Since the year 2000, digital marketing has grown exponentially. With many businesses today just having a website with a few lines of content about the company is just not enough. It is imperative for websites to be visible to users and appear in search results for their industry keywords, simply put an SEO Agency in London would not only be related to your industry but be in the users mind for location specific too, narrowing down the chances the prospect will in fact convert to a buyer.
Within the digital space with more and more businesses now competing, how do you differentiate? Ultimately SEO is the key, with this being a key marketing plan for many brands and ever more so for pure play digital brands. This then brings the important question, should a business outsource this service for expertise, or just hire someone in house, with pros and cons it maybe in fact better for some to actually employ a team of SEOs in house or simply outsource the service.
Hopefully this piece can shed to light some key factors to you understanding what is better.
An In-house SEO essentially would know your business inside and out, therefore have a better understanding of key priorities, challenges and can get areas an agency may find difficult to sign off, be much quicker.
Accessibility is key, knowing that you have complete control over Search Expert, is always good. Knowing you can contact them when plans change means you can quickly adapt.
Attention, the SEO employed will just be looking at your website. This means you get their full attention.
The industry of search is a constantly changing platform, the algorithms change daily. So you need to make sure they are kept abreast of the industry, which means spending money in terms of investment.
Again following from the first point, it maybe cost ineffective to keeping up with these trends, with SEO being affected by so many different aspects of a firm, SEO maybe pushed on the backburner of any marketing campaign as its true value is not fully recognised.
Top agencies invest in thousands of pounds into the best SEO and Analytics packages, if you are in house this would be about the same salary as having an actual person work for you!
The biggest advantage of outsourcing your SEO is that after reviewing the potential agencies you can be rest assured that these are some of the very best in terms of skills and knowledge within the industry and are able to create SEO strategies with your business in mind.
By outsourcing you SEO no more money would have to be spent on having to spend time and effort into training and tools for the SEO team.
Finally, outsourcing your SEO means faster execution of tasks since having a team of experts on your website rather than one / two experts.
Outsourcing your search department can be expensive, so you must decide on the ROI, weighing up the costs and your expected return is essential.
Accessibility and knowledge, as clients are heavily results, you may not actually speak to your SEO agency that often and have enough knowledge of what they are doing to make it seem worth wild investment.
Black Hat SEO, a term and technique that sends chills to most with know in the industry, implementation of these practices could in fact get you black listed from Google if your SEO agency dabbles in these practices.
Ultimately from business to business there will be different pros and cons and it will essentially up to you to decide, if you should outsource or have an in house expert. With SEO evolving many larger businesses now do both!
Dan works in the B2B Marketing industry, specialising in marketing to students services throughout the UK. In his spare time he enjoys reading, guest speaking at business events and understanding the fiscal economy.


https://childrens.uvahealth.com/services/child-life Learn how UVA child life specialists help kids cope with their healthcare experiences and understand their illness and treatment, easing fear and confusion.
https://childrens.uvahealth.com/services/blue-ridge-care-connection/contact-us Get your questions answered by the staff by phone or email.
https://childrens.uvahealth.com/services/blue-ridge-care-connection/financial-help Find out about getting financial help for Care Connection services.
https://childrens.uvahealth.com/services/neonatology/nicu-breastfeeding Have a baby in the NICU? Learn about how breastfeeding will help fight infection, about support services, and our Private Milk Lounge for pumping mothers.
https://childrens.uvahealth.com/services/blue-ridge-care-connection This program provides support to children with special healthcare needs.
https://childrens.uvahealth.com/services/legal-aid The Child Health Advocacy Program provides legal assistance to families whose children receive healthcare at UVA Children's Hospital.


text:
Top 10 Cool New Gadgets of 21 Century
August 30, 2017 September 19, 2017 by Ved
We are the smartest, restless souls on planet earth – continuously innovating to make our lives better and more productive. These top 10 cool new gadgets are proof that how quickly our world is changing and moving towards future at a speed of light.
Image Courtesy: Anki
COZMO THE TINY TOY ROBOT BY ANKI
Say hello to Cozmo, he is the smartest, cutest and most adorable AI-Powered Robot. Anki's Cozmo has a one-of-a-kind personality that evolves more you hang out.
Image courtesy: Cozmo
When you Play games with Cozmo, it feels almost like you are playing with a real person and not a robot. Cozmo shows similar emotions like human beings. It has a built-in facial recognition, designed to identify individuals, which help it to develop a relationship over time.
Watch interaction with Cozmo
Image Courtesy: Zuta Labs
MINI PORTABLE PRINTER BY ZUTA LABS
Wireless and portable enough to fit into the palm of your hand, this device prints directly onto a page. The printer connects directly to smartphones, laptops, tablets, and PCs. It rolls back and forth on any size of paper giving you a full print documents or photos. The printer comes in 2 colors – Mars Black & Titanium, you can pre-order it now!
Image Courtesy: Apple
HOVER'S PASSPORT DRONE FOR SELFIES
Capture your breathtaking moments of your life with Hover. This lightweight camera drone is your personal Photographer. It also gives you a choice of capturing Ultra-HD video or superb 13MP photos. Simply tap the power button, toss in the air, and see the magic!
Watch the Intro Video
Image Courtesy: the 3Doodler
3DOODLER START 3D PEN
The 3Doodler Start is designed for young creators and makers; a new improved 3D pen comes with eco-friendly plastic material and no hot point. It's proved to be safe for kids.
Image Courtesy: 3Doodler
Play, explore your creative abilities and create your mini crafts. Get your hands on a 3D pen now!
