text:
package org.ohmage.lifestreams.oauth.client.providers;

import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
import org.apache.oltu.oauth2.client.OAuthClient;
import org.apache.oltu.oauth2.client.URLConnectionClient;
import org.apache.oltu.oauth2.client.request.OAuthClientRequest;
import org.apache.oltu.oauth2.client.response.OAuthJSONAccessTokenResponse;
import org.apache.oltu.oauth2.common.exception.OAuthProblemException;
import org.apache.oltu.oauth2.common.exception.OAuthSystemException;
import org.apache.oltu.oauth2.common.message.types.GrantType;
import org.apache.oltu.oauth2.common.token.BasicOAuthToken;
import org.apache.oltu.oauth2.common.token.OAuthToken;
import org.jboss.netty.util.internal.StringUtil;

public abstract class OAuth20Provider implements IProvider {

	final private String apiKey;
	final private String apiSecret;
	final private String authEndpoint;
	final private String accessTokenEndpoint;
    final private String name;

	String getApiKey() {
		return apiKey;
	}
	String getApiSecret() {
		return apiSecret;
	}

	String getAuthEndpoint() {
		return authEndpoint;
	}
	String getAccessTokenEndpoint() {
		return accessTokenEndpoint;
	}

    public String getName(){return  name;}
	@Override
	public OAuthClientRequest getAuthRequest(String callback, String state,
                                             String[] scopes) throws OAuthSystemException{
		return OAuthClientRequest
				   .authorizationLocation(getAuthEndpoint())
				   .setClientId(getApiKey())
				   .setRedirectURI(callback)
				   .setState(state)
				   .setScope(StringUtils.join(scopes, ','))
				   .setResponseType("code")
				   .buildQueryMessage();
	}

	@Override
	public OAuthToken getAccessToken(String code, String callback) throws OAuthSystemException, OAuthProblemException{
		OAuthClientRequest request = OAuthClientRequest
                .tokenLocation(getAccessTokenEndpoint())
                .setGrantType(GrantType.AUTHORIZATION_CODE)
                .setClientId(getApiKey())
                .setClientSecret(getApiSecret())
                .setRedirectURI(callback)
                .setCode(code)
                .buildBodyMessage();

    	OAuthClient oAuthClient = new OAuthClient(new URLConnectionClient());
    	OAuthJSONAccessTokenResponse oAuthResponse = oAuthClient.accessToken(request);
        return oAuthResponse.getOAuthToken();
	}

	@Override
	public OAuthToken refreshToken(OAuthToken token) throws OAuthSystemException, OAuthProblemException{
		OAuthClientRequest request = OAuthClientRequest
                .tokenLocation(getAccessTokenEndpoint())
                .setGrantType(GrantType.REFRESH_TOKEN)
                .setClientId(getApiKey())
                .setClientSecret(getApiSecret())
                .setRefreshToken(token.getRefreshToken())
                .buildBodyMessage();
    	OAuthClient oAuthClient = new OAuthClient(new URLConnectionClient());
    	OAuthJSONAccessTokenResponse oAuthResponse = oAuthClient.accessToken(request);
    	OAuthToken newToken = oAuthResponse.getOAuthToken();
    	if(newToken.getRefreshToken() == null || newToken.getRefreshToken().length() == 0){
    		// the provider does not return a new refresh token, keep using the original refresh token
    		newToken = new BasicOAuthToken(newToken.getAccessToken(), newToken.getExpiresIn(),token.getRefreshToken(),  newToken.getScope());
    	}
    	return newToken;

	}
	OAuth20Provider(String name, String authEndpoint, String accessTokenEndpoint,
                    String apiKey, String apiSecret) {
        this.name = name;
		this.authEndpoint = authEndpoint;
		this.accessTokenEndpoint = accessTokenEndpoint;
		this.apiKey = apiKey;
		this.apiSecret = apiSecret;
	}

}


Functional Fitness Courses is committed to producing the very best personal trainers in the fitness industry. Our goal is to deliver Estepona personal training courses that goes above and beyond the level 2 and 3 fitness education industry norm.
Unlike other Estepona fitness instructor certification providers that mass produce fitness trainers on a production line, we only enrol small groups of students into our courses to ensure you receive the highest level of coaching and support.
During your time with Functional Fitness Courses, the amount of support and coaching you'll receive will be unrivalled by any other Estepona personal training certification.
Your Functional Fitness Courses tutor will be with you every step of the way to coach you and answer any questions you have whilst on your journey to becoming a first class Estepona personal trainer.
Our training facility provides the perfect learning environment. Unlike most other Estepona campuses that pack you into small overcrowded dorms, Functional Fitness Courses offer you your own room conveniently located in the same building as the training facility and classroom.
Our training campuses are based in the coastal towns of Estepona and Denia – Southern Spain. So you'll be able to hone your outdoor fitness skills on Spain's famous Mediterranean beaches.
If you want to be a successful Estepona personal trainer then you need to learn from successful mentors that are 'in the field', training clients and running successful fitness businesses. Not from a school teacher in a classroom reading from a book that has no real life experience.
Unfortunately most Estepona personal trainer certification providers do not offer streetsmart business skills when completing your level 2 and level 3 Estepona fitness instructor qualification.


text:
Project deliverable 4 due friday 11-22-13
Need help with my question - I'm studying for my class.
Project Deliverable 4: Cloud Technology and Virtualization
Due Week 7 and worth 120 points
With the merger of your company with a multinational company, you have come
to realize that progressive solutions are necessary to defray some of the
associated information technology costs. Company executives believe that using
cloud technology and virtualization is becoming the standard for companies that
are engaged in Internet-based technologies. Your company is on the verge of
global marketing and competition; therefore, your company needs to make smarter
decisions and improve global business performance. Cloud technology and
virtualization are believed to provide business insights without enormous
infrastructure enhancements. The executive board is aware of the profound
benefits of cloud technology and virtualization but is apprehensive because they
are unfamiliar with the look and feel of the technology. The executive team is
interested in your recommendations and eagerly waiting for your forward-thinking
viewpoint.
Section 1: Design Document
Write a four to six (4-6) page design document in which you:
Support the need for the use of cloud technology and virtualization within
Assess expected cost savings in hardware infrastructure.
Determine the possible reductions of human capital that can be realized from
implementing cloud and virtualization technologies.
Create a diagram through the use of Microsoft Visio or an open source
alternative such as Dia to illustrate how cloud and virtualization technology
could align with the company's business processes and assist with attainment of
organizational goals. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in
the required page length but must be included in the design document
Provide a compelling recommendation for solution providers and partners that
could help the company secure a firm competitive advantage by using cloud and
virtualization technologies.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch
margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or
school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's
name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and
the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
Include charts or diagrams created in MS Visio or Dia as an appendix of the
design document. All references to these diagrams must be included in the body
of the design document.
Section 2: Revised Project Plan
Use Microsoft Project to:
Update the project plan (summary and detail) template, from Project
Deliverable 3: Database and Data Warehousing Design, with three to five (3-5)
new project tasks each consisting of five to ten (5-10)
subtasks.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment
are:
Demonstrate an understanding of existing and emerging information
technologies and strategic impact on organizational operations.
Explain how to develop reasoned responses to the major forces shaping the
role of IT in organizations competing in a global economy.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in information
systems.
Write clearly and concisely about leadership issues and strategic insight of
the Information systems domain using proper writing mechanics and technical
style conventions.
sagitahm (527)
Heard about Studypool for a while and finally tried it. Glad I did caus this was really helpful.
I need assistance with a written Business assignment. Please follow all instruction listed in the attachment and insert su...
Option Two: Create a PowerPoint or Prezi on the identification, evaluation, and placement process for a child suspected of...
In this assignment, you will read an article about the Mozart effect and identify various parts of the research process. T...
Assignment; After u learn how to write sentences and paragraph, the next step in the process is to use construct an essay....
All the Kings Men
by Robert Penn Warren
by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt
by Markus Zusak
by Miguel de Cervantes
Paper Needs To Be ReWorded ASAP 5 Pages
I will post the paper that needs to be reworded after I select a tutor to do the work... If you can do the rewording AND KEEP PROPER ENGLISH, GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS please post your price and we will go from there... Thanks ahead of time
Memory Models
Learning about the structure of memory can improve your study skills. In this assignment, you will discuss the academic applications of memory models and try to apply the principles to yourself. Use the readings for the module and the terminology of the subject and respond to these questions:You are a teaching assistant for an undergraduate history class and need to prepare a test. You want evidence to show that students know the material well. What kind of test would you prepare? What kind of test do you think requires the most in-depth knowledge? Why?As Dan took his history test, he could not recollect many of the dates he had studied. Dan had memorized some important dates just before the test. While he was doing this, he was also talking on the phone. Which of Dan's memory stores—sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), or long-term memory (LTM)—do you think were most affected by his phone conversation? Why? Could Dan have done something differently to prevent forgetting the dates? Explain.Identify two different kinds of mnemonic devices that could help Dan remember dates for his history test. Explain how they could be used.Melissa is disappointed that she received yet another "D" on a test. She studied for several hours by reading and rereading her textbook and class notes. Based on the levels-of-processing memory theory, explain why Melissa's method of studying was not very effective? What could she have done differently?Using Baddeley's working memory model, give an example of two tasks that could successfully be performed simultaneously (For example, can you listen to music while studying at the same time?). Discuss two other tasks that probably would interfere with each other. Make sure to discuss your answers in terms of the visuospatial scratchpad, the phonological loop, and the central executive.Write your initial response in 4–5 paragraphs. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.
Learning Paper
Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you examine the concept of learning. Address the following items: Describe the concept of learning. Distinguish between learning and performance. Compare and contrast the conceptual approaches to the study of learning.Format according to APA standards.
edu 352 question 1 week 5
Imagine you have recently been hired as a teacher on special assignment by the superintendent. You have been asked to develop a list of five to seven movements in the field of educational technology that you believe the K-12 large, urban school district should pay attention to. Directions:In your post, please provide a brief introduction describing the steps you took to determine the five to seven movements. Also, each movement should include a description with some practical uses that will impact learning. For example:Badges – badges can be powerful symbolism used by educators to reinforce desired behaviors of students, i.e., one could develop a critical thinking badge, a character badge, etc, and award badges when students demonstrate the type of behaviors associated with the description of the badges. This type of reinforcement increases motivation and captures elements of Bandura's theories of social learning (i.e., modeling).Hint: Check out the Horizon Report for insight and some possible examples to consider. If you have never heard of the Horizon report, well, Google it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Vivek Oberoi Calls Sushant Singh Rajput's Passing Away A 'Wake-Up' Call For Bollywood
Vatsala Devki VatsUpdated on Jun 16, 2020, 13:06 IST
Vivek Oberoi has penned a note sharing heartbreaking details from Sushant Singh Rajput's funeral and has called this tragedy a big, long pending wake-up call for Bollywood.
Actor Vivek Oberoi was one of the few celebrities who made it to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's funeral that was held on 14th June 2020. Other celebrities who were in attendance were Shraddha Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Rajkumar Rao, Ranvir Shorey alongside Singh Rajput's family.
#RIPSushantSinghRajput 🙏 pic.twitter.com/gttlJHY3r3
— Vivek Anand Oberoi (@vivekoberoi) June 15, 2020
"Being at Sushant's cremation today was so heartbreaking. I truly wish I could have shared my personal experience and helped him ease his pain. I've been through my own journey of pain, it can be very dark and lonely. But death is never the answer, suicide can never be a solution," Vivek Oberoi began his note with these words.
"When I saw his father today, having to light the fire at the cremation, the pain in his eyes was unbearable, when I heard his sister weeping, begging him to come back, I can't express how deeply tragic it felt," further wrote Vivek Oberoi.
In his emotional note, Vivek Oberoi also requested Bollywood to start accepting people who are genuinely talented even if they don't belong to film dynasty families.
"I hope our industry that calls itself a family, does some serious introspection, we need to change for the better, we need to b***h less and care more, less power play and more grace and large-heartedness, fewer ego trips and more acknowledgment for deserving talents, this family needs to truly become a family...a place where talent is nurtured and not crushed, a place where an artist feels appreciated and not manipulated. This is a wake-up call for all of us," writes Oberoi.
"I will miss the ever-smiling Sushant Singh Rajput, I pray God takes away all that pain you felt my brother and gives strength to your family to deal with their loss. I pray you are in a better place now, maybe we didn't deserve you," Vivek concluded.
At a loss of words. Extremely tragic and upsetting to hear. We will all miss you immensely. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace 🙏 #SushantSingh #SushantSinghRajput
Sushant Singh Rajput you will be truly missed. Rest in peace, star.
(If you know anyone battling with depression or other mental health issues, please reach out to someone who can help. AASRA Foundation: 022 2754 6669 Samaritans Mumbai: +91 84229 84528 / +91 84229 84529 / +91 84229 84530 Sanjivini Society for Mental Health: +911124311918).


