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Tag Archives: unfair
'Bullied' former Home Office boss drops case against Patel in return for huge payout of YOUR cash
Sir Philip Rutnam: rather than prove claims of bullying against him – and demonstrate the culture of bullying allegedly created by Priti Patel in the Home Office – he's going to take the money and run.
The former Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, Sir Philip Rutnam, has stabbed his fellow civil servants in the back by coming to a settlement of his 'unfair dismissal' case against Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Rutnam had claimed he had been the victim of a "vicious and orchestrated" briefing campaign after trying to get Ms Patel to change her bullying behaviour.
His case was due to be heard by an employment tribunal in September – which seems a long wait, considering he quit in February last year.
But now it isn't going to happen because he has opted to take Patel's thirty pieces of silver instead – or rather, £340,000 plus his legal costs.
And when I say "Patel's" money, I mean public money because of course she wouldn't dream of paying him anything herself.
This is not an appropriate use of public funds.
Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said:
Taxpayers will be appalled at having to pick up the bill for the home secretary's unacceptable behaviour.
(Strictly speaking, he's not right. The government creates money to cover its expenditure. It taxes us to give that money its value. But he's right that we should not expect public money to be used to pay for the indiscretions of Tory ministers.)
The government is saying it does not accept liability for the manner of Rutnam's departure from his job.
If that's true, then why pay a "substantial" amount to settle the case?
Source: Philip Rutnam: Ex-Home Office boss settles unfair dismissal case – BBC News
This entry was posted in Abuse, Civil Service, Conservative Party, Government, Justice, People and tagged briefing, bullying, campaign, cash, dismissal, home, Mike, office, orchestrated, Patel, Philip, political, Priti, Rutnam, settlement, Sivier, unfair, vicious, Vox on March 4, 2021 by Mike Sivier.
If #JeremyHunt thinks #Covid19 restrictions are #CrushinglyUnfair then why is he writing about it and not getting the Tories to change?
Hypocrite: Jeremy Hunt presided over the long-term dismantling of NHS services which were auctioned off to private companies, who then turned those services into postcode lotteries, provided only where they thought they could make a profit. And now he is complaining about an NHS service becoming a postcode lottery.
Jeremy Hunt seems to be revelling in the fact that he Matt Hancock has replaced him as "Worst-ever Health Secretary".
After being removed from the government by Boris Johnson, he's now a backbencher, albeit one who chairs the Commons Health and Social Care committee.
One would have expected him to toe the Johnson line, having been responsible for much of the harm done to NHS healthcare in the last 10 years.
Instead, he seems to be trying to carve out a new careers as a 'voice of reason' in the Conservative Party – hence his article in today's (September 20) Fail on Sunday.
In it, he attacks the current Covid-19-related restrictions on people's movements. Here's the line that has created all the reaction, referring to the fact that mothers are being told they must give birth alone:
For families, it simply feels crushingly unfair and illogical that six people can meet in a pub and 30 people can go shooting, yet mothers have to go through one of life's most harrowing and precious milestones alone.
Apparently he is supporting a Fail campaign to "end lone births", saying that the rules are being imposed arbitrarily:
A postcode lottery is unacceptable on a matter of this importance.
Wasn't he the health secretary who turned much of NHS care into a postcode lottery, across England (and in other UK countries whose NHS use English facilities)?
Yes he was.
It seems hypocritical for him to complain, because it is. And the public have seen it:
Privatising our NHS to fail is pretty unfair too… pic.twitter.com/bavrikAM47
— NHS & 🐢 fan (@sweeternigel) September 20, 2020
Totally. It's also crushingly unfair that parents are threatened with prosecution for wanting to keep our children safe and school staff are forced to work in full schools & infections rising. @b
— Jassie 💛 (@JassieD) September 20, 2020
Crushingly unfair … it's down right criminal.. add to this the cancer diagnoses missed and all the heart attacks that could have been prevented, the increases in mental health cases. It's a virus; keep calm, take care and carry on.
— Diana (@HaleMum) September 20, 2020
The public have also noted some "crushingly unfair" aspects of Mr Hunt's own behaviour:
Jeremy Hunt has somehow managed to carve out a position of the public's friend & honest broker during Covid. We should not forget his stewardship of the NHS & how his policies effected the people working in it. #r4today
— john stephen (@johnstephen114) September 16, 2020
It feels crushingly unfair that you 'forgot' to declare income on the 7 luxury flats you rent out. #Itscalledtorycorruption
— The Pretender (@DGTriniLopez) September 20, 2020
And they want to know why the limit of Hunt's opposition is an article in a right-wing rag:
So instead of doing something about it you write about it in the 'Fail on Sunday' How apt!!
— Sugar Tweets (@SugaryTweets247) September 20, 2020
Why don't you do something then. This is your party. Stop carping on.
— The Beagle (@beaglebugle) September 20, 2020
We get it. But unlike us you are a member of the party in govt. Speak to them.
— Rachel (@rachelsmith999) September 20, 2020
Your party Jeremy, grow a spine and vote against it. If not, you're complicit in all of this.
— Grumpyboatbuilder (@bitsofplastic) September 20, 2020
Last word must be the following. At a time when Labour has just unveiled its new slogan, Mr Ball points out that the Tories could roll out a new, accurate slogan of their own:
'crushingly unfair' would make a great, and very accurate, Conservative party slogan.
— Chris John Ball (@cjball_london) September 20, 2020
Source: JEREMY HUNT: It's crazy that six people can meet in a pub while mums endure lone births | Daily Mail Online
This entry was posted in Conservative Party, Coronavirus, Government, Health, National Health Service, People, Politics, restrictions and tagged birth, Conservative, coronavirus, COVID-19, crushingly, Hancock, health, hunt, Jeremy, lone, Matt, Mike, NHS, political, restriction, secretary, Sivier, Tories, Tory, unfair, Vox on September 20, 2020 by Mike Sivier.
Theresa May announces watered-down Labour policy on unfair evictions. Hers won't be
Congratulations to Theresa May for announcing a new Conservative policy! It's just a shame she stole it from Labour and watered it down.
Here's her announcement as it appeared on Twitter:
We're acting to protect those renting in the private sector from unfair evictions, giving tenants the long-term certainty and the peace of mind they deserve. https://t.co/Tug5ooAxju pic.twitter.com/f1ZYTnuMeN
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) April 15, 2019
The press release states: "Private landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants from their homes at short notice and without good reason, in the biggest change to the private rental sector for a generation, Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP has announced (15 April 2019).
"As part of a complete overhaul of the sector, the government has outlined plans to consult on new legislation to abolish Section 21 evictions – so called 'no-fault' evictions. This will bring an end to private landlords uprooting tenants from their homes with as little as 8 weeks' notice after the fixed-term contract has come to an end.
"This will effectively create open-ended tenancies, bringing greater peace of mind to millions of families who live in rented accommodation."
It won't, though. Landlords will simply put up the rents on tenants they don't want, and price them out of their homes. This is a pretence at taking action that won't actually change anything at all.
This is a Labour policy that the Conservatives have watered down and put out in the pretence that they are "on your side" (as Mrs May herself protested in a poor performance on TV recently).
Consider this BBC news story from September 2018 – nearly seven months ago:
"Labour says it would scrap laws allowing private landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason.
"The law, in force since 1988, is thought to be the biggest cause of homelessness.
"Labour's shadow housing minister John Healey announced the policy at the party's conference in Liverpool.
"Mr Healey also unveiled plans for a £20m fund to set up "renters' unions" to support tenants in disputes with landlords.
"So-called "no-fault" evictions – when landlords throw people out of their home without saying why – have been growing in recent years.
"The party's policies include:
A new levy on second homes that are used as holiday homes
Reversing cuts to legal aid for housing related cases
Introducing three-year tenancies
Banning letting agent fees
New minimum legal standards to ensure homes are "fit for human habitation"
Giving cities the power to introduce rent controls"
I seem to recall the Conservatives having prevented moves to stop so-called "revenge" evictions in recent years, and also preventing a law to ensure homes are fit for human habitation. The Tory benches in the House of Commons are full of private landlords.
Shadow housing minister John Healey was remarkably restrained in his response to Mrs May's announcement. He restricted himself to pointing out the faults in the watered-down policy she is offering:
"Any promise of new help for renters is good news but this latest pledge won't work if landlords can still force tenants out by hiking the rent.
"For nine years, the Tories have failed to tackle problems facing private renters. Tenants need new rights and protections across the board to end costly rent increases and sub-standard homes as well as to stop unfair evictions.
"Labour is committed to giving renters the rights they deserve, including control on rents, indefinite tenancies and new legal minimum standards."
Other commentators have been less kind.
I myself, for example, called it: "Another watered-down Labour policy. Time to give up and go."
Rachael Swindon put her finger on the problem: "You've not thought this out (shock). The landlords will just put the rent up, forcing more homelessness, and more dependency on the state. Who actually comes up with these ideas? Honestly, you're utterly useless."
Paul Wingrove made a pertinent point: "Would be better if you acted to deliver all the social housing you have been promising for bloody years!"
And Jamie Aspin put into words what we are all thinking: "We could do with an eviction or two on Downing Street!"
Strangely enough, it seems Mrs May could actually be thinking the same thing.
