1: (8AM-12PM) First United Methodist Church's Fall Cleanup Day: Meet at the Church at 8AM in work cloths and gloves to help with the church's fall community yard cleanup. We will work until around noon.
2: (2PM/4PM-9PM) Cane Creek State Park, Star City - Traffic and Safety Patrol for Ghost Roast an annual event sponsored by the park. Scouts meet at the park at 2PM for dinner or at 4PM for service. We will finish at 9PM. Wear your Class A's.
Ghost Roast is a tradition where family memories are made at Cane Creek State Park. Enjoy trick-or-treating, games, costume contests, and food from vendors. Enjoy a stroll through the campground to see the elaborate decorations while little ghosts and goblins trick-or-treat. Note the start times for each event: 5 p.m.- trick-or-treat through the campground, food vendor opens at visitor center, carnival tent opens for games between visitor center and campground. At 6 p.m., costume contest (ages 5 and under) at visitor center, at 6:30 p.m., costume contest (ages 6-10) at visitor center, at 7 p.m., costume contest (ages 11-15) at visitor center. Contact the park for more information. Admission is $2 per car.


Since every year starts you should dump your old calendar and get hold of a new one. As it were, by helping cover their the earlier, in with the new. Calendars have already been indispensable to lots of people ever since they were first used. They help to keep tracks of appointments and special dates. For business people, they are able to give out calendars thus to their customers each and every year as part of their marketing strategy. Nevertheless, some businesses are nervous about the buying price of printing a calendar in particular when it relates to many color.


On the bicentenary of Emily Brontë's birth, Katherine Clements reviews a new 'biography with a twist'.
Emily, the elusive Brontë sister, is often portrayed as antisocial, difficult, perhaps even slightly unhinged. Two centuries of Brontë scholarship have created an inscrutable image of this singular woman; Emily as enigma has become integral to Brontë myth making.
In Emily Brontë Reappraised, O'Callaghan sets out to explore our impressions of the author from a 21st century perspective.
It's a timely release from Manchester based independent publisher, Saraband. Emily's bicentenary, coming mid-way through five years of celebrations at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, has seen a spike of renewed interest in all things Brontë; a modern, alternative view – as this book is billed – is most welcome.
O'Callaghan clearly knows her stuff, but this is not a heavy scholarly work revisiting primary sources, rather a reassessment of the output of those who have gone before. It leans on established Brontë scholars, such as Juliet Barker, Lucasta Miller and John Sutherland, as well as Emily's literary output.
It's particularly strong on examining how our impressions of Emily have depended on hearsay, filtered first by her sister, Charlotte, and then Elizabeth Gaskell, who never met Emily, but presented a strongly fictionalised version of her in The Life of Charlotte Bronte. It's clear that Charlotte's decisions and actions after Emily's death, however well meant, still colour our view.
Another stand out chapter examines onscreen representations of Emily and her work. I nodded in agreement at O'Callaghan's assessment of Sally Wainwright's To Walk Invisible, to my mind the most convincing and rounded portrayal of the Brontë family to date. The book has a lot in common with that work, and might be criticised for placing 21st century contexts on Victorian woman, but this is exactly what O'Callaghan sets out to do. Assertions that, had Emily been alive today, she would have been a passionate environmental and animal rights activist, and that she was indeed a staunch feminist, might ruffle a few feathers, but O'Callaghan makes it very clear that this is conjecture, even while backing up her convincing argument.
I particularly enjoyed the final chapter, which aims to dispel 'fake news' stories about Emily. Presented in a numbered list that just begs for column inches, O'Callaghan presents a consumer friendly summation of the evidence and, in ambiguous cases, takes sides – it's lighthearted but not irreverent.
With occasional humourous asides and lapses into social media speak, the book might struggle to be taken seriously, but it will appeal to those put off by more weighty tomes. And don't be fooled – there is serious scholarship here.
O'Callaghan is aware of the limitations of her task and acknowledges the impossibility of presenting a picture of Emily as 'fact'. But Emily Brontë Reappraised is an original, valuable contribution that goes a long way to rehabilitating the image of one of the most influential female figures in English literature.
Katherine Clements is the author of The Coffin Path, a 17th century ghost story described as 'Wonderful Yorkshire gothic … like something from Emily Brontë's nightmares.' She will be appearing at the Brontë Parsonage Museum on 28 July, with authors Beth Underdown and Rosie Garland, discussing Emily and the Gothic, as part of Emily Brontë's bicentenary celebrations. Tickets are available here.
Header image: Emily Brontë, Gun Group Portrait © National Portrait Gallery.


