text:
Evaluation of nitrofurantoin activity against the urinary isolates in the current scenario of antimicrobial resistance
Rajkumar Manojkumar Singh1, Mutum Usharani Devi1, Kokindro L Singh1, Huidrom Lokhendro Singh1, Chitralekha Keisham2, Kulabidhu H Singh3
1 Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India
2 Department of Dermatology, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India
3 Department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India
Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by antibiotic-resistant isolates have become a major health hazard in recent years as they are very difficult to treat, causing an increase in morbidity and mortality. Nitrofurantoin has been used successfully for decades for the prophylaxis and treatment of uncomplicated cystitis but the increased emergence of antibiotic resistance has made nitrofurantoin a suitable candidate for the treatment of UTI caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. This study was taken up with the aim to determine the activity of nitrofurantoin against the wide range of resistant urinary gram-negative and gram-positive isolates. Materials and Methods: A total of 440 nonduplicate, gram-negative, and gram-positive uropathogens obtained between July 2013 and December 2014 from 3,780 fresh midstream urine samples were subjected to the VITEK-2 compact system for identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Phenotypic methods for the detection of different beta-lactamases [extended spectrum beta-lactamases, AmpC beta-lactamases, metallo-beta-lactamases, and inhibitor-resistant beta-lactamases (IRT)] and methicillin-resistance staphylococci [methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS)] were employed. Results: High activity of nitrofurantoin was observed against MRCNS (96%) followed by MRSA (95%), extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) (70%), IRT (66%), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) (66%). However, the sensitivity rate was lowered to 38% and 32% for metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) and AmpC beta-lactamases, respectively. Conclusion: In view of the current incidence of antibiotic resistance among community uropathogens and based on efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and low impact on promoting resistance, nitrofurantoin should be considered as a reasonable alternative to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) and fluoroquinolones for the first-line therapy of uncomplicated UTIs.
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, nitrofurantoin, urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Singh RM, Devi MU, Singh KL, Singh HL, Keisham C, Singh KH. Evaluation of nitrofurantoin activity against the urinary isolates in the current scenario of antimicrobial resistance. Ann Trop Med Public Health 2015;8:280-5
Singh RM, Devi MU, Singh KL, Singh HL, Keisham C, Singh KH. Evaluation of nitrofurantoin activity against the urinary isolates in the current scenario of antimicrobial resistance. Ann Trop Med Public Health [serial online] 2015 [cited 2021 Jan 16];8:280-5. Available from: https://www.atmph.org/text.asp?2015/8/6/280/162646
A significant rise in the incidence of antimicrobial resistance, especially multidrug resistance (MDR), in pathogens isolated in urinary tract infections (UTI) is well documented. [1] This alarming widespread of antimicrobial resistance has not been paralleled by the development of novel antibiotics. Resistance to the scarce new antibiotics is also emerging. In this circumstance, the rational use of older antibiotics could represent an alternative to the treatment of MDR bacterial pathogens and this would help to optimize the armamentarium of antibiotics in the way to preserve new antibiotics, thereby avoiding the prescription of molecules known to promote the spread of resistance.
For many years, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) was the antibiotic of choice for the treatment of UTI, given its efficacy and low cost. [2] Following the development of a high occurrence of TMP-SMX resistance among uropathogens, use of this drug has been discouraged in many communities. [3] An effective alternative for many clinicians has been the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics as they achieve high concentrations in the urine and have excellent activity against most uropathogens. [2] Experts are concerned about the overuse of fluoroquinolones leading to an increased prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant pathogens that has major implications for the treatment of more serious infections, such as community-acquired pneumonia, health-care-associated pneumonia, and complicated UTIs.
Nitrofurantoin has been used for more than 50 years as an alternative treatment of uncomplicated UTIs. In contrast to the other classes of antimicrobial agents, acquired resistance to nitrofurantoin is said to be quite rare. [4] Since the macrocrystalline form was developed, the previously frequent gastrointestinal side effects have become less common, giving this drug a good safety profile. [5] This molecule has a broad-spectrum activity against the main uropathogens [ Escherichia More Details coli (E. coli), Citrobacter spp., group B streptococci, enterococci, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), and Enterobacter spp.] and has also been shown to be active against extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). However, it lacks activity against members of the genera Proteus, Providencia, Morganella, Serratia, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas. [1]
In this study, we aimed to assess the in vitro activity of nitrofurantoin against the predominant urinary-resistant gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
A total of 313 gram-negative and 127 gram-positive multidrug-resistant isolates among 3,780 urinary specimens from patients having clinical features of UTIs collected between July 2013 and December 2014 were included in this prospective and nonrandomized study. The inclusion criteria were clean catch midstream urine samples in a widemouthed container collected at the laboratory or received from the admitted patients within 2 h of collection irrespective of age, sex, or antibiotic administration. The urine specimens passed at home for which proper transport medium could not be ascertained or brought after 2 h of collection, growth of more than one isolate, and the presence of duplicate isolates were excluded from the study.
The VITEK-2 calorimetric compact system with Advanced Expert System (AES) software (bioMιrieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France) was employed for the identification and the antimicrobial susceptibility testing of isolates following the presence of pure culture of isolated colonies of the microorganisms on blood agar and MacConkey agar. [6] Following the manufacturer's instructions, the gram-negative bacteria were inoculated onto the GN ID and AST-N280 cards and the gram-positive bacteria onto the GP ID and AST-P628 cards. The following antibiotics were tested by this system: imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem, ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, cefepime, amikacin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, tigecycline, nitrofurantoin, colistin, and TMP-SMX for gram-negative bacteria and benzylpenicillin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, oxacillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, vancomycin, gentamicin, daptomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid, tigecycline, and TMP-SMX for gram-positive bacteria. The AES software has the capability of identifying antibiotic resistance mechanisms, even emerging and low-level resistance, and proved to be useful in calculating minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values.
The identification of ESBL production was performed by combined disk test, AmpC beta-lactamases with AmpC disk test, metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) by disk enhancement test, and the coexistence phenotype of both ESBL and AmpC by modified double disk synergy test following the standard protocols. [7],[8],[9],[10] Agar disk-diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer) with cefoxitin (30 μg) was used for methicillin resistance of isolated staphylococci. [11]
Quality control was achieved using K. pneumoniae (ATCC 700603); E. coli (ATCC 25922); Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), known AmpC positive E. coli; S. aureus (ATCC 25923); and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212). Reference strains of carbapenemases positive K. pneumoniae. ATCC BAA-1705 and negative K. pneumoniae ATCC BAA-1706 were also included in the study.
Data obtained from this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentage and proportion. However, chi-square test was used to determine the significance between the sensitivity level of antimicrobials commonly used for both gram-negative and gram-positive microorganisms using SPSS 20 software (SPSS South Asia Pvt. Ltd. No.2353/1-4, 4th Floor, Dolphin, Hennur, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India). P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.
Among the 313 resistant gram-negative isolates, ESBLs, AmpC, MBLs, and inhibitor-resistant beta-lactamases (IRT) were detected in 193 (61.66%), 42 (13.42%), 59 (18.85%), and 9 (2.88%) isolates, respectively. The coexistent phenotypes of ESBLs with AmpC and ESBLs with MBL were observed in five (1.6%) isolates each. From the 127 gram-positive resistant isolates, 41 (32.28%), 62 (48.82%), and 24 (18.9%) isolates were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (MRCNS), and VRE, respectively. The distribution of the microorganisms against the various resistant mechanisms is shown in [Table 1].
Table 1: Distribution of resistance patterns among the gram-negative and gram-positive isolates
The age of the patients included in this study ranged from 7 months to 91 years, with 75% of them belonging to the age group of 15-50 years. Out of the 440 isolates, 366 (83.18%) were isolated from female patients and 74 (16.81%) from male patients. However, 68% of the isolates were recovered from the inpatient departments.
Antimicrobial activity of nitrofurantoin against the various resistant patterns is shown in [Table 2]. The proportion of isolates sensitive to nitrofurantoin was substantially higher (90%) for gram-positive as compared to gram-negative (58%) isolates (P < 0.001). Nitrofurantoin showed better susceptibility pattern than gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and TMP-SMX in both gram-positive and gram-negative isolates [Table 3].
Table 2: Susceptibility profile of nitrofurantoin against various resistance patterns
Table 3: Sensitivity pattern of the gram-negative (n = 313) and gram-positive (n = 127) resistant isolates
The rapid development and spread of antimicrobial resistance among bacteria is a growing threat and major public health concern. This study highlights an update on the susceptibility of resistant gram-negative and gram-positive uropathogens to nitrofurantoin and other commonly used antibiotics.
In 1999, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) published a clinical practice guideline on the treatment of women with acute uncomplicated cystitis and pyelonephritis mentioning TMP-SMX and fluoroquinolones as the first-line antimicrobial agents for the treatment of such infections. [12] However, the 2011 IDSA guidelines recommended nitrofurantoin as the first-line empirical therapy for uncomplicated UTIs. [13]
Recently, there has been a new interest in rediscovering newer applications for older antibiotics due to alterations in pathogen distribution and resistance. Nitrofurantoin is a synthetic nitrofuran antimicrobial agent that has been used for years and still continues to be active against most of the uropathogens including the multiresistant strains, and prescribed especially in its macro-crystalline formulation, macrodantin, particularly in the ambulatory setting for uncomplicated UTIs. [14] The mechanism of action of nitrofurantoin is not well-understood but activity appears to require enzymatic reduction within the bacterial cell and the reduced derivatives appear to be capable of binding to ribosomal proteins. [15] Moreover, the antibacterial activity has also been observed under conditions in which nitroreductase activity was inhibited, suggesting that nitrofurantoin may act, in part, without reduction of active metabolites. [15] Absorption rate of oral nitrofurantoin is 40-50%, and this is enhanced when it is taken with food; serum concentrations are low to undetectable and urine concentrations are 50-250 mg/L. It should not be used in neonates and patients with renal failure. It can be safely used in pregnant women except at term. [4]
The present study demonstrated that the rate of sensitivity to nitrofurantoin among the gram-negative isolates was maximum for ESBLs (70%) and least for ESBLs with MBLs (20%). The sensitivity rates for IRT, AmpC, and MBLs were 66%, 38%, and 32%, respectively. The rate of resistance to nitrofurantoin in recent surveys in the USA and Canada among the ESBL isolates was 1.1% among the 1,142 isolates of E. coli from outpatient urinary isolates. [16] Very similar results were found in France where 1.8% of all urinary E. coli isolates were resistant to nitrofurantoin in 2005. [17] High sensitivity rates of 88% and 90%, both against ESBL isolates, were obtained by Pai et al. (India) and Sire et al. (Senegal), respectively. [18],[19] E. coli resistance to nitrofurantoin has been reported to be high in a recent survey in Latin American hospitals and in Italy. [20],[21] In our study, the susceptibility rate of E. coli among the ESBL isolates for nitrofurantoin was 65% while that of K. pneumoniae was 5%. Liu et al. reported a sensitivity of 79% for ESBL-associated E. coli and high resistance rate (87%) for K. pneumoniae. [22] There is a paucity of data regarding the sensitivity to this antimicrobial for other types of beta-lactamases. Moreover, Pulcini et al. reported high activity for ESBL to this antibiotic and no activity for other beta-lactamases. [23]
Nitrofurantoin is increasingly being used at present to treat VRE nosocomial UTIs (i.e., catheter-associated bacteria), and oral antibiotics are preferred for nosocomial vancomycin-sensitive Enterococcus (VSE) or VRE catheter-associated bacteriuria. [24] Pulcini et al. reported high activity of nitrofurantoin against MRSA and VRE. [23] Our study demonstrated high activity of nitrofurantoin against MRSA (95%) and MRCNS (96%) uropathogens. However, the sensitivity rate was lowered to 66% for VRE isolates.
The present study reflected that the sensitivity rates of nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin, and TMP-SMX were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in gram-positive than gram-negative resistant isolates. The activity of gentamicin was slightly better for gram-negative isolates (57%). Among the commonly used antimicrobials for uropathogens, nitrofurantoin (67.5%) turned out to be the most effective followed by gentamicin (56.82%), TMP-SMX (32.73%), and ciprofloxacin (17.27%). Similar findings were shown by Pai et al. and Bhat et al. [18],[25] High fluoroquinolone resistance rates of 89.9% and 69% were reported by Francesco et al. and Tankhiwale et al. respectively. [26],[27]
This study highlights nitrofurantoin as an important treatment option for uncomplicated UTIs in the current era of increasing fluoroquinolone and TMP-SMX resistance among uropathogens. The employment of nitrofurantoin as the first-line therapy may definitely contribute to a reduction in overall fluoroquinolone use, thereby helping to reduce selection pressure for increased resistance to fluoroquinolones.
The limitation of this study was the lack of inclusion of fosfomycin due to the unavailability of this antimicrobial during the study period. This agent, used to treat UTI for nearly 40 years, is increasingly becoming important to treat UTI because the resistance rate of uropathogens to common antimicrobial agents is increasing and it is indeed necessary to assess the susceptibility status of this antibiotic. Other limitations include employment of the Vitek2 for IRT or VRE detection, inability to perform agar dilution method for VRE detection and molecular techniques for confirming the different antimicrobial resistances could not be accessed due to lack of infrastructure.
The emergence of antibiotic resistance and the decline in newly developed antibiotics have led to an increasing interest in the treatment and prophylaxis of bacterial UTI with nitrofurantoin because of its safety profile and resistance to this antibiotic remained virtually unchanged since its discovery. In this new microbiological era characterized by multidrug resistant pathogens, nitrofurantoin's role is very crucial.
Cunha BA, Schoch PE, Hage JR. Nitrofurantoin: Preferred empiric therapy for community-acquired lower urinary tract infections. Mayo Clin Proc 2011;86:1243-4.
Johnson JR, Stamm WE. Diagnosis and treatment of acute urinary tract infections. Infect Dis Clin North Am 1987;1:773-91.
Kahlmeter G; ECO.SENS. An international survey of the antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogens from uncomplicated urinary tract infections: The ECO.SENS Project. J Antimicrob Chemother 2003;51:69-76.
Hooper CH. Urinary tract agents: Nitrofurantoin and methanamine. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, editors. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone; 2005. p. 473-8.
Cunha BA. Nitrofurantoin: An update. Obstet Gynecol Surv 1989;44:399-406.
Pérez-Vázquez M, Oliver A, Sánchez del Saz B, Loza E, Baquero F, Cantón R. Performance of the VITEK2 system for identification and susceptibility testing of routine Enterobacteriaceae clinical isolates. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2001;17:371-6.
Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Performance standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Twenty-fourth informational supplement M100-S24. Wayne: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; 2014. p. 110-2.
Black JA, Moland ES, Thomson KS. AmpC disk test for detection of plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamases in Enterobacteriaceae lacking chromosomal AmpC beta-lactamases. J Clin Microbiol 2005; 43:3110-3.
Yong D, Lee K, Yum JH, Shin HB, Rossolini GM, Chong Y. Imipenem-EDTA disk method for differentiation of metallo-beta-lactamase producing clinical isolates of Pseudomonas spp. and Acinetobacter spp. J Clin Microbiol 2002;40:3798-801.
Khan MK, Thukral SS, Gaind R. Evaluation of a modified double-disc synergy test for detection of extended spectrum beta-lactamases in AmpC beta-lactamase-producing Proteus mirabilis. Indian J Med Microbiol 2008;26:58-61.
Mathews AA, Thomas M, Appalaraju B, Jayalakshmi J. Evaluation and comparison of tests to detect methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Indian J Pathol Microbiol 2010;53:79-82.
Warren JW, Abrutyn E, Hebel JR, Johnson JR, Schaeffer AJ, Stamm WE. Guidelines for antimicrobial treatment of uncomplicated acute bacterial cystitis and acute pyelonephritis in women. Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Clin Infect Dis 1999;29:745-58.
Gupta K, Hooton TM, Naber KG, Wullt B, Colgan R, Miller LG, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America; European Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. International clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis and pyelonephritis in women: A 2010 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the European Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Clin Infect Dis 2011;52:e103-20.
Munoz-Davila MJ. Role of old antibiotics in the era of antibiotic resistance: Highlighted nitrofurantoin for the treatment of lower urinary tract infections. Antibiotics 2014;3:39-48.
Randrianirina F, Soares JL, Carod JF, Ratsima E, Thonnier V, Combe P, et al. Antimicrobial resistance among uropathogens that cause community-acquired urinary tract infections in Antananarivo, Madagascar. J Antimicrob Chemother 2007;59:309-12.
Zhanel GG, Hisanaga TL, Laing NM, DeCorby MR, Nichol KA, Weshnoweski B, et al. Antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli outpatient urinary isolates: Final results from the North American Urinary Tract Infection Collaborative Alliance (NAUTICA). Int J Antimicrob Agents 2006;27:468-75.
Honderlick P, Cahen P, Gravisse J, Vignon D. Uncomplicated urinary tract infections, what about fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin in 2006? Pathol Biol 2006;54:462-6.
Pai AK, Rai R, Sanjeev H, Karnaker VK, Krishnaprasad MS. Nitrofurantoin: An alternative therapy for uncomplicated cystitis in the era of antimicrobial resistance. J Clin Diagn 2011;5:964-6.
Sire JM, Nabeth P, Perrier-Gros-Claude JD, Bahsoun I, Siby T, Macondo EA, et al. Antimicrobial resistance in outpatient Escherichia coli urinary isolates in Dakar, Senegal. J Infect Dev Ctries 2007;1:263-8.
Gales AC, Sader HS, Jones RN; SENTRY Participants Group (Latin America). Urinary tract infection trends in Latin American hospitals: Report from the SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance program (1997-2000). Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2002;44:289-99.
Fadda G, Nicoletti G, Schito GC, Tempera G. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of contemporary pathogens from uncomplicated urinary tract infection isolated in a multicenter Italian survey: Possible impact in guidelines. J Chemother 2005;17:251-7.
Liu HY, Lin HC, Lin YC, Yu SH, Wu WH, Lee YJ. Antimicrobial susceptibilities of urinary extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin in a teaching hospital in Taiwan. J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2011;44:364-8.
Pulcini C, Bush K, Craig WA, Frimodt-Møller N, Grayson M L, Mouton JW, et al. ESCMID Study Group for Antibiotic Policies. Forgotten antibiotics: An inventory in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. Clin Infect Dis 2012;54:268-74.
Cunha BA. New uses for older antibiotics: Nitrofurantoin, amikacin, colistin, polymyxin B, doxycycline, and minocycline revisited. Med Clin North Am 2006;90:1089-107.
Bhat PV, Sarkar A. Emergence and control of multidrug resistant organisms in small cities in India: A wake up call. Indian J Med Sci 2011;65:337-43.
De Francesco MA, Ravizzola G, Peroni L, Negrini R, Manca N. Urinary tract infections in Brescia, Italy: Etiology of uropathogens and antimicrobial resistance of common uropathogens. Med Sci Monit 2007;13:BR136-44.
Thankiwale SS, Jalgaonkar SV, Ahamad S, Hassani U. Evaluation of extended spectrum beta lactamase in urinary isolates. Indian J Med Res 2004;120:553-6.
Rajkumar Manojkumar Singh
Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal - 795 005, Manipur
Singh RM
Devi MU
Singh KL
Singh HL
Keisham C
Singh KH
urinary tract infections (UTIs)


