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Hidden Ones by Marcia Fine
January 22, 2018 by pbrooks
The Jews You May Not Know
Herman Melville observed 'to write a mighty book you must choose a mighty theme' and that is what we have with Marcia Fine's Hidden Ones (L 'Image Press, 2017).
In the world of historical fiction, Marcia Fine is a multi-award-winning author of inspiring first-rate commentary on Jewish history. She has seven novels to her name, but her latest book Hidden Ones shows the reader she is at the top of her game.
She has combined history, fiction, romance and intrigue with the contagious enthusiasm of a researcher who has discovered gold, and in my opinion, she has done just that with Hidden Ones. Her richly researched and sympathetic portrait of controversial Jewish figures disguised as Catholics in Mexico, along with the dramatic stories of the Inquisition in Mexico in the mid 1600's comes along at a beleaguered period in Mexican history. Where brutality against those Judaizing reaches a dangerous and volatile significance, Fine begins to write.
The Jews living in Mexico during this period refused to not be Jewish. Although working daily to not enrage the church or show their identity, they maintained their pride and dignity. Their courageous resistance in and out of prison was defiant but hard for the church to prove. They believed they did not have to be what the Church wanted them to be, they just had to exist within it and around it, never revealing their identity. They were too fast in their actions to be caught by those who came by to check on them. They were always prepared for a search.
The story rocks back and forth between the strong grandmother imprisoned during most of the book and the impressionable granddaughter, imprisoned for a short time. Heroically, these two women carry the story as life moves from marriage to childbirth, and from death to heartache. Life for them is usually in chaos with the Church's eye always on the suspected Jews.
While front and center, this Jewish family stands for peace and unity, love, equality, and justice at the very least. Often risking everything for what they believe, they know who they are.
This work is likely to be controversial with the author's portrayal of the Inquisition in Mexico and the Catholic Church at that time, but be assured, her research is solid, and easily documented, despite showing the dark side of Catholicism. She teaches us much about orthodox Jews and their faith with the rituals and celebrations they adhere to in this dire situation. There are surprises and plenty of suspense when the Jews are confronted, but the story remains true to their destiny.
The book is an epic tale of Jewish and Mexican history most people are unaware of but will find intriguing. Much in the pages will be familiar if you have some knowledge of the Jewish culture, but even the familiar may be glimpsed from a different perspective when you factor in the Mexican culture, the Catholic Church and the Inquisition in Mexico in the 1600's.
Fine's fluent prose makes this a page turner, it's narrative reads like a double-novel with two strong women as protagonists. It's a suspenseful tale with a cast of vivid characters in three generations, plus other family members needed to fulfill the story. These characters prevail throughout the years and help define a brilliantly innovative young woman with the goal for her life of seeking the fairy tale of meeting her prince charming despite incredible odds.
On a triumphant note, Fine believes her main characters, transcend their culture. She never white-washes their life, but shows us how they overcome prejudices and face down their accusers. These courageous Jews generously gave us this important history, so it could be found, written about, and read about centuries later.
Fine presents a series of interlinking stories in a structural decision that allows her characters to inhabit their own narrative and give accent to the lives they intersect with, including and the others they run parallel with too. These connections to Jews and Mexicans are close and clear as the story progresses. Fine allows us to see whose actions directly lead to more action before pivoting us to another scene.
This novel is divided into four parts. Taking us though many years of a family history; younger days; entanglements, schemes, happy times, mystery, prison, death and rejoicing. Her narrative technique takes us though the relationships of family and friends, commencing with stories that pull us further and further from where we started and where we expected to go.
After passing through all these stories of family history and appreciating Fine's fight to preserve their legacy, I came to appreciate a novel of excellence in storytelling extensive research. It was a huge pleasure to finish this book. This work enlightened me to Fine's sincere and engaging journey into historical fiction. She wrote with a rare insight into Jewish heroines I would never find in history books. It's been quite a revelation to read her story of Jews hiding in Mexico during the Inquisition.
Filed Under: Blogroll, Book Reviews Tagged With: Hidden Ones, historical fiction, Inquisition, Jews in Mexico, marcia fine, novel, women writers
SSWW Welcomes Historical Novelist, Satire Writer, Marcia Fine
October 4, 2017 by pbrooks
Welcomes SSWW Member Marcia Fine
Award Winning Historical Fiction Novelist, Writer of Satire
WHEN: WED October 25th, 2017 5:30 -7:30 pm*
WHERE: Starfire Golf Club – see new PAYPAL info below*
11500 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260
WHY: Mission: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with professionals relating to writing, publishing, and marketing of books, and camaraderie and support.
*Please PAY IN ADVANCE with PAYPAL on this website only – see home page www.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com
NOTE upper right corner for link on this website, fill out the form and pay with your credit card before 10:30 am Friday 20th, thank you!
SPEAKER: Marcia Fine www.marciafine.com
"Researching the Roots of Your Story"
In all of Marcia Fine's four historical fiction novels she has done extensive research about the time-period, settings, real-life characters, textiles, food, geography and beliefs. She's written about 1950s Miami, contemporary Paris, Poland in the 1920s, NYC in the 1930s, Spain and Portugal in the late 1400s and Mexico in the 1600s.
Where does she find her facts? How does she know they are true? Where does inspiration come from? Marcia will share the secrets of rooting out the history of your story.
Award-winning author and speaker Marcia Fine has written seven novels, including THE BLIND EYE—A Sephardic Journey, historical fiction chosen by the state library of Arizona for ONEBOOKAZ 2015. PAPER CHILDREN—An Immigrant's Legacy has been a finalist for three national prizes. PARIS LAMB, her sixth novel, deals with anti-Semitism in the 1950s. She has also written the only satirical series about Scottsdale. Her novel, HIDDEN ONES released in 2017, examines conversos in Mexico during the Inquisition. It has won First Prizes in the categories of Historical Fiction and Multicultural. Marcia has a BA from Florida State University and a Masters from Arizona State University.
PRICING: $30 for members and guests. SEE PAYPAL INFO ABOVE. We are no longer taking checks or cash at the door. This is a workable and good system for all of us. Thank you for moving forward with SSWW.
RSVP before 10:30am the Friday morning before the meeting. The Starfire Golf Club needs to order food, and I must give a guarantee to them at that time. That is the confirmed deadline for an RSVP! Thank you for appreciating my contract with the Starfire Golf Club.
CHECK-IN: Please check-in between 5:15 and 5:45 to begin the buffet that is available at 5:45 The meeting starts promptly at 6:00.
All those attending the meeting must pay for the dinner/room/speaker. The cost is noted above. Pick up your name badge at the front table and ENJOY a wonderful night!
Guests pick up a brochure and a membership signup sheet too.
AGENDA: The agendas will be on the dinner table with a lot of wonderful announcements for you. They also include the schedule of upcoming meeting speakers. Remember, the announcements are now done with dinner. The member introductions are 30 seconds, and follow the announcements.
DIRECTIONS: From the 101Freeway, exit Shea Blvd and go West to Hayden Road and then North a short distance, the club is on the West side of the street. From the South, cross Shea Blvd going north on Hayden Road, again, it is on the West side of the street. 11500 North Hayden Road.
Encourage participation by members as mentors, and volunteers
Filed Under: Blogroll, Featured post, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS Tagged With: books, historical fiction, marcia fine, market, novelist, publish, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, women writers, write
Author Panel – historical fiction and family history – Barnes and Noble – Scottsdale
October 17, 2011 by Patricia Brooks
Patricia L. Brooks, president/founder
Scottsdale Society of Women Writers partners with Barnes and Noble Booksellers
WHEN: Nov 1st, 2011 6:30-8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Barnes and Noble Booksellers – 90th St., Shea Blvd., west of the
101, Scottsdale
WHO: Three award winning authors
Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski, Sharyl Bales and Marcia Fine
WHAT: Share their writing stories and sign books
Value Meals on the Volga, Stalked and Paper Children
HOW: RSVP Patricia L. Brooks, [email protected] or 480-250-5556
ANNA BARTKOWSKI – Savor the food your grandmother used to make! Join author Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski as she shares the making of Value Meals on the Volga, the family history cookbook.
