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Employer Burned for Failing to Return Employee to Equivalent Position After FMLA Ended
Franczek P.C.
[author: Jeff Nowak]
The Family and Medical Leave Act and its regulations tell us that an employer must return an employee to the same or an equivalent position upon return from FMLA leave. Not surprisingly, I often am asked by clients, "What is an 'equivalent' position?"
On their face, the FMLA regulations seem to be a bit unforgiving for employers, offering what appears to be little wiggle room in returning the employee back to his/her original status.
The regulations state that an "equivalent position" is:
one that is virtually identical to the employee's former position in terms of pay, benefits and working conditions, including privileges, perquisites and status. It must involve the same or substantially similar duties and responsibilities, which must entail substantially equivalent skill, effort, responsibility, and authority.
My emphasis above. But the regulations appear to offer little wiggle room, right? A recent federal court case highlights the cautious approach employers should take when returning an employee to work after FMLA leave
Sally Wanamaker was a computer teacher for the Westport Board of Education in Connecticut. While on maternity leave, Sally gave birth to her daughter, but she had complications during labor that resulted in a spinal cord injury. Her daughter also was born with a heart defect, necessitating a lengthy period of FMLA leave.
She claimed that, at first, her school district told her it would employ a substitute teacher to cover her work during her leave of absence. However, just a few weeks later, Sally alleged that the principal informed her that he had decided to replace her permanently. Later, the school district gave her the option of returning to a full-time classroom teacher position instead of a computer teaching position. When she declined the classroom position, the district terminated her employment.
The Ruling -- New Position Might Not Be Equivalent
This case is at the beginning stages of litigation, but at least at the outset, the court refused to dismiss Sally's FMLA interference and retaliation claims. Notably, the court found that a reasonable juror could infer that the offer of a full-time classroom position was not equivalent to her former computer position, particularly in terms of skills and responsibilities. In fact, the court suggested such a move actually might be considered a demotion. Wanamaker v. Bd. of Education (pdf).
Insights for Employers
Of course, employers often have to temporarily replace an employee while they are on FMLA leave. However, avoid the temptation of replacing them permanently. Permanently replacing the employee on FMLA leave requires you to return them to an equivalent position, which (as you see above) is fraught with danger. (Permanently replacing an employee also causes ADA headaches, since employers are obligated to hold open an employee's position while they are out on leave as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.)
If you are returning an employee to an equivalent position, be prepared to show that you gave the decision considerable thought and document how you determine to be equivalent. Prepare an analysis of how the new position requires the same level of duties, skill, responsibility, earning potential, authority and room for advancement within the company or organization.
I find that employers often get into trouble when they don't fully consider how the duties of the new position will be viewed by the employee in terms of prestige, authority and especially earning potential. One common example is a sales position. Here, an employer can't take the approach that all of its sales managers are the same. Selling a different trinket, or assigning them to different accounts that arguably provide for less earning potential or cause them to work with "lower profile" clients in your industry may very well be enough -- in light of the fairly stringent regulations above -- to create genuine risk of a viable FMLA interference or retaliation claim. I am not suggesting here that the employee gets to choose the position to which he/she returns, but employers simply need to be mindful of the impact of the decision and give it some thought beforehand.
Another sobering reminder: Be mindful of what you put into email and about the comments you make about an employee's leave of absence. In Sally's case above, her principal allegedly: 1) told the union president that Sally's daughter's health condition was one of the reasons she was replaced permanently; and 2) sent an email to all staff that suggested that short-term absences were not legitimate and may dealt with more harshly. Hello...FMLA intermittent leave!?! Nothing is more short-term than intermittent leave. As we have pointed out in other posts here and here, emails and thoughtless comments almost always come back to haunt employers. (I say this while fully acknowledging that the comments above come from a union president, which of course will be subject to discovery and cross exam.) In any event, the best practice is clear -- stop saying things that will make you cringe if and when they are uttered in front of a jury!
When An Employee Returns From FMLA Leave, What Does Same Or Equivalent Position Actually Mean?
I Believe My Employee Is Unfit To Return To Work. Can I Require A Full Medical Examination Before His Return?
How Can Congress Improve The FMLA? Let's Count the Ways...
FMLA FAQ: When Employee on FMLA Leave Indicates They Will Not Return From FMLA Leave, What Should an Employer Do?
Requiring Employees to Return to Work With No Restrictions or To Be "100% Healed" is a Huge Risk for Employers
Stephen Colbert Takes FMLA Leave to Care for Mom; Will His "Key Employee" Status under the FMLA Deny His Return to "The Colbert Report"?
Failing to Return Employee's Phone Calls May Be FMLA Retaliation
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The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has indicated that the US$50 billion century bond the Finance Minister intends to capture in the 2019 budget could be dangerous for the economy.
In its recent policy brief titled, 'Strong Economic Growth and Significant Reduction in Unemployment: The critical issues to address in Ghana's 2019 budget', the institute said the US$50 billion century bond being contemplated by the government was huge and could cause serious damage to the economy even if the government succeeded in borrowing the money at normal interest rates.
"A US$50 billion century bond would be too much for a country with a GDP of under US$60 billion and would be a dangerous experiment that could harm future generations," it stated.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, during a visit to China recently, announced that Ghana might soon join the likes of Argentina, Austria and Mexico to issue the rare 100-year bonds to finance national projects.
He said that was to provide the country with the resources to finance its infrastructural and industrial development.
But the IFS is asking the government to reconsider this decision because of what it describes as the dire consequences the move may have on the economy.
The institute also pointed out that although the government's effort to secure US$2.0 billion to support infrastructure development was laudable, the funds should be brought under the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
"For the purposes of effective management of the risks associated with the projects, the arrangement should be brought under the umbrella of the GIIF which has been set up to purposely raise funds to finance such projects," it noted.
It also urged the government to explore opportunities for tapping into private financing for infrastructure projects, creating new partnerships and reducing waste in such investments.
That strategic shift, it said, should be driven by the realisation that scaling up financing from traditional sources alone would not be adequate to close the infrastructure financing gap.
"It is, therefore, crucial to open opportunities to attract private investors, as well as exploring public-private mechanisms for financing infrastructure projects in the country," it said.
The IFS also asked the government to consider pruning down its numerous programmes and initiatives.
That, it said, was because of the weak fiscal state in which the country found itself, in terms of the lack of fiscal space to manoeuvre, which is caused by the weak revenue-generating capacity of the state and the excessive fiscal rigidity in the budget.
The institute further urged the government to encourage and support entrepreneurship development by reforming the post-senior high school education curricula to include technical and entrepreneurial disciplines.
It said that would provide the youth and graduates with entrepreneurial skills that would enable them to set up their own businesses or to become more employable in the job market.


Frankfurt: The euro-area economy looks poised to get some lift from what once helped to push it into crisis: government spending.
The bloc, at risk of splintering half a decade ago due to over-indebtedness, is now battling headwinds including trade protectionism at a time when the European Central Bank has little room to lend a hand. With more and more reason to worry about the economy, a prop from additional public spending provides some relief, report agencies.
"It's the first first time in a long while that we're having a fiscal boost," said Daniele Antonucci, chief euro-area economist at Morgan Stanley in London. "As this percolates through the economy, it will support growth."
The boost isn't a game changer, but it's some good news for European Central Bank officials who are hoping the region will emerge from its current doldrums in the second half of the year. Along with the OECD and the IMF, they've long urged governments to step up, and criticised them for not doing enough to prepare for rainy days.
The economy took another blow this week, with French growth slipping back, and German manufacturing dragged to its deepest slump in six years.


