Carleton University's School for Studies in Art and Culture has announced the appointment of Ellen Waterman as the first Helmut Kallmann Chair for Music in Canada, taking effect on January 1st, 2019.
For many years, Waterman has been a familiar and central figure on the Canadian music scene. She brings a distinguished record of research and performance practice to the new chair, touching on diverse areas such as contemporary composition, creative improvisation, acoustic ecology and music and disability.
"The common thread in my research program is the collaborative exploration of difference and inclusion in music; the context for all my research projects is the complex social and cultural matrix that is Canada," said Waterman.
Building from this emphasis on inclusion and locality, a major initiative of the Kallmann Chair will be the creation of a research centre for music in Canada, one which facilitates multiple forms of scholarship, performance and community engagement.


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ENDitorial: Facebook can never get it right
By Bits of Freedom
In 2017, a man posted live footage on Facebook of a murder he was committing. The platform decides whether you get to see this shocking footage or not – an incredibly tricky decision to make. And not really the kind of decision we want Facebook to be in charge of at all.
I didn't actually see the much-discussed footage of the murder – and I really don't feel the need to see it. The footage will undoubtedly be shocking, and seeing it would without doubt leave me feeling very uncomfortable. When I close my eyes, I unfortunately have no trouble conjuring up the picture of Michael Brown after he had just been shot. Or the footage of the beheading of journalist James Foley. The thought of it is enough to make me sick.
Should these kinds of images be readily available? I certainly can't think of a straightforward answer to this question. I would even argue that those who claim to know the answer are overlooking a lot of the finer nuances involved. The images will, of course, have the bereaved family and friends cowering in pain. Every time one pops up somewhere, they will have to go through it all again and again. You wouldn't want people to accidentally come across any inappropriate images either: not everyone will be affected equally, but the images are inappropriate nonetheless. No one remains indifferent.
That said, I still have to admit that visuals are sometimes essential in getting a serious problem across. A while back I offered a journalist some information that we both agreed was newsworthy, and we also agreed it was important to bring it to people's attention. Even so, his words were: "You've got a smoking gun, but where is the dead body?". I didn't realise then that this sometimes needs to be taken very literally. Sometimes, the photographs or footage of an awful event can act as a catalyst for change.
Without iconic images such as the one of Michael Brown's body, discrimination by police in the United States might not have been given much attention. And we would probably have never seen reports on the countless mass demonstrations that ensued. The fact we're not forgetting about the Vietnam War has something to do with a single seminal photograph. Had we never seen these images, they could never have made such a lasting impact, and the terrible events that caused them would not be as fresh in our collective memory today.
I have no doubt that these images sometimes need to be accessible – the question is when. When is it okay to post something? Should images be shared straight away or not for a while? With or without context, blurred or in high definition? And perhaps most importantly: who gets to decide? Right now, an incredible amount of power lies with Facebook. The company controls the availability of news items for a huge group of users. That power comes with an immense responsibility. I wouldn't like to be in Facebook's shoes, as Facebook can never get it right. There is always going to be someone among those two billion users who will take offence, and for legitimate reasons.
But there, for me at least, lies part of the problem – and maybe also part of the solution. Facebook decides for its users what they get to see or not. Many of the questions floating around about Facebook's policy would be less on people's minds if Facebook wasn't making important decisions on behalf of its users, and if instead users themselves were in control. The problem would be less worrisome if users actually were given a choice.
One way to make that possible is to go back to a system where you can choose between a large variety of providers of similar services. Not one Facebook, but dozens of Facebooks, each with its own profile. Compare it with the newspapers of the past. Some people were satisfied with a subscription to The New York Times while others felt more at home with The Sun. And where the editors of one newspaper would include certain images on its front page, the editors of another newspaper would make a different choice. As a reader, you could choose what you subscribed to.
But even without such fundamental changes to the way the internet is set up, users might be able to get more of a say – for instance if they can do more to manage their flood of incoming messages. Get rid of certain topics, or favour messages with a different kind of tone. Or prioritise messages from a specific source if they are the only ones writing about something. Users may not even have to make all those decisions by themselves if instead they can rely on trusted curators to make a selection for them. And even though that sounds quite straightforward, it really isn't. That one interface has to accommodate those same two billion users, and shouldn't create any new problems – like introducing a filter bubble.
So what it is we're supposed to do about that shocking murder footage, I really wouldn't know. There is no straightforward and definite answer to that question. But one thing is very clear: it is not a good idea to leave those kinds of decisions to a major tech company that holds too much power and does not necessarily share our interests. One way out would be to give users more of a choice, and consequently more control, over what they see online.
Facebook can never get it right (20.11.2018)
https://www.bitsoffreedom.nl/2018/11/20/facebook-can-never-get-it-right/
Bits of Freedom
https://www.bitsoffreedom.nl/
(Contribution by Rejo Zenger, EDRi member Bits of Freedom, the Netherlands; translation from Dutch by Marleen Masselink)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A break is often the best way to recharge. Many people choose to go on holidays to relieve work pressure. Shopping and good food are both very rejuvenating, but how about a trip away from the urban scene? Vietnam, Cambodia and New Zealand are all great destinations to slow down and explore the wonders of nature.
Da Nang has become increasingly popular among tourists in recent years. The Ba Na Hills, where the French used to go to escape from the summer heat back in the early 20th century, are one of the many world-famous spots in the city. French houses, churches, opera houses and castles are ubiquitous. Le Jardin D'Amour on the way up to the peak is like a mini Château de Versailles which makes you feel like being in France.
The cable cars will take you to near the peak of the Ba Na Hills, at 1,500 m above sea level. From the station, tourists can take the steps to the peak. As they go up, they step into the clouds, entering a space that seems closer to heaven than the ground. However, the hottest topic in the Ba Na Hills these days is undoubtedly the Golden Bridge. Opened only in June this year, the walkway in the sky cost USD 2 billion (HKD 15.6 billion) to build. The golden structure is supported by two giant stone hands, which ant-like tourists stroll through. The best photo spot is of course at the palm, but a drone camera to capture both hands and the magnificence of the entire bridge is also a fantastic option.
After a day in the mountain, water activities on the Cham Islands offer you a different experience. One popular thing to do there is to go boat fishing. The area is populated by groupers. With some patience, even those with no fishing experience will be able to get something easily. You can occasionally catch crabs and sea urchins with good luck. After fishing, the catch can be cooked and tasted on board directly. The amazing food and refreshing coconuts together make a very enjoyable experience.
Fishing is all about patience and luck. However, for locals in Phnom Penh, it is just a piece of cake. Tonle Sap, between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Connected to Mekong River and spanning a vast area, it is seen as the source of life in Cambodia. The lake is also the biggest supplier of freshwater fish in the country, accounting for 70% of the catch. Villagers by the river and in stilt houses fish for their livings. They catch catfish effortlessly by simply dipping their hands into the water. Even children can do that easily, leaving tourists in sightseeing boats in amazement. Those who prefer to stay dry can fish with a rod from the stilt houses. It is almost impossible without a single catch as there are so many fish in the lake!
How can one miss Angkor Wat while travelling in Cambodia? Phnom Bakheng offers the best panoramic view of the World Heritage Site. The hill is 67 m tall, with a temple perching on top. Outside, the entire view of Angkor Wat can be seen and it is also the best spot for sunset. There are multiple routes to the top of Phnom Bakheng. The shortest way is the steepest, taking only 15 minutes to reach the top. However, it suits only those with hiking experience. Tourists normally take a milder route of one hour. Elephants can also be hired for a different experience.
Feeling something other than groupers and catfish? How about rainbow trout in New Zealand? Lake Taupo on the North Island is in the caldera of a volcano. Conservation work is meticulously done there, with a number of juvenile rainbow trout being placed in the lake every year to replenish stock. It is almost a certainty that tourists will be able to catch some. Various boating companies organise fishing trips there. To protect the environment, no natural baits are allowed. Also, only fish exceeding a certain size can be taken away. The fish will then be made into delicious dishes by the restaurant. They are usually served raw or barbecued, and the two styles taste wildly different.
Tongariro National Park is another popular spot on the North Island of New Zealand. Its alpine crossing is amongst the Top 10 one-day walks in the world. Measuring 19.4 kilometres long, it takes most hikers seven to eight hours to complete. Eight hours may sound a long time, but the crystal clear lake, funky plants and interesting rock clusters will make time goes swiftly. Mount Tongariro was portrayed as Mount Doom in the film of "The Lord of the Rings", so you may meet some fanatics there.