Downing Street spokesperson says PM is on a walking holiday in Wales with her husband Philip until Thursday.
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) April 15, 2019
Writer/actor David Schneider responded: "Brace yourselves. General election incoming…"
This entry was posted in Conservative Party, Housing, Politics and tagged Conservative, down, eviction, John Healey, Labour, Mike Sivier, no fault, policy, political, Tories, Tory, unfair, Vox, Vox Political Theresa May, water on April 15, 2019 by Mike Sivier.
Conservatives run up other people's bills – unlike socialists, who always pay theirs
Voting for Theresa May's minimum-wage Tories is like trying to dig your way out of a hole; they will only put you deeper into debt.
Yes – the headline paraphrases the late, unlamented Margaret Thatcher, but reverses her claim in the name of accuracy.
Here's her original comment, in an infographic from Twitter – but pay attention to the weblink attached to it:
Taxpayers spend £11bn to top up low wages paid by UK companies https://t.co/WNjwcm7127 … … … … … …" pic.twitter.com/KN2J7r82Hj
— Strength and Honor (@Avitusparta) December 29, 2017
Read the article and the reason I edited the late Blue Baroness's claim should be clear:
Companies in the UK are paying their workers so little that the taxpayer has to top up wages to the tune of £11bn a year. The four big supermarkets (Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons) alone are costing just under £1bn a year in tax credits and extra benefits payments.
This is a direct transfer from the rest of society to some of the largest businesses in the country. To put the figure in perspective, the total cost of benefit fraud last year was just £1bn. Corporate scrounging costs 11 times that.
Worse, this is a direct subsidy for poverty pay. If supermarkets and other low-paying employers know they can secure work even at derisory wages, since pay will be topped up by the state, they have no incentive to offer higher wages.
None of this makes sense. We are all, in effect, paying a huge sum of money so that we can continue to underpay the 22% of workers who are earning below the Living Wage – the level at which it is possible to live without government subsidies. The only possible beneficiaries are business owners.
So you can see very clearly that big businesses – which are predominantly run by people who vote Conservative, are members of the Conservative Party or are donors to the Conservative Party – are clearly refusing to pay their bills. As employers they have a duty to pay a reasonable amount to their workers.
Libertarians will undoubtedly be heading for the 'Comment' box to claim that all contracts are valid as employees have freely entered into them – but this of course ignores the fact that people are effectively coerced into accepting unfair wage offers because government policy on unemployment benefits forces them to accept any offers given to them, and this provides an incentive for businesses to keep those offers low.
So there is an argument that none of these contracts are valid as they are not entered into by people in equal positions. Hmm…
Socialists of course expect people to fully fund everything that benefits them. So, for example, the NHS was founded on the principle that everybody pays a little towards the health service, to ensure that all those who need its care will benefit from it. From each according to their ability, to each according to their need. It's an insurance policy – but, strangely, capitalists approve of private insurance but criticise the system that funds public services. Odd people.
Consider also their willingness to use systems and services that are publicly-funded, while taking advantage of tax avoidance schemes to ensure that they don't have to pay for them. That's fraud and theft, isn't it?
We may conclude that Mrs Thatcher was lying – and so is anybody who echoes her words or their meaning.
Also that the Conservative government is acting against contract law by forcing people into unfair employment conditions.
And that businesses are unfairly profiting from these harmful contracts.
I could go on to explain how this damages the UK economy by reducing the flow of cash through it, but you should be aware of this fact already – in practice.
It won't change under a Conservative government because Conservatives are greedy and do not understand economics. So we need to end Conservative government.
This entry was posted in Benefits, Business, Conservative Party, Employment, Politics and tagged benefit, business, Conservative, contract, employer, harm, inadequate, low, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, pay, policy, poor, tax credit, taxpayer, top-up, Tories, Tory, unfair, Vox Political, wage, worker on December 29, 2017 by Mike Sivier.
Constituency boundary changes: Unfair, undemocratic and unlikely to be approved
Boris Johnson: This is probably what he looked like, the moment he realised his own party's proposed boundary changes mean he would lose his seat.
One of the few joys of the years since the Conservatives tricked their way back into office is their complete lack of success at gerrymandering the boundaries of Parliamentary constituencies to suit them.
First they had to rely on the Liberal Democrats, who abandoned them when the Tories refused to support reform of the House of Lords.
Now they have to rely on the Democratic Unionists, who have never supported the Tory proposals.
The Tories are desperate to rig the next election as the average age of their party's members is 72, and they have utterly failed to attract support from the young.
Boundary Commission findings also known as 'OMG our supporters are dying and we can't get young people we've screwed over to vote Tory'
— Will Black (@WillBlackWriter) October 17, 2017
The revelation that Boris Johnson would probably lose his Parliamentary seat, if the changes go through, is a double-edged sword; some members of the public might support them for that reason – others might not.
Mr Johnson himself probably wouldn't approve – and it seems a considerable number of his fellow Conservatives feel the same way.
And Labour?
Let's see what Cat Smith has to say about it:
"Labour stands ready to work with all parties to ensure that a boundary review can go ahead in a way that benefits our democracy, not just the Conservative Party. However it has been clear from the start that the Tories have only been interested in their own political advantage rather than what is in the best interests of the country.
"To lose 50 MPs at a time we are repatriating powers from Brussels as we leave the European Union risks leaving the UK Government struggling to keep up with the day to day requirements of legislation.
"They need to drop their unfair, undemocratic plans, as well as ensuring the review is based on the most up-to-date register and that there is appropriate flexibility to take into account community ties and geography."
Good points – especially concerning the fact that the proposals use an out-of-date version of the electoral register from 2015. Many more people have registered to vote since then – mostly spurred to do so by Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader.
So you can see why the Tories wouldn't want to update their ideas.
It all boils down to mathematics – and the numbers are against Mrs May.
She doesn't have enough support, even from her own MPs, to push through this legislation.
So This Writer reckons it will be shelved – again.
And anyway, who says we'll have to wait until 2022 for the next election?
Revised proposals for the shape of parliamentary seats at the next general election have been published.
The proposed constituency boundaries in England, Scotland and Wales have been drawn up on the basis the total number of MPs will be cut from 650 to 600.
Parliament approved the principle of reducing the size of the Commons in 2011, intended as a cost-saving measure in the wake of the expenses scandal.
But it is uncertain whether the Commons will end up backing the detailed plans.
If they do so, the proposed new constituencies – recommended by independent bodies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – will take effect in 2022, the scheduled date of the next election.
Prime Minister Theresa May is reliant on the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) for getting legislation through the Commons after her failure to win a majority in June's snap election.
The DUP opposed the last boundary review when it was put to a vote in 2013, while many Conservatives are thought to have reservations about the scope of the shake-up, which could lead to a scramble for seats as a host of constituencies are abolished.
Source: Boundary changes: Latest plans for Commons seats published – BBC News
This entry was posted in Democracy, Politics and tagged Boris Johnson, boundary, Brexit, change, Conservative, constituency, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, gerrymander, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, proposal, proposed, rebel, Tories, Tory, undemocratic, unfair, Vox Political on October 17, 2017 by Mike Sivier.
Lie after lie over sanctions and FoI: Duncan Smith's head should roll
The inhumanity of Iain Duncan Smith: He is pictured laughing at the plight of a rape victim who, under his 'reforms', has to pay bedroom tax for the panic room she needs in order to be safe from her abusive, rapist ex-partner.
Iain Duncan Smith must resign after he disgraced himself yet again, with a leaflet containing fabricated comments from non-existent DWP benefit claimants, according to a leading Opposition MP.
Debbie Abrahams, who has been a leading light in the fight to force the Conservative Government to reveal the true number of people who have died following Duncan Smith's "welfare reforms", said the Work and Pensions secretary's behaviour was a "disgrace" and his position was untenable.
But don't take This Writer's word for it – here's Ms Abrahams herself (all boldings mine):
"As a member of the work and pensions select committee, I have called for Iain Duncan Smith to resign following revelations that his department created a leaflet about sanctions containing made-up quotes attributed to non-existent benefit claimants.
"I instigated an inquiry into the use of sanctions by the work and pensions committee, which reported in March this year, and I believe after being caught out so publicly it must be impossible for Iain Duncan Smith to continue as work and pensions secretary and he should do the honourable thing and resign.
"This is yet another example of not only his incompetence, but what can only be described as very shady and unscrupulous behaviour not befitting a Member of Parliament let alone a Secretary of State leading a Government Department.
"Once again, Duncan Smith is caught trying to paint a particular picture of social security claimants. He is a disgrace and should do the honourable thing and resign. When his own department have to resort to this sort of tactic, in a desperate attempt to make it appear as though the system is working, no-one can be left believing that his draconian social security sanctions regime is fit for purpose.
"Only Mr Duncan Smith seems to believe that unfair and inappropriate use of sanctions on vulnerable social security claimants is acceptable. And now he's shown that he thinks it's acceptable for his department to produce literature that is fabricated in a desperate attempt to make people believe his sanctions regime is working fairly.
"It beggars belief that David Cameron can, in the light of this embarrassing debacle, continue to back Mr Duncan Smith as a credible work and pensions secretary when he has presided over such a catalogue of errors.