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package tk.zielony.carbonsamples.widget;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;

import tk.zielony.carbonsamples.R;

/**
 * Created by Marcin on 2016-03-17.
 */
public class BottomSheetActivity extends Activity {
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_bottomsheet);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Many tooling systems can be improved by controlling vibration to assist in the process, either by vibration assistance or by reducing unwanted vibrations. We can supply piezoelectric, magnetostrictive and magnetic actuators which can control and direct vibration to where it is best used. We can work with frequencies ranging from tens of Hertz up to ultrasonic, with strokes from tens of microns to millimeters.
Vibration assisted machining: The application of forced vibrations in machining processes enables the tools to drill better quality holes, faster and with no lubricant. Several projects using the technology are demonstrating noticable gains with vibration assistance when compared to conventional drilling. High-amplitude forced vibrations up to 1kHz have proven effective and are now industrially feasible.
Friction reduction: High frequency vibrations can act as a lubricant and reduce the friction in many material shaping processes where stability is required, such as deep-drawing, extrusion and moulding.
In processes using extrusion and micro parts injection moulding, our technology has been used to increase extrusion speed, reduce wear and save energy while showing an improvement in the quality of the manufactured products.
Ultrasonic assistance: Ultrasonic energy is beneficial for industrial processes including cleaning, outgassing, extracting, coating and many other sonochemical processing. Our solutions use innovative ultrasonic transducers, generating high-power acoustic fields that are specifically adapted to their applications. For example, the Modular UltraSonic Transducers (MUST) have been successfully used to apply anti-bacterial nano-particles to textiles. The same technology is being used in a new sonochemical processor for recycling used batteries.
In machining processes, unwanted vibrations can increase tool wear and impact upon surface quality and accuracy. Vibration damping, either by direct control or by using counter-mass architecture, will improve speed, quality and throughput.
Direct control: In direct control the actuator is placed between a stable mechanical reference and the controlled tool. We supply PPA and APA Piezo Actuators that are robust but with a high dynamic capability, which are incredibly efficient and compact.
Counter Mass: Instead of a fixed mechanical reference, it is also possible to control the motion of a free counter-mass (or proof mass), creating reaction forces to dampen unwanted vibration. The powerful and controllable MICA™ actuators have been specifically designed for these applications, and their compact size means easy integration into an existing production environment.
Other ways that ORLIN Technologies can help improve accuracy and speed in manufacturing can be found here.


Upon creating a new user and attempting to login, I received the following error message: "The User Profile Service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded." I'm running Windows 7 x64 SP1.
C: drive (SSD) Program Files, Windows, ProgramData.
X: drive (HDD) Users, and everything else.
I use the Administrator account as my account. To set up the system, I created a temporary user, logged in, changed the registry to point the Users directory to the X: drive (and moved the Default and Public folders to the X:\Users directory). I then enabled the Admin account and logged in with it. This created my profile on the X drive.
However, I was trying to create another user account to test with. The account is named "Test". I receive the quoted error message upon attempts to log in. I checked the X:\Users folder and there is no profile for the Test account, not even a folder for it. I tried copying the Default profile and renaming it, but no dice. I also verified that the folder seemed to have the proper permissions (Full Control for System, Administrator, Administrators, as the Test account was an admin account as well). There is no entry in the registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\ for the Test user, so I got a utility that could find that users' SID and created an entry for it, but still, I receive the original error message when trying to log in.
I finally solved the problem. It turns out that the X:\Users\Default folder needed to give the "Everyone" group Read, List folder contents, and Read and Execute permissions. When I copied the Default profile via the user profile screen, it didn't apply correct permissions; it just inherited those of the destination folder. Event Viewer showed that Windows didn't have permission to copy the Default profile to the X:\Users\Test folder. When I gave the Everyone group permission to the Default profile folder, I was then able to login with new users (and subsequently have them automatically create profiles).


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Does Uber curb drunk driving crashes?
(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Hada)
By Denise-Marie Ordway
The issue: In 2016, 37,461 people died in traffic crashes in the United States, and almost one-third of those deaths were the result of drunk driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for anyone between the ages of 16 and 25.
For decades, law enforcement agencies and campaigners such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving have urged everyone who has been drinking to travel by taxi or public transportation or with a "designated" sober driver. As ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft become more popular, they also are being promoted as a way to save lives. In 2016, MADD named Uber its "official designated driver app."
But do ridesharing services really make roads safer? Scholars say the results are mixed. A new study that looks specifically at ridesharing in four large cities offers additional insights.
A study worth reading: "Ridesharing and Motor Vehicle Crashes in 4 U.S. Cities: An Interrupted Time-Series," American Journal of Epidemiology, October 2017.
Study summary: Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania wanted to see whether Uber helps curb vehicle crashes in four U.S. cities: Las Vegas, Nevada; Portland, Oregon; Reno, Nevada; San Antonio, Texas. The team chose these four areas because they provided "natural experiments in places where Uber launched, abruptly ceased operations, and then abruptly resumed."
In all four cities, Uber began operating sometime between Jan. 1, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2015 and then, because of a ban or voluntary cessation, ceased operations for at least three months. In each community, Uber resumed its ridesharing service continuously in the first half of 2016.
The researchers hypothesized that the temporary break in operations would have a greater effect on crash rates. They examined crash records beginning Jan. 1, 2013, focusing on alcohol-related crashes. They also looked at all crashes resulting in injuries in the four cities and crashes with "serious" injuries in Portland and San Antonio.
In San Antonio, the number of crashes with serious injuries dropped after Uber initially began offering rides. Uber's launch was associated with 1.9 fewer serious-injury crashes per week, on average. There was no significant change in Portland.
After Uber stopped and then resumed operations, three cities saw no changes in crashes with injuries. Data for San Antonio was inconclusive.
A drop in alcohol-related crashes coincided with Uber resuming service in Portland and San Antonio, but not in Reno. In Portland, for example, there were 3.1 fewer crashes per week, on average. Data for alcohol-involved crashes in Las Vegas was incomplete.
The authors suggest that future research examine whether drivers who work for rideshare services are at an increased risk of crashing because they monitor a mobile device to check for ride requests.
Uber, founded in 2009, is among the most popular ridesharing apps. Riders use Uber in 77 countries to take 10 million trips a day.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) releases annual reports on fatal traffic crashes. In October 2017, the agency reported that "distracted driving and drowsy driving fatalities declined, while deaths related to other reckless behaviors — including speeding, alcohol impairment, and not wearing seat belts — continued to increase."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer reports on leading causes of death by year and state. The agency also provides data on self-reports of impaired driving.
The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and Penn Injury Science Center are some of the academic organizations that research alcohol and driving.
A 2017 study published in Pediatrics, "Alcohol Policies and Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities Among Young People in the U.S.," suggests many children and young adults die in crashes involving drivers who have been drinking but whose blood-alcohol level is below the legal limit.
A 2017 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, "Effect of Maryland's 2011 Alcohol Sales Tax Increase on Alcohol-Positive Driving," finds that raising the sales tax on alcohol in Maryland led to a decline in drunk driving crashes with injuries.
A 2017 paper from researchers at Western Carolina University, "Ride-Sharing, Fatal Crashes, and Crime," indicates fewer people are charged with driving under the influence in areas where Uber service is available.
A 2016 study in American Journal of Epidemiology, "Uber and Metropolitan Traffic Fatalities in the United States," finds that "the deployment of Uber services in a given metropolitan county had no association with the number of subsequent traffic fatalities, whether measured in aggregate or specific to drunk-driving fatalities or fatalities during weekends and holidays."
