Not much to say about this mini really. I didn't want to go to town with too many colours so he was a fairly straight forward paint job. As usual, I was far too lazy to paint something on the shield so just left it pink. I might return and finish it at some point.


text:
This is fear at its finest this is the death of fluidity and it is dangerous to have. Models and stories tend to be false, some just work better than others. If you aren't willing to shift to something that works better, your'e just going to hurt yourself.
Conviction tends to create conviction too. The new Athiests didn't show much conviction till they started having a duel with the bible belt. Xenophobia tends to be a cause of ethnic gangs within poor immigrant. Religions don't become very tribal till a tribe comes about from defense. That model could potentially explain the nationalistic Catholicism of Spain from the fight to reconquer the peninsula, the IRA from the fight to reconquer Ireland, etc.
Avoid the convicted, and know when you are in a situation that creates conviction, because our long term survival depends on us being fluid.
Self Obsession
There is no need to take over the world or have everyone work for you. There's no need to take a library of pictures of yourself in model poses its not flattering. Self obsession takes away consideration, humility, etc. Self Obsession creates pride and envy depending on your place on the number line. Self obsession prevents us from that feeling of loving, it cheats us out. Who wins more when someone experiences the Ben Franklin method of gaining friends. The person who receives the favor, or the person who gave begins to feel in love in a philial sense, the one who begins to think less of them self by doing something for others
Did you get your chores done today, great. Oh what about the groceries, oh, and did you pay all those bills, oh you got them payed early, excellent. Did you see how your friends were doing, and your very "useful" connections, awesome, you got to work that power base right? Did you catch the news, and check your: Email, Social Media, Now look back and realize that you have got nothing significant done. Yes, nothing significant on that oh so critical path. That one that will give you financial freedom, that one that will give you a life of takumi.
This is where lounging around tends to be more productive than doing chores, at least when your lounging you can come up with a plan of action for your critical path.
Minding our own business is hard especially for those that have no business, have nothing really significant going on in their lives so they gossip. They talk about the affairs of others, they babble on about the insignificant. There's no need to know any of it. Its damage from idling. solution, stop idling.


text:
Why is my tax money used to bail out sexual harassers?
We can fight all day long about who's guilty and who's not when it comes to sexual harassment/assault allegations – but there's kind of a bigger story growing here, and it's this, from Politico:
It has all the makings of a serious scandal: more than $17 million in public money paid since 1997 to settle workplace disputes on Capitol Hill . . .
Um, what?
Taxpayers – you and I – are doling out money to settle claims through the Congressional Office of Compliance, which pays out the settlements. They don't tell us who the offenders are or what the offenses are. They don't tell us how much the settlements are. They don't break the cases down by category, or department – the Office of Compliance settles cases for "Hill employers other than the House and Senate, such as the Capitol Police and Architect of the Capitol."
As reported by Vox,
Since 1997, Congress has paid at least $15 million to settle complaints about sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act under the umbrella of the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) of 1995 . . . The process by which victims of sexual harassment on the Hill seek justice is long and arduous — it takes up to three months before a formal complaint can be filed. If a settlement is reached, it's kept secret. The source of the money in the fund is excluded from the standard appropriations budget made public by Congress each year. There's no process by which voters — or potential employees — can find out who the harassers in office are, what they've been accused of, or if they've settled with victims before . . .
Not only does this secret process keep taxpayers in the dark about what bad behavior they're funding and for whom, it also puts the complainants at a distinct disadvantage. Vox noted that "Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), who has proposed a bill to change how Congress handles harassment, the current process puts the employee making a complaint at greater risk than the person who has harassed them . . . Victims can't even make a formal complaint for sexual harassment (or any other violation of the CAA) until three months have passed, including a 30-day period after enduring a mediation process with their harasser." Interns aren't even covered under this process which, as history has proven, really puts them at risk.
It's more than a bit telling that, as CNN reported, female lawmakers, staff and interns keep a "creep list" – which is just what it sounds like, "an informal roster passed along by word-of-mouth, consisting of the male members most notorious for inappropriate behavior, ranging from making sexually suggestive comments or gestures to seeking physical relations with younger employees and interns." It is, apparently, open season on the most vulnerable. And who totes the note for these creeps? You and I.
What we're seeing here is a governmental free pass to sexual harassers in Congress – and, according to those in the know, it's rampant. Knowing that their behavior won't be publicly disclosed, including any settlements made as a result of it, serial harassers are emboldened, and victims are at risk. As Vox reported,
Settlement payments are approved by the chair and ranking member of the House Administration Committee, but they are under no obligation to tell anyone else about those payments, and more importantly, which office was responsible for them . . .
In a nutshell: A secret pot of money, funded by taxpayers, which bails out bad guys/gals, a "fix-it" process which is slanted toward the offender, not the victim, and, evidently, no consequences for the offenders. We don't know who they are or what they did, the victims aren't supposed to talk about any settlements they get, and the offenders go on their merry way, unconcerned about pesky questions – and, from all accounts, free to rinse and repeat.
And to think, people don't trust Congress.