Whether you are a gourmet chef or a novice cook, you can make delectable delights in your kitchen. By sharing original recipes dating from the 1700's, Bartkowski connects with her ancestors, the founding members of the erman-Russian villages of Mariental and Reinwald, Russia. The Value Meals on the Volga cookbook guides you with step-by-step instructions and full color photos so you, too, can create wonderful memories for future generations. Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski pursues projects which revolve around her passion, genealogy and family history. Her goal is to bring everyone's ancestry and family stories to life.
She is the author of three books which celebrate family history: Value Meals on the Volga, Maggie Visits Grandpa, and Maggie Visits Argentina. Anna
also edited Thirty Years in the Desert, An Anniversary Celebration of the
Arizona Sun Chapter which was a compilation of member's unique family
stories.
Anna conducts workshops and presentations to inspire the writer and genealogist within all of us. From travels to Argentina to re-unite families torn apart during World War II, to offering ideas to jump start your own research, Anna has been the catalyst for over ten years.
Anna served as editor of the quarterly magazine publication of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Journal.
She is the Past President of the AHSGR Arizona Sun Chapter and actively
participates in the Serious Scribes Writer's group and the Scottsdale Society
of Women Writers. As a life member of both the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia and the German Russian Heritage Society, Anna has conducted workshops and presentations at many of their conventions.
Cell phone: 480 229-0873
Website: www.infiniteadventure.weebly.com
Blog: www.valuemeals.blogspot.com
www.writetotheheartofthematter.blogspot.com
SHARYL BALES – After retiring from an active career as an insurance executive specializing in medical malpractice insurance, Sharyl began to turn her extensive experience in writing technical articles to her first love: novels. She has written one historical novel and completed the first two novels in her Signe series. She is currently working on the third volume of this series.
Stalked Smart, sexy, sassy: The Carlson women – mother Signe and daughters Lia, Brittany, Jenna – are the beginning of a dynasty. American royalty of the 'hard won, pulled up by the bootstraps' kind. The first novel in the series – Stalked – welcomes the reader to the world of the rich and the famous: Hollywood, 1970 where middle daughter Brittany, who has just been signed to star in what is being haled as the next Oscar winning film, is being stalked presumably by a madman. How do they find the stalker and will they be in time? Knowing he is the only one she trusts to help, Signe brings handsome Mick McKenna into the picture even though she is aware that she will have to tell her daughters about certain events in her early life that she has kept to herself for many years.
Self-published on www.lulu.com, the second book in the series takes place in 1972. Personally involved in a case at the request of an old friend, Mick McKenna goes missing in the mountains of Nicaragua. Although a team of operatives from McKenna International are working on this case as well, including Signe Carlson's youngest daughter, Jenna, Signe is not one to sit on the sidelines. She goes into action and within three hours of receiving the news. She has a plan and she intends to find Mick.
MARCIA FINE – Spending her formative years in South Florida, the only child of New York expatriates with a penchant for the Bohemian lifestyle, Marcia's best friend was a good book. Thus the award winning book Paper Children an immigrant's legacy came to be.
At Florida State University she majored in English and then taught high school for five years while working toward a Masters Degree in English Education and a Certificate of Concentration in Women's Studies. Marcia also taught freshman composition at Arizona State University.
In 2000 Marcia began to pursue her dream of writing. Having written two satires about the upscale Scottsdale crowd, she then took a different direction and completed two more books.
Marcia's fifth novel, Stressed in Scottsdale, expands her satirical series about Jean Rubin into the arena of politics and the environment. With her unique eye she pokes fun at the denizens of an upscale community while tackling serious issues of corruption and air quality issues.
Marcia states her motivation quite simply…
"I love the written word. I have stories to tell."
MARCIA FINE "Every Woman has A Story!"
Marcia is going to share how she has formatted a writing career in two different genres to become a prize-winning author. Eleven years ago she had the desire to write, stories to tell and nothing written down. The journey of lessons learned, her encouragement and suggestions will inspire you!
Marcia Fine: www.marciafine.com blog: http://jeanrubinblog.com
Filed Under: AZ Authors Association, AZ BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOC, Blogroll, new fiction, PUBLISHING PICKS, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, Uncategorized, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: Anna Bartkowski, Barnes and Noble, family history, fiction, historical fiction, marcia fine, Meals on the Volga, new fiction, PaperChildren, publishing, Sharyl Bales, Stalked, Stress in Scottsdale, women writers, writing
Scottsdale Society of Women Writers welcomes Vicki Delany – Canadian historical writer
March 13, 2011 by Patricia Brooks
Patricia L. Brooks, president, founder
480-250-5556 or [email protected]
Wishes you a Happy Spring
VICKI DELANY www.vickidelany.com
Speaker for Scottsdale Society of Women Writers
WHAT: Monthly Guest Speaker/Dinner Meeting
WHERE: NEW LOCATION – Chaparral Suites Resort, 5001 N, Scottsdale Rd at Chaparral Rd light, NE corner. Enter off Chaparral Rd at the 4th Floor Grill entrance, take elevator, exit and turn left to the Cactus Room
WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30, Wed. March 30th , 2011
WHY: The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers gives members access to events of interest, a format for exchanging ideas, an opportunity to network with other women writers and authors, an alliance with businesses relating to writing and publishing, and camaraderie and support.
NOTE: *See notes below for dinner fees, new format and new location, thank you.
SPEAKER: Vicki Delany writes everything from standalone novels of psychological suspense to the Constable Molly Smith books, a traditional village/police procedural series set in the British Columbia Interior to a light-hearted historical series set in the raucous heyday of the Klondike Gold Rush.
Having taken early retirement from her job as a systems analyst in the high-pressure financial world, Vicki is settling down to the rural life in Bucolic, Prince Edward County, Ontario where she rarely wears a watch. The next book in the Constable Molly Smith series, Among the Departed, will be published by Scottsdale's Poisoned Pen Press in May 2011. Of Among the Departed, Library Journal says in a starred review: Delany gives us a breathtaking vista, in which she places her deceptively minimalist plots. Her exceptional ability to create characters, both realistic and sometimes creepy, makes this another terrific addition to her outstanding body of work
Canadian author Vicki Delany has eight published novels to date, with the ninth to be released in May and the tenth in the fall. She loves being a professional writer, but it's been a long slog. Vicki began her career as a Sunday writer. As a single mother with three daughters and a full time job as a systems analyst Sunday afternoons were the only time she could find to write. It took time and planning and determination, but she is now a full time writer who publishes two books a year from two different publishers. She moved from the city to the simple life on a small property in rural Ontario, Canada, and says that she is now living her dream. Vicki will talk about what it took to get her there, how she maintains the simple writers' life, and offers advice to those of you still struggling to find the time and energy to pursue your own passion.
Vicki Delany
Negative Image, From Poisoned Pen Press
It's a crime not to read Delany." London Free Press
Gold Fever: A Klondike Mystery, From Rendezvous Crime
www.vickidelany.com
Find me on Facebook and twitter @vickidelany
*There are changes to the menu and the cost of the meeting, and the way you pay for your meal at the meeting. Please note all our changes below.
MENU: Salad, dessert, beverage and roll or a sandwich/soup, dessert, beverage and roll – both with tax and gratuity included – make a CHOICE the night of the meeting.
COST: $22.00 for members – $25.00 for guests (able to visit twice before joining)
CHECKS: Please make your check payable to Scottsdale Society of Women Writers PRIOR to coming to the meeting to save time at the check-in table. Thank you.
CHECK-IN: Please check-in between 5:00 and 5:45 at the table at the door so we can start the meeting promptly at 6:00.
(1) Leave your check made payable to SSWW, (2) Have your name checked off the RSVP list, (3) Pick-up your name badge – your receipt for the food server.
AGENDA: The agendas will be on the dinner table and the format remains the same.
DIRECTIONS: Chaparral Suites is in Scottsdale at Chaparral Rd just north of Fashion Square Mall – Chaparral Rd has a light. Parking is in the rear – two large parking lots – best to enter from the middle elevator for the 4th Floor Grille.
From the 101 freeway exit Chaparral Rd and go west. Just prior to Scottsdale Rd enter the side drive at 4th Floor Grille and come up that elevator – it is in the center of the hotel complex. There is an awning marked 4th Floor Grille. This is the easiest way in – not through the lobby. The parking lots are in the back on the north end of the complex.
Filed Under: Blogroll, libraries, PUBLISHING PICKS, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, WRITING TIPS FOR YOU Tagged With: among the depated, books, British Columbia books, canadian author, Constable Molly Smith books, editing, historical fiction, historical novel series, novels, Ontario, Poisoned Pen Press, Prince Edward County, professional writer, psychological suspense novels, publishing, SCOTTSDALE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS, vicki delany, women writers, writing