text:
Evaluation of an Innovative Cyberbullying Intervention: STOPit: Summary Report
PDF Version (482 KB)
Methodological Limitations
Environmental Scan and Comparative Analysis
Potential Relevance
Simulated Scenarios
Potential Performance
STOPit App
DOCUMENTit System
Opportunities for further research
by Wendy Ryan and Donna Smith-Moncrieffe
Derived from Evaluation Report by John Gelder (Senior Evaluator) and Eva Maxwell (Evaluator), Gelder, Gingras and Associates
Cyberbullying can have serious negative effects on the emotional, social, and physical health of children and youth. There is little research on cyberbullying prevention and intervention programs. This evaluation aimed to assess the potential relevance and performance of one innovative cyberbullying platform called STOPit developed to encourage the anonymous reporting of cyberbullying. Several key findings were identified: Youth found the STOPit platform to be highly functional, useful and innovative, particularly with regards to its anonymous feature and the possibility of sending fast text or video/image reports; youth also indicated that trust, reputation, and credibility were necessary precursors for their potential use and acceptance of the platform. Technical functionality and capabilities, reporting and follow-up features, ease-of-use, and privacy protection are also highly important to youth. An important next step would be to evaluate the impact of STOPit or a similar application in Canadian school settings. A randomized control trial or quasi-experimental design using matched comparison schools within a school board would provide concrete data regarding the impact of STOPit or a similar application on the prevention of cyberbullying.
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Public Safety Canada. Correspondence concerning this report should be addressed to:
Research Division, Public Safety Canada
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P8
Email: PS.CSCCBResearch-RechercheSSCRC.SP@canada.ca
This research report is a summary of the following contract deliverable:
Gelder, Gingras & Associates (June 2017). Evaluation of a Cyberbullying Prevention/Intervention Initiative: Final Evaluation Report. Prepared for Public Safety Canada, Community Safety and Countering Crime Branch, Research Division.
We would like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of Professors Andrea Slane, PhD and Jennifer Martin, PhD who served as advisors to this project.
We would also like to thank the STOPit organization for its cooperation on the project, including providing access to the platform for evaluation purposes. This evaluation would not have been possible without their support.
Cyberbullying has been defined as intentional, repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015). The intent of cyberbullying incidents is to threaten, harass, embarrass, or socially exclude individuals using online technology (Williams & Guerra, 2007). Cyberbullying can have serious negative effects on the emotional, social, and physical health of children and youth. Those who are cyberbullied may feel intense feelings of isolation, fear, loneliness, and despair, which may lead to acts of peer or self-harm (Prevnet, 2015).
Although there are similarities between online and offline bullying, certain contextual factors characterize cyberbullying and may lead to even greater negative impacts for the victim. These include anonymity, increased dissemination, lack of supervision present on electronic media, and greater accessibility to the target (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008). These contextual factors have implications for the development of appropriate cyberbullying interventions.
In their research, Hinduja and Patchin (2015) found that students are often reluctant to discuss their cyberbullying experiences with adults and many fear potential negative consequences if their peers find out that they "snitched". Therefore, these researchers suggest that an effective response to cyberbullying may be to create an anonymous reporting system through which students can quickly alert school staff to harmful or inappropriate behaviours. One such system, called STOPit, has recently been developed.
The Stopit application (app) allows victims and witnesses to submit text messages or screenshots of bullying/cyberbullying incidents using the device. These are received by a designated school staff member who has access to the DOCUMENTit app and can then respond to the student by text message and follow up on the incident. The STOPit app allows students to remain anonymous and seek help or guidance from an adult experienced with using the application. The app can be accessed via smartphone, tablet or computer.
The purpose of this evaluation was to shed light on the potential relevance and performance of an electronic platform to prevent or intervene in cases of cyberbullying online among youth. The questions guiding this evaluation are listed below:
How does the STOPit application compare with other cyberbullying initiatives in terms of cost?
Potential Relevance: How relevant is the STOPit platform as a cyberbullying prevention/intervention platform in the context of Canadian schools?
Functionality: How do potential users perceive the functionality of the app?
Potential Performance: How effective could STOPit be in preventing or reducing the incidence of cyberbullying among school-aged children and youth?
In this evaluation, the STOPit platform's potential relevance and performance were assessed using a series of focus group sessions among school-aged youth (12-17) and adult professionals. To provide added context to the evaluation, an environmental scan was conducted including a review of literature pertaining to cyberbullying prevention technologies and a comparative analysis of similar technologies and apps. Each of the initiatives found were assessed for country of origin, type of initiative, technological compatibility, cost, intended audience, type of intervention, anonymous features, and point of intervention (preventative or reactiveFootnote1 ).
Four (4) focus group sessions were conducted, involving a total of 29 participants (7-8 youth per session). The participating youth were divided into groups by age and gender (males 12-14; males 15-17; females 12-14; females 15-17). Participants were all Anglophone and resided in the National Capital Region of Canada (i.e., Ottawa or Gatineau).
To stimulate thinking and provide the participants with an opportunity to test the STOPit app, the evaluators designed and pre-tested a set of three scenarios, including scripts and videos.
Scenario 1: WhatsApp group conversation between a group of friends. The group is speaking negatively about another student at school and planning to physically harm him.
Scenario 2: iMessage conversation between two friends. One friend is exhibiting signs of depression and thoughts of self-harm.
Scenario 3: Instagram feed in which multiple students are shaming and bullying another student by posting explicit and hurtful comments on her pictures, uploading altered and embarrassing images, and threatening to share sensitive images.
All scenarios were fictional (created by the evaluation team), and the content was validated for realism by two school-aged youths. Each simulation (video) lasted 1:50 to 3:00 minutes. During and following each simulation scenario, participants were given an opportunity to use the STOPit report function to send in an incident report to the DOCUMENTit users. Participants were instructed to consider how they might use the app in an actual social situation. The scenarios stimulated participant engagement with the app and elicited test reports. In total, 29 "test" reports and 69 reports responding to simulated scenarios were submitted over the four sessions for a total of 98 reports. Reports were accompanied by reciprocal instant messaging between the DOCUMENTit users and focus group participants.
Four or five adult professionals (including a mix of educators, counselors, and social researchers) were recruited for each of the four focus group sessions. They were invited to test the DOCUMENTit software and interact with the students through the software, observe the youth focus groups, and provide feedback during their own focus group sessions that took place after the youths'. In total, there were 10 observers, some of which were present for more than one session. These professionals observed the youth focus group sessions and tested out the software in a separate viewing room with one-way mirrors.
While the simulation exercises used during the focus group sessions allowed the evaluation team to arrive at findings related to the potential utility and relevance of the platform, the approach does not allow for direct attribution of results or assessment of impact. For example, this evaluation did not determine if the app could prevent harm or stop cyberbullying more than another app.
Another methodological limitation is the non-representative sample recruited for the focus group sessions. For instance, the sample of participants was drawn from one linguistic group (Anglophones) in one geographical area (the National Capital Region). It is possible that differences may exist depending on geography and linguistic group. As well, the number of youth participants (N= 29 participants or 7-8 per session) may not be reflective of the larger Canadian youth population and may not represent the cultural or socio-economic diversity of Canadian youth.
Finally, readers are reminded that this evaluation included the examination of one tool/initiative (the STOPit platform). STOPit was found to be reasonably representative of similar tools and technologies used for similar age groups (e.g., in terms of design, target population, and intended purpose and use); however, the environmental scan showed that there are many different tools/initiatives intended for related purposes which have different features and benefits. Thus, findings for the specific tool cannot necessarily be generalized to similar or related tools and technologies that may exist for this purpose.
Thirty-four (34) cyberbullying initiatives were found in the literature. These were analyzed and categorized into seven (7) program types based on the primary method used to intervene in cases of cyberbullying. The most common types of initiative are monitoring/tracking tools (35%) which inform parents/guardians of activity on a youth's cell phone, tablet or computer. Also popular are educational initiatives (20%) which seek to inform technology users of strategies and techniques to prevent or intervene in cases of cyberbullying. Fifteen percent (15%) of the initiatives reviewed in this study were identified as school-wide programs, including STOPit. These programs are intended to be purchased and activated by the school to inform and equip all students and staff with the information and tools necessary to prevent or intervene in cases of cyberbullying. Purchasing the STOPit program, for example, provides schools with the software to be used by all students and staff, access to 24/7 customer service, and a suite of informational and educational tools, materials, and guides. Also reported in the literature are blocking tools (9%), reporting tools (9%), games (6%), and text altering programs (6%).
The most expensive initiatives were the school-wide programs; each provides licensing for the initiative based on a fee-per-student model (e.g., $0.50 to $1 per student), usually with a minimum cost for smaller schools. Minimum annual costs for these programs fall between $499 to $795; for example, Bullybox ($499), STOPit ($500), Tootoot ($681), and CyberBullyHotline ($795).
Monitoring tools were the second most expensive type of initiative, with costs varying from $19.99 (Safe Eyes) to $179.88 (My Mobile Watchdog) per year per family, with two being offered for free (GoGoStat and Web Safety, Inc.).
Educational apps, strategies, and tools often charge a small fee for access to content, ranging from $2.59 (Bully Proof Assistant Prof) to $19.00 (Professor Garfield Cyberbullying), but some are free. Many blocking tools, games, online reporting tools, and text altering tools are available for free download through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
In this review of cyberbullying initiatives, the overwhelming majority of programs, including STOPit, originated from the United States (70%). Using US software in Canada may have some implications for privacy that need to be further explored.
Although most of the initiatives reviewed originated in the United States, the majority (67%) can be accessed and downloaded worldwide.
The STOPit platform is a comprehensive, accessible application that is similarly priced or less costly than other school-wide cyberbullying programs that were reviewed.
When asked how they felt about the simulated situations, most youth stated that the situations were serious and that they were similar to situations they encounter in their day-to-day lives. When asked to reflect upon which incident, if any, they would report if the situations had been real, participants confirmed that the likelihood of reporting depends on the context and severity of the situation. For instance, the participants were likeliest to report the scenario in which a student was exhibiting serious signs of depression and self-harm. The results are presented in Table 1 below:
Table 1: Focus Group Sessions: Simulated Scenarios
Would report
Would not report
Scenario 1: WhatsApp group conversation (group of friends disrespecting and threatening to harm another student that is not part of the group)
Scenario 2: iMessage conversation between two friends (one friend demonstrating signs of depression and self-harm)
Scenario 3: Instagram feed (group of students is bullying, ridiculing, and shaming one student)
