text:
1 – What is LE?
2 – Why LE?
3 – Investment
4 – Process
Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as "Franchise News"
Learning Express toy store now open in Austin, TX
Paul Harrington November 12, 2022 Franchise News, Local Franchise News Article
Community Impact – A new locally owned Learning Express toy store opened in Mueller on Nov. 11. Learning Express, owned by husband and wife Chris Dodson and Vy Do, sells classic toys for children, such as dolls, arts and crafts supplies, LEGO, fidget toys, stuffed animals and more. "What makes Learning Express special is a carefully curated mix of high-quality, …
Learning Express Toys & Gifts of University Park To Reopen
Paul Harrington November 8, 2022 Franchise News, Local Franchise News Article
University Park, FL, November 8, 2022 – Learning Express Toys & Gifts of University Park is scheduled to reopen its doors just in time for the holiday season! The store will kick off the holiday shopping season with a Grand Opening weekend celebration, November 11th-13th. The celebration includes 20% off storewide, prizes, giveaways, games, and more! The store aims at …
Learning Express Toys & Gifts of Austin To Open In Time For Holiday Season
Austin, TX, November 3, 2022 – Learning Express Toys & Gifts of Austin is scheduled to open its doors just in time for the holiday season! The store will kick off the holiday shopping season with a weekend-long Grand Opening celebration, November 11-13th. Customers will receive discounts such as 30% off any one item or a free 8" Squishmallow with …
Port Washington Learning Express brings adventure, fun back to shopping
Paul Harrington November 1, 2022 Franchise News, Owner Spotlight
The Island 360 – The thrill of choice, the exhilaration of adventure and the opportunity to explore — these are some ideas that inspired Michelle Pascucci, a Port Washington, NY, mother, to open her community's newest toy store. Learning Express, at 61 Shore Road, opened in late October. Pascucci is also the executive director of Parsons Preschool in Queens. She …
New Learning Express franchise to open in Port Washington
Paul Harrington October 13, 2022 Franchise News, Owner Spotlight, Retail
PATCH – A Learning Express franchisee and Port Washington mom plans a grand opening next week of her new shop, specializing in educational toys. Michelle Pascucci, a Port Washington resident, is opening a new toy store in town, one where children can visit and try out toys. The store, a Learning Express franchise, will open Thursday, Oct. 20 on 67 …
Learning Express Toys & Gifts of Chico Opening October 15th
Paul Harrington October 3, 2022 Franchise News, Local Franchise News Article
Chico, CA, October 3rd, 2022 – Join Learning Express Toys, the nation's largest educational toy retailer, for a fun-filled, weekend-long grand opening celebration at its brand-new Chico, CA location Saturday, Oct. 15 through Sunday, Oct. 16. The celebration will feature appearances by Elsa, Moana, Jasmine and Ariel! Customers can stop by for photo opportunities, free snacks, meet the new owners …
Learning Express Toys & Gifts Ranks on Franchise Times Top 500
Paul Harrington October 3, 2022 Franchise News, Franchising, Toy Industry
The Franchise Times Top 500 is an exclusive annual ranking of the 500 largest U.S.-based franchise systems by global systemwide sales. The project is the result of a five-month research and reporting effort that leads to the most credible and objective franchise ranking available. With many of the measures meant to slow down the coronavirus pandemic coming to an end …
Learning Express owner interviewed in October Toy World magazine
Paul Harrington October 3, 2022 Franchise News, Owner Spotlight, Retail, Toy Industry
TOY WORLD MAGAZINE – The 114-page October issue is packed with a plethora of insight, news, product launches and exclusive interviews from across the industry. As we move into the all-important last quarter of the year, Toy World brings you all the latest industry insight and takes a look at what is bound to be a busy build up to …
Learning Express Toys & Gifts Names Lauren Derse CEO
Paul Harrington July 6, 2022 Convention, Franchise Expos, Franchise News, Retail, Toy Industry
The Toy Book – Learning Express founder Sharon DiMinico marked the 35th anniversary of the company — the leading franchisor of specialty toy stores in the U.S. — by passing the torch to her daughter, Lauren Derse, who takes on the role of CEO. "Lauren brings with her a Harvard Business School degree but more importantly, she has had in-store …
franchisefranchisinglearningexpresstoysretailtoytoy industry
An American Reports from the Toymaster May Show
Meghan Thompson July 4, 2022 Convention, Franchise News, Franchising, Retail, Toy Industry
ToyWorld Magazine – Mike Derse is director of Business Development at Learning Express Toys. Based in Massachusetts, Mike heads up franchise and new business development, strategic planning, financial reporting, real estate and franchise compliance. Here he reports on his recent visit to the Toymaster May Show in Harrogate. Full Article: https://issuu.com/toyworldmag/docs/toy_world_magazine_july_2022_sml/s/16238141
franchisefranchisinglearningexpresstoysretailtoytoy industrytoymaster
Learning Express of Sylvania Spotlights Holiday Picks
Franchise Expos (3)
Franchise News (55)
Franchising (78)
Learning Express Play (4)
Local Franchise News Article (80)
Marketing Programs (29)
Owner Spotlight (74)
Philanthrophy (12)
Toy Fair (16)
Toy Industry (50)
Archives Select Month November 2022 (5) October 2022 (5) September 2022 (1) August 2022 (2) July 2022 (2) June 2022 (2) March 2022 (1) February 2022 (2) January 2022 (1) December 2021 (1) November 2021 (2) October 2021 (2) September 2021 (2) August 2021 (3) April 2021 (1) November 2020 (2) March 2020 (1) February 2020 (2) January 2020 (2) December 2019 (5) November 2019 (2) October 2019 (2) July 2019 (11) June 2019 (3) May 2019 (2) April 2019 (7) March 2019 (4) February 2019 (5) January 2019 (4) December 2018 (6) November 2018 (5) October 2018 (4) August 2018 (4) July 2018 (5) June 2018 (5) May 2018 (6) April 2018 (5) March 2018 (6) February 2018 (8) January 2018 (3) December 2017 (5) November 2017 (12) October 2017 (1) September 2017 (1) August 2017 (3) July 2017 (4) June 2017 (3) April 2017 (1) March 2017 (2) November 2016 (1) October 2016 (2) August 2016 (4) July 2016 (1) April 2016 (1) February 2016 (1) January 2016 (1) October 2015 (1) August 2015 (2) April 2015 (1) March 2015 (2) February 2015 (1) January 2015 (2) December 2014 (1) November 2014 (2) September 2014 (1) August 2014 (1) July 2014 (3) June 2014 (2) May 2014 (2) April 2014 (2) February 2014 (2) January 2014 (2) November 2013 (8) October 2013 (1) September 2013 (1) July 2013 (2) June 2013 (1) May 2013 (1) April 2013 (1) February 2013 (1) January 2013 (2) September 2012 (1) July 2012 (2) April 2011 (2) April 2010 (1)
Download a Franchise Kit
Buy an Existing Learning Express
Convention Information
Franchise Blog
Open a New Franchise
Step 1 – What is LE?
Step 2 – Why LE?
Step 3 – Investment
Step 4 – The Franchising Process
Step 5 – Request Franchise Information
Return to learningexpress.com
Learning Express, Inc.
Pepperell, MA 01463
Take me back to learningexpress.com


Frozenbyte and Modus Games have revealed the upcoming Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, coming to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Steam, Discord and other PC platforms this autumn.
Alongside the series' new installment, Modus will release Trine: Ultimate Collection. The bundle will include Trine: Enchanted Edition, Trine 2: Complete Story, Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power, and Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince and will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC both physically and digitally.


Jagtar Singh Heir, D.O.; Javier Lasala, M.D.
ASA Monitor 03 2018, Vol.82, 28-29.
It is suggested that robotically assisted thoracic surgeries can potentially benefit patients, resulting in smaller incisions, improved postoperative pain control, reduced recovery time and shorter hospital stays. While such benefits are still debated, most providers agree that this technology poses unique challenges for physician anesthesiologists providing lung isolation and one-lung ventilation. One new technology – video double lumen endobronchial tubes (VDLT) – offers a promising solution.
The incidence of lung and esophageal disease is expected to increase in the future, prompting a growing number of robotic thoracic procedures.1 Unfortunately, the size and space constraints of using robotics interferes with the positioning of conventional double lumen endobronchial tubes (DLT), the standard of care for airway management. In particular, the position of the robot can make the patient's airway inaccessible, especially when the patient is in the lateral position and the head may be turned 90 to 180 degrees away from the provider.
Jagtar Singh Heir, Javier Lasala; PATIENT MONITORING: Advances in Double Lumen Endobronchial Tube Technology Aid in Robotic Thoracic Surgeries. ASA Monitor 2018;82(3):28-29.