"In the last few weeks alone, the independent Social Security Advisory Committee has produced a report which says that the Government's sanctions regime should be given 'an urgent and robust review'.
"And following the Government's appeal against the Information Commissioner's ruling compelling the Government to publish figures on the number of people on Incapacity Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance who have died between November 2011 and May 2014, including those found fit for work, a Tribunal has now been set for November 10 to hear why Iain Duncan Smith has refused to publish these data.
"I will never forget the fact that not only did Iain Duncan Smith defy the Information Commissioner's ruling to provide these data on deaths of people on social security, but that he stated to me, personally, in Parliament, it did not exist. But then, just two days later, the Prime Minister said to me, again in Parliament, the data would be published, only for the DWP's appeal documents to defy him as well, stating publication was not in the public interest!
"The select committee inquiry which I instigated reported in March and the mountain of evidence that was put before the select committee by religious organisations, academics and charities, not to mention those actually affected by inappropriate sanctions themselves, pointed overwhelmingly to a system that is inhumane and deliberately created to skew unemployment figures.
"The sad truth is that Iain Duncan Smith is doing everything he can to cover up the mess he has created.
"This is a mess that is ruining innocent people's lives and, as the evidence suggests, even killing some.
"The only credible reason he's going to such lengths to hang on to his job is because he knows he has so much to hide."
A petition on the Government website, calling for a vote of "no confidence" in Iain Duncan Smith and his removal from office, may be signed here.
This entry was posted in Benefits, Conservative Party, Corruption, Death, Disability, Employment and Support Allowance, Freedom of Information, Justice, People, Politics, sanctions, UK and tagged Advisory Committee, allowance, benefit, benefits, claimant, comment, data, dead, death, Debbie Abrahams, Department, desperate, die, disgrace, draconian, DWP, employment, ESA, fabricated, fake, false, figures, fit for work, Iain Duncan Smith, IB, inappropriate, Incapacity Benefit, incompetence, Information Commissioner, inhumane, killing, leaflet, lie, Pensions, regime, resign, sanction, shady, skew, social security, support, unemployment, unfair, unscrupulous, vulnerable, welfare, work on August 21, 2015 by Mike Sivier.
SNP starts to crumble as councillors quit – one citing vote-rigging
[Image: BBC]
How humbling for the Scottish National Party that, after its Yes campaigners complained about vote-rigging in the Independence referendum, two SNP councillors have quit, citing undemocratic behaviour and – you guessed it – vote-rigging.
Cllr John Taggart (Murdostoun) walked out after a row over the selection process for Motherwell and Wishaw. His statement reads as follows: "The reason behind my resignation is that I feel that democracy within our party is under serious threat, when HQ in Edinburgh decided to refuse to reveal the breakdown of the votes cast for each candidate involved in the Westminster ballot for the Motherwell and Wishaw Westminster candidacy." That's vote-rigging, then.
"I am a committed democrat and I believe that when an election is carried out, people expect to see full and proper disclosure of the results, this is one of the fundamental tenets of a democratic society, and we all should all be extremely concerned of decisions taken at HQ in Edinburgh which allows the dark veil of secrecy to descend on our democratic processes."
Cllr Alan Beveridge (Airdrie North) said in his statement: "I have been alarmed by the climate of fear, intimidation and false allegations which operates within the SNP locally.
"I have raised these matters directly with SNP headquarters but much to their shame and my disappointment, they have totally failed to address any of my concerns.
"Therefore I feel I have no alternative but to resign from the party.
"I have agonised over whether or not I should speak out in public, but I felt a sense of responsibility to my constituents that they should be made aware of the reasons behind my decision.
"I spent an entire career in the police force protecting the public and doing my very best to treat people with fairness.
"I joined the SNP fully expecting people to be treated the same way, however in the past few months I have been shocked at the way some members of the local branch have been treated and by the failure of SNP headquarters to respond to the concerns which I have raised.
"This is not the party I thought I had joined and I cannot continue to be a member of such an organisation."
Both statements are published in the Scottish Daily Record (although not exclusively there). No doubt SNP supporters will try to attack this source; they would do well to note that this article quotes only the councillors' words.
It seems the SNP may not be the standard-bearer for decency and morality in politics that its ill-mannered supporters claim.
If you have enjoyed this article, don't forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let's try to get everybody involved!
revealing the facts that some political parties want to hide.
This entry was posted in Corruption, Politics, Scotland referendum, Scottish Nationalism, UK and tagged Airdrie North, Alan Beveridge, allegation, councillor, false, fear, independence, intimidation, John Taggart, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, Murdostoun, quite, referendum, resign, SNP, undemocratic, unfair, vote rigging, Vox Political, Yes on February 10, 2015 by Mike Sivier.
The Conservative Party – nasty, stupid and clumsy
Is this the face of a 'Caring' Conservative? Or is he nasty and clumsy? And if he is, does that mean the supporters behind him are stupid?
Independent luminary Andreas Whittam Smith reckons the Conservative Party in its current form is both nasty and stupid – and also clumsy, if his latest article is to be believed.
Nasty because of its aggressive behaviour – such as the decision to withdraw support for rescue operations that save thousands of migrants from drowning as they attempt to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
Or because of benefit assessment policies that mean people living with progressive and degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's, motor neurone disease and rheumatoid arthritis are being subjected to what a group of charities describes as "upsetting and unnecessary" examinations to see whether they will recover enough to look for work in the future – a pointless exercise because their conditions are flagged up from the start as progressive and degenerative; they're never going to get better.
Or because, after the Resolution Foundation found that one-in-five employees (4.9 million people) earned less than the living wage, George Osborne is promising that if the Conservative Party wins next year's general election, then most welfare payments that the working poor rely on – including child benefit, tax credits, jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and income support – will be frozen in April 2016 for two years. They are currently rising by 1 per cent a year. He will make the working poor poorer.
Clumsy because they have imposed unpopular decisions on the people in an unfair way. Mr Whittam Smith defines fairness in terms of "the four main elements that go into creating a sense of procedural justice: Those concerned should have been able to play an active part in the process. The rules should be applied with sensitivity to individual situations. Decision-makers should be impartial and fair. And the agents of the system with whom people have to deal should treat them with respect."
He continues: "There is no evidence that people living with progressive and degenerative conditions or members of the working poor or families struggling to pay care bills for elderly relatives have been consulted. There is no evidence of sensitivity to individual situations or else the bedroom tax legislation would have recognised the special difficulties of disabled tenants who are unable to share a bedroom and would have taken into account where homes have been specially adapted.
"As for the agents of the system with whom people have to deal, outsourcing many of these tasks has not produced happy results. Naturally the outsourced staff work by the book. They cannot be flexible or understanding. They are chiefly concerned with getting the job done as quickly as possible so as to reach the profits targets set by their employers. And then, in the final analysis, claimants are not dealing directly with the state at all but with a sort or mercenary army. Mutual respect cannot exist in these circumstances."
Let's expand on the last point for a moment, and connect it with the previous points about benefit assessment, with this snippet of information: An academic report from Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Stirling has confirmed that the Tories' welfare reforms are not helping people to find work.
According to Alan Wyllie on the A Working Class Man blog, the report showed:
"The current welfare system is not helping people find work. Those who had moved into employment found work independently and not due to Jobcentre Plus services;
"There was limited support on offer to help recipients of out of work benefits move into work. Those participating in the Work Programme did not report that it was helpful;
"Most people wanted to work but issues such as childcare, illness and training made it difficult for them to do so;
"The current welfare system also does not appear to meet its aim of 'make work pay'. People who had moved into work felt only slightly better off and continued to find it difficult to make ends meet;
"Benefit freezes or restricted increases have meant falling real-term incomes, with many study participants finding it hard to meet basic needs.
"The report concludes that: 'Participants with a health condition or a disability, and those who were lone parents, reported that they wanted to be in work but faced considerable barriers to doing so, which were unlikely to be addressed by increasing conditionality.
"'According to the views of participants, stronger conditionality is unlikely to get more people into work, due to a lack of suitable work and barriers in the areas of education, skills, employability, childcare and health.'
"The researchers found that claimants who did not abide by the new conditions faced serious consequences.
"'The impact on benefit recipients who fall foul of new rules – or who are affected by a mistake on the part of a benefits agency that is not their fault – can be severe,' they said."
That's nasty – not only have benefit changes been forced onto people without any regard for them, but they don't even work.
However, this – moving back to Mr Whittam Smith – may be the Tories' downfall. He points out: "Nowadays we are no longer a homogenous mass but an agglomeration of minorities. In my own circle of family and friends, for instance, there are people who are disabled and others with serious illnesses. There are those who are single parents, others who are retired. There are middle-aged people with back-breaking mortgages, others who are and young and ambitious. There are regular Church-goers as well as non-believers. There are people in jobs, and people who cannot find work. There are Londoners who can't conceive of living anywhere else (I am one of these), and people who resent the capital city and all its works.
"Each of these minorities has its own particular concerns and needs, prejudices and resentments, but yet feels sympathy for any group that is badly treated.
"The Coalition led by its Conservative ministers has often gone about its work in an unfeeling, insensitive manner. And for that shortcoming there could be a price to pay at the next general election."