With respect to relevance, youth focus group participants indicated that current approaches to preventing or intervening in cases of cyberbullying, and indeed bullying in general, are minimal in their effectiveness or lacking altogether. Existing approaches tend to provide information but do not provide adequate solutions or tools. Youth noted several types of presentations and activities which take place within their schools, including assembly-type presentations; school-wide awareness activities (e.g., Pink Shirt Day); classroom discussions with school counsellors or teachers (e.g., in leadership or health classes); and plays, videos, or presentations by external organizations, including police officers. During these discussions and presentations, youth have been advised that the best solution to cyberbullying is to tell someone (e.g., an authority figure).
Only two of the 29 participants mentioned having access to a formal reporting tool for cyberbullying (e.g., an anonymous school-initiated website form or the application PS Tolerance Zero) in their schools.
Participants agreed unanimously on the usefulness of an accessible (i.e., on their smartphones or online) and anonymous platform. With regard to features, anonymous reporting was the most important point for them. As one participant stated, "the screen protects you each way. If it is easier for someone to bully in front of a screen, then it is easier to report in front of a screen."
Context is important
Although it was acknowledged that cyberbullying represents a serious challenge for many youth, the need for the STOPit platform or others like it in any institutional setting might depend on contextual factors, such as school size and cultural characteristics or teacher and/or administration engagement.
Youth mentioned two different ways in which they would potentially use the app. The first would be to seek advice or to reach out to someone with whom to talk. Advice could take the form of methods of resolving conflicts or intervention. The second way would be to report incidents of bullying or cyberbullying. In this regard, the STOPit platform has been designed to be used for both purposes (providing advice/guidance and responding to reports).
Although almost all participants thought that STOPit was useful (28/29), a smaller number of participants thought that the app was needed in their schools (21/29). Significantly more female group participants (93%) than male participants (53%) felt that there was a need for the platform.
Among those who did not think there was a need for the platform, reasons included small school size (e.g., only 300 students) and supportive school environments (e.g., highly involved and proactive teachers). Thus, the perceived need for STOPit or for similar platforms appears to depend, at least to some degree, on specific attributes and contextual factors specific to a particular school.
Some male participants added that although the platform might be useful, they would hesitate to depend on it as a stand-alone solution, preferring instead a hybrid approach (e.g., reporting through the platform as well as in person) or having a call-in option. This is mainly because they were not completely sure that they could trust the platform or because they feared that others might abuse or "troll" the app. Female participants emphasized that the platform could potentially be useful for those who do not have anyone else to speak with and that it could be a useful safety precaution. Despite these somewhat different viewpoints, almost all participants agreed that every school has serious problems offline and online that need to be addressed and that many incidents currently go unreported.
The STOPit platform includes both the STOPit app, which allows student reporting, and the DOCUMENTit app, which is used by the designated school official who can then respond to the student and follow up on the incident.
The majority of youth focus group participants found the STOPit platform to be highly functional, useful and innovative, particularly with regards to its anonymous feature and the possibility of sending fast text or video/image reports (e.g., for capturing proof via screenshots).
Most participants saw potential in the STOPit app to prevent harm in schools. A phenomenon of note is the "upstander" effect wherein students take a stand, often publicly, for each other. Some of the participants gave examples of students known in their schools or on social media for defending victims of bullying or taking a strong stance. They noted that STOPit would be another way to empower students and give a voice to upstanders while fostering a culture of proactive reporting.
Youth indicated that trust, reputation, and credibility are necessary precursors for their potential use and acceptance of the platform. Technical functionality and capabilities, reporting and follow-up features, ease-of-use, and privacy protection (anonymity) are also highly important to youth.
Each youth focus group discussed the issue of trust in both the technology itself and in those who would be receiving their reports (responders). For instance, various participants indicated that acceptability among their peer groups, knowledge that the app was used in other schools or school boards, advertising, promotion, and reputation would increase their likelihood of using the app. Of great concern to all participants across all four groups was the level of trust in the person/people receiving the reports. In this respect, assurance about who would be receiving the reports and how qualified and competent they were to address incidents were important considerations. For instance, participants felt it would be important to know that there was a "real" person at the receiving end, especially one that had a connection to them/the school. Another source of reassurance would be to know that the responder had experience, could act, had the knowledge and education required to address reports, and had the correct authority/position to be receiving reports.
Youth noted some of the platform's limitations. First, it was noted that STOPit only offers the possibility of reporting the actions of other students in the same school, although cyberbullying may frequently involve others outside of the school system or students operating under aliases or anonymous profiles. Second, while STOPit is seen to have the potential to empower youth, there may be a risk of also abusing the system (e.g., false reporting). In this respect, participants stressed the importance of monitoring and managing the system. Finally, there was some concern that although the platform offers anonymous reporting, bullies could find a way to discover who reported ("snitched") and that this could have negative implications.
With respect to possible changes, additions, or areas of improvement, some youth mentioned that users could experience some confusion between the report and the messaging features, as well as some ambiguity regarding the correct use for the messaging feature. It was suggested that a possible remedy to this issue is the addition of an in-app tutorial, FAQ, or information page to explain the functions and their purpose. Additionally, it was suggested that it may be useful to have a separate message history for each report. One participant stated that the disclaimer at the beginning of the app was too long, too formal, and cumbersome.
Concerns about privacy including keeping messages/reports hidden from others was common across all groups. In this regard, suggested additions or changes to the platform included adding a password protect option, masking/hiding the app from prying eyes, and offering the possibility of deleting old conversations from smartphones (while retaining message history in the school's database for proof and tracking).
Potentially effective
The evidence from this evaluation suggests that prevention/intervention technologies like STOPit would not only support existing approaches but may also be superior to them. Existing approaches are not seen as very effective. Meanwhile, both STOPit users and DOCUMENTit users in this study stated that the platform could be useful for empowering students with a tool for reporting or seeking advice; stopping or preventing harmful situations; and equipping school staff and administration with the information and means for targeted intervention and improvement.
Since knowing and trusting those on the receiving end of a report was seen to be critical for youth, some suggested adding an "About Us" section which would include profiles of the respondents as well as the capability of choosing who receives the report.
DOCUMENTit users found the case management system useful for capturing and tracking incident records as well as for enabling statistical analysis, although some participants experienced difficulty navigating the online system.
DOCUMENTit users in this study outlined several issues and concerns which may be generalized to any cyberbullying prevention/intervention platform. Most significant among these are questions about capacity (i.e., school time and resources for managing the platform) and accountability (i.e., setting appropriate parameters and defining the scope of the school's mandate to deal with issues both online and offline).
Findings from the focus group sessions indicate that cyberbullying is a serious problem among school-aged youth and that current approaches to prevention and intervention are having little effect. Findings also indicate that platforms such as STOPit may be useful, under the right conditions, to facilitate reporting and management of incidents. Future research would be beneficial to further validate how these platforms contribute to mitigating the broad and complex risks associated with cyberbullying.
Findings from the environmental scan indicate that the most optimal approach to addressing cyberbullying is one that is holistic in nature. This means that a tailored mix of prevention (e.g., awareness building, education, blocking), intervention (e.g., reporting, addressing incidents), and post-incident resolution methods (e.g., counselling, mediation) is likely to be most effective compared to a one-size fits all approach.
Findings from the environmental scan and from the focus group sessions indicate that the multi-faceted issue of cyberbullying is one that requires a coordinated approach from a community of professionals and practitioners, including school administration, educators, health professionals, families, law enforcement, technology providers, researchers, and the private sector.
Given the breadth and complexity of challenges associated with cyberbullying (e.g., with respect to mental health, adverse effects, anonymity, privacy concerns, accountability), this evaluation was undertaken to shed light on cyberbullying prevention/intervention initiatives. The scope of this evaluation was limited to one initiative (STOPit). Although results indicate the potential relevance and usefulness of this initiative in the school context, findings point to the need for ongoing research, including the following:
Impact Evaluation: A randomized control trial or quasi-experimental design using matched comparison schools within a schoolboard would provide concrete data regarding the impact of STOPit or a similar application on cyberbullying. Such a research project would require buy-in at the schoolboard level and school level as well as support by students and their parents.
Although the focus group approach identified the acceptability, potential relevance, and usefulness of a cyberbullying prevention/intervention application among youth and among adults and practitioners, focus group sessions alone cannot provide direct or conclusive information about the impact of this technology. An important next step would be to evaluate the impact of STOPit or a similar application in Canadian school settings using a rigorous research design.
Research on privacy laws: Privacy laws in different jurisdictions (e.g., US and Canada) have potential implications for the use of cyberbullying prevention/intervention initiatives. Further research could shed light on the implications of using non-Canadian technology within a Canadian context. From a broader perspective, comparative research on privacy legislation across jurisdictions could help to inform future decision-making regarding policy and legislation.
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2008). Cyberbullying: An exploratory analysis of factors related to offending and victimization. Deviant Behavior, 29, 129-156.
Hinduja, S. and Patchin, J.W. (2015). Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying, 2nd Ed. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin, Sage Publications.
Prevnet (2015). Cyberbullying. Retrieved from: http://www.prevnet.ca/bullying/cyber-bullying.
Williams, K.R. and Guerra, N.G. (2007). Prevalence and Predictors of Internet Bullying, Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, S14-S21.
Reactive measures can include an adult intervening by talking to the individual being bullied or to the individual exhibiting the bullying behaviours; involving a higher authority such as police, etc.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Implement solutions to strengthen your financial plan and relieve personal fears.
Whether you eliminate, reduce, or retain the financial impact of such risks, it is imperative to carefully consider such adverse possibilities before an unaddressed risk seriously threatens your net worth and derails your goal of financial independence. Risk management is the foundation of any financial plan.
Joel Stillman, Jeffrey Lippman & Joshua Stillman, with Capitol Financial Consultants, Inc., provide Risk Management Services in McLean, VA.


The Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-110) establishes the STB as a wholly independent federal agency. Prior to the Act, the STB was administratively aligned with the U.S. Department of Transportation, although it had been decisionally independent since its establishment in 1996.
• Expands the STB's membership from three to five Board Members.
• Requires STB preparation and publication of a rate case methodology report and various other reports.
The full text of the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015 can be accessed here.


The Muslim Society of Guelph manages the Muslim graves located in Woodlawn Memorial Park, Guelph, Ontario approximately 5 kilometers to the north east of the Guelph Muslim Community Centre. The street address for the cemetery is 762 Woolwich Street, Guelph, N1H 3Z1.
It is requested that Muslims be familiar with these issues at all times since death can approach anyone at any given time or place.


This year, Harry Winston is launching a new watch from its project Z sub-series which is characterized by the use of ultra-light and resistant Zalium alloy that is exclusive to the brand. The eighth model in the series named Project Z8 is distinguished by the presence of a dual time feature where home time is represented via retrograde scale that can be adjusted in both directions. Other functions which are supported on the typical three-dimensional face of the watch and enabled with its automatic mechanical movement include: a day/night indicator for the second time zone, a pointer type date display and a Shuriken indication that shows whether the movement is operational. The latest Zalium encased timepiece is restricted to 300 copies and costs $20,300.
The Project Z collection, a part of the larger Ocean series by Harry Winston, is now celebrating a decade of existence. Its main characteristic is the presence of cases made of high-tech Zalium alloy which has qualities that highly recommend it to be used in the construction of the case. It is very light and extraordinary resistant to both scratches and corrosion. Furthermore, it looks rather nice with its recognizable gun-metal gray lustre. There is one more thing regarding the origin of the alloy that gives it an additional doze of charm. Zalium was actually developed by Ronald Winston who is none other than the son of Harry Winston, the brand's founder. While employed as an MIT researcher engaged on the development of jet and rocket engines, Ronald Winston came up with a new zirconium-based alloy with extraordinary properties. The alloy is harder than titanium and only a tad bit heavier than it. As titanium, this alloy is also hypo-allergenic which is why it is used for the construction of surgical tools. As for the name of the alloy, it stems from the combination of zirconium on which it is based and allium flower.
Harry Winston Project Z8 is not the first timekeeper from the series with a retrograde indication, nor with a dual time display, but it is the premier piece that combines these two features. All of the supported indications are clearly separated on its rather busy-looking and multi-leveled dial which is quite usual for the products of the brand. Its home time zone is off-centered and lays on the upper right side of the dial. It includes seven superimposed appliqués on a black galvanic chapter ring with circular finish as well as two blue and stumpy sword-shaped hands coated with SuperLuminova. The day/night indicator of the home time zone is inserted inside the local time scale and lies on the far right central section of the face. In concert, these displays make up for the top layer of the dial which is held in place with three bridges (of which two are hollowed in the middle). It should also be said that the central part of the local time display is skeletonized with the use of a cob-web pattern which received a micro-blasted finish for even more impressive appearance.
The second lowered layer of the dial is on the left side and it is used for a retrograde indication of home time zone. The black galvanic scale with a circular satin finish consists of five raised appliqués and red hour markers for the rest of the positions, while the time is shown with the use of a notably curved and three-dimensional hand made of anodized aluminum.
On the lowest level of the dial there is its pointer-type date indication with three visible numerals at the five o'clock, while a small portion of the date disc can also be partially seen standing parallel and inside the retrograde display of the home time zone. For the date disc, Harry Winston used a black galvanic ring with sand-blasted finishing. Even further inside, encircled by the date ring there is a central section with inverted radiating Clou de Paris hobnail motif. The only remaining indication present on the dial with diamond polished chamfered sections and a few visible blued screws is another trademark characteristic of the Project Z series. It is the Shuriken indication, set slightly lower than the center of the face. It revolves only to indicate that the movement is active.
Each of the displays of the asymmetric and three-dimensional face of project Z8 watch is enabled by its self-winding mechanical HW3502 caliber. The movement is modified from a Blancpain-produced base and it is the first one of the series of this kind. This is caused by the fact that Harry Winston is now owned by the Swatch Group which also stands behind Blancpain. Be that as it may, the movement will still be exclusive to Harry Winston from now on. As it has been mentioned, one of the most impressive features of the 281-component movement with 32 jewels is that its retrograde home time display can be adjusted in both directions, unlike the vast majority of similar movements by other manufacturers. The added clutch system of the feature which is operated by the crown thus makes this operation notably easier. HW3502 functions at the rate of 4 Hz and incorporates a flat balance spring made of silicon which features Phillips terminal curve and a Geneva-type stud. The finely embellished movement with the Harry Winston's recognizable circular Geneva stripes motif includes a new skeltonized oscillating weight that fills its power reserve. Unfortunately, there is still no information about the scope of the power reserve of the flat movement with the height of 5.2 mm.
As for the construction of the housing, it should be said that the round Zalium case with a satin-brushed finish features the medium-sized width of 44.2 mm and the substantial height of 21.7 mm. Both sides of the case are protected with sapphire crystals, while its waterproofness measures to 100 meters. Harry Winston Ocean Collection Project Z8 is coupled with a black rubber strap embellished with Clou de Paris hobnail motif and it fastens with an ardillon-type buckle which is naturally made of Zalium.


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Liberty Media is waiting on progress in Miami before finalising the 2019 F1 calendar.
It has emerged that the opening seven races on next year's schedule – every race between March and June – have now been fixed: Australia, Bahrain, China, Azerbaijan, Spain, Monaco and Canada.
And the season finale will take place on December 1 in Abu Dhabi.
"The rest of the calendar depends on whether the planned grand prix in Miami takes place," reported Auto Motor und Sport.
There are several issues with Liberty's plans in Miami, but the latest one means that a contract was not signed by a July 1 deadline set by the city.
"As of right now a contract has not been finalised," Stephanie Severino, of Miami's communications office, told Forbes journalist Christian Sylt.
If Miami's troubles can be overcome, it seems an October race date is likely, on a 2019 calendar that will once again probably host 21 grands prix.
"The conversation around 22-23 races is, I think, a few years out," said McLaren boss Zak Brown.
"But if you put another two or three races on the calendar – a Miami, a New York, another one in Asia, some big markets – it's pretty attractive commercially to our partners," he added.


text:
Winter Session of Parliament Adjourned for Three Successive Days
It appears that disputes over the resolution of the inflationary spiral will stall the winter session of the Indian Parliament.
By Raymond Ronamai @raymondronamai
November 24, 2011 17:36 IST
Arguments over the government's inability to control runaway prices stopped proceedings of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, on the first two days of the current session. The third day proved to be no different, with both houses initially being adjourned 10 minutes into the sessions.
The stalemate on Thursday began when members of the Congress party joined those from the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), in raising the Telangana issue. The step caused unrest in the house, with the Opposition objecting to the step. Sushma Swaraj, a senior BJP leader, later accused the Congress of not only causing disruptions but also failing to run the house and control its members.
The Opposition had earlier demanded the resignation of Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram.