text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<android.support.v4.view.ViewPager xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:id="@+id/activity_art_work_pager_view_pager"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    tools:context="com.ryanpconnors.art_thief.rate.ArtWorkPagerActivity">

</android.support.v4.view.ViewPager>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Pete Murray
Pete Murray Biography
Pete Murray is an Australian singer-songwriter whose second album Feeler released on 21 July 2003 went to number one on the Australian charts on 29 March 2004 and has so far achieved six time platinum status. The third single "So Beautiful" has made the Australian top ten in the singles charts in 2004. Pete Murray was also nominated for two ARIA awards in 2003.
In 2005 he released the album See The Sun with the lead track "Better Days", followed shortly after by "Class A" and most recently "Opportunity."
chr Opportunity


text:
Q: Flutter NetworkImage throwing Error after 533 response from picsum In my flutter app, I have a container with a Decoration Image. That decoration Image is a NetworkImage:
Container(
  decoration: BoxDecoration(
    image: DecorationImage(
      image: NetworkImage(
        widget.data["backdrop"]
      ) ?? null,
      alignment: Alignment.center,
      fit:BoxFit.cover
    )
  ),
)

where: widget.data["backdrop"] = https://picsum.photos/200/300/?random
But sometimes, when I run this, it throws an Exception. Unfortunately I dont have the error, cuz it happens at random. But here's the exception being thrown (from Flutter's image_provider.dart file):
 final HttpClientResponse response = await request.close();
if (response.statusCode != HttpStatus.ok)
  throw Exception('HTTP request failed, statusCode: ${response?.statusCode}, $resolved');

Please how do I fix it, or detect the error.

A: Use
Image.Network(widget.data["backdrop"]);

This will directly pull the image from the network and show it in the Image widget.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Before I launch into the details of last (Friday) evening's ruling from federal court in Shreveport, I want to thank all of you who have e-mailed me already today. To say that all of us working on this issue appreciate your warm support is to grossly understate the case.
While we had hoped for at least a hearing in our federal court suit, such will not occur with the suit we had filed. (For those who were going to attend the scheduled hearing on Monday morning, it will not be held at this point.) As I detailed in the report to you when the restraining order was issued, the legal argument we presented to Judge Walter was a hard climb for us, especially given our related suit in state district court, and important abrogation of duty by various local officials.
I cannot yet report a decision made by the Coalition in response to this - Judge Walter's second - federal court decision. More work is required before that, but we particularly note that the Coalition may return to federal court - the Judge's order was very specifically issued "without prejudice," leaving that door wide open - or pursue the state district court suit or both. The Judge's order means, though, that if we return to federal court, we cannot bring the same "causes of action" from our state court suit to the federal court. Enjoining the federal highway administration (FHWA) in a way which reflects those changes becomes the focus. FHWA is funding the so-called "feasibility studies" now underway, studies which violate federal law in deliberately shutting out public involvement and withholding from public consideration route options damaging to Larkin's development.
To understand the Coalition's effort at this moment, one must recognize that we are in court because the local officials who should, under law, stop the roadway Tim Larkin is building for personal profit have chosen not to take that action. Rather, their silence and inaction passively validate the cooked-up permits from Glover, the city engineer and city attorney. Put simply, we are asking courts to do for the Shreveport public what key local government officials will not do. Once again, local government, broadly, fails to do that which the City Charter and their oaths demand. The list of such inarguable failures on a multitude of issues grows longer by the week.
The argument Larkin & Friends are currently using - "he's building a private road on private land" - is obviously bogus, by his own choice and hand, as attested to in the attached "permit" for his roadway. The reader will see in that document that Larkin says he is building is a "public servitude of passage", and the upper right-hand corner language shows that on April 12, 2012, Larkin himself - that's his signature - "... hereby dedicates a public servitude of passage."
Given that Larkin handed this over to we lowly taxpayers as a publicly dedicated servitude, he has no right of any kind to then pave it for his personal use and profit. Even for Larkin, and even in our mayor's Shreveport, how can one have a "private driveway" in a public servitude? Why Larkin chose this convoluted way of justifying his "permit" is the question everyone not in on his deal (they already know) must consider.
Here is the "cliff notes" version of all of this. Since Glover, NLCOG, the city engineer and Larkin's attorney Sam Gregorio acted to terminate the 3132 Extension on April 7, 2011, this entire charade has been about getting Larkin's roadway built, NOT about the Extension. Larkin's November 2007 contract with the Railsback Road Homeowners Association prohibits him from building homes until he has a connection up and into Flournoy-Lucas, i.e., the roadway he is building. If his roadway is built, the sham "feasibility studies" will end up forcing an Extension route which damages either current Twelve Oaks residents or WKHS' Oaks of Louisiana - while protecting Larkin's Esplanade.


text:
L-Acoustics backs Believe in Music Week
L-Acoustics founder Dr. Christian Heil (left) and JH Audio founder Jerry Harvey
USA - When the 2021 NAMM Show had to be cancelled due to continued COVID concerns, the association pivoted its focus by creating a digital alternative known as Believe in Music Week, running from 18-22 January.
L-Acoustics reports that it is fully supporting NAMM this month by sponsoring a virtual marketplace booth, where it will be hosting a comprehensive line-up of eight video sessions on a variety of topics, all with live Q&A. Visitors can also book online meetings with L-Acoustics team members, chat live, and receive special access to swag and an exciting giveaway.
Of particular note will be the booth's keynote session, Contour XO IEM Origins Story, moderated by FOH engineer Chris Rabold (Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé). This will be a Zoom 'fireside chat' discussion with L-Acoustics founder and president Dr. Christian Heil and JH Audio founder and president Jerry Harvey. This conversation explores their origins in pro audio and how they came to collaborate on the recently-launched Contour XO in-ear monitor.
Immersive Audio for Houses of Worship will be another key session, with L-Acoustics application manager Josh Maichele hosting a conversation with technical directors at three churches - Mount Paran in Georgia, Orchard Hills in Pennsylvania, and River Pointe in Texas - to learn about why they each chose L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology for their congregations.
"NAMM has always been much more than an industry trade show," shares Alan Macpherson, CEO, L-Acoustics Americas. "Shows have thrived, despite sea changes in the market over the years, and this is evidenced by the smart and concerted effort to bring professional audio to the fore. This year, NAMM has risen to a new challenge, yet again with its Believe in Music Week, a well thought out alternative to the in-person trade show that should provide excellent interaction. L-Acoustics is proud to be part of it, and we look forward to making quality connections with both new and existing customers this month."
A&H dLive makes its mark in Madrid
Meyer switches to reseller network in Australia and NZ
London welcomes 2021 in spectacular style
The Week in Light & Sound
Robe scores a hit on TV in Denmark
PLASA to host Culture Recovery Fund webinars this week