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With 17 Words, Steve Jobs Confirmed a Brutal Truth Most People Never Admit. It All Paid Off This Week
'Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.'
By Bill Murphy Jr., www.billmurphyjr.com@BillMurphyJr
This is a story about Steve Jobs, legacy, and a brutal truth most people never confront.
It's about a single sentence Jobs included in the letter he wrote when he resigned as CEO of Apple, 10 years ago this week. But it has its roots in the commencement address Jobs gave at Stanford University in 2005.
Here's the key passage from his resignation letter. It runs just 17 words:
"I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple."
It's simple, matter-of-fact, and almost boring, despite how momentous the letter itself was. Read it in the context of what Jobs had said at Stanford, however, and it takes on incredible power.
These lines from that 2005 speech have stuck me ever since I first heard them:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life.
It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now, the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
(I've embedded the video of Jobs's speech at the end of this article. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.)
By early 2011, Jobs understood that he was becoming "the old," and that it was happening ahead of his time. Turning 56, he was battling pancreatic cancer for the second time. He'd had to take medical leave for most of the year.
He knew what was coming, and he died just 42 days after stepping down at Apple.
I expect that we'll see quite a few retrospectives on Jobs's life over the next little while, as we approach the 10th anniversary of his death.
But these lines came racing back to me when I read that Cook, Jobs's hand-picked successor, was entitled to a $750 million bonus this week for having served as Apple CEO for a decade.
It's a lot of money, obviously. And I'm not going to pretend that Apple is without its detractors and its problems right now.
Still, consider that not only did Jobs recruit Cook to Apple, but he set up a succession plan that has now resulted in stable leadership for a full decade and a company that's worth more than 7.5 times what it was in 2011.
Things often look inevitable in retrospect. But all you have to do is compare the seamless transition at Apple over the past decade to succession battles at other companies that wind up consuming everything.
Heck, Jobs was a veteran of multiple succession battles at Apple, for that matter, dating back at least to when he recruited John Sculley as CEO, only for Sculley to force Jobs out of the company.
Couple that history with the fact that Jobs had already had the experience -- he talked about it in the Stanford speech -- of being told that his cancer would likely kill him in a matter of months.
He defied those odds for several years afterward, but the experience guided him.
The brutal truth here is really twofold:
First, all of us will die someday: you, me, everyone we know and love.
But also, if you want the things that you build to live on, then you have to begin to let go ahead of time.
You have to spend time thinking far into the future, recruiting and growing the people you hope will take over. You have to let go of the very human concern that succession planning is about finding a replacement and instead think of who might be able to lead in his or her own way, and to destinations you might never dream of.
It means recognizing that when it comes to the tumultuous, emotional experience of a leadership change, it's much better to be in a position where your official announcement can be as "matter of fact" and "almost boring" as Jobs's was.
Here's the video of his speech at Stanford. If you haven't seen this, I think it's worth your time.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Kosovo in UNESCO?
In International Relations and Global Affairs, Op-ed
Despite having received a recommendation of admittance by the executive board of UNESCO, Kosovo did not become a member of this organisation since the required 2/3 majority of votes in favor of its bid were not obtained in November 2015.
It is worth considering Kosovo's membership in UNESCO as a mean of taking responsibility for protection of cultural heritage within its territory. The membership should however not be assessed through the question of its sovereignty but rather as joining an Educational, Scientific and Cultural organisation.
Whilst being a member of the UN carries the right to become a member of UNESCO, the opposite is not applicable – some members of UNESCO are not UN member states – such as Palestine, Niue and Cook Islands and there is a member of the UN which is not a member of UNESCO – Lichtenstein.
From this point of view, Kosovo joining UNESCO is not necessarily linked to its international recognition as an independent state nor does it represent a clear gateway towards becoming a member of the UN.
All the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kosovo's territory are of Serbian legacy and of great religious and cultural importance for ethnic Serbs – the Visoki Dečani Monastery, Patriarchate of Peć, Gračanica Monastery (extension of Dečani) and the Church of the Lady of Ljeviš.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and considers these sites as part of its territory despite the fact that it no longer has control over the regions in which these are located.
The mentioned monuments are also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Endangered list due to difficulty in its management and conservation given political instability.
If Kosovo would be admitted to UNESCO these sites, today enlisted under "Serbia" as "Medieval Monuments in Kosovo", would further be considered under "Kosovo". As said, this would not necessarily mean a tacit recognition of Kosovo as an independent state but of a region named Kosovo (sovereign or not) as happens with Niue or the Cook Islands – part of New Zealand.
According to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (art. 4) the member states have the duty to ensure the protection and preservation of the World Heritage sites on their territory by resorting mainly to their own resources (although international assistance is accepted when necessary).
Presently, Serbia does not have effective control of the areas in which these sites are located – these were first under UNMIK's administration and now are in territory under Kosovo and protected by EULEX. This means that the "Kosovo monument complex" listed as endangered cannot be preserved but especially not guarded by the Serbian state.
Not considering the right or wrongfulness of the situation which lead to the current reality it is a fact that Serbia can no longer effectively safeguard these sites and it would, in this sense, be worth considering Kosovo's bid for joining UNESCO to ensure the responsibility of protecting them with their own budget resources.
The Serbian campaign No Kosovo in UNESCO stands against the membership given the former destruction of Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo. Not disregarding this fact and the concern shown, this happened in a different setting. Today Kosovo's framework and legislation is highly influenced by European and International Standards given the international presence during the past decade. Such cultural atrocities would hardly be possible to happen again once the sites are guarded by international forces. Regarding future safeguarding, the Kosovo Police includes ethnic Serbs who might be able to play an important role in their protection.
Kosovo's membership bid to UNESCO should be reviewed more as joining a worldwide Educational, Scientific and Cultural Institution rather than just a political tool. The nature and aim of UNESCO should be respected by all, regardless of their location and culture, which should be protected and promoted especially if being hindered/endangered. If Kosovo's membership can be an effective mean to do so then it it is the best choice.
In case Kosovo is not completely able to suitably guard the monuments by itself at first, international cooperation on this can continue during a transitional phase. Yet, international forces guarding the monuments ad infinitum is not a sustainable solution. Also, it is highly unlikely, given the current situation, that Serbia will be able to deploy security forces to these territories in the near future.
As said, the stated is not equal to declaring Kosovo independent, but a way to ensure that the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in territory controlled de facto by Kosovo's institutions are protected and preserved under UNESCO framework.
Beatrice Mumbi