Quite so – especially as they came into government under the banner of 'Compassionate Conservatism'. What a terrible joke.
pointing out the crucial facts!
This entry was posted in Benefits, Conservative Party, Disability, Employment and Support Allowance, Foreign Affairs, Politics, Wages, Workfare and tagged A Working Class Man, Alan Wyllie, Andreas Whittam Smith, assessment, benefit, benefits, business, capability, child, childcare, clumsy, company, condition, Conservative, corporation, degenerative, disability, disabled, drop, drown, Edinburgh Napier, fall, firm, freeze, George Osborne, health, housing benefit, illness, income, Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, JSA, living wage, lone parent, Mediterranean, migrant, motor neurone disease, nasty, outsourcing, Parkinson's, private, progressive, real-terms, rescue, Resolution Foundation, rheumatoid arthritis, social security, Stirling, stupid, tax credit, The Independent, Tories, Tory, training, unfair, university, welfare, work, Work Programme on November 9, 2014 by Mike Sivier.
Incomes increased for the richest last year, but fell for everyone else (surprise!) – Inequality Briefing
The richest fifth of the UK population saw their incomes increase by £940 in 2013. But incomes were down by £250 for the other 80% of the population… and by £381 for the poorest fifth, according to Inequality Briefing.
Before Vox Political readers start commenting in their droves that this is nothing new and no surprise to anybody: It is important to keep this in the public eye. The Coalition government came into office stating that austerity cuts were necessary but would be fair, and these figures are a constant reminder that they are in fact anything but fair.
Here's a graphic for you to share:
[Image: Inequality Briefing.]
The website states: This data compares the 'equivalised disposable household income' for 2011/12 and 2012/13. It was published by the Office for National Statistics as part of 'the effects of UK tax and benefits on household income 2012/13 study.' ONS have found that the recession did have a small effect on reducing inequality, but it now looks as though inequality maybe set to increase. The figures are available online via http://www.ons.gov. uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-333039
To download the full pdf, click here
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This entry was posted in Austerity, Conservative Party, Cost of living, Liberal Democrats, Politics, Poverty and tagged benefits, household, income, increase, Inequality Briefing, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, more, national, office, ONS, poor, poorer, poorest, rich, richer, richest, statistics, tax, UK, unfair, unqual, Vox Political on September 15, 2014 by Mike Sivier.
Breaking News : Government Reviewer Opposed Rollout of ESA
In 2008, Labour introduced a new out of work sickness benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, to replace the old Incapacity Benefit.
The new system of application and assessments was much tougher, and politicians originally hoped that up to a million people could be moved from the benefit.
However, by 2010, it was clear there were significant flaws in the process. People with mental health and fluctuating conditions were not being fairly treated and successful appeals against "fit for work" decisions soared to 40%.
Professor Harrington was asked to review the new benefit and make recommendations for improving it. As the election took place in 2010, crucially, only new claimants were being assessed. ESA was yet to be rolled out to the more complicated, and often longer term, Incapacity Benefit claimants, though trials were underway in Burnley and Aberdeen.
Most people claim out of work sickness benefits for short periods – perhaps to get through a sports injury, accident or one off surgery – and stop their claims within 2 years. However, this will always leave a few people with serious, life limiting conditions who will need to claim the benefit for longer periods. Over the years, those claims build up, increasing the proportion who need long term support.
When the coalition came to power in May 2010, they immediately announced that they would go ahead and start to reassess those already claiming Incapacity Benefit.
I could never understand this decision. Why would you take a failing benefit and roll it out to almost 2 million of the most vulnerable claimants? Not only that, but at first, just 25,000 people per month were being assessed, but the government constantly increased and increased the numbers until today, nearly 130,000 assessments are carried out every month.
For the answer, please visit Sue Marsh's Diary of a Benefit Scrounger where the full story is revealed – that Professor Harrington never approved the migration of IB claimants onto ESA, that the decision was politically-motivated and that millions of people are being rushed through a failed and unfair assessment system.
The government will not want anyone to know about this and the mainstream media are unreliable when it comes to exposing such behaviour. As Sue states in the article, "We must be our own media". Please therefore publicise the link to her blog on all the social media available to you.
Let's put pressure on these white-collar thugs to answer for their actions.
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This entry was posted in Benefits, Conservative Party, Cost of living, Employment and Support Allowance, Health, People, Politics, Poverty, UK and tagged allowance, appeal, assessment, Atos, benefit, benefits, Coalition, Conservative, Democrat, Department, Diary of a Benefit Scrounger, disability, disabled, DWP, employment, ESA, fail, fit for work, fluctuating, government, Harrington, health, Iain Duncan Smith, IB, Incapacity Benefit, Lib Dem, Liberal, Liberal Democrat, mental, Migration, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, motivate, Pensions, people, political, politics, Professor, sick, social security, Sue Marsh, support, Tories, Tory, unemployment, unfair, Vox Political, welfare, work, work capability assessment on December 13, 2013 by Mike Sivier.


text:
Gary Gene Fuenfhausen recognized with Missouri Humanities Council award
Missouri's Little Dixie Heritage Foundation News Release
For more information about the Missouri Humanities Council, or the Exemplary Community Achievement Award, contact:
Maura Gray, Director of Public Relations
For more information about Missouri's Little Dixie Heritage Foundation | Arrow Rock, contact:
Gary Fuenfhausen, Missouri's Little Dixie Heritage Foundation
molittledixiehf@aol.com
Gary Gene Fuenfhausen, one-time Kansas City and Liberty resident, local historian, local author, and Jewell graduate is recognized by the Missouri Humanities Council with an award for Exemplary Community Achievement with Missouri's Little Dixie Heritage Foundation, at Arrow Rock.
Fuenfhausen grew up in Liberty, Clay County, Missouri, attending St. James Catholic School and Liberty High, when it was once a small rural Missouri town. As a young man, he was immersed in the area's local antebellum, Civil War and Southern history, during the last breath and end to years of local segregation. As a boy, he was intrigued by the stories of days gone, told by elders in his family and community. Although, he knew of the surrounding antebellum sites, lost Civil War battle fields and the legends of Jesse and Frank James, he was also acutely aware of the segregated and divided society that he lived in. Curious about how all of this came about, Gary began to read and research the history of his rural hinterlands, which soon fostered an interest in material cultural history, architecture, and the preservation of these resources.
Fuenfhausen is president of Missouri's Little Dixie Heritage Foundation and is recognized as an architectural and cultural historian who specializes in Missouri Southern history and slave cabin architecture. He lives in historic Arrow Rock, Saline County, Missouri, where he and his partner are restoring the historic property "Thompson Villa," and the recently purchased 1820s Spencer/Shreve house in Port Gibson, Mississippi.
Fuenfhausen has worked in the field of Historic Preservation for nearly two decades, holding such positions as: Architectural and Museum Consultant to the celebrated African American museum King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation in Savannah, Georgia; Curator and Director at the Andrew County Historical Society, Savannah, Missouri; Executive Director of the Historic Kansas City Foundation, Kansas City, Missouri; and an Assistant Director with Shoal Creek Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri. In addition, Fuenfhausen has also served as a Historical Consultant to various independent and public film productions, such as the 2007 PBS documentary Bad Blood. His research has also been cited in dozens of historical papers and publications, such as the 2010 On Slavery's Border: Missouri's Small Slaveholding Households, 1815-1865, by Diane Mutti Burke. His academic accomplishments include a book, A Guide To Historic Clay County, Missouri: Architectural Resources and Other Historic Sites of the Civil War, and several articles on Little Dixie's Cotton Culture, architecture, and travel, which have all appeared in professional journals and magazines.
Fuenfhausen has also received nominations and awards for his work, such as the Graduate Council of Excellence in Research Award and the Annual Southeast Missouri State University Student Research Conference's award (1996-1998). In 2012, he was recognized by Ingram's magazine as one of the 50 Missourians You Should Know. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in Business and History from William Jewell College, and finished his course work for his master's degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 2001.
Fuenfhausen was born in 1961, and attended kindergarten in what was once Liberty's public "colored" school. Not far from there at the divide of one of the town's many segregated African American neighborhoods, he spent his youth at St. James Parish, Catholic grade school. While attending local high school and college, he worked in the offices of the Clay County government. After graduation, Fuenfhausen was a professional multi-lines underwriter for insurance corporate offices in both Kansas City, Missouri, and Columbia, South Carolina. Unhappy with corporate life, he operated several antique businesses.
His first job in the field of historic preservation was working alongside his brother at the Clay County Museum and Archives, and later as Site Interpreter, at Shoal Creek museum, Kansas City, Missouri. While there, he conducted extensive research into the family and mansion owned by the Thorntons, owners of Western Farm plantation of Clay County.
In later years he also developed an interest in the once thriving cotton culture of Missouri's central Little Dixie counties, collecting and building several period working cotton gins, growing cotton, and developing interpretive programs for children and adults. For years, the school children of Boonville, and visitors in Arrow Rock, knew him as the "Cotton man." Fuenfhausen continues his interest in Missouri's Little Dixie history, presenting several programs on its slave quarter architecture, plantation, and African American slave history.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Israel's epic generation passes torch
Sharon is among the last of the leaders who helped build the Jewish state.