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Many corporate executives are rightly frustrated about paying immense and growing costs for compliance programs without seeing clear benefits. At many companies, strengthening compliance has become synonymous with hiring more compliance managers, buying more-sophisticated software, and creating more policies, even when those moves are redundant and wasteful or just don't deliver results. Employees also often resent compliance programs, seeing them as a series of box-checking routines and mindless training exercises. All this expense and frustration is tragic—and avoidable.
The answer lies in better measurement. At its core, the idea is as simple as it is crucial: Firms cannot design effective compliance programs without effective measurement tools. One of the main reasons that companies keep investing more and more in compliance is that they do not have the right measures and thus cannot tell what works and what doesn't. Put simply, better compliance measurement leads to better compliance management.
The development of corporate compliance programs followed a stream of corporate scandals in the 1970s and 1980s, when industry groups adopted policies and procedures to attempt to prevent and detect misconduct. In 1991, the United States Sentencing Commission amended its "sentencing for organizations" guidelines to offer firms reduced fines if they could show that they had an "effective compliance program." The United States Department of Justice ("DOJ") adopted policies urging prosecutors to consider the effectiveness of a firm's compliance program when deciding on criminal charges. Other civil regulators also adopted similar policies. An industry quickly sprouted to provide compliance-related products and services such as training, whistle-blower hotlines, and risk assessment.
The document was not intended to be used as a checklist; indeed, all evaluations would continue to be individualized. Nonetheless, firms quickly began to appropriate the document as a manual on constructing an effective program. Even more worrisome, firms were selectively picking data to support the notion that their practices were effective, rather than recognizing that some were clearly falling short.
For example, the DOJ evaluation document asks: "Has the company ever terminated or otherwise disciplined anyone for the type of misconduct at issue?" To demonstrate individual accountability, firms often list the employees who have been terminated or denied promotions and bonuses as a result of compliance-related transgressions. Yet such statistics aren't enough to substantiate that a firm rigorously holds employees accountable since they don't indicate the number of employees who were not disciplined. So the simple statistic on the number of sanctioned employees can be incomplete and misleading.
Although a wide range of data may be collected on the various facets of a compliance program, only a subset of that data actually correlates with the impact of a program. For example, in response to the DOJ question asking how the company has measured the effectiveness of its training, firms often focus on the percentage of employees who've completed the training or the number of hours they've spent doing so. Those are entirely the wrong metrics to use. A meaningful measure of effectiveness must be directly tied to a clearly articulated outcome—for example, employees' demonstrated an understanding of policies and procedures, their acquisition of useful skills for confronting anticipated scenarios, or a change in their behavior.
Mistaking legal accountability for compliance effectiveness.
Take this question: "How has the company assessed whether these policies and procedures have been effectively implemented?" Firms often respond by showing that employees signed a statement that they had read and understood the company's policies and codes of conduct. While such a signature may provide legal grounds to fire someone who violates a rule, it does not demonstrate that an employee has converted knowledge about policies into everyday work practices. Employees may sign an acknowledgment of corporate policies without actually having read or understood the terms. Thus, counting employees' legally binding assents to policies is not an appropriate way to quantify the effectiveness of a compliance initiative.
Compliance managers often rely on surveys to assess the performance of their programs. For instance, to gauge employee comfort with reporting mechanisms, a firm might ask: "Do you know when to seek compliance advice? Are you willing to do so?" The challenge with surveys is that self-reporting and self-selection by the respondents may bias the results and lead managers to draw incorrect conclusions. Thus, bias in the data collected needs to be accounted for when interpreting the metrics.
So how do you create models that can credibly evaluate the impact of a compliance program? The first step is recognizing that such programs actually have multiple purposes. As discussed in memoranda by senior DOJ officials, the three main goals are to prevent misconduct, to detect misconduct, and to align corporate policies with laws, rules, and regulations. Each component of a compliance program should be linked to one of these objectives to create more meaningful metrics.
Consider a confidential hotline for whistleblowers. Its objective is to improve the timely detection of wrongdoing. To understand whether it's achieving this goal, certain information is needed, including whether the hotline works ("mystery tester" reports), whether people actually use it (usage data), how they use it (data on types of calls received), the firm's responsiveness to allegations (response time, investigation completion time, investigation results, communication of results), and whether employees feel comfortable contacting the hotline (periodic surveys of employees' sentiments). Each of those metrics captures a different dimension of the initiative's efficacy.
However, tracking those variables independently is insufficient, because it doesn't allow managers to identify which ones are responsible for particular outcomes. For instance, a "hot" hotline might reflect a rising number of problems or just a high level of employee comfort with calling. To get clarification, managers can apply multivariate regression analysis. Regression models allow an investigator to examine the impact of one variable while holding the others constant. In this case, to ascertain whether an increase in calls indicates an increase in compliance breaches, we would seek to hold the following other factors constant: the availability of the hotline, people's comfort in using it, its operational performance, and the number of potential callers (people who have access to it).
Designing appropriate regression models takes time and experience, but it is the most reliable way to know whether to be reassured by or concerned about shifts in call volume. As this example demonstrates, firms should use empirical data generated from their compliance programs to gauge how well a program is meeting its objectives. Again, we stress that firms need to do more than simply track metrics independently. They must focus on creating models that measure the desired output while controlling or excluding other factors.
As compliance programs continue to be more closely scrutinized, those that cannot show meaningful results will fail to meet the stronger regulatory standards being applied today. It would be convenient if there were a one-size-fits-all yardstick that could show whether or not a compliance program is on track. But simple univariate metrics will not adequately capture a program's effectiveness. For compliance programs to have a real impact, managers need to test what works and what doesn't. This will require firms to engage in some experimentation and innovation. By developing better measures of effectiveness, firms can adopt more ambitious and innovative programs that really do curb the improper behavior.
Companies worldwide are already spending a fortune on compliance. Let's make sure that all those resources are being spent well. Better measurement can help managers identify redundant or ineffective initiatives that can be replaced or eliminated—and ultimately reveal opportunities to make programs more effective.
This post is a modified and abbreviated version of an original article by the same title published in the March-April 2018 issue of Harvard Business Review. The complete article is available for download here.
Very interesting post and distinctive way to address the issue with our compliance programs.
The constant surveying of employees speaks little of the actual compliance culture as they do tend to be biased and many employees are usually eager to just get it out of the way so may breeze through the questions without actual thought and reflection on their true feelings or experiences. The metrics mentioned are a great proposal to resolve these problems and should without a doubt be utilised.
However, even with stricter regulations and measurements, I believe there will still be the ongoing issue of firms just wanting to meet the bare minimum requirements, checking each box as you put it, for the sake of complying with regulation or fulfilling its CSR. For this to change, there needs to be a full restructuring of corporate culture.
I find this topic to be very interesting, and learned immensely after reading both articles on compliance and doing some research. I found the issue with compliance is not only about effective measurements but also a companies reason for undertaking an effective compliance programs. Compliance started progressing through scandals and unfortunately throughout the years compliance departments only get a breath of fresh air after another round of scandals has occurred. Compliance programs are now compared to that of an insurance policy or simply a paper program despite all the millions spent to create the program.
While I agree that better measurements would make compliance departments more productive, I am starting to believe compliance should be outsourced. An independent firm should be used to actually measure compliance within corporations. Corporations are investing in compliance programs as preventive measures and to adhere to stricter regulations, but how much can we really measure ourselves internally without bias?
We are affiliated with The Global Integrity Research Network (GIRN), which brings together researchers, professionals and stakeholders involved in the fight against corruption worldwide.