text:
Police Pension Liabilities
Louise Haigh (Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Home Secretary if he will make a statement on police pension liabilities and the National Police Chiefs Council's threatened legal action against the Government.
The Minister for Policing and the Fire Service (Mr Nick Hurd)
I am sure the whole House agrees about the need for our public sector pensions to be properly funded and affordable for the long term. That is why the Government announced changes to the discount rate that applies to those pensions at both Budget 2016 and Budget 2018. These changes, I should stress, are based on the latest independent Office for Budget Responsibility projections for future GDP growth.
This change will lead to increased employer pension contribution costs for all unfunded public sector pensions, including those of police forces. Budget 2018 confirmed that there will be funding from the reserve to pay for part of the increase in costs for public services, including the police in 2019-20. My officials are in discussions with representatives from the NPCC and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to discuss how this additional funding will be distributed. Funding arrangements for 2020-21 onwards will be discussed as part of the spending review.
As the Chancellor made clear at the Budget, the Government recognise the pressures on the police, including from the changing nature of crime, and we will—Home Office and Treasury Ministers working together—review police spending power ahead of announcing the police funding settlement for 2019-20 in early December.
Louise Haigh
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting this urgent question.
In a written ministerial statement in September, the Government thought it reasonable to try to sneak out the proposed changes to public sector pensions. The NPCC has said that this liability, dropped on police chiefs at the last minute, will cost £165 million in the next financial year, rising to £420 million in 2020-21. This could amount to the loss of a further 10,000 police officers. Despite what the Prime Minister has repeatedly, and shamefully, told this House—that the police have known about these changes "for years"—police chiefs issued a public statement rebuking the Prime Minister and saying the first notification they had came in September 2018. So quite apart from the fact that the Prime Minister should apologise to the House, the Government should apologise to the police for such rank incompetence. Is it any wonder that police chiefs are now taking the unprecedented step of taking the Government to court?
Without the Minister giving a firm commitment today that his Government will meet the full cost of these pension changes, it is inevitable that further officers will be lost next year. West Midlands police are preparing an emergency budget that could cost 500 police officers; the figure is £43 million for the Metropolitan police alone. Will the Minister commit today—not in the comprehensive spending review in a year's time, and not in the police grant next month—to meeting the £165 million cost that the Government have left the police to pick up next year? Police forces need this security urgently. If he will not, does he accept that this will mean officer numbers being cut to the lowest levels on record?
Does the Minister further realise that the pension changes will cancel out the council tax rise that hard-pressed ratepayers have coughed up this year? Is that what he meant when he said that the precept rise would enable forces to spend on their local priorities? Will he confirm whether the Home Office has conducted any analysis of whether the police can afford to meet these changes, given that he has been telling them repeatedly to spend their reserves? How many police forces will go bankrupt as a result of these changes?
The police and our communities are facing twin crises. The surge in violent crime is devastating lives, and the crisis in police finances is leaving the police unable to respond. The Government's serious violence taskforce has met just four times since its creation. That is a shameful response to the horrifying rise in violence, but the Government are not just complacent; they are actively making it harder for the police to keep us safe. It is time for Ministers to step back from the brink, apologise for the risks they have taken with our safety and give the police the resources they need to fight crime.
Mr Hurd
It would have been nice to hear from the Labour Front-Bench spokesperson some commitments or some recognition of the need to keep our public sector pensions properly funded and long-term affordable. I am sure that other Labour MPs will want to take the opportunity to make that clear to their constituents. That was one of the most disgraceful pieces of shroud-waving that I have heard, even from Labour Members. The hon. Lady knows the reality, because I am sure that she has studied Budget 2016 in detail. In it, the Treasury made it quite clear that there were likely to be changes to the discount rate that applies to public pensions.
What has changed is the independent Office for Budget Responsibility's projection for GDP growth, which changes the discount rate that applies. That is a change, and I fully accept—the hon. Lady has heard me say this publicly—that it has resulted in an unbudgeted cost for the police of around £165 million next year. That is a serious issue—she has heard me say that publicly as well. I set that alongside other serious issues facing the police, such as the significant shift in demand and pressure on them, which we have recognised. We are working extremely hard with the police and the Treasury to find a solution.
What I would say to the hon. Lady is that, as a result of the action that this Government have taken on the economy, we are now in much better shape to resume our investment in policing. That is why, in this year, we have taken steps that have resulted in £460 million-worth of additional public money going into our policing system—the police settlement that Labour MPs voted against. We are on track to invest more as a country in our policing than promised under Labour, so she needs to be very careful about what she says about projections in this context.
Finally, as a London MP, I take offence at the hon. Lady's statement about complacency on serious violence. She knows, because I know how seriously she takes this job, that we are dealing with one of the most serious challenges that this society faces. We have beaten it before, 10 years ago, but we know that it is not simple. We know that it involves complex, long-term work, which is why, under this Home Secretary, our ambition has been increased so that there will be more money for policing and more powers for the police coming through in the Offensive Weapons Bill. There is almost a quarter of a billion pounds of public money being committed to critical work on prevention and early intervention to ensure that we get the right balance between robust policing and really good prevention and intervention work over time. She knows, or should know, that we cannot police our way out of this system. We are addressing a very serious challenge with the right level of ambition and partnership with the police and the police and crime commissioners.
Some Members across the House are hoping that December's police funding settlement may bring good news about dealing with unfair damping, which affects 19 police forces. However, if there is good news about damping, there would be concern that that may be counteracted by pension costs. Is my hon. Friend able to say anything about that?
My hon. Friend has been tireless in making the case for more funding for Bedfordshire police, and I am working hard with my colleagues at the Treasury and with officials to look again at the 2019-20 funding settlement as an opportunity to find a solution to the pensions issue. However, the path that we set this time last year has meant that almost every police force in the country is now recruiting additional officers, which is what we and the public we serve want.
Yvette Cooper (Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford) (Lab)
The Home Affairs Committee's recent report pointed out that recorded crime has gone up by around a third, but the number of charges and arrests is down by a quarter, which reflects the real challenges that the police face. The Budget provided no additional money for mainstream policing across the country, and police chiefs are warning about a potential reduction in the number of police officers of 10,000 if additional money for pensions is not provided. What does the Minister have to say, not to MPs, but to those chief constables about their warnings? Will he provide extra pension money in the settlement before Christmas?
I hope that the right hon. Lady welcomed the news in the Budget about additional money for counter-terrorism policing and, crucially, for mental health. Through the work of the Home Affairs Committee and the many conversations that we have had with the police, she will know about the mental health demand on our police system, and that additional money must work to reduce demand on our police.
Given the right hon. Lady's experience as a former Secretary of State, she will also know that the Budget is not where local police money is allocated. It is settled in the police funding settlement, and as the Chancellor and I have made clear, that deal is not settled. Work is ongoing between the Home Office and the Treasury to look again at what I indicated last year, and I will come to the House in early in December with the results of that work.
Mr William Wragg (Hazel Grove) (Con)
I give my hon. Friend every support in his negotiations with the Treasury. In addition to using reserves, funds must be found for pension liability above and beyond an increase to the police grant in December so that frontline officer numbers can rise.
I thank my hon. Friend for that constructive intervention. We share a desire to continue down the path we set, and as a result of the action that we have taken, almost every single police force in the country is now recruiting additional officers. We do not want to go backwards. We must solve the pension issue, and we are working closely with our Treasury colleagues to do just that.
Mr George Howarth (Knowsley) (Lab)
The Minister will be aware that the pension issue comes at a time that is not without problems that already exist. My constituency has seen an alarming rise in gun and knife crime, and a bus service was withdrawn last week after hooligans threw bricks at buses. The Minister needs to resolve the situation quickly; otherwise we run the risk of losing control of the streets.
I will resist any such scaremongering on this issue, but I do not need any lectures about the demand and pressures on the police following my conversations with all ranks of police leadership and with Members from both sides of the House. We are all in the same place, and even the Chancellor recognised here at the Dispatch Box the pressures on the police. We are trying to structure the right response to those pressures, and we are doing so from a position of growing economic confidence, which is in stark contrast to what the situation would be if Labour was in power.
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr Speaker
Order. Let us see whether we can get everyone in by 1.15 pm, which is when we need to move on.
Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)
I fully support the words of my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Mr Wragg). Will the Minister assure us that he will look carefully to ensure that the promised increases in police officers in Staffordshire and elsewhere are taken forward, because council taxpayers were promised that back in April?
I fully understand my hon. Friend's point. If elected representatives have made commitments to their public, I quite understand the need to stand by them—we all do. As I said, the steps that I took last year, both in the 2018-19 funding settlement and what I indicated for 2019-20, have resulted in exactly what I wanted, which is that police and crime commissioners up and down the country are starting to recruit again. I want that to continue.
Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby) (Lab)
Humberside's police and crime commissioner has delved into reserves to mitigate the loss of 440 police officers over the past eight years. He has just recruited an extra 250 police officers. To how many of those should he hand a P45?
To be honest, I am delighted that reserves are being put to good use because, in March 2018, Humberside was sitting on £28.9 million of public money, almost 17% of its annual budget. One of the things the Government have done is to force PCCs to be more transparent about their use of reserves, and I do not resile from that at all. I stress again that we recognise the problem, and there is determination and extremely hard work between the Treasury and the Home Office to find a solution in the police funding settlement in early December.
Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)
Police finances are incredibly stretched. Dumping £165 million of pension liabilities will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I offer the Minister my 100% support in getting the Treasury to think again.
I am grateful, as always, for my hon. Friend's support. He knows from our previous exchanges that the Government recognise there is a problem in how stretched the police system is, and we took steps last year that led to more money going into the system, which is welcome, even though it was opposed by Labour. He knows my determination to find a solution not just for the pensions issue but for the stretch on the police. There is a need to increase police capacity.
Ellie Reeves (Lewisham West and Penge) (Lab)
In my constituency, a 15-year-old child, Jay Hughes, was murdered on Thursday, another tragic victim of knife crime. Then, on Sunday, another young man was stabbed to death in Anerley, just metres from where teenager Michael Jonas was killed last year. This is a crisis. When so many lives are being lost on the streets of London, surely we should be funding the Met properly, not cutting its budget. When will the Government put in place a proper plan to protect our communities? I listened to the Minister's answer to the urgent question with dismay. What does he have to say to the families affected by these senseless killings?
What I have to say to the families, and I speak as a London MP, is that the whole country and the whole Government are absolutely appalled and shocked by what is happening on the streets of London. It is not just a London issue, as the hon. Lady well knows; it is a national challenge. We are absolutely serious about getting on top of this, and she will know that we have been here before, 10 years ago, at a time when the public finances were in a completely different place and when people were not asking, "Where are the police?" This is long-term, complex work, and we have to bear down on it.
The hon. Lady asked about funding for the Met police, and there is an additional £100 million going into the Met this year as a result of actions that we and the Mayor are taking. London has over one and a half times the national average for funding per head of population and for police officers per head of population.
As he is a distinguished former broadcaster, I am sure the hon. Member for Solihull (Julian Knight) can demonstrate his mastery of the one-short-sentence question.
Julian Knight (Solihull) (Con)
It is reasonable to make extra provision, but can something also be done about the Labour West Midlands police and crime commissioner sitting on £100 million in reserves?
My hon. Friend makes a serious point. Across the police system, reserves have grown by hundreds of millions of pounds since 2011, at a time when all the public were hearing from the police system was, "We need more money." One of the things we have done is to say, "Yes, you need reserves, but you need to account for how big those reserves are and what you intend to do with them." That goes for the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, who has, I think, increased reserves by £20 million.
Sir Edward Davey (Kingston and Surbiton) (LD)
Police chiefs say that filling this pension deficit could cost up to 10,000 police officers. Does the Minister agree?
No, I do not. I think the number is exaggerated, which is not unusual for the police. I recognise that there is an unbudgeted cost, and I have given an undertaking to work very closely with the Treasury and with the Home Secretary to find a solution to both this and the additional resources and capacity needed to meet the very real demand pressures on the police.
Huw Merriman (Bexhill and Battle) (Con)
With Sussex police having welcomed 150 extra staff at the end of October, funded by council tax increases, will my right hon. Friend work with me and Katy Bourne to ensure that the police force has all the resources at its disposal to carry on increasing police numbers?
The public's safety is the priority of this Government. We have made clear the priority we attach to police funding, and the Home Secretary has made his priority clear personally. We are absolutely determined to make sure the police have the resources they need. As we heard the Chancellor say in answer to questions before this, we are in an increasingly strong position because of the recovery of the economy, and austerity is ending, which means that the Conservatives, uniquely as a party, can take these steps—that is in stark contrast to the fiscally incredible Labour party.
David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)
The Government Red Book says there will be £10.8 billion for the Home Office this year and £10.7 billion for it next year—that is £100 million less. Is the Minister going to revise that figure, or is he going to take that money from somewhere else?
As I have made clear, the next step in Parliament debating and discussing police funding is the 2019-20 funding settlement. As I did last year, I intend to come the House in early December to set out this Government's proposals, which are being worked through with our Treasury colleagues as we speak.
Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con)
The Minister will be aware that not all the demand on the police is based on crime. What work will he be doing with police and crime commissioners, including Devon and Cornwall's, to look at how that can be used to help release more resources for fighting crime?
My hon. Friend raises an important issue. Anyone who speaks to the police finds a consistent message from across the system: a growing frustration about the amount of time our police are spending supporting people on mental health issues—the estimate across the system is at least 25%. Some of that I would class as core policing but some of it is not, so we are working with PCCs to get the evidence base and establish what is good practice in terms of triaging some of this demand. Part of what I welcome in the Budget is the additional investment that this Government can now make in local mental health, and I am determined to ensure that one dividend from that investment is reduced demand on policing.
Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)
In the past five weeks, three youths were stabbed, two fatally, and one 20-year-old man was shot dead in Bedford. Will the Minister support the bid from Bedfordshire's police chief constable and the PCC for emergency extra funding from the police special grant before another young person is killed on our streets?
I was delighted to see the hon. Gentleman take part in the cross-sector summit we had on serious violence in Bedfordshire. What I said then was clear: we have received an application for exceptional funding and we expect to take a decision on that by the middle of the month. Our ability to meet that comes from the fact that we increased the contingency pot available in the Home Office for those situations, in a funding settlement that he and other Labour MPs voted against.