By Joshua Mitnick Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
January 13, 2006 | TEL AVIV
On the cover of a biography of Ariel Sharon that is selling in local stores, Israel's soldier politician is pictured neither on the battlefield nor in a government office. Instead, Mr. Sharon is wrapped in a thick wool sweater and cradling a lamb under the title, "The Shepherd."
The folksy image hearkens back to the fabled Israeli pioneer from before the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948. As Sharon remained in critical condition this week after a massive stroke, the end of his tenure as prime minister is being seen as the curtain call for a breed of leaders that oversaw the realization of the Zionist project.
"His generation was the heroic generation,'' says David Witzthum, an Israeli television news anchor. "He is the last mythological founding father.''
As Israel waxes nostalgic for the group that struggled to establish the state, many see the generational shift highlighted by the candidates vying in the March parliamentary election as a necessary stage in the young country's maturation.
All of those who could succeed Sharon - Ehud Olmert, leader of Sharon's Kadima Party; Likud party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu; Labor Party chairman Amir Peretz - came of age after Israel's independence, and all are career politicians.
Although none of the three approaches the stature of Sharon, that's actually a welcome change, argues Tom Segev, an Israeli historian and journalist for the daily Haaretz newspaper.
"No one is a DeGaulle, a Churchill, or a Mao Tse Tung. We are now swinging back to life-sized politicians who are managers," he says. "It's not healthy for a democratic society to be ruled by mythological giants. It's a society that tends to escape politics and leave it all to the strong man."
To be sure, Israel has already voted in politicians from the younger generation, Sharon's rise to power in some respects reflects the backlash from disappointment with the performance of Mr. Netanyahu and Ehud Barak as prime minister in the late 1990s.
Neither politician succeeded in holding together their government coalition and neither succeeded in reaching any breakthroughs in the peace process with the Palestinians. Ultimately, both failed to serve out their term and were unseated from office in landslide election defeats.
"The experiment was not particularly successful. After the consecutive failures of Netanyahu and Barak we ran back to the good father," says Yossi Klein Halevi, a fellow at the Shalem Center, a Jerusalem-based research institute. "Now there is no father any more, it's just the kids. In Israel we also rise to the occasion, but only when we have absolutely no choice."
And even though former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, 82, remains the last remaining link to Sharon's generation - he was tapped this week as the deputy to Olmert, who is acting prime minister - the former Nobel Peace laureate never enjoyed the adoration that the former generals basked in.
The post-Sharon era in Israel holds the promise of a more normalized brand of politics, observers say. For the current election campaign, it means the focus is likely to shift from Sharon's cult of personality to a debate that pits withdrawing from occupied territories against security, and antiterrorism measures against the economy and social welfare.
"These issues are more similar to the European or American election campaigns. It's no longer meta-political, its within a confined agenda,'' continues Mr. Witzthum.
"It's natural. It's parting from mythology and going into real politics. Up until now we needed this mythology to accompany us because until now there were no defined borders, there was no defined identity."
The parting with the legendary founders is also likely to signal a growing reluctance to coronate ex-security men as party leaders. Indeed, the military generals and secret service chiefs who parachuted into politics in the last decade (most parties are chock-full of them) have largely disappointed. The public may be more disposed to prefer a civilian politician to a collection of former soldiers running the government ministries.
"The younger generation wants to see specialists, and doesn't believe everyone can move from job to job. The younger generation is more technocratic," says David Makovsky, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute. "The tendency of the old generals is to base the merits of people's worth on where they fought."
Sharon's successors have an opportunity to prove that Israel's move to separate from the Palestinians isn't confined to one charismatic leader, but a genuine trend that reflects broad public sentiment.
"It will demonstrate ... that this is the wish of the Israeli majority," says Yaron Ezrahi, a fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. "Precisely because Olmert doesn't have charisma, it will demonstrate the commitment to the policy of fixing Israel's borders, by negotiation or unilaterally, in the near future."
Mr. Segev speculated that Olmert will have more difficulty dismantling Jewish settlements in the West Bank than Sharon, but is more likely to reach out to the Palestinians to avoid a flare-up in violence.
"In contrast to Sharon, he does recognize the Palestinians as a potential partner. His change is real," he says. "Without Sharon you suddenly realize that this shelf in the supermarket offers a decent selection of politicians. We are not orphans. There is life after Sharon."
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's health declines
Small crowds, but plenty to say about former Israeli leader Ariel Sharon
Israel bids farewell to Ariel Sharon, as it grapples with his divisive legacy
https://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0113/p01s03-wome.html


Showing results for tags 'lascala'.
Located in Northern CA. Asking $1300.
Late updating this, but items have been sold This post hurts the soul a bit. The time has come with me to part with my current system and rebuild. I will add pics tomorrow (ironically my personal computer is at the office). While the prospect of building a new system excites me, parting with some of these is gonna hurt. I put this system together in 2012 while living the single life. Last year, I went and did the unthinkable. I got married! While the wife has been accommodating for awhile, our recent move has soured her forgiving mood on the big toys. I need to downsize (but not too much ). Selling: 2012 Jubilees (Cherry finish) w/ K402 horns: $6500. These come with the original K-69 drivers. Still have original boxes and shipping materials. I purchased these in 2012 from the factory (original owner). The boxes have some wear from 2 moves but the speakers are perfect. TAD TD-4002 drivers: $1500. These REALLY make the 402 horns sing! If purchased together, will part with the Jubs/TAD combo for $7500. The Jubs come in the cherry wood finish and have no blemishes. Also for sale: 2011 LaScala II (Single): $2500. Also in cherry, used as part of JubScala center in my setup. No scratches anywhere. MINT condition. Also ordered from factory. Again box is a little beat up but the unit itself is perfect. K402 Horn w/ K-69 Driver: $500. Used in JubScala center DX38 (qty 2): Each with Roy's recommended settings. One has the jubilee setting for the TADs already programmed, and the other the JubScala setting. ($300 ea) Danley DTS-10 (qty 2): $1000 for the pair. They perform flawlessly, but the cabinets are not pristine. They have been through 2 moves and did not receive the love that the Jubs/LaScala did. Thankfully they're built like tanks. Never dropped. KPT-200 pair: $200 for the pair. Used as surrounds in my system. Located in Seattle. Can deliver a considerable distance (I like road trips and the holidays are coming up), or can arrange shipping with prospective buyers. Pics coming your way tomorrow! Only have a few pics for now. I'll have to go through some older photos.
What tube amps are in use here with LaScala's and what has been tried. I would just like to know what has been tried and why it works for you. Comments from owners of other Heritage speakers using tube equipment are welcome also. I recently sold my tube equipment and am deciding what direction to go next. Tubes only please.
Single Lascala posted on "Reverb". GREAT center channel potential!
Tony T posted a topic in Alerts!
Last month my hanger flooded, and with it I lost my K-horns. The insurance company (travelers) is giving me $400 for the K-horns. Yep, that's it. The cabinets are JUNK, but the components are good. In fact, last year Bob Crites redid the crossovers and I replaced the K-77 with his horns. Anyway, I have some great components now that need a new cabinet. Sad thing is Hope is 60 miles to my north. Anyway, I am wondering if anyone has ever done a K-horn to LaScala conversion? If I am going to have to build new cabinets, the LaScala or Belle cabinets would fit my lifestyle better. What are the differences in the components? I know the crossovers are different, but how much different? Am I crazy for thinking this? I don't have room for the K-horns in my current house, which is why they were in the hanger. Heck what about going to a Cornwall cabinet????
For Sale: A pair of awesome upgraded Black La Scala Industrial speakers for $1200 These speakers were built in 1996. I also have the aluminum badges if you want them. Location: DFW (in Texas). Tweeter: Elliptrac HF ($215 for this upgrade) Midrange: K-55M Woofer: K-43-K Link to the upgraded tweeters: click HERE I have resealed the woofers within the last year and should be good for another 20 years. I am selling these speakers as I recently moved into a smaller house and they are too powerful for me and my smaller living room. They are currently in my garage and ready to go to a good home.
Optimal Cartridge for a Technics SL 1210: 2M Blue or Bronze, Super OM 30, Denon DL-110, AT 150 series (AT 150MLX or 150Sa), or AT 440 MLa, MlLb or new VM 540?