Image Courtesy: Navdy
NAVDY HEAD-UP DISPLAY
Nowadays, every luxury or High-end car comes with head-up display (HUD) system integrated into the dashboard, but some vehicles don't even have an option for a HUD. Navdy figured out a way to do that. It virtually presents the information from a smartphone; featuring driving directions, incoming calls, messages, app notifications, and even controls your phone's music.
Check out the Video
Image Courtesy: Virtuix
VIRTUIX OMNI GAMEPAD
Get fully immersed in your favorite game with a treadmill-like gamepad that let users move naturally and freely in virtual worlds while staying in one place. The Omni takes virtual reality to the next level!
Image Courtesy: Father.io
IO MMO LASER TAG
Father.io brings a virtual world into your everyday life. It is a world's first virtual laser tag game that you can play outside with your friends. You can use your smartphone as a gun or some weapon to target the players. Isn't it cool!
Image Courtesy: Nike
Step into the future, literally! Nike unveiled Hyperadapt 1.0 Shoes that tie themselves, via adaptive lacing technology.
Meet the HyperAdapt
Image Courtesy: Boston Dynamics
SPOT MINI
Spot Mini is smaller, lighter robot. It has the ability to pick up and handle objects, climb stairs, open doors and more. It is all-electric and can go for about 90 minutes on a charge, depending upon the task it is doing.
Image Courtesy: Hey Kuri
KURI – Smart, Adorable Companion
Mayfield Robotics unveiled Kuri. It responds to voice input and in this way is similar to other devices like Google Home or Amazon Echo. What's more? well, it can play music, read audio books and can record videos.
Life with Kuri
Whether you consider yourself a technology enthusiast or just want to give your life high-tech upgrade. These gadgets will keep you productive, and they sure make life easier too.
Do AI & Robots will take over humanity? Subscribe to our blog to stay up-to-date on the newest technology advancement & innovations that are shaping the future and changing the world.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: A "stacktrace" for errors Is it possible to get some kind of "stacktrace" in TeX errors? I sometimes get errors which only show some deep LaTeX internals, but nothing about which LaTeX macro referenced it.
Thanks,

A: While "stacktracing" might not be possible since the state of macro expansion can be indeterminate (a priori and a posteriori). However, widening the context of your error reporting might provide some sense of where you are and what's going on.  Try something like \setcounter{errorcontextlines}{999} for this.  For myself, liberally sprinkling my code with lots of \typeout's or PackageWarning (et al.) lines provides most of what I need (write a routine that switches these on and off according to a global flag you set).  Of course, many packages accept a debug or verbose option that dumps lots more state info to the .log file. Otherwise, the big gun is the  trace package to give good control over \tracingall.  The manual provided with it contains some worked examples and useful words of advice.  Other words of wisdom can be found here (contains such pearls as: "The best advice to those faced with TeX errors is not to panic.").

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


All three subjects are unique, Jill. Nicely done!
Congratulations on this fantastic 1st Place Gold Winner Jill!
CONGRATS on your incredible Gold Medal Winner, Jill!
Belated CONGRATZ on your stunning First Place Winner, Jill!


Emergency dispatcher Jo Richmond demonstrates how the new "Text-to-911" service works at the University of Minnesota's emergency communications center.
• Enter 911 in the "To" field.
• Text your exact address and type of emergency.
• Use simple words, but do not include abbreviations, emojis, pictures or slang.
• Promptly answer questions and follow instructions.


text:
Considering racism in London by a Pakistani Muslim
Aisha Javaid Culture August 27, 2021
Credit: HANNAH THEODORE
Following the deadly attack of a Muslim family over the summer, reporter Aisha Javaid takes a hard look at racism in the Forest City.
On the evening of June 6 2021, the murders of Salman Afzaal, Madiha Salman, their daughter, Yumna Salman, and Salman's mother, Talat Afzaal occurred on a pedestrian walkway off Hyde Park Road in London, Ont. The attack was carried out when the driver of a pick-up truck, Nathaniel Veltman swerved onto the sidewalk. The sole survivor of the attack is Salman and Madhia's nine-year old son, Fayez Afzaal. The heinous assault was deemed a hate crime towards the Canadian- Pakistani Muslim family and was recorded as the deadliest mass murder in the history of our city.
I was born in Pakistan and my family immigrated to Canada less than a year after I was born. As a Pakistani Muslim, my family and I were in absolute shock and distress at the news of this tragedy. The following day, I, along with many other Londoners paid respect by placing flowers, teddy bears, and candles at the location of the incident. As I greeted members from my community, I noted the constant fear in their eyes and words.
The term "Islamophobia" was mentioned in nearly every conversation, along with unwanted discussions about removing the hijab and dressing less traditionally. These debates ensued all over social media, as many Muslims in Canada worried for their safety, because they shared the same cultural and religious attires as the Afzaal family on the day of the attack.
I have never revisited my homeland. I completed all my schooling right here in London. As a child, I, along with many other children were teased for being different.
The essence of the bullying that I experienced ranged from things like skin colour, religion, culture, language differences and more. I noticed that whenever I appeared more religious or traditional, I would be heavily observed. Sometimes, I received compliments and other times, I was joked about or questioned by my classmates. Many children, like myself at the time, shied away from having a cultural or religious appearance because of these intimidating instances.
I remember reconsidering wearing the hijab before I entered high school. I had always wanted to be identified as a Muslim above anything at the time. Factors like being judged for not being religious enough within my community and discrimination from outside of my community were some reasons why I decided against it.
Today, I have developed a passion for style that sometimes incorporates my cultural and religious values. Sometimes my fashion sense can be outside my religion's requirements. During these times, my appearance by itself may not allow others to easily recognize me as a Muslim or as a Pakistani. But many of my friends and relatives who continue to dress under religious obligations, have had their worries amplified after the occurrence of tragedies like the one that occurred in June. Their own personal experiences throughout their schooling may be significantly worse or better than my own.