This Lightroom Presets collection was created by Bankpyt for you all to learn from his style and help develop your own, unique style as well. These filters are great for lifestyle photos as well as indoor!
A selection of the best and most popular photo styles from Bankpyt's collection. Bankpyt, formally known as Piyatat Primtongtrakul, has brought his vintage and film style for underexposure photos to the table in this amazing bundle. These filters work great for food, coffee & nature lifestyle photography.
Start your editing workflow with these awesome presets from Piyatat Primtongtrakul.
Bankpyt has included a variety of ten filters in this bundle for you to test out and play with. Read more below to learn how to best use each preset included in the collection!
PYT-01 | Moody vintage look with blue shadow. This preset works great with food & beverage photography especially coffee & bakery.
PYT-02 | Dark and deep moody earth tone preset which works really great for underexposure coffee photography.
PYT-03 | Underexposure, but clean tone which is good for both still life and portrait photography.
PYT-04 | Faded tone with vintage style. This preset works great for coffee photography which is shot underexposed.
PYT-05 | Dark, but clean look for food photography. This filter works great for moody tone food photography.
PYT-06 | Deep shadow and faded presets which work really great for dark food photography.
PYT-07 | Boosted green tone for a moody lifestyle photos. This preset works great for nature lifestyle photography which is shot underexposed.
PYT-09 | Faded green tone for fashion and underexposed lifestyle photography.
PYT-10 | Underexposure, but still colorful tone for travel and lifestyle photography.


Women's precarious position in society leads to a prevalence of gender inequality in education, financial literacy, and access to finance.
Environmental deterioration has been widely recognized as a pressing issue, bringing environmental governance to the forefront of human survival.
An influx of refugees affects the labor market outcomes of workers in bordering regions.
Cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, are electronic payment systems that permit transactions to be made under pseudo-anonymity and without middlemen.
Financial literacy is gaining increasing importance as a policy objective in many countries.
Well-designed infrastructure can cause a boom in development, boosting education and regional economies and creating opportunities and business.
A credit risk database containing data on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise lending and credit ratings is essential to help lenders make informed credit decisions.
A sound credit guarantee scheme is important in filling the financing gap for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Economic development has progressed rapidly in Asia in recent decades, moving many people out of subsistence agriculture into more productive jobs in manufacturing and services.


Uttarakhand Polytechnic (JEEP) 2019 Online Application Form has been available from 20 December 2018. Likewise, Uttarakhand Polytechnic Entrance Exam is also called as Joint Engineering Examination Polytechnic (JEEP 2019) or Uttarakhand Polytechnic 2019. Uttarakhand Board of Technical Education Roorkee (UBTER) is the main conducting Authority which organises Uttarakhand Polytechnic Entrance Exam 2019. JEEP is a State Level Polytechnic Entrance Examination that is conducted for the admission in various Diploma programmes in the field of Engineering, Pharmacy, Fashion Designing, Hotel management, Catering technology etc.
These dates are important event Dates (Tentative) for the Joint Engineering Examination Polytechnic. The official dates are yet to be released by Uttarakhand Board of Technical Education Roorkee (UBTER).
Form for JEEP 2019 is available in both Offline and Online mode.
Candidates can fill the online application form from 20 December 2018 onwards.
For Offline Application form, candidates can fill from 15 January 2019- 28 February 2019.
The application fee is Rs. 800/- for General candidates and Rs. 500/- for SC/ST candidates.
Students can also buy the application form from the UBTER Office.
The last date for the form submission is 15 March 2019.
How to fill the Joint Engineering Examination Polytechnic (JEEP 2019) Application Form?
It is necessary for the Applicants to fill their Personal, Educational, Communication and Course details during the Registration.
Applicants are required to upload the scanned images of photograph and signature.
No correction will be done in the Application form, after the successful submission.
Multiple registrations for the same course/group is not applicable.
Applicants have to fill the separate Application form, for applying in each group.
Fee payment can be made through online (Debit card/ Credit card/ Net Banking) only.
The Eligibility criteria for the Joint Engineering Examination Polytechnic (JEEP 2019) or Uttrakhand Polytechnic 2019.
class 10 or equivalent passed with science and mathematics subjects.
Passed 10+2 or equivalent with physics, chemistry and biology/mathematics subjects.
class 12 or equivalent exam passed with English subject.
class 12 or equivalent exam passed.
Must have English and Hindi subjects in class 10 or 12.
Students must hold a Graduation Degree to apply.
Class 10 or equivalent exam passed with minimum 35% marks.
Passed class 12 with PCM subjects, 12 with vocation stream or ITI (two years) candidates are eligible to apply.
The paper pattern for Uttarakhand Polytechnic 2019 is given here.
The question paper of E group will consist of the Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
The P group question paper will consist of the Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics.
Duration: The time duration of the examination will be 02 hours.
Syllabus: The syllabus contains the topics of Class 10 & 12.
No of Questions: Total 100 questions are asked in the question paper.
For Engineering & Technology Diploma: Questions will be asked from Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics subjects.
For PG Diploma in Computer Application: The syllabus will comprise English Comprehension, Numerical Ability, Reasoning, General Intelligence and General Awareness.
The syllabus will be of class 10 or 12 as per the courses.
The syllabus is consist of different topics of Mathematics and Science, Physics and Chemistry.
The topics will be asked from class 10 subjects.
Some major topics are the General calculation of roots, Cube roots, Square roots, Distance, Speed, Newton's law, All states of Matter, catalysis, Aromatic compound, etc.
This section will contain topics from different subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics.
Candidates shall have options to choose any one subject from Biology and Mathematics.
The syllabus will have a total of four sections and questions will be asked from Reasoning & Logical Discussion, Numerical Ability, Scientific Aptitude English Language and General Knowledge.
This section will consist of various topics from English & Hindi Comprehension, Reasoning & Intelligence, Numerical Ability, and General Awareness.
The syllabus will have total five sections such as English Comprehension, Numerical Ability, Reasoning, General Intelligence and General Awareness.
The syllabus will be of class 10 level.
The syllabus has been divided into three sections such as English & Hindi Comprehension, Reasoning & Intelligence and General Awareness.
The syllabus will consist of various topics such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and General Engineering.
The General Engineering section will have topics like Mechanical, Electronics, etc.
Firstly, candidates must find out all the details about the exam pattern and syllabus.
Secondly, Candidate must prepare a timetable as per their suitability and prepare accordingly.
Along with, make short notes for each subject and revise them one week before the Examination.
Candidates can also take help from the previous year's question paper to know more about the exam pattern.
Don't take the stress and take a healthy and nutritious diet at the time of preparation.
The admit card will contain Information such as candidate Roll number, Name, Category, Date of birth and many other details regarding Examination.
The written examination will be held on 28th & 29th April 2019.
To check the admit card applicants need to enter their Application number or Name and Date of birth.
The steps about how to download JEEP 2019 is given below.
Visit the Official website link and then move further to Admit card page.
Enter your Application number or Name and Date of birth and Click on 'SUBMIT'.
For instance, take 2-3 printouts of it and keep it safe till the declaration of result.
The exam date, time, venue, reporting time, etc.
Information like exam duration, subjects of the exam, subject code, etc.
Candidates must read the complete instructions given on the admit card.
The Rank list along with Result will be announced on the official Website.
Candidates can download their rank card by entering their roll number.
UK Polytechnic 2019 Result will be announced on 20 May 2019.
On the basis of the merit list, candidates will be called for the counselling process.
The merit list will be prepared on the basis of the marks scored by the candidates in the examination.
After the declaration of Result, UK JEEP 2019 Counselling will begin.
Counselling will start tentatively from the second week of June 2019.
Candidates will not get the Call Letter separately.
The counselling procedure is only in Online Mode.
The schedule of computerised counselling is posted in the official portal or newspaper.
At the time of counselling, the Student will bring their original documents for verification.
Official Website for Counselling http://ukcounseling.nic.in/.
The JEEP Counselling is conducted in various rounds, if the seats remain vacant in the first round, the second round of Counselling will be conducted.
Qualified Candidates those who have not attended the first round of counselling can participate in the second round of counselling.
The city and the exam codes are mentions below. Therefore, The exam code is used while filling the application form and choice of examination centre.
For Engineering Entrance Exam read about JEE MAIN 2019.


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De Kleine Zandwoestijn (Engels: Little Sandy Desert) is een woestijn in West-Australië ten zuiden van de Grote Zandwoestijn en ten westen van de Gibsonwoestijn. De woestijn ligt ten westen van de Great Northern Highway. De woestijn heeft deze naam gekregen omdat hij nabij de Grote Zandwoestijn ligt. De landvormen, de flora en fauna zijn allemaal vergelijkbaar met die van de Grote Zandwoestijn. Beide woestijnen worden doorkruist door de Canning Stock Route. De Kleine Woestijn heeft een oppervlakte van 111.500 km².