Citation: Morrison, Christopher N.; et al. "Ridesharing and Motor Vehicle Crashes in 4 U.S. Cities: An Interrupted Time-Series," American Journal of Epidemiology, 2017. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwx233.
Criminal Justice, Public Health, Transportation alcohol-related crash, crash, Drunk driving, DUI, fatality, Las Vegas, Lyft, MADD, Portland, Reno, rideshare, San Antonio, traffic safety, Uber, University of Pennsylvania
Obstacles prevent access to mental health care, even among insured
How people with disabilities benefited from the ACA
Medicaid expansion linked to better health outcomes for thousands of Americans
Inside the economics of illegal drugs, from cryptocurrencies to Major League Baseball

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Ibadi by niniola a pata
Post Author by Macage
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Jan 03, · Niniola Apata (conceived 15 December ),[1] better known by her stage name Niniola, is a Nigerian vocalist and songwriter.[2] She rose to acknowledgment in subsequent to completing third sprinter up on the 6th period of Project Fame West Africa.[3]Author: Ghafla Writer. Niniola Apata, better known by her stage name Niniola, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Niniola Apata who was born on 15th December ,is better known by her stage name Niniola, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. She rose to recognition in after finishing third runner-up on the sixth season of Project Fame West Africa. Upon the release of her breakthrough debut single "Ibadi", Niniola was nominated in the [ ].
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Sports, Recreation, Pets - Olympics
2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING: RECORDS, MASCOTS, MONEY, TRAGEDIES, MEDIA AND AFTERWARDS
2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING
The Olympics in Beijing ran from August 8--the 8th day of the 8th month--to August 24, 2008 with the Opening Ceremonies beginning at 8:08pm on August 8th. Eight is lucky number in China. Hosting the Olympics in 2008 was regarded as auspicious as well as an honor. The Olympic slogan was "One World, One Dream." More than 16,000 athletes from 205 countries and territories took part in 28 sports. The gold, silver and bronze medals incorporated double dragon loops of jade.
Many Chinese were extremely happy that Beijing got to host the games in 2008. In a 2001 survey, 95 percent of Beijingers said they supported the Olympics. As an expression of enthusiasm several thousands parents named their child Aoyun, Chinese for "Olympics," and several thousand more named their children after the Olympic mascots. There was a competition among some parents to see who could give birth to a child at 8:08pm on August 8th 2008---the exact time the Olympics begin. One man told the China Daily, "If my wife is lucky enough to deliver an "Olympic baby," the luck means something more than family joy."
Beijing expected 500,000 foreign tourists but only 389,000 came, including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Over 1 million Chinese visitors descended on Beijing for the games, which were held during one the hottest, most humid and most polluted months of the year. Around 4 billion people watched on television'the largest audience for any event ever. Organizers hoped that games could attract $1 billion in sponsorship money, $700 million from corporate sponsors and $300 million from the IOC. A total of $40.9 billion was spent on sport facilities and infrastructure, far more than any other Olympics.
Chinese officials claim the Olympics made a $146 million profit.
Good Websites and Sources: Official Site for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing en.beijing2008.cn ; China Orbit chinaorbit.com ; Wikipedia article about 2008 Games Wikipedia ; Olympic.org olympic.org ; China.org on the 2008 Games china.org.cn ; New York Times Articles on the Beijing Olympics nytimes.com ; China Digital News chinadigitaltimes.net Analysis of the Games with Good Bibliography PDF file afssse.asn.au
Good Websites and Sources on the Olympics in China: Chinese Olympic Committee en.olympic.cn ; China.org on China's Olympic History china.org.cn ; Database on Olympic Athletes databaseolympics.com ; Success of Chinese Athletes pponline.co.uk ; Photos of Chinese Kids Training freshpics.blogspot.com ; Book: Olympic Dreams by Wu Guoqi hup.harvard.edu ; The Red Face, a Film About Olympic Training Epoch Times ; High Altitude Training chinasportstoday.com ; Book: Olympic Dreams: China and Sports, 1895-2008 by Xu Gouqi; Beijing's Games: What the Olympics Mean to China by Susan Brownell (2008, Rowman & Littlefield)
Good Websites and Sources on Sports in China: Wikipedia article Wikipedia ; China Sports Today chinasportstoday.com ; China Daily Sports chinadaily.com.cn ; China Sports Review chinasportsreview.com ; China Sports Blog chinasports.wokpopcorn.com ; South China Morning Post Sports scmp.com ; Sports in Ancient China Chinese Olympic Committee ; Traditional Sports Travel China Guide
Links in this Website: THE 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING Factsanddetails.com/China ; PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING Factsanddetails.com/China ; VENUES AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING Factsanddetails.com/China ; THE 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING, POLLUTION WEATHER Factsanddetails.com/China ;THE 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING AND POLITICS Factsanddetails.com/China ; CHINESE ATHLETES AT THE 2008 OLYMPICS Factsanddetails.com/China ; OPENING CEREMONY AND STARS AT THE 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING Factsanddetails.com/China ; OLYMPICS AND CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; CHINESE OLYMPIC ATHLETES Factsanddetails.com/China ; CHINESE OLYMPIC TRAINING Factsanddetails.com/China ; OLYMPIC SPORTS IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; OLYMPIC SWIMMING AND DIVING IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; OLYMPIC TRACK AND RUNNING IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; LIU XIANG Factsanddetails.com/China ; OLYMPIC GYMNASTICS IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; OLYMPIC BADMINTON, SHOOTING WEIGHTLIFTING IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; CHINA---OLYMPICS Factsanddetails.com/China ;
Significance of the Beijing Olympics in 2008
The Beijing Olympics were more than just a sporting event. Many saw them as redemption for China, signaling China's emergence as a superpower, representing the end of the "century of humiliation" at the hands of foreigners and signaling the start of the Chinese century in which China and the Chinese would command respect from the world community.
Many also saw the event as a defining moment in China's history and development---a kind of coming of age ceremony for China the same way the Olympics at Tokyo in 1964 were coming of age ceremony for Japan and the Olympics in Seoul in 1988 were a coming of age ceremony for South Korea in 1988.
The only difference is that in 2008 we're talking about China the most populous and arguably the oldest nation in the world, and one that has suffered from 50 years of isolation under Maoism and before that suffered nearly 200 years of humiliation at the hands of foreigners. A great deal of money, time and effort is going into preparing Beijing for the event and preparing athletes to perform well. Over $40 billion has been spent to get Beijing ready---three times more than any other Olympics. Some think that China will win the most medals.
Records Set at the Beijing Olympics in 2008
Athletes from a record 87 nations won medals in Beijing, compared to 80 in Sydney in 2000,the previous record holder. A record 43 world records and 132 Olympic records were broken in Beijing compared to 34 world records and 77 Olympic records broken in Sydney in 2000, again the previous record holder.
The Beijing Olympics were by far the most expensive Olympics ever at $43 billion, compared to $12.7 billion for Athens. Twice as much was spent on the Beijing Games as the previous two Olympics combined. It is very unlikely that more will be spent on the London Olympics in 2012.
Beijing was the most watched Olympics on television ever. It drew 214 million viewers in the United States, compared to 209 million for the Atlanta Games in 1996, the holder of the previous record.
Sports at the 2008 Olympics
front of medals At the Beijing Games there were 302 events in 28 sports, with around 1,000 medals given out (in some sports such as boxing two bronze medals are given). BMX debuted in 2008 as an Olympics sport. New events including the women's steeplechase and the women's sabre team fencing event. Softball appeared for the last time.