Currently, I feel that the London community has significantly improved with its treatment against people of colour on a grand scale. Nearly every workplace and educational institution has a decent amount of cultural awareness and religious recognition. There are now many resources and establishments developed specifically to help immigrants and newcomers. Many people of colour in London still feel that racism greatly exists within the city. They have voiced horrible discriminatory experiences that they have shared with me and I feel that as a city, there is still more work that needs to be done.
Two days after the attack, a vigil was held to honour the deaths in the Afzaal family. People of all backgrounds came together to shed tears and heartfelt messages. Political leaders like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and London Mayor Ed Holder were also in attendance. The outstanding turnout of thousands and thousands of people signified humanity, support and the love of different cultures and religions that everyone shared, specifically for the Muslim community.
London News	Muslim	Pakistan	Racism
Aisha Javaid
Aisha is currently studying Construction Engineering Technology at Fanshawe College. She has written various articles and columns for the Interrobang during the summer of 2021.
Black Lives Matter today, but for how long?
What is the future of the monarchy?
Fanshawe grad selected in I am London Campaign
Canada's discrimination in the hiring process
The Grand Theatre reopens after 15-month renovation
Our favourite TikToks of the week - 11/06/2021
Summer Watchlist: Brokeback Mountain


text:
Secret payments can be fatal: BC example proves Senate scandal may be politically deadly for Stephen Harper
Secret payments kill careers regardless of who's responsible, as one BC premier well knows.
Bill Tieleman's 24 Hours Vancouver / The Tyee column
Deep Throat: "Follow the money."
Bob Woodward: "What do you mean? Where?"
- All The President's Men, 1976
Big money is secretly paid to a dubious political figure. When publicly revealed, cover-up allegations cause more damage, ensnaring government staff in the leader's office. RCMP investigate the scandal and eventually, though uninvolved, the leader is forced to resign.
Is this the possible trajectory of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2014?
Perhaps. But this storyline is about British Columbia politics in the 1990s.
While there are many important differences, some key elements of B.C.'s "Bingogate" bombshell bear a noteworthy resemblance to today's Senate scandal.
And if similarities continue, so will irresistible pressure on Harper to resign while the Conservative Party still has time to find a new leader before the 2015 election.
Anatomy of a secret payment
"Bingogate," which involved the Nanaimo Commonwealth Holding Society (NCHS), exploded in May 1992 when charities alleged the NCHS skimmed money from their bingo fundraising efforts and funnelled some to the NDP, as well as others.
In 1994 the NCHS pled guilty to misdirecting funds, but the scandal deepened after a forensic audit ordered by then B.C. premier Mike Harcourt was released.
Released in Oct. 1995 by accountant Ron Parks, the audit revealed that BC NDP's table officers had learned privately in 1993 the party had accepted a sum of money from the NCHS a decade earlier, and -- on lawyers' advice -- repaid $60,000 to sever all ties.
"The table officers had no evidence the money had originally come from diverted charity proceeds" and felt "return of the money would sever the one outstanding link between the party and the NCHS," the Parks Report noted, according to Harcourt in his 1996 book, A Measure Of Defiance.
"Party officials who made the repayment were imprudent in not advising me of their actions," Harcourt wrote. "I was not aware of the payment until Parks raised the matter in an interview with me in April 1995."
But despite Harcourt initiating the audit, the NDP was accused of trying to "cover up" its ties to the NCHS.
Harcourt had absolutely no involvement in the NCHS scandal or the repayment, but his senior staff was forced to deal with it for two years, taking away time and resources that could have been more productively spent on positive issues.
The audit exonerated Harcourt, but the damage had been done. On Nov. 15, 1995 Harcourt announced he would resign when a successor was chosen.
New BC NDP leader Glen Clark went on to accomplish an upset surprise victory over BC Liberal leader Gordon Campbell in the May 1996 election, in part because Harcourt's resignation left the party enough time to regroup.
Ignorance is no excuse
The Senate scandal is clearly different but features some similar ingredients: the secret payment of money -- to Senator Mike Duffy for improper housing expenses; the involvement of top Conservative officials -- who agreed to pay Duffy's debts until the sum became too large; the entanglement of top political aides -- leading Harper's ex-chief of staff Nigel Wright to personally pay Duffy and resign when it became public; and an RCMP investigation.
Harper claims to have no knowledge of the Duffy payment fiasco, and no one faces charges, but the stunning details continue to erode his credibility.
Will Harper, regardless of his personal situation, decide the Conservatives can't survive the 2015 election without a new leader? Or could Conservative MPs make that decision for him?
After all, both Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien and British Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher were forced out of office by their own parties, despite winning successive majority governments. Harper has won three times, but only one majority.
Mike Harcourt's unfortunate plight, like the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, showed that "follow the money" can prove politically fatal for leaders, regardless of their lack of involvement.
Posted by Bill Tieleman at 9:53 am 6 comments:
No gains, no losses - federal by-election results prove nothing for nobody, spin notwithstanding
Four federal seats went through by-elections and remained in the same parties' hands as before - so no matter how much spin anyone puts on it - hello Liberal Party activists - the results don't prove anything conclusive.
Yes, Liberals should be pleased that they made it a close race in Brandon-Souris for the first time since they actually won the riding in 1993 under Jean Chretien. In a general election.
But they didn't win a by-election despite the fact that voters can voice their displeasure safely with the government, where turnout is lower than regular elections and where resources can be poured in by the party in a one-time-only effort.
The New Democrats, who I support, have no reason to celebrate but also no reason to cry in their beer. Two safe Liberal seats stayed safe. Two safe Conservative seats stayed Tory, albeit one far less safe, albeit in a by-election. Panic not required.