text:
A few days ago Danny asked me what this whole Labor Day thing is all about. I guess he figured it must be special since they get the day off school.
I told him it's like an end of summer celebration day. Telling a kid it's a day to celebrate people who work is kind of lame. He wanted to know what people do to celebrate Labor Day. I just said they go to parks and have picnics with their families. He thought that was a great idea. I knew he would which is why I didn't mention anything about going to the pool (which I'm pretty sure is a popular thing to do too).
I pulled up all my scraggly looking flowers and Dan chopped down a tree (how's that for some hard labor?) and somehow we made it all the way to dinner time (you know how they say the days are long but the years are short? they aren't kidding.) and our picnic at the park. Grama Bama and Grandpa came with us. We sat at the table wondering if there's a Labor Day parade somewhere with people dressed up as workers. Grama Bama thought there probably was one in Chicago with all the Irish people there. (Don't ask.)
Cate was grouchy because we had to wake her up to go. Danny just wanted to play basketball but there were other kids on the court for a while. We set up our chairs and just all sat watching other people play. Someone wondered out loud when the fireworks would start. (Don't ask.)
We came home and bedtime darn near killed me. If I turn up dead one day that will most likely be the cause. I know there will come a day when bedtime will be just fine and dandy because my parents have 4 daughters and they certainly don't worry about bedtime anymore. I might have to wait until I'm 70 but I know it'll come.
Happy Labor Day indeed (aka So Long, Summer!)
Happy Labor Day indeed (aka So Long, Summer!)
the end


text:
A former United Nations Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, and his wife, Nane, are collaborating with the International Potato Centre (CIP) to intensify a campaign on the consumption of sweet potatoes to improve the health of women and children less than five years.
The campaign, which is also intended to create wealth, is targeted at reaching at least 500,000 households in Ghana with resilient nutritious sweet potato by 2020.
Mr Annan addressed scientists at the Crops Research Institute (CRI) at Fumesua in the Ejisu-Juaben municipality last Friday as part of the campaign.
The orange-fleshed sweet potato is said to be rich in beta carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A, which is critical to enhance children's health and in reducing blindness.
The project is expected to be scaled up and help reach 15 million homes in Africa from an initial one million.
It is also to encourage women to take advantage of the plant's short maturing period (three to five months) to cultivate it under marginal conditions to improve on their livelihoods and finances.
Mr Annan said Africa should be able to produce more to feed itself and for export and thereby secure the continent's food security.
The former UN Secretary General said the youth should be encouraged to go into farming, sating, "If they do not want to be referred to as farmers, we can change that to agro-businessmen just to encourage them."
The CIP is expected to convene separately with its partners to make a proposal to move forward with sweet potato as the centrepiece of a nutrition and health initiative.
By: Daniel K. Kenu
Date: Monday, 16 March 2015
Source: http://graphic.com.gh


text:
Psychiatric Interview
Psychiatric interview is the first and essential part of initial assessment of someone who presents with a problem.
The interview is with a psychiatrist last approximately 45 minutes and consists mainly of getting to know the patient – the nature of presenting problems, past history, family history and other aspects relevant to the understanding of the patient and their presenting problem.
At the conclusion of the interview the psychiatrist may recommend additional investigations or suggest an approach to treatment.
The cost of the initial psychiatric interview is partly reimbursed by Medicare.
To Make an Appointment or Enquiry:
Contact us to arrange a consultation Enquire Now