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HomeInsightsFive Years Later, Who Really Hacked Sony?
Five Years Later, Who Really Hacked Sony?
November 25, 2019 – Media Mention
The Hollywood ReporterQuoted | Tim Toohey
On Jan. 23, 2015, a manager at Sony Pictures Entertainment shot off an email to a group of 12 in the studio's distribution department that offered intel about an upcoming film from rival Disney. "Midwest exhibitors went into McFARLAND USA expecting a boring track & field movie but came away pleasantly surprised," the manager noted about the sports drama that had been screened the day before. It was a mundane missive: a Hollywood executive sizing up the competition.
What is extraordinary about the email is what sources say it reveals about the 2014 Sony Pictures hack — and the official FBI narrative that pins it on North Korea. The email was drafted nearly nine weeks after the now-infamous cyberattack ostensibly had been contained. It was passed along to a U.S. cyber researcher in February 2015 by a Ukrainian hacker as alleged proof that his Russian associate had breached Sony and could still do so at will. Despite FBI director James Comey's "very high confidence" that Kim Jong Un was to blame, the Ukrainian source was maintaining that hackers were still accessing Sony's system — and they weren't North Korean.
The studio has never assigned a final dollar figure to losses from the attack, but in a 2015 earnings report, Sony said it would cost $35 million for the "investigation and remediation" for the full fiscal year (that tally did not include lawsuits). SPE's Japanese parent company finally seems to have gotten its groove back (the stock is now triple what it was at the time of the hack, trading at $62.13). But in an increasingly data-driven industry, the attack provided a wake-up call for the rest of Hollywood. Timothy Toohey, who heads up Greenberg Glusker's cybersecurity practice, says the studios all the way down to the smallest vendors have strengthened their firewalls in response to the Sony fallout.
To view full article, click here
Timothy J. Toohey

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We listen carefully and follow the instructions that we are given.
We work hard and we don't waste anybody's time.
We are sensible in and around school.
We are polite and we don't interrupt others.
We are kind and we don't hurt anybody's feelings.
We are gentle and we don't hurt others with our actions.
We are honest and we don't cover up the truth.
We look after property and we don't waste or damage things.
Each pupil begins the week with 20 minutes of Golden Time. Each time a Golden Rule is broken 5 minutes Golden Time is taken away. We are really proud of the fact that the majority of pupils keep most of their Golden Time each week.