Social video marketing is one of the hottest emerging trends in 2011. Marketing executives are finally realizing the power of online video to engage their audience, increase brand awareness and improve the reach of their social media efforts.
Youtube continues to dominate the online video space. With over 2 billion videos watched every day on the site, no other site comes close. Every video marketing campaign should use Youtube because it offers the best opportunity to capture a large audience.
Vimeo is a more social-based video hosting website. It tends to be the favorite of independent producers and it has some of the highest quality short films on the Internet. I think overall Vimeo has the best looking embeddable player of all the video hosting and sharing sites.
Metacafe is one of the world's largest video sites and has lots of short videos, funny movies and clips. This site also has a social-focus and integrates with Facebook so that every time you upload a video, it can automatically be sent to your Facebook Page.
Blip TV is a free video blogging, podcasting and video sharing portal. They also have a decent revenue sharing program. If you have a regular online TV show, Blip TV is a great platform because they make it easy to distribute your show across the web.
DailyMotion has one of the largest collections of music videos, short movies and extreme sports videos on the Internet. They offer many of the features of Youtube and the other video hosting websites. They are based in Europe.
Revver tends to collect videos from other video sharing sites but they also have a massive collection of videos uploaded by their users. They have an interesting revenue sharing program where an unobtrusive ad is shown at the end of your video and if anyone clicks on the ad, you get a 50% share of the revenue. They also offer unlimited video storage and file size.
While overshadowed by Youtube, Google's other video site still gets significant traffic and ranks well in Google Search. Google Video has many of the features of Youtube but with more specific content categories like Business, Documentary, Educational, Music, Comedy, etc.
Veoh has made a name for itself by hosting TV and film studio content but it also has lots of independent films and user-uploaded videos.
Videler is an easy-to-use video platform for promoting your online videos. They really focus on helping people and brands with social video marketing. To help you with this they offer detailed video analytics, ad revenue sharing and better support than most of the other video sites. You can customize the embeddable player, overlay your logo and easily link back to your website.
LiveVideo is another great option to upload your videos. Unlike many other video sharing sites they offer dofollow links to help boost your website ranking.