Optimal Cartridge for a Technics SL 1210: 2M Blue or Bronze, Super OM 30, Denon DL-110, AT 150 series (AT 150MLX or 150Sa), or AT 440 MLa, MlLb or new VM 540? Hi Folks: Not sure where to post this. Let me know if it belongs elsewhere. Most of the info below is tell you folks about me and my gear. You can skip it if you like, as it is a bit detailed. My Technics SL1200 ?M3D is no more. Also gone is the Nigthclub S Cartridge and extra stylus. I still have the Music MMF-5 with a Goldring cartridge (?1024?), from about 10 years ago. It is my bedroom rig in New Orleans, I was never very happy with this, but completely different set up from what is noted below, except for the Onkyo. I work up in the DC area now and I have Klipsch LaScalas for my front speakers, Heresy Is for center and rear and a Fender 18" pro audio ported subwoofer (for which there is virtually no info on the web, nor from Fender). The LaScalas are "bright", even for LaScalas. Therefore, I really do not need an over "bright" TT cartridge. I have a Pro-Ject - Debut Carbon Esprit SB (DC), 2M Red. It was bought knowing it had some damage and I got a 2M Blue stylus to put on the straight TT arm to replace the mangled Red stylus. It sounds very nice, but I have never had another needle on it. I do not intend to replace it. Also have a Pro-Ject Audio - Tube Box DS – Black phono pre amp. I have never compared this to anything else either. Seems to work fine. I only have a small studio apt now so I use the Tube Box for any / all TTs. Thank goodness for thick walls in an older building !! I use an Onkyo TX SR 805. Also about 10 years old. It is an all in one receiver, but with a very good amp for such a unit. I have acquired 3 additional TTs: Technics SL-1800 (repaired), 1210 MK5 and 1210 M5G (one of the 1210s also got minor repairs locally, the other has a gimpy ?gimble point on the tone arm, but it works fine – for now). (Long story on getting them.) Not sure I want to do the KAB fluid dampers on these now, nor any other modding now. Might consider mods after I get a good needle. They came with various used cartridges including an AT 92E, Stanton Groovemasters, etc. I have no way to know how "used" any of the cartridges and styli are. That said, none sound bad. I would like to have 1 good needle that I can easily interchange between these 3 TTs. Therefore, some sort of plug and play set up would be ideal, whether via a compatible cartridge mounted onto a head shell or a DJ needle, Best reccs for a DJ needle seem to be for the Ortofon Arkiv, but I doubt that it would be as good as any in the post title for regular hifi listening. I mostly listen to Jazz, Blues, 60s/70s rock, Disco, etc. I should also state that many of the dozen or so records I have up in DC now have seen better days and all were bought used. I have cleaned some of them, and yes there was gunk on them. The gunk and scratches were one reason to leave out the Super OM-40, as some web postings said that all the scratches etc are easily noted with the 40. Combined with the horn loaded speakers, I think the sound of nice new vinyl might be great, but most all of my 150+ records in NOLA are from the cheap used bin. I have listened to most of them before buying to make sure that that the records were at least in ok shape. 2M Blue- sounds fine on the Pro Ject and some say it is ok with the SL1200s. $210/165 (cartr/stylus, LP Gear or TTNeedles). It is mounted onto the Pro Ject arm and I am not going to mess with it. However, I would consider a second Blue on a headshell for the Technics TTs. Some really like the Bronze, but I do not know if either Blue or Bronze is a good match for my 3 Technics TTs when compared to the OM 30 or others listed here. $370/290. Super OM 30 gets good comments on the web. However, more postings seem to favor the ATs or Denon. $290/220, so more than Blue, but less expensive than a Bronze. TTN Jico Shibata stylus for OM 10, 20, 30, 40: $160 Super OM 40 might be better for those with high quality records, as I guess you hear every pop and such in the vinyl. Some folks on the web preferred the 30. $385/300. Denon DL-110 is said to be well mated to the 1200 series. However, there is no separate stylus for this cartridge, and setting the mount properly might be difficult. It might also be too bright for my LaScalas and Heresy's. $200-300 AT 150 series (AT 150MLX or 150Sa) is said to be a real step up from the 440s – but so is the price. I am not really sure how much difference there is from the Sa to the MLX. $270-450/335. Perhaps the bargain, if I could score a Sa for $270 and if the Sa is similar to the MLX. AT has just released the VM740ML, VM750SH and VM760SLC to replace the 150s, but I know very little about them. AT 440 MLa, MlLb or new VM 540 get good reviews. MLb is $199/179 I have a few Mono records, not sure the $90.00 OM D25M is worth it for me. One potential advantage to the OM 30 is if I could get a stylus for the D25M that would work mounted onto the OM30 cartridge. Also note that some plug and play or otherwise premounted to headshell sets are available from some of the web retailers. There were also some comments about how difficult some of these are to set up. Any advice appreciated. From NOLA with love.
May be selling this original pair. I am the owner since day one. Great condition. Gauging interest. Thanks!
Hey Folks, I work with teens at the Boys & Girls Club and we've recently acquired four very old (in poor shape, paint, rust, etc.) LaScala speakers. Three of the four are "working" (don't seem to sound quite right), the other has no bass. I'm not up to date with all the technical info I see on the posts but believe that with our wood shop we'd be able to refinish the boxes and replace the workings. What we need is a simple list of the parts (and where to order) to make them like new. Thinking we can sell a pair to pay for the project. I've had a pair of these speakers for 40 years and know how good they can sound. Thanks for any suggestions.
Rebuild AL or new AL-3?


text:
HoR-appointed CBL governor sold gold bars during 2011 revolution, leaks show
BY Libyan Express	 Dec 27, 2017 - 14:42 Updated: Dec 27, 2017 - 23:26
Newly appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Libya Mohammed Al-Shukri is accused of selling gold bars during 2011 February revolution.
The newly appointed governor of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) by the House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk, Mohammed Al-Shukri, has sold gold bars from the CBL during the February revolution in 2011, a leaked document circulated on social media and media outlets in Libya has shown.
The document shockingly shows how the then vice governor
and governor-designate of the CBL, Al-Shukri, bought for himself 1.5 kg gold bars, besides selling other gold bars to businesspersons.
Libyan News tried to contact official sources close to Al-Shukri and they answered that the selling of gold bars was done in accordance with an order by the then Board of Directors of the CBL and not Al-Shukri's order, adding that he only executed the order so that they could pay salaries of employees and provide cash in the banks.
Regarding why would Al-Shukri buy three gold bars for himself, the source declined to answer.
Libyan News is, however; still trying to contact Al-Shukri for more clarification on whether or not he used his official post for personal benefits as the leaked document shows.
Al-ShukriCBLFebruary 2011Libyarevolution
For: HoR-appointed CBL governor sold gold bars during 2011 revolution, leaks show


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My aunts and uncles and cousins all referred to me as he and we had so many good moments. My daughter is a girlie-girl, despite the fact that her primary female role model has always been more comfortable operating a table saw than a hair dryer, and despite the fact that she's never once seen me in pink or purple, and only four times in something other than pants, in all her sixteen years. The fewer he has, the more likely he is to get fired. To perform these jobs, he requires certain attributes--physical strength, sanguinity in the face of danger, a willingness to take risks, a sense of putting others before himself, and a drive to perform. I recognize that I may be challenging the deep-seated beliefs of some people, and perhaps stirring up emotions in others. Jaimie Wilson har lagt till 3 nya foton. Jaimie Wilson har delat Jehry Robinson Music s video.
Liberty. get in touch with me !
Alayah. i enjoy travelling, good food & wine & also being spoilt.
Sarah. looking for adventure, do you need a hot young lady, enough experienced to bring the pure passion into your life? to guide you to the true pleasures?


Universal Motown; PR NewswireDrake won the top prize Thursday night at the mtvU Woodie Awards, held at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.
The rapper received the Woodie of the Year prize, which is presented to an artist who "owned" the past 12 months. He was not there to accept, as he's currently touring the U.K.
In addition, Beyoncé was awarded the Did It My Way Woodie for unleashing innovative ideas in the music biz. That's in recognition of the surprise release of her self-titled album in December.
You can watch the Woodie Awards Sunday night at 8 p.m. Eastern time on MTV.


Kryolan Concealer Wheel with six different shades for covering small discolorations of the skin. This practical packaging is well suited for the professional use.
Kryolan's ever-popular densely pigmented concealers in one handy wheel.
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The concentrated pigment in the concealer wheel is guaranteed to correct unwanted skin discolorations such as redness in the skin and also shadows in the under eye area.
Mix a little with your foundation to neutralize unwanted pigmentation for a more natural look. This product delivers amazing results by using only a tiny amount of product.
This product also features a handy guide on the back to help assist which shade to select.
Warm the product on the back of your hand to heat the product and help to blend into the skin with ease. Apply with a brush or sponge.
Six different shades for covering small discolorations of the skin.
Practical packaging is well suited for the professional use.
Colours: SYH PH RN1 RN2 BN OH1.


text:
Diagnostic Error: The IOM Talks Trash (But Not Cash)
Sep 22, 2015 • 1
By MICHAEL L. MILLENSON
To understand how a landmark new report on diagnostic error breaks the mold, go past the carefully crafted soundbite ("Most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences") and rummage around the report's interior.
You can't get much more medical establishment than the Institute of Medicine (IOM), also called the National Academy of Medicine, author of the just-released Improving Diagnosis in Health Care. Yet in a chapter discussing the role played in diagnostic accuracy by clinician characteristics, there's a shockingly forthright discussion of the perils of age and arrogance.
"As clinicians age, they tend to have more trouble considering alternatives and switching tasks during the diagnostic process," the report says. Personality factors can cause errors, too: "Arrogance, for instance, may lead to clinician overconfidence."
Wow. Sure, both those assertions are extensively footnoted and hedged later with talk of the importance of teams (see below). Still, given the source, this practically qualifies as "trash talking."
Of course, those quotes didn't make it into the press release. There, inflammatory language was deliberately avoided so as not to give opponents any easy targets. (Disclosure: I was an advocate of an IOM report on this topic while consulting to an organization that eventually helped fund it. After testifying at the first committee meeting, I had no subsequent involvement.)