Individuals can invest the amounts on TFSA in a wide variety of products such as GICs, savings accounts, stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. The investments allowed are basically the same of an RRSP.
Withdrawals can be made from a TFSA at any time. There's no limit to how much can be withdrawn and there's no penalty or tax on withdrawals. One can later replace (or recontribute) the money withdrawn, but there's no obligation.
The contribution room every year consists of the TFSA dollar limit for that year ($5,000 in 2009) plus any withdrawals one made in the preceding year, along with any unused contribution room.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will determine the TFSA contribution room for each eligible individual.
The annual contribution room will be indicated on the notice of assessment. If someone contribute more than the room allowed one will be taxed at the rate of 1% of the excess contribution every month.


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Providence St. Joseph Health
In 2016, Providence Health and Services in Renton, Washington, and St. Joseph Health in Irvine, Calif., joined forces to create Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH), an organization focused on improving the health of the communities it serves, especially those who are poor and vulnerable. PSJH employs 111,000 caregivers who serve in 50 hospitals and 829 clinics, providing a range of services. Since its founding, PSJH has certified 45 of its employees as Mental Health First Aid Instructors.
A Public Health-Oriented Approach
After PSJH was formed, it made a commitment to focus on behavioral health and wellness, with an emphasis on early intervention. PSJH highlighted that one of the top three reasons people go to the emergency room is because of an existing mental health disorder, and that many patients in the ER are people who could be better served elsewhere. The thought behind prioritizing an early intervention approach on mental health was that if PSJH could intervene sooner, then it could hopefully avoid some acute care situations. Bayley Raiz, senior director of mental health and social care management at Providence St. Joseph Health, highlighted the importance of early intervention, saying, "Intervening as soon as people need help allows us to avoid more acute levels or involuntarily commitments."
In October 2016, in an effort to catalyze a larger national movement towards destigmatizing mental health, PSJH's leadership decided to provide grants to two national nonprofit entities: the National Council for Behavioral Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). When asked about the rationale behind these grants, Jason Lacsamana, program officer for the Community Partnership Fund at St. Joseph Health, said, "We wanted to open the dialogue on mental health in our communities in a meaningful and tangible way by using an approach that goes beyond the walls of our hospitals but supports our clinical resources. We know we can't do this alone and that this has to be a community-wide solution."
Mental Health First Aid provided an opportunity to improve mental health literacy at the community level, and provided community members with the tools necessary to support their neighbors experiencing mental health issues. The National Council received $700,000 with the goal of delivering 1,300 Mental Health First Aid courses and training 50,000 people as First Aiders. Mental Health First Aid will also certify 60 PSJH employees as Mental Health First Aid Instructors.
According to PSJH, the National Council for Behavioral Health's history, reputation and national advocacy efforts played a role in its selection as a grantee. Particularly, Mental Health First Aid's innovative, evidence-based curriculum was a key differentiator. Dora Barilla, group vice president of community health investment at Providence St. Joseph Health, explained, "We saw Mental Health First Aid as an initiative that in many ways was already vetted."
Beyond the established reputation of Mental Health First Aid, Raiz emphasized the accessibility of the training, saying, "One of the beautiful things about Mental Health First Aid is that it is an accessible approach, so you don't have to be a psychologist or other mental health professional to understand the training and utilize it to refer an individual to the right resources." In addition, Lacsamana recognized the value of training people in Mental Health First Aid by highlighting, "Once you train individuals, there is an impact that lasts beyond the grant period. It's an investment in sustainable human capital."
Since October 2016, PSJH has certified 45 of its caregivers as Mental Health First Aid Instructors. Beyond the number of certified Instructors, there has been a shift in the culture around mental health at PSJH. Raiz highlighted this change in culture by saying, "Typically, when we don't know how to respond to something, we pretend we didn't see it. However, Mental Health First Aid normalizes mental health concerns, so that when these mental health crises occur, we can address the situation head on." Beyond the internal impact of Mental Health First Aid at PSJH, the training has also opened doors for the organization to build new relationships with partners in the community.
Future Direction of Mental Health First Aid
As for future plans for Mental Health First Aid at PSJH, the organization hopes to certify an additional 15 employees as Instructors and expand the number of trainings it offers. Beyond Mental Health First Aid, PSJH is interested in trauma-informed care and is in the process of looking for other tools that can complement its offering of Mental Health First Aid. In an effort to bolster its population health approach, the organization hopes to determine what community indicators are attributable to a behavioral health concern, such as avoidable emergency room visits or legal involvement. Lastly, Raiz emphasized that "where you are in our organization really determines what you see as a need in the mental health arena." As a result, in an effort to accommodate for this variability, PSJH is in the process of developing a measurement dashboard which will track behavioral health indicators for clinical practice, organizational outcomes and the community at large.


Georgia LB Lorenzo Carter drew a controversial penalty during the second quarter of the Liberty Bowl.
On 2nd-and-10, TCU RB Kyle Hicks ran out of bounds after an 8-yard gain. Carter appeared to grab Hicks by the back of the uniform to prevent him from running into spectators on the sideline. But Hicks' ran over a couple of people anyway.
However, Carter drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a late hit out of bounds.
Some people on Twitter were shocked by the call.
Lorenzo Carter gets flagged for late hit personal foul while trying to hold the ball carrier up from falling on sidelines.
The drive ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass TCU WR John Diarse. The score gave the Horned Frogs a 16-7 lead over the Bulldogs.