I'm sorry to see my former National Post columnist colleague Linda McQuaig not win Toronto Centre - but perhaps the future riding boundary realignment will mean better luck in 2015. I hope so - she would be a brilliant addition to Parliament.
The Conservatives can't be unhappy either tonight. Yes, some of them needed a defibrillator in Manitoba for awhile but by-elections are made for opposition parties to prosper, not for unpopular governments in the midst of politically life-threatening scandals to enjoy.
Yet the Conservatives survived unscathed. Except perhaps on Twitter, the Tory-unfriendly social media mystery.
The Liberals should be modestly relieved. Justin Trudeau neither walks on water nor swims with the fishes tonight.
And now the main event resumes in the House of Commons and beyond. Four by-elections, no change, game on.
Jack Munro, BC's Working Class Hero - An Appreciation
Bill Tieleman with Jack Munro at launch of No BC STV in March 2009
Jack Munro, Rest in Peace Brother
Bill Tieleman's The Tyee column
"They hurt you at home and they hit you at school/ They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool/ Till you're so crazy you can't follow their rules"
- John Lennon, Working Class Hero
Jack Munro was a true working class hero.
I really didn't think so at first -- not as a young left-winger bitterly disappointed that British Columbia's Solidarity movement had backed away from a general strike in 1983 against unfair Social Credit legislation attacking unions, renters, women, teachers and students.
Munro, then IWA-Canada union president, went to premier Bill Bennett's Kelowna home on behalf of the B.C. Federation of Labour to sign a deal ending the confrontation. Like many, I held him responsible for giving in and giving up.
But back then I didn't know Jack. And he wasn't yet my friend.
Last Friday, Jack Munro passed away at 82, after battling cancer.
He leaves behind a rich legacy of fighting for working people throughout his career, and tireless efforts to preserve B.C.'s labour history, too.
Classic Munro
Munro was literally larger than life -- six-foot-five and 265 pounds, with hands so big they were described as large as "hams," a huge, booming voice and a fondness for swearing regularly and impressively.
Born into poverty, his father died of tuberculosis when Munro was just 11, and his destitute mother was forced to move the family to a relief farm in the Depression.
He left high school in Grade 10 to work, a tough life that many others would never overcome. But Munro did, and found his calling in the labour movement, becoming a welder and millwright in a forest industry that was incredibly deadly for workers.
He eventually rose to become president of the International Woodworkers of America union in Canada in 1973.
To understand how tough it was to be a union activist in the 1950s and '60s, consider this story I heard Munro tell at his retirement dinner in 1992.
"One day, Syd Thompson and I went at night to knock at the door of a guy we wanted to join the IWA in a plant we were organizing. The guy opened the door with a loaded shotgun pointed at us and said: 'You've got three seconds to get off my property before I shoot you both.' We ran like hell and when we were down the road, Syd asked if I was scared. Scared? Syd, you couldn't drive a hatpin up my asshole with a fucking sledgehammer!"
It brought down the house. Classic Munro!
Vilified by some
Today's union members often forget how tough it was to be a labour activist in those days, facing constant threats from employers, police, the courts and even hostile workers.
Munro's life truly was about protecting workers and their unions.
That's why I later understood his reasons for ending the Solidarity job action before it became a general strike. Munro knew that the Social Credit government would win the fight eventually and then take revenge on unions in the worst possible ways -- which would hurt workers, not union leaders, the most, and for years to come.
The decision by union leaders to send Munro to Kelowna to negotiate with Bennett was unanimous -- as Allan Garr's book Tough Guy outlines: "They also knew that the [Solidarity] coalition would accuse them of selling out the community groups when the deal went down and figured Munro could take the heat."
Munro was vilified by many, even attacked in a poem by Tom Wayman, and lost his seat as a vice-president of the B.C. Federation of Labour in a convention vote that followed.
But he persevered, and anyone who doubted his union credentials was persuaded in 1986 when he led the IWA on the most expensive strike the province ever saw -- an 18-week shutdown over contracting out union jobs that cost the forest industry an estimated $2.5 billion.
The same year, Munro took the Canadian section out of the U.S.-based IWA, becoming IWA-Canada. He stepped out of the presidency in 1992 and -- again controversially -- became chair of the B.C. Forest Alliance, an industry-funded group defending logging practices against rising environmental protests.
Not only a labour hero
I first met Munro in 1992 when I started work at the B.C. Federation of Labour as research director and then communications director and assistant to president Ken Georgetti.
Contrary to my first impressions formed in the Solidarity days, Munro was far from the self-described "old-style, loud-mouthed trade union leader who pops off at the drop of a hat." He was thoughtful, smart, dedicated and to my surprise, quite humble.
One of his constant topics was the need for the New Democratic Party and public sector unions to recognize the importance of resource extraction industries to British Columbia's economy -- forestry, mining, oil and gas.
Without the jobs, taxes and revenues they produced, Munro pointed out, B.C. would simply not be able to afford the social programs the province needed, nor the public sector wages its unionized workers expected.
Munro's opinion never changed on that, and it remains highly relevant today, perhaps leading to the B.C. NDP's surprise election defeat this year after it changed direction mid-campaign to oppose the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion.
He also never limited himself to labour issues.
In 2005, veteran former government deputy minister Bob Plecas and I approached Munro with a request: would he join us and others in publicly opposing the Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system?
TV had been proposed by the B.C. Citizens Assembly, a brainchild of former B.C. Liberal premier Gordon Campbell, to replace the current first-past-the-post system.
I explained to Munro the problems we believed STV would cause if implemented, the chaos it would create by using multi-member constituencies of up to six MLAs instead of each riding having its own MLA, and that it was only used nationally by Malta and Ireland.