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These worked great with my jeans. I was able to use them the first trimester of my pregnancy. I had to use two once I started getting bigger. They give you a bit of leeway to wear your jeans longer.
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I only have one pair of pants that is like that though. Overall, this is a good product.
These simple little things are the greatest inventions for people whose waist lines are in excess of a few inches of what they should be. Whoever came up with this idea was a genius.


Tomato Shimmeig Creg ‒ TOMATOBOMO - YOU GET THE TOMATO YOU NEED!
Slightly heart shaped, little round fruits, 60/90 g, Vivid orange, striped with green and yellow. Excellent flavour and fairly similar to GREEN ZEBRA. Sugar and acidity well balanced. Also called ELBERTA PEACH.
RESUMEDESCRIPTIONWEB Slightly heart shaped, little round fruits, 60/90 g, Vivid orange, striped with green and yellow. Excellent flavour and fairly similar to GREEN ZEBRA. Sugar and acidity well balanced. Also called ELBERTA PEACH.


text:
Q: Creating account that it has one to one relationship with user and one to many relationship with currency class Account class have one to one relationship with user and one to many relationship with currency. So once user and currency is created, account also should create. How to do it in Spring Boot?
I do not have any idea.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Studying flaxseed, fowls: SIU scientists research ways to help prevent ovarian cancer in women
Ryan Michalesko
Senior physiology major Kara Starkweather, left, and Professor of Physiology Dr. Buck Hales pose for a photograph in a Life Sciences II lab Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, in Carbondale. The duo is using hens, which ovulate similarly to women, to research flaxseed as a dietary intervention in preventing ovarian cancer. "We understand that the major cause of ovarian cancer is the inflammation associated with ovulation," said Hales. "Our goal is to turn ovarian cancer into a disease that women can live with instead of die from."
By Cory Ray
On one innocuous day in 2006, Dale Hales was in a Whole Foods grocery store and a lightbulb went off in his head; he had an idea about how to help prevent ovarian cancer in women, and he was going to need two things — chickens and flaxseed.
Hales, a physiology professor, said he noticed something odd: there were eggs on the shelves with Omega 3's, which are not naturally abundant in chicken eggs.
He set out to discover what the hens were fed to produce such eggs, and found it was flaxseed.
It's been widely accepted in the scientific community since the early 2000s that inflammation is a precursor to identifying cancer, and since then, many scientists have began to study anti-inflammatories — such as Omega 3's — as cancer prevention methods.
Flaxseed is the richest vegetable source of Omega 3's, according to Hales.
"I think the fact that we are empowered, that we could affect our chance of getting a disease by what we eat, I think that's a fantastic understanding," Hales said.
Hens lay one to two eggs a day for two years, and many then develop ovarian cancer, Hales said.
This process is known as ovulation, an event which wounds the ovary. The ovary then undergoes "a tear and repair" cycle, and after many repetitions of inflammation, the ovary becomes susceptible to cancer.
Hales said the "hen laying-egg" model more closely resembles human ovarian cancer than any other model, aside from the fact human females ovulate just once a month.
Although many mice are used in scientific studies related to humans, Hale said he would have to engineer mice to get the cancer, whereas hens and human females naturally acquire it.
According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate of ovarian cancer is 45 percent, and Hales said that rate is so low because in many cases, ovarian cancer is not detected until it is in its last stages.
Hales said early detection is difficult because the early stages of the cancer have no visible symptoms.
Senior physiology major Kara Starkweather, left, prepares to split some cells under the supervision of Professor of Physiology Dr. Buck Hales in a Life Sciences II lab Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, in Carbondale. The duo is using hens, which ovulate similarly to women, to research flaxseed as a dietary intervention in preventing ovarian cancer. "We understand that the major cause of ovarian cancer is the inflammation associated with ovulation," said Hales. "Our goal is to turn ovarian cancer into a disease that women can live with instead of die from." (Ryan Michalesko | @photosbylesko)
"I feel like the women feel like they're a ticking-bomb," he said. "So the women are highly motivated. If you could do something as simple as eating flaxseed to prevent you from getting ovarian cancer, why not?"
Because the late stage is so prevalently observed, it has been the focus of more studies, and not many have been conducted about ovarian cancer's early stages, Hales said.
For his research, Hales buys hens that have been used for about two years to lay eggs. He said around that time, about 50 percent develop ovarian cancer.
He puts some of those hens on a diet consisting of flaxseed and others on a diet consisting of corn or other feed. The latter hens are used as a control group, or a group that should replicate the high incidence of cancer naturally.
About 25 percent of the hens in each group had ovarian cancer, Hales said.
The chickens fed flaxseed were only in the early stages of cancer, while the group fed corn were experiencing the late stages of cancer.
During the initial readings of these results, Hales and a graduate student of his at the time discovered a beneficial curveball: it wasn't just the Omega 3's in flaxseed acting an anti-inflammatory, there was also another component called lignin contributing to prevention of the cancer.
Lignin metabolizes estrogen into a compound that kills cancer cells, Hales said.
In 2015, nine years after Hales' initial trip to Whole Foods, clinical trials began at the SIU Medical School in Springfield. Today, collaborators at the medical school issue flaxseed to women in ovarian cancer remission, and those women each must have a specific portion of flax each day.
Hales said one woman who has been 80 percent compliant in taking the flaxseed has been in remission for 27 months now, a result he finds significant because the cancer usually recurs after 16 to 18 months in 75 percent of women.
Clinical trials are now set to be expanded to the University of Southern Alabama at Mobile, and Hales said with that extra resource, trials can increase from the smaller number of patients they have in Springfield to hundreds.
His research has seen some obstacles along the way. Hales applied for federal funding but was denied the grant until he provides data using placebos, or women who would be be told they were being fed flax to cure cancer while in reality they are fed a non-working substance, similar to the study where some chickens were fed corn.
"I personally am a little bit conflicted about this," Hales said. "Because we have something that we are pretty sure will prevent the disease from reoccurring, but we don't give it to them?"
Hales said it could breech an ethics question to give women in remission false hope.
"By now, there are millions of women unfortunately who have had ovarian cancer," he said. "On average, we know how long it takes to recur, so we think if we give them a treatment that exceeds that recurrence rate, then that would indicate that it's doing something."
One of the projects in his lab is to identity early detection markers of ovarian cancer.
"We're able to target our therapy at prevention," Hales said. "I believe that the cure for cancer is prevention."
Hales and researchers have discovered four different biomarkers that have mostly been able to be replicated in clinical studies.
Kara Starkweather, a senior from Chatham studying physiology with a pre-med route, has been working in Hales' lab since Jan. 2015, when she was a freshman.
"Coming to SIU, everybody talked about research," she said. "Timidly, I walked in [to Hales lab] not knowing what I was getting myself into, but I just fit right in."
It was a busy first week in the lab for Starkweather, who said she and the rest of Hales' team went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to perform necropsies — non-human autopsies — on 800 chickens.
Since then, Starkweather has begun to study cancerous human cells from ovaries and even received a summer internship from the Simmons Cancer Institute to continue her research.
"Most students at larger universities won't get the opportunity to work at the bench and do these experiments," she said. "They may read about them, but there's nothing better than to learn it at the bench-top."
Starkweather said she is interested in pursuing a career in oncology, and one school she has said she is applying to is the SIU School of Medicine for the fall of 2018. She said she has considered continuing her research with the study in the clinical trials in Springfield if she is accepted and decides to go to the school.
Staff writer Cory Ray can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @coryray_de.
To stay up to date with all your Carbondale news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.
buck hales
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text:
Ferzli: International intention against displaced people's return to Syria
The international intention is against the return of displaced people to Syria," Deputy Speaker of the House, Elie Ferzli, said in an interview with the Voice of Lebanon radio station - 93.3, calling for "confronting such an intention with a unified Le...
The international intention is against the return of displaced people to Syria," Deputy Speaker of the House, Elie Ferzli, said in an interview with the Voice of Lebanon radio station - 93.3, calling for "confronting such an intention with a unified Lebanese will rejecting the position of the international community."
"The Lebanese action in this regard must continue without a ceiling," he said.
Tackling the government formation issue, he stressed that "there is no delay in the formation of the government as that often took time."
He denied "the existence of political differences that could make the process of formation lengthy," ruling out "internal factors' effect on the formation process."
"The main effective factor would be external as it can give the internal factor a greater dimension, and thus be responsible for the delay if it happened
Source: National News Agency
ISRAELI AGGRESSION ON AREAS IN DEIR AL- ZOR AND ALBU KAMAL IN SYRIA