Nonetheless, the 21-member committee's diagnosis of the diagnostic error problem and its proposed steps to remedy it were thorough, evidence-based and relentlessly candid. The causes of diagnostic errors, the committee found, "include inadequate collaboration and communication among clinicians, patients, and their families; a health care work system ill-designed to support the diagnostic process; limited feedback to clinicians about the accuracy of diagnoses; and a culture that discourages transparency and disclosure of diagnostic errors, which impedes attempts to learn and improve."
Noted Dr. John R. Ball, chair of the committee and former executive vice president of the American College of Physicians: "Diagnosis is a collective effort that often involves a team…Therefore, to make the changes necessary to reduce diagnostic errors in our health care system, we have to look more broadly at improving the entire process of how a diagnosis made." Absent that change, errors will likely worsen as the care system grows ever more complex.
In short, this is a "call for major culture change," said committee member Dr. Christine Cassel, chief executive of the National Quality Forum, in a webcast press conference. Doctors need to welcome "the patient questioning what you are thinking" and welcome feedback from colleagues who might discover a diagnosis was mistaken.
"It should be the norm that that doctor [who ascertains the correct diagnosis] picks up the phone and calls the other physicians to say what it was," continued Cassel. "Now, it would be considered embarrassing and challenging the person's professionalism to do that."
Shades of the "end result idea" of Dr. Ernest Amory Codman from over 100 years ago!
In addition to endorsing training for clinicians to work collaboratively, the report stressed the importance of listening to patients and family members. That point was emphasized with a video of three patients telling personal stories.
"This report is about patients, for patients and it places patients at the very center of the diagnostic process," said committee member Dr. Mark Graber, a senior scientist at RTI International and a founder of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine.
To that end, the IOM suggested a definition of diagnostic error that it called "patient-centered." A diagnostic error is "the failure to (a) establish an accurate and timely explanation of the patient's health problem(s) or (b) communicate that explanation to the patient." The committee also called for sharing of diagnostic information, including the clinician's notes, with patients.
The report has a great deal more substance, including recommendations for malpractice litigation reform and payment reform to pay doctors fairly for the time required to converse carefully with patients. Right now, reimbursement rewards "doing" over "thinking." Rummage around a bit more, however, and there's another interesting thread.
The IOM report that launched the modern patient safety movement was released in late November, 1999. (Unfortunately, this IOM report on error begins with an error, saying that report was 15 years ago, using the official publication date rather than the actual one.) That 1999 report focused on "errors of execution;" that is, clinicians not providing the intended therapy. The estimate then that 44,000 to 98,000 Americans die each year from preventable medical errors in hospitals and another 1 million are injured grabbed headlines and prompted a push for change that persists to this day.
It has taken until now for a report examining diagnostic error (errors of intent). Yet in the interim, as this report states clearly, we have not had a standard definition of diagnostic error, reliable collection of data or agreement on what to do to reduce those errors. So what changed from 1999 until now?
A fact I only learned due to the personal involvement I noted above is that IOM studies don't happen unless someone pays for them. The funding for this one was jump-started by the Cautious Patient Foundation, but the final bill of more than $1 million still required a laundry list of government and private funders to ante up contributions. Take away the donors and, "devastating consequences" of diagnostic errors or not, there's no report on eliminating them.
To illustrate the point, go back to the 1999 IOM report death toll, which more recent estimates say could be as high as 400,000 a year. That number refers to preventable deaths just in hospitals. Even as care moves en masse to the outpatient arena, we have no standard definition, data collection or very much information at all on injuries and deaths from outpatient errors.
So while the IOM and its committee deserve plenty of praise for a job well done on diagnostic error analysis and prevention, let's not forget the report no one has commissioned. How many more years must patients wait until someone pays the IOM to tackle outpatient error, as well?
Michael Millenson is a principal at Health Quality Advisors LLC.
Categories: Tech, The Business of Health Care, Uncategorized
Tagged as: Diagnostic Errors, Institute of Medicine, Michael Millenson, National Quality Forum, Patient-Centered Errors
A Small EHR Vendor's Emotional Open Letter to Users
Health 2.0 announces Launch! and Traction Finalists
cruzdavid
Thank you for this helpful information, please brief me more about Health Insurance


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How Scuba Diving as Therapy Assists Wounded Veterans' Rehabilitation
Scuba Quest's Mark Culwick (L) with director Paul Roche (C) and Dave Handley (R) (Photo: Scuba Quest)
By Mark 'Crowley' Russell
Over the last decade, scuba diving has become increasingly recognised as an activity that not only allows humans to explore the majestic depths of the ocean realm, but one with significant therapeutic benefits for those that struggle with physical disabilities and mental illnesses. For these reasons, scuba diving has become popular with ex-service personnel, some of whom have been very seriously wounded, lost limbs, or suffer from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
One organisation supporting the use of scuba diving as therapy for wounded veterans is Help for Heroes, a charity that offers a wide range of initiatives and activities to assist wounded ex-service personnel with their rehabilitation. In 2020, Help for Heroes approved Chepstow-based dive centre Scuba Quest as a scuba diving training partner through the work of Dave Handley, a 22-year veteran of the Royal Navy who became a Physical Development coach for Help for Heroes after a 15-year career in the dive industry.
Handley, a PADI IDC Staff Instructor recruited Scuba Quest's Mark Culwick, likewise a PADI IDCS Instructor, technical diving instructor and British Army veteran, to manage the training programme with Help for Heroes. The two met when Handley was the proprietor of a Plymouth-based dive centre through which Culwick conducted dive trips.
'Knowing a lot of people in the industry, Mark was a natural choice of experience and quality of Instructor, not to mention his link with the military, through his service,' said Handley 'In the recovery journey of veterans, it is important that they are cared for both in and out of the water. I have seen a lot of cowboy outfits over the years, but Mark and the ScubaQuest team are anything but!'
As a PADI dive centre, Scuba Quest was able to obtain sponsorship from the agency for the training materials and certifications, and teach using PADI's Adaptive Diving Techniques, specially designed to allow instructors to vary their approaches to teaching based on the student diver's physical or mental capabilities. The Adaptive Support Diver course is also available for people who dive with buddies who face particular challenges underwater.
Although the Adaptive Diving Techniques help with training, Culwick himself says that he tries as much as possible not to treat veterans any differently than civilian divers. 'I try not to approach teaching the veterans in any different way,' said Culwick. 'If anything, just a little bit more patience as they have natural apprehensions as we all do to get over, as well as their demons.'
He also finds that his own position as a veteran gives hims something of an advantage over other instructors. 'I know the culture, I revert to military humour and services rivalry,' he said. 'I introduce competition, for example, [when learning underwater navigation techniques], every degree off a bearing accrues a point, and the one with the least amount of points wins. Military personnel love that and it ends up being a great laugh.'
'The benefits of the Help for Heroes dive programme are clear,' says Culwick, citing examples of how scuba diving has aided former service personnel who have previously found rehabilitation to be challenging. 'One old soldier in his 60's had been a virtual recluse for over 30 years and came on the course,' he said. 'I have never put so much work into a diver in my career and when he passed [the PADI Open Water Diver course], his tears meant the world to him and me. He also enjoyed his comrades' company as well, which was equally as important.'
Scuba diving has a lot to offer for those who otherwise struggle with daily life, whether their injuries are visible or not, particularly former service men and women. 'I think it gives veterans something to look forward to when times get tough for them,' said Culwick. 'For the veterans with PTSD they, more often than not, state that the peace, quiet and serenity is what they primarily get out of it, as well as the adventure as most servicepeople are adventurous by nature. For the physically injured service members, it is the escape from the shackles of everyday living, under the water they are the equal of able bodied people, they have freedom and the speed that they adapt is amazing.'
For instructors who are considering teaching wounded veterans to dive, or buddies considering becoming support divers, Culwick invites others - whether they have a military background or not - to get involved. 'For anyone who is thinking of doing it, please do,' he said 'Be patient with them and the rewards will far outweigh anything else. They deserve it, they put everything on the line for us, giving something back is a special thing that they truly appreciate.'
To learn more about PADI's Adaptive Diving, visit www.padi.com/adaptive-support-diver. For more information on the Help for Heroes initiative, visit: www.helpforheroes.org.uk. Scuba Quest is based at the National Diving & Activity Centre (NDAC) in Chepstow, Gloucestershire, UK: www.scubaquest.co.uk
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PODAAC • View topic - Why not all islands masked out in MUR data?
Why not all islands masked out in MUR data?
Users has been questioning why the land mask does not appear to work in MUR Level SST dataset. For example, over the Hawaiian Islands, only the Big Island is masked out (fill values are set). The other islands appear "underwater"... (Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui).
The short answer is that users should apply the landmask (mask variable = 2) by themselves to view the MUR SST with the islands masked out properly.


The Georgia Native Chinquapin Tree is an outstanding natural selection that is rarely found in southern woodlands due to generations of deforestation for lumber production. However, few still remain and have been collected as seedlings for Willis Orchard Company. The nuts produced from this small tree are sweet and delicious, right out of the burr. The Chinquapin nut trees are an understory species, however, if they are originally planted in full sun, they will adapt. There are few nuts that can rival the uniquely exquisite flavor of a Georgia native chinquapin Tree!