The Chinese repeatedly asked the IOC for approval of wushu as an Olympics sport but was denied each time. Some felt this was unfair in that the Japanese sport of judo was made an Olympic sport when Tokyo hosted the games in 1964 and the Korean sport of tae kwon do was made an Olympic sport when Seoul hosted the games in 1988.
An unofficial wushu tournament was held. Medals were given out in the event that were exactly like the real ones except they didn't have the engraved Olympic emblems. Athletes that won them said things like "it feels like I'm taking part in a real Olympic event." Participants were allowed to stay at the Olympic Village. This led some to call the competition a "fake Olympic event."
Olympic Medals, Logo and Mascots in 2008
back of medals On one side of the gold, silver and bronze medals was an engraving of the winged goddess Nike and the Panathinikos arena in Greece. The other side was inlaid with jade and had the Beijing emblem engraved on the metal centerpiece. White jade was used in the gold medal, light green in the silver and dark green in the bronze.
Entitled the "Chinese Chop, Dancing Beijing," Olympic seal combined the Chinese chop and the art of calligraphy with a sports figure that looks as if he is crossing the finish line in victory. The figure represents the Chinese character "Jing," which stands for Beijing and is part of the saying "Is it not a joy to welcome friends from afar'" The Red is both a traditional Communist and traditional Chinese color.Many Chinese didn't like it. On a Internet chat site, one person wrote: "the figure looks so weak. The legs are soft and limp, like a eunuch trembling before his master." Another said, "It doesn't represent China well. It looks like a hunched-over female servant."
The five Olympic mascots were Jing Jing the panda; Ying Ying the chiru (a Tibetan antelope); Bei Bei the fish; Ni Ni the swallow; and Huan Huan the Olympic flame. Collectively they were known as "the Five Friendlies." The first characters of each name---Bei, Jing, Huan, Ying and Ni---form the expression "Beijing Huanying Ni" which means "Beijing Welcomes You." The Friendlies also represented the five elements of nature---the sea, forests, fire, earth and sky---and the five traditional blessings---prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck. Each mascot was the color of one of the Olympic rings. According to the official Beijing Olympics website Jingjing is "charmingly naive and optimistic." The mascots were everywhere in Beijing. Sales of 200 products with the mascots on them went on sale soon after the characters were unveiled.
Media and the Internet and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
There were originally plans to block politically-sensitive websites such as those run by Amnesty International available to reporters in the Olympic press center. In the end complains by foreign reporters and the IOC led to the lifting of blocks on some sites but other sites like those connected to Falun Gong and the Tibet government-in-exile remained blocked.
The 21,600 accredited journalists worked out of the Press and Broadcast Center which had a record 1.6 million square feet of workspace, rows and rows of brand-new computers and thousands of English-speaking volunteers anxious to do whatever was asked of them with big smiles.
media center The media centers were about twice the size they needed to be. Sometimes a single reporter rode in 32-seat media buses, which were given access to express lanes on major roads. Other times dozens of buses made their runs with nobody on them at all. Most of the press rooms offered free Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers. The brand names of the toilets in the press area and engines of press boats in the sailing center and anything that was not an official Olympics product had its name covered.
Many press offices had televisions that received feeds from all the Olympic venues and literally had coverage of every event as they happened. But getting a simple answer to a question was often next to impossible, requiring the question asker ro fill out a pile of papers and wait for a couple days for answer that never came.
Reporters stayed in spacious rooms in the Green Homeland Media Village that were sold as condominiums after the Games, Those that stayed on the media buses and stayed within security perimeters went through a single security check when they left the media village and didn't have to endure further security checks at the event sites.
China was put under the microscope during the Olympics and many foreign newspapers and media outlets were sharply critical of China on a number of issues but for the most part said positive things. When asked about the legacy of the games, IOC President Rogge said,, "China was scrutinized by the world. China has learned about the world and the world has learned about China. I think this will have a positive long-term affect."
The Chinese government---apparently worried about protests---decided to bar live coverage from Tiananmen Square during the Olympics. The plans ran counter to plans by international television networks to have live shots from famous landmarks in China and showed the Chinese government was worried about protests. The move was seen by some as blemish on Beijing's promise to the International Olympic Committee that the games would promote "openeness" in China.
Plans to control media coverage from Tiananmen Square were largely futile. Foreign journalists largely ignored the rules that required them to register before working in the square. Police and paramilitary officers in plain clothes kept an eye on them and were careful to avoid making a scene when small protests were staged in the square.
Television Coverage and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
Record television viewing audience watched the Olympics in China. More than 840 million people watched at least a minute of the Opening Ceremonies on China Central Television (CCTV). By some counts it was the largest television audience in history for a single event on a single television station.
Surveys by Neilssen Media indicated that up to 96 percent of Chinese household with televisions tuned into some portion of the Olympics, which were shown on seven channels. More than 100 million people tuned into to CCTV's website to watch the Olympics.
There were spectactularly high ratings in China for events like gymnastics, soccer and even weightlifting. The rating for women's volleyball were particularly with viewership for a the China-Poland game reaching 372 million. More than 330 million watched the women's table tennis gold medal match. About 170 million watched the China-United States basketball game. A women's weightlifting contest drew 155 million viewers.
CCTV broadcast 2,900 hours of Olympics programing during the Games and paid about $17 million for exclusive broadcast rights in China and earned more than $400 million in advertising revenues from ads that cost 200 percent to 400 percent more than ads broadcast at other times.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) earned $1.74 billion in broadcast revenues for the Beijing Games in contrast to $1.2 million for the first televised Games in Rome in 1960. The European Broadcasting Union, a conglomerate of dozens of national broadcasters, obtained their rights to the Beijing Games for $443.4 million.
NBC Coverage and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
media center NBC delivered 3,600 hours of coverage if all of its networks and websites were included---1,000 hours more than coverage of all the Summer Olympics before 2008 combined. An average of 212 hours of programming was broadcast each day on seven television networks: NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen, Telemudo and Universal HD, with 75 percent of the coverage live. The remainder was on NBCOlympics.com.
NBC recorded a record of 107 million viewers for the Opening Ceremonies, near that for Michael Phelp's 8th gold medal and average prime time audiences off 29 million, all records of a foreign Olympics. It paid $894 million for broadcast rights and earned over $1 billion in advertising revenues.
NBC paid $894 million for the right to cover the Olympics in Beijing as part of a $2.3 billion deal to cover the Olympics in Athens in 2004, Turin in 2006 and Beijing in 2008. NBC bid for the games in 1995 before Beijing had been chosen as host. It plans to produce 3,600 hours of coverage for its television stations and websites.
Some marquee events---such as all the swimming finals and many of gymnastics finals---have been scheduled in the early morning to cater to U.S. prime time television audiences---a decision made by the IOC, who has been sharply criticized for caving into demands of American television broadcasters.
Olympic Sponsors in 2008
The twelve Games partners that have marketing rights to use the Olympics logo globally are McDonald's, GE, Atos Origin, Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, Lenovo, Manulife, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung, Coca-Cola and Visa. These companies have spent tens of millions of dollars on their ad campaigns and signed contracts that gave them few options other than stay the course even when troubling events like the protests in Tibet appeared on the radar.
On politics and the Olympics, a Samsung spokesman said, "We believe the Olympic Games are not the place for demonstrations, and we hope that all people attending the games recognize the importance of this." Coca-cola said it would be inappropriate "to comment on the political situation of individual countries." and said the "Olympics are a force of good." Lenovo at one point said it was following the events in Tibet "with concern and regret."
Olympic Village and Facilities for Athletes at the 2008 Olympics
The Olympic Village housed 16,000 athletes and officials. The heavily guarded compound contained 42 newly-built apartments blocks that were capable of housing 17,000 people in 9,000 rooms, most of which didn't have televisions. Some star athletes such Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin shared a room in the village rather than stay at pricy hotels. Even some VIPS like IOC President Jacqes Rogge stayed at the village.
A typical Olympics Village unit was comprised of a central living room surrounded by three or four bedrooms The rooms were decorated with copies of Tang Dynasty statues, photos of Beijing and traditional Chinese wall hangings and calligraphy.
Facilities in the village included a center where athletes could learn Chinese and folk arts like kite making. Th central courtyard staged wushu demonstrations. The food was served in all-you-can-eat buffet style with 30 percent of the dishes Chinese style and 70 percent Western style. A total of 1,200 people were utilized to respond to any problems or request that athletes had at any time. Forty students with first rate language skills from China's best universities were recruited just for laundry reception
Food was available 24 hours a day. At its peak 80,000 meals a day were served. On the food, Japanese gold-medal-winning breaststroker Kosuke Kitajima said, "Compared with the other two Olympics I've taken part in, the food was te tastiest."To make sure a Munich-style attack didn't occur, the village was enclosed by a wall and two lines of high security fencing and strict credential and bag checks were carried out for anyone entering the area.
The United States Olympic Committee established a $3 million training-recreation center for athletes at Beijing Normal University. It was designed as place where athletes could relax, get some quiet and find at atmosphere and training facilities like they were used to at home. At a training facility for American track and field athletes in Dalian many athletes came down with food poisoning. No one was sure what the cause was. Possible culprits: contaminated tap water used to wash lettuce and locally-purchased cooking oil.
Over 100,000 condoms were kept in stock at the Olympic Village clinic, where they given free to athletes. About 10,500 athletes stayed in the village, which means there were 9.5 condoms available per athlete.
There were rumors of doping rings being active in the Olympic village.
Solar power cut carbon dioxide emissions by 8,000 tons. Solar power heated 90 percent of the water used in showers and baths. Units had extra insulation and double-glazed, Low-E glass to conserve energy. Wastewater from the sewage system was recycled and used to water plants.
Religion and the 2008 Olympics
Many religious-minded athletes were dissatisfied with the religious center, which boasted facilities for Protestants, Catholics, Buddhists and Muslims with 10 religious aides speaking English or Arabic. Foreign chaplains were banned and Christian athletes complained that services conducted by state-employed pastors or students volunteers were carried out in broken English and other foreign languages. Muslims had similar complaints about the Islamic center.
Athletes were allowed to bring one Bible into the country for personal use. If they forget it, the Chinese government provided them with one, with an Olympic logo on it, for free.
Bibles were given free to athletes, tourists and spectators. About 10,000 bilingual copies were distributed at the Olympic Village. Most of the others were given out at official state churches. Authorities took away 300 Bibles from four Americans who had plan to distribute them.
Money, Parties Sponsors, Business and the 2008 Olympics
Coke bottle art There were 63 official Olympics sponsors for the Beijing Olympics. They provided an estimated $866 million in revenues, goods and services, representing 40 percent of the IOC's overall intake.
Lenovo was the biggest Chinese sponsor of the Games. It was a co-sponsor of the torch relay and designed the striking scroll-like Olympics torch. It also provided more than 10,000 pieces of computing equipment and 500 engineers to help deliver data and results from more than 300 events to the media and audiences around the world.
Most sponsors hosted parties and events for potential customers, had booths of various kinds and got lots of tickets to Olympic events. Some sponsored accompanied the torch relay sending out mini-skirted cheerleader to hand T-shirts with corporate logs.
GE provided water and power systems for the Olympics to showcase its technology. It announced that it had exceeded its sales goal for the Beijing Games, winning 400 infrastructure projects in and around Beijing worth about $700 million.
Adidas hosted a party with 800 people, including the actor Jet Li and former Olympians Ian Thorpe and Nadia Comeneci. The fashionable developers Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin hosted a party for over 1,000 of their best fiends and business contact at the Commune at the Great Wall. Among those in attendance were media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and his wife Wendi Deng, Baidu.com CEO Robin Li, music producer Quincy Jones and the actress Maggie Cheng and her boyfriend German architect Ole Scheerem, one of the designers of the iconic CCTV headquarters.
Tape was placed over the names of nonsponsor companies all over town on everything from soaps to fire alarms to toilets.
Tragedies at 2008 Olympics in Beijing
On the first day of competition, a Chinese man wielding a knife attacked an American couple at the Drum Tower, an ancient structure in central Beijing, killing the man and wounding his wife and their Chinese guide. The attacker, a 47-year-old unemployed man named Tang Yingming from Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, then killed himself by leaping 130 feet from the tower, leaving behind, one witness said, a "lot of blood," which was quickly cleaned up.
The victims were Todd and Barbara Bachman, the parents of former U.S. woman's volleyball player Elisabeth "Wiz" Bachman, a member of the 2004 Olympic team, who is married to the coach of the 2008 American men's volleyball team, Hugh McCutcheon. Todd Bachman died. Elisabeth Bachman was with her parents at the time but was not hurt. Barbara Backman underwent eight hours of surgery. She received a message from U.S. President Bush and was visited by a high level Chinese official. Tang lost his job a few years before. After that his marriage broke up and he became depressed about that his wastrel son but still no one who knew ever thought he would kill two strangers and then kill himself.
After the drum tower stabbing security was beefed up. Two small tanks were placed outside the offices for print journalists. The team that McCutcheon coached went on to win the gold medal in mn;s volleyball.
A few days earlier a New Zealand reporter was attacked and slightly injured by a young man wielding a broken chair. But other than they were surprisingly few reports of violence or crime, directed at foreigners or Chinese, during the Games. The only other report of Olympic visitors being hurt was in a crash between a bus from he Athlete's Village and a van on its way to the Olympic rowing park that left one Croatian coach hospitalized and three Chinese in critical condition.
A Chinese dancer was badly injured during rehearsals for the Opening Ceremonies. See Opening Ceremonies
Controversies at the 2008 Olympics
In a photo that was taken in a pre-Olympic advertisement for a courier company that sponsored the Spanish sports federation the Spanish basketball team used their index fingers to pull back the corners of their eyes to make their eyes looks slanted like those of Chinese. Americans seemed more offended than Chinese. Many Spanish saw the picturers as playful but not offensive.
There were surprisingly few drug scandals. The only high-profile athlete to have a positive test was Lyudmilla Blonska of Ukraine who was stripped of her silver medal in the heptathlon and forced out of the long jump final. Many those who had positive tests had them before the Games even started. Among Chinese athletes, wrestler Luo Ming and swimmer Quyang Kumoeng tested positive for banned substances in the weeks before the Games and they and their coaches were barred for life from their sports.
The China Anti-Doping Agency conducted 5,007 tests in 2008 before the Olympics. Eight Chinese athletes, including six on the provincial level, tested positive. About 70 percent of the tests were done out of competition when athletes are most likely to use banned substances.
Chinese athletes were given an hour's notice before their tests, which experts say is enough time to alter a sample. If nothing else they can drink enough water to dilute their urine sufficiently to avoid a positive result. There are also stories of athletes doing things like ingesting laundry detergent to mask the effects of EPO.
See Opening Ceremonies
Impact of the 2008 Olympics on Beijing
The Olympics were applauded in China as the "best games ever." The IOC called them an "indisputable success," that brought improvements in the areas of media freedom, the environment and public health to China and attracted broader participation and a larger audience than any other Olympics. This assessment angered many human groups who felt the IOC ignored rights violations that occurred before and during the games.