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OTTAWA — The Liberal government is signalling its intent to stem the flow of asylum seekers crossing into Canada at unofficial entry points with a new border-enforcement strategy aimed at detecting, intercepting and removing irregular migrants.
A plan costing $1.18 billion over five years is promised in the 2019 federal budget to beef up border security and speed up the processing of asylum claims.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the government wants to ensure Canada's asylum system is fair and effective, and governed by the rule of law.
More than 40,000 asylum seekers have crossed into the country via the Canada-U.S. border "irregularly" since 2017 — avoiding official border checkpoints where they would have been turned back to the U.S. under the Safe Third Country agreement between the two countries.
The new border-enforcement strategy will not only add resources to strengthen border security and speed up the processing of claims, it also promises to prioritize removing asylum claimants who entered the country irregularly.
The Trudeau government is also planning to crack down on a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in Canada with a new anti-racism strategy, complete with a $45-million budget.


Rock Bar is located in Ayana Resort. It's a bar built on a cliff overlooking to the sea. Beautiful views and although pricey, a nice place to see the sunset!
Taking pictures while waiting for the line to use the lift to get down to the bar. No price charges for the lift this time! But there's a dresscode. No sandals (swallow sandals, that is), surfer shorts, or those Bir Bintang sleeveless tee. Dress up a little if you want to visit Rock Bar..
For tables, there's no minimal charge but each person must order one drink. And one table is only for four person. Drinks starts at 75 thousand rupiah before tax. Bring at least 100 thousand rupiah.
For the sofas, there is a minimum order of 650 thousand rupiah with a maximum of three person per sofa. I don't think it's not that hard to reach 650 thousand rupiah if your want to eat as well. Especially if it's for three person.
Overall, I don't think Rock Bar is a must visit as there are many bars in Bali but it's definitely worth a visit when you need to choose from so many bars out there. The fact that it's built on the cliff is quite a statement itself. I don't remember the food price, but bring at least 300 thousand rupiah if you want to eat and drink here.
I'll see you on the next post and wishing everyone a great weekend ahead.
I'm planning to catch Hansel and Gretel this weekend. Any of you watched it? Is it good??
great pictures, what a wonderful holiday!
Ah Bali and its "bule" hahaha.
Thanks for the review, i was looking for a great hang out place in Bali and you gave me one!
Bali is the greatest place to visit!!
you have a really cute dress cc!
Wowow what a lovely vacation spot! I would love to sit in one of those sofas with my friends!


Land area: 121 sq. mi.
Water area: 0.5 sq. mi.
Population density: 1032 people per square mile (very high).
Industries providing employment: Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (27.1%), Educational, health and social services (19.3%), Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services (15.6%).
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Clarke County is $509 a month.
Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $639 a month.
Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $851 a month.
Cities in this county include: Athens-Clarke County, Athens, Winterville.
Ozone (1-hour): 0.031 ppm (standard limit: 0.12 ppm). Near U.S. average.
Clarke County-area historical earthquake activity is near Georgia state average. It is 82% smaller than the overall U.S. average.
The number of natural disasters in Clarke County (6) is smaller than the US average (13).
145 people in military barracks, etc.
Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2010 was $46,991.
Homicides per 1,000,000 population from 2000 to 2006: 67.1. This is less than state average.
Suicides per 1,000,000 population from 2000 to 2006: 98.0. This is less than state average.
Size of family households: 11,700 2-persons, 5,351 3-persons, 3,644 4-persons, 762 5-persons, 811 6-persons, 224 7-or-more-persons.
Size of nonfamily households: 17,665 1-person, 4,918 2-persons, 1,130 3-persons, 1,230 4-persons, 97 5-persons, 31 7-or-more-persons.
10,923 married couples with children.
8,070 single-parent households (1,736 men, 6,334 women).
84.8% of residents of Clarke speak English at home.
9.1% of residents speak Spanish at home (45% speak English very well, 24% speak English well, 24% speak English not well, 6% don't speak English at all).
2.4% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (84% speak English very well, 12% speak English well, 3% speak English not well).
2.9% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (62% speak English very well, 27% speak English well, 7% speak English not well, 4% don't speak English at all).
0.7% of residents speak other language at home (64% speak English very well, 16% speak English well, 20% speak English not well).
68.8% of Clarke County residents lived in the same house 1 years ago.
#18 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the highest percentage of residents relocating to other counties in 2011 (pop. 50,000+)"
#43 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the highest percentage of residents relocating from other counties between 2010 and 2011 (pop. 50,000+)"
#53 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the highest percentage of residents relocating to other counties in 2011"
#61 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the lowest ground withdrawal of fresh water for public supply (pop. 50,000+)"
#68 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the lowest number of deaths per 1000 residents 2007-2013 (pop. 50,000+)"
#94 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the highest percentage of residents relocating from other counties between 2010 and 2011"
#100 on the list of "Top 101 counties with highest percentage of residents voting for Obama (Democrat) in the 2012 Presidential Election (pop. 50,000+)"