text:
package com.solidnw.gametimer.activities;

import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.SharedPreferences;
import android.content.SharedPreferences.Editor;
import android.content.res.Configuration;
import android.os.Build;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.support.v4.app.ActionBarDrawerToggle;
import android.support.v4.app.Fragment;
import android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity;
import android.support.v4.widget.DrawerLayout;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemClickListener;
import android.widget.ListView;
import android.widget.TextView;

import com.solidnw.gametimer.R;
import com.solidnw.gametimer.adapter.DrawerListAdapter;
import com.solidnw.gametimer.fragments.GameModePagerFragment;
import com.solidnw.gametimer.fragments.GroupManagementFragment;
import com.solidnw.gametimer.fragments.PlayerManagementFragment;
import com.solidnw.gametimer.model.DrawerConstants;
import com.solidnw.gametimer.model.IntentConstants;
import com.solidnw.gametimer.model.PreferencesConstants;

public class MainActivity extends FragmentActivity {

	private DrawerLayout mDrawerLayout;
	private ListView mDrawerListView;
	private ActionBarDrawerToggle mDrawerToggle;
	private String[] mDrawerContent;
	private Fragment mFragment;
	private int mTheme;

	public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
		setTheme();

		super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
		setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

		init();
	}

	public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
		if(mFragment instanceof GameModePagerFragment) {
			getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.actionbar_main, menu);
			MenuItem menuItemMain = menu.findItem(R.id.abmain_switch_theme);
			if(mTheme == android.R.style.Theme_Holo) {
				menuItemMain.setTitle(R.string.use_light_theme);
			}
			else {
				menuItemMain.setTitle(R.string.use_dark_theme);
			}
		}
		else if(mFragment instanceof GroupManagementFragment) {
			getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.actionbar_new_group, menu);
			MenuItem newGroup = menu.findItem(R.id.new_group);
			if(mTheme == android.R.style.Theme_Holo) {
				newGroup.setIcon(R.drawable.add_group_light);
			}
			else{
				newGroup.setIcon(R.drawable.add_group);
			}
		}
		else if(mFragment instanceof PlayerManagementFragment) {
			getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.actionbar_new_player, menu);
			MenuItem newPlayer = menu.findItem(R.id.new_player);
			if(mTheme == android.R.style.Theme_Holo) {
				newPlayer.setIcon(R.drawable.add_person_light);
			}
			else {
				newPlayer.setIcon(R.drawable.add_person);
			}
		}

		return super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
	}

	protected void onPostCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
		super.onPostCreate(savedInstanceState);
		mDrawerToggle.syncState();
	}

	public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig) {
		super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
		mDrawerToggle.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
	}

	public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
		if (mDrawerToggle.onOptionsItemSelected(item)) {
			return true;
		}

		Intent intent;
		switch (item.getItemId()) {
			case R.id.abmain_switch_theme:
				intent = getIntent();
				if (mTheme == android.R.style.Theme_Holo_Light) {
					intent.putExtra(IntentConstants.MSG_THEME,
							android.R.style.Theme_Holo);
				} else {
					intent.putExtra(IntentConstants.MSG_THEME,
							android.R.style.Theme_Holo_Light);
				}

				finish();
				startActivity(intent);
				return true;
			case R.id.abmain_help:
				return true;
			case R.id.abmain_about:
				return true;

			case R.id.new_group:
				onNewGroup();
				return true;

			case R.id.new_player:
				onNewPlayer();
				return true;

			default:
				return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
			}
	}

	public void onResume() {
		super.onResume();
	}

	@Override
	public void onBackPressed() {
		if(mFragment instanceof GroupManagementFragment || mFragment instanceof PlayerManagementFragment) {
			switchFragment(new GameModePagerFragment());
		}
		else {
			super.onBackPressed();
		}
	}

	private void setTheme() {
		SharedPreferences settings = getSharedPreferences(
				PreferencesConstants.PREFERENCES_NAME, 0);
		Editor editor = settings.edit();
		Intent intent = getIntent();

		if (intent != null) {
			mTheme = intent.getIntExtra(IntentConstants.MSG_THEME,
					PreferencesConstants.DEFAULT_THEME);
		} else {
			mTheme = settings.getInt(PreferencesConstants.PREF_KEY_THEME,
					PreferencesConstants.DEFAULT_THEME);
		}

		editor.putInt(PreferencesConstants.PREF_KEY_THEME, mTheme);
		setTheme(mTheme);
		editor.commit();
	}

	private void init() {
		initNavigationDrawer();

		mFragment = new GameModePagerFragment();
		mFragment.setRetainInstance(true);
		getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction()
			.add(R.id.mainact_content_layout, mFragment).commit();
	}

	private void initNavigationDrawer() {
		mDrawerLayout = (DrawerLayout) findViewById(R.id.mainact_drawerlayout);
		mDrawerListView = (ListView) findViewById(R.id.listview_drawer);
		mDrawerContent = getResources().getStringArray(R.array.drawer_items);

		mDrawerListView.setAdapter(new DrawerListAdapter(this, mDrawerContent));
		mDrawerListView.setOnItemClickListener(new DrawerItemClickListenerZ());

		// Allow toggling navigation drawer via app icon
		if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB) {
			mDrawerToggle = new ActionBarDrawerToggle(this, mDrawerLayout,
					R.drawable.ic_drawer, R.string.open_drawer,
					R.string.close_drawer);
			mDrawerLayout.setDrawerListener(mDrawerToggle);

			getActionBar().setDisplayHomeAsUpEnabled(true);
		}
	}

	private void onNewGroup() {
		Intent intent = new Intent(this, GroupActivity.class);
		startActivity(intent);
	}

	private void onNewPlayer() {
		Intent intent = new Intent(this, PlayerActivity.class);
		startActivity(intent);
	}

	private void switchFragment(Fragment fragment) {
		mFragment = fragment;
		mFragment.setRetainInstance(true);
		getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction()
				.replace(R.id.mainact_content_layout, fragment).commit();
		supportInvalidateOptionsMenu();
		adaptTitle();
	}

	private void adaptTitle() {
		if(mFragment instanceof GameModePagerFragment) {
			setTitle(R.string.app_name);
		}
		else if(mFragment instanceof GroupManagementFragment) {
			setTitle(R.string.act_name_group_management);
		}
		else if(mFragment instanceof PlayerManagementFragment) {
			setTitle(R.string.act_name_player_management);
		}
	}

	private class DrawerItemClickListenerZ implements OnItemClickListener {
		public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> adapterView, View view,
				int position, long id) {
			String selectedItem = adapterView.getItemAtPosition(position)
					.toString();

			if (DrawerConstants.ITEM_SELECT_GAME_MODE.equals(selectedItem)) {
				GameModePagerFragment gmpf = new GameModePagerFragment();
				switchFragment(gmpf);