Munro looked at me in amazement and said: "Bill, that's just fucking goofy!" And so he joined NO BC STV, winning us credibility with both union members who knew Jack's past, and others who simply admired the no-nonsense, gruff style of Munro.
If Munro said STV was a bad idea, well goddamn it, it must be! He fit right in with NO BC STV, an eclectic group of prominent British Columbians that bridged the usual political divide of the province.
The group included former NDP cabinet ministers Anita Hagen and Anne Edwards, and ex-Social Credit ministers Bud Smith and Bruce Strachan, as well as two members of the Citizens' Assembly. We also convinced former premiers Bill Bennett and Dave Barrett to oppose STV, the first time they had publicly agreed on any major political issue.
A personal highlight for me was introducing Munro to Andrea Reimer, then-Green Party Vancouver School Board trustee and now Vancouver city councillor -- two people about as far apart as I could imagine in B.C.
Watching them exchange business cards and chat, I realized that this big tent coalition might be enough to stop the STV steamroller. And it did, just barely in 2005, when the pro-STV forces got 58 per cent of the vote in favour but fell short of the 60 per cent needed.
A last, great passion
Munro's last great passion was to promote the Labour Heritage Centre, dedicated to publicizing B.C.'s rich labour history.
Munro served as chair of the Labour Heritage Centre, which in 2010 completed its first project -- a series of educational panels on labour history both inside and on the exterior of the Vancouver Convention Centre.
One of the panels is about the On-to-Ottawa Trek, a protest sparked by unemployed workers that started in Vancouver and ended in Regina. The RCMP stopped 1,000 striking relief camp workers from continuing to the nation's capital.
On To Ottawa Trek plaque outside Vancouver Convention Centre
The Labour Heritage Centre also partners with WorkSafeBC to promote worker safety on the job with a series of films available on YouTube.
Colourful, controversial, charismatic: Jack Munro was all those things and more, but he would want most to be remembered for sticking up for the working person, fighting for union rights and demanding labour be respected by those in power.
"If I had to sum up what it is I've tried to accomplish, it is to make trade unions an accepted part of society," Munro wrote in his 1988 autobiography, Union Jack.
Jack Munro: Well done, brother.
NOTE: This is a special column written for The Tyee. My 24 Hours Vancouver column today - Tuesday - is also about Jack Munro but a very different and shorter version.
Why I am supporting Jagrup Brar for BC NDP President
Jagrup Brar is a big man - with a big heart and a strong social conscience.
Jagrup Brar with Constance Barnes, left, Jean Swanson, right
I wrote the posting below back in January 2012 when Jagrup Brar was the only politician in BC to accept a challenge to live on social assistance for a month and tell British Columbians how hard that was.
I watched with growing admiration as Jagrup handled that difficult situation with dignity and respect for those who have to survive on the meagre social assistance funding not just for a month but indefinitely.
Jagrup's willingness to walk the talk, to stand up for those who need help but are often ignored by government, impressed me immensely.
And so I'm proud to endorse Jagrup Brar for BC NDP President.
Jagrup Brar with son Fateh, left, and daughter Noor, right.
But Jagrup is about much more than just fighting poverty.
As a three-time elected MLA, Jagrup knows how provincial politics works inside and out.
Jagrup knows how to work with a caucus and what role the party plays in supporting MLAs and the leader.
And as a sitting MLA defeated in the May provincial election, Jagrup is committed to modernizing the New Democratic Party and improving the next campaign in order to win.
I have great respect for the other declared candidate Craig Keating.
But Jagrup Brar is my choice and I know he will do an excellent job.
ORIGINAL POSTING - January 4, 2012
The New Democrat Member of the Legislative Assembly for Surrey-Fleetwood accepted the challenge from Raise The Rates to live on social assistance - welfare - for a month to highlight just how difficult it is for the 180,000 British Columbians who need help from government to survive but get very little.
Jagrup is walking the talk - and is the first MLA to do this since the late great Emery Barnes in 1986, when the rate was only $350 a month.
You can see and read more at the website for this challenge.
I was particularly moved to see how proud Jagrup's 12-year-old daughter Noor was in speaking to Global TV about her father's determination to do something good for those in need.
Jagrup has to get by on just $610 for a month - of which $375 is for shelter and $235 for support - but pretty obviously the shelter money isn't enough anywhere in Metro Vancouver, so the support money gets used for rent, not food, for most recipients.
Social assistance rates are never an easy issue for governments of all stripes - the current BC Liberal government has a terrible record - the worst child poverty rates in Canada for eight straight years.
But the previous NDP governments and Social Credit governments also were strongly criticized at times for their policies.
I wish Jagrup well in not only getting through one difficult month that others face every month for years, but in opening the eyes and hearts of British Columbians to find a solution that lets people in need get the help they deserve.
BC NDP is far from doomed - just depressed - but lots of reasons to be optimistic
Former NDP Premier Dave Barrett and Bill Tieleman - April 2009
The party's not doomed, just depressed. But there's many a reason for good cheer.
"Our worst foes are not belligerent circumstances, but wavering spirits."
- Helen Keller, blind and deaf author/activist
These can be seen as dark days for the B.C. New Democratic Party as its convention approaches this weekend. But the party is not doomed, just depressed.
There are good reasons for the latter:
• Losing the May provincial election that every pollster and pundit predicted it would win.
• Leader Adrian Dix forced to announce his resignation after one disastrous campaign, despite leading the polls for months before the election.
• A BC NDP election review report last week that faulted poor campaign strategy, the positive only approach, ineffective advertising, lack of swing riding polling, an inadequate database, a failed policy platform rollout, "major policy shifts mid-way" -- Kinder Morgan -- and an underwhelming ground game, to list just some of its conclusions.
• An emboldened BC Liberal government led by Premier Christy Clark that feels it can do no wrong after surviving a near-electoral death experience.
• And two of the NDP's most powerful icons silenced by declining health: the BC NDP's first premier, Dave Barrett, and former IWA-Canada union president Jack Munro.
This as BC Liberals threaten to pave over perhaps Barrett's proudest and most lasting achievement -- the Agricultural Land Reserve that protects diminishing farmland.
If the BC NDP is depressed, it's no wonder. But it's far from doomed.
Three years to battle a lightweight premier
The BC NDP needs simply to reverse the last election results in nine ridings to form a majority government in 2017.
Winning just nine seats from the BC Liberals would give the BC NDP 43, up from the 34 it won in May, enough to govern the province.
That would only take convincing a few thousand voters to change their choice -- or a few thousand of the 42 per cent who didn't bother voting in 2013 to cast an NDP ballot.
A new BC NDP leader will have three years to argue the case against a tired, visionless BC Liberal government that will have been in power for 16 straight years by 2017 -- well beyond most administrations' best before date.
Premier Clark has proven herself a charismatic campaigner, but her record of governance is bereft of accomplishments, and she faces huge financial challenges that likely mean serious cuts to healthcare, education and other public services.
The damning report of B.C.'s Child and Youth Representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond over government wasting $66 million that should have helped aboriginal children in need and Surrey Memorial Hospital's new emergency ward already overflowing are just two examples of trouble to come.
Clark's reputation as being a lightweight on policy has not been dispelled.
The BC Liberals also face extraordinarily difficult decisions ahead on the Enbridge Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan expansion pipelines, which are fraught with peril.
Not so bad, comparatively
The BC NDP should look around Canada at other Opposition parties before whining about its own fate.
Wildrose Party leader Danielle Smith was also widely expected to become premier by most polls and observers, but lost in 2012 to Conservative Premier Alison Redford by a stunning 44-seat margin.
Wildrose would need 27 Conservatives seats to switch over for majority power.
Even further behind is the Saskatchewan NDP, taking only nine seats in the 2011 election, 40 behind the Saskatchewan Party of Premier Brad Wall.
Nova Scotia's first NDP government dropped to a miserable third place in last month's election, winning just seven seats out of 51.
And Newfoundland's Opposition Liberals took only six seats in 2011, putting them 31 seats behind the ruling Conservatives and just one ahead of the NDP.
All these Opposition parties have a far more difficult path to power than B.C.'s NDP -- and you can bet that each of their leaders would give their eye teeth to be in the position the new leader chosen next year will be.
Pick of the leaders
The BC NDP will likely have some substantive choices for leader in 2014.
Possible candidates range from veteran NDP MLA Mike Farnworth, who came second to Dix last time, to new MLA David Eby, who beat Premier Christy Clark herself in Vancouver-Point Grey, to federal NDP MPs Peter Julian, Fin Donnelly and Don Davies, with none yet declared and others considering -- because the chance to become B.C. premier is worth taking.
Needless to say, the challenge is significant. Modernize the New Democrat election machine; carefully balance jobs and the environment; recruit star candidates; deal with the threat the Green Party presents in some ridings; raise enough money to compete with a BC Liberal party reinvigorated with business donations, and much more.
But even the NDP presidency is seen as important enough to have two serious candidates running province-wide campaigns: three-time Surrey NDP MLA Jagrup Brar, who I have endorsed, and veteran North Vancouver city councillor Craig Keating -- both with strong support.
So party members at this week's convention should stop overstating the "belligerent circumstances" the NDP faces, and realize that their worst foes -- "wavering spirits" -- can easily be overcome.
After all, Premier Clark did it!
Don't Treat Wounded Canadian Veterans Like the Enemy
Federal government pushes to stop lawsuit by ex-soldiers who want fair compensation for their disabilities.
My grandfather Bill Baseley and WW I medals
"The motivation here is money, saving money on the backs and blood of veterans that served Canada."
- Veterans' lawyer Don Sorochan on inadequate disability benefits.
As Canadians prepare to honour the service and sacrifice of our armed forces, why is the federal Conservative government treating wounded veterans like the enemy?
With Remembrance Day approaching, some of our most severely injured soldiers face hardship and poverty because of changes made to their disability benefits.
It is astonishing that the Conservatives are trying to overturn a B.C. Supreme Court decision allowing a lawsuit from veterans wounded in Afghanistan seeking fair compensation for their disabilities.
Rather than let those veterans have their day in court and have a judge decide on the merits of their arguments, the government wants to stop the legal action in its tracks. It will "review" veterans' situations through a Parliamentary committee with a Conservative majority.
"I announced that the government of Canada will support a comprehensive review of the New Veterans Charter, including all enhancements, with a special focus placed on the most seriously injured, support for families and the delivery of programs by Veterans Affairs Canada. I call on parliamentarians to focus on how we can better assist veterans," Fantino said in early October.
But the government's legal stalling tactics could mean years before the case accusing it of violating the Charter of Rights is heard, says Don Sorochan, whose law firm is taking on the case without charge for the Equitas Society.
The Royal Canadian Legion calls the government's actions "reprehensible."
And it gets worse. The feds are also accused of discharging wounded soldiers from the military before they can qualify for a pension.
For a party and government that claim to be so pro-armed forces, it's a stunning contradiction.
'We're not going to stand for it': vet
The veterans went to court because legislation in 2006 changed lifetime financial support for those fully or partially disabled to a lump sum payment to a maximum of $250,000.
In an email sent yesterday, Veterans Affairs communications director Joshua Zanin said veterans can access other "extensive support" through the New Veterans Charter.
Zanin also pointed to Veterans Affairs' budget increasing to $3.5 billion today from $2.8 billion in 2005.
And in a government statement last month, Veterans Affairs explained its court action this way: "[The veterans'] argument could have a far broader impact than perhaps intended by the plaintiffs... If accepted, this principle could undermine democratic accountability as parliamentarians of the future could be prevented from changing important legislation, including the sort of changes that some veterans would like to see to the New Veterans Charter," it said.
But Legion president Gordon Moore is not happy with the Conservatives.
"They have that moral obligation on behalf of all Canadians. I believe they're trying to slip out, but as we all know there will be an election within [two years] and there's a lot of upset and angry people out there on how veterans are being treated," Moore said last month.
While all political parties initially supported the change to benefits, which included some improvements for retraining and education, it's been clear for years that many veterans face life in poverty. The New Democrats and Liberals now agree changes are needed.
Port Moody's Kevin Berry served in Afghanistan and says the lump sum payment is only equivalent to 10 years of disability pension.
"Disability benefits for veterans have been slashed 40 to 90 per cent since 2006 under the New Veterans Charter, and myself and many others have been grossly under-compensated, and we are not willing to accept it -- we're not going to stand for it," the 29-year-old Berry told Global TV.
Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino says: "There exists a tangle of misinformation regarding how Canada treats its men and women who have served in uniform."
But that's not how wounded soldiers see it, and veterans ombudsman Guy Parent agrees.
"It is simply not acceptable to let veterans who have sacrificed the most for their country... live their lives with unmet financial needs," reads a report Parent released last month.
"Fifty-three per cent of veterans who are assessed to be totally and permanently incapacitated, and who are unable to engage in suitable gainful employment, are not awarded these benefits, which are designed to compensate severely and permanently impaired veterans for a lack of career opportunity and progression," the report states.
Discharged to save dollars?
Then there are accusations of soldiers being discharged early from the military to save pension money.
Corporal David Hawkins served in Afghanistan and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, but was let go less than one year before he would be eligible for a full pension.
Hawkins said last week he begged not to be discharged but the Canadian Forces did so anyway, saying the reservist from London, Ontario was not deployable on a moment's notice due to his condition.
"If you don't meet the universality of service, you can no longer serve under the military, and basically they don't have any use for you," Hawkins told CTV, adding that the discharge is a "big life changer for me. I don't really know what else there is."
Defence Minister Rob Nicolson claims no soldier is discharged unwillingly, but other stories are surfacing.
To add further insult to injury, Veterans Affairs is cutting nearly 300 jobs, affecting front-line service.
My grandfather served in the First World War and lost a lung from a mustard gas attack.
Why should Canadian soldiers so gravely injured in active military service now be treated far worse than those who were hurt back in 1917?
It's shameful.
Posted by Bill Tieleman at 12:30 am 1 comment:
Secret payments can be fatal: BC example proves Se...
No gains, no losses - federal by-election results ...
BC NDP is far from doomed - just depressed - but l...


text:
VEXED - Guitar Playthrough Video For "Hideous" Available
March 11, 2021, 10 months ago
news vexed riff notes
UK alt-metal upstarts, Vexed, instantly turned heads and took names with the release of two recent standalone singles - including the fearsome "Elite" featuring Thy Art Is Murder's CJ McMahon - creating a palpable underground buzz and giving fans a hefty sample of what to expect in the future. Now, the wait is over - the crushing Hertfordshire foursome have resurfaced with the announcement of their aggressive and uncompromising debut full-length, Culling Culture, out May 21 via Napalm Records.
The band recently released their official video for "Hideous" and have followed up with a guitar playthrough video for the track. Check it out below.
With their devastatingly heavy first output, Vexed underline their refusal to be pigeonholed into sonically conformist categories. Their instrumental dagger is sharpened by unrelentingly adept, technical prowess, gripping you with assertive swagger and hyper-focused brutality. Moreover, for as confident as they are musically, Vexed is as poignant lyrically. The title of the album, Culling Culture, and portions of its contents deliver the band's unfiltered response to the world's latest social phenomena of public ostracism, "cancel culture".
Facing very personal experiences, Culling Culture is a tribute to hate, betrayal and anger, whilst also reflecting post-modern society with strikingly honest songwriting and heavy groove. Their first single, "Hideous", along with a captivating official music video, not only serves as a first taste and vicious wake up call, but also showcases that anger can either destroy you or provide real strength. With this offering, Vexed prove the latter.
Vexed on their first single: "It gives us great satisfaction to share with you our Grindhouse inspired music video for our debut single, 'Hideous'. Fueled by the feeling of 'seeing red' and having to decide how to react in moments of betrayal and rage, do you let your blood boil over or sit and wait for the killing instinct to pass?"
Unrelenting lead vocalist Megan Targett's vicious vocal assault blending venomously low growls, soaring cleans and razor-sharp rap-like deliveries (see "Fake" and "Weaponise") is backed by the pure technical proficiency of bandmates Willem Mason-Geraghty (drums), Jay Bacon (guitar) and Al Harper (bass). The warning instrumental "Ignorant" prefaces the record's menacing atmosphere and provides a flawless basis for smashing wake up call "Hideous" and fiery, threatening tracks "Fake" and "Narcissist". Ghostly "Aurora" and disrespectfully heavy album-closer "Lazarus" showcase Targett's multi-faceted clean vocal delivery while clashing otherworldly auras with resonating, melodic rhythms. "Epiphany" blends both, offering a bold message of moving past self-loathing, while superciliously weighty offering "Weaponise" seethes between violent hatred and ambient darkness.
Pre-order Vexed's debut album Culling Culture here.