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Posted: June 21, 2017 | Author: thelondoncolumn | Filed under: Meteorological, Public Announcements | Tags: Midsummer, Peadar O'Donaghue, Positive thinking | Comments Off on Midsummer.
Sunset seen from Crystal Palace. © David Secombe.
Peadar O'Donaghue:
I wish to die on
A Summer Solstice night with a fish and chip sky,
death kissing me slow and taking me quick
under salty stars speckling the seaside malty dome.
Fuck winter when nothing more can be said
to make saccharine of what's gone before,
I'll quit while I'm ahead,
not washed out, wasted,
wistful for lost wishes, words and cadaverous dreams.
Let the tolling bells be
drop dead gorgeous midsummer night dead-ringer brunettes
or doppelganger blondes, light-headed in rosy oblivion.
May my life be lost in space, and earth's other worlds,
let all meaning be beeps and dots and dashes and x and o's.
I'll check cheques and balances on the tightrope
of unequal parallels like comet tails in midnight flight
flashing listless lights bright across the beauty of barren skies.
Shooting words like fish in a barrel
sending messages of blood shaped craft
in drunken elevation of life and quantum delight,
as heady giddy twirling unborn space-age masses might
shift the warm succulent truculent air
in the shifting drifting shape of yourself,
as you are, as you were, as you will be,
in a world without end or beginning.
You who are not alone, are all alone.
You who know well that
those who are dead are gone, and not gone.
All that is, was.
The ghosts are the breeze that push you,
through the darkness they guide you,
their warm voices cannot forget you,
shouting loud while the lost world sleeps.
Tonight the cosmos ponders large
on everything in nothing
'til the yawning chasm claims life,
in sweet embrace, leaving death alone,
soft surrendering as day to night in the
licentious vicissitudes of inexorable desire.
© Peadar O'Donaghue 2017.
There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out.
Posted: June 4, 2017 | Author: thelondoncolumn | Filed under: Catastrophes, Conspiracies, Funereal, London Places, Markets, The Thames | Tags: Borough Market, London Bridge Station | 3 Comments
Tate Modern, Bankside, 2002. © David Secombe.
A Londoner writes, 4 June, 2017:
Obligatory Post-Terrorism Status
Last night I felt some level of fear for the first time with these attacks, simply because I knew a lot of people within the direct vicinity of where an attack was apparently occurring at the time. It was a weird feeling, and I resent that I was made to feel it, but I think while it's normal for people to feel fear in these situations (well-founded or not), the important thing is the interpretation of, and reaction to, said fear.
There are a myriad of threats far greater than terrorism, including mundane things like the fact that around 40 people die every year from TVs falling on them. However, the nature of these events and the subsequent media frenzy sends people into a state of panic. I've already seen enough people online calling for all muslims to be deported, or sent to Guantanamo Bay, or to close our borders. These people are terrified – they fear for their lives, and they are letting that fear drive them to these statements about urgent action and retaliation. This is the manifestation of the "terror" caused by terrorism. It means it was a success, when by all measures it really shouldn't be. These people are fragile little flowers, quivering in the hot winds of the tabloid.
Banksy stencil, Park St., SE1, 2003. © David Secombe.
The way to deal with this shit is to carry on with your life as normal. Disregard the absurd actions of a handful of fucking nutters as exactly that. Don't be a fucking pussy. Go buy a grilled cheese sandwich in Borough Market. Take a walk along London Bridge, hold your head high and realise there's nothing to be afraid of, since the simple act of walking down the street is literally more dangerous than terrorists. You're a fucking daredevil.
London Bridge Station, 2003. © David Secombe.
Text © Emil Smith. Special thanks to Katy Evans Bush.
Exiles and Mean Streets. (1/2)
Posted: May 2, 2017 | Author: thelondoncolumn | Filed under: Architectural, Housing, Literary London | Tags: Andrew Martin, Dulwich College, Gimlet cocktail, P.G. Wodehouse, Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye | Comments Off on Exiles and Mean Streets. (1/2)
London from Gipsy Hill. © David Secombe.
From The Long Goodbye, Raymond Chandler, 1953: I like bars just after they open for the evening. When the air inside is still cool and clean and everything is shiny and the barkeep is giving himself that last look in the mirror to see if his tie is straight and his hair is smooth. I like the neat bottles on the bar back and the lovely shining glasses and the anticipation. I like to watch the man mix the first one of the evening and put it down on a crisp mat and put the little folded napkin beside it. I like to taste it slowly. The first quiet drink of the evening in a quiet bar—that's wonderful.
D.S.: The other evening I was discussing Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye with my friend (and sometime contributor to this site) Andrew Martin. Andrew is a thriller writer so his opinions on Chandler's novels are acute and unsparing; I mostly agree with him, although I am more prepared to forgive the incomprehensible plots for the sake of the terrific dialogue. The question of Chandler's adolescence in London came up. It's hard to imagine Philip Marlowe sipping a dry martini (let alone a gimlet) in a south London pub, but I found myself arguing that Marlowe is a product of Chandler's formative years in the city's leafy southern suburbs. Chandler may have been born in Nebraska but by the age of 12 he was living with his mother in Upper Norwood, and was a fledgling day boy at Dulwich College, the venerable boys' school that floats alongside the South Circular like a Pre-Raphaelite idyll.
At the bottom of the above photo you can just see the College's Italianate campanile vainly asserting itself against The Shard; here's a better view of it …
Dulwich College.
Chandler entered Dulwich in 1900, his first year at the school coinciding with P.G. Wodehouse's last. It's fitting that these two writers should have coincided at Dulwich as they are both examples of a rare breed, the true trans-Atlantic writer. Robert McCrum on Wodehouse: "No English writer of the twentieth century, with the possible exception of Raymond Chandler, was so successful at relating the two cultures to each other". The school and the surrounding suburbs informed their work in differing ways. For Wodehouse the school and the tidy streets and parks that surrounded it remained a kind of Elysium that he transmuted into the Never-Never land of his fiction.
Dulwich College's cricket pavilion and the Crystal Palace transmitter.
Wodehouse achieved colossal success on both sides of the Atlantic (apart from the novels, he was also a Hollywood screenwriter and played a considerable part in the creation of the Broadway musical as we know it) and enjoyed an opulent existence in Le Touquet; yet for all that, he remained devoted to his old school, and was weirdly fanatical in following the fortunes of its sports teams. In his biography of Wodehouse Robert McCrum includes a poignant description of the great writer's last visit to Dulwich, in July 1939, an image of 'Plum' sitting disconsolately in the pavilion watching a dull cricket match. No-one could know it then, but Wodehouse's real exile was about to begin; he was trapped in occupied France the following year, and subsequently taken to Berlin where he was finagled into making broadcasts on German radio. For all the extenuating circumstances, his reputation never recovered in his lifetime.
Church Rd., Norwood.
A recent blue plaque marks the site of Chandler's childhood home in Norwood: it's a house typical of the district, a large, slightly Gothic, mid-Victorian number. It isn't the fabulously ornate pile in the above photo; but if you're looking for fuel for the young Chandler's imagination you need only take a turn around the neighbourhood. The area was built up in the latter half of the 19th century, mainly after the arrival of Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace, transplanted from Hyde Park to Sydenham after the close of the Great Exhibition. The district is full of shadowy villas, houses suggestive of secrets, insecure money and dubious respectability. Victorian Gothic architecture often feels like a projection of repression and even now some streets are suffused with a sort of whispered dread (seems fitting that Gipsy Hill should boast a Cawnpore Street, the name memorializing a notorious massacre of the Indian Mutiny). No wonder Marlowe was unfazed by the Sternwood mansion in The Big Sleep; his creator had seen such houses before. Chandler was more reticent than Wodehouse on the subject of Dulwich College, but he was always proud of his classical education; moreover, his detective embodies some of the idealised values prized by the public school ethos. Chandler called Marlowe a 'shop-soiled Galahad', and in some ways he is like a G.F. Watts hero in a powder-blue suit. The wisecracks camouflage a moral purpose. 'Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean …' Philip Marlowe has a code of honour that separates him from contemporary fictional detectives like Dashiell Hammet's Sam Spade or Continental Op, one ultimately derived from schoolboy romanticism in the twilight of the Victorian world.
Gipsy Hill.
I don't want to stretch the point too much; it's self-evident that it was Chandler's return to America at nineteen that sealed his personality. He may have been writing bad poetry before he left England but he only started writing detective fiction in his forties, his first novel appearing when he was fifty. Moreover, Chandler's California is not transferable to any other place (you only have to see Michael Winner's British-set version of The Big Sleep to appreciate that). Frank MacShane asserts that if Chandler had stayed in Britain he would have stuck to sentimental poetry. Maybe. But I still like to imagine the mature Chandler looking for material in south London, using the city's vernacular in the same way that, in our own universe, he used American speech.
So where does all this lead? Well, I live in Upper Norwood, which is in full suburban bloom just now. Over the bank holiday I visited several local hostelries in search of photos and Chandleresque moments. In one bar, an unavoidably hipster establishment, there was an exhibition of stick-figure cartoon art entitled It's Going to be Okay (a title I could take issue with). I overheard one good line when I was in there: 'So what does a full-time Anarchist do? Do you celebrate Christmas?' After that I retreated to an Irish pub, taking refuge in my old paperback edition of Farewell My Lovely as the other patrons watched big screen football. D.S.
All photos © David Secombe.
Bill Pearson.
Posted: April 20, 2017 | Author: thelondoncolumn | Filed under: The Thames, Vanishings | Tags: Bill Pearson | 2 Comments
Sad news: Bill Pearson, a sometime contributor to The London Column, died suddenly at the beginning of March. By way of a tribute, we present here some of his atmospheric photos of the vanished hinterland of riverside London (Bow Creek, Surrey Docks, Erith, etc.) from the '8os and '90s. RIP. DS.
All photos © The Estate of Bill Pearson. (Thanks to Felicity Roberts for passing on the sad news.).
See also: Two Men And A Dog, Last Voyage of the Princess Alice.


Between the glittery finish, manageable 85mm stiletto heel and buckle fastening at the ankle, Jimmy Choo's leather 'Emily' sandals are essentially designed for dancing. This pair has been made in Italy from champagne leather with flattering crossover straps. Wear yours with an all-black outfit.


Perfect Beach Cottage Summer Rental in the heart of Monmouth Beach! Unpack and enjoy all this location has to offer. Down the street to town, marina, restaurants and of course the beach! This 3 bedroom 2 full bath has plenty to offer with fantastic layout, bar area, great deck and professionally landscaped yard fantastic for entertaining! Dry basement and attached garage great for all the surf toys and storage! Hardwood floors, radiant heat, IPE decking, awnings, updated kitchen and baths a well maintained property. Little Monmouth Beach Club 3 Blocks away. HURRY!
The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the MLS of the Monmouth Ocean Regional REALTORS®, and is updated as of April 20th, 2019 at 6:20pm EDT (date/time). IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.


Check out all of the names of the Goshen High School alumni that attended high school in Goshen that are listed above. Registering will allow you to join the directory.	If you are a Goshen alumn, we encourage you to register and be sure to sign up for the alumni newsletter.


Vampire Girl. . Wallpaper and background images in the 뱀파이어 club tagged: vampire image vampyre horror vampires.
This 뱀파이어 photo contains 까마귀, 미국의 까마귀, 까마귀 brachyrhyncos, 아메리칸 까마귀, 까마귀 까치발, 미국 까마귀, 까마귀, and 까마귀 corax. There might also be 전서구, 운반 비둘기, 캐리어 비둘기, 비둘기 원점 복귀, 홈런, 호밍 비둘기, 귀환 비둘기, 호머, and 비둘기.


This program increases civic awareness among young people. It allows students the opportunity to explore government in action. Close-Up believes that informed and active citizen participation in the democratic process is essential to a healthy community and a responsive government.


1. One who receives or entertains guests in a social or official capacity.
2. A person who manages an inn or hotel.
3. One that furnishes facilities and resources for a function or event: the city chosen as host for the Olympic Games.
4. The emcee or interviewer on a radio or television program.
6. Medicine The recipient of a transplanted tissue or organ.
a. A computer or other device providing data or services that a remote computer can access by means of a network or modem.
b. A computer that is connected to a TCP/IP network such as the internet.
1. To serve as host to or at: "the garden party he had hosted last spring" (Saturday Review).
2. To provide software that offers data or services, hardware, or both over a computer network.
2. A great number; a multitude. See Synonyms at multitude.
The consecrated bread or wafer of the Eucharist.


While we offer individual personalized portrait sessions all year round, we have always loved to offer group shoots as well!
We have 3 Super Fun Group Photo Shoots Coming up!
1.) You get to bring your friends or meet new friends so many giggles are sure to happen.
2.) You get a little micro-mini session to get some great pictures so if you're short on time, this is quick and easy.
3.) There's a special price list for Group Photo Shoots that makes ordering super easy because all of the prints and products on it come super fast!
EVERY one of these is different - different locations, ideas, the way they're set up and laid out etc. so you'll need to click on the title for each one for more info if you're interested. Please check the site first before asking questions that are already answered on the sign up sites. If you have any problems getting on the different sign up sites, please email me back and let me know!
This is our third annual and we cannot wait to see the gorgeous stone manor when it's finished, and all the beautiful girls we'll fill it with!
Free for members, $25. reservation fee for non members.
Pictures Outside on Location/Studio if it rains.