			} else if (DrawerConstants.ITEM_GROUP_MANAGEMENT
					.equals(selectedItem)) {
				GroupManagementFragment gmf = new GroupManagementFragment();
				switchFragment(gmf);

			} else if (DrawerConstants.ITEM_PLAYER_MANAGEMENT
					.equals(selectedItem)) {
				PlayerManagementFragment pmf = new PlayerManagementFragment();
				switchFragment(pmf);

			} else if (DrawerConstants.ITEM_STATISTICS.equals(selectedItem)) {
				// not yet supported
			} else {
				return;
			}
			mDrawerLayout.closeDrawers();
		}
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I've been thinking a lot about fairness lately and what that word means in our current social and economic context. People like me who believe in free enterprise and effective but limited government are often tarred with accusations that we're uncaring or indifferent to the plights of our fellow citizens who, for whatever reasons, aren't getting a fair share of the American dream. I think that's both biased and inaccurate for several reasons, some of which reflect of the "fairness" argument itself.
Fairness standards are inherently subjective and, at least in their more utopian strains, have a nasty habit of ignoring basic human nature and economic laws. Nobody shakes their fist and bemoans the unfairness of gravity because heavy things fall on people's feet. If you drop something and it breaks your toe, that's not unfair; it's a predictable consequence of your actions.
And yet many people argue we should ignore the laws of economics because it's unfair, for example, for some people to have more stuff than others. If some people do more, are blessed with natural advantages, or even are just luckier than others, they'll probably end up with more stuff. We can argue all day about whether and to what degree that outcome is or isn't fair, but it's going to happen in any economic or social system that includes human beings. Wishing unfairness away will no more avert it than wishing that anvils float will keep your toes intact.
All too often at the intersection of fairness and facts we tend to wish away hard choices and tradeoffs. Central planning is a great example. The former Soviet Union and China famously had five year plans designed to match the wants and needs of millions or billions of people with the production capabilities of economies that in turn produced millions of products.
Those central planners wished away the simple and immutable economic principles of supply and demand, and the free market's unique ability to balance desires and design. The result was starvation, bread lines, shoddy goods, gulags, and generations of wasted human potential. That might be fair in the sense that everyone outside the elite was more or less equal, but it was hardly fair in the sense of allowing people an opportunity to live fulfilling and happy lives.
So how does the fairness argument play out in Montana? To me, fairness means having rules that are predictable and that don't arbitrarily discriminate, holding everybody equally accountable to those rules, and then allowing individuals to reap the consequences of their actions – both good and bad. In other words, the rules should not stand in the way of our opportunity to pursue happiness, but they by definition cannot be fair if they artificially guarantee success to certain favored groups, especially at someone else's expense.
This state has traditionally been a land of opportunity, whether it was prospecting in Virginia City, homesteading in Glentana as my grandfather did, or escaping the suffocation of big city life. Over the years there have been decidedly unfair circumstances – the Copper King era comes to mind – but for the most part Montanans who invested their time, talents and luck have enjoyed reasonably unfettered pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately that's changing in thoroughly predictable ways as more and more limits are placed on our ability to pursue and achieve success in our everyday lives. And it's been a bipartisan effort.
Since 2000, state spending has increased by over fifty percent after inflation. Government at all levels is now the single largest employer in Montana. It used to be that we sent folks off to Helena or wherever with the expectation that they would look out for our interests. But now government has become an interest group in itself. It's not a matter of nefarious intentions or bad people. It's simply the predictable outcome of a growing self-perpetuating bureaucracy.
The result is that we have less ability to be responsible stewards of our own lands, businesses and lives. We have a government that too often works against us in perpetuating itself rather than for us in safeguarding our rights. We have the second lowest earnings per job in the country. And, according to both Forbes and CEO magazine surveys, we have by far the worst business and job creating climate in the region. Those outcomes weren't planned, but they were predictable.
Free people making free decisions in a reasonably regulated free market: That's fair, it's productive, and it will result in the greatest good for the most people, with enough left over to maintain a safety net for those who need it. Balancing rights and values will always be challenging; but along the way we also have to respect the truths of human nature and basic economics. Otherwise we're just wishing. And wishing is not a plan.