Maggie Throup (Erewash) (Con)
Just last Friday, I was out and about with the police in Long Eaton in my constituency, along with the Minister. Will he reassure me that resources will be provided to continue the vital work we saw at first hand being carried out in my constituency?
I know my hon. Friend thoroughly enjoyed her visit, and I repeat what I have said to other colleagues: we are taking steps in the right direction. The right direction is providing the resources for our police forces to increase their capacity and continue the process of recruiting the additional officers that we and the public want to see. We can do that because we are in a stronger economic position. My intention is to come to the House with the funding settlement in early December to update the House on our plans for next year.
The House will have noticed that the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Nick Smith) has perambulated. He was over there!
Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)
I am trying to get your attention, Mr Speaker. What does the Minister suggest Gwent police do: cut 100 police officer jobs or make local precept payers make up the difference?
Gwent was the first police force I visited, and I am well aware of some of the pressures on the force and some of the excellent work it is doing, not least in pursuing exploiters of children. I say gently to the hon. Gentleman that Gwent is absolutely the outlier in the reserves it holds; it sits on £56 million-worth of public money as reserves, which is a stunning 46.3% of its funding. I think the people of Gwent deserve a clear explanation of how that public money is going to be used to support their local police service.
Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)
The Minister will be aware that Humberside police have recruited more than 200 officers over the past couple of years. A threat to further recruitment or to our police community support officers due to increased pension contributions is now a real possibility. Will he assure me that he will work with me and other colleagues in the force area to ensure that that recruitment is not threatened?
I do not want to do anything that jeopardises the recruitment of police officers and the progress that we are making in that context—I have made that very clear. I have also made it clear that it is my intention to work very closely with colleagues from all parts of the House to make sure that we have a proper understanding of what is going on force by force. My main point is that we are able to make progress because of the progress that we are making on the economy, and that is progress that would be jeopardised by the Labour party.
Phil Wilson (Sedgefield) (Lab)
The number of police officers in Durham has been cut by 400 since 2010. That is not an exaggeration; that is a fact. These changes to the pension mean that another 30 officers will have to go and that there will have to be an increase in the precept by £12 for homes in band D. Will that not be perceived as a local tax for the Treasury and as incompetence by the Treasury?
The hon. Gentleman's intervention gives me the opportunity again to place on the record the admiration of the Government for the performance of Durham police, which is an outstanding force. Against the context of reduced resources, they show what it is possible to achieve. I understand the point he is making and I return to what I was saying, which is that we are working through the issue and I will come back to the House in early December with what I hope will be a solution.
Vicky Ford (Chelmsford) (Con)
In Essex, 150 additional officers are making a real difference in the fight against crime. Will the Minister work with the Treasury and reassure our excellent police, crime and fire commissioner, Roger Hirst, that this actuarial change to pension liabilities will not hit our frontline policing?
I am sure that my hon. Friend will share the determination of the Government to do the right thing by public pensions and to make sure that they are properly funded. What the Treasury is doing is as a result of independent advice, and its approach is the right one, but there is a recognition of the difficulty that this causes the police at a time when things are already difficult and demanding. I made some comments earlier about possible exaggeration on their part of the problem. I should be more cautious, because there is a very real issue of stretch on police; I just do not happen to believe that there is the loss of officer numbers that they have indicated, not least because I am working very closely to find a solution to that. My hon. Friend can be assured that we at the Home Office, working closely with the Treasury, are determined to find a solution to this and to come to the House in early December with a police funding settlement that allows us to continue on the track of making sure that our police have the resources that they need in Essex and elsewhere.
Dan Carden (Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)
I am quite frankly amazed by the language that the Minister is using and by the fact that he told my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Louise Haigh) to be careful about what she says. No one in my constituency is telling me to be careful about what I say about knife, gun and gang crime being on the rise. Will he accept that with Liverpool and Merseyside police there are special cases with problems of organised and gang crime, and agree that they will not lose any more money through this Government's incompetence?
I absolutely recognise the spike in serious violence that we are dealing with; it is an unbelievably serious problem that applies not just to London but nationally, and the Government are responding to it. I have one note of caution. It is not my business to give lectures to the Opposition, but the reality is that I have sat here with Labour MPs who, session after session, pop up and down demanding more and more money for policing, but actually, in the Labour manifesto, the shadow Front-Bench team committed £300 million additional funding to the police, which has been increased by the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley to £780 million over this Parliament, whereas this Government have taken steps to put £460 million into the system in this year alone.
Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
From my discussions with frontline police, I know that the one thing they value above all else is the protection of their pensions. Will my right hon. Friend make sure that, in discussions about funding, the pension for frontline police officers is fully protected?
Yes, and that is absolutely the underlying motivation of what the Treasury has announced.
Ruth George (High Peak) (Lab)
The police pension deficit is in no small part due to this Government's policies of forcing experienced officers into early retirement and reducing the number of current serving officers by 21,000. Should the Government not shoulder the responsibility for the impact on the contributions that are required?
No, the proposed adjustments to the discount rates are independent advice based on adjustments to projected growth rates of the economy—growth rates that I would hope will be significantly higher than they would under a Labour Government.
Craig Tracey (North Warwickshire) (Con)
This is an issue that I have discussed with both my police and crime commissioner and my chief constable. Understandably, there is some concern. Will the Minister reassure them that he will work closely with police forces to fully understand the impact that this change will have and take any action necessary to protect vital frontline services?
I fully give that undertaking. We are working very closely with the chiefs and the police and crime commissioners to understand the implications, force by force, so that we get a real sense of the impact, rather than the one dominating the headlines. I can also give the assurance, as I have repeatedly today, that we are working closely with colleagues in the Treasury to find a solution. I look forward to coming to the House in early December with the result of that work.
Paula Sherriff (Dewsbury) (Lab)
Owing to Government cuts, in West Yorkshire we have nearly 1,000 fewer uniformed police officers on our streets. As a former police employee for a decade, I know at first hand the impact that this is having on our communities. Will the Minister reassure me that there will be no further cuts to police numbers in Dewsbury and West Yorkshire?
I have been very clear that what I set out last year enabled police forces up and down the country to start recruiting officers again, and I want that to continue. I ask the hon. Lady to support us in holding the PCC to account for holding £72.7 million of public money—almost 18% of funding—in reserves. I am sure that her constituents will want to know how that money is going to be spent to benefit the local force.
Mr Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East) (Lab)
West Midlands police estimate that, if these changes go ahead in their current form, they will cost the force more than £22 million over the next two years, and the loss of hundreds of officers on top of the 2,000 who have already gone since 2010. The reserves that have been mentioned are already being used to fund current spending and will disappear by 2020. Does the Minister agree that it would be intolerable for the public to have to put up with the loss of hundreds more officers?
I have engaged closely with the West Midlands police and crime commissioner and the chief constable about some of the challenges facing the force, and these are real. They know that it is my intention to work through the issue and come to the House in early December with a funding settlement that works. We are working very closely with the police to build the evidence base for the Treasury's comprehensive spending review, which the right hon. Gentleman knows is a major event in shaping police budgets for the next few years.
Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab)
Following on from my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham West and Penge (Ellie Reeves), I want to share a local teacher's perspective on the losses:
"Last night I got that call that no one prepares you for…I'd just got home…it was just after seven and my own children were in the bath, 'Sorry to bother you at home but can you talk?' my headteacher on the other end of the line, her voice breaking in that way a person's voice breaks slightly when they are trying their very best to remain strong even though all they want to do is cry. All I heard was 'multiple...stabbing...murder scene...and the name Jai.' This was a boy who I had known from the age of 8 and was now 15 and fighting for his life. An hour and a half later I heard the words 'I'm really sorry but he's gone.' I broke down and cried. All I thought was how could this have happened?"
When can we talk about addressing knife crime and the Government's public health approach?
These are terrible losses; each represents a young life cut terribly short. The hon. Lady knows as well as anyone in this House the devastating impact of these losses on friends, families and the broader community. This issue is one of the biggest challenges that we face as a Government and as a society, and everyone has a role to play in addressing it, not least teachers.
I salute the hon. Lady's work and leadership on this matter. She will know from that work that there is no straightforward solution. This is long-term, complex work that requires robust policing and proactive, persistent investment in prevention and early intervention work to steer young people away from that life, those choices and the devastating consequences. I hope that she knows that whatever happens, the Government are absolutely committed to working with partners from both sides of the House and all parts of society to bear down on this problem. We have to end this terrible cycle of violence, but it will be long-term work.
Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) (Lab)
Right across Merseyside, we have similar stories to those of my hon. Friends the Members for Lewisham West and Penge (Ellie Reeves) and for Lewisham, Deptford (Vicky Foxcroft). Some 1,600 police staff have gone through Government cuts since 2010. If not funded, this proposal will cost another 300 police officers. Our PCC, Jane Kennedy, talks of these cuts swinging a "wrecking ball" through her budget. She is right to say so, isn't she?
I spoke to Jane about this yesterday, when she and other PCCs were in the Home Office talking about the serious violence strategy. She was very clear, as she always is, about the pressures on Merseyside police. It is a consistent refrain across the system. I am very, very aware of it. That is why I took the steps I took last year. They were small steps but they were steps in the right direction. I intend to come to the House again in early December with the next stage in this journey, which is the 2019-20 funding settlement.
Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich and Woolwich) (Lab)
Will the Minister confirm that, alongside the cuts that will fall on police, our fire services are also liable for costs in the region of hundreds of millions of pounds? What is he going to do about that?
As I said in my statement, this issue affects all public services. We are in conversations with the fire services, as we are with the police. Their funding settlement is in a different cycle from the police, and we will address it in the next CSR.
Stephen Morgan (Portsmouth South) (Lab)
Despite our having lost 1,000 police officers already, the Home Secretary's plan means that another 350 jobs are under threat in Hampshire. Did the Minister really think that we would not notice this cut in disguise? How many more police officers will be cut in Portsmouth?
There is a suggestion from Labour Members that there is some sort of stealth arrangement around this position from the Treasury. That could not be further from the truth. It was signalled very explicitly in the 2016 Budget. What has changed is the discount rate applied, and that is the result of independent advice. I repeat what I have said. I have been to Portsmouth, at the hon. Gentleman's request, and had many conversations with Hampshire police. They are doing an excellent job under difficult circumstances, and I am determined to do what I can to make sure that they have the resources available for them to continue to recruit more officers.
Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)
Northumbria police have already had budget cuts of over £140 million and lost 1,000 staff. If this goes through, the cost of £11 million over two years could equate to 220 officers lost. Can the Minister assure me and other Members that a way will be found to ensure that this cost is met?
Labour MPs, for reasons I understand, keeping popping up talking about cuts. They always ignore the fact that additional money has gone into the police system this year, with millions of pounds more going to Northumbria police—voted against, for reasons I continue not to understand, by the hon. Lady and others. The Government are extremely aware of the pressures on the police system. Another £460 million has gone into that system this year. I will come back to the House in a few weeks' time with our proposals for next year. Meanwhile, we work very closely with the police to make a case at the next spending review for the next stages of resources that our police system needs.
Mr Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West) (Lab/Co-op)
In the west midlands, murders are up by 33% in the last year and violent crime is up by 20%. Only last week, I went out on patrol with police in the west midlands, and I found that dedicated, devoted public servants are getting desperate because of the lack of support and resources. These cuts will make their position even worse and more demoralising. Will the Minister impress on the Treasury that the cost to the community and, in the long term, to the Treasury, will be far greater if it does not meet these costs?
Again, the hon. Gentleman talks about cuts when his force has received additional investment of £9.9 million in a settlement that he voted against. I repeat what I said. I am aware of the demand on the West Midlands police. I am aware that this is an unfunded cost. I am aware that we have to find a solution for it, and that is what I am doing, together with my colleagues at the Treasury.
Gareth Thomas (Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)
The Minister knows that violent crime is up in our borough and police numbers are substantially down. When does he expect those trends to reverse?
As I have already signalled, the battle against violent crime and the determination we have to bear down on it is long-term work. We were in a similar place 10 years ago, and it took time to bear down on it then, but we know what works, and that is what we are applying.
In relation to the Met police, there is, as I said, an additional £100 million going into the Met this year. They are recruiting hundreds more officers at the moment, and the Met has over one and a half times the national average in terms of police officers per head. It is a stretched force, and a force that we ask to do a great deal. But, again, I hope to come back to the House in early December with our plans for next year.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Astatine
Element Cobalt
Element Krypton
Neptunium
Curium
What is Berkelium?
Berkelium is a metallic chemical element classified in the actinide series on the periodic table of elements. It does not exist naturally, though various isotopes and compounds of berkelium have been produced in laboratories. Since the element is rare and difficult to create, it has no commercial uses, although it does crop up in research occasionally. Berkelium is produced by neutron bombardment of other elements, typically americium.
The appearance of berkelium is not known, since no one has managed to isolate the element in a pure form. It is presumed to silvery-gray, like its neighbors on the periodic table, and it is reactive, so it probably forms a film of oxidation when exposed to air. Berkelium is certainly radioactive, and it appears to have two allotropic forms, meaning that its structure can vary in the solid state. It is identified with the symbol Bk on the periodic table of elements, and it has an atomic number of 97.
Sather Tower at the University of California, Berkeley. Berkelium was named for the university.
The element was discovered by a team of scientists led by Glenn Seaborg at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1949. Seaborg was also the man behind the discovery of several other actinides, including plutonium, curium, and nobelium, among many others; he won the Nobel Price in 1951 for his efforts. The team named the element for the university and city of its discovery.
Like many other synthetically produced elements, berkelium has not been produced in very large amounts, because it is challenging to make and many of its isotopes have a very short half life. Because the element is both rare and unstable, no real uses have been developed for it beyond experimental chemistry. Scientists hope that by studying the element further, they may be able to identify additional isotopes, some of which could potentially be useful if they could be stabilized.
Like other radioactive elements, berkelium is potentially dangerous for human health. Most people, however, will never encounter this element, as it does not exist in nature. In labs where berkelium is synthesized, scientists take precautions to ensure that the element and its byproducts are safely handled. Berkelium does appear to have a potential to bioaccumulate in human tissue, serving no biological function but potentially causing health problems.
What Are Actinides?
What is an Atomic Number?
What is Rutherfordium?
What is Nobelium?
What is Fermium?
What is Californium?
What is Americium?
By: Eric BVD