text:
Hillsborough's Pet Resource Center launches online ADOPT program.
The Pet Resource Center's online ADOPT program features detailed profiles of adoptable and lost pets.
The Pet Resource Center's new online ADOPT program features detailed profiles of adoptable and lost pets.
By Joyce McKenzieTimes Correspondent
Hillsborough County's innovative new pet adoption service could help you find a new best friend online or assist you in recovering a lost pet.
The Pet Resource Center recently launched its online ADOPT program. It features detailed profiles of adoptable and lost pets, complete with photos, breed names, size, ages, medical conditions and personality traits of animals being housed at the shelter.
The site is updated every 15 minutes around the clock. It also includes documented observations of the pets' interactions with staff members, volunteers and other pets at the shelter.
"We wanted to get as much information as possible on the site so that everyone gets full disclosure about the animals, and it's designed so you can craft it to get the specific information you want," said Pet Resource Center director Scott Trebatoski.
Site visitors can use their mobile device to scan the QR codes of animals that spark their interest. Then, they can match those codes with the ID numbers on kennels at the shelter. All adoptions are done in person at the Pet Resource Center.
The center, located at 440 N. Falkenburg Road, is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
The online system, designed by University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine students, was two years in the making, with an emphasis on making the system user friendly.
"As far as we know, we are the first in the nation with a program like this," Trebatoski said. "I think this will become the future of public shelters."
University of Florida student Anna Weber has volunteered at the center for more than three years. That experience has fueled her aspiration to become a veterinarian, and she describes the new program as a perfect tool to help people find the pet of their dreams.
"It's been so, so helpful," Weber said. "Anyone can get access to what's available and sometimes when people are walking around the kennel and have their phones with them, I'll tell them about the new program and show them how to use it."
Dan Rapp is a South Tampa resident and retiree who devotes 12 to 14 hours weekly as a shelter volunteer. He finds the work "very meaningful," and is also excited about the online kennel service.
"We receive a lot of positive comments about it because people have the opportunity to learn a whole lot about the animals we have available," he said. "It helps them make better decisions and I think it has the potential to be a real game changer."
Last year, 11,518 animals were adopted at the shelter, and about 1,500 were taken in by other pet rescue organizations.
Before the ADOPT program's implementation, up to 10 percent of pets deemed by their adopters to be poor matches were returned to the shelter, Trebatoski said.
The return rate at the Tampa center has since dropped to between 5 and 5.5 percent. Nationally, return rates range anywhere from 12 to 15 percent, Trebatoski added.
Jeanine Cohen, an attorney and director of Hillsborough-based Rescue Cats of Florida, said her organization has benefitted significantly from the ADOPT program.
"I love it," Cohen said. "It's so advanced and come March and April when there is not a lull in cat adoptions, I will use it every day to find out things like, is this cat a biter or a scratcher?"
Dog lover and PRC volunteer Amy PennyPacker, a Brandon resident, echoed Cohen's sentiments about ADOPT.
"It's great. By using the site you can pull up information that tells people anything they need to know about an animal," she said.
Call (813) 744-5600 for more information about the new online service.
Hillsborough firefighters extinguish Westshore condo fire
Jan. 11• Hillsborough
All residents were safely evacuated from the Villa Sonoma Condominiums at International Plaza after a fire broke out Saturday morning.
Hillsborough takes first steps toward needle exchange pilot program
Jan. 8• Hillsborough
If approved, used syringes could be swapped for free, sterile ones
St. Petersburg woman seriously injured in stabbing
Dec. 21, 2019• Crime
Police say the attacker, Lonnie Lavine, lives in a detached shed behind the victim's home.
Hillsborough commissioners eyeing Museum of Science and Industry site for "community catalyst"
Dec. 20, 2019• Hillsborough
Staff say a move to downtown's Water Street is still "up in the air," but efforts are also afoot to keep the museum in the heart of the new Uptown Innovation District near the University of South...
Hillsborough County detention deputy arrested for possible DUI
Detention Deputy Leighton Ricketts, a four-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, was placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the results of an internal affairs investigation.
Good Samaritan, Brinks driver recovering from shooting at Brandon credit union
Dec. 8, 2019• Hillsborough
The search continued into the evening Saturday for the shooter, who is believed to be a serial bank robber.
Hillsborough forms Commission on Human Trafficking
The new commission is the latest in a string of initiatives aimed at snuffing out human trafficking ahead of upcoming events like WrestleMania in April and the Super Bowl in 2021.
Extreme Makeover: Local Government Edition
Nov. 28, 2019• Hillsborough
The new year will bring a new cast of characters to Hillsborough County politics, from county administrator, tax collector and clerk of courts to a new school superintendent.
Land O' Lakes motorcyclist killed in crash on U.S. Highway 301
Nov. 24, 2019• Pasco
David Walter Engberg, 29, died from his injuries near the intersection of Daughtry Road, troopers said.
Tampa takes steps to improve pedestrian safety
Nov. 20, 2019• Community News
Hundreds of transportation and public safety advocates from across the country brought their ideas to Tampa for the Safe Routes to School National Conference.


2BHK at Coffee Board Layout.
Aashritha Suites,(A unit of jsb projects).
If you are visiting Bangalore and are looking for a place to stay, then book your hotel room on redBus. Bangalore is a popular holiday destination with thousands visiting it everyday. redBus has a large inventory of hotels in Bangalore, and you can find the best by booking your hotel room 21 days in advance. Find excellent deals and offers on hotel rooms for a comfortable stay.
The price of hotels in Bangalore increases during peak season, depending on the number of rooms available and the type of hotel. We advise you to book your hotel room at least 21 days in advance.


To accommodate third-party security vendors and appease antitrust regulators in Europe, Microsoft will make some final tweaks to Windows Vista.
In recent months Microsoft has refuted accusations from security vendors like Symantec Corp. and McAfee Inc. that it was developing Windows Vista in a way that would lock out third-party security products. But now it seems the software giant is caving to the pressure.
Microsoft said Friday it will make some code modifications so third-party security vendors can access Vista's core, something the vendors say is necessary if they are to develop products that work effectively with the operating system.
The company is also making adjustments to quell antitrust concerns coming from the European Commission, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith said in a statement. Smith confirmed that the company has also incorporated changes to Windows Vista in South Korea to comply with legal obligations there. Europe and South Korea have long voiced concern that Microsoft would stifle competition by baking its own software into Vista. A move that antitrust regulators complained would put people off buying rival products.
"We recognize that the European Commission does not give 'green lights' for new products, and we have not asked for one," Smith said. "We appreciate the constructive dialogue we have had with the commission and the guidance the commission has provided. Based on this guidance, we have made changes to ensure that we're in compliance with our competition law obligations, and we are moving forward to make Windows Vista available on a worldwide basis."
Executives at Symantec Corp. and other security vendors have expressed fear that some of Vista's security technology will make it harder for them to build products that protect customers. One of their concerns is that Vista's PatchGuard feature, designed to prevent malicious people from accessing the kernel, among other things, will also prevent any security software other than Microsoft's from functioning on a user's PC.
Microsoft security manager Stephen Toulouse tried to calm those fears in an interview with SearchSecurity.com last month, promising that users would be able to disable its security features if they wish to use security tools from another vendor, as long as the Vista security features were re-enabled in the event a user removed the third-party tools.
Microsoft took that a step further late last week, saying it will create additional codes called APIs so rival vendors can access the operating system's core and, as a result, write effective security software.
Vendors have scrambled to keep up with the software giant, which has moved aggressively into the security market in recent years with offerings like the firewall in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), as well as an antispyware and malware removal tool that's updated each month. More recently, Microsoft rolled out Windows Live OneCare, which combines antivirus, antispyware and firewall capabilities into one tool.
The long-delayed Windows Vista is expected to be released to large enterprises in November and to the general public in January. Microsoft proudly demonstrated those features at the Black Hat USA 2006 conference in Las Vegas in August.
Material from Reuters was used in this report.


Excerpt: A pleasant dramedy about work and a cross-generational friendship.
Excerpt: The Intern es un agradable y entretenido vehículo que pone en muestra la excelente química entre Robert De Niro y Anne Hathaway. Aunque no termina siendo memorable, The Intern sí esta llena de afecto, mensajes positivos y bastante humor ligero.
Excerpt: Meyers makes an admirable argument for the value of seniors in the workplace. If only she hadn't delivered it in a contrived fairy tale.
Excerpt: Whether this world of leaky McMansion rooftops and kitchen renovation conflicts is one you want to visit is another matter. But rest assured, The Intern is very much of the [Nancy Meyers] piece, right down to there only being one black person present (and in the background) during bookend scenes separated by two hours.
Excerpt: Can a working woman have it all? Subversively, for a movie, writer/director Nancy Meyers suggests the answer might be no.
Excerpt: [W]riter/director Nancy Meyers' movie shows itself to be "old-school" in far less charming ways.
Excerpt: Unlike Meyers' earlier film, 'It's Complicated' … this one isn't.
Excerpt: Sparky and sweetly accessible, it's a charming date movie/ crowd-pleaser.
Excerpt: A nice movie about real problems people face in real life, and it deals with them in as sidelong a way as it possibly can, avoiding all strong emotion.
Excerpt: Sometimes a little too cute and toothless but ultimately in touch with universally human feelings, "The Intern" is a pleasantly smart entertainment for adults that resists condescension and cheesed-up sap, actually taking time out of its 121 minutes to listen to and understand its characters.
Excerpt: The Intern is a synthesis of Meyers' ideals, a film with shared leads, each of whom is the embodiment of a trailblazing establishment-toppler. And, also true to the Meyers mold, it's bright, funny, and altogether wonderful.
Excerpt: Once again into the world of Nancy Meyers comedies we go, where we find Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway making us smile and laugh.
Excerpt: The movie is as bland and superfluous as it gets. Director Nancy Meyer sets up the inner-office environment with the reverie of shop-worn sitcom. It's pleasant and nice but it's only established so that Ben's old-school experience can teach the young a thing or two, but none of it has any significant payoff.
Excerpt: Pleasant but bland, Nancy Meyer's latest exercise in anodyne filmmaking is as sweet as cotton candy and just about as nourishing.