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Comparative Effects of Biodynes, Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction, and Tocopherol in Enhancing Collagen Synthesis and Inhibiting Collagen Degradation in Stress-Induced Premature Senescence Model of Human Diploid Fibroblasts
Suzana Makpol,1 Faidruz Azura Jam,1 Shy Cian Khor,1 Zahariah Ismail,2 Yasmin Anum Mohd Yusof,1 and Wan Zurinah Wan Ngah1
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2R&D Plantation and Agri-Business Division, Sime Darby Research Sdn Bhd, 42960 Carey Island, Selangor, Malaysia
Received 16 July 2013; Accepted 1 November 2013
Academic Editor: Okezie I. Aruoma
Copyright © 2013 Suzana Makpol et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Biodynes, tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), and tocopherol have shown antiaging properties. However, the combined effects of these compounds on skin aging are yet to be investigated. This study aimed to elucidate the skin aging effects of biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol on stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) model of human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) by determining the expression of collagen and MMPs at gene and protein levels. Primary HDFs were treated with biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol prior to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure. The expression of COL1A1, COL3A1, MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, and MMP9 genes was determined by qRT-PCR. Type I and type III procollagen proteins were measured by Western blotting while the activities of MMPs were quantified by fluorometric Sensolyte MMP Kit. Our results showed that biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol upregulated collagen genes and downregulated MMP genes ( ). Type I procollagen and type III procollagen protein levels were significantly increased in response to biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol treatment ( ) with reduction in MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 activities ( ). These findings indicated that biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol effectively enhanced collagen synthesis and inhibited collagen degradation and therefore may protect the skin from aging.
Human skin which consists of epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissues provides a shielding layer for internal organs. During chronological aging, increased wrinkling, sagging, pigmentation, fragility, and lack of moisture plus elasticity are the universal manifestations observed on the skin. Skin aging can be intrinsic, which is genetically determined and extrinsic, which is caused by environmental exposure such as UV light. Oxidative stress is one of the factors that contribute to skin aging [1, 2].
Fibroblasts which are the crucial collagen-producing cells provide flatten appearance and elasticity to the skin in cooperation with collagen. However, fibroblasts have collapsed appearance with little cytoplasm when they aged [3, 4]. Therefore evaluating the loss of collagen, either decreased synthesis or increased degradation, is important in analyzing the factors that may contribute to skin aging [5]. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in regulating the turnover of collagen. In aged skin, the elevated level of MMPs caused increased collagen degradation and deterioration of skin structure [6]. Previous study which used stress induced premature senescence (SIPS) model of human diploid fibroblasts has shown the role of MMPs in regulating collagen degradation [7, 8].
Collagen fibers comprised approximately 75% of the dry weight of the dermis [9]. Total collagen in skin will decrease with age. Previous study showed that collagen markers such as type I C-terminal propeptide (PICP) did not show any detectable increase during adolescence but decreased towards adult concentrations after the age of puberty while cross-linked C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and procollagen type III N-terminal propeptide (p3NP) increased in pubertal-aged children before decreasing towards adults concentrations [10]. Aged individuals have been reported to have lower collagen levels in skin as compared to young individuals while the amount of elastic materials and associated fibro-hexis or fiber breakdown can be large and is probably responsible for wrinkle formation seen in photoaged skin [2, 8, 11, 12].
MMPs are a family of zinc containing proteases with various substrate specificities, cellular sources, and inducers [4]. They degrade the stable components in extracellular matrix (ECM) such as collagens, gelatin, elastin, laminin, and basement membranes. MMPs levels in skin increase with age [6]. It has been suggested that the presence of damaged collagen may act in some manner to downregulate collagen synthesis. Study has shown that damage to type I collagen in three-dimensional in vitro culture following MMP-1 treatment has similar ultrastructural appearance to the damage seen in vivo in aged skin [13].
Development of aging is associated with oxidative stress as postulated in the free radical theory of aging [14]. Free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can be produced intrinsically through normal metabolic processes or from exogenous agents, attack cellular structures like DNA and protein causing to continuous accumulation of cellular damage. In vitro, the oxidative stress condition can be manipulated in order to study the aging process. For instance, studies have shown that exposure to ultraviolet or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was able to elevate ROS content and induce premature senescence in young fibroblasts [15, 16]. H2O2 is the oxidant species that can induce oxidative damage in human fibroblasts and produce similar characteristics as senescent cells [17].
Since oxidative stress is vital in aging, compounds with antioxidant properties might be beneficial in preventing aging. In this study we evaluated the combined effects of biodynes, tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), and tocopherol in promoting skin regeneration prior to oxidative stress exposure. TRF is comprised of all forms of tocotrienols and α-tocopherol. Tocopherol and tocotrienol are isomers of vitamin E. The difference in their chemical structure contributes to the different efficacy and potential as antioxidant [18]. Biodynes is an active compound which is derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recent studies showed that it acts as an antiaging compound due to its collagen synthesis promoting effect. When combined with other active compounds, it may work synergistically [19].
In this study we aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of biodynes, tocotrienol-rich fraction, and tocopherol in preventing skin aging. We would like to determine whether single treatment is giving thrilling outcomes or the synergic effects of combined compounds provide a better impact in preventing skin aging by determining collagen biosynthesis and degradation in HDFs.
2.1. Cell Culture and Treatment Protocols
This research has been approved by Ethics Committee of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Approval Project Code: FF-328-2009). Primary human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) were derived from the circumcision foreskins of three young male subjects, aged between 9 and 12 years old. Written informed consents were obtained from parents of all subjects. The samples were aseptically collected and washed several times with 75% alcohol and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) containing 1% antibiotic-antimycotic solution (PAA, Austria). After removing the epidermis, the pure dermis was cut into small pieces and transferred into a falcon tube containing 0.03% collagenase type I solution (Worthington Biochemical Corporation, USA). Pure dermis was digested in the incubator shaker at 37°C for 6 to 12 h. With PBS, the derived HDFs were washed and maintained in Dulbecco Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (PAA, Austria) and 1% antibiotic-antimycotic solution at 37°C in 5% CO2 humidified incubator. After 5 or 6 days, the HDFs were trypsinized and further expanded with expansion degree of 1 : 4 into a new T25 culture flask (Nunc, Denmark). When cell confluency reached 80 to 90%, serial passaging was performed until passage 4. The population doublings (PDs) were monitored throughout the experiment. For subsequent experiments, HDFs were treated with biodynes, TRF, or tocopherol and combination of biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol (BTT) at passage 4. After that, the cells were exposed to 20 μM H2O2 for two weeks (prolong exposure to low concentration of H2O2) at passage 6. Immediately after two weeks of H2O2 exposure, the cells were harvested for further analysis.
Biodynes TRF (Arch Chemicals Inc. NJ, USA), tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) (Sime Darby Plantation Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia), and Copherol F 1300 C (Cognis Care Chemicals) were used to treat the HDFs prior to H2O2 exposure at a concentration of 1% (v/v), 500 μg/mL, and 100 μg/mL, respectively, either single or in combination.
2.2. Total RNA Extraction
Total RNA of HDFs in different groups was extracted by using TRI Reagent (Molecular Research Center, USA), according to manufacturer's instructions. Polyacrylcarrier (Molecular Research Center, USA) was added in each extraction to precipitate the total RNA. Extracted total RNA pellet was then washed with 75% ethanol and air-dried before being dissolved in RNase DNase free distilled water (Gibco, USA). Total RNA was stored at −80°C immediately after extraction. The yield and purity of the extracted total RNA were determined by using Nanodrop ND-1000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA).
2.3. Primer Design and qRT-PCR
All primers were designed by using Primer 3 software (http://frodo.wi.mit.edu/primer3), with reference of Genbank (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) database. The targets amplified by the primer pairs were characterized by BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool; http://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Table 1 shows the primers sequence for targeted genes in this study. Specificity of all primers was determined by using iScript One-Step RT-PCR Kit with SYBR Green (Biorad, USA). The size of the PCR products was then checked by running on 1.8% agarose gel prestained with ethidium bromide along with a 100 bp DNA step ladder (Promega, USA). Optimization of the qRT-PCR procedures was established by performing the standard curve. Four serial dilutions of total RNA were used: 0, 2, 4, 8 and 16. By using Bio-Rad iCycler and programmed protocol, each primer pair was optimized and the expression of all targeted genes was determined. The amplification protocol was as follows: cDNA synthesis at 50°C for 30 min, iScript reverse transcriptase inactivation at 94°C for 2 min, followed by 38 amplification cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 30 sec and 60°C (primer annealing and extension) for 30 sec. After the end of the last cycle, the melting curve was generated at 95°C for 1 min, 55°C for 1 min, and 60°C for 10 sec (70 cycles, increase set point temperature after cycle 2 by 0.5°C). Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was used as reference gene that acts as an internal reference to normalize the mRNA expression [20].
Table 1: Primers sequence for genes expression analysis.
2.4. Western Blotting
To determine the amount of type I procollagen and type III procollagen protein, cells were lysated by using lysis buffer which was prepared by mixing complete protease inhibitor cocktail tablet (Roche, German) and RIPA buffer (Sigma-Aldrich, USA). Approximately 30 μg of cell lysate was heated at 70°C for 10 min in the sample buffer. The samples were then separated on 4–12% bis-tris gel (Invitrogen, USA) by gel electrophoresis. After that, proteins were transferred onto nitrocellulose membrane and incubation of primary antibody was performed. Two primary antibodies were used which were anti-mouse monoclonal type I procollagen (Santa Cruz, USA) at 1 : 500 dilution and type III procollagen (Santa Cruz, USA) at 1 : 200 dilution. After incubation of secondary antibody, the proteins expression was detected by gel documentation and analysis MultiImage Light Cabinet 504551 (Alpha Innotech, USA). The band intensities were measured by using Image Master Total Lab software (Amersham Bioscience, Buckinghamshire, UK).
2.5. Determination of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 Activities
The activity of MMP-1, 2, 3, and 9 was quantified by using the fluorometric SensoLyte 520 MMP assay kit (Anaspec, USA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Briefly, cells were treated for 24 h. The supernatant of conditioned medium was collected and centrifuged for 15 min at 4°C, 10,000 g. Samples containing MMP were then incubated with 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate (APMA) to activate pro-MMP followed by initiating the enzyme reaction. The activity of MMP was detected by fluorescence microplate reader (Bio-Tek Instruments, USA) at excitation/emission wavelengths of 360 nm/460 nm.
2.6. Statistical Analysis
Experiments were performed in triplicates and data was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS statistic software. Significance was accepted at .
3.1. Effect of Biodynes, Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction, and Tocopherol on Collagen Synthesis
Biodynes, TRF, tocopherol and combined biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol (BTT) significantly increased the expression of COL1A1 gene as compared to SIPS at 5.07-fold, 2.92-fold, 3.10-fold, and 2.13-fold, respectively (Figure 1(a)) ( ). However, the significant elevation was only found in HDFs treated with TRF, tocopherol, and BTT ( ) but not in biodynes-treated cells when the levels of type I procollagen protein were analyzed (Figure 1(b)).
Figure 1: Effects of biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol on COL1A1 gene and procollagen type I protein expression in HDFs. COL1A1 expression (a). Biodynes, TRF, tocopherol, and BTT significantly increased COL1A1 expression compared to SIPS. Procollagen type I protein expression (b). TRF, tocopherol, and BTT significantly increased the expression of procollagen type I. aDenotes compared to SIPS, bdenotes compared to biodynes, cdenotes compared to TRF, and ddenotes compared to tocopherol. Data are presented as the mean of three experiments ±S.D, .
For COL3A1 expression, a significant upregulation by 9.63 and 1.22 fold over SIPS was observed in cells treated with biodynes and TRF respectively (Figure 2(a)) ( ). Expression of type III procollagen was significantly increased in all treated cells as compared to SIPS (Figure 2(b)) ( ).
Figure 2: Effects of biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol on COL3A1 gene and procollagen type III protein expression in HDFs. COL3A1 expression (a). Biodynes and TRF significantly increased COL3A1 expression compared to SIPS. Procollagen type III protein expression (b). Biodynes, TRF, tocopherol, and BTT significantly increased the expression of procollagen type III. aDenotes compared to SIPS, bdenotes compared to biodynes. Data are presented as the mean of three experiments ±S.D, .
3.2. Effect of Biodynes, Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction, and Tocopherol on Collagen Degradation
Treatment with TRF, tocopherol and BTT significantly down regulated MMP1 gene as compared to SIPS at 0.10-fold, 0.23-fold and 0.03-fold respectively (Figure 3(a)) ( ). Analysis on MMP activities showed that only BTT significantly reduced MMP-1 activity (Figure 3(b)). For MMP2 gene expression, the result was similar to the expression of MMPI whereby TRF, tocopherol and BTT significantly decreased MMP2 gene expression by 0.09-fold, 0.12, and 0.10, respectively, but not in biodynes-treated cells (Figure 4(a)). However, all treatment groups showed significant reduction in MMP-2 activity (Figure 4(b)) ( ).
Figure 3: Effects of biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol on MMP1 gene expression and MMP-1 activity in HDFs. MMP1 expression (a). TRF, tocopherol, and BTT significantly downregulated MMP1 compared to SIPS. MMP-1 activity (b). BTT decreased the MMP-1 activity compared to SIPS. aDenotes compared to SIPS. Data are presented as the mean of three experiments ±S.D, .
Figure 4: Effects of biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol on MMP2 gene expression and MMP-2 activity in HDFs. MMP2 expression (a). TRF, tocopherol and BTT downregulated MMP2 compared to SIPS. MMP-2 activity (b). Biodynes, TRF, tocopherol, and BTT significantly decreased, the MMP-2 activity compared to SIPS. aDenotes compared to SIPS. Data are presented as the mean of three experiments ±S.D, .
Similar findings were observed in the expression of MMP3 gene and MMP-3 activity (Figures 5(a) and 5(b)), whereby biodynes, TRF, tocopherol, and BTT showed significant downregulation of MMP3 gene at 0.05-fold, 0.15-fold, 0.09-fold, and 0.08-fold, respectively ( ). Biodynes, TRF, tocopherol, and BTT also significantly downregulated MMP9 gene as compared to SIPS at 0.71-fold, 0.35-fold, 0.14-fold, and 0.12-fold, respectively (Figure 6(a)). Although biodynes, tocopherol, and BTT caused significant decrease in MMP-9 activity compared to SIPS, TRF-treated group showed higher MMP-9 activity as compared to biodynes (Figure 6(b)) ( ).
Figure 5: Effects of biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol on MMP3 gene expression and MMP-3 activity in HDFs. MMP3 expression (a). Biodynes, TRF, tocopherol, and BTT significantly downregulated MMP3 compared to SIPS. MMP-3 activity (b). Biodynes, TRF, tocopherol, and BTT significantly decreased MMP-3 activity. aDenotes compared to SIPS. Data are presented as the mean of three experiments ±S.D, .
Figure 6: Effects of biodynes, TRF and tocopherol on MMP9 gene expression and MMP-9 activity in HDFs. MMP9 expression (a). Biodynes, TRF, tocopherol and BTT significantly down regulated MMP9 expression compared to SIPS. MMP-9 activity (b). Biodynes, tocopherol and BTT significantly decreased MMP-9 activity. aDenotes compared to SIPS, adenotes compared to biodynes, cdenotes compared to TRF, ddenotes compared to tocopherol. Data are presented as the mean of three experiments ±S.D, .
This study evaluated the effects of biodynes, tocotrienol-rich fraction, and tocopherol in modulating collagen synthesis and degradation, in order to elucidate their underlying mechanism in preventing skin aging. HDFs were exposed to prolonged low dose of H2O2 to induce premature senescence. H2O2 has been used in various studies as the senescence induction agent that may produce similar characteristics to chronological aging on induced cells [15, 17, 21].
Progressive loss of skin tissue due to deterioration of cellular and extracellular matrix components of dermis is vital in skin aging. The dermis layer of the skin is mainly comprised of collagen fibers, consisting of several types of collagens such as types I, III, and V [5]. The turnover of collagen is crucially important for maintaining skin structure and function in which impaired production can lead to skin thinning and increase skin vulnerability. Thus, collagen synthesis and degradation were the focus of our study. Our results showed that exposure to prolonged low dose of hydrogen peroxide downregulated COL1A1 and COL3A1 genes with concomitant reduction in type I procollagen and type III procollagen synthesis. These findings are supported by report from previous studies which showed that type I collagen as the main component of dermis decreases during aging or photoaging [22, 23].
In addition to decreased collagen production, increased collagen degradation may result to collapsed fibroblasts during aging which contributed to the shift of aged skin appearance [13]. In this study, MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, and MMP9 genes were upregulated and MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-3 activities were increased in oxidative stress-induced fibroblasts. Oxidative stress caused by UV irradiation, ozone, H2O2, and free radicals may lead to activation of AP-1, accordingly increased MMPs expression and collagen degradation [7]. In addition, association of oxidative stress and the level of MMP-1 was reported by Fisher et al. [8] which is in line with our findings. Over expression of MMPs during aging observed in this study may results into collagen loss in the skin which has been reported to be prominent and was proposed as the hallmark to designate matrix-degrading phenotype in senescent cells [23–25].
In this study, we focused on the molecular mechanism of combined biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol in preventing skin aging. The findings from this study demonstrated that these compounds regulate collagen synthesis and degradation in cultured HDFs by upregulating collagen synthesis and downregulating MMPs expression at gene and protein levels. These effects could be attributed to the properties of these compounds. Biodynes is a collagen production promoting compound that enhances integrin synthesis in fibroblast cells and prevents or reduces wrinkle formation [26]. It also stimulates collagen synthesis by increasing oxygen uptake in human fibroblasts [19] and shows synergistic effect when combined with other active compounds which enhances products benefit [19].
Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that scavenges ROS, has been used in various studies for the past few decades. In previous studies, vitamin E has been reported as an effective antiaging agent attributable to its antioxidant property. It exerted other beneficial effects such as in modulating signal transduction pathways [27–29]. Most of the studies used α-tocopherol as a representative of vitamin E [30, 31]. However, the lesser known form of vitamin E, tocotrienols, has been considered as greater options compared to tocopherols [32]. The tocotrienols have slightly higher antioxidant activity than the tocopherols, possess neuroprotective properties, and exhibit anti-cancer and cholesterol lowering properties that are often not exhibited by the tocopherols [13].
Our data showed that biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol upregulated collagen genes and increased the synthesis of procollagen. Interestingly, combined compounds gave a better effect in stimulating collagen synthesis as compared to treatment with single compound. Hence, combination of biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol is effective due to the contribution of each active compound. The effectiveness of vitamin E when employed in combination with biodynes can be postulated due to their antioxidant properties. However the molecular mechanism is not well understood, even though it may be related to the antioxidant properties of these active compounds and/or their effects in modulating genes expression and signaling pathways.
Several studies indicated that the MMPs are crucial for initiating the degradation of collagen. Collagenase is secreted into the extracellular spaces as a proenzyme and is later activated. It has been shown that MMP-2, stromelysin which is secreted together with collagenase from connective tissue cells in culture, is believed to play a role as an activator for collagenase. The presence of stromelysin is important for the expression of full collagenase activity [33]. Results obtained from this study showed that biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol decreased MMPs genes expression and reduced the activity of MMPs enzymes. Combined treatment with biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol exerted better effects in inhibiting collagen degradation as compared to single treatment. This effect may be explained by the report from recent findings on antiaging properties of tocotrienol [34]. Besides, biodynes have been reported to stimulate collagen synthesis by increasing oxygen uptake in human fibroblasts [19]. The findings from this study showed that biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol works synergistically and exerted better effect in modulating collagen synthesis and degradation.
Biodynes, TRF, and tocopherol effectively enhanced collagen synthesis and inhibited collagen degradation indicated by upregulation of collagen genes, type I and type III procollagen synthesis and down regulation of MMPs gene and reduced MMPs activity. These properties may indicate their potential in protecting the skin from aging.
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.
This study was funded by Sime Darby Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Grant no. JJ-001-2008 and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Grant no. UKM-DLP-2011-042.
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Just another little poll. I'm kind of a horror fan myself, but really watch anything and everything.
Did I forget drama? 😮 I guess I did. LOL if dramas are your thing, just write it in the comments. Have a fabulous morning, day, night wherever you may be.


text:
NY Filipinos Rally to Defend Press Freedom in the Philippines and Stand with ABS CBN
New York City - Tuesday, 25 February during the the 34th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Uprising, the Malaya Movement Northeast together with the NY Chapter of US Pinoys for Good Governance (USP4GG) and members of the "We Stand with ABS-CBN Coalition" gathered in a peaceful protest action in front of the NY Philippine consulate to defend press freedom and democracy by denouncing the Duterte government's moves to shut down ABS-CBN, the Philippines' largest media conglomerate. They stood with the 11,000 ABS-CBN workers whose livelihoods are at stake amidst the looming shutdown. Other New York Filipino community-based organizations such as BAYAN-USA, the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, United Mothers of Marawi, and Damayan Migrant Workers' Association also participated.
On the anniversary of EDSA, the protesters remembered "our kababayans, friends, and family who sacrificed dearly to fight for these rights and our democracy by toppling Marcos after twenty-one years of his despotic rule. Their sacrifices do not go unheeded as these are once again in the line of fire of Duterte's relentless attacks."
Loida Lewis, National chair of US Pinoys for Good Governance (USPGG), stated, "Duterte is following the playbook of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos wanted absolute power. Today, who wants absolute power in the Philippines? Duterte. Absolute power breeds absolute corruption. The first victim of absolute power is press freedom. When press freedom dies, democracy dies."
Loida Lewis, National chair of USPGG, and Gary Labao, Vice Chair of Migrante USA
By participating in this global day of action, the Malaya Movement carried on the legacy of EDSA to resist any effort of the state that results in the curtailment of press freedom, free speech and the right to information of the Filipino people. Malaya Movement claimed, "President Rodrigo Duterte is silencing critical voices in the media and trampling on the rights of Filipino workers at home and abroad. He is encroaching on the public's access to information and the Filipino people's right to the truth. To put it clearly: it is censorship."
Gary Labao of Migrante-USA highlighted the importance of ABS-CBN to Filipino overseas workers and the impact that its closure would have. "Over 6,000 Filipino workers leave the Philippines everyday. For them, ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel serves as a voice for the Filipino workers abroad. Because of their programs, migrant workers can still connect with home and address homesickness and depression."
Labao further stated that "It gives them a platform to criticize the government and expose the conditions of the Filipinos working overseas. Duterte's move to shutdown ABS-CBN is curtailing the Filipino people's right to express our grievances, we will lose the voices of overseas Filipinos." He continued, "Eleven thousand workers will lose their jobs. Duterte promised to improve the conditions of workers, to improve the economy. These are lies." He also reiterated that position of Migrante USA to "Oust Duterte Now!"
"The attack on ABS-CBN is one out of over 150 attacks on the press, media outlets, and journalists under Duterte," said Bernadette Patino of the Malaya Movement. "There has been the multiple arrests of Rappler CEO and Time Magazine Person of the Year, Maria Ressa, there has been cyber attacks and red-baiting of progressive media outlets and research institutes, there has been the spew of Duterte's deliberate disinformation, there has been and tokhang-style summary executions of members of the press." Patino exclaimed during her speech.
Nicole Canete of Malaya Movement NE reading an open letter from Frenchie Mae Cumpio of the Tacoloban 5, and Bernadette Patino, Regional Coordinator of Malaya Movement NE
She added that "Fourteen of the fifteen slain journalists under Duterte hail from Negros, Bicol, and Mindanao. This is no accident. Mindanao was under martial law for over 2 years; Negros, Bicol, and Samar are militarized due to Memorandum 32; in addition there is Oplan Kapanatagan and Executive Order 70. On paper these policies are supposed to 'counter terrorism,' but instead they have been used by Duterte to justify attacks, arrest, and murder human rights defenders and members of the press critical of his regime."
The protesters also stated that "de facto martial law policies have created an atmosphere of violence, and there is no worse form of censorship than violence. Journalists and the press must be allowed to work in an environment free from fear and intimidation. To oppose Duterte's de facto martial law policies is to defend press freedom and the people's right to information."
A very touching letter written by Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a young journalist part of the Tacloban 5 who faced illegal arrest earlier this month was also read by the participants. Cumpio reported on military attacks against civilians in Eastern Visayas for the independent media organization Altermidya. In her letter, she wrote, "We were just activists doing our normal work. We could have a better life like what people would say, but remembering the demolition threats among several barangays in Tacloban, the land grabbing cases in Tacloban and Leyte, the illegal arrests of farmers and other activists … We'd still make the choice we made years ago. Life behind bars is still better than not showing our love for this country."
Bernadette Ellorin, Spokesperson of BAYAN USA and Potri Ranka Manis of United Mothers of Marawi
Remembering EDSA this week, the protesters find hope and inspiration. They believe it will take no less than people power to once again stop yet another dictatorship. Bernadette Ellorin, spokesperson of BAYAN-USA, emphasized the need for groups to unite in resisting Duterte. "The wave of authoritarianism has hit the Philippines once again under the Duterte regime. His campaign against ABS-CBN is part of Duterte's war against the truth, against information, against his critics. He wants to control the minds of Filipinos to believe that there is no poverty in the Philippines. He wants us to believe that drugs are the main problem. In reality, the main problem in the Philippines right now is Duterte."
Ellorin called on the Filipinos of all backgrounds who love democracy and sovereignty to struggle to unite. She said that "We must come together and unite because our country and our people are suffering under one of the biggest traitors of democracy today: Duterte. We must oust him."
In closing, the members of the Malaya Movement Northeast called on the Filipino community to stand with all ABS-CBN and all Filipino journalists, artists, media workers, TV and radio broadcasting industry to defend and fight for the protection and sanctity of the Filipino peoples universal and constitutional right to freedom of speech, expression, and of the press. They also called on the community to stand together in unity against Duterte as we fight for the rights of the Filipino people, in the spirit of EDSA. The protest ended with the protesters singing the patriotic song "Ang Bayan Ko" with clenched fists raised in the air.
contributed 20228mm