Previous issues of Telfed's printed magazine (from 2003 onwards) are available for you to read online (below).
To receive the printed version regularly, please ensure you have paid your annual subscription of NIS 100 (contact Shireen Burt for assistance - donations@telfed.org.il).
3. Paypal (online): Please click the Paypal image below to access the easiest and most secure online payment system available. You do not need to have a paypal account.
Should you need assistance, please contact us at the number above or email us (donations@telfed.org.il).
The Telfed magazine reaches over 25,000 members of the South African community (5,000 households).
As Telfed's 70th anniversary draws to an end, we look to the future. In this edition, you can read about our innovative Southern African olim who are making momentous contributions from medical marijuana to Israel's first lunar landing. Learn about Telfed's solidarity tiyul where our olim visited their contemporaries in the Gaza envelope communities, how SA roots have shaped our olim and why a young soldier encourages future olim to serve in the IDF.
As Telfed celebrates 70, President Rivlin praises the valuable contribution of South African Olim to Israeli society, South African students choosing Israeli universities, former Southern Africans integrating Arab and Jewish youngesters through squash.
Israel at 70: With Israel on a high hosting the start of the "Giro D'Italia" in Jerusalem, winning the 2018 Eurovision Contest in Lisbon and with tourism and the economy soaring, the SA community in Israel joins in year-round festivities celebrating Telfed's own 70th birthday, with family events across the country.
In this memorable 70th birthday edition of Telfed's magazine, page through the "The Telfed Times" and read about the major milestones and highlights since Telfed's inception. Reporting on some remarkable contributions of Southern African Olim in all spheres of Israeli life for the past 70 years, beginning with the memoirs of the Machalniks. This newsworthy edition will take you on a trip down memory lane. Reminisce, be inspired, and celebrate our Southern African Olim and Telfed!
Please click HERE to download the 2018 Yom Ha'atzmaut Edition.
In this Anniversary edition, read all about the "Fed's" history and the exciting year ahead with all the upcoming events to celebrate the jubilee! Since its inception seven decades ago, Telfed has become an integral part of Israeli society and has grown from strength to strength. Learn more about the First Zionist Congress, the Balfour Declaration and how South Africans embrace the future.
Please click HERE to download the 2017 Hannukah Edition.
In the Rosh Hashanah edition of the Telfed Community Magazine, read all about the Fed's new lay leaders and the wind of change giong through the organization. Learn more about the exciting projects that are in the works to celebrate Telfed's 70th Anniversary next year and discover our new logo !
But that's not all! With a special focus on the Macccabiah games, you will learn all that there is to know about the amazing South African contribution to the games and how it is trule a "family affair!".
Please click here to download the 2017 Rosh Hashanah Edition.
In this edition, as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the six days war, the article "Fields of Gold" will introduce you to fellow southern africans who lived through this traumatic ordeal and want to share their stories.
Read all about Telfed's volunteers' recognition by the Israeli governement for their fantastic contribution to society and meet the mentors who help new Olim to find a job in Israel!
In this edition, read all about "Daddy Ochberg's" fascinating history, the sizzling SASI Programme, the extraodinary impact Telfed had on the community in 2016 and tickle your senses with spicy recollections from our 'Indian Night'.
With a special focus on the formidable Shimon Peres, you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about this pragmatic visionary.
With a special focus on Aliyah, you will get to know amazing Southern Africans and how their enduring and endearing narratives make them formidable contributors to Israeli Society.
All copies have been dispatched by post so please be patient, they should arrive shortly.
This edition features an indepth look at Southern African heroes Bobby and Charlie Shapiro, the encounter with terrorist Samir Kuntar and Bobby's experience in the hijacking of an Egged bus on the coastal highway between Tel Aviv and Haifa. A fitting farewell is paid to 'giant hearts' in our community David 'Migdal' Teperson and Maurice 'Mo' Ostroff. Also read about Telfed's new academic support programme (SASI - South Africans studying in Israel). Enjoy newly included Health and Culinary sections, as well as a book review of "A World of Pains" by South African born Author Solly Kaplinski. This and many more enticing articles for you to enjoy over the holiday period. All copies have been dispatched by post so please be patient, they should be arriving shortly.
The Rosh Hashana 2015 Magazine is another great edition of our popular magazine. Read about how Israel is a world-leader in offering aid in times of crisis around the world. Catch up on all the latest community news and and see what Telfed has been up to this year including updates on our numerous projects such as the new building, PRAS bursary scheme and Lone soldiers. Also in this issue read about visitors to Israel by yacht, the Zambia-Israel connection and how a member of Moshav Avichail unearthed the grave of a former Cape-tonian WWI war-hero.
Another edition of our much-loved magazine featuring news that keeps us in touch with our South African brethern in Israel and overseas. Enjoy a fascinating analysis of young students today and begin to understand why so many have chosen to leave their countries of birth and come and study in Israel and make their futures here. Take a nostalgic trip back to the old Gardens Synagogue in Cape Town and educate yourself on the enormous South African contribution to the Israeli rugby scene. Read how entrepreneur Morris Kahn inspired a new generation of young entrepreneurs from South Africa at a very enriching Telfed event and see all the usual community news, advertisements and events information.
The Pesach edition is the first Telfed has dedicated its front cover to an individual. It celebrates Sidney Shapiro's 70th birthday and his retirement as Director of Telfed after 30 years.
The magazine includes a number of other interesting articles/stories. One fascinating piece on a bust of Chaim Weizman saved from the Bulawayo Shul fire and sent to the Weizman Institute in Israel and how the name of the sculptor was found. From book reviews to the report on the Telfed gala dinner celebrating lifetime achievements by Smoky Simon and Morris Kahn and much more in this edition.
The Chanukkah edition featured a cover story detailing Telfed's Ethiopian Community Initiative (TECI), a social entrepreneur project adopted by volunteer members of the Southern African community in Israel, as part of their contribution to the betterment of Israeli society.
as well as lots of other exciting things.
The Summer issue welcomes the participants of the 19th Maccabiah(and especially the large contingent from South Africa); details how Telfed's 'On the move' is now welcoming Australian and Ethiopian Olim; a big welcome to two new Telfed staff members: Nikki and Dafna; Truth be Told holds a riveting panel discussion on "Countering the Media Assault on Israel' to a packed hall; South Africans honored at Ben-Gurion University, Maish Isaacson and Shoshi Ofer entertain children as medical clowns, and more.
The Pesach issue includes stories about Southern African marathon winners; two new Telfed initiatives: 'Grannies on the Go' and a 'Time Bank'; 'From Dreamers to Doers' article about Norman Lurie and the resurrection of the Dolphin House hotel in Shavei Zion; 'Beneath the Rooftops' - the story of the Shtetl of Musnik; an article about the Naale Elite Academy - a high-school program that welcomes young Jewish students from all over the world; the poetry of Yoram Selbst, grandson of former Telfed Chairman, Justice Joseph Harbstein, and more.
Read about the history of Telfed from 1948, Telfed's 'On the Move' initiative and projects; the volunteers that help this all happen and much more.
December 2011 - The latest Telfed magazine has been published and distributed with the cover story on Telfed's social-media outreach and its new strategy programme called Telfed on the Move designed to engage new and veteran Olim to develop new ways to work together to contribute to Israeli society. The magazine has a range of additional articles covering the recent inauguration of the Ochberg memorial in Israel, a "sporting chance" - an organisation called Tikvot that look after victims of terror, the summer protests in Israel, new arrivals from S.Africa, nuptials, Focus on Telfed with a round-up of regional news and much more.
July 2011 - Telfed's July 2011 magazine has been published and distributed to over 5,000 homes in Israel and abroad with a great cover story on Telfed's PRAS mentoring programme where students are given scholarships as well as additional incentives to "give back" to the community. The magazine includes the Focus on Telfed section including a report on the newly elected leadership of the organisation, the recent SA Zionist Conference in Johannesburg, launching of the new Higher4Hire website to help members of the community to offer their services, a regional roundup, a book review of Alon Liel's latest publication based on his visit to S.A. during the World Cup, a profile of journalist Paula Slier, a story on MTA's founder Chaim Lacob, the people section, nuptials and much more.
February 2011 - Telfed's February 2011 magazine has been published with a fascinating cover story on how Telfed has been "Celebrating the Past and Embracing the Future" - from the early days of Israel's establishment to the ways it is stepping up to the current challenges facing the organisation, new olim and the community. The magazine includes other reports and stories covering a recent Staff Reunion party, reports from the regional committees around the country, a story on Israel Broadcasting English Service's 20th Anniversary and much more.
n Liel's latest publication based on his visit to S.A. during the World Cup, a profile of journalist Paula Slier, a story on MTA's founder Chaim Lacob, the people section, nuptials and much more.
November 2010 - The cover story for this issue is "Eyes Wide Open" and highlights a unique project co-organised by a young S. African-born student to bring some 60 medical students from around the world to acquaint them with Israel's enormous and innovative contribution in the field of humanitarian assistance. Other stories in this edition include an interesting project by South African-born Jerold Kessels (former CNN correspondent) and his colleague Pierre Klochendle and their book "Goals for Galilee" exploring ways for Jews and Arabs to live in peace. Other items in the magazine range from a round up of Telfed Regional committee activities to a New Oleh profile covering fast moving Ephy Chesler.
August 2010 - in this issue the cover story is entitled "A New Pitch for Better Relations" and describes former South African Herschel Guttman's exciting project in promoting cricket to the youth in Israel - particularly with Bedouins, Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. The magazine also includes articles on Telfed's Scholarship program, business articles, new arrivals, a book review on the late Leo Lovell, a regional roundup and much more. Remember to keep your contact details up-to-date at Telfed so that we can ensure you receive your copies of the magazine - especially in its spanking new full colour format.
Telfed's June 2009 magazine was distributed to its readership of 5,000 homes in Israel and abroad. The magazine editorial sets the scene with the following : As we celebrate the new wave of Southern African immigration, we applaud the over six decades of our Southern African community's contribution towards Israel's enrichment, stability and security. In our Cover Story, 'The Ambassadors' we tap into the lives of some of these immigrants who serve or have served in Israel's diplomatic corp.
Telfed's first quarter 2009 magazine was published and distributed in February - focusing on how former Southern Africans in the western Negev dealt with the recent war in Gaza - amongst many other interesting articles.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading;
using CacheManager.Core;
using CacheManager.Core.Internal;

namespace CacheManager.Events.Tests
{
    public class EventCounter<TCacheValue>
    {
        private object _locki = new object();
        private readonly Dictionary<CacheEvent, int[]> _updates = new Dictionary<CacheEvent, int[]>();

        public EventCounter(ICacheManager<TCacheValue> cache)
        {
            Cache = cache ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(cache));