American Airlines AAdvantage is most likely to offer a Challenge based on 17 of 28 submitted reports (61%).
Wanted a free challenge after having been PT before,now Gold which is nothing , they sent me this BS.
EMAIL:Congratulations! You've been given complimentary MVP Gold status.
Ok. It took several attempts and exchanges via email and the web page...but it works.


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Programmatic Media Buying Trends: Top Approaches, Motivations, and Concerns
Most marketers are now conducting at least some of their media buying programmatically, according to recent research from The Association of National Advertisers (ANA).
The report was based on data from a survey of 149 client-side marketers (66% work for B2C firms, 13% for B2B firms, and 21% for hybrid B2C-B2B firms).
Some 85% of respondents say their company is engaging in the buying of programmatic advertising either in-house or via an agency.
The most popular channels/formats for programmatic media buying are desktop display (85% of firms that purchase programmatically), mobile display (74%), desktop video (71%), and mobile video (62%):
Marketers say they engage in programmatic media buying primarily to better target audiences (74% cite it as a very important motivation) and to build audience reach (48%):
Some 46% of marketers whose firms engage in programmatic buying say they are satisfied with their efforts, and 4% say they are very satisfied:
Some 78% of marketers say they are either concerned or very concerned about brand-safety issues with programmatic advertising:
About the research: The report was based on data from a survey of 149 client-side marketers (66% work for B2C firms, 13% for B2B firms, and 21% for hybrid B2C-B2B firms).
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Today I've completed another year on the planet...today I turn 55! Double 5's!! When I think of 5 being the biblical number for grace, I'm pretty excited about this year at what lies ahead for me. Double the grace, Lord!
In the Bible the number 5 is significant. Redemption. Israel came out of Egypt 5 in rank (Ex 13:18). David picked up 5 smooth stones to fight Goliath (1 Sam. 17:40). The Holy Anointing Oil was pure and composed of 5 parts (Ex. 30:23-25). So the fact that I will be sporting two 5's side by side is a bit special don't you think?
His grace is sufficient and I'm taking hold of a double portion right now! Thank you for your prayers and for reading and sharing a cup of joe with me every day!


Earth Day is this upcoming Monday, April 22nd. Each year, NCMS students help clean up Baker Park by picking up trash on Earth Day. Trash pick up is from 3:15 – 4:15 pm, and you will get community service for helping out. If you would like to help this year, please sign up in the main office.


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Preview of the Global Trends fieldbook: Diasporas – the untapped potential?
23rd June 2014	by Christel K. Stoklund	in Blog
3.2% of the world's population is migrants; putting them all together in one country would create the world's fifth most populous country with 232 million people. Europe and Asia combined host nearly two-thirds of all international migrants worldwide. Europe is the most popular region with 72 million migrants in 2013, compared to 71 million in Asia. Since 1990, Northern America has recorded the biggest gain in the absolute number of migrants, adding 25 million and has experienced the fastest growth in migrant stock by an average of 2.8% year. (Source: UN) According to Gallup these migrants are not alone. Around 13% of the world's adults – or about 630 million people – say they would like to leave their country and move somewhere else permanently, with the U.S. being the most desirable destination.
Diasporas have always been a strong economic force with global remittances from migrants tripling over the past decade and now outstripping official aid. As travel becomes cheaper and easier, these networks are getting larger and more connected, helping to spread knowledge, wealth, and product demand, as well as opening doors by connecting people and businesses globally. Yet many countries and companies do not recognize the potential of the diaspora network and how it can contribute to economic progress and business growth. Clearly, disaporas are important in terms of spending power. But this is just once facet of the potential benefits for organizations and governments.
Diaspora networks can speed up information flows, e.g. a cousin living in Bangladesh knows about a great production site and alerts his cousin in Germany who is looking for place to outsource. In addition, many diasporas include people educated at Western universities who may return to their home country but keep exchanging ideas with their friends still living and working in other countries, promoting knowledge flows globally. Another important "gift" is cultural awareness and language skills, which are critical factors for success when companies want access to, e.g. foreign markets, production sites, and manpower. A study from Harvard Business School suggests that U.S. companies that employ lots of ethnic Chinese people find it much easier to set up in China without a joint venture involving a local firm. (Source: The Economist)
The U.S. has 32 million Mexican-Americans; Germany has 4 million residents of Turkish descent; and the UK has 3 million South Asians. The growth of these global migrant communities has led some companies to develop strategies to tap into new growth opportunities. One example is Bangladesh's largest food company PRAN RFL that started targeting the Bangladeshi diaspora, expanding to serve immigrants from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan, then concentrating on Muslims from the Subcontinent and finally launching as a brand in the UK, where it is now growing overseas. Another example is the Indian consumer goods company Dabur that is growing outside India by serving the needs of an expansive Indian diaspora community. It has created a customer segment that spans South Asia and the Middle East by using Bollywood star-based advertising as well as building on similarities in personal care product preferences. It has also made its way into developed markets like the UK and the U.S., replacing the Bollywood strategy, which would not resonate in the West, with an all-natural products strategy. (Source: HBR)
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Home biochar Biochar holds promise for removing emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals from treated wastewater
Biochar holds promise for removing emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals from treated wastewater
Lead researcher Marlena Ndoun, a doctoral student in Penn State's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, samples water in central Pennsylvania's Spring Creek for emerging contaminants.
IMAGE: PENN STATE
Biochar — a charcoal-like substance made primarily from agricultural waste products — holds promise for removing emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals from treated wastewater.
That's the conclusion of a team of researchers that conducted a novel study that evaluated and compared the ability of biochar derived from two common leftover agricultural materials — cotton gin waste and guayule bagasse — to adsorb three common pharmaceutical compounds from an aqueous solution. In adsorption, one material, like a pharmaceutical compound, sticks to the surface of another, like the solid biochar particle. Conversely, in absorption, one material is taken internally into another; for example, a sponge absorbs water.
Guayule, a shrub that grows in the arid Southwest, provided the waste for one of the biochars tested in the research. More properly called Parthenium argentatum, it has been cultivated as a source of rubber and latex. The plant is chopped to the ground and its branches mashed up to extract the latex. The dry, pulpy, fibrous residue that remains after stalks are crushed to extract the latex is called bagasse.
The research was innovative because it was the first to use cotton gin waste and guayule bagasse to produce biochar for the removal of emerging pharmaceuticals from water.
The results are important, according to researcher Herschel Elliott, Penn State professor of agricultural and biological engineering, College of Agricultural Sciences, because they demonstrate the potential for biochar made from plentiful agricultural wastes — that otherwise must be disposed of — to serve as a low-cost additional treatment for reducing contaminants in treated wastewater used for irrigation.
"Most sewage treatment plants are currently not equipped to remove emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, and if those toxic compounds can be removed by biochars, then wastewater can be recycled in irrigation systems," he said. "That beneficial reuse is critical in regions such as the U.S. Southwest, where a lack of water hinders crop production."
The pharmaceutical compounds used in the study to test whether the biochars would adsorb them from aqueous solution were: sulfapyridine, an antibacterial medication no longer prescribed for treatment of infections in humans but commonly used in veterinary medicine; docusate, widely used in medicines as a laxative and stool softener; and erythromycin, an antibiotic used to treat infections and acne.
The results, published today (Nov. 16) in Biochar, suggest biochars made from agricultural waste materials could act as effective adsorbents to remove pharmaceuticals from reclaimed water prior to irrigation. However, the biochar derived from cotton gin waste was much more efficient.
In the research, it adsorbed 98% of the docusate, 74% of the erythromycin and 70% of the sulfapyridine in aqueous solution. By comparison, the biochar derived from guayule bagasse adsorbed 50% of the docusate, 50% of the erythromycin and just 5% of the sulfapyridine.
The research revealed that a temperature increase, from about 650 to about 1,300 degrees F in the oxygen-free pyrolysis process used to convert the agricultural waste materials to biochars, resulted in a greatly enhanced capacity to adsorb the pharmaceutical compounds.
"The most innovative part about the research was the use of the guayule bagasse because there have been no previous studies on using that material to produce biochar for the removal of emerging contaminants," said lead researcher Marlene Ndoun, a doctoral student in Penn State's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. "Same for cotton gin waste — research has been done on potential ways to remove other contaminants, but this is the first study to use cotton gin waste specifically to remove pharmaceuticals from water."
For Ndoun, the research is more than theoretical. She said she wants to scale up the technology and make a difference in the world. Because cotton gin waste is widely available, even in the poorest regions, she believes it holds promise as a source of biochar to decontaminate water.
"I am originally from Cameroon, and the reason I'm even here is because I'm looking for ways to filter water in resource-limited communities, such as where I grew up," she said. "We think if this could be scaled up, it would be ideal for use in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where people don't have access to sophisticated equipment to purify their water."
The next step, Ndoun explained, would be to develop a mixture of biochar material capable of adsorbing a wide range of contaminants from water.
"Beyond removing emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, I am interested in blending biochar materials so that we have low-cost filters able to remove the typical contaminants we find in water, such as bacteria and organic matter," said Ndoun.
Learn more: Biochar from agricultural waste products can adsorb contaminants in wastewater
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