The day after the Closing Ceremonies next day the Beijing Youth Daily praised the Games: "flawless organization, brilliant sporting performances, and friendly atmosphere, an image of an entirely new great country." The China Daily proclaimed, "The Games was a historic climax of three decades of China opening to the world. It was also a moment for the world to take a new look at China."
Some saw the Olympics as a turning point for China, showing the world that it was not only a sports power house but a rising world power as well. Other saw it as a blip in China's development with a minimal impact rather than some great event. Many in Beijing were simply glad it was over so they could resume their normal lives.
As for China itself, many felt the government would maintain its hardline stance rather than open up more. The way the government responded to protests and potential protests showed that China was a long way from a free, open country. The blue skies showed that progress had been made on the environmental front but serious challenges still lie ahead to sustain that.
Most of the impact was intangible. Hung Huang, a media executive in Beijing, told the New York Times, the Chinese "have earned a tremendous amount of face because of the Olympics. They are going to rise on that for a while. We don't have a culture that is pro-change. China, by nature, has got to be provoked not make change. The economic reforms came about because we were desperately poor."
David Shambaugh, a China specialist at George Washington University told the Washington Post that games went a long towards ending China's self-described "century of humiliation" since the Opium Wars era. "I would hope that we would look back at this as a major threshold of when China ditched all its baggage of the historical narrative of aggrieved nationalism and just rewrote the narrative and began to act with more confidence about itself and its role in the world."
After the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
The Olympics were followed by the Paralympics with 6,500 athletes from 147 countries. More than 5,000 members of the press reported on the action. The Olympic Village, Bird's Nest stadium and the Water cube swimming pool were used for the ParaOlympics.
Most of China's gold medal winners were sent to Hong Kong after the Games before legislative elections there apparently to give pro-Beijing politicians a boost.
See Beijing Development
Beijing has bid to host the 2015 track and field world championships. China has expressed an interest in hosting the 2018 or 2022 World Cups.
Post-Olympic Challenge in China
"When all was said and done," Orville Schell wrote in the Business Standard, "China pulled off quite a feat! Indeed, it is hard to imagine that the British will care as much, or go to such extremes, for the London Olympics in 2012." [Source: Orville Schell, Business Standard, August 27, 2008]
"For many years, especially since the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, China has felt a deficit of global respect. This feeling has deeply troubled its leaders and filled its people with a sense that, despite all their economic progress, their proper place in the world was not only eluding them, but being denied to them by the endless criticism of the so-called developed world." [Ibid]
"For the last two decades, Chinese leaders have been diligently trying to build a new edifice in order to gain some of that missing respect. This made a successful Olympic Games, when all the world would be watching, an urgent matter...But, now that the Games have ended, Chinese leaders cannot quite say, Mission accomplished." [Ibid]
"While China's achievement is worthy of genuine esteem, its efforts to gain a full measure of international respect and real great power status will not succeed until it matches its new economic and military power with a certain essential moral force. That, in turn, requires a society and a leadership that seeks to be exemplary in all ways that make human beings more human, including respect for truthfulness, openness, tolerance, and people's right to disagree with their government." [Ibid]
"I fear that China's leaders and people will continue to feel a certain gnawing, inchoate sense of deficiency and incompleteness in their quest for global respect until they find the strength to begin addressing the crucial, but elusive, issue of making China an ethical, as well as an economic and military, power. For a country steeped in millennia of Confucianism, the need for ethical leadership should be clear." [Ibid]
2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou
The Asian Games were held in Guangzhou in November 2010. The event drew 25,000 athletes from 45 countries. China dominated the medal count. It finished first in medals with 199 gold medals and 416 total medals, compared to 76 and 232 for No. 2 South Korea and 48 and 216 for No. 3 Japan.
Among the sports that were on the roster at the 2010 Asian games were chess, weiqi (the board game go) and social dancing. Bowling was introduced as a sport but the venue in Guangzhou in which it was held had so few seats even coaches and managers had to apply for seats and families and friends of the 177 bowlers from 17 nations that competed had to watch the event on television.
China lost 3-0 loss in a much-watched game against Japan in the Asian games. Wang Dalei, a highly-rated goalie who has been wooed by Inter Milan and Manchester United, sparked outrage when he called Chinese fans "morons" and "a bunch of dogs after he was criticized for allowing an easy goal to slip past him. Chinese police were placed on alert and came out in numbers for the game but the game passed without incident as about 200 Japanese fans watched from a segregated section of the stadium.
Image Sources: Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Xinhua


My early childhood was a test of my will to be. During some of the most challenging periods, such as when sexual abuse was occurring, I would have preferred not to continue to live. But that option, tempting as it was, was not one I could ever thoroughly embrace although I often came close. Through this crucible I learned to be self-sufficient. I could not count on the people around me to nurture my spirit so I had to find ways to do that independently, even as a small child.
I found my own creativity and a relationship with Spirit that evolved out of my inner quest to make sense of the senseless. I found joy and encouragement in the inner world I developed; it kept me alive. From the standpoint of psychological attachment theory, I was in a unique category. My attachment was to my inner world rather than to my parents. I now realize this was a brilliant choice.
Being emotionally self-sufficient and self-referencing, and finding ways within myself to make life meaningful, launched me into a passion for what I now can call sustainability. I have a driving curiosity to discover those practices that awaken innate healing and that do not require dependency on others. Living in the midst of people who I could not trust, I learned to rally spiritual resources quietly, without taking a toll on anyone or anything around me. This defines sustainability.
I extracted resilience and resources from an untenable situation, one that I frequently was tempted to give up on completely. I marvel at how this early teaching mirrors what we face now in a climate-changing world. Our global situation, from an environmental science standpoint, is close to impossible. But I have learned that giving up only contributes to the dilemma so never giving up is the alternative.
Though I did not know it at the time, I can now see that I was being trained to be a voice in the Sustainable Healthcare movement that is crucial for a climate-changing world. What I now mean by Sustainable Healthcare is cultivating the preparatory healthcare practices that will get us through the disasters and difficulties of accelerating climate change. For me this is a natural extension of what I learned from my desperate early life that now stands me in good stead.
My personal quest has become collective. While the resources I uncovered for myself strengthened my own intelligence and wellbeing, I now am using that process as a template for inspiring a co-intelligent movement to awaken Sustainable Healthcare for a climate-changing world. This is an attitude, a state of being and it is underscored by faith in humanity.
Sustainable Healthcare requires a collective developmental shift from a narcissistic society to an unselfish one. Those who become more thoroughly self-regulating overflow with inspiration for others to do the same. The teacher evolves organically out of enthusiasm for the simplicity and potency of sustainable resources. These resources not only improve quality of life; they amplify wellness and allow a speedy recovery from illness. Dis-ease is not feared. It is seen in the context of learning and is part of the opportunity to live more fully, with greater honesty, and is an impetus to cultivate even more sustainable resources.
The resources I discovered first were in the arts. The second threshold came later in my development when I learned about energy medicine. In using both of these tools, I observed how the nervous system has the capacity to evolve. I learned that difficult states are not permanent. They shift when internal change occurs. Seeing how the nervous system can evolve in response to specific kinds of input, I became curious about what truly heals us, and what truly differentiates illness from health. How can we move ourselves in the direction of wellness when there is no access to an external healthcare system, whether because of finances, location, or other restrictions?
The resources that can shift the nervous system are the ones I cultivate and the ones I want to incorporate into a paradigm for Sustainable Healthcare that will be featured at the international conference I have convened for 2019, "Climate Change & Consciousness: Our Legacy for the Earth" (CCC19) at Findhorn in Scotland, from April 20-26, 2018.
Sustainable Healthcare will be modeled and taught at CCC19. Participants can learn practices every day, led by Sustainable Healthcare leaders. We will live in an environment in which our collective wellbeing is a shared event. We will practice what it means to evolve for the benefit of the whole and not only for our personal pleasure.
Prior to CCC19, I am creating pre-conference events featuring "Sustainable Healthcare for a Climate-Changing World." The first of these will be in Oregon, at the Ananda Laurelwood Center, from June 11-16, 2018. Here, participants will experience both the arts and energy medicine as fundamental healthcare resources that anyone, at any stage of life, can utilize. In the spirit of empowerment and celebration we will draw forth the innate gifts we all have to live vibrantly and to claim both our personal and our collective climate justice.
This post has been published here with permission of the Catalyst Network where it has already appeared in their latest issue: 2018 Catalyst, Issue 1: Winter of Wellness.


Nike had an initial negative response and then a positive response. So, what happened here concerning Nike's brand equity? We know there was a swap of numbers from the shares — loss then a gain, but we don't have the actual numbers of investors that changed. It could have been many smaller investors leaving and a few more substantial buying... or the other way around... or an even mix of both.
What I can tell you is that strong brands that stand for something will repel some and attract others. That may sound bad, but my guess is they lost a lot of lukewarm followers and gained some passionate ones. Bottom line, this is really good for a brand. Passionate customers will support you in good times and bad.
People (or customers and investors) look for those companies they connect with, they believe in, that resonates with their purpose. It's more than a product or a service that Nike is selling. It's never been more evident with this campaign. People are jumping in the Nike boat because of the message and what they believe is important, not about a new product launch.


text:
Press Release: London's West End Theatres Launch "A London Summer"
London's West End Theatres Launch
"A London Summer"
A guide to the hottest London shows, offers and
attractions this summer
• Major guide to West End Theatre in London over the Summer
• Comprehensive offers and promotions including ticket, dinner and hotel deals
• Hundreds of other London attractions
London, May 2014: The website of London's West End Theatres – WestEndTheatre.com – has launched a major new guide for visitors to London this summer.
Called "A London Summer" (www.westendtheatre.com/summer) the online guide brings together all major London Theatre events running in the Capital over Summer 2014 including musicals, drama and comedy.
Alongside comprehensive theatre listings, the Guide features a host of London Offers, providing up to 70% off tickets to major West End shows, and a selection of Theatre and Dinner packages and London Hotel & Theatre Breaks.
Offers featured in the Guide include:
Discounted tickets to major London shows including The 39 Steps, Thriller Live, The Pajama Game, The Woman in Black and The Commitments
No booking fees on a selection of premium shows including Wicked (selected dates and performances)
Theatre & Dinner packages including a free restaurant dinner when booking tickets to a host of shows including Les Miserables and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Savings on London hotel and theatre breaks
Savings on Combo tickets to London attractions including the London Eye and Madame Tussauds
The Guide also features extensive information on London attractions, from historic palaces and houses to exhibitions, museums and events. And handy travel guides to London Transport, parking, hotels and getting to London.
Other features in the Guide include a "Five of the Best" section, helping visitors to the capital to get the most out of their visit.
Paul Raven, publisher of WestEndTheatre.com, said: "The West End of London contains the greatest concentration of theatres in the world. With 52 theatres to choose from, we wanted to create a comprehensive guide to the Capital's theatre scene that would help all visitors to the UK this summer – and provide a great source of special offers and value for money."
"A London Summer" is available at: www.westendtheatre.com/summer
To download the artwork for "A London Summer":
PDF high-res print versions:
www.westendtheatre.com/press/west-end-summer-2014-PRESS-IMAGES.pdf
PNG web versions:
http://media.westendtheatre.com/londonsummer2014-press-images-1.png
About London's West End
London's West End is one of the greatest concentrations of entertainment venues, historic landmarks, restaurants and shops in the world. The area features over 50 theatres, 30 museums and galleries and over 2,500 restaurants & bars.
About WestEndTheatre.com:
WestEndTheatre.com is one of the UK's leading websites dedicated to London Theatre, offering news, reviews, information and special offers on West End shows. The site also offers a range of Hotel & Theatre deals, Dinner & Theatre packages and London attractions.
Written by: WestEndTheatre
Tags: A London Summer, Guide to London Theatre, Press release, westendtheatre.com
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Home »	Articles » Live Reviews
Aldeburgh Festival 2010: Jazz at the Pumphouse
By BRUCE LINDSAY
Aldeburgh Festival
Aldeburgh, UK
Aldeburgh Festival is now in its 63rd year and is a well-established event in the UK music calendar. Known primarily for classical music and opera, major events take place in the beautiful concert hall at Snape, a few miles inland from this small town in the county of Suffolk. The festival also presents more contemporary events, including music and comedy, in the Pumphouse—a rectangular brick building on the edge of Aldeburgh town that began life in the 1860s when, unsurprisingly, it housed a water pump. The Festival's Pumphouse jazz night saw sets from three stylistically different acts—pianist James Pearson's Trio, saxophonist Bobby Wellins and singer Georgia Mancio—that came together to create a hugely enjoyable concert of creative music.
The James Pearson Trio: James Pearson, Arnie Somogyi, Chris Dagley
The Pumphouse is a small and intimate venue, seating around 80 people, with basic facilities (although some upgrading is expected before the 2011 Festival). It's one of a seemingly never-ending collection of quirky venues for jazz in England. Far removed from the stereotypical cellar club, the Pumphouse borders a set of allotments filled with fruit and vegetables and looks out across reed beds to the cold and uninviting North Sea. There is a tiny anteroom at the side of the stage but otherwise audience and musicians mingled happily inside and outside the venue on a bright and warm Sunday evening. The technical crew ensured good lights and sound, and the receptive audience gave a warm welcome to each band.
Pearson is the regular pianist at Ronnie Scott's Club in London and was joined by fellow club regular Chris Dagley on drums and by bassist Arnie Somogyi. Somogyi was a constant figure throughout the night: he played bass with all three acts, and also helped to organize the event. Pearson played a fascinating set, presenting music in the styles of a range of master pianists and explaining a little of their histories and approaches to playing between tunes. He demonstrated techniques including George Shearing's—shown through a lovely performance of "Lullaby of Birdland"—Duke Ellington's—via a swinging "C-jam Blues"—and the complex stylings of Erroll Garner, displayed through Pearson's interpretations of "Misty" and "I Remember April." Pearson clearly has a real talent for exploring and explaining the work of key musicians from jazz history, but Dagley and Somogyi also deserve credit for backing that remained sympathetic to Pearson's playing, whatever style he was demonstrating.
Tenor player Bobby Wellins is a veteran of the UK jazz scene. Now in his mid-70s he has played a central part in British jazz for over 50 years—he played on pianist Stan Tracey's seminal album Under Milk Wood (Columbia, 1965)—and is active as a teacher as well as player. Wellins has a warm and rich tone and his playing is characterized by an economy and use of space that should be an object lesson to many younger saxophonists.
Wellins' relaxed stage presence and gentle humor was mirrored in his playing. His set included some classic jazz standards such as Rogers and Hart's "My Funny Valentine" and Kaper and Washington's "On Green Dolphin Street" with a version of Noel Coward's "Mad About the Boy" proving to be one of the best performances of the evening. For most of the set Dagley played drums, but he happily handed over to 15 year old Suffolk percussionist Phelan Burgoyne, a Royal Academy of Music day school student spotted by Wellins at one of his masterclasses, for a short improvised blues. Burgoyne played with confidence and obvious enjoyment—a drummer to watch out for—and it was great to see the respect accorded to him by the more experienced musicians.
The final performance of the night was given by Mancio (pictured right), a superb vocalist whose set, consisting mostly of songs from her album Silhouette (Roomspin Records, 2010), seemed to fly by. Mancio has an engaging, slightly self-effacing, stage presence but is not afraid to experiment with arrangements and presentation—her opening tune, the self-penned "Finisterre," was sung with only the drums of Dave Ohm as accompaniment while her version of "Just In Time" repeatedly shifted rhythm and tempo.
"Solace," another Mancio composition, was the highlight not only of her set but of the evening. The latin-influenced tune has a dreamlike quality to it—helped by pianist Tim Lapthorn's elegant solo—and Mancio's delivery emphasized the romance of the lyrics. She encored with Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal's "I'll be Seeing You"—a fitting final song for a night that deserves to be remembered and re-visited.
Aldeburgh Festival Live Reviews Bruce Lindsay James Pearson Bobby Wellins Georgia Mancio George Shearing duke ellington Errol Garner Stan Tracey
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Family System Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves all the members of a family unit. It seeks to address people, not on an individual level, but in a more general way, including their close associations. It supports the notion that relationships in the family form a vital part of the emotional health of each entity within the household. Well, viewing the family as an emotional unit is what we are meant to believe with the use of the family system therapy.
It fosters collaboration regardless of the things that affect the relationships in the family unit. Stressful life events including illnesses, divorce, separation, and the death of loved ones are all dealt with during therapy sessions. It is sensitive to diverse family relationships and forms, different cultures and beliefs. It is also considerate of the needs, problems, backgrounds, and ages of each within the family unit. Looking at it, we are meant to think that our personal thinking and behavior is informed by the whole intent and role of our families from where we hail.
It acknowledges the generational influence on both family and individual behavior. It suggests that our current problems may likely be rooted in the history and deeds of our previous generations. It helps in the identification of our multigenerational behavioral patterns, which gives answers to our current situations.
It focuses on the behavior, patterns and much more, on the relationships exhibited during the therapy sessions. It allows the better evaluation of the concrete structure of the family. The family subsystems including parental or sibling subsystems, which underlie the family structure, are examined to get the best out of the therapy sessions.
It focuses on family functions and processes. The treatment includes communication within the family, and the way problems are solved. The evaluation is done outside the therapy session using techniques that include redefining a problem scenario or using other interventions. These interventions would lead to expected results without intensive analysis of the source of the problem.


The 9th Muslim World BIZ will be again held with all the features and benefits of an event that has been succeeding in enhancing trade and investment among Muslim and Non-Muslim countries. The Muslim world BIZ is not confined to only serve the OIC member countries as the nearly 1.8 billion Muslim population is also well established in all six continents. The event provides the ideal platform for business from various sectors to tap into the Muslim market knowing that Muslims currently represent over 25% of the global population. The Exhibition Zone is an ideal platform for entrepreneurs, corporate and investors from all parts of the globe to explore trade opportunities with over 500 industry players participating including the expectation of 10,000 trade and public visitors.
SouthEast Asian Healthcare & Pharma Show is an international event focusing on the overall development of Pharmaceutical and medical industries in order to promote a healthy lifestyle worldwide. The event aims at increasing the overall domestic production along with the active participation of all stake-holders. The event supports by promoting all pharma and medical industry products and equipments to be made using latest technologies and inventions and manufactured using industries.
Regarded by many as the best railway show in Asia, the annual show combines a wide-ranging exhibition, comprehensive conference programme, the Annual Congress of the Asian Railway Operators Association and provides 'A one-stop solution for all your product and information needs'.
The CLIME Summit will address a range of critically important areas in relation to Climate Change under the theme "Climate Change: Crisis, Impact, Mitigation" and create a great platform to discuss and find solutions to climate change-related issues in achieving global sustainability. Its endeavor is to provide a stimulating and thought-provoking scientific program. This format includes a substantial allocation of time for interactive debates and questions from the audience to each panel of experts. Participants are encouraged to take an active role in the discussions with faculty members which follow each debate, in a unique and open environment.
ICMMT aims to provide a platform for researchers, engineers, academicians as well as industrial professionals from all over the world to present their research results and development activities in Material and Manufacturing Technology. This conference provides opportunities for the delegates to exchange new ideas and application experiences face to face, to establish business or research relations and to find global partners for future collaboration.
Location: Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel.
World Congress on Anti-Aging, Aesthetic, Regenerative, Nutritional and Exercise Medicine will give an opportunity for those who are interested to participate in the Professional Certificate in Aesthetic Medical Practice and Professional Certificate in Nutritional Medicine examinations. This conference will cover many topics like Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, Nutrition and Exercise Medicine, and Aesthetic Medicine etc.
Traders Fairs and Gala Nights is aiming to attract the world of traders to one place during in one day. Top speakers are going to make educational speeches in the Fair seminar halls. The Fair program is going to be full of entertainments, magic shows, lucky draws, fantastic prizes, live performances and music. Crypto Expo Asia is going to take place within the framework of Traders Fair. This unique conference for 500 attendees will be hosted by the top Speakers of the industry. The event's agenda is in line with the latest trends and developments of the crypto world.


1. Who found that we are influenced by unconscious expentancies?
2. Who found that you adopt to norms to fit in?
3. Who found that initiation of gambling is due to physiological rewards, psychological and social?
4. Who found that 29% of pre-existing smoked while deployed which 7% started to smoke. Phone services helped to quit?
5. Who found that nicotine patches only work with CBT?


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Has anyone in Dubai had (worse than usual) issues receiving mail sent from the UK using Royal Mail recently? I'm waiting on couple of small packages and a couple of letters, which I know were sent at different times in the 4 and 8 weeks ago. They've all been posted to my usual work PO Box address but no sign.
Could the packages be getting held up at customs, and is there anywhere you can check if things are being held?
postal service here have been shite for 30 years and i suspect it'll still be shite 30 years from now.
shop and ship or other couriers are the only way to get mail with any form of reliability.
agreed, we gave up using Royal Mail when getting stuff from UK years ago. You can actually go to the main post office in karama and search for it. Not a lot of help really.
Unless it was sent registered/recorded post not much chance of finding it. The Post Office will be on a ramadan go slow now too.
I generally find post from the UK to here is fine, apart from in February this year when several birthday card/gifts went missing.
If it's important use Shop and Ship.
Likewise I've never had problems before, other than the length of time things taking to get here being unpredictable, and generally slow. Apparently if your sending from the UK via Royal Mail to a PO Box address here than registered/recorded post cannot be used.
It just seems strange that several things posted independently have all apparently gone astray… A small part of me is still expecting them all to turn up together, a larger part thinks the earliest posted at least have been nicked or lost.
I also feel it has got worse recently!
Took over 8 weeks to send my brother a letter out there. I was almost better off cycling down and giving it to him myself.
How's your Shop and Ship account set up? Do you have a UK/US address that you send things to which are then sent out here, or do you have a Dubai address that everything is sent directly to?
Do you generally have to pay import tax if buying things from overseas and the shipping here?
you have a uk and us account and stuff is delivered to the house. never paid tax i think they either ignore it or its built into the fees.
That seems to be the case. These days you also get a dropbox addresses in China and Turkey although I've yet to use either of them.
red_sheep - you get charged by weight on the items, so you need to watch that as it can get expensive. Great for important documents though.
even with the weight you can save a fortune of local price gouging. Depends on the items.
True. A friend used my S&S account to buy a particular tent from the US and still got it for half what it was on sale for here.


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