text:
School of Social Professions news content store _hidden
How can we respond to the challenges of homelessness?
How can we respond to the challenges of homelessness? News from the School of Social Professions
A recent conference at London Met explored the causes and consequences of homelessness, and how it has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
London Met recently held its second annual homelessness conference, which explored different aspects of the continuing challenge of addressing homelessness, which has only made worse by the Covid-19 crisis.
The audience heard from a range of expert speakers at the conference, which was co-organised by London Met's Patrick Mulrenan, Isabel Patrick, Stavroula Konidari and Jane Lewis. The panel comprised of: Faye Greaves, Head of Policy and Practice at the Centre for Homelessness Impact; Councillor Louise Mitchell, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness Prevention, London Borough of Waltham Forest; Dom Gates, Director of Services, Providence Row; and Meg Rainey, Senior Social Worker, London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Just as Covid-19 laid bare the stark differences in health outcomes in the UK, there is clear evidence of unequal outcomes relating to housing and homelessness. As Patrick Mulrenan notes in a report on the conference's discussion, "fear of homelessness is increasing, and 2.5 million people have immediate concerns about housing costs. But the truth is that homelessness affects particular people, places, and communities.
"Like COVID-19, homelessness is a consequence of both poverty and inequality. Despite London's wealth, the homelessness rate is 16.7 per 1000 households, compared to 1.8 per 1000 in the rest of the country. The highest rate in London is in Newham, one of the poorest boroughs, where 1 in 23 people are homeless. But the third highest rate (1 in 29 people) is in Kensington and Chelsea, the richest borough in the country.
"The causes of homelessness have changed during COVID-19. The government has introduced a temporary ban on evictions, meaning that fewer households are approaching councils as homeless following the termination of their tenancy, particularly from the private rented sector (this was previously the largest single cause of the recent growth of homelessness). But other causes have increased. For example, homelessness due to 'friends and family being unable to continue to accommodate' has increased and is now the major cause of homelessness acceptances by councils.
"In a time of social distancing, people cannot allow friends and family to continue to stay with them. The numbers of homeless acceptances due to domestic violence and to the non-violent breakdown of relationships has also increased, again in part a consequence of COVID-19 lockdowns.
"But it is important to learn from success too. The 'Everyone In' initiative has provided accommodation for street homeless people, preventing 20,000 infections. Like the vaccine roll-out, it has demonstrated that the country can really be 'world beating' if national government, local government, and the voluntary sector work in partnership. The success of the 'Everyone In' initiative shows that with the right resources and political will, we really can address problems that seemed intractable a year ago.
The conference involved learning from failure but celebrating success too. We really can solve homelessness."
London Met's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lynn Dobbs, added: "The conference addressed many different aspects of homelessness including the need for prevention policies, the local government response, the critical role of the voluntary sector and the importance of partnership working.
"Everyone needs a safe, affordable home. Providing these homes will benefit individuals, their families, and the wider communities they live in. At London Metropolitan University, we are committed to social justice and we hope to show that, with political will, we can both defeat Covid-19 and defeat homelessness."