And the one on whom seed was sown on good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
This verse is from the famous parable of the seed. It is such a great expression of the kingdom of God. One of the things that has always struck me about this verse, though, is that Jesus mentioned the hundredfold return first. Then, as if he knew that some people could not receive a hundred fold he said, "Okay, sixty fold." Still there were some who could not believe for a sixty fold return on seed so he said, "Alright, some will receive thirty fold." It has made me wonder for years where we could have gone on the other end if we could believe. Would Jesus speak about a thousand fold return with someone who has faith for big returns?
I think sometimes of the stock market and other investments. We all want the largest return on our investment that we can get. If an investment broker offered us a 30%, 60% or 100% return on our money I am pretty sure each of us would choose 100%. So what happens to our thinking when Jesus starts talking about the return on seed sown? Does something about that short circuit our brain patterns?
The first instance of this crop is that the word has been sown as seed to us. Are we fertile soil which produces a crop? The good soil, which is the person who receives the word, brings forth a crop. Some people produce a small crop, others produce a large crop. The second instance of the parable is the seed that we sow back. Those from a farming background will tell us that some of the crop is saved in order to sow for the next crop. We take what Jesus first gave us and sow it back into the kingdom so that others may hear the word. Now, we have invested in the kingdom. What return should you expect on your investment. Here is where people get a little choked but you see, Jesus is expecting every seed to yield at least a 30% return and for those who can believe he is willing to double the investment. That alone becomes a very interesting proposition.
In the book of Exodus we discover that when a man is caught stealing he must repay double (Exodus 22: 4). Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's anointing and got it (2 Kings 2: 9). And in Isaiah 61: 7 we are promised a double portion for our former shame. So, the double portion would not have sounded remarkable to the Jews to whom Jesus spoke. None the less, he kept backing down to reach the belief level of others there, or at least that is my theory.
My point is this. First we should give Jesus a hundred fold return on his investment. We are to produce fruit and every fruit bearing tree or bush gives off much more than that which was planted. Secondly, we should eagerly invest in the kingdom of God from the harvest of our fruit and we should expect a hundredfold return. Those who sow, ought to reap. It would be a perversion otherwise. We shouldn't get all choked up and "Holy" when it comes to investment and return. After all, Jesus is Jewish and he knows how money works. This is the guy who could get money from a fish's mouth. He isn't going to freak out if we want to talk about money. It certainly didn't seem to bother him when Peter asked him about money for the taxes. Jesus was so cool. He just said, "Go fishin" and that was all the advice Peter needed.
Invest in the kingdom. That is God's will for us all but also expect a big return.
This should be the testimony of Christianity. We really shouldn't have to go testify to people and try to convince them that Christianity is a great way of life. They should just see it evidenced in our lives. That was Isaac's testimony. The people around him saw the favor of God on everything he did. He didn't have to say anything. I wish my life spoke as loudly as Isaac's.
This is the legacy that has been passed down to us. This is our inheritance through Father Abraham. Truthfully, though, we should excel far beyond Isaac because we have an even better covenant, based on better promises and mediated by a better counselor (Hebrews 8: 6). We also can sow in the time of famine and reap a hundredfold. Then people will look at us and see the awesomeness of our God.
We should all succeed at everything we set our hand to because great is our God. However, there are some keys revealed here and that Isaac adhered to that will help us if we too follow them. First of all, when the famine came Isaac didn't just run off in panic or churn his brain trying to figure out what to do. The first thing he did was to receive counsel from the Lord. It is going to be impossible to live above the Christian poverty line if we don't first receive instruction from the Lord. It is His counsel that sets our feet on the profitable path. Secondly, Isaac obeyed. He heard what the Lord said and he did it. God told him not to go to Egypt but to stay in that land. So Isaac stayed. That is two keys so far: receive the counsel of the Lord, obey.
The third thing that Isaac did in this time of famine is outlandish. It goes against all conventional wisdom. Isaac sowed. What most people do in times of famine or economic depression is to hoard. They become very tight-fisted and stingy. This causes them to develop a scarcity mentality which continues to manifest in their lives and their finances until they develop a new attitude. Most of us end up eating our seed corn. In other words, we use the money that we are supposed to sow for our harvest rather than planting it. It is tough to reap a harvest if you haven't first planted a crop. There are all kinds of seeds. Most of us think about money and that is fair. We are foolish if we don't sow money. I am also reminded of the verse that says, "The sower sows the Word" (Mark 4: 14). We need to sow the Word into our lives, businesses, families, etc. That begins by putting the Word in you but then to sow it you must speak it.
You are meant to live in the hundredfold return. However, 100 X 0 = 0, so we must get some seed in the ground. We need a victory attitude and to turn our faces to the Lord our God. When we follow His direction we will succeed in every facet of our lives so that people will look at us and say, "Mighty is your God!" There are all kinds of seeds. Ask the Father what He would have you sow and get out your plow and get busy. Don't hoard for goodness sake. If you are going through a tough time, find something, anything, and give it away. Let "Victory in Jesus" be your anthem and show the world the loving power of your Father.


One of the reasons I came here more than 10 years ago was because this is a company that uses its resources and talent to help people globally. Our people want to help save lives - they feel passionately about it. I'm very proud of all of them. I'm excited about what they'll do next.
We put customers first. Our customers trust us to deliver solutions, products, service and performance that enable them to do vital work for people.
We are united by purpose to help save lives. We collaborate with one another and our customers to make patient care and imaging solutions more effective, affordable and accessible everywhere. We serve within all parts of the world with equal care - we are a multi-domestic company.
We turn great ideas into practical realities. We have always been inspired and energised by the challenge of finding new and better ways to do things. Innovation drives our success.
We grow our business while acting with integrity. Each of us is responsible for meeting the highest standards of ethics, quality and safety. We care for our customers, our colleagues and our communities.


Charlie: "So Lieutenant, where exactly were you?"
Maverick: "...started up on his six when we pulled through the clouds and then I moved in above him."
Charlie: "Well if you were directly above him, how could you see him?"
Maverick: "Because I was inverted."
Goose: "No, he was man. It was a really great move. He was inverted."
Charlie: "You were in a 4G inverted dive with a MIG 28?"
Goose: "Well it was actually about one and a half, I think it was one and a half... I've got a great polaroid of it, he's right there. It must be one and a half."
Maverick: "It was a nice picture..."
Charlie: "Ah, Lieutenant. What were you doing there?"
Maverick: "Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. You know. Giving him the bird."


Dr Rajneesh Choubisa is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus. He is a behavioral scientist by training and teaches courses related to his areas of interest (OB/HR). Prior to Joining BITS Pilani, he was associated with the Department of Management at BIT Mesra where he had taught subjects like Environmental Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Individual and Group Behavior and Business Ethics to B. Tech, M. Tech and Business Students. He has a deep interest in the science of flourishing and is in active pursuit to fulfill his mission of life.


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Bharat Arun as India bowling coach, Sanjay Bangar assistant coach
Newly appointed coach Ravi Shastri chose his trusted lieutenants in the form of – Sanjay Bangar (batting coach, appointed assistant coach), R Sridhar (fielding coach) and Bharath Arun (bowling coach.)
New Delhi: The BCCI appointed Sanjay Bangar as assistant coach of the Indian cricket team on July 18 and recalled Bharat Arun as bowling coach. R. Sridhar was retained as fielding coach.
The names were announced in Ravi Shastri's first press conference as head coach at the BCCI head quarters in Mumbai. Former India pacer Arun's return indicates Shastri's backing.
The decision to appoint Arun, on a two-year contract, was taken after Shastri met the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and BCCI officials, including acting President C.K. Khanna and Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary.
However, there was no clarity on the status of Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan. Initially, when Shastri's name was announced by the Cricket Advisory Committee on July 10, Dravid was appointed as batting consultant for overseas tours and Zaheer was named the bowling coach.
Shastri, who was in London when his appointment was announced, thanked the Cricket Advisory Committee — comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman — for picking him for the high-profile job.
"I would like to thank the CAC because it is a privilege and honour to be India's coach. And I would like to thank the CAC for considering me worthy enough for the job," he said.
Indian cricket team, led by Virat Kohli, will leave for a full tour of Sri Lanka.
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Revealed: what Jonathan Coleman was thinking this morning
Toby Manhire | Editor
An exclusive glimpse into the steel trap psyche of the former health minister and political colossus as he makes for the exit.
Thanks to the miracle of modern medicine, SpinoffAnalytica Labs has accessed the internal monologue direct from Jonathan Coleman's brain. After sending the neuro-data to a Super Computer AI in Christchurch via email, we have a summary of his musings as he undertook a triumphant valedictory interview on Morning Report with Susie Ferguson.
The Honourable Doctor Jonathan Coleman, for it is I, wakes from his slumber. Such dreams! A veritable diorama of salvation: curing disease, delivering peace and puffing on a sweet Cuban.
But what is this in my electronic inbox? Probably Barack Obama getting up in my grill. Leave me be, Barry, you're not the president any more, mate!
"Interview would be along lines of whether Mr Coleman had any knowledge of the state of Middlemore Hospital buildings during his time as Minister of Health," reads the email. It's the media again, they all want a piece of me. And who can blame them, really. I'd be the last person to blow my own trumpet – what after all are staff for? – but clearly there's quite a legacy to explore, and clearly they're thirsty for The Doctor.
The people need their Doctor.
Susie Ferguson: … We are now able to speak to National's outgoing spokesperson for health, Jonathan Coleman. This after Labour is pointing the finger at National, saying the problem with the rot at Middlemore Hospital buildings should have been addressed by the previous government. Mr Coleman is with us now. Good morning.
Jonathan Coleman: Good morning Susie!
I sure hope she doesn't want to keep this to my achievements as minister of health. What about my achievements as minister of defence?
SF: Were you told about the state of the Middlemore buildings?
JC: No. Not explicitly.
We better get to the overall achievements of the Coleman-Key government.
SF: Not explicitly? What does that mean?
JC: No, no. It means that I'm aware, I've been aware over time that they need injections of capital to continue to develop the site, but I was not notified that there was any sort of problem along these lines.
Typically disrespectful and tiresome lines from the disrespectful communists at Radio New Zealand. The people want to hear from their doctor!
SF: But we had the former chair of Counties-Manukau DHB Lee Mathias on the programme just a few minutes ago, saying it was common knowledge there was mould within the walls of Middlemore Hospital buildings when she headed up the board a few years ago and that most people in Wellington knew about it. How did you not?
JC: Well, obviously I hadn't been told about it, but, you know –
Do you know who you're talking to?
SF: That seems astonishing minister that if most people in Wellington at the ministry were aware of this, and the Counties-Manukau chair knows about it and the health minister doesn't, isn't that stretching incredulity to breaking point?
It is I, the Honourable Doctor of the Nation, part General Practitioner, part General Patton.
JC: No, it's not actually. People don't tell me, I don't know. But actually Susie, we, I was informed –
SF: Why would people keep this from you, though?
Susie! Susie!
JC: Susie! Susie!
Have I not undertaken consultation to the people of New Zealander tirelessly? Have I not made myself available for questioning at every opportunity, or at least once or twice a year.
JC: I don't know, but I was informed this was not the topic of the interview so I'm a bit disappointed that once again Radio New Zealand ring up and say they want an interview on something which was simply my exit from politics and then make it about something else, but anyway, there you go.
Is the door to my hospitality suite not always open to those who would ask me anything, anything at all about my unmatched achievements as minister of the crown and the man who could easily have been prime minister if he really wanted?
SF: But isn't this quite interesting –
JC: Yeah, so.
Did I not dine with the people in a hospital somewhere in the South Island upon pasta bolognese, a sandwich, and pea and ham soup?
SF: Coming at this particular time that this should be such a problem –
JC: Why's that?
I ate pea and ham soup for fuck's sake.
SF: That seems to be pretty significant at Middlemore, and you were the health minister for some time before that –
Look there are some people there now.
JC: Morning! How's it going?
SF: You're saying you had absolutely no knowledge of this?
JC: No. Haven't been told about it. Anyway, have a great day –
I don't actually want Susie to have a great day.
SF: So, what –
JC: I'm walking with my kids, and I'm leaving politics, so thanks very much Susie, bye-bye.
It is so. I am walking with my kids. I am walking with all New Zealanders. I am leaving politics but I will never leave my hundreds of thousands of children.
SF: That's the health minister – the former health minister – who I think has just hung up on us.
I will walk with them still. And as I end this call and step out of the fiery coliseum of New Zealand politics I can hear the people of New Zealand, my children, cheer. They are happy children, and they do cheer for they were sick and the good doctor hath healed them.
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'Great day for poo in Wellington': Faecal fans celebrate capital's shitty success
Emily Writes
Parents Editor
The strange hijacking of RNZ's US debate preview
Catherine McGregor


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Saltykovo () is a rural locality (a village) in Vereshchaginsky District, Perm Krai, Russia. The population was 110 as of 2010.

Geography
Saltykovo is located 28 km north of Vereshchagino (the district's administrative centre) by road. Yelino is the nearest rural locality.

References

Rural localities in Vereshchaginsky District

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The microphone sits prominently on the table in front of me, and the only thing I can focus on is an intense desire to repeatedly clear my throat. I'm in a panel interview about excellence in communication that's being recorded for a University podcast, and, in my own mind, my mere presence seems entirely incongruous.
I'm the woman who less than twelve hours ago asked my oldest daughter to please take her plate off the kitchen table and put it in the washing machine. I'm the woman who confuses my husband with ambiguous requests like, "Could you pick up that thing and put it on that other thing?" I'm the woman who regularly is corrected by my three-year-old when I call breakfast dinner and dinner lunch. I'm the woman who starts verbalizing a thought, gets partially through it, and then bails, as if my words were autumn leaves dropping off tree branches, careening through the air on unseen winds, plummeting to their descent in swirling unpredictability.
And I'm the woman who's discussing excellence in communication?
The irony doesn't escape me.
I fold my hands in my lap. Focus, Robin, focus! This is for posterity! With each response, I work to avoid backing myself into a rhetorical corner, making up new words, or inserting malapropisms that will demonstrate the incoherence that I so often demonstrate during my interactions around my own house.
And I made it through -- without even clearing my throat. I haven't brought myself to listen to the entirety of the podcast, but I'm pretty sure I was just fine. Articulate, even.
Good thing, too, because when I returned home I asked my children to put their feet on their shoes so we could run errands that morning. I mean, that afternoon.
Lisa, you're so kind! Jennifer and Ayshela -- yes, this is such a mommy brain moment, except that it seems to be the default way I communicate, not the rare exception. Mommy brain has taken over!


text:
Ontario says it will protect green space for each fast-tracked development
By Holly McKenzie-SutterThe Canadian Press
Wed., June 16, 2021timer2 min. read
Ontario promised Wednesday to add more protected land to the Greenbelt every time it employs a political tool that fast-tracks land development.
Critics warned, however, that the move may signal the Progressive Conservative government's plans to push through new projects without full consultation.
The government said Wednesday it will add two acres of land to the Greenbelt in southern Ontario for every acre of land developed through a minister's zoning order, which give the government power to fast-track development in a given area.
"We are balancing responsible growth with protecting the environment for future generations," said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark.
The pledge covers land involved in MZOs that have already been issued and development projects yet to be announced.
A spokesperson for Clark confirmed that at least 6,000 acres — or 2,400 hectares — of land will be added to the Greenbelt, based on 45 MZOs issued so far by the current government.
Clark also announced he'd issue an MZO to place 360 hectares of wetland in the North Gwillimbury Forest under Greenbelt protection.
Ontario created the Greenbelt in 2005 to protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area from development.
The Progressive Conservative government has argued it's using the MZOs to speed up housing developments as the population grows.
But critics argue the tool is overused and allows potentially harmful development to go ahead without proper environmental consultation.
Some said Wednesday they were concerned the latest move indicated the government had plans for further developments it wanted to push through.
"(The government) is letting developers have at extremely valuable and environmentally sensitive lands, and pretending to replace it by with less valuable, less ecologically significant land," NDP environment critic Sandy Shaw said in a statement.
"People are extremely concerned that this announcement is a warning sign that Ford is about to gift more extraordinary MZOs so developers can pave over wetlands and precious farmland."
The Liberals expressed similar concerns.
"Trusting Doug Ford to protect green space is like trusting an arsonist with a pack of matches," Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said in a Twitter post.
The Green party called the announcement a distraction from the government's "environmentally destructive policies."
"The government has been using MZOs far too loosely and many times in an attempt to override environmental concerns, when they could be used to strengthen environmental protections," party leader Mike Schreiner said.
"Greens will continue to lead the charge against Ford's destructive, pro-sprawl agenda."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2021.


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Mission Discovery & ScienceGrrl
We're very excited about the projects that we will be able to invest in using the proceeds from the sale of the ScienceGrrl calendar 2013. We currently have a consultation open to help guide what we should be doing, but have already committed to one particular project – we'll be funding a team of 6 (4 girls, 2 boys) from a school in Tower Hamlets to attend the Mission Discovery summer school at King's College next summer. One of the teachers at the school we are working with has described this as a 'once in a life-time opportunity'.
I asked Mission Discovery to provide a blog outlining the wonderful experience that awaits these young people, and they kindly sent me this:
"ScienceGrrl is to support a team of four girls and two boys at next year's Mission Discovery at one of the world's top 30 universities, King's College in London. Mission Discovery will enable young people to work with and be accompanied by former NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle Commander Ken Ham, former Director of NASA's Kennedy Space Centre Jay Honeycutt, Lead NASA Astronaut Trainer Michelle Ham and a range of NASA and biomedical scientists. The Mission Discovery programme is organised by the International Space School Educational Trust. (www.isset.org)
During the week-long programme, the young people will work in teams to come up with an idea to be carried out in space. The best idea will be selected, built by ISSET and launched to the International Space Station (ISS). The winning experiment from last year's programme is an investigation on the effectiveness of antibiotics in space, which will be carried out on the ISS in April and May 2013.
It is great for us to support Mission Discovery as it allows young people to develop a range of skills such as NASA leadership and team building, how to be creative, encourages them to fulfil their dreams and ambitions and teaches them how space exploration benefits the earth. The programme also highlights the environment of space, the experience of being in space, what makes a great experiment and much more. The whole programme is orientated to inculcate the NASA "you can do it" spirit.
Girls have done remarkably well in the Mission Discovery programmes. The winning team in last year's programme included boys and girls from Morpeth School in Tower Hamlets, Gumley House Convent School in Middlesex and Hampton School, also in Middlesex. Whilst the top prize at the first Mission Discovery at Imperial College in London went to the all girl team pictured below.
The programme has amazingly received 100% positive feedback. Here are some of the comments we've received:
"It was great to learn from all those experienced people, and it was a nice surprise that our experiment won…thanks for an amazing experience!!" Emily Yeomans
"Working with all the experts was so inspirational and such a unique experience – nothing else even comes close" Serena Yuen, age 17
"The week was simply incredible, I learnt a lot whilst enjoying it at the same time. Thank you to everyone involved." Sara Rasul, age 14
Leaders:
"Mission Discovery was, by far, the most comprehensive, interesting, and educational endeavour I have been involved with."
Mike McCulley – Former NASA Astronaut and President of United Space Alliance.
"I really wish there had been a programme like this for me to attend when I was in high school."
Michelle Ham – NASA Lead Astronaut Trainer
Dr Heather Williams
Heather helped establish ScienceGrrl in June 2012 and is ScienceGrrl's Director. Heather is a Senior Medical Physicist for Nuclear Medicine at Central Manchester University Hospitals and honorary Lecturer in the Centre for Imaging Sciences at Manchester University. She makes sure pictures of patients are top quality so the doctors can trust what they see, and tries out new and better ways of imaging the body's functions. When she's not working, Heather enjoys running, cycling and spending time with her sons.
@alrightPET
Follow @alrightPET
Latest posts by Dr Heather Williams (see all)
Science Grrl at Bluedot 2019: space games, crafts and more! - July 7, 2019
To you, future scientist - April 28, 2019
This Summer You Can Do It Too! - August 12, 2018
Dr Heather Williams Uncategorized
« All hail Suzi, Queen of Science Blogging » Hopefully, with the help of groups like ScienceGrrl, this can change


text:
Q: Passing query data between classes using Entity Framework I am using Visual Studio 2012 C#, and I am attempting to pass some data between classes.  So basically, I have two classes.  One class is used to query the data, and the other class is used to just display the data(essentially the UI).
I am guessing I need to put it in some sort of data container and pass it.  However, I am currently a student, and cannot figure out what the best way to do this.
public List<string> GetDatabyID(int ID)
{
    var context = new Site.EFModel.SiteDBEntities();
    var query = context.db.Where(x => x.ID == ID).Select(x => new {x.ID, x.Name});
    List<string> dataContainer = query.ToList();

    return dataContainer;
}

In the UI, I would like to map this data to a GridView to output it.  My code is clearly wrong.  I obviously cannot return it as a List when dataContainer is going to contain an int and string.  Anyone have any ideas?  Thanks ahead.

A: You're creating an Anonymous Object from the results of your database call. The Linq method Select:
Select(x => new {x.ID, x.Name});

projects the results into a new object of your choice, in this case an anonymous object. This should be set to create and return a list of one of your EF entities.
var query = context.db.Where(x => x.ID == ID).Select(
    x => new MyEntity {ID = x.ID, Name = x.Name});
List<MyEntity> dataContainer = query.ToList();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Annual CSDC Update for California Charter School Leaders
Published January 28, 2021 11:01
Dear California Charter School Leaders,
2020 was unequivocally a memorable year. We saw our membership base grow and with it the charter movement strengthen its resolve in the face of a pandemic, social unrest, and political uncertainty. California's schools provided distance learning opportunities, a challenge in itself in the face of limited infrastructure and training for staff. In addition, charter schools had to navigate confusing and rapidly changing guidelines, and the recently legislated, imposing restrictive laws while preparing to face the consequential laws governing charter-granting and appeals.
With the support of our members, CSDC remained the only statewide charter advocacy organization that consistently and unflinchingly opposed these negative changes throughout the legislative and regulatory process. Notwithstanding 2019's and 2020's major setbacks, CSDC remains optimistic about the prospects for charter schools in California. We've redoubled our advocacy efforts in the legislative and regulatory arenas and are intervening more proactively than ever before.
We consistently hear from our members that CSDC is their trusted resource for reliable, comprehensive, and accurate charter school information in California. Our hard work in 2020 was a testament to our trust in charter schools' abilities to innovatively meet every obstacle they encounter and to thrive; their membership is a testament to the value of our services and support.
As the pandemic forced everyone to work from home, our team went into overdrive to provide guidance, trainings, and resources to California charter schools so that they could put their best foot forward and meet their students. In 2020, CSDC staff released 17 publicly available COVID-related Currents articles, alongside 21 other member-specific Currents articles, expanded legislative action alerts, and updated and added a significant collection of assets to our resource directory.
For 2021, we will continue to update and sharpen our member-focused resources and other offerings, including, but not limited to the following:
Extensive updates to our popular Sample Governing Board Policies ,
Comprehensive and easy-to-interpret summaries of key legal, legislative, and regulatory changes,
The Annual School Planning Calendar, updated every month to aid charter leaders in preparing for and tracking critical dates and deadlines,
More resources to assist schools on topics ranging from charter renewal to evolving charter teacher credentialing mandates,
Updates to our popular training programs including the Charter Business Officer Training program, our signature Charter School Leadership Intensive ("Boot Camp"), and the California Charter Schools Leadership Update Conference,
Expansion of our increasingly popular, on-demand Governance Academy online courses, and
More trainings and webinars to help you navigate the "local control" accountability plan (LCAP) process.
For those of you who are continuing members, we thank you for your support. If you're not yet a member of CSDC, we hope you will consider joining so that your staff and board can benefit from the many services, opportunities, and resources that our current members find so essential.
Executive Director and Founder