text:
Commercial flights resume at Bournemouth Airport as demand builds
Commercial flights from Bournemouth returned yesterday (Tuesday, 23 June 2020), as Ryanair passengers took off for Malaga for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, with more routes now available to book.
Throughout July 2020, additional flights will recommence from Bournemouth Airport to Alicante, Dublin, Faro, Girona, Krakow, Malta, Murcia, Palma, Paphos, Prague and Tenerife with Ryanair, with the airport yet to confirm start dates for other airlines.
TUI will recommence routes to Antalya, Corfu, Dalaman, Lanzarote, Palma and Tenerife from 1 August 2020.
Bournemouth Airport has remained open for medical and military flights and General Aviation throughout the coronavirus crisis and has welcomed the return of commercial flying with proactive measures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of staff and passengers.
Some of the measures which are currently in place at the airport include:
Enhanced cleaning in the terminal and throughout the site
Installation of additional hand sanitiser units
Installation of floor markings and signage (where feasible) so passengers can maintain a safe social distance
Protective desk screens and reduced capacity in public areas
Access and egress restrictions (one-way system)
Displaying the latest public health information throughout the airport, including regular announcements
Steve Gill, Managing Director of Bournemouth Airport said: "The safety and well-being of our staff and passengers is our number one priority. We are continuing to rigorously implement all Government guidance and remain in regular contact with all relevant authorities. In the middle a difficult period for aviation and UK business as a whole, a return to commercial flying marks the first signs of recovery and gives a much-needed boost to regional and international air connectivity."
See the latest flight start date information here.
See the latest COVID-19 passenger information here.
Lift-off for recruitment open day at Bournemouth Airport
TUI UK restarts summer holidays from Bournemouth Airport
First new flights to Venice depart from Bournemouth Airport
Ryanair boost for Bournemouth Airport with second aircraft in 2023
Competition Winners Announced
Fly Bournemouth November 2022
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Roblox, stylized as RŌBLOX, is a massively multiplayer online game created and marketed toward children and teenagers aged 8–18. In the game, players are able to create their own virtual world, in which they or other members may enter and socialize within the blocks of varying shapes, sizes, and colors. Games on Roblox can be scripted using a sandboxed edition of Lua 5.1 to affect events that occur in-game and create different scenarios. The company's main source of revenue comes from players buying Robux, the main virtual currency in the game, and from players buying "Builders Club" access, a status which gives virtual benefits to users. Players who have created an account may purchase either Builders Club, Turbo Builders Club, or Outrageous Builders Club, otherwise known by users as BC, TBC, and OBC, respectively.
Roblox was created by founder and co-founder David Baszucki and Erik Cassel in 2004 and officially launched into its beta version, titled "Dynablocks" in 2004. Soon, "Dynablocks" was renamed to ROBLOX in 2005 and the website was officially launched in 2006. It was named after a portmanteau of the words robots and blocks. Roblox is still in the beta stages today.


The staff at Annie's Ace does more than just sell the DCSEU's discounted efficient lighting products; they also help customers make wise decisions that fit both their budget and needs.
When I was new to the lighting department at Annie's, the DCSEU was a great resource in helping me understand energy-efficient technologies.
Upgrading to energy-efficient lighting is a simple and low-cost step for reducing home electricity bills. This year, the DCSEU bought down the price of energy-efficient CFLs and LEDs so that 50 retail stores throughout the city's eight Wards could offer those lamps at an affordable price for District residents. At Annie's Ace Hardware in Petworth, CFLs were priced as low at $0.49 each. "The savings provided by the DCSEU make a big difference," said Jenn Loss, Annie's Ace Lighting Product Manager. Staff members reported that customers were pleasantly surprised at the low cost and that they were excited to start saving money on their energy bills. Using information and marketing materials provided by the DCSEU, Annie's Ace Hardware—and the DCSEU's other retail partners—help customers think about their lighting needs and provide customized product recommendations. In FY 2013, District residents brought home more than 214,000 CFLs and 6,000 LEDs purchased at partnering retail stores. When the first step to improving efficiency at home can be found right up the street, both retailers and residents benefit.


text:
A visit to a Chinese factory
Factory workers busy in Shenzhen: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
It is safe to say that the majority of the world has come to accept that China is not cheap anymore. However, there are still some people who treat her as a country that is made up of sweatshops. Those people are living in the past because this country has developed quickly.
While there may be some local companies that would be considered as a typical 'sweatshop', the majority of factories that are foreign owned and operated are a far cry away from the 'sweatshop' image that many Westerners may have of factories that manufacture your 'Made in China' goods.
I was fortunate to have been given a behind the scenes tour of a factory that produces bottles and nasal sprays for the medical/retail industry. It was by no means a sweatshop. This particular factory (which I am not allowed to name for legal reasons) had pool tables, air conditioned rooms, air purifying shower rooms for all the staff, healthy complimentary food (3 meals a day), and even a yoga room that serves as an after-work centre of reflection for overburdened employees.
The Taiwanese company Foxconn is responsible for manufacturing the majority of Apple Corporation's products. Their manufacturing plant in Bantian (Shenzhen) which makes the majority (over 90%) of your favorite Apple products is perhaps the most advanced plant I have seen anywhere - I can only talk from experience as as a former Electronic Engineer who used to work in wafer fab plants in the U.K. and China - Foxconn is no less to them.
As China becomes expensive and as her economy continues to increase at a respectably dizzying pace, I personally believe that the amazing twist would be when the world starts to really feel the strength of the Renmenbi (I think it is already hurting the Pound and the US Dollar).


The best businesses have great sales team. These sales teams have been trained to sell effectively and they put those skills to good use every day. On this course, you will learn advanced selling techniques and disciplines that will help you move the sales process forwards successfully, making you your customers trusted advisor.
We expect you to have attended the Essential Selling Skills (being held in the morning) prior to attending this workshop.


text:
package org.apache.camel.management.event;

import java.util.EventObject;

import org.apache.camel.CamelContext;

/**
 * @version
 */
public class CamelContextSuspendingEvent extends EventObject {
    private static final long serialVersionUID = 6761726800283072241L;

    private final CamelContext context;

    public CamelContextSuspendingEvent(CamelContext source) {
        super(source);
        this.context = source;
    }

    public CamelContext getContext() {
        return context;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "Suspending CamelContext: " + context.getName();
    }
}


text:
Q: Why seven out of eight Primary pseudoperfect numbers only have odd prime factors which are congruent to $3 \pmod{4}$?
Why seven out of eight Primary pseudoperfect numbers only have odd prime factors which are  congruent to $3 \pmod{4}$?

Primary pseudoperfect numbers: numbers $n \gt 1$ such that $\frac{1}{n} + \sum_{p | n} \frac{1}{p} = 1$.
Only eight Primary pseudoperfect numbers have been discovered so far. They are:
$2 = 2$
$6 = 2 \cdot 3$
$42 = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot  7$
$1806 = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot  7 \cdot 43$
$47058 = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 11 \cdot 23 \cdot  31$
$2214502422 = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 11 \cdot 23 \cdot  31 \cdot 47059$
$52495396602 = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 11 \cdot$ 17 $\cdot$ 101 $\cdot$   149 $\cdot$       3109
$8490421583559688410706771261086 = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 11 \cdot 23 \cdot  31 \cdot 47059 \cdot 2217342227 \cdot 1729101023519$

Primes which are congruent to $1 \pmod{4}$ are shown in bold. Note that only one of the known Primary pseudoperfect numbers has odd prime factors which are congruent to $1 \pmod{4}$. Seven out of eight known Primary pseudoperfect numbers don't have any prime factors which are congruent to $1 \pmod{4}$. Is this just a coincidence ?  Or is there a number-theoretic  reason for this ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Twilight reviewed by Marc Glassman on www.classical963fm.com
Twilight. Catherine Hardwicke, director. Melissa Rosenberg, script based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. Starring: Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan), Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen), Nikki Reed (Rosalie Hale), Billy Burke (Charlie Swan), Cam Gigandet (James), Rachelle Lefevre (Victoria), Edi Gathegi (Laurent). Sarah Clarke (Renee Dwyer)
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, a dark fantasy about the romance between Bella Swan, a healthy, slightly klutzy, teenaged American girl, and a very goth-like vampire named Edward who appears to be 17, has become a publishing phenomenon, selling over 8 million copies worldwide. It was inevitable that the series — now a quartet of novels — would be translated to the screen. The media frenzy surrounding the film's release has been astonishing; here, for example, film critic Richard Crouse was nearly torn apart by adolescent girls who discovered that he had actually touched the hand of Robert Pattinson, the actor playing Edward Cullen, the handsome and apparently youthful 108-year-old vampire-lover of Bella.
While Meyer's franchise hardly matches that of JK Rowling's Harry Potter, the success of the books is indisputable and the anticipation surrounding the film release of Twilight rivals that of the first Potter movie. Like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Twilight suffers from the director's fear of creating a free adaptation of the novel into a film. Followers of the Potter cycle will recall that it took the third version, auteur Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban, to liberate the youthful magician from the page and on to the screen, and it may take as long for Meyer's books to achieve a truly cinematic form.
Catherine Hardwicke has made a version of Twilight that is slow, safe and dull instead of committed, passionate and brave. Loving a vampire is a metaphor for the Wagnerian Liebestod — the embrace of love and death — or of the surrealist vision of l'amour fou (or "mad love.") When Bella falls for Edward, the world should tilt and the heart race like a jack hammer pounding out the fastest, scariest rhythm in the world. The film does end with Bella begging Edward to "turn her" into a fully sexual immortal being. But Edward refuses — sequels loom, of course — and Hardwicke seems to endorse the same reluctance to put emotion in front of logic throughout the film.
But if there's no passion, what is Twilight about? The film slowly builds over two hours as Bella, well played by Kristen Stewart, falls for Edward and gradually realizes that he's a vampire. Nothing noteworthy clicks in beyond that telegraphed realisation until a trio of "bad" vampires catches on to Bella's scent and decides to make her their next feast. Edward's coven supports him as he fights the baddies — mainly James, an over-the-top "B-movie" villain, accompanied by a femme fatale named Victoria — to save his girl.
Twilight will likely have a great weekend at box offices across North America. There are enough teenaged girls invested in the series to make that happen. With attractive leads in Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, the franchise should survive this mediocre debut. One can only hope that Meyer's second film is directed by Cuaron or someone else committed to cinema and, as Fred Astaire once sang, "love and romance." Let's Face the Music and Dance.
crazy fans Twilight
« 'Twilight' fans line up overnight to meet stars 16/11/2008 ctvtoronto.ca
Will Keanu Reeves kill a sci-fi classic? Thu. Dec. 11 2008 Constance Droganes, CTV.ca entertainment writer »


I forward ports so my sessions don't rely on NatNeg.
On top of that, NatNeg is unreliable.
It would be nice if bz2 could register with multiple servers, for servers, then clients query multiple servers.
The servers being specified in gameprefs.
I could set up a server if the port setting worked in addition to the server page code being available.
With the forums being unreachable and wonky, I didn't see this until just now.
The question is whether it is on Cox's end or Dream Host's end though.
Oddly enough, it worked until Saturday.


text:
// Copyright 2017 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
// found in the LICENSE file.