We talk about PR (Public Relations) today. This is an interesting topic because it's subjective. PR is only worth the time and energy you're willing to put into it. Too many agencies or con artists claim they can meet a startup's need.


Retired 24th JDC Judge Ernest V. Richards, IV, 81, died Saturday, March 31, 2018. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston in 1957 and his JD from Tulane University in 1961. He was elected to the 24th JDC in 1986 and served there until his retirement in 1996.


While scripting in the Translator, you may require access to functionality that can best be provided by an external native library (other than Lua).
For example, one of our customers required access to SHA-2 functionality. Lua modules for SHA-2 exist for Lua 5.2, but Iguana is (currently) based on Lua 5.1. Since there are many freely available native SHA-2 implementations in C, we hypothesized that we could use the rich Lua C-API to leverage an external library such that it can be used in any Lua script.
To prove this theory, we created a native module around the BSD-licensed SHA-2 implementation created by Aaron Gifford. Then we simply "required" it as a dependency in our Lua script. Once required, we discovered that it behaves just like a Lua module in the Translator.
Note: Please note that this is simply a proof-of-concept! We are still experimenting with solutions to formulate best practices. We will publish additional documentation about how to create native modules like this once we finish this investigation.
From the point-of-view of a Lua script, a native module is not that much different than any other module. The Lua run-time environment uses the package.cpath setting and rules to find native modules via require. The package.cpath can be modified at run-time to have a script look for the module almost anywhere, but the default is to look for the module in the current working directory (as either an .so file or .dll file). In the Iguana Translator, the default location is the same directory where Iguana is installed.
Use require to find and load the module into a Translator script, as you would with any module.
Invoke the module functions as needed.
-- digest should contain the string "ba7816bf8f01cfea414140de5dae2223b00361a396177a9cb410ff61f20015ad"


According to a 2016 Bain & Company survey of 250 large companies, 88% of change initiatives fail. A similar proportion of business strategies, mergers and acquisitions suffer the same fate. The 7 out of 8 change initiatives that fail do so because of inadequate leadership. The one that succeeds does so because the leadership team has provided their people with the clarity, structure, freedom and confidence they need to deliver. Of course, the question on every HR Director's and CEO's lips is, 'How do I equip my leadership team to do this'? Here are my secrets to success: All change is personal. Even the largest of organisational changes is actually the culmination of a plethora of small, individual changes. The problem is that we humans hate change. Especially when it comes to business, we fight against it at every opportunity. We fear it and this fear comes in many shapes and sizes. The most powerful fear in the corporate world is the fear of failure; not only are we afraid of failing but we are often even more afraid of suffering the consequences of that failure. We fear the unknown. We are a fundamentally tribal species; a fact we see playing out in the news on a daily basis. It is the same when it comes to business; we have a penchant for creating walls and mini-tribes throughout our organisations. Sales v Marketing, IT v Propositions, Operations v Finance. As change leaders, we must break down these walls and remove the tribes. We fear the future. Often we also fear being blamed for not changing earlier. But most of all, we are afraid of not being in control. Whilst designing the Leading Change and Embracing Change workshops that I run for organisational leaders and their people respectively, I devised a simple 2 x 2 matrix (as any good business consultant does), to describe the types of change that we all face. The Y-axis of 'The Change Matrix' is simply the size of the change we face, from small change to big change, and the X-axis is the degree of personal control we feel – from no control to total control. Even though each axis contains countless gradations of size and degrees of control, I divided the matrix into four quadrants for the sake of simplicity and the result was remarkably effective – especially when it comes to big change. For it explains the difference between big change that you instigate ('Quantum Leap') and big change that is thrust upon you ('Burning Platform').
Whenever you instigate large organisational change, your people will be firmly in the 'Burning Platform' quadrant. Meanwhile, the leadership team will be in the 'Quantum Leap' quadrant. They couldn't be further apart. Your first reaction to the change is 'excitement'. The first reaction that your people experience is 'shock'. To be successful, you need to close this gap; you need to help our people understand that what they are feeling is completely and utterly normal. The way we react to change is uniform and predictable. Swiss psychiatrist, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross first described our natural reactions to 'Burning Platform' change in 1969. A modified version of her 'change curve' is shown here. Every one of us follows this sequence of events when big change is done to us. We start with 'shock' before moving onto 'denial', hoping that the leadership will come to their senses. Once we realise this isn't going to happen, we get angry, then fearful before sinking into a form of depression. The good thing about being at the bottom of the curve is that, with help, the next step is upwards – the head is finally engaged in 'understanding' before the heart is engaged in 'acceptance' and we can finally move on. Without help, we are likely to stay in the trough and retreat into the cold comfort of victimhood. As change leaders, our most important skill is empathy; we need to understand that our people will be going through these steps and we need to help them navigate this emotional journey. When they get angry, understand that they are not being vindictive. It is a normal step on the curve.
Interestingly, even when the change is 'good'; when it is big change that we have instigated, we still experience a form of Kubler-Ross's curve. The Quantum Leap Change Curve starts with excitement before morphing into apprehension, a little bit of fear and then remorse – we have all experienced buyer's remorse and/or seller's remorse in our lives – before our head understands, our heart accepts the change and we can fully embrace the change. If your people are going to deliver the change you require, they must be completely clear about what the end result needs to be, what success looks like and how it will be measured. They also need to know why it needs to be achieved. No-one delivers anything of value simply because they are told to. They need to know why. And in business there is a 'right' reason and a 'real' reason for just about everything. This is particularly true when it comes to change. The 'real' reason may not be one that you wish to broadcast – for example it may be to prepare the business for sale – but it needs to be understood fully by the team leading the change. The 'right' reason needs to be as true as the 'real' reason and it must be something that will motivate your people to deliver. 'Implications' is the most forgotten word in the business lexicon and yet unintended consequences have scuppered many a new plan. Every change comes with its own set of consequences: implications for the team, the department, the organisation and the individuals involved. Leaders need to work with their people to unearth as many of these implications as possible in advance as some of them will be so significant that the strategy itself may need to be altered.
Never be fooled by a good, solid process, it is merely an enabler. A process without an outcome is a road to nowhere. I have seen far too many flawless and detailed change processes fail to deliver: 'The operation was a complete success. Unfortunately the patient died'. As a change leader, you need to be focused to the point of obsession with outcomes – continually checking whether the original outcomes are still valid; continually bringing the project back to what it is trying to achieve; continually probing whether the project is on track to deliver the outcomes the business needs. Remember that emotions trump logic every time, emotions rule our decisions. This fact was proven by Portuguese neuroscientist, Professor Antonio Damasio after a study of brain damage victims that left them unable to feel emotions. A surprising consequence was that they also couldn't make decisions – even simple decisions such as what to eat. For evidence of the power of emotions in decision-making, we need look no further than David Cameron's disastrous campaign for Britain to remain in the EU. As he amply demonstrated, logic alone is an inadequate motivator. To follow a leader, people need to be motivated emotionally. People voted to leave the EU for emotional reasons – they felt they had nothing to lose; they wished to be free of the expensive and controlling yoke of Brussels; they wanted to take back control of their borders; or for the patriotic belief that an unshackled Britain could be 'Great' again. When it comes to decisions, emotion wins the day every time.
It is the same when it comes to business. A brilliant study by the Corporate Leadership Council of 50,000 employees back in 2004 concluded that, when it comes to employee performance, emotional commitment is four times more powerful than rational commitment. Four times! It also concluded that the most important drivers of an employee's emotional commitment are; strategic clarity from the leadership, and the attitude and competence of the employee's direct line manager. Investing in clarifying your strategy and developing your people managers will be two of the best investments a board could make. To be successful we have to appeal to our people's emotions; we have to find their emotional triggers. As change leaders, we ignore emotions at our peril. Change projects that fail, fail to communicate effectively. They fail to genuinely engage their stakeholders – especially the employees who they need to deliver the change. Too many leaders think that broadcast-style town hall sessions and all-staff emails are sufficient modes of communication. They aren't. Too many change leaders forget that genuine communication includes listening. The forces against change are unrelenting. Inertia is a major barrier to successful change and there are three types of inertia. The first is initial inertia; the difficulty of moving from talk to action. The design phases of a change initiative are challenging enough. A great deal of work has been done just to develop the plan. Inevitably, there comes a time when the leadership needs to dedicate their energy to other things. This usually coincides with the implementation phase and it is a mistake.
Mid-term inertia is a very common cause of change failure. Most change initiatives, especially costly IT projects, can be likened to a run-away locomotive. Once it gains momentum, it is almost impossible to stop or change course. Few people are politically brave enough to try. Yet circumstances change. Often the most valuable thing to do is to recognise mid-term inertia as a genuine phenomenon and build at least one pause for reflection into your change process. Give the team the freedom to pause and assess whether the planned outcomes are still possible – or still desired. The third form of inertia is good old fashioned complacency which is the cancer that has killed many a successful corporation. I dedicate a whole chapter to this in the book. It is incredibly difficult for a market leader to innovate or change to any great degree. But you have to – or you will be usurped. Just ask Kodak or Woolworths or RBS or Blockbuster. What will be your organisation's 'Kodak moment'? Set your change initiative up to succeed. The 'set up to fail' syndrome is a well-documented phenomenon. Too many change projects are handicapped from the very beginning with unclear and/or inappropriate governance. I have seen change projects where it is unclear who is accountable for what and who is responsible for what. I have seen change programs led by steering committees too large to conduct meaningful discussions or make timely decisions. I have seen change projects where the ultimate decision-maker is unclear. I have seen change initiatives swamped by bureaucracy. I have seen working groups so large that they have become talking shops rather than doers of the work. Not enough time is invested in establishing clear governance roles and decision-making processes upfront. Your governance and your processes need to fit your culture and be designed to provide maximum clarity, minimum political interference and clear decision-making.
An organisation's culture underpins its success – or failure. The way your people interact with one another drives the way they treat your customers. Your culture drives your decision-making processes, your ability to respond to challenges and opportunities, and your ability to change. Your people will need help if they are to embrace change willingly. They will need help to overcome their fear of the unknown, their fear of failure, and/or their fear of being blamed. Enabling this on an organisation-wide scale requires the establishment of an environment where people eagerly look for improvements in the way things are done, are allowed to question the status quo, encouraged to learn from failure, and open to new processes, procedures and structures. It requires the establishment of a change-ready culture. The ever-increasing pace of change in today's business world means that the leadership need to be able to take their organisation in new directions swiftly and decisively when the need arises. One of the most important ingredients for successfully instigating sustainable change is the identification of a Change Catalyst: someone to guide the organisation to the ultimate delivery of the outcomes the business needs. A Change Catalyst's strength lies in their focus on outcomes. A program or project manager's strength lies in their ability to drive the process. The Change Catalyst is the yin to the project manager's yang. You will need both. Leading change is tough but it is the most critical skill required of any successful leadership team. After all, if they are not leading change, what are they leading?
Campbell Macpherson is the author of The Change Catalyst: Secrets to Successful and Sustainable Business Change – winner of the Business Book of the Year at the 2018 Business Book Awards.


text:
Haliotis corrugata är en snäckart som beskrevs av W. Wood 1828. Haliotis corrugata ingår i släktet Haliotis och familjen Haliotididae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Bildgalleri

Källor

Externa länkar

Snäckor
corrugata

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Town of Aurora noted on their website, Marshall Dane is a "must see" and most importantly, "must hear." Marshall Dane truly is an incredible musician and he showed us once again at the Aurora's Concerts in the Park. We almost, almost got rained out, but as rain drops started to fall, the mushroom umbrellas started to grow. Everyone came prepared.
And here we go my photo collection, Marshall Dane's performance frozen in time.


The usage of "subject to"
Thread: The usage of "subject to"
Today I would like to ask you about the phrase of "subject to."
I see "The prices are subject to change." in the sentence. Does this mean that it is likely that the prices will change under the some prospective circumstances. Am I right?
Is it necessary to use this phrase with Be verbs?
The train ticket prices may vary subject to the time when you travel.
1) I would like to say that it is likely that the train ticket prices change as there are peak price and off peak price. Does this sentence mean what I would like to say?
2) Is it OK to use "subject to" withou Be verbs?
I would be grateful if you could help me with this!
Re: The usage of "subject to"
"...are subject to change" means that they change. It doesn't necessarily mean they are likely to change, it simply tells you that they do change.
may be subject to change which means that they can change.
The phrase doesn't have to be used with the verb be (be verbs), but often is.
Ticket prices increase subject to decreases in average ticket sales.
'.....are subject to change' does not necessarily mean that they will definitely change, but that they may do and this is put in to cover any circumstance when they, in the future, do change.
I agree that often in documents "subject to change" can mean "may be subject to change".
Thank you very much for your prompt reply to my question. I am so impressed how quick you were!! Thank you for your advices!
By the way I am not quite sure about the meaning of "Ticket prices increase subject to decreases in average ticket sales." What kind of situation are you talking about? Could you kindly advise me of exactly what situation this sentence is referring to?
Well, it was more of an example than an actaul situation. But it refers to the idea that if less tickets are sold then ticket prices will have to increase in order for the company to continue making profit.
Now, I am happy to know that my understanding was correct.
Thank you for extra help!
"is not subject to" vs "is not subjected to" vs "was not subjected to"
Equivalent words and usage of BE "bloody" in AE?
Usage of "help me" and "help me to"


Description of Venue: Situated on Len Frazer Reserve, Wilkinson Hall was officially opened in 1981 by Cr. A. E Hancock as the home of the Ballarat Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen's Memorial Band. The band still call the hall home, though in 1987 it was renamed the Ballarat Memorial Concert Band, and membership was open to all musicians. The band rehearse at the hall on a weekly basis, and new members and visitors are welcome. Band members also form the committee which manages the hall.
As well as the centre being the home of the Ballarat Memorial Concert Band , the Eureka church holds services at the hall on Sundays. The hall is also suitable for birthday parties, reunions, exhibitions, exercise classes and trivia nights.
The modern well equipped kitchen features a microwave, domestic stove/oven, pie warmer, fridge, urn, crockery, cutlery and a servery window to the hall.
Electric wall heaters warm the hall in winter and ceiling fans circulate the air in summer.
Ample off street & on street parking is available.
Although not part of the hall there is a playground, BBQs and skatepark on the same grounds in Len Frazer Reserve.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS include a refundable bond and no smoking. Further details are available on booking.
Types of events which are run/held: Currently the centre is the home of the Ballarat Memorial Concert Band. The Eureka church holds services at the hall on Sundays. The hall is also suitable for birthday parties, reunions, exhibitions, exercise classes and trivia nights.
Is the venue open to the public, when and what times? The venue is only open to the public when public events or classes are being held.
Band rehearsals are on Wednesdays 6:45 pm until 8:45 pm within the Victorian School terms: new members and visitors are welcome.


text:
A STELLAR line-up of Aussie rock legends will land in Port Macquarie in November 2021 for the second leg of the Red Hot Summer Tour. Jimmy Barnes, Hoodoo Gurus, Jon Stevens, Diesel, Vika and Linda and Chris Cheney have been announced for the show at Westport Park, Port Macquarie on November 6, 2021. Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster on Thursday, December 3. Promoter Duane McDonald says fans in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT have been flooding social media with queries on when dates will be announced for them. "We have been blown away by the support for the 2021 Red hot Summer Tour," he said. " We are stoked to be able to announce these shows for our long-time supporters in those areas." Bringing together an enviable line-up of Aussie acts was paramount for the organisers, and Mr McDonald says everyone onboard for the 2021 run can't wait. "We are excited to have the opportunity to hit the road in 2021 bringing some great music experiences that the Red Hot Summer Tour has been sharing with audiences for over a decade," he said. "Bringing together our mates in the music industry and taking the tour around Australia has always been special, but next year's run is going to mean a lot to everyone. "We've invited some of the artists who have been championing the tour from the very beginning and know everyone can't wait to put on an incredible show. We look forward to making new musical memories for the next decade and can't wait to see all the music-lovers who have supported us over the years at one of the shows in 2021." The 2021 Red Hot Summer Tour line-up hardly needs an introduction to audiences, it features Australian music royalty. Jimmy Barnes, affectionately known by all as Barnesy, is the heart and soul of Australian rock and roll. He released his 17th solo album, My Criminal Record, in 2019 and recently dropped a new single, the haunting co-write with Don Walker Killing Time, which featured the Australian Chamber Orchestra. His third book, Killing Time: short stories from the long way home, debuted at #1 on the non-fiction book charts. Hoodoo Gurus are one of the country's favourite bands, melding together their distinctly Australian sound with a big chunk of punk attitude, making them a formidable force for more than 35 years. This is a band that helped give loud guitars a new lease of life, back when synthesisers ruled the airwaves back in the early '80s. The Gurus are still going strong releasing three new singles this year - Answered Prayers, Hung Out To Dry and Get Out Of Dodge - and have a new album, and 40th anniversary celebrations, scheduled for 2021. After a sell-out tour in 2019, Jon Stevens returns to thrill audiences far and wide with the Noiseworks & INXS Collection, which pays homage to the bands that helped cement him as Aussie rock royalty. With a career that spans more than four decades, Jon has a swag of solo hits to his name, as well as songs which have become all-time favourites from his time with bands Noiseworks, INXS and the Dead Daisies. His performance will feature hit after hit and have punters on their feet from start to finish. Diesel brings a special show to the stage in 2021, with Re-injected 30th Anniversary. It is hard to believe that it has been little over three decades since the release of his debut album Johnny Diesel and the Injectors. Since then Diesel has released a swag of albums and forged an impressive solo career, but has always had a soft spot for the classic singles spawned from that original release. His 2021 show will revisit the essence of that record, including singles Don't Need Love, Cry In Shame and Soul Revival, to name a few, as well as other beloved hits from throughout his career. Vika & Linda have long been revered for their soulful vocals, and their most recent album Sunday (The Gospel According to Iso), which smashed onto the ARIA charts in 2020 at #2, highlights they truly are an Australian treasure. Their previous release - Akilotoa - Anthology 1996-2004 - hit #1 on the ARIA Charts in 2020 also. As inductees in the Music Victoria Hall of Fame in 2019, they have been nominated for four ARIA awards, and have collaborated vocally on numerous #1 albums. They recorded three classic albums with The Black Sorrows, and have six studio albums, two live albums and a chart-topping Anthology to their name. Chris Cheney is revered as one of the country's most phenomenal guitarists, and as lead-singer of rockabilly band The Living End, has been touring the world for more than three decades. Responsible for penning the smash hit singles Second Solution/Prisoner of Society, All Torn Down and Roll on to name a few, he has released eight studio albums with The Living End and have a massive fan base not only in Australia, but also the United States and United Kingdom. While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here. If you would like to support our journalists you can subscribe here.
/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ppNWdZhTTkjhqMUVsrRSd4/1d384cec-6e49-4c63-96d0-313a894dd4c2.jpeg/r0_497_4662_3131_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
December 1 2020 - 8:00AM
Stellar Aussie rock legend line-up as Port Macquarie lands a Red Hot Summer
Jimmy Barnes will headline the 2021 Red Hot Summer Tour in Port Macquarie.
A STELLAR line-up of Aussie rock legends will land in Port Macquarie in November 2021 for the second leg of the Red Hot Summer Tour.
Jimmy Barnes, Hoodoo Gurus, Jon Stevens, Diesel, Vika and Linda and Chris Cheney have been announced for the show at Westport Park, Port Macquarie on November 6, 2021.
Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster on Thursday, December 3.
Promoter Duane McDonald says fans in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT have been flooding social media with queries on when dates will be announced for them.
"We have been blown away by the support for the 2021 Red hot Summer Tour," he said.
" We are stoked to be able to announce these shows for our long-time supporters in those areas."
Bringing together an enviable line-up of Aussie acts was paramount for the organisers, and Mr McDonald says everyone onboard for the 2021 run can't wait.
"We are excited to have the opportunity to hit the road in 2021 bringing some great music experiences that the Red Hot Summer Tour has been sharing with audiences for over a decade," he said.
"Bringing together our mates in the music industry and taking the tour around Australia has always been special, but next year's run is going to mean a lot to everyone.
"We've invited some of the artists who have been championing the tour from the very beginning and know everyone can't wait to put on an incredible show. We look forward to making new musical memories for the next decade and can't wait to see all the music-lovers who have supported us over the years at one of the shows in 2021."
The Hoodoo Gurus
The 2021 Red Hot Summer Tour line-up hardly needs an introduction to audiences, it features Australian music royalty. Jimmy Barnes, affectionately known by all as Barnesy, is the heart and soul of Australian rock and roll.
He released his 17th solo album, My Criminal Record, in 2019 and recently dropped a new single, the haunting co-write with Don Walker Killing Time, which featured the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
His third book, Killing Time: short stories from the long way home, debuted at #1 on the non-fiction book charts.
Hoodoo Gurus are one of the country's favourite bands, melding together their distinctly Australian sound with a big chunk of punk attitude, making them a formidable force for more than 35 years.
This is a band that helped give loud guitars a new lease of life, back when synthesisers ruled the airwaves back in the early '80s.
The Gurus are still going strong releasing three new singles this year - Answered Prayers, Hung Out To Dry and Get Out Of Dodge - and have a new album, and 40th anniversary celebrations, scheduled for 2021.
Jon Stevens
After a sell-out tour in 2019, Jon Stevens returns to thrill audiences far and wide with the Noiseworks & INXS Collection, which pays homage to the bands that helped cement him as Aussie rock royalty.
With a career that spans more than four decades, Jon has a swag of solo hits to his name, as well as songs which have become all-time favourites from his time with bands Noiseworks, INXS and the Dead Daisies. His performance will feature hit after hit and have punters on their feet from start to finish.
Diesel brings a special show to the stage in 2021, with Re-injected 30th Anniversary.
It is hard to believe that it has been little over three decades since the release of his debut album Johnny Diesel and the Injectors. Since then Diesel has released a swag of albums and forged an impressive solo career, but has always had a soft spot for the classic singles spawned from that original release.
His 2021 show will revisit the essence of that record, including singles Don't Need Love, Cry In Shame and Soul Revival, to name a few, as well as other beloved hits from throughout his career.
Vika and Linda
Vika & Linda have long been revered for their soulful vocals, and their most recent album Sunday (The Gospel According to Iso), which smashed onto the ARIA charts in 2020 at #2, highlights they truly are an Australian treasure.
Their previous release - Akilotoa - Anthology 1996-2004 - hit #1 on the ARIA Charts in 2020 also. As inductees in the Music Victoria Hall of Fame in 2019, they have been nominated for four ARIA awards, and have collaborated vocally on numerous #1 albums.
They recorded three classic albums with The Black Sorrows, and have six studio albums, two live albums and a chart-topping Anthology to their name.
Chris Cheney
Chris Cheney is revered as one of the country's most phenomenal guitarists, and as lead-singer of rockabilly band The Living End, has been touring the world for more than three decades.
Responsible for penning the smash hit singles Second Solution/Prisoner of Society, All Torn Down and Roll on to name a few, he has released eight studio albums with The Living End and have a massive fan base not only in Australia, but also the United States and United Kingdom.
Former local casting critical eye over field of forensics
Pioneers ready to carve a path on golf course for cancer research
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.If you would like to support our journalists you can subscribe here.


text:
Consoles used for VOD 22 percent of the time
Nielsen finds streaming service popularity increasing, PS3s now used mostly for non-gaming applications
Wednesday 13th March 2013
Gaming consoles have been about more than just games for multiple generations at this point, but their secondary purposes are quickly becoming primary. According to a Nielsen survey of more than 2,500 US consumers, console owners spent 22 percent of their time on the systems streaming video-on-demand services last year. That's up from 19 percent in 2011 and 13 percent in 2010.
While the overall numbers show streaming gaining in popularity, the system-by-system breakdown suggests the big change has been on the PlayStation 3. Video-on-demand time surged from 15 percent to 24 percent on Sony's console. Combine that with the time spent watching DVDs and Blu-rays (18 percent), watching downloaded media (4 percent), and other uses like listening to music or surfing the web (8 percent), and PS3 owners actually spent the majority of their time on the system last year doing things besides playing games.
Streaming remained most popular on the Wii, with VOD accounting for 32 percent of time spent on the machine. And despite Microsoft's flood of media apps on Xbox Live, Xbox 360 owners limited their use of streaming options to 13 percent of their time on the system. Both numbers were down slightly from the year prior.
Microsoft opens first flagship store in Europe
Announcement of location on Oxford Circus comes alongside £1m grant to train young community members in digital skills
By Rebekah Valentine
Microsoft and Sony reportedly scaling back console production in China
President Trump's trade war causing further disruption in tech sector manufacturing
By Haydn Taylor
Latest comments (8)
Andy Samson QA Supervisor, Digital Media Exchange6 years ago
"Streaming remained most popular on the Wii, with VOD accounting for 32 percent of time spent on the machine."
The "Wii", the console of choice for "Streaming" makes a lot of sense. Too bad the Wii Mini has lost all online functions and a decent component video output.
Dave Herod Senior Programmer, Codemasters6 years ago
2500 doesn't sound a very big sample size to me. However I don't use my PS3 for gaming at all, it's exclusively my Blu Ray/DVD/NetFlix player, but that's because of it's abysmal controller. My Xbox 360 on the other hand, I only use it for gaming, since my PS3 takes care of the others. The big difference is that you have to be on Xbox Live Gold to use Netflix and the like on Xbox, whereas you don't need to pay anything to use them on PS3. Still, as far as gaming goes, even the Xbox is barely touched compared to my PC.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Dave Herod on 14th March 2013 9:29am
John Bye Lead Designer, Freejam6 years ago
My own PS3's probably in the same boat. I don't get as much time as I'd like to play games on it, but my wife and I use Lovefilm on it every couple of days and we also use it as our DVD and blu-ray player, and for streaming media from my PC. I see that as a good thing though. I've got a huge amount of use out of the system, both for gaming and other media, and it's saved me needing to have a separate media box and blu-ray player. The only other boxes I need under my TV are Sky+ and a multi-region DVD player for all my old American and Asian discs.
As for controllers, they seem to be a matter of personal preference. I spend a lot of time using the Dual Shock without having any problems or discomfort, and find the 360 pad's shoulder buttons and triggers a bit more awkwardly placed for me. Both are far better than any Nintendo controller I've ever used. The GBA in particular was a horrible device that turned my hands into arthritic claws every time I played a game that made extensive use of its shoulder buttons.
Show all comments (8)
David Radd Senior Editor, IndustryGamers6 years ago
I feel like this comes up every time a major survey comes out, but 2,500 consumers is a statistically significant number. To put that in context, that's more than than many presidential polls that turned out to be accurate this past November. There's always a margin of error built in, but by and large a survey like this can be trusted as accurate.
James Berg Games User Researcher, EA Canada6 years ago
2500 is actually quite large for a legitimate research sample size. I think missing pieces here are how many people have multiple media devices (two consoles, PC, etc), to get a broader picture of how people are interacting. This is an interesting data point, but you can't draw many conclusions without more context.
Paul Jace Merchandiser 6 years ago
I mostly use my PS3 for blurays but I occassionally get some gaming in on it. All my streaming takes place on my 360 and as a whole I do spend a significant amount of time using my consoles for things other than playing games.
Keldon Alleyne Strategic keyboard basher, Avasopht Ltd6 years ago
You can't draw any conclusions out of this.
When someone wants to play a game they put in a game, when they want to watch TV they either use Sky/Virgin or the on demand services. The percentage of gaming on the device means absolutely nothing to gaming. The only figure that matters to gaming is how much time and money is spent on games.
For example, suppose playing time and expenditure increased, while at the same time enough people switched from watching TV via the sky box to the XBox, reducing the percentage of gaming? What does the percentage say? Nothing! more than the fact that the XBox and PS3 are formidable devices for watching media, something we've known all along.
I watch most films on demand, and there seem to be more films on the XBox than the Sky box, but maybe that has changed now - though I don't bother with the XBox anymore because I just can't be bothered now that I can just plug my sky box into the router.
If anything it tells you more about and signals the near redundancy of satellite technology and the user need for more streaming TV services.
Greg Wilcox Creator, Destroy All Fanboys! 6 years ago
My internet is fooked up, so my consoles are gaming only. No one even rings me up for game surveys anymore. I'm too "old" and have actually been booted from some online or phone ones as soon as I enter my age or tell the person on the other end of the line what it is. Oh well. You CAN target a demographic just to prove a point, kids - so I find these results listed here not so impressive at all.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Greg Wilcox on 16th March 2013 5:24am


text:
Turriff United on the hunt for new manager
Turriff United and Kris Hunter have parted company after the club suffered a 13-1 drubbing at Fraserburgh at the start of the year.
In a statement the club said
After a series of consultations over the course of the last week, Turriff United Football Club conversed again last night with manager Kris Hunter and the decision was made to mutually part ways for the benefit of all those involved.
Turriff United would like to place on record their thanks for the work Kris has done in his second spell at the club.
He came back under difficult circumstances financially, and helped us regain control of spiralling costs and set a precedence for bringing through good young local players which was a target set upon his acceptance of the job, this has given us the foundation to move forward on a stable financial footing.
We would also like to take this opportunity to wish Kris all the best with his future endeavours.
Turriff United are now inviting applications for the post of manager where interested candidates will ideally have a current B license qualification or at the very minimum be at least qualified to 1.3 level.
Interested parties are asked to email a copy of their CV and introductory email to turriffunitedfc@highlandleague.com by Wednesday 20th January.
Car dealership expansion plans
Filed Under: Sport, Turriff News Published 12th January 2021 at 3:55 pm and Last Modified: January 12, 2021 at 3:55 pm


text:
Embassy of Algeria in Sofia | Bulgaria > News > Information > Algeria plays central role in supporting African liberation movements
Algeria plays central role in supporting African liberation movements
APS : Wednesday, 30 November 2016
ALGIERS- The participants in the international colloquium on "Algeria's contribution to the decolonization in Africa," organized Tuesday, in Algiers, emphasized Algeria's major support to the liberation movements in Africa at the diplomatic, political and military levels.
In his speech on "the African dimension of the liberation war in the charters of the Revolution," Ameur Rekhila, an academic, underlined that the "Algerian diplomacy has drawn its principles from charters leading to the outbreak of the liberation war, namely the Proclamation of 1 November 1954, the platform of Soummam 1956, the programme of Tripoli (1962), the charter of Algiers (1964) and the national charters of 1976 and 1986."
"Most of charters included several dimensions, including the African dimension," said Rekhila, citing as an example the "programme of Tripoli which paved the way for the future of Africa and Algiers' charter, providing support to the African movements."
"The independence of Algeria was a threat to France as a colonial power in all Africa because Algeria established activist relations with the main players on the African political scene and even in Asia and Latin America," he said. The Algerian Liberation War, he added, has become "a model to follow" for the African peoples under the colonial rule.
For his part, Haroun El Rachid Aziz, a South African researcher, focused his speech on "the Liberation War and its impact on the awareness in Africa" during the 60s and 90s of last century.
It is during this period that the African leaders were born like Nelson Mandela and other leaders imbued with the Algerian liberation war to lead their struggle to freedom, he said.


29-Aug-16: The official CHSMRB spirit store is now open!
The official CHSMRB spirit store is now open!
Many items can be customized with different color options, or the addition of your last name.
All orders must be placed by September 12, 2016.
Orders will be delivered and distributed at rehearsal a few weeks following the deadline. Please email jkemp@ramband.com or ecao@ramband.com with any questions about spirit wear.