When it comes to your family, you want to give them only the best! With today's fast-paced world and many options, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to making nutritious food choices. Did you know that many packaged food options have little to no nutritional value at all?
When you go to purchase a packaged food item, the first thing you want to look at is the serving size of the NFT. The serving size is based on the quantity of food. If you eat more or less of the serving size it suggests, you will need to adjust the rest of the nutritional value to accommodate your specific serving size. For example, if the serving size is a ¼ cup and you eat 1 cup, you will need to multiply other nutritious facts by 4.
The percent daily value tells you if the serving size has a little or a lot of nutrition. These numbers can be tricky if you don't know what to look for. If the serving size has 5% daily percent value or less, it is not a very nutritious food choice. If the packaged food contains 15% of the daily value or more, it is more nutritious food choice.
Foods with the most nutritional value are those that are not packaged or processed. Choose whole food options like fruits, vegetables, and nuts more often than packaged foods. Whole foods you eat, the healthier you will be.
Practice makes perfect, right? When it comes to your families' health, it is always important to test your knowledge. The Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), Healthy Canada, Retail Council of Canada (RCC), and the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers wants to increase Canadian awareness, and help you Focus onthe Facts! Test your skills of the NFT, and be entered for a chance to win a $100 grocery card, here!
How did you do on the NFT quiz? How will use the NFT help you and your family to eat more nutritiously? Share your tips, suggestions, and test results in the comments below!
The post How To Make Nutritious Food Choices For Your Family appeared first on TOTS Family DIY, Recipes, Autism, Kids.


I was in shock and I forgot completely remove my card information and update my password... after that I didn't receive more orders.
To be honest, the Google Customer Care gave me a fast answer and also a fast solution, they refunded me the money and cancelled both orders.
"Debido a las circunstancias especiales de la compra, estaremos encantados de hacer una excepción única a nuestra política de reembolsos y realizarte un reembolso por valor de 4.762 ¥."
Come on, an unique exception? WTF!!!
But Google, At this time I need to ask you something, why always when I arrived to a new portal and saw this, I used the right button?
The reason is because I trusted you. But today, one Chinesse guy was able not just to make two orders of crappy game credits, he also was able to read my e-mail, my contacts information, acces to my analytics, change my password, and so on. In fact, he linked the device to my account a week ago!!!!
¿How a guy at China could stole my password?
¿How someone at China could pay with Google Wallet without any extra protection?
¿What else shall I do to guarantee the security of my account?
¿How I will trust you again? ¿And why?
Facebook, that have "just" my social activity, no credit card, no personal e-mail ... they have context security rules, if I try to access to my account in a non-usual location they will force my to follow some extra security restrictions.


text:
Golovkin To Return To Ring, Defend His Title For 21st Time (Video)
By Aidana Yergaliyeva in Society on 6 December 2020
NUR-SULTAN – English DAZN sports streaming service recently presented a promo video about Kazakh middleweight boxer Gennady Golovkin also known by his nickname GGG or Triple G. This is a promo for Golovkin's upcoming fight against Polish professional boxer Kamil Szeremeta on Dec. 18.
For Golovkin, it's a chance to make the 21st successful title defense at middleweight, which would be a new record. As of today, he is tied with Bernard Hopkins for the most-ever defenses at 160 pounds.
Golovkin, 38, with a 42-1-1 (35 by knockout) record, is a former unified middleweight world champion with the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organisation titles. U.S. website Business Insider ranked Golovkin ninth on its list of the 15 best boxers in the world as of Dec. 25, 2019.
For Szeremeta, 31, with a 21-0 (5 by knockout), the fight is also a chance to make history and become Poland's first-ever world middleweight titleholder.
According to the Polish TVP Sport channel, Sheremeta might cancel the bout as he might be COVID-19 positive.
"If Krzysztof Głowacki has COVID and Fyodor Czerkaszyn has COVID, then you need to pray and believe in a miracle that Kamil Szeremeta does not have the viral infection. Because all these boxers were training with the same coach," said TVP SPORT commentator Mateusz Borek.
DAZN's promo video for Genady Golovkin. Video credit: Genady Golovkin's Instagram page.
https://astanatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/10000000_3743164552403019_2061312053270086702_n-1.mp4


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Comic Book 'Lawtoons' Makes Learning About Law and Civics Fun
Children Fine Arts
Kanan and Kelly Dhru have made legal rights and citizenship enjoyable to understand through their comic book.
Civics classes in my school weren't exactly what you'd call 'engaging', least of all 'visually engaging'. While reading about the Indian Constitution, which is an exhaustive draft written in complex language, I realised how necessary it is for each man, woman and child to be conscious about his/her rights. But the process of consuming this information was always dull.
To discuss fundamental civil rights and laws with children, sisters Kanan and Kelly Dhru visited various schools in underprivileged sections of Ahmedabad. Kanan Dhru is the founder of the Research Foundation for Governance in India, a think tank that helps implement government reforms. As an advocate who has served on the National Knowledge Commission in the Prime Minister's Advisory Body, Kanan knew how boring legal jargon could be for laymen, especially for children. This is why she came up with the idea of Lawtoons in 2013, while at the Ahmedabad Hub of the Glober Shapers Community, World Economic Forum.
According to Kanan, "Lawtoons is a comic that explains legal jargons to children in an informal way. It follows the story of a notorious and curious kid Pugloo, and his mystical friend Judgni. When Pugloo is gifted a copy of the Constitution of India by his grandfather on his 10th birthday, he becomes upset on reading its boring language. This is when the friendly genie, Judgni, who resides within the book, comes into Pugloo's life. The genie tries to quench the child's curiosity about the laws of India by answering his unbounded questions."
The Dhru sisters, who have already released Hindi and English copies of the book online in 2014, are now working on a book about the five Fundamental Rights of India. In the future, they are also planning on writing about subjects like 'What is Government?', 'What is the Judiciary?', internet safety and sexual harassment. To encourage young people to practise their right to vote, the sisters came out with the free comic book Sentinels of Democracy in 2017. Drafted at the request of the Election Commission of India, it is available online on their website.
The content for Lawtoons has been created in consultation with child psychologists. Illustrations have been made by Anish Daolagupu, an alumnus of National Institute of Design (NID), under the tutelage of Sekhar Mukherjee, head of the Animation Film Design programme at NID.
Not only is the content of Lawtoons enticing and important for children, but also enriching for adults!
Purchase or preview Lawtoons here.
Photo Courtesy: Kanan Dhru
Comic Books / Constitution of India / Kanan Dhru / Kelly Dhru / Lawtoons