Woestijn in Australië

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Lebanon, Ill. — McKendree University nursing instructors Dr. Martha McDonald and Sara Bolten, RN, MSN, recently gained certification as nurse educators from the National League of Nursing. The credential is given following successful completion of the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) examination.
McDonald, associate professor of nursing, coordinates McKendree's nursing programs in Southern Illinois. The Marion, Ill., resident recruits and mentors students in the university's RN-to-BSN and MSN programs throughout the region. In April, she received McKendree's 2012 Exemplary Teacher Award, given annually by the United Methodist Church Board of Higher Education for excellence in teaching, concern for students and colleagues, commitment to values-centered education, and service beyond the classroom.
Bolten, a Louisville, Ky. resident, teaches at the McKendree University campuses in Louisville and Radcliff, Ky.


SALT LAKE CITY, May 20, 2013—Until now, many fleets in the four western states have wanted to try liquefied natural gas-fueled trucks in their operations. But committing to a purchase or full-service lease agreement without knowing whether they would work in their operations seemed too much of a risk.
Now they can since PacLease has something coming right out of the Blu.
Fleets operating along the I-84 and I-15 corridors from Las Vegas through Utah, Idaho, and eastern Oregon can rent Kenworth trucks fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) through a new rental program available from PacLease, its local franchise, Kenworth Sales Company, and Blu LNG. PacLease and Salt Lake City-based Kenworth Sales Company are teaming up with Blu LNG to provide the LNG-fueled trucks and the LNG fuel to power them.
The rental program will offer trucks in four different configurations to meet the needs of most fleets while matching the LNG fueling infrastructure that Blu is currently installing. The trucks are scheduled to roll off the assembly line shortly and will be available in local-delivery, regional-haul, long-haul and heavy-haul configurations. The trucks will be available at select Kenworth Sales Company-PacLease locations throughout the four western states near to where Blu has recently completed construction of LNG fueling stations. The three Idaho locations are in Boise, Idaho Falls, and Jerome. In Utah, there are three in Salt Lake City, and one in Salina and one in Washington. There are also locations in Las Vegas and Pendleton, Ore.
"We're excited to be offering private fleets and truck operators a chance to try an LNG-powered truck in areas where such opportunities have never really existed before," said Olen Hunter, director of sales for PacLease. "For companies involved in regional food and beverage distribution, oil and gas exploration, hauling raw products for the agricultural industry, or finished products for food processors, this will be an opportunity to test natural gas-powered trucks in their specific operations and duty cycles.
More locations will be available as new Blu LNG stations come online and rental truck equipment capacity is added nationally.
LNG fuel has the potential to significantly reduce fuel costs, Laing said. Recently the average price of a diesel gallon-equivalent of LNG has been running about a $1 below the average price of a gallon of diesel fuel, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration and Clean Energy Fuels.
All four configurations will feature the Kenworth T800 equipped with one 120-gallon LNG fuel tank, a 15-liter Westport high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) engine and manual transmission in various specifications. The local-delivery configuration will feature a day cab, single drive axle and a weight rating of 65,000 GVW. The regional-haul configuration will feature a day cab, tandem drive axle and a weight rating of 80,000 GVW. The line-haul configuration will feature a 38-inch sleeper, tandem or tridem drive axles and a weight rating of 80,000 GVW. The heavy-haul configuration will feature day cab or 38-inch sleeper, heavy-duty tridem drive axles and maximum weight ratings that meet local state weight laws. PacLease can also provide long-haul units with dual LNG tanks for fleets with longer operating ranges.
Blu, also known as TransFuels, is building a network of natural gas fueling stations along the major travel corridors – U.S. Interstate 84 and Interstate 15 in Idaho, Nevada, eastern Oregon, and Utah. The company is also planning the construction of fueling stations in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York and Ohio. For more information, visit the Blu at www.blustations.com.


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Friday the 13th AND a Full Moon! Uh OH!
Sep 13, 2019 @ 6:01am
It's Friday the 13th AND there's a full moon tonight. Which won't happen again for another 30 years. And if that makes you squirm a little, you're not alone.
Almost a third of Americans in a new survey admitted they're superstitious . . . including 9% who said they're VERY superstitious. That's about 1 in 11 people. 66% claimed they're either "not very superstitious" or "not superstitious at all."
Men were much more likely to say they're very superstitious . . . 16% compared to just 2% of women. And young people are more superstitious than older people are. 23% of people between 25 and 34 said they're very superstitious, versus 1% of people over 55.
AND what about the full moon tonight?
1. It's this year's "Harvest Moon." The full moon closest in date to the Fall Equinox is always referred to as a "Harvest Moon." And since this year's equinox falls on September 23rd, tonight's full moon gets the title.
2. It will also be a "micro moon." Tonight's full moon also coincides with the point in the moon's orbit when it's farthest from Earth. So even though it's a full moon, it'll appear slightly smaller and less bright than usual.
3. It's only full for an instant. The moon will appear full most of the night, but it's only officially full when it's exactly 180 degrees opposite the sun in something called ecliptic longitude. And for tonight's harvest moon, that happens at about 12:33 A.M. Eastern.
4. A full moon on Friday the 13th is pretty rare. We haven't had a nationwide full moon on Friday the 13th since October 13th, 2000 . . . and the next one won't be until August 13th, 2049.
black cat friday the 13th full moon storms
Human Trafficking/Prostitution Sting In Belden Village Area
Manager Of Canton Bar Shot And Killed After Breaking Up Brawl
Woman Dies in Jackson Township House Fire
Pancake Mix could be Deadly!
Bank Robbery In Downtown Massillon
WHBC Public Inspection File
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Time to End Child Marriage in Pakistan
Proposed Bill an Important Opportunity to Protect Children
Saroop Ijaz
Senior Counsel, Asia Division
saroopijaz
A girl crosses a stream as she walks to school in Margalla Hills, Islamabad, October 24, 2014. © 2014 Reuters
Pakistan's human rights minister, Shireen M. Mazari, recently spoke of her government's commitment to advancing human rights for all Pakistani citizens. A proposed bill sent yesterday to Pakistan's Senate that seeks to end child marriage is an excellent opportunity for the government to make good on that commitment.
According to UNICEF, 21 percent of Pakistani girls are married by the age of 18, and 3 percent before 15. Child marriage tends to occur in the country's most marginalized and vulnerable communities and has devastating consequences: Girls who marry are more likely to drop out of school than other girls, they face greater pregnancy-related health risks than women, and their babies are more likely to have health problems. Married girls are more likely to face domestic violence than woman who marry later. Additionally, child marriage sinks families deeper into poverty.
This could change if Pakistan's government passes an important bill, submitted by Senator Sherry Rehman, suggesting amendments to the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929. The bill seeks to completely ban marriage before the age of 18.
Pakistan's current law sets the legal marriage age at 16 for girls and 18 for boys, setting different, and thereby discriminatory, marriage ages for girls and boys. But even this law is rarely enforced, as the Pakistani courts often apply Sharia (Islamic law) instead, which they interpret as allowing any girl who has gone through puberty to marry.
The Pakistani government has a number of key rights challenges, yet it should also focus on the rights of girls and women. Girls often have little or no say in the timing of their marriage, or their choice of spouse. Under the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries around the world, including Pakistan, pledged to end all marriage before age 18 by 2030. They have their work cut out for them: around the world, a girl under 18 marries nearly every two seconds.
Pakistan's children should not have to wait any longer for the government to act. By supporting the proposed amendments, the government can take an important first step towards ending child marriage.
Source URL: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/11/09/time-end-child-marriage-pakistan


The church is called to make a difference outsid the walls of a church building.
The church was called to be dynamic and people who change the world will not be stopped. This moving illustration inspires us to tear down walls that keep us from living our lives as God leads.
Vicki struggles to maintain a relationship with her adult daughter who is an atheist.
This emotional sermon illustration demonstrates a teen's view of God's love.


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About Mario
Mario originally trained as an actor at the Academy Of Live And Recorded Arts drama school in Wandsworth, London, where he graduated eight years ago.
It was during his 3 year acting and musical theatre course that he started to perform his Elvis tribute show. Since then his show and performances have gone from strength to strength elevating him to heights other tribute artists and actors can only dream about.
Culminating recently in auditioning successfully and being chosen from hundreds of hopefuls in England and the USA to star in the leading role of Vince Everett in the successful musical production of Jailhouse Rock at the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End.
Listed below are just some of Mario's amazing achievements:
Mario is the only tribute artist ever to have been endorsed by Donna Presley, Elvis's first cousin.
Mario was invited to Memphis in August 2000 by Donna after having seen him perform at one of his shows. Donna was so moved by Mario's amazing vocal resemblance to Elvis, not only did she think he sounded exactly like him but she thought he had the same mannerisms, charisma and charm that Elvis had and the same magnetism on stage that the audience was drawn to him in the same way that they were drawn to Elvis.
In 2005 Mario was the first European to win the "Images of the King" Contest in Memphis Tennessee. This is the longest running Elvis tribute artist contest in the world and has been running for over 25 years. He has also gone on to win numerous Ultimate tribute artist contests throughout the world.
Mario has appeared on National Television on may occasions:This Morning with Philip and Fern
The Weakest Link
London TonightThis year Mario appeared on Top Of The Pops singing the 1000th number one single in chart history, Elvis Presley's 'One Night'.
Mario was also asked to sing at Twickenham Rugby Stadium where he performed the National Anthems for the All Blacks and the Barbarians in front of 50,000 people and millions watching on television.
Mario was chosen by Sony BMG to perform at the launch of the Elvis 18 Number 1's party at the Café De Paris in London's Leicester Square.
Mario has performed on Radio stations up and down the country. Singing live on London's Capital Radio, LBC and BBC Radio 1 & 2.
Mario has been featured in newspapers and magazines such as Hello and OK.
Mario has performed his tribute to Elvis all over the world. As far as New Zealand, America and all across Europe.
He continues to dazzle audiences with his stunningly authentic and sincere tribute to the man who he credits for giving him the inspiration to have achieved so many of the goals he has achieved today.
Mario originally trained as an actor at the Academy Of Live And Recorded Arts drama school in London.
See Mario Live
Mario's international tour continues - keep up to date with his tour dates here.
All the latest news and reviews will be posted right here. Check back regularly for updates.
The Elvis Years
Mario Kombou