#include "chrome/browser/ash/arc/auth/arc_active_directory_enrollment_token_fetcher.h"

#include <string>
#include <utility>

#include "ash/components/tpm/install_attributes.h"
#include "base/bind.h"
#include "base/logging.h"
#include "chrome/browser/ash/arc/arc_optin_uma.h"
#include "chrome/browser/ash/policy/core/browser_policy_connector_ash.h"
#include "chrome/browser/ash/policy/core/dm_token_storage.h"
#include "chrome/browser/browser_process.h"
#include "chrome/browser/browser_process_platform_part.h"
#include "chrome/browser/net/system_network_context_manager.h"
#include "components/policy/core/common/cloud/device_management_service.h"
#include "components/policy/core/common/cloud/dm_auth.h"
#include "components/policy/core/common/cloud/dmserver_job_configurations.h"
#include "services/network/public/cpp/shared_url_loader_factory.h"
#include "url/gurl.h"

namespace em = enterprise_management;

namespace {

constexpr char kSamlAuthErrorMessage[] = "SAML authentication failed. ";

policy::BrowserPolicyConnectorAsh* GetConnector() {
  return g_browser_process->platform_part()->browser_policy_connector_ash();
}

policy::DeviceManagementService* GetDeviceManagementService() {
  return GetConnector()->device_management_service();
}

std::string GetClientId() {
  return GetConnector()->GetInstallAttributes()->GetDeviceId();
}

std::string GetDmServerUrl() {
  return GetDeviceManagementService()->configuration()->GetDMServerUrl();
}

}  // namespace

namespace arc {

ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::
    ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher(ArcSupportHost* support_host)
    : support_host_(support_host) {
  DCHECK(support_host_);
  support_host_->SetAuthDelegate(this);
}

ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::
    ~ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher() {
  support_host_->SetAuthDelegate(nullptr);
}

void ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::Fetch(FetchCallback callback) {
  DCHECK(callback_.is_null());
  DCHECK(auth_session_id_.empty());
  callback_ = std::move(callback);
  dm_token_storage_ = std::make_unique<policy::DMTokenStorage>(
      g_browser_process->local_state());
  dm_token_storage_->RetrieveDMToken(base::BindOnce(
      &ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::OnDMTokenAvailable,
      weak_ptr_factory_.GetWeakPtr()));
}

void ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::OnDMTokenAvailable(
    const std::string& dm_token) {
  if (dm_token.empty()) {
    LOG(ERROR) << "Retrieving the DMToken failed.";
    std::move(callback_).Run(Status::FAILURE, std::string(), std::string());
    return;
  }

  DCHECK(dm_token_.empty());
  dm_token_ = dm_token;
  DoFetchEnrollmentToken();
}

void ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::DoFetchEnrollmentToken() {
  DCHECK(!dm_token_.empty());
  DCHECK(!fetch_request_job_);
  VLOG(1) << "Fetching enrollment token";

  policy::DeviceManagementService* service = GetDeviceManagementService();
  std::unique_ptr<policy::DMServerJobConfiguration> config =
      std::make_unique<policy::DMServerJobConfiguration>(
          service,
          policy::DeviceManagementService::JobConfiguration::
              TYPE_ACTIVE_DIRECTORY_ENROLL_PLAY_USER,
          GetClientId(), /*critical=*/false,
          policy::DMAuth::FromDMToken(dm_token_), /*oauth_token=*/absl::nullopt,
          url_loader_factory_for_testing()
              ? url_loader_factory_for_testing()
              : g_browser_process->system_network_context_manager()
                    ->GetSharedURLLoaderFactory(),
          base::BindOnce(&ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::
                             OnEnrollmentTokenResponseReceived,
                         weak_ptr_factory_.GetWeakPtr()));

  em::ActiveDirectoryEnrollPlayUserRequest* enroll_request =
      config->request()->mutable_active_directory_enroll_play_user_request();
  if (!auth_session_id_.empty()) {
    // Happens after going through SAML flow. Call DM server again with the
    // given |auth_session_id_|.
    enroll_request->set_auth_session_id(auth_session_id_);
    auth_session_id_.clear();
  }

  fetch_request_job_ = service->CreateJob(std::move(config));
}

void ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::
    OnEnrollmentTokenResponseReceived(
        policy::DeviceManagementService::Job* job,
        policy::DeviceManagementStatus dm_status,
        int net_error,
        const em::DeviceManagementResponse& response) {
  VLOG(1) << "Enrollment token response received. DM Status: " << dm_status;
  fetch_request_job_.reset();

  Status fetch_status;
  std::string enrollment_token;
  std::string user_id;

  switch (dm_status) {
    case policy::DM_STATUS_SUCCESS: {
      if (!response.has_active_directory_enroll_play_user_response()) {
        LOG(WARNING) << "Invalid Active Directory enroll Play user response.";
        fetch_status = Status::FAILURE;
        break;
      }
      const em::ActiveDirectoryEnrollPlayUserResponse& enroll_response =
          response.active_directory_enroll_play_user_response();

      if (enroll_response.has_saml_parameters()) {
        // SAML authentication required.
        const em::SamlParametersProto& saml_params =
            enroll_response.saml_parameters();
        auth_session_id_ = saml_params.auth_session_id();
        InitiateSamlFlow(saml_params.auth_redirect_url());
        return;  // SAML flow eventually calls |callback_| or this function.
      }

      DCHECK(enroll_response.has_enrollment_token());
      fetch_status = Status::SUCCESS;
      enrollment_token = enroll_response.enrollment_token();
      user_id = enroll_response.user_id();
      break;
    }
    case policy::DM_STATUS_SERVICE_ARC_DISABLED:
    case policy::DM_STATUS_SERVICE_POLICY_NOT_FOUND: {
      // POLICY_NOT_FOUND is the first error encountered when the domain is not
      // set up yet in the Admin console, so just treat it the same as
      // ARC_DISABLED.
      fetch_status = Status::ARC_DISABLED;
      break;
    }
    default: {  // All other error cases
      LOG(ERROR) << "Fetching an enrollment token failed. DM Status: "
                 << dm_status;
      fetch_status = Status::FAILURE;
      break;
    }
  }

  VLOG(1) << "Enrollment token fetch finished. Status: "
          << static_cast<int>(fetch_status);
  dm_token_.clear();
  auth_session_id_.clear();
  std::move(callback_).Run(fetch_status, enrollment_token, user_id);
}

void ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::InitiateSamlFlow(
    const std::string& auth_redirect_url) {
  VLOG(1) << "Initiating SAML flow. Auth redirect URL: " << auth_redirect_url;

  // We must have an auth session id. Otherwise, we might end up in a loop.
  if (auth_session_id_.empty()) {
    LOG(ERROR) << kSamlAuthErrorMessage << "No auth session id.";
    CancelSamlFlow();
    return;
  }

  // Check if URL is valid.
  const GURL redirect_url(auth_redirect_url);
  if (!redirect_url.is_valid()) {
    LOG(ERROR) << kSamlAuthErrorMessage << "Redirect URL invalid.";
    CancelSamlFlow();
    return;
  }

  // Send the URL to the support host to display it in a web view inside the
  // Active Directory auth page.
  support_host_->ShowActiveDirectoryAuth(redirect_url, GetDmServerUrl());
}

void ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::CancelSamlFlow() {
  VLOG(1) << "Cancelling SAML flow.";
  dm_token_.clear();
  auth_session_id_.clear();
  DCHECK(!callback_.is_null());
  std::move(callback_).Run(Status::FAILURE, std::string(), std::string());
}

void ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::OnAuthSucceeded() {
  VLOG(1) << "SAML auth succeeded.";
  DCHECK(!auth_session_id_.empty());
  DoFetchEnrollmentToken();
  support_host_->ShowArcLoading();
}

void ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::OnAuthFailed(
    const std::string& error_msg) {
  LOG(ERROR) << "SAML auth failed: " << error_msg;

  // Don't call callback here, allow user to retry.
  support_host_->ShowError(
      ArcSupportHost::ErrorInfo(
          ArcSupportHost::Error::SERVER_COMMUNICATION_ERROR),
      true /* should_show_send_feedback */,
      true /* should_show_run_network_tests */);
  UpdateOptInCancelUMA(OptInCancelReason::NETWORK_ERROR);
}

void ArcActiveDirectoryEnrollmentTokenFetcher::OnAuthRetryClicked() {
  VLOG(1) << "Retrying token fetch.";

  // Retry the full flow (except DM token fetch), not just the SAML part, in
  // case DM server returned bad data.
  auth_session_id_.clear();
  DCHECK(!callback_.is_null());
  support_host_->ShowArcLoading();
  DoFetchEnrollmentToken();
}

}  // namespace arc


A really yummy Smoked Chicken and Chestnut pasta from last week's meal plan. Look out for a recipe soon!
Bit of a short meal plan this week. My parents are going away for a few days and I'm needed to babysit my niece so I'm heading down to their house for a few days. Mum has already organised the meals for those few nights which is why I know what we're having.
Back home on Thursday and I've planned some Vegetarian Nachos for something a little different. I actually haven't had any Mexican food in quite a long time so am looking forward to it.
On Friday I have an event to attend during the day and know I'll be exhausted by the end so have just planned to use up some of the leftovers in our freezer.
I had planned the Pasta alfredo for last week but plans were changed and we ended up at the in-law's house so I've moved it over to this week.
Sunday is Fathers Day and we're going out to lunch with Mr Monkey's family. My Dad works Fathers Day so we'll probably celebrate with him on Monday. I know we won't feel like cooking so have planned takeaway or perhaps just toasted sandwiches.
So, as I said, only a short one this week.