            Cache.OnRemove += OnRemove;
            Cache.OnRemoveByHandle += OnRemoveByHandle;
            Cache.OnAdd += OnAdd;
            Cache.OnGet += OnGet;
            Cache.OnPut += OnPut;
            Cache.OnUpdate += OnUpdate;

            _updates.Add(CacheEvent.Add, new int[2]);
            _updates.Add(CacheEvent.Put, new int[2]);
            _updates.Add(CacheEvent.Rem, new int[2]);
            _updates.Add(CacheEvent.Get, new int[2]);
            _updates.Add(CacheEvent.ReH, new int[2]);
            _updates.Add(CacheEvent.Upd, new int[2]);
        }

        public Dictionary<CacheEvent, int[]> GetExpectedState()
        {
            var result = new Dictionary<CacheEvent, int[]>();

            foreach (var kv in _updates.ToArray())
            {
                result.Add(kv.Key, new[] { kv.Value[0], kv.Value[1] });
            }

            return result;
        }

        private void Update(CacheEvent ev, string key, CacheActionEventArgOrigin origin)
        {
            if (origin == CacheActionEventArgOrigin.Local)
            {
                Interlocked.Increment(ref _updates[ev][0]);
            }
            else
            {
                Interlocked.Increment(ref _updates[ev][1]);
            }
        }

        public ICacheManager<TCacheValue> Cache { get; }

        private void OnUpdate(object sender, CacheActionEventArgs e)
        {
            Update(CacheEvent.Upd, e.Key, e.Origin);
        }

        private void OnPut(object sender, CacheActionEventArgs e)
        {
            Update(CacheEvent.Put, e.Key, e.Origin);
        }

        private void OnGet(object sender, CacheActionEventArgs e)
        {
            Update(CacheEvent.Get, e.Key, e.Origin);
        }

        private void OnAdd(object sender, CacheActionEventArgs e)
        {
            Update(CacheEvent.Add, e.Key, e.Origin);
        }

        private void OnRemove(object sender, CacheActionEventArgs e)
        {
            Update(CacheEvent.Rem, e.Key, e.Origin);
        }

        private void OnRemoveByHandle(object sender, CacheItemRemovedEventArgs e)
        {
            Update(CacheEvent.ReH, e.Key, CacheActionEventArgOrigin.Local);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Innovation is one of today's most popular business buzzwords.
Most small and growing businesses, and especially startups, say they want to innovate. But most never get there because they are focused only on cost and efficiency, not creativity, leaving little room for fresh ideas.
In fact, many businesses today are actually anti-innovation without even knowing it, says Ed Hess, a business professor at University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business.
In today's "do more with less" environment, innovation can be too messy and inefficient to take root. Many business owners seek stability through structure and predictability rather than less-predictable innovation.
But the mechanisms that help grow a business are much different from those that simply keep it from falling apart.
In order to grow and innovate, you have to be willing to explore a little and put up with some uncertainty and ambiguity.
Efficiency and scale don't always rule the day: Typical business-management practices in companies of all sizes favor efficiency and avoiding risks. But being innovative requires taking some risks and trying lots of different things.
And that, of course, means that some won't work out. But those "failures" are like down payments on the things that do work and that will help your business grow.
Not everything needs to be certain: The fundamental nature of innovation is that nothing is certain. Businesses that are best at innovating are dominated by ambiguity and change. You just have to get used to it and create an environment that allows for experimentation, invention and exploration.
It might be nice to talk about achieving nearly "perfect" performance, but growth experimentation often produces much the opposite. Variance -- the enemy of efficient, cost-effective operations -- is the norm when it comes to innovation.
If you want an innovative business, be careful about how strongly you insist on efficient, waste-free execution. You can easily end up killing any and all inventive ideas, as the path to innovation is not a straight line.
Innovation does not have to be revolutionary: Sometimes, thinking smaller is the best way to foster innovation. All too often, entrepreneurs think that innovations -- and just about any goals for that matter -- must be big and audacious. They don't. Get over it. Setting and achieving small, proximate goals and innovations provide a better way to keep the ball rolling.
In fact, most innovations are small, incremental things that are close to the core activities of your business -- be they products, services, processes or all of the above.
Innovations can and should build on things that have already been done -- they don't have to be revolutionary. Says Hess, "The kind of ideas businesses should want to generate are all about creating new value for customers."
We shouldn't care if it's already been tried, looks like something old in a new package or is borrowed from another industry. What's most important is that it creates value for your customers that no one else has yet offered them.
Remember: The best innovators learn how to combine existing things differently or transfer concepts from different industries or domains.
Innovation and effective execution can co-exist: Sure, innovation is often a messy process that is prone to failure. But don't try to isolate it within certain places or people in your business.
In other words, don't feel like you need to segregate innovation from the rest of your business, where you have people who "execute" and others who "innovate." They can go hand in hand, and the bridge that helps connect them is learning, according to Hess.
When you encourage employees -- and yourself -- to learn about new things and avoid "my way or the highway" type thinking, you will foster innovation in your business.
Finally, says Hess, understand that "growth experimentation" is a game of probabilities and the sooner you get customers actively engaged in your experimentation game, the more likely you will be to win.
Reach Dan Kehrer at bizbest.com. Follow him on Twitter @BizBest.


A chocolate facial scrub? Pass me a dozen please!
A well hidden idyllic beach in Crete I hope I'll be visiting soon.
The mesmerizing choreography of a father-daughter duo.
Ha! I love the idea of picking fruit from your living room.
Thrilled to see wicker, rattan and cane furniture strong in the design game.
How cool is this freestanding bathtub?
Inspiring ways to boost your confidence in your work.
I'm loving this modern Moroccan stool so much!


text:
Opening a B&B? Do's and Don'ts
What to Look For in a B&B
Submit Your B&B
Newfoundland: Home to Leif Eriksson
Canada's easternmost province, Newfoundland is filled with rocky crags and drifting icebergs making it a perfect destination for tourists. The island is different in many ways from the rest of Canada with a half hour difference compared to the mainland.
Residents also speak their own English dialect, Newfoundland English, which is an old-world dialect.
A staggering 108,000 km island, Newfoundland is the 16th-largest island in the world and has a history dating back to the Viking, Leif Eriksson who called the land "Vinland." Newfoundland's history also includes one of the first settlements of Europeans.
St. John's, the oldest Canadian city in Canada, is a must-visit metropolitan area of the province. St. John's has 12 suburban areas with entertainment on every street and a seasoned dining scene. The coast is sprinkled with fishing villages and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy wildlife.
Sea kayaking and woodland hikes are popular options in Newfoundland.
North America's oldest city, St. Johns has a sheltered harbor with steep slopes and beautiful colored houses that line the hills. Small in size, many people compare the city to San Francisco in style and culture.
When visiting the province, there is an abundance of sights to see and activities to enjoy:
Cape Spear Lighthouse: A lighthouse dating back to 1835, the Cape Spear Lighthouse is part of the Cape Spear National Park and is open daily.
L'Anse aux Meadows: A national historic site, this is where Leif Eriksson and his fellow Vikings lived. There are vague outlines of eight buildings that once stood in the area as well as a three building replicas.
Rooms: A museum in St. John's, Rooms is home to a giant squid, art gallery, archives and views that overlook the city. The museum has a fantastic restaurant and is a great time for the entire family.
Newfoundland is a fun, exciting province that should be on your must-visit list in Canada.
Running a B&B can be a very rewarding experience. I think most of us have dreamed of opening a quaint bed and breakfast along the shore of a tropical island somewhere…. Continue Reading
Canadian Outback Adventures
Frontier Canada
Vancouver Foodie Tours
Cox and Kings


Popular addictive free game for kids and everybody by Game-Mahjong.com Find identical tiles and click at them to delete. But pay attention that the tiles should be unlocked, i.e. no tile above-below or to the left-right. Tiles with figures and pets with text match even if they are not identical. Cartoon Mahjong is extremely bright, colorful and relaxing.