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Short Story Competition: Sixth Batch Is Open for Voting!
By Daniel Scocco
The sixth batch with 10 new stories is live. You have until next Sunday to cast a vote on your favorite story. Next Monday we will have the seventh and final batch, so stay tuned!
I would like to say thank you to all the people that sent a story. It has been a funny and pleasant experience to run this competition, and I am sure that most of the readers are enjoying it as well.
1. 300 Guinea Pigs by Claire Bradshaw
I don't know how I get involved in these things. My so-called friend Sparky rang me the other day as he had a problem. Sparky has many problems, but this one was a fluffy, squeaking problem.
His trucker buddy Super Dave had a job to collect a consignment of 300 live guinea pigs from the airport and deliver them to the local University research lab. Unfortunately Super Dave tends to gets rather misty-eyed about cute animals (especially after a few drinks, as on this occasion). Fearing he was driving his furry passengers towards a life of misery and pain, the idiot pretended they'd escaped from his rig and instead drove them to freedom.
More specifically he drove them to my house. Sparky had already declined the doe-eyed delivery due to the major house renovations he had coincidently just started that morning. But I wouldn't mind looking after them – he'd call me right away and arrange safe passage for the liberated pigs. Oh, great. What was I supposed to do with 300 guinea pigs?
Not one to miss out on a money-making opportunity, Sparky realized he could make some cash out of the little critters. According to the Ecuadorian guy at the gas station, guinea pig tasted just like chicken and was a delicacy in South America. Sparky figured he could sell them at $5 a pop to the local World Cuisine restaurant as an exotic entrée. They would also make great barbeque food as they were perfect patty size. Super Dave was not having that – he didn't liberate them from the lab just for them to end up being grilled to perfection.
Sparky went off to visit his local herbalist with Super Dave's tearful pleas ringing in his ears. I warned Sparky to hurry up and formulate a plan – my basement floor was now a wriggling carpet of fat-faced furballs. And their numbers seemed to be increasing.
A few days later, Sparky returned with his foolproof plan. His herbalist told him that guinea pigs were used by Andean bush doctors to cure arthritis. By gently rubbing the poor creature on the affected area, the pain would magically disappear. The herbalist reckoned he could flog the guinea pigs at local seniors' homes, where he had a large customer base for his 'arthritic healing herbs'. They could probably sell two pigs a time – one for each knee. And the old folks would have a new friend to stroke and chat to. It was all good.
Sparky's $15 'One Pig and One Gram' deal sold like hot cakes. Within a week, they'd sold out of the little critters. For once I was impressed. For my help, Sparky gave me $200 and a promise never to let Super Dave anywhere near my house again.
Now all I have to do is find another $200 to cover my basement cleaning bill. Thanks, Sparky.
2. Morning Meeting by Jaguar
Sean poured some milk and took a sip. He rubbed his eyes and opened the window shade.
The street was empty.
Would she show up? It was hit or miss with her. She would show up promptly, 2 to 5 minutes after 6:00, or not at all. He glanced at his watch: 6:01.
The rhythmic percolating of his old coffee pot fell silent. He filled a mug and walked out the front door.
The morning air was brisk. Sean hunched his shoulders and leaned on his porch railing.
The sun was rising amidst sleepy puffs of pink and red. He smiled. This was the best part of his day.
No irate customers screaming obscenities into his ear. No explaining the difference between a desktop and the top of a desk to incompetent users. Just fresh air, peace, and her.
He sat down and checked his watch again: 6:03.
His brother, Ryan thought she was bad news. "Bad luck," he had said. "Stay away from her. You don't want none of that. You get too close to her and bad things will happen."
Bah. He was just superstitious. Besides, Ryan didn't know her like he did. Mandy was gentle and kind. And so beautiful that he smiled every time he saw her.
Perhaps Ryan was jealous. She didn't go to see him morning after morning. Maybe some empty part of Ryan's soul needed her.
Sean rubbed his wedding ring. Ryan wasn't the only one with a broken soul. Even after two years, Sean had been unable to take his ring off. He looked up and smiled sadly. Somewhere beyond those rosy clouds, his wife was looking down on him, wanting him to move on. He was sure she liked Mandy. But Mandy could never take her place. How could she?
And how could he move on? Jill had meant everything to him. Could time really heal all wounds? How could he forget her wrinkled nose when she laughed? How could he forget the woman who had played basketball with the neighborhood kids? How could he stop loving the woman who had filled his life with vibrance?
Thinking of Jill brought a heavy, hollow feeling to the pit of his stomach. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Maybe Mandy was a spiritual salve, sent by God to mend the tear in his soul.
Why did Mandy come to see him? Could Mandy have lost someone to? Did she need him as much as he needed her?
Sean looked at his watch: 6:06.
He looked down the street. Nothing.
Perhaps she didn't need him after all. It wasn't like she came every day. Maybe he was just a curiosity, someone to study for amusement and discard before brightening the life of some other broken man.
He sighed. She wasn't coming.
He got up to go back inside. A black cat stood between him and the door.
"Ah, there you are. Would you like some milk?"
3. The Tea Party by Kristine H. J.
It was a hot summer day and in all the little neat square gardens the only thing mowing were the bees that were too busy making their sweet honey to notice the heat and form time to tome a lawnmower whose owner decided to do something other than lying in the sun. In one of the gardens, the one with the yellow house, the little girl Patricia with the long plaits was sitting in the sandpit with her china dolls.
"I am so very delighted to see you all here today at my tea party. How are your today Mrs. Andrews?"
"I am quite well, thank you very much Miss Potter."
The little Patricia poured some of her imaginary tea into the four little cups in front of the three dolls and herself. They all took a sip and continued with their conversation.
"How is Mr. Lucas getting over that dreadful cold of his?"
"Oh, Mr. Lucas is doing quite alright, thank you Miss Johnson, he is nearly completely well"
"Have you heard Miss Johnson that the new owner of the Spinnets old house, Mr. Bradley is it not? He is having a ball on the first of May?"
Yes, I have and I am very excited. I cannot wait to see what he has done with the place. According to Miss Collins he has made a lot of changes especially in the parlour."
"Yes, I heard that Mr. Collins had the grand tour in the house the other week."
Then Patricia's mother called for her from inside the house.
"Well, ladies you must excuse me but I have to leave."
"Yes of course, goodbye and do have a nice day."
The little girl stood up and walked inside leaving the china dolls to continue drinking tea.
4. Hel Calling by Doug
'I'm getting wet,' Theonious thought to himself as the rain continued to come down. The pool around him was stained pink as the blood diluted and ran off in rivlets. 'Doesn't hurt so much any more,' crossed his mind while he looked at the cut on his upper thigh. The blood stained skaggox rested a few feet away, the rain spattering on the metal head. "Going to be Monday before they find me, too late for anything at that point.'
"It is not too late now, Theonious March. You still have the choice to live," she said in a brittle, cold tone. "Dying now will not get you into Valhalla."
Theonious glanced up at the robed women, standing a few feet away. Her face was concealed by the wide brimmed hood of a cloak. Her dress was old, he thought, no one wears those styles any more. Except at folk dances.
"I do not dance anymore and this garb suits me. You will learn this and more if you wish to live my son."
"Mom died long ago. You must be her shade," he said, shivering at the cold. His leg was long since numb and the light-headed feeling muddled his brain. 'Now I'm hallucinating my dead mother…aaarrrggghhh…,' he gasped as the pain enflamed his leg.
She was standing next to him, the end of a staff leaning on the wound. The pain vanished as it was lifted off. Her hood was down and a pair of cold eyes examined him. Half her face was scarred and rotted, while the other side was a picture of beauty. 'Just like me,' the thought flitted through his mind. Theonious was compelled to look at her and a long dead sluggish feeling clawed through the numbness and pain in a struggle to survive.
"That is the feeling of the living. You blood now understands and calls for its destiny. Do you wish to live? There's a price, always a price."
"Yes." The word gave him strength, as the pain came back a little and his mind cleared. "I want to live."
"Good," she spoke curtly as a clawed hand reached out. "Your face mirrors mine and that will not change. But the service you owe me; that will last until you draw your final breath, and stand before me in Judgment. The ax will be your token of power, use it to find your attackers and exact your justice." Someone stepped on his grave and then she was gone with a final word, "You are my son and shall bear that as an honor, Theonious Helson."
Theonious lurched upward. A vivid red scar now raced down his thigh, but the pain was gone. He bent over and picked up the skaggox, hefting it a couple of times and then experimentally swinging it. The handle was rough and worn, but the balance was perfect. 'Made for me.' He grinned to himself. 'Now to find those thugs and get a bit of payback.'
5. Call Me Mrs. Malaprop by Christine Lind
I have this malady called "malapropism." One day in my e-mail subscription to Daily Writing Tips, it had malapropism as its writing tip of the day. This is how I found out that my blooper habit has a name!
According to Daily Writing Tips, "Sheridan's 18th century play, The Rivals, featured a hilarious character called Mrs. Malaprop, who was apt to drop a verbal clanger whenever she opened her mouth. Malapropisms are often the same part of speech, begin or end in the same way or have the same rhythm when spoken. It's where you take a real word and substitute it for another" (Daily Writing Tips/November 17, 2007). In lay terms, it's the Norm Crosby syndrome. He's the comedian who made a career out of malapropism. He is known as the King of the malaprop and always speaks from his diagram and drinks decapitated coffee.
Now, I've never drank decapitated coffee, but I've been known to brag and tote my own horn and join a couple and be a fifth wheel. Another time, at an outdoor concert, I lamented to a friend as we tried to shield ourselves from the sun, that I wished we had a camisole.
My husband, who hears malaprops daily, calmly announces the right word after I've messed with the King's English. But sometimes (especially after a long day), I can sneak one passed him. For instance, after discussing a particular issue we had going on in our lives, I concluded the conversation with, "We'll have to grit and bear it." Without skipping a beat, he gave in and said, "All right, we'll try gritting for awhile!"
Evidently, I've passed the malaprop gene to my youngest daughter, Anna. Anna is 26 years old and a resident director at a large university. She's also attending classes toward her Masters Degree in Communications (weird, huh?), and has aspirations to be a motivational speaker (true to myself, I told her I couldn't be more proud she's going to be an emotional speaker). This past Christmas as she was shopping for kitchen towels atWilliams Sonoma, she asked the sales lady with all sincerity if she could get the linens
mammogramed. The clerk was taken off guard (and maybe hasn't heard of the disorder), staring at my daughter with her mouth agape. Anna and I have learned that "staring," usually means we've swapped out a major word!
But it's not all bad; malapropism can even bring a little happiness. Not only does it contribute great fodder around the dinner table, it'll make any get-together less stuffy—giving friends and family a memorable time.
Thank you Daily Writing Tips for this great tip and for giving a name to this every wordsmith's nightmare. And to all you out there (and you know who you are) trying to get as close to the intended word as possible—clang on and be counted! Mrs. Malaprop would be proud.
6. Teens Gone Wild by Benjamin Hall
"Pregnant! When's it due?" Shauna joyfully shouts the words into the phone, listens, and hangs up. Jumping up and down she turns to me, "Oh my God, Tony, we're going to have a baby to take care of."
We dance around in a circle laughing hysterically until her mom screams for us to shut up and settle down. We run outside to the bench under the willow tree.
"I'll bet it's going to be a boy," I say, rocking an imaginary baby.
"Well, I'm hoping it's a girl, so there," says Shauna.
She looks into my eyes, "Tony, I love you. We are the cause of a new life entering this world."
"I love you too—and they say thirteen is too young to know what love is."
"Yeh, but I'll be fourteen in ten months."
"And I'll be fourteen in seven."
"Plus, my boobs have already started to show."
I look at the slight bulges on her thrust out chest.
Shauna's face turns serious, "We can't tell anybody about this. Swear it!"
"Okay, my mouth is glued shut."
She puts her hand on my cheek, looks at me with those doe eyes and whispers "Daddy."
I do the same to her and say "Mommy".
We start laughing out of control again and wind up dancing around the trunk of the willow. In a while, we sit back down on the bench, all grins.
"What time do you have to baby-sit," I ask?
"Mrs. Murphy said to be there at six. She warned me again not to sneak you in anymore. God, it's been months since they came home early and caught us pigging-out on all their goodies."
"When did you say Mrs. Murphy will give birth? That's going to stop our pig-outs for a while, since she'll be home all the time with the new baby."
"She's due the first part of June, and won't need me again 'til the baby's about two months old. She'll probably stay home the last few before it's born too, so I won't get to baby-sit for four or five months."
In April the baby-sitting stops, but we don't care. We have plans to make about how we'll raise our baby.
The first part of September my cell rings. . . . "Oink, Oink," Shauna shouts to me, "Mrs. Murphy just called and wants me there at 8 o'clock. Guess what? She went grocery shopping today. God, we'll get to raid the goodies big-time tonight."
"I'm in the back door before the Murphys are even out of the driveway. We run to the baby's bassinet and look down at our baby, the one we caused to be born when we poked tiny needle holes in the condoms we found while snooping in the bedroom drawers."
Our baby coos at the attention we're giving her.
Before we head for the munchies, I look knowingly at Shauna, "Nothing like a planned pregnancy, huh Mommy?"
7. Bullets And A Gun by Chance Harper
The off-white towel lay crumpled at my feet. The cold breeze from the noisy air-conditioning unit gently caressed my bare skin. I stood in front of the tarnished mirror in my cheap hotel room, and forced my eyes to acknowledge my naked reflection. It repulsed me to see the marred skin. Every inch of my body from my throat to my ankles irrevocably scared. I could call them battle scars if I had put up a fight. Submit or die were my only options, I chose the former, and hated myself for being so weak.
My freedom came at a price though, and sooner or later someone would be sent to collect in full. But is it a crime to kill a monster? I didn't think so. To me it had been justice, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Sadistic, depraved, remorseless, oh he had been a monster alright. I should have killed the bastard years ago.
Gingerly I touched the puckered scars as tears I had denied for so long ran down my cheeks. He had taken so much from me, my childhood, family, friends, but I refused to dwell on those thoughts right now. I had to lock away the pain. I couldn't deal with it and its implications. Distractions would get me killed, and I'd be damned if I let them take me without a fight. The girl I used to be died back there, in that room with him, and like a phoenix rising from the ashes I had been reborn.
I rummaged through the bag Joseph had given me and found money, a change of clothes – including a turtleneck jumper, fake ID, and a bus ticket to Vancouver. God, the man had thought of everything. I still couldn't believe he had helped me. He had been indifferent the whole time I'd been there; I didn't think he gave me a second thought.
In truth Joseph's revelation had shocked me. When he promised to help me escape I thought it had been a trick. A ploy designed to test my loyalty followed by a severe punishment when I accepted the offer. But when Joseph told me how to kill him, I knew it was no trick. I saw the hatred in his tired eyes, and knew he wanted Alexander to suffer as much as I did.
I looked down at my hands, the hands that had wielded the weapon. Hours earlier they had been stained crimson. Now, they looked the same as they always had – small with delicate fingers and bitten fingernails. No discernable signs of my crime remained, but the memories would not be washed away so easily.
I put the jeans and turtleneck jumper on, reached inside the bag to remove the trainers and found a hidden compartment. Inside I discovered that Joseph had left me with three final parting gifts. A stake, identical in design to the one I had killed Alexander with, bullets and a gun.
8. The Ghosts of Ruby by Christie Smith
The department store had changed a lot over the years. The ghosts hadn't. They remained trapped in a continual re-enactment of the tragedy that had rendered them ghosts. Rarely were the shoppers, eyes glazed over in an orgy of want, aware of the ghosts fighting in their midst.
But once in a while, just once in a while, someone would notice.
On this particular hot summer day, the person noticing was 8-year-old Ruby Martinez. Everyone said Ruby was an odd child. Even her name, a throwback to a screen siren of long ago, marked her as different. For an eight year old, she possessed a dignity befitting a young woman three times her age. Many times Ruby's mother would exclaim in an effort to explain her child, "She's just so mature for her age!" promptly putting an end to further inquiries.
Today as Ruby trailed her mother through the ladies underwear section, she became aware of the panicked shouts of doomed men.
"Duck, Johnny!"
"My God, how much longer must this last?"
The boom of a rifle accompanied the last desperate question. Ruby jumped, eyes widening in fright.
"Keep up with me Ruby," her mother commanded. "Good Lord, child, what's the matter?"
Ruby shook her head, keeping what she heard secret from her mother – just like she always did. She continued to follow her mother, ignoring the embarrassment she felt as her mother pawed through heaps of discounted underwear.
Sounds continued to grow in Ruby's ears, drowning out everything else, including her own breathing. As she kept her watchful eyes on her mother, the sight dimmed as Ruby began to see the owners of the voices. Rough-looking men with shaggy hair and unshaven faces darted in and out of her field of vision. They carried long knives and rifles clenched like lifelines.
"God damn Mexicans!"
"We can't kill them all, but if we can just get Santa Anna…"
Ruby didn't know who Santa Anna was, but fervently hoped the ghosts couldn't see her, seeing as how she was one of those goddamn Mexicans.
As Ruby's mother completed her selections and moved to the front of the store to pay for her purchases, Ruby's otherworldly visions faded. The last thing Ruby heard as she left the store and stepped out into the bright San Antonio sunshine was, "Remember the Alamo!"
9. End Game by Srihari Yamanoor
There was very little time left. When had it come down to this? It was a rhetorical question anyway.
"Need to do this first." "I don't feel like it." "I would rather get everything in line before venturing on something this big."
After all, who begins things in a shoddy manner? Planning is essential. Do it right, first time and all that.
The "ruminating" ensued, rather emptily as he piled things away – "For Mom and Dad", "For Sis", "For Her", "Trash" and of course, "Recycle".
The news had come as a shocker.
Was there a single person who received this pleasantly?
It had been so glorified in cheap novels and B-grade movies (and short stories)..
"… a couple of weeks… good idea to spend it with your friends and family. Sorry to break it to you this way, but I thought you might want to know".
Yeah, sure!
He hadn't the heart to tell his parents or his sister. It was too complicated anyway. Plus, who wanted the emotional repercussions anyway?
Every time he grudgingly called up, it was about "settling down" and "finding someone".
Women nowadays are smart. They don't fall for losers that easily. Actually, they do – it really depended on who he was telling the story to. Sometimes they were too smart to evade him, sometimes they were dumb enough to be "taken" by lesser nincompoops.
He was leaving behind his entire life – a mishmash of knicks and knacks, and incomplete projects. How he had wasted away. He was better than that. At least, he thought so…
He seemed to have adapted to the news surprisingly well. He would have imagined crying a lot or at the least being very frustrated. Had he subconsciously put it off – for later?
Huh! Old habits do die hard he guessed, and sometimes you went before they did….
There was the stupid phone again.
Phones were societal traps. If you weren't alert – a sister dropped by, a parent urged you to reproduce or a collector wanted you to stick to his plan of how you organized your finances. Or it was yet another single loser wanting you to communion in mutual grief…
"The Doctor asked me to call you immediately. He double checked your reports. It was a misdiagnosis. He wants you to know that you have nothing to worry about."
"You are not joking are you? Because if you are…"
"No sir. The Doctor will call you back soon to explain things himself. Would you also schedule an appointment instead?"
"No, I will wait for his call."
Appointment? What the hell was that? So, he had just wasted his time looking back on his life for nothing? It was a "misdiagnosis"? Why the hell did all this happen to him anyway?
At least, he was relieved. He would finish all this, just a little later. This time, it would be for good. He had learned his lesson after all.
But first, a drink….
10. Home Sweet Home by Kate Freeman
"Then Denny tells me to guard the plants because people been sealing them. I'm sitting around with a pot and a metal spoon. My job is to run out banging them and yelling. ARRRAAWWW!" Jesse yells clapping his large hands together to mimic the beating the two kitchen items. His friends are laughing. "I almost gave grandpa next door a heart attack. It was ridiculous. So yeah. . . California was great."
"How . . .," Gail pauses looking for words. "How did you come to be on a farm harvesting dope for a bunch of crack heads in California?"
"My ex-step-mom lives on the farm. She came up to visit and stayed with my step-dad. She told him that if we helped with the harvest, we'd make two-thousand a week for four weeks. My step-dad didn't go, but it seemed like a good idea to me."
"Hindsight," Marty says.
"I wouldn't have guessed she had a crack habit before I left. People just lit up in front of me. 'He's from St. Louis. He's use to this.' Yeah, it's all a normal day like this in the Good Ol' St. Lou. They never even took me to see the tourist stuff. I had to take buses to go see Alcatraz by myself."
"So did you not have a good time at all?" Gail asks.
"I saw some good stuff. They did take me to this gay guy's house. He had a basement sex dungeon. He was like, 'You want to see it don't you?'" Jesse flipped his wrist and winked his eyes mimicking the ultra-fem character of his story. Jesse added, "'You do!'" and flips his writs over again now pointing at his audience. "There was a cage, some whips, pictures of penises everywhere. It was funny. I liked that guy. He was alright . . . I went to this bar that was cool. I drank two beers before I went to pay with my debit card. Then the bar tender tells me he can't take a card and I ain't got no cash. . . So he just paid it. Told me it was on him that night. I thought that was cool. I went to another bar and got cash back. I paid the man back. I just thought that was real nice of that guy."
"So would you do it again?" Marty asked.
"No. Those people are stressful. I will gladly be poor in St. Louis over making a buck in California. I'm glad to be home. An earthquake can come and take California off the map and I'd praise Jesus and by sacrificing a bag of good weed." His friends laugh.
"But we get our oranges from there," Marty points out.
"I don't eat that many oranges and I don't think I would miss them all that much." Jesse says shaking his head as his friend again laugh at his sarcastic comments.
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14 Responses to "Short Story Competition: Sixth Batch Is Open for Voting!"
Christine Lind on August 25, 2008 1:34 pm
So happy to see my article, "Mrs. Malaprop." I am disappointed that my paragraphs are messed up! I checked my attachment and my paragraphs were normal with proper placing within words. Please do not "not" vote for me because of that – I didn't send it in that way! Thanks.
Tanya on August 25, 2008 4:06 pm
Teens Gone Wild by Benjamin Hall is creative, luring, and has a surprise twist at the end that will leave your jaw hanging. Well written and full of life, this story is a winner! It bated me from the beginning!
Ian on August 25, 2008 4:59 pm
#1 made me laugh a lot! Very nicely written with lots of pace – it would make a great film short. #5 was a very interesting idea too.
#2 left me cold, not sure why it is so popular…
Anna H Elliot on August 25, 2008 6:53 pm
"Teens Gone Wild" is an excellent story! It really had me going. The writer gave just enough clues for me to draw the wrong conclusion. I love a surprise ending – and this one caught me totally unaware. I enjoyed this story very much.
Daniel Scocco on August 25, 2008 8:31 pm
I liked number 1 as well, pretty funny.
Deb on August 25, 2008 9:57 pm
I felt no. 2 was the most well-written. Did know pretty much from the beginning it was going to be an animal (i had guessed a dog, even though I'm a cat-lover).
Ellie Eisenford on August 26, 2008 2:15 am
I tried to vote for the previous set yesterday afternoon, but the poll had already been closed. The other weeks the poll has stayed active until mid-late morning Monday. =(
JD at I Do Things on August 26, 2008 1:17 pm
Anything with guinea pigs is automatically funny. LOVED # 1!!!
sujit mahamulkar on August 26, 2008 3:51 pm
i like no. 1, nice to read, understand and enjoyed.
Linny on August 26, 2008 7:40 pm
#No.7. Was I felt ;very captivating, Intense and well devised. Using a variety of emotion and imaginaton made this piece in good favour for further reading. Alexander sounds a pretty nasty guy to.!
A big thumbs up from me.!
Beth on August 27, 2008 1:05 am
I LOVE #6. I thought oh my gosh. Those kids are really in a mess and then the end…… LOL That was GREAT!!!!!!! If I knew anything about the author I would bet it was a true story.
John on August 28, 2008 12:00 am
Number 2 had me going – very well written, engaging… and then #6! I laughed, and went back to confirm #2 was a high quality piece of work. I nodded, and went through the rest of the stories… but after all, it was #6 that got my vote. 'Jaguar' wrote well, but just came up against 'Benjamin Hall' this time around.
I wish we could vote for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, weighted 1 = 3 points, 2 = 2 points, 3 = 1 point – then tally everything by total points. This would permit an easier carryover when we vote on the very final set of contenders, and I wouldn't feel so bad about leaving 'Jaguar' in the dust. Oh well…
And thank you for allowing us to comment this time. Comments are a great addition to the competition!
Eva G. on August 29, 2008 3:02 pm
A couple of these were really good, but the "Call Me Mrs. Malaprop" hit too close to home – well done!
LilSk8rgramma on August 31, 2008 8:01 pm
I came here to read all the stories and vote, but the poll is closed and it's only 1:00 PM on Sunday.
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Proposer une correction des paroles de "Yuck"
Hi! It's uh—Logic? Hi, sorry. It's Elton John calling you! Um, I hope you don't mind me getting you on your mobile–or not getting on your mobile, but I was just, uh—congratulating you first of all on your performance at the Grammys and then I was asking you—I was gonna ask you if you'd like to do something for me, and I will ring you back later and see—and talk about it, thanks!