text:
Habakkuk Times
BIDI ACTION TEAMS GEARED FOR ELECTORAL CHARTER
Following a Habakkuk Trust Community Advocacy Action Team meeting held at Matobo ward 8 yesterday, the ward action team and local leadership are now set for the finalization and subsequent presentation of the community electoral charter. Speaking to Habakkuk Trust Information Department after the meeting, the Acting Headman Mr Simon Ndiweni narrated that 'today's meeting was an excellent one as we come up with something new in this community and the District at large. These electoral charter am confident will change the way we handle our electoral politics and our development agenda from now on' The headman further explained that lack of clarity on issues, focused agendas and developmental vision has been the cause for electoral violence in the area and the country as a whole. 'You see the main cause of electoral violence in this country is that we just put everyone and anyone to be a candidate. Some of the people when they see that they have nothing tangible to offer the electorate then they hire youths to intimidate and threaten political opponents. With these charters, am seeing politicians dancing to the tune of the electorate and this will minimize violence.' Mr Ndiweni further called on Habakkuk to roll this concept to many areas of Zimbabwe and as well conduct trainings for the youths and the candidates so that they avoid violence. His sentiments were also echoed by Action Team Vice Convenor Mrs Tendayi Ndebele who said that 'voting in peace is everyone's duty. As an action team we are now challenged by this electoral charter and though we came up with some draft input today, we shall consult more and ensure that it is more detailed so that we create a new legacy for our children and our grand children.' The formation of electoral charters is part of Habakkuk Trust's programming meant to enhance peaceful citizen participation in key decision making processes. Specifically driven by Action Teams, this programme will entail the formulation of electoral citizen charters that will be accented to by community leaders and election candidates. Action Teams have also called for the programme to facilitate joint rallies where candidates will answer the communities on key developmental issues affecting the citizens.
Posted by HABAKKUK TRUST at 1:53 AM No comments:
MANY LOSE OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE ZIMBABWE'S DEMOCRATIC FUTURE
Quite a number of people failed to exercise their right to vote in the just ended Zimbabwe referendum after failing to produce the relevant identifications. Only people with National Identity cards and current passports were eligible to vote, however because of lack of voter education, most people were ignorant of the correct documentation needed. This trend was noted both in urban and rural as people carried birth certificates, or photocopied national identity cards, expired passports as well as driver's licences to try and vote. At Mthombowesizwe Primary school in Entumbane (Bulawayo) one eager person was turned away after producing a birth certificate. Some youths below 18 years but were of the idea that possessing an I.D was eligibility to vote were also turned away. Only those who turned 18 years on or before 15 March 2013 were eligible to vote. At Lukhanyiso Primary in Mpopoma (Bulawayo) one was turned away because the I.D was too old and damaged beyond recognition, while at Amhlophe in Pumula there was a similar case. 'Aliens' were also not spared as they were turned away in most polling stations in Bulawayo and outlying stations. At Cameroon Primary School in UMguza at a community that is largely Xhosa speaking, the Habakkuk Trust Observer Mission noted at midday about four people were turned away for having brought a letter from the church as they did not have national identity documents. At Esikhoveni and Mbalabala in UMzingwane a significant number of voters who were turned away had brought birth certificates
DEVOLUTION OF POWER TOPS CONSTITUTION STUDY CIRCLES
Devolution of power has topped the agenda during the Habakkuk Trust study circles that the organization has been doing with the community advocacy action teams in Gwanda, Matobo, Mangwe and Gwanda as community members vow to vote yes for the draft due to the devolution provisions. Speaking during a constitutional study circle in Gwanda ward 14, Mr Sibanda from the ward 14 Action Team, said 'as long as there is devolution of power, I am voting yes for this draft constitution.' The same sentiments were uttered by Mrs Gladys Ndlovu from Gwanda Ward 2 who said that 'with us from this region, its all about the power to manage our resources and to determine our lives that is why I will vote yes for this constitution because it gives power to the provinces.' Villagers in Mangwe ward 1 and 13 applauded the draft constitution for providing for more rights and for having provisions on provincial governments. 'We have been advocating for basic services such as access to water and education and it has been a nightmare to have those issues resolved because of the centralized system. Now that we are going to have devolution of power, we see it as the first step towards addresses our issues commented Headman Zibuyeni from Empandeni. Speaking during the sidelines of a study circle in Ezimnyama (Mangwe) Ward 2 ZANU PF Councillor Mr Edward Masisa said 'truly we cannot afford to miss this opportunity this time. From across political parties we just need to agree and accept that devolution of power it is the make or break of this draft constitution.' Matobo ward 4 Councillor Mr Sibangani Ncube expressed similar sentiments to those of Councillor Masisa saying 'this draft constitution is not perfect. There are some clauses that are not clear and some parts that we may not like. Even the part on devolution is not comprehensive but as an initial document I think we can work on it and improve especially on the devolution aspects'. Habakkuk Trust conducted the constitutional study circles to raise awareness on the contents of the draft constitution so as to enable residents to vote from an informed position. During the study circles Habakkuk Trust observed that there were very few people who had seen or read the draft constitution with only a few days left to the referendum. Khumbulani Maphosa Habakkuk Trust Programmes Officer to get live updates on the referundum like Habakkuk Trust's page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Habakkuk-Trust/470074759723171
1 OUT OF 14 GWANDA VILLAGERS HAVE SEEN THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION
Habakkuk Trust has established that on estimate, an average of 1 out of 14 people have seen the actual draft constitution. During the Habakkuk Trust constitutional study circles, the organization undertook a survey to establish how many community leaders have seen or read the draft constitution. From Dambashoko and Datata out of a team of 23 members only one member of the community had the draft and others claimed to have seen it being carried by the Chief in a community meeting that was done a week back. The situation was the same in Zhukwe where out of 19 members, only one person had seen the draft constitution. Nkashe was no different, as it was ascertained by Habakkuk staff at another constitutional study circle that; from the 28 community leaders who attended the meeting, only 3 have had the privilege of seeing and reading the draft constitution. In total in the last three days Habakkuk Trust has reached 70 rural community leaders through the constitutional study circles and only 5 of them had seen the draft constitution prior to Habakkuk Trust's constitutional study circles.
Posted by HABAKKUK TRUST at 11:57 AM No comments:
Decisive outcomes from Mangwe policy dialogue meeting
After intensive two day leadership training workshops held in 5 wards in Mangwe; Habakkuk Trust then held a Policy Dialogue meeting on Friday the 25th of January, at St Theresa in Plumtree in order to bring public officials to a round table discussion with community leaders from wards 2, 12, 8, 1 and 13; on how critical issues that affect those communities could be speedily solved. Invited were the MPs for the relevant constituencies, Senator L Tapela, MP Mkhosi, Minister Moses Mzila Ndlovu; and officials from the Mangwe RDC, the Plumtree Town council, representatives of the department of education and the Environmental Management Agency. Although Hon. Mkhosi could not be available, and officials from the town council were also a no show, the core of the Invited public officials and community leaders from the 5 wards concerned where sufficient to hear the communities' problems deliberate on them and come out with stern resolutions. The issues that were on discussion was the pollution of Matole dam(raw sewerage has been flowing into Matole dam from plumtree town and border post), Livestock confistication in Plumtree, the construction of a school to service ward 1 and 13, and the socio-economic and environmental effects of mining in ward 8. The communities resolved to conduct peaceful defiance campaigns where Matole dam and the confistication of livestock are concerned if the relevant ministries do not address the issue by the 10th of February. With regards to the mining and education concerns, the community leaders have invited the education and the mining minister to come and engage with community on how their issues maybe best resolved. The Matole dam issue has been unsolved for nearly 3 years, inspite of extensive lobby efforts by the community. Ultimately the resolutions of the communities were decisive, and the People's elected representatives, the MPs were tasked to take the letters the responsible ministers in the national executive. As a result of the policy dialogue meeting, the Mangwe RDC and the Environmental Management Agency have agreed to endeavor to solve the issue of Matole dam being polluted.
IZIMNYAMA COMMUNITY TAKES DEVELOPMENT TO THEIR OWN HANDS
Habakkuk Trust MANGWE: Izimnyama (Ward 12) community in Plumtree district lying in Matabeleland South Province has challenged most of the communities in Matabeleland Region by its development efforts. It has since proved to be a development oriented community, with a high potential of bringing positive change to the lives of its villagers. Lack of basic service delivery in the community is soon to be history, as the process of constructing a clinic and a recreational centre has already gathered momentum. The mobilization of resources has been done by the entire community with support from the local now based in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Botswana. Resources like cement, bricks, barbed wire among other things have since been mobilized. The Ward 12 Councilor Mr. Edward Masisa Ndlovu told Habakkuk Trust that "Izimnyama community is development oriented with the capacity to drive own development issues through its local resources''. The Councilor praised the community members for the effort they are showing in bringing their project to a success. However the major challenge which is drawing back development processes is the unavailability of water. Councilor Ndlovu emphasized that, "water is generally our major problem in this area. However, we have since sourced a few water bowsers which will ferry water from Plumtree town". Councilor Masisa Ndlovu is part of the community members that received capacity building in advocacy and development facilitated by Habakkuk Trust in 2011. He was also trained by Habakkuk Trust on the concepts of citizen participation, development and peace-building together with other Mangwe Rural District Councilors in the same year. Currently, he and the Habakkuk Trust Ward 12 Community Advocacy Action Team have been instrumental in advocating for access to water in the area so as to ensure the smooth running of other community projects.
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE BULAWAYO WATER SUMMIT
On Friday 17 April 2012 Habakkuk Trust in conjunction with Shalom Project, NANGO Western Region and Intscha.com held a Water Summit to commemorate the 100 years of the dream for a Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project. Below are some of the recommendations from the breakfast meeting that was attended by various stakeholders who include among others civic society, business, and the academia.
• There is need for clarity on the operations and separation of powers between the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust and the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project,
• Clear separation of roles between the national government, the local authorities, National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project and Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust on the project,
• The Bulawayo City Council should consider other sources of water,
• There is clear explanations on the progress made at the Gwayi Shangani Dam and on the details of the deal the Minister of Water Resources and Development has struck with the Chinese,
• All the responsible authorities should come up clean on the costs involved in drawing water from Gwayi Shangani and the Zambezi and the true implications of the project,
• The petition that is being circulated should be handed over to the Minister,
• Formulation of clear sources of funding for the project,
• Civic society should facilitate the formulation of a Matabeleland Declaration on Water that is going to guide the timelines on the completion of the project,
• Bulawayo City Council should speed of the duplication of the Insiza Pipeline
Habakkuk Trust shall continue its advocacy work on access to clean water for all and shall continue to lobby various stakeholders on the issue.
HABAKKUK TRUST
Habakkuk Trust is a christian organisation founded in 2000 by a group of church leaders, christian activists and concerned citizens. The mission was to see the biblical transformation of communities through advocacy, research and information dissemination.


Denis and Lydia chat with NH State Representative Mike Ball about recent vetoes that have been sustained (SB154 repeal RGGI, SB129 enact voter-ID), vetoes that have been overturned (SB88 brandishing firearms and non-retreat), and vetoes that still hang in the balance (HB474 right-to-work). We also discuss Rep. Ball's bill HB569, which would have set equal rights for marriage to all citizens by removing marriage from the purview of the State.
Also: Making sense of the numbers - why they downgraded U.S.