Culling Culture will be available in the following formats:
- 1-CD Digipak
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Black)
- 1-LP Gatefold Vinyl (Orange transparent, strictly limited to 100 copies)
- 1-CD Digipak + T-Shirt Bundle
- Digital Album
"Ignorant"
"Hideous"
"Fake"
"Epiphany"
"Misery"
"Narcissist"
"Weaponise"
"Purity"
"Drift"
"Aurora"
"Lazarus"


This is actually a "repeat" I guess you would say. I'm posting this again because I realized that I never put this show on it's own post. It was originally posted here which is kind of buried in a post about about an update to the cheatsheet. So I thought I'd give this a proper post for search engines and Internet tools.
Anyway – in case anyone missed this, here it is.
Chris Toohey, a NEW contributor, comes on the show to talk about how to create a custom control that can play HTML5 audio sources. Whether or not your interested in audio, the methods of creating a custom control are not to be missed.
In this show I show you how to install the OpenNTF Import/Export project into designer and import and use a custom control. Most of this information has already been covered by Niklas Heidloff on the OpenNTF Blog – blog.openNTF.org and I've included some relavent links below.
Also if you're a Twitter user you might want to consider following @XSnippets to keep up to date with the lastest happenings in the Snippet world.


text:
Turkey To Boost Bilateral Trade Ties With Iran Despite US Sanctions
Headlines 20 May 2019 Arabia Day Newsdesk 0
Governor General of Tehran Province Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpey and Turkey's Ambassador to Iran Derya Örs hailed the two countries' close ties, and discussed ways...
Governor General of Tehran Province Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpey and Turkey's Ambassador to Iran Derya Örs hailed the two countries' close ties, and discussed ways to ease trade between the two sides.
Bandpey, during the meeting with Örs, called for efforts to remove any barriers to trade transactions between Iran and Turkey.
The two countries enjoy high potentials and capacities and can succeed in removing barriers to bilateral trade, he added.
Turkey has always been a good trade partner for Iran in difficult time, he said, adding, "In addition, Turkey is considered as one of Iran's tourism destinations and Tehran is also a good destination for Turkish tourists with its many tourism attractions."
With proper targeting on investment, mutual trade and business relations can be expanded, the governor general stated.
Given the suitable capacities, trade and business ties between Tehran and Ankara can be developed at a very high level, Bandpey reiterated.
He went on to say that barriers existing on the way of bilateral trade exchanges between the two countries should first be identified.
As two major powers in the region, if Iran and Turkey join hands, bilateral trade and economic exchanges will be boosted at a much better level, he emphasized.
For his part in the meeting, Örs pointed to the longstanding and age-old relationship between Iran and Turkey and said, "Despite all ups and downs in the long run of history, relationship between Iran and Turkey has always been a model among regional countries."
Turkey attaches great importance to its relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields, the ambassador added.
Last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced that Tehran and Ankara have decided to launch a mechanism similar to EU-proposed INSTEX (Instrument for Supporting Trade Exchanges with Iran) to further expand and facilitate bilateral trade relations.
"Iran and Turkey have agreed to cooperate on five specific fields, including preferential trade, energy, banking, using national currencies and establishing a mechanism similar to INSTEX in common trade," Zarif told reporters in Tehran on April 18, after returning from his two-day trip to Syria and Turkey.
He also informed that in his meetings with the Turkish President, head of the Parliament, foreign minister and other officials, they had conferred on mutual, regional and international affairs.
"In these meetings, we addressed issued related to Syria and Idlib, presence of American Forces in Syria as well as Venezuela and the US interference in that country's affairs besides the changes and developments in North Africa."
"The Turkish government has always disagreed with US-led sanctions on Iran and the country's illegal acts against the IRGC," he said, hailing Turkey's stance.


Biola University's Christian Apologetics department seeks to produce local and national events that will equip you with thorough apologetics training. Learn more about our Biola on the Road events and weekend seminars by clicking on the links below.
We are looking for churches to partner with us to host a Biola Apologetics conference.


text:
Austin's Rosie Flores
The Highland Street Fair will feature Rosie Flores, the alt-country, roots rock guitar hero, this June 20th. Rosie's reputation as a high-octane rockabilly and country star is well established, and recent accolades have only made her musical bouquet fuller. June 2008 found Rosie onstage at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, accepting the prestigious Peabody Award for her narration of the 10-hour documentary radio show on the history of Rockabilly, "Whole Lotta Shakin'", produced by Lex Gillespie.
The Highland Street Fair runs 10 pm til dusk, the Saturday before Father's Day, with three stages of music at 32nd and Lowell.
p class="basic-body">Flores is known as a great songwriter, award-winning guitar player, and break yer heartstrings singer, has produced some of roots rock and rockabilly most famous recording, including those Janis Martin.
Critical raves from prestigious publications such as the Los Angeles Times and Guitar Player magazine, an LA Weekly Music Award for Best Rockabilly Swing Artist, a 2007 cover story in the Austin Chronicle, and the proclamation of Rosie Flores Day in August 2006 by Austin Mayor Will Wynn was topped off by an induction into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2007. She was recently voted as one of the "Top 75 Greatest Female Guitarists of All Time" by Venuszine.
Denver's biggest community street fair kicks off hundreds of vendors and great food and cocktails, as the Community Banks of Colorado Highland Street Fair transforms 32nd Avenue into a giant street party. The event benefits North Denver non-profits.
Families and children aren't left out of the picture—a kid's zone with attractions and rides will seek to divert the diminuative. Family resources and info will be available too, facilitated by Explore and Discover pre-school. The space for the Kid's Zone is graciously provided by the Highland United Methodist Church.
For Flores, the Street Fair is her only Denver appearance this year.
Home Renovation Bonanza
Have you been thinking about that home renovation or improvement project but the current economic situation has left you debating...