text:
O'Connell claims PWC GT title in dramatic fashion
By dizbizroundupSep 13, 2015, 6:32 PM EDT
Johnny O'Connell. Photo: Cadillac Racing
MONTEREY, Calif. – Johnny O'Connell entered the Pirelli World Challenge season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with a 26-point lead and has ended it with a 61-point lead over title rival Olivier Beretta to claim his fourth straight GT class championship.
Yet that points gain does not tell the story of what was a dramatic, tense, action-packed 20th and final race.
While the pair of NGT Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia GT3s dominated the race – Alessandro Balzan winning from Alessandro Pier Guidi – the story of the title came down to O'Connell and Beretta, after Beretta had cleanly driven from 12th place up to fourth in the 50-minute race.
On Lap 25, Beretta made a passing attempt of O'Connell at the Corkscrew, with O'Connell concerned the damage would be too much to knock him out of the race.
Beretta seemed to poise to seize the title at that point, but was issued a drive-through penalty from Race Control for avoidable contact.
Beretta then retired at Turn 11 with just over five minutes remaining, and O'Connell's title was secured, despite a 12th place finish.
In the race, Balzan beat Pier Guidi, Ryan Dalziel, Andy Pilgrim and Michael Lewis. Eric Lux (GT) and Colin Thompson (GT Cup) claimed additional class victories.
The title for O'Connell marks his fourth consecutive championship in the No. 3 Cadillac Racing entry, although first in the first year of the new FIA GT3-spec Cadillac ATS-V.R.
Frankie Montecalvo (GTA) and Thompson (GTC) secured the other class titles.


text:
Inhofe Uses Hearing to Continue Defending Withdrawal From Paris Climate Accord
Surprise Uptick in Crude Supplies Results in Lower Settlements on Thursday
Saltwater Well Fight Grows in NE Kansas
The earthquake and wastewater injection well debate is growing in northeastern Kansas. Environmental groups are fighting a plan by a Florida company to drill two saltwater injection wells near the town of Eudora, arguing they will create the same kind of earthquakes experienced in Oklahoma.
But there's pushback from oil and gas consultant and geological Marty Dubois, according to the Lawrence Journal World.
"The proposed wastewater injection will not cause earthquakes to occur in Douglas County," he wrote in a letter to the city of Lawrence and Douglas County officials. "If operated as prescribed by the Kansas Corporation Commission, it will not pose a hazard to groundwater."
He pointed out that more than 100 such wells have already been drilled in Douglas County with no production of earthquakes. Environmentalists want more study of the request before state regulators grant a permit to Midstates Energy Operating, LLC of Florida.
The Kansas Corporation Commission records showed there are two active saltwater disposal wells in Douglas County and 177 enhanced oil recovery wells.
Dubois also shot down arguments that confused "fracking" with the wastewater disposal wells.
"Hydraulic fracturing has nothing to do with saltwater injection or water disposal," Dubois said. "Fracking is a process. The permitting process has nothing to do with fracking."


text:
Home City
49% Pakistanis claim to never take part in sports: Gallup Poll
in City
ISLAMABAD: Gilani Research Foundation Survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan said that 49% Pakistanis never take part in sports; 18% take part in sports rarely.
According to Gillani Research Foundation, a nationally representative sample of adult men and women, from across the four provinces was asked, "Please tell us, how frequently you take part in such activities: Taking part in sports (e.g. football, rugby, basketball)?" In response to this question, 5% respondents said they take part in sports almost daily, 12% respondents said they take part in sports one to three times per week, 16% take part in sports one to three times per month, while 18% respondents rarely take part in sports and 49% said that they never take part in sports.
According to the gender breakdown, both men and women in Pakistan have very little opportunity to take part in sports with 43% male respondents and 56% female respondents claiming that they never take part in sports. Among male respondents, 6% said they take part in sports almost daily, 11% said they take part in sports one to three times per week, 16% take part in sports one to three times per month, while 23% rarely take part in sports and 43% said that they never take part in sports. Among female respondents, 4% said they take part in sports almost daily, 12% said they take part in sports one to three times per week, 16% take part in sports one to three times per month, while 11% rarely take part in sports and 56% said that they never take part in sports.
Toxic syrup claims life of teenager in Muzaffargarh


I've updated the OSX binaries (and deprecated the rest) to check my updates and make sure that they'll correctly validate and grant credit. Will be compiling linux binaries next. After they're verified I'll get on to the rather painful task of compiling them in windows. Test work units will be trickling out as I work on these.


This is thanks to his stated intention to double the number of people employed in the sector.
The accolade came from the mouth of Gloria Guevara, the President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Speaking on 22 November at the inaugural WTTC Africa Leaders Forum in Stellenbosch, South Africa, which was hosted by Tourism South Africa, Guevara commented: "In his State of the Nation address in February this year, President Ramaphosa not only mentioned the 'incredible opportunities' of travel and tourism, he also set a powerful target to double the number of people directly employed in our sector from 700 000 to 1.4-million.
"Travel and tourism is, without a doubt, South Africa's greatest engine for the creation of jobs and the alleviation of poverty. It contributes to social equality, encourages the integration of women in the workplace and enables economic self-reliance. It provides employment in parts of the country where other jobs may not exist, and generates a sense of self-worth. We praise the government for recognising those 'incredible opportunities' of our sector and the steps it has already taken to realise the potential.
"We see those opportunities falling in three broad areas. We congratulate the government of President Ramaphosa for its efforts to reform the visa process so that more tourists from more countries can visit the country and recommend that this is rolled-out as widely as possible. Secondly, we support the long-held ambition to fully liberalise the continent's air services. Finally, we see the benefits of South Africa's continued adoption of biometrics as a way to make travel safer and more efficient.
Travel and tourism is already working from a strong base, with the latest annually published WTTC data indicating that the sector currently contributes a total of 8.9% to South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) and creates 726 000 jobs directly, a figure that grew to 1.5-million when all the indirect impacts of the sector are taken into account.
Recent figures from Statistics South Africa show that, of the 15.8-million workers employed formally and informally in South Africa in 2016, 4.4% (or one in every 23 people) were directly employed in the tourism sector. This compares to 3.8% just 10 years prior.
Furthermore, the 690 000 people employed in the sector in 2016 outnumbered those in both mining (444 000) and utilities (118 000). That same year, the tourism sector directly contributed to 2.9% of South Africa's GDP, making the sector larger in terms of GDP than agriculture, although it is still smaller than construction and mining.
As an organisation, WTTC represents the travel and tourism private sector at a global level, with a membership numbering more than 170 chairs, presidents and CEOs from companies in every part of the industry.
It is not only travel and tourism companies that are promoting the industry. The financial sector is also eyeing the lucrative sector as a potential "silver bullet" for the ailing South African economy. The visa issue represents a particularly appetising case of low-hanging fruit. With the resignation of Malusi Gigaba as the Minister of Home Affairs and a Member of Parliament, the time is ripe for South Africa's tourism-killing visa regime to be amended, in the hope that tourists will give the economy some much-needed CPR.
This is the view of Cannon Asset Managers' Investment Analyst, Tlotliso Phakisi.
The infamously unfriendly visa requirements for which Gigaba will be remembered have crippled the tourism industry by throttling the volume of tourists entering the country. Perhaps the most damaging blow of all was landed by the controversial requirement—frequently derided as nonsensical—that visitors travelling with children under the age of 18 years must provide their unabridged birth certificates (UBC) upon entering or exiting South Africa. Bad press associated with negative experiences suffered by unprepared travellers deterred families from visiting our shores. Faced with the uncertainty and stress of the onerous visa requirements, travellers simply opted to go elsewhere.
The direct impact of the visa regime has been measured by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), which estimates that more than 13 246 travellers were prevented from entering the country between June 2015 and June 2016 after failing to meet the UBC requirements. When considering how much tourists tend to spend, it is clear that the country lost many millions in potential revenue during this period alone. Of course, the indirect impact is more difficult to gauge—there are no statistics for the number of people who were simply put off or who changed their minds—but the multiplier effect is likely to be substantial.
Now, South Africa has the opportunity to put that episode in the past and restore the travel and tourism sector to its rightful place.
"Despite this, however, tourism has been one of the few sectors in the country to consistently show promise and resilience in terms of both job creation and economic growth over the past few years, demonstrating its potential as the lever needed for turning things around in the short term," says Phakisi.
Within the broader context of travel and tourism, the hotel industry is a sub-sector that promises to deliver excellent employment opportunities and a steady career path for school leavers and post-gap year individuals.
The fact is that the industry averaged R16.6-billion in hotel room revenue in 2017 and this is forecast to increase by an additional 5.6%, according to PwC's Hotels Outlook. Considering that the rest of the economy is troubled by economic and political unrest and that a devastating drought continues to plague one of our largest tourism regions, the hotel industry's consistent growth only serves to make it all the more attractive.
The PwC Hotels Outlook report reflects that 2017 saw a 7.2% increase in foreign visitors from outside the continent to South Africa alone.
Cape Town is ranked by the International Congress and Convention Association as the best business tourism city in Africa, while Johannesburg has earned the distinction of being ranked by Euromonitor International as being among the top 100 city destinations in the world. Durban, Johannesburg and Malelane are primed for six additional four-star hotels, which are scheduled to open between 2019 and 2021.
Bezuidenhout points out that even though new technology is being introduced to every sector of the market all the time, there will always be a need for human interaction in the hospitality industry. What technology is changing is the focus of human interaction—away from time-consuming routine to better customer service. As Forbes.com points out, customer relationship management (CRM) systems are already part of the mix, while technologies such as speak-to-order technology, augmented reality (AR) to better direct customers when on site, and biometric authentication (facial recognition) have been highlighted by Gartner as key future trends. By letting technology take care of these aspects, human staff will be able to focus on customer service and delivering rich experiences to keep guests coming back for more.
Technological advances also have implications for training, making hospitality an especially relevant field for the tech-savvy youth. "We are not oblivious to the generational requirement of staying ahead of the curve as far as technology is concerned—especially from an educational standpoint, so we have and will continue to diversify our learning methods that make our intimate classroom environments interactive, using practical and blended learning teaching methods," explains Bezuidenhout.
Another recent development that is calculated to enhance the reputation of South Africa's tourism sector as a whole is the gazetting for the implementation of the new and revised grading standards for South Africa from 1 April 2019.
As announced by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), the objective is "to advance and maintain a recognisable, credible and globally benchmarked system of quality assurance for accommodation and venues in South Africa".
Two new categories have been introduced in the form of "apartment hotels" and "small hotels", which will also cover luxury accommodation in the form of boutique hotels. Those products "that far exceed premium expectations with respect to quality standards and service excellence" will now be recognised with a new 5-Star Premium grading level. For too long, five stars have not been enough of an indication to tell the truly exceptional apart from the average.
Niche market differentiation also comes into play with the new grading system, as the TGCSA has introduced a range of "accolades" that "include insignia and criteria for niche markets such as child-friendly, pet-friendly, wedding venues, spa and wellness facilities, 4x4 etc.".
The accolades offering also includes the category of responsible tourism. The idea is to encourage tourism businesses to operate more responsibly and limit their environmental impact.
Protecting the environment also translates into preserving jobs. "In the Western Cape, tourism is one of our major job creators, creating more than 300 000 direct and indirect job opportunities. By committing to using more local suppliers and services, and fair labour practices, the tourism industry can ensure that tourism is also economically and socially responsible," Minister Schäfer said.
It is to be hoped that tourism destinations outside of the Western Cape will take advantage of the opportunities offered by the new grading system.
"The approved enhancements to the grading system create greater value for our members and will further aid the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa in upholding and improving the competitive positioning of South Africa as a quality destination," comments Darryl Erasmus, the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa's Chief Quality Assurance Officer.
"The implementation date of 1 April 2019 offers sufficient time for us to consult and socialise the revised grading system with all the stakeholders. It will also enable our members to ready themselves for their next assessments based on the revised criteria," he adds.
"This would not have been possible without the participation of our valued stakeholders and we are immensely grateful for their involvement. I would like to thank the industry for their contributions and inputs as well as their patience whilst the TGCSA completed this revision process. The valuable inputs of all our stakeholders have resulted in a set of criteria that are globally competitive, yet uniquely South African," concludes Erasmus.


One of the most intense activities you can do in Amsterdam is the Fire Breathing workshop! All you need is technique, some confidence, and a lot of luck! Just kidding we will make sure its safe for you so you can sing The Prodigy's "I'm a Firestarter.." all weekend.