text:
CONTACT GINA
ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM
T4T
© 2021 Gina London. All rights reserved
Gina London
Team Building for Our Virtual World
If I had a dollar (or Euro) for each email I've received promoting an exciting new way to engage and inspire virtual teams during this whole CovidShutdownRemoteWorkingFromHomeExperience we're enduring together, I would more than make up for the sales pipeline of in-person engagements I've
lost since this whole rigmarole began.
I must confess, of course, that I, too, have reached out to my own marketing lists in much the same vein. Even my updated website has been extoling for the past
several weeks that "Companies need to develop their remote teams." But what works and why should businesses spend at this fragile time? For answers, I turned to David Bassett, Managing Director of Orangeworks, a
Dublin-based organisation specialising in team engagement. "We bring company culture alive by gamifying the content but not taking away the seriousness of the message," David told me through Zoom on Wednesday.
Orangeworks began back in 2003 and today they've worked with nearly every major blue-chip company. "PwC, LinkedIn, Google and Deloitte," David began and
then trailed off from reciting his list. "We work with companies that recognize they need to invest in their teams. It's probably easier to name the companies
we're not working with."
From Hong Kong, to Slovenia, to London, last year, Orangeworks ran over 500 team-building events. In fact, back in 2017, when I had been in Ireland only for short time, David reminded me even we had worked alongside each other at a national business tourism conference at Dublin's RDS. I served as Master of Ceremonies, and Orangeworks representative Ed Freitas stepped up to the stage to lead one heck of an icebreaker. Propelled by accompanying resounding drums, he got the audience off their seats and into a full performance of the "haka." Yes, as in that ceremonial dance made famous by New Zealand's rugby team, the All-
Blacks. It was an exhilarating and hilarious team-building exercise. And, like most team-building experiences in the pre-Covid world for Orangeworks, me and likely
for you too, they were conducted: in-person.
1) Get your team on their feet
But now that they've moved all their products online, I asked David to divulge a couple of Orangeworks' more creative approaches to virtual team-building. "Everyone is doing quizzes these days, but we see great results in getting people up and moving," David said. "Take 'Curio Show'. During this game, you tell every virtual team member to get up and go around their house and bring back the most unusual thing they can find. You might get push-back from some more traditional people saying, 'Wait, you didn't give me advanced notification about this' but it's fun and energetic and you'll change the conversation for the rest of whatever meeting you're having.
"Gamification," David went on to explain, "is the pressure release valve. You provide the right games and you'll get improved work outcomes from your teams afterward. We've been doing this for 13 years. We have the data to support the results. Even a short burst of energy completely changes team conversations from how they were previously."
2) Make your teams movie stars
"One of our funniest games," David said, "is 'Blockbusters'. We kick-off by dividing teams into teams and they go into virtual breakout rooms to make their story board of what working from home really looks like. The real versus the perceived. Everyone then goes off and takes a series of shots or videos and they send them to us. Orangeworks edits each team's submissions and later teams come back for a live scoring and award ceremony. Again, you have fun, but there are serious messages that come out of this."
Messages like how much more accepting we are becoming of each other. Of how our top executives can have little kids who scream and wreak havoc during a
video conference like the rest of us. Messages that employees are people too.
3) Structure an 'unstructured' meeting
Finally, David suggests companies try running more unstructured meetings. "The only structured thing is the time and you're not allowed to talk about work," he outlined. "There must also be a moderator, but these open meetings are where a lot of team-building nuggets can come from. People will really begin to communicate, and creative juices start to flow."
The most successful teams are the ones that communicate the most freely and have the most fun.
4) Invest in your teams now
Since our budgets – unlike most of our waistlines – are shrinking, should we wait until company finances - get better? Not at all, David urges."When we look back at the last crisis in Ireland, in 2008 during the recession, it wasn't easy to sell team engagements. But we found that the people who did invest in their teams, came out stronger. They had developed more efficient teams who knew how to communicate and that translated into a better bottom line for their shareholders."
It's time to make sure your teams are aligned and motivated. Don't reduce your spending during this turbulent time. "Everything works when your team works," David told me. "We want teams working together to be better."
Write to Gina in care of [email protected]
With corporate clients in five continents, Gina London is a premier communications strategy, structure, and delivery expert. She is also a media analyst, author, speaker & former CNN anchor. @TheGinaLondon
by Gina London
How to Help Small Businesses Raise Their Voice During Shut-down
On the morning of the 18th of March, less than one week after Irish children nationwide were sent home with all their school books, office doors were closed and words like "self-isolation" and "social distancing" were still far from commonplace, Joanne Griffin wrote a message to two contacts on LinkedIn.
"I barely knew either of them," she told me via a Whatsapp call this past Wednesday. But the former LinkedIn executive turned founder and CEO of Adapt IQ, dedicated to helping organisations prepare teams for the future of work, was thinking of the uncertain future in which we all suddenly found ourselves.
"I pinged Colin Harris, Managing Director of VIP Recruitment and Louise O'Conor, a partner at Beta Digital. I knew they were both creative, connected and believed in creating social impact."
Joanne asked if they were interested in designing a way to pull people together from their new separated worlds. To create a community. Her idea ignited a fast-moving spark in the others. "I wrote my message at 10:23 a.m. Eight minutes later they both got back to me and said, 'We're in.' By 1:44 p.m., we were on a Zoom call," she said.
"We are all running businesses on the side, but we are also committed to the strength of the collective brain to solve common challenges."
By April 1 (no fooling), the trio had added Mindi Caselden as a fourth partner and launched IrelandTogether.ie, a brand-new non-profit committed to providing free online support for Irish businesses struggling with the effects of the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.
"We are a small enough nation to make this stuff work. It's the solidarity of the Irish people. Our platform already has over 300 members made up of senior leaders of SME's across Ireland and the diaspora," Joanne told me.
"We have a thriving community on Slack and our ethos is reciprocity. Advisors give their time for free. For instance, today we had a number of accountants come forward. They are providing financial support to companies who are trying to access the Covid-19 supports whether for their employees or for their cash flow. In return they need help for social marketing. It's a 'pay it forward' community."
In addition to providing a supportive network of members and advisors, IrelandTogether has also been conducting sentiment surveys for participants. With three weeks' of surveys returned so far, the results are somewhat surprising.
1) Confidence is declining
Rather than people settling into a remote-working groove or positive pivot, many members are feeling like they are losing their footholds. "We are seeing a decline in people saying that they have the right networks around them to support them," Joanne revealed. "All the advisors who signed up, at first thought they were the right people to provide support. But now they're saying, 'oh no, we're running out of sales pipeline and what should we say to attract more customers?'"
In fact, only 11 pc of those surveyed described themselves as being "very confident" about the future. Over the past week alone, the survey has reported a significant increase in concerns over cashflow. "We're also inundated with webinar 'shoulds' and 'woulds' and that just adds to anxiety."
"We're now preparing to roll out an 'Ireland Talks' video series to examine the real-life stories of our members and networks who are making tough choices and learning from experience," Joanne said.
2) Willingness for collaboration is expanding
The feelings of isolation and precariousness are catapulting people's desire to collaborate. It's not better to go it alone, it's better to join forces. Tackling problems together is also a goal for IrelandTogether.
"We've established working groups within the membership to help tackle and offer solutions to identified problems," explained Joanne.
"Even though we're physically distant, there's a real willingness for competitors to help people get out of hustle mode and start to collaborate and pivot if that is what they need to do."
I agree. You don't have to know it all on your own. But you do need to not be afraid to reach out and ask others for help.
3) Sense of urgency is increasing
For the first week of restrictions, Joanne said to me, she observed that people seemed very patient. "Now, people are feeling a big sense of urgency, anxiety and 'me me me'. We are only three weeks old and already have hundreds of members and advisors. But we're still not moving fast enough."
Along with the increasing need for speed is an increasing wave of enthusiasm from the community.
"It's overwhelming," Joanne marvelled. "The initial caliber of the people we expected were middle managers, but we have top companies, top leaders. We are getting reach-outs from Groupon, Google, Virgin TV and RTE."
At this moment the world's population, according to the United Nations, consists of 7.8 billion people. Each person has a story. Of the distinct set of concerns, questions and events they're experiencing during this time of remote working, self-isolation and continuing uncertainty.
The more we can come together (virtually, of course) connect and collaborate, the more we will feel the power of community. Of being together. Apart.
Preserving Business Communications Modes and Manner Post Covid19
"I ask them to bring their drink of choice to our meeting," one of my coaching
clients told me this past week, describing how she conducts her virtual one to one
meetings in our new world of remote working. "This allows me to show up with
my own glass of wine," she confided, chuckling.
The introduction of a more personal beverage selection into the business
meetings (conducted after five o'clock, I am assured), has seemed to prompt a
more intimate atmosphere in which her team members feel freer to divulge more
of their personal lives.
"One team member shared the home-schooling challenges he and his partner are
struggling with with their young children," my client explained. "Another woman
has revealed the painful ordeal of the break-up she is enduring with her husband
while they are self-isolating under the same roof."
"It's going to be strange then, isn't it," she mused aloud to me, "when we
eventually go back to our offices and no longer communicate like this?"
"Wait a minute," I cautioned. Let's examine that notion for a moment. Your team
members are entrusting you with sensitive vulnerabilities. Receiving and
maintaining such a high level of trust demonstrates a higher level of leadership.
Do you really want to try to put this genie back into the bottle or would you
rather find some way to preserve this special atmosphere you are creating?
Which brings me to today's point. After six weeks of remote working, I, and other
business forecasters, are projecting numerous things will not revert to the way
they were. Many remote workers will not return to their offices or desks, fewer
executives will travel internationally for meetings that can be more efficiently
conducted virtually and more of those humble audio-only sales calls will be
stepped up to video conferencing.
Yes, the modes of business interactions and communications are dramatically
changing. But, as illustrated by my client's conversations with her team members,
we are also witnessing a dramatic change in the manner of our communications
as well. Quarantine is prompting a communications leader-shift. The more we can
acknowledge it, the more likely we will be able to codify it.
1) We're collectively getting real
From CEO to frontline worker, the complications of our "self-isolationships" are
requiring us to move out from behind our personal protection comfort zones.
Toddlers or teens are hollering at us from beyond – and sometimes directly in
front of – our screens. Difficulties with partners or roommates have prompted
some of us to initiate social distancing guidelines inside our own homes. Unlike
pre-Covid restrictions, we feel comfortable talking about these difficulties with
pretty much everyone. The world is in this together and we're all talking about it.
We're getting real, really fast.
2) We're collectively experiencing a wide-range of emotions
Now that we're working, cooking, drinking, binge-watching, exercising, eating,
crying, praying, dancing, cursing and laughing with the same people every meal,
every day, the aggravations, anxieties and even warm feelings of contentment
from a reflective stroll under the brightened-from-less-pollution blue skies of
nature, are smacking into us wantonly. Waves in a storm-wracked sea.
The noise from our tumult of emotions is softened, however, by our awakened
awareness that others – our colleagues, our bosses - are experiencing them too.
3) We're entrusting ourselves
For those reasons, then, we feel more comfortable in discussing our situations
with people before whom we might have once been more guarded.
Last week, for instance, during my very-first prospecting call (video-call, of course)
with the head of learning and development for a large financial institution, I
smiled as she unleashed a torrent of exasperation over her pre-teen who simply
refused to do any more homework and had retreated into video games instead.
"I can relate," I commiserated.
We are in a global trust-fall. As leaders, we cannot catch someone today only to
pull away from them tomorrow.
4) We should create new protocols
As CEOs and management teams are preparing new rules around social
distancing, and intensive cleaning in preparation of re-entry, so too, should
protocols and guiding principles be established to ensure our heightened and
enlightened communications combined with the more encouraging and nurturing
leadership approaches that are being established continue to be honoured and
protected.
Some organisations have installed special frameworks to provide support for
remote workers during this time. "Rant-buddies" or "Thinking-partners" or
"Support-mentors" have been assigned to employees. These alliances can be on-
going. Employees have been mobilised to innovate team-building, sales and
services ideas. Any such special incentive programmes should continue.
What we are learning about ourselves and others during this time, will benefit
and enrich companies and their employees for years to come.
Committing to a continuation of transparent and trusting communications and to
enhancing the teams and infrastructure you are establishing now, will go a long
way toward ensuring the emotional and mental well-being of your workforce
continues as well.
Another proven way is to encourage your workforce to tote their favourite adult
beverage with them to your next business meeting. Or perhaps not.
Write to Gina in care of [email protected] With corporate clients
in five continents, Gina London is a premier communications strategy, structure
and delivery expert. She is also a media analyst, author, speaker and former CNN
anchor. @TheGinaLondon
Leading with Purpose in the Time of Covid19
From Amazon to Alibaba, businesses around the world are providing Covid19 pandemic support.
For instance, Facebook is committing $20 million toward coronavirus relief. Microsoft has donated millions upon millions in products, services and solutions to frontline workers and hospitals and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation independently announced it would commit another $100 million. Google and Apple teamed up to create a 'contact tracing' app to notify people when they interact with someone who's infected. IBM's Weather Company app is providing local updates on the progress of the virus. Dyson and Rolls Royce are making ventilators in the UK. Over in the US, they're being made by Ford and General Motors.
And, of course, nearly all the world's top biotech and pharma companies are collaborating on the discovery of a coronavirus treatment or vaccine.
"The big question," Fortune magazine President and CEO Alan Murray wrote in his online newsletter this past week, "is this just a temporary response to the crisis, or part of a fundamental rethinking of the company's role in society? Is it a brief grab for feel-good PR, or a reflection of larger corporate purpose?"
I was so intrigued by Alan's newsletter musing that I emailed him directly to ask if he would expand his thoughts for this column. He graciously agreed and the head of the global media company spoke via Zoom video conferencing from his home in Connecticut where he is self-isolating.
ME: What is happening with big businesses today?
ALAN: "It's a really interesting question. You're seeing cross currents.
On the one hand, you're seeing some examples, and we're keeping track of them, of companies who are expanding sick pay and doing furloughs instead of laying off employees and companies keeping their employees on, even if they have no work for them to do. Over in the health care area, you are seeing companies diving into treatments and cures that are not necessarily profitable for them. Companies working with competitors. You are seeing companies really stepping up. On the other hand, some companies are struggling. Marriott furloughed tens of thousands of employees and Macy's closed all 500 of its stores and furloughed over a hundred thousand workers. They aren't making money and can't afford to keep them on. The cross currents are hard to interpret."
ME: So, to the question you posed in your newsletter, are businesses doing this now for PR or Purpose?
ALAN: "I believe there has been for a decade now - a dramatic change of taking care of employees and taking care of customers and paying more attention to communities and inclusivity. I've seen this build since the last recession and there are some fundamental reasons that won't go away – like the way businesses operate and the way they care about investing in their employees not to only serve their shareholders. There is an increased value of talent in a company and now, especially for an economy that runs on intellectual property, there is a needed shift to investing in human capital.
Colin Mayer does a good job outlining this with his book Prosperity – Better Business Makes the Greater Good."
A professor at Oxford University's Said Business School, Mayer's premise in his 2019 book is that a company exists to create something and provide solutions through a defined purpose. That purpose, in turn, should guide all the decisions of the executives, owners and board members. He then argues, citing a number of examples, that companies which are run this way tend to become more profitable and longer-lived than others – while simultaneously basking in the goodwill of customers, employees, executives and the world in general.
"People have become more important to business and they need to give them a purpose beyond practice,"
"People have become more important to business and they need to give them a purpose beyond practice," Alan summarized. "This prompts a change into how leadership is getting across. It used to be that you would have a strategy developed and ordered from the top and cascaded to the rest of the company. You can't do that anymore. The person at the top must embody a style that attracts talent and provides inspiration. Companies need to motivate and excite their workforce. The focus on social issues is part of that.
ME: Is there another reason why businesses are performing with more purpose?
ALAN: "The third piece is this is in response to a breakdown of our political systems. I saw a real increase in this in 2016. Brexit happened over in the UK and even though we have Trump now, we also saw Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist taking momentum in an arena that had never happened before.
The general chaos of western governments prompted business leaders to realise that they have to step up for their own survival. There's a big change prompted by young people who don't believe in capitalism."
Me: Will these more purpose-guided business efforts impact the way governments are run?
ALAN: "No. Business leaders are by definition problem solvers because businesses need to produce results to survive. Political leaders do not. Businesses reaction is, 'we have to.'"
As I say, "A crisis doesn't forge you, a crisis reveals you."
Write to Gina in care of [email protected] With corporate clients in five continents, Gina London is a premier communications strategy, structure and delivery expert. She is also a media analyst, author, speaker and former CNN anchor. @TheGinaLondon
Easter-inspired Reflections during Covid Restrictions
When I was a kid, my family never missed an Easter service. Actually, since I was raised by a very pious mother, we never missed any Sunday really, but Easter was particularly important. I can still hear the hymns, smell the fragrance of white lilies which filled the church sanctuary. I remember the sermons with powerful messages of peace, victory and hope.
Today, on this Easter Sunday during our fourth full week of Covid19 restrictions, no matter whether you are as devout as my mom or not, this is a day in which we can certainly purposefully pause.
While medical, safety and other essential workers toil long hours and endanger their lives to save the lives of others, I'd like to share some thoughts about the aspects of self-isolation we can at least appreciate, if not quite celebrate.
1. An Appreciation of Reflection
As we are all shifting into a completely different way of working and living, I know I have mentioned this before in previous columns, but I sincerely want to emphasise how that especially during this time, journaling will provide clarity now and lasting impact later. It's a great way to organise what can be an overwhelming onslaught of wide-ranging emotions and the very act of writing will distance yourself from their impact as you catalogue them on paper or a device.
Later, once we get through this (and we will get through this), and your sharp memories fade into patina, your journal will allow you to review. Perhaps you can apply a lesson from a journal entry to a team you will be working with or leading. Perhaps you will be asked to give a keynote address at a someday-again-please-Jesus corporate conference. The more vividly your journal entries are written, the more colourfully you can bring your stories back to life to best impact your audience.
In addition to writing - and reading now too - don't forget to keep connecting to people. Reflecting doesn't have to be a singular event it can also involve sharing and listening to the reflections of others as well.
2. An Appreciation of Renewal
The Easter story of resurrection, of course, arrives at the same time of nature's spring rebirth. Even in self-isolation, we can appreciate the renewed blooming of daffodils, budding of magnolias and other flowering trees, melodic bird song and droning hum of bees.
Similarly, as American entrepreneur Mark Cuban described this past Wednesday, our careers or small business enterprises may be on the precipice of a renewal. The owner of the Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team and Shark Tank TV show judge was speaking live on a video chat sponsored by one of my clients, Salesforce.
"This is a reset of unprecedented magnitude," Mark explained. "It's a challenge and it's also an opportunity. Ask your employees or colleagues what they're thinking about right now. The next great business idea might be sitting on the other side of that Zoom screen. Think about brand enhancement during these times. You can also come together with your competitors and share information. Imagine if all the PPE companies had come together before this crisis hit, we wouldn't have the black market we do now."
New innovations and even business cooperatives may come from this experience.
3. An Appreciation of Respect
From differing opinions on restrictions and policies to virtual chats about rumours and conspiracy theories, conversations can become heated more quickly during this time of continued confinement and concern. This applies to those of us seeking to reorder our business or personal finances. For instance, tensions may start to flare when the newly un-employed or under-employed are struggling to understand a governmental application or reaching out to a bank. When I called my own bank a couple of weeks ago, it took a full week for me to get a call back. But respect can and should be maintained.
"Always put yourselves in the shoes of the people you're dealing with," Mark advised. "Many bankers are confused too but over time the banks will understand this. At some point they will be there for you. Assigning blame accomplishes nothing."
We all want to know that someone is nice. Nice will pay off in the long run. The customers or clients you may have lost now, will come back in due time. More so if you reach out and pay your respects. The power of human connection is more important than ever.
4. An Appreciation of Resilience
How are you using this time right now toward a spirit of growth, development, partnership and stamina? Are you using your business as a platform for change?
Strengthening your determination, positivity and focus will help you put your head down and get you back to working, virtually networking or strategizing. Even when you feel like you are falling, know that you can get back up.
As J.K. Rowling said, "Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life."
So, on this Easter Sunday, amidst the many difficult and quite heartbreaking moments all around us, there is still hope. Pause. What do you appreciate?
Looking through the Covid19 crystal ball
"I was looking on Amazon the other day, trying to order a crystal ball, but like webcams and laptops, they have run out,"
"I was looking on Amazon the other day, trying to order a crystal ball, but like webcams and laptops, they have run out," Etienne Coulon joked as I asked his opinions on the Covid19 future of business during our Whatsapp call this past week from his home in France where he's self-isolating with this family.
Etienne is the co-founder and CEO of AnotherTrail and AnotherCEO, companies that use software, emerging technologies and visibility platforms to ramp and expand businesses and business ecosystems across EMEA. I met him at a conference back in that not-so-distant past world of in-person events. He and his co-founding business partner, Chris Reid, were presenting on future trends and I was facilitating.
I found them both engaging and thought-provoking. And funny.
And while, of course, it's not the time to make light of this unprecedented time of uncertainty, it only takes about a minute scrolling social media through the thousands of humourous (and some not so humourous) memes being circulated to be reminded that humour is a very required coping mechanism in a time such as this.
For that reason, I laughed at his crystal ball joke and others too. Even without his clairvoyance tool, Etienne raised some provocative thoughts as he peered out some six months to a year from when we hopefully after we emerge from our safe-homes and cocoons once again.
I share his forecasts and split them on either side of what he describes as "Phase One" and "Phase Two."
While global recession and other macro-economic post-Covid consequences are undoubtedly on the phase one horizon, I am narrowing our focus to the some of the outcomes Etienne predicts will affect the way we communicate and connect as employees, business travellers and consumers.
"This is a reset period and it will last one to two months," Etienne projects. "Depending on when we are released, there will be immediate questions about the summer [Gina's note: this presumes we will have the summer). What are we going to do? Will kids go back to school? Will some people still want to take vacations?"
Those who can afford it, may want to get as – safely – far away from the fevered cabins in which they were ensconced, but that still may not mean international travel due to ongoing border bans. Others, who lost their jobs during restrictions, are small business owners or self-employed (like myself), will not be able to go on holiday as it will remain critical to try to work on rebuilding lost capital.
1) An extended surge in remote working
Etienne also predicts that although most of us social-contact-deprived humans will want to go back to work for a few weeks, there will be a "dramatic surge" in extending remote working policies.
"Take a country like France or Ireland where many are working for American companies, things will be different. We will change our focus, our priority and way of working. Core activities will need to be restarted, but people will want to be careful and have the option to stay home."
2) A continuation of travel restrictions
These new restrictions will not be imposed by governments, but by companies, Etienne contends.
"You won't be able to do things the old way anymore. The concept of flying for a quick meeting or face-to-face will reduce. I'm sure that HR departments will start to create compliance rules that will limit travel."
3) A continuation of cashless transactions
One of Ireland's largest law firms, William Fry, just this past week published an online paper discussing the Covid19 accelerated trend toward digital payments and currencies.
They cite several examples including an early version of the US government's $2 trillion Corona virus bailout package that considered using "digital dollars" to get funds to individuals and small businesses faster during the cash-flow crisis.
Etienne agrees. "In regions like in South Europe, perhaps, people will still use cash. But many will never use cash again," he flatly states.
So, what should business leaders be doing to prepare right now? The one-word answer, according to Etienne, may prove extremely difficult for currently cash-strapped companies, "invest."
"What people should do as we enter phase one, is to expedite the things that were missing like your production orders while infusing resources toward anticipating anticipate phase two. For instance, I am losing money right now, but I need to invest in phase two."
Etienne describes phase two as one in which businesses will need to elasticise their reach and forge alliances to ensure their future and expand market-reach.
The strategy he applies and urges his clients to apply is the "ART Model."
1) Agility
"In one hour, with the right technology, I can find new partners for a company and establish a new ecosystem in one day," Etienne explains. "Building new synergies that work together, like cogs, will enable companies to collaborate and reinvent themselves."
2) Resilience
To survive and expand to meet Phase Two, you can't just weather the storm, you and your team must adopt a positive attitude and pivot to meet the challenge with necessary changes or improvements.
3) Transformation
And finally, Etienne underscores how technology – which is supporting us through the video conferences and virtual meetings we are depending upon during this global shutdown – will continue to be the enabler for how companies reinvent or simplify. "It's all about cost-reduction and optimization."
Video Conferencing and Remote Working
It was almost five o'clock last Friday evening. The employees were gathering to
take part in a team happy hour. My coaching client, a manager of a unit for a
multi-national company, had painstakingly organised it. He arranged for
everyone's beverage of choice to be on hand. He asked a colleague to act as DJ
by collecting everyone's favourite tune to be played during the party. At the
appointed time, my client raised his glass and gave a toast. In turn, everyone else
raised their own glasses, bottles or cans and the party began. Virtually, of course.
This party was designed to celebrate another week of remote working. The face
of each smiling participant created a colourful mosaic of images on a single
As he told me during our coaching call, "We're experiencing something no one
has experienced before. The situation is changing rapidly."
It's changing and it's lingering. As we resign ourselves to settling into this new
physically isolated remote world, some lessons are beginning to emerge.
1) We can become more efficient
John Riordan, Shopify's director of support for its global remote teams, has been
overseeing remote workers for years. He has watched employees evolve from
remote rookies – where many of us may be at this point - into experienced
veterans.
"It can save so much time to be fully remote," John told me. "For instance, I set
meetings purposefully. If I'm in office environment, it's rare to arrange a meeting
with somebody for 10 minutes. Imagine the time cost of booking a room, going to
the room, chit-chatting in the room. All that 'buffer time' takes too much
valuable real time. All the people I know who work remote, live by the minute
segment instead of the five-minute segment. Remote working is much more
effective."
Considering that many of us are working from home while our children and
partners are also in the house with us, finding ways to do more in less time is
extremely important.
A desire to be efficient should not clash with a desire to be empathetic. As my
happy hour manager-client reinforced to me, "Many of us may have worked from
home remotely for a day or two but now we are asking teams to consider this as
indefinite. Our message must be to use video conferences as a way to promote
human connections and empathy."
I spoke with Felicity McCarthy, the founder of Spark Digital Marketing, for more
perspective on the matter.
She has been providing virtual training for many years and points out that video
conferencing has been around for more than two decades. "But until now, it has
been an irregular and mixed feature. Audio conference calls were still more the
norm and when companies used video it would often be to combine the people
actually in the meeting room with two or three others dialing in. Now everyone is
in the virtual room."
2. Be seen in the virtual room
That's why I say, "If you're going to be in the virtual room, be in the virtual room."
It's no longer okay to turn your video off just because you're not the presenter.
Felicity and I agree that companies should oblige team members to keep their
cameras on.
By way of example, I offer up the first virtual class our brave economics master's
student we host at our home attended this past week. (She is from India but has
opted to self-isolate with us here in Dublin.) The lecturer turned her camera on,
but did not require the same of her students. This prompted jokes from the class,
many noting that since the lesson was in the morning, they hadn't bothered to
get out of bed, let alone get dressed. For the record, our awesome student was
dressed and seated at our dining room table!
The point is: turn up and turn on. Being on camera compels you to suit-up and
keep engaged with the others in the meeting.
3. Encourage people to be human
Another feature of video conferencing while remote working is that it brings your
work colleagues into your personal space. While you might have set up a
dedicated office space in your home, that's no guarantee that your pet or your
children (who are all at home and likely incessantly demanding something if
they're anything like my daughter) will stay outside the door.
We all likely still chuckle remembering the "BBC dad" who was interrupted during
a live TV video remote interview when his two children barged in and created a
viral work from home moment.
Especially during this time, try to relax. Politely introduce your teams to infringing
kids or even dogs.
We can't control how long we will be working from home. But we can control
how we react to the situation. Video conferencing is being used for work and also
for connecting us with neighbours we haven't seen face-to-face in two weeks and
family and friends we haven't seen in two years.
As Felicity summed up, "The human element to this is adding colour and depth.
We're all in the bizarre and huge human social experiment together."
Covid19 Control and Compassion
"This is a stop and think moment." John Riordan, Director of Support for Shopify International, told me this past week during a video conference call.
If ever there was an understatement during this time of pandemic and confinement, this is it, isn't it? Many of us are overloading on thinking. We're constantly glued to our phones or TVs to the tumultuous torrent: news reports, Facebook posts, Tweets, forwarded messages from somebody's "expert" brother's cousin - even memes.
The innumerable sources of information and misinformation are combining into an unrecognizable ooze flooding our brain and our emotions. We are in danger of short-circuiting.
And that's precisely why this really is a "stop and think moment." It is up to us to stop. Slow down, breathe deeply (with proper safety precautions in place, of course) and take back control of what we let our minds think about.
To illustrate my point, I advise my clients to picture a Venn diagram. (Remember those from your early mathematics classes? In one circle there's a set of apples. In the other, there's a set of oranges. Where the two circles overlap is the intersection or subset.) Got that pictured? Okay.
Imagine one circle is labelled "Things That Matter." In this circle would be words like coronavirus shutdown, mental and physical health, job security, finances, etc. Now imagine another circle labelled "Things I Can Control." The area where these two circles intersect is the only place where you should put your focus.
For instance, while the coronavirus shutdown absolutely matters, you cannot control what will happen with it five months from now. Instead, you can focus trying to control how you respond to the daily challenges. If you've already lost your job (which a dear friend of mine did on Tuesday this past week), you cannot control where your next paycheck is coming from, but you can control reaching out to unemployment offices and your lenders to apprise them of your situation and to seek assistance including waivers or partial payment plans.
If you haven't lost your job, perhaps you're self-employed like I am and worried about your financial future. That matters, so what can you control? Can you modify your service or product offering to better suit the current climate? I've been developing an on-line training platform off-and-on for several months, but guess what? I am fast-tracking that project tout suite! Stay tuned.
Or finally, maybe you're one of the many office employees who have now been forced to WFH (work from home). But what is home? Many tech employees in Ireland are foreign nationals. Perhaps they have an apartment here, but their extended families are in France, Spain or elsewhere. It's one thing to work remotely, but it's another thing entirely to live remotely from loved ones during this uncertain time.
Show extra compassion
For that reason and others, I advised my corporate manager clients to show extra compassion to their remote teams in a variety of ways. Team collaboration tools like Workplace, Slack and Teams are extremely important, but so too is the personal touch. One client of mine spent all day Monday making individual calls to each member of his team to confidentially ask questions, show concern and offer support. Another organized virtual breakfast coffees every morning with his team via Zoom conferencing to bolster team spirit and morale. Urging them to get showered and ready for the morning coffees, he declared, "Dress for continued success."
Our brave new stepped-up world of remote working brings me back to John who happens to lead Shopify's world of remote teams.
John stressed that while this may seem like a temporary thing for now, the question is what are we going to learn from this? "We're going to need to exercise a different management muscle," he said, answering his own question.
Upskill your communications
"Up until now your standard method of communication has largely been the real-life. Utilizing subtle body language and a range of nuanced language and tones," John explained. "But in remote workplaces, where video conferences are often recorded for documentation, communications must be more deliberate and structured. You need to know how to take your physical presence and translate that to video calls and writing, to effectively confirm the outcome of the discussion and reaffirm understandings of what was discussed."
I agree. Companies, like individuals, can use this time to take create more structure while deliberately demonstrating compassion for each other and considering ways to develop and adapt services, products and skills.
It is time to stop and think.
NEXT WEEK ON THE COMMUNICATOR
I'll share the second half of my provocative interview with Shopify's John Riordan as he contends our new world of increased remote working is going to change the way we work forever. What matters and what can we control?
AND FINALLY, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
A word for all the mums out there - many of whom, like me, have been cooped up with their wonderful children for a week with at least another on the way - God help us all.
Write to Gina in care of [email protected]. With corporate clients in five continents, Gina London is a premier communications strategy, structure and delivery expert. She is also a media analyst, author, speaker and former CNN anchor. @TheGinaLondon
Communicating in the Time of Coronavirus
At this point, we all our have stories.
During the uncertain time which we find ourselves in with the outbreak of the Coronavirus Covid19, emotions are running high. On both ends of the spectrum.
There was the taxi driver who drove me this week to the River Lee Hotel in Cork. The conference I was to facilitate the following morning was going on as planned. But organisers texted me as we arrived at the hotel: three groups from the previously sold-out event were backing out and three of the business-leader speakers were now forbidden by their companies from attending.
I told the driver about the phone texts coming in and asked him how concerned he was since he worked with the traveling public. It was as if I hit an ignite switch. Three, two, one….
"Ah!" he blasted off. "It's a bunch of damn over-kill and CYA from the government. The only thing I'm worrying about is that my fares are scarce. I caught the swine flu back in 2009 and I'm here to tell you about it. This time around, I'll still keep my health, but I'll lose my business." He had more to say, but I'll spare you the even more colourful language. Suffice it to say he was not happy.
I caught the swine flu back in 2009 and I'm here to tell you about it. This time around, I'll still keep my health, but I'll lose my business."
Then there was the taxi driver who met me as I arrived at Heuston station. This time I was traveling back home to Dublin after delivering a keynote in Shannon at an aviation event which had about a third of the would-be participants cancel at the last minute. The taxi driver pulled up toward me in the queue and came over to help me put my suitcase in the back. He was wearing thin, blue surgical gloves.
"I change them after every passenger," he explained. "I bought a huge supply back in January. That's not all I'm ready for. When the health care workers and government and safety officials are all busy with Corona," he went on referring to it more like the beer than the virus, "that's when the dissidents will strike. It will be anarchy." I didn't enquire what other goods he might be stockpiling in preparation for that scenario.
And then there was the man in front of me this week at Lidl with two full shopping carts. Peering at his assortment of frozen pizzas (mostly pepperoni), bags of different shaped pastas, two dozen jars of sauces and lots of loaves of bread, I was surprised there was no toilet tissue.
"Why not?" I asked him.
"Because I stocked up on a trolley-full of that yesterday," he replied, smiling as he reached for his change from the cashier. "I'm prepared."
I noticed as the cashier handed him a few bills, that the man tucked the money in his wallet and then vigorously sniffed and rubbed his nose without a glance at the small bottle of hand sanitiser protruding from his jacket pocket.
From those who may be blasé or angrily dismissive, to those who seem paranoidly apocalyptic to those who appear calm and cautious while perhaps not hygienic, the pandemic of emotions may be worse than the current pandemic.
I don't claim to have any answers, but I do think that this is a good time to reflect before we react.
Examine your sources
When your friend on your Whatsapp chat group writes "sh*t is going to hit the fan" and then goes on to speculate a wide range of things that may or may not come to pass, this is not probably your best source of news.
Who are you listening to? Consider whether the information is coming from a medical official with first-hand research and the latest findings, or a political leader or a news-correspondent. The most reliable source is the person closest to the actual data.
Limit your intake
Once you locate a reliable source, limit the time you spend poring over your newsfeed. Yes, it's important to stay informed during a developing story such as this but choose your times and news curating locations wisely. For instance, spending even a minute or two on Twitter searching #Coronavirus or #Covid19 will likely leave you anxious, frightened, angry or a mixture of all three.
Be considerate of others' perspectives
Before you announce your beliefs in no uncertain terms, consider your audience. What is their perceived level of vulnerability? Might it be a good idea to temper your declarations of doom or your well-intended blanket-statement of reassurance? Our spoken – and written words – have impact. Even saying something casually and off-hand can have a lasting and dramatic effect depending on the person.
Embrace humour
We can't be sober about this all the time. I'm not encouraging to drown anxiety in booze, but a little well-placed humour is good for cutting the tension.
It's better to get your feelings out then stifle them inside. Journaling is a great way to sort, organise and process the rollercoaster we are all on. We can't control the outcome, but we can control our emotions.
Keep your head. Keep your compassion. And yes, wash your hands.
If not yet balance, how to find harmony
This past week, Unilever announced it reached 50:50 gender parity in managerial roles across its global business, while US primaries determining the Democratic candidate for president shut out the last remaining viable female in contention. Today, on International Women's Day, I think we can celebrate that we are making strides and acknowledge that we still have miles to go to reach thorough balance.
Balance is a word routinely raised in business. Gender balance, pay-balance and work-life balance. It's not surprising, then, that I posed that oft-asked question about attaining work-life balance to my interview subject this week, the head of planned partnerships in Australia and New Zealand for Workplace from Facebook, Vicky Skipp. But what was surprising, to me at least, was that she moved away from the word "balance" to embrace a different word: "harmony."
Aim for harmony, not balance
"I love this question and I think it's also applicable to men," Vicky replied after I asked. "When I look at my husband and our daughter, I think there isn't balance. We're going to make mistakes and there is no such thing as work-life balance. But if we align as a couple, we can still work together as a team and aim for harmony."
Harmony. That mysterious blend of sometimes pleasing and sometimes startlingly unlikely simultaneous sounds.
When I was eight years old, my mom made me start taking piano lessons. "You have to keep at it for one year," she said as she outlined my future for me. "At the end of the year, if you want to quit, you have to directly tell the teacher yourself that you want to stop."
Knowing my personality at that point in my life, my mom wisely played me on my piano playing. After my first year was complete, there was no way my nine-year-old self had the courage to look into the face of my rather stern teacher, Mrs Sheets (that really was her name), and tell her, "I'm outta here."
Instead, I kept coming back. Every week. For ten years. I only finally quit when I moved town to start college.
I tell you all this, because as a kid who had no natural gift for music, I ultimately emerged with the ability to play - moderately well. I can read notation and am grateful I was exposed to a range of classical selections during my childhood. I appreciate harmony.
I also appreciate the discipline I developed during my decade of piano lessons. Discipline is another trait that Vicky emphasises.
Maintain maniacal discipline
"In building out my career, I had to maintain absolute maniacal discipline," Vicky colourfully explained. "Distraction is the biggest disruption in people's career growth today. You can't let your eye wander onto other people or compare yourself to others, you need to focus on your own course and that requires unwavering discipline."
For me as a child, I remember I was supposed to practice an hour a day. My mom would set the timer on the kitchen stove. When she wasn't looking, I would jump up and move it ahead several minutes. Magically, the laws of the universe would collapse, with the hour-set buzzer going off after 45 minutes. Of course, my mother never fell for it and I was marched back to the piano. I learned the benefit of discipline. The hard way.
Declare your non-negotiables
Like my unwavering mother, who was determined to give her daughter the gift of music, if you don't safeguard what is precious to you in life, who else will?
For instance, Vicky's daughter, Summer, has just turned six. "On Fridays, I work from home so I can pick up Summer from school and have quality time with her as a family. I travel at the first part of the week not the end." Vicky also stockpiles her meetings on days other than Thursdays. "I use that day to think and strategise. I have to have rules within my calendar."
"Every career has a lifespan and you have to think about what your non-negotiables are and then you must be very clear about them and the principles behind them," declared Vicky.
For Summer's recent birthday, she wanted her ears pierced. Vicky and her husband took her to fulfil the wish but after the first lobe was pierced, Summer decided it was too painful to continue. So, they didn't. At first, Vicky described Summer as feeling worried about going to school the next day. "She wondered what to tell her friends and how she should wear her hair to cover the other ear. I looked at her and said, 'Summer, you're enough. Be bold. Just tell them what happened. Don't worry.' The next morning, she asked for pigtails. She was ready. When she got home, she told us it went fine. I learned a lot from my daughter that day. She faced her fear head on." She found her harmony.
While we continue to strive for that largely elusive balance, we can work to find our harmony. We can still all make beautiful music. Together.
Charlotte Quay Dock
Dublin, D04 H7W2, Ireland


text:
Essay English for PMR < A Road Accident >
by ridwan on Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:24 pm
Our house is along a busy road.In front of or house is a wall which runs along the road. One night while we were watching TV we heard a loud crash. It sounded like an explosion. We quickly rushed out to have a look. We were shocked to see that two panels of the wall in front had collapsed in a pile. The road was in full view. We could see many cars slowing down and soon there was a traffic jam. We went to the road and saw a car had smashed into the wall.
The engine of the car was on the road. The driver was still in the car. Many people tried to get the driver out. Someone called the ambulance. Soon we heard the siren of a police car and after that an ambulance. A crowd soon gathered. The police tried to control the traffic but curious drivers slowed down to have a look at the accident. That made the traffic worse.
I heard people explaining what had happened. There were many different explanations. Some said that the driver was drunk, other said he was trying to avoid a cat and yet others said he was speeding and skidded. Whatever the reason i felt sorry for the driver. The ambulance took him to the hospital. No one knows whether he lived or died. There was nothing in the newspapers the next day.
*236 words*
MBF Member (C)
Create a forum on Forumotion | © phpBB | Free forum support | Contact | Report an abuse | Latest discussions

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
FBI Agents Can Pose as Journalists, Inspector General Says
FBI agents may impersonate journalists while conducting undercover investigations, and an agent who posed as an editor with the Associated Press during a 2007 investigation did not violate agency policies, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General found in a report released Thursday.
The conclusion sparked consternation across social media by journalists, civil rights groups and some legal experts, who have argued that the practice – by its very existence – threatens to heighten public mistrust of reporters, damage journalists' credibility and have a chilling effect on sources and whistleblowers who may fear that their contacts in the media are actually undercover agents.
"The Associated Press is deeply disappointed by the Inspector General's findings, which effectively condone the FBI's impersonation of an AP journalist in 2007," Associated Press Vice President Paul Colford said in a statement. "Such action compromises the ability of a free press to gather the news safely and effectively and raises serious constitutional concerns."
The inspector general's report acknowledged that the practice calls for "a higher level of approval" by FBI supervisors than was in place in 2007. Policies on impersonating journalists at the time were "less than clear," it found. However, a new interim policy adopted this June – one that permits agents to pose as journalists so long as they get approval from two high-ranking officials and an undercover review committee at headquarters – meets that requirement.
"We believe the new interim policy on undercover activities that involve FBI employees posing as members of the news media is a significant improvement to FBI policies that existed," the inspector general wrote in the 26-page report.
The Associated Press and the American Civil Liberties Union, however, maintain the new measures are insufficient.
"The FBI guidelines adopted in 2016 in response to this incident still permit the FBI to impersonate news organizations and other third parties without their consent in certain cases, and fail to address the host of other dangers associated with FBI hacking," ACLU legislative counsel Neema Singh Guliani sad in a statement.
The review stemmed from a June 2007 investigation into a series of bomb threats sent by email to Timberline High School outside Seattle. The emails sparked repeated evacuations over the course of a week. The culprit, later found to be a 15-year-old student, masked his location by using proxy servers, and local law enforcement ultimately appealed to the FBI for help.
An agent with the FBI's cybercrime task force, posing as an editor for the Associated Press, contacted the suspect by email, eventually sending the teen fake news articles and photographs that hid a trace program: As soon as the boy clicked one of the photos, his location was revealed to agents. He confessed shortly after his arrest, and he pleaded guilty July 18.
It wasn't until seven years later that the FBI's methods were revealed: Christopher Soghoian, an activist and principal technologist at the ACLU, and previously a technologist at the Federal Trade Commission, tweeted a link in October 2014 to internal documents posted to the website of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which had been obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request in 2011. Buried on pages 61 and 62 were apparent copies of fake Seattle Times news stories the agents were then planning to email.
The Seattle Times broke the story that day. It soon spread nationwide. The Associated Press sent a letter to then-Attorney General Eric Holder, protesting the method. Other newspapers also expressed concern, joined by groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists and the ACLU.
FBI Director James Comey has previously called the practice "lawful and, in a rare case, appropriate:"
"That technique was proper and appropriate under Justice Department and FBI guidelines at the time," he wrote in a New York Times op-ed in November 2014. "Every undercover operation involves 'deception,' which has long been a critical tool in fighting crime. The FBI's use of such techniques is subject to close oversight, both internally and by the courts that review our work."
Previous articlePrince Harry : "No Royal Wants The Throne" – Prince's Astonishing Claim About The Future of The Monarchy
Next articleGraphic Dashcam Video Shows State Trooper Shoot Unarmed Man With His Hands Up


text:
<?php defined('SYSPATH') or die('No direct script access.');
/**
* MsSQL database connection.
*
* @author     Kohana Team, xrado
*/
class Kohana_Database_MsSQL extends Database_PDO {

	public function query($type, $sql, $as_object = FALSE, array $params = NULL)
	{
		// Make sure the database is connected
		$this->_connection or $this->connect();

		// Mssql specific
		if(preg_match("/OFFSET ([0-9]+)/i",$sql,$matches))
		{
			list($replace,$offset) = $matches;
			$sql = str_replace($replace,'',$sql);
		}

		if(preg_match("/LIMIT ([0-9]+)/i",$sql,$matches))
		{
			list($replace,$limit) = $matches;
			$sql = str_replace($replace,'',$sql);
		}

		if(isset($limit) || isset($offset))
		{
			if (!isset($offset))
			{
				$sql = preg_replace("/^(SELECT|DELETE|UPDATE)\s/i", "$1 TOP " . $limit . ' ', $sql);
			}
			else
			{
				$ob_count = (int)preg_match_all('/ORDER BY/i',$sql,$ob_matches,PREG_OFFSET_CAPTURE);

				if($ob_count < 1)
				{
					$over = 'ORDER BY (SELECT 0)';
				}
				else
				{
					$ob_last = array_pop($ob_matches[0]);
					$orderby = strrchr($sql, $ob_last[0]);
					$over = preg_replace('/[^,\s]*\.([^,\s]*)/i', 'inner_tbl.$1', $orderby);

					// Remove ORDER BY clause from $sql
					$sql = substr($sql, 0, $ob_last[1]);
				}

				// Add ORDER BY clause as an argument for ROW_NUMBER()
				$sql = "SELECT ROW_NUMBER() OVER ($over) AS KOHANA_DB_ROWNUM, * FROM ($sql) AS inner_tbl";

				$start = $offset + 1;
				$end = $offset + $limit;

				$sql = "WITH outer_tbl AS ($sql) SELECT * FROM outer_tbl WHERE KOHANA_DB_ROWNUM BETWEEN $start AND $end";
			}
		}

		if ( ! empty($this->_config['profiling']))
		{
			// Benchmark this query for the current instance
			$benchmark = Profiler::start("Database ({$this->_instance})", $sql);
		}

		try
		{
			$result = $this->_connection->query($sql);
		}
		catch (Exception $e)
		{
			if (isset($benchmark))
			{
				// This benchmark is worthless
				Profiler::delete($benchmark);
			}

			$errArr = $this->_connection->errorInfo();
			$resultTextError = $this->_connection->query( "select * from sys.messages where  language_id=1033 and message_id=".arr::get($errArr, 1, 0) )->fetchAll();

			// Convert the exception in a database exception
			throw new Database_Exception('[:code] :error ( :info )', array(
				':code' => $e->getCode(),
				':error' => $e->getMessage(),
				#':query' => $sql,
				':info' =>  arr::get($resultTextError[0], 'text')
			), $e->getCode());
		}

		if (isset($benchmark))
		{
			Profiler::stop($benchmark);
		}

		// Set the last query
		$this->last_query = $sql;

		if ($type === Database::SELECT)
		{
			// Convert the result into an array, as PDOStatement::rowCount is not reliable
			if ($as_object === FALSE)
			{
				$result->setFetchMode(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
			}
			elseif (is_string($as_object))
			{
				$result->setFetchMode(PDO::FETCH_CLASS, $as_object, $params);
			}
			else
			{
				$result->setFetchMode(PDO::FETCH_CLASS, 'stdClass');
			}

			$result = $result->fetchAll();

			// Return an iterator of results
			return new Database_Result_Cached($result, $sql, $as_object, $params);
		}
		elseif ($type === Database::INSERT)
		{
			// Return a list of insert id and rows created
			return array(
				$this->insert_id(),
				$result->rowCount(),
			);
		}
		else
		{
			// Return the number of rows affected
			return $result->rowCount();
		}
	}

	public function insert_id()
	{
		$table = preg_match('/^insert\s+into\s+(.*?)\s+/i',$this->last_query,$match) ? arr::get($match,1) : NULL;
		if (!empty($table)) $query = 'SELECT IDENT_CURRENT(\'' . $this->quote_identifier($table) . '\') AS insert_id';
		else $query = 'SELECT SCOPE_IDENTITY() AS insert_id';

		$data = $this->query(Database::SELECT,$query,FALSE)->current();
		return Arr::get($data,'insert_id');
	}

	public function datatype($type)
	{
		static $types = array
		(
			'nvarchar'  => array('type' => 'string'),
			'ntext'     => array('type' => 'string'),
			'tinyint'   => array('type' => 'int', 'min' => '0', 'max' => '255'),
		);

		if (isset($types[$type]))
			return $types[$type];

		return parent::datatype($type);
	}

	public function begin($mode = NULL)
	{
		// Make sure the database is connected
		$this->_connection or $this->connect();

		return $this->_connection->beginTransaction();
	}

	public function commit()
	{
		// Make sure the database is connected
		$this->_connection or $this->connect();

		return $this->_connection->commit();
	}

	public function rollback()
	{
		// Make sure the database is connected
		$this->_connection or $this->connect();

		return $this->_connection->rollBack();
	}

	public function list_tables($like = NULL)
	{
		if (is_string($like))
		{
			// Search for table names
			$result = $this->query(Database::SELECT, 'SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE TABLE_NAME LIKE '.$this->quote($like), FALSE)->as_array();
		}
		else
		{
			// Find all table names
			$result = $this->query(Database::SELECT, 'SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES', FALSE)->as_array();
		}

		$tables = array();
		foreach ($result as $row)
		{
			// Get the table name from the results
			$tables[] = $row['TABLE_NAME'];
		}

		return $tables;
	}

	public function list_columns($table, $like = NULL, $add_prefix = TRUE)
	{
		if (is_string($like))
		{
			$results = $this->query(Database::SELECT,'SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.Columns WHERE TABLE_NAME LIKE '.$this->quote($table), FALSE);
		}
		else
		{
			$results = $this->query(Database::SELECT,'SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.Columns WHERE TABLE_NAME = '.$this->quote($table), FALSE);
		}

		$result = array();
		foreach ($results as $row)
		{
			list($type, $length) = $this->_parse_type($row['DATA_TYPE']);

			$column = $this->datatype($type);

			$column['column_name']      = $row['COLUMN_NAME'];
			$column['column_default']   = $row['COLUMN_DEFAULT'];
			$column['data_type']        = $type;
			$column['is_nullable']      = ($row['IS_NULLABLE'] == 'YES');
			$column['ordinal_position'] = $row['ORDINAL_POSITION'];

			if($row['CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH'])
			{
				$column['character_maximum_length'] = $row['CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH'];
			}

			$result[$row['COLUMN_NAME']] = $column;
		}

		return $result;
	}

	public function set_charset($charset){}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Laravel 5.1 Delete a row from database I am trying to delete a category by clicking on a button
Blade:
name) }}">

Route:
Route::get('/deletecat/{name}','CategoryController@delete');

Controller:
 public function delete($name)
    {

        category::find($name)->delete();

        return Redirect::route('managecategory');

    }

but I am getting an error while clicking on a button that
Call to a member function delete() on a non-object

Any help appreciated.

A: The ::find($id) method expects $id to be a number, the primary key of the row you want to find.
If you want to delete a row by name, you should use the following code:
category::where('name', $name)->delete();

A: The error is obviously because of the returned NON-OBJECT.

::find($name) returns an empty object or null

This is because the search was empty.
Make sure name is the primary key in order to use find.
Otherwise:

use ::where('name', $name)->delete();

or:

::where('name','=', $name)->delete();

*I pointed = because if you ever need to search different than = use >= <> and so on...
Secondly, it is not very important to use destroy. It is recommended but not a must-have!

A: In your view:
it has to be a form to submit a POST request like below:
    <form  action="/deletecat/{{$data->id}}" method="post">
            @csrf
            @method('DELETE')
        <input type="submit" value="delete " >
    </form>

Because this is POST Request has to use csrf and delete action.
In your route, it has be with delete() method,followwing with the controller.
Route::delete('/deletecat/{name}', 'CategoryController@destory');

In the controller:
 public function destory($name)
{

    category::find($name)->delete();

    return Redirect::route('managecategory');

}

This is how laravel name format role:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
There are mutliple artists with this name: 1. Whitechapel is an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The band is named after the Whitechapel district in East London, England, referencing the series of murders committed by Jack the Ripper. The group comprises vocalist Phil Bozeman, guitarists Ben Savage, Alex Wade, and Zach Householder, bassist Gabe Crisp, and drummer Ben Harclerode. Founded in 2006 by Bozeman and Savage, the band has released six studio albums, eleven music videos and are currently signed to Metal Blade Records. Read more on Last.fm
Mark of the Blade
The Brotherhood of the Blade (Live)
Our Endless War
The Somatic Defilement (Remastered)
A New Era Of Corruption
This Is Exile
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Center Stage Theater (February 18, 2022)
Venue: Center Stage Theater (Atlanta, GA, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse with Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at The Ramkat (February 19, 2022)
Venue: The Ramkat (Winston-Salem, NC, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Baltimore Soundstage (February 20, 2022)
Venue: Baltimore Soundstage (Baltimore, MD, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse with Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Reverb (February 21, 2022)
Venue: Reverb (Reading, PA, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Roxian Theatre (February 22, 2022)
Venue: Roxian Theatre (Pittsburgh, PA, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse with Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Brooklyn Steel (February 24, 2022)
Venue: Brooklyn Steel (Brooklyn, NY, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Palladium (February 25, 2022)
Venue: Palladium (Worcester, MA, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Anthology (February 26, 2022)
Venue: Anthology (Rochester, NY, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse with Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Majestic Theatre (February 28, 2022)
Venue: Majestic Theatre (Detroit, MI, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse with Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at The Vic Theatre (March 1, 2022)
Venue: The Vic Theatre (Chicago, IL, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Skyway Theater (March 2, 2022)
Venue: Skyway Theater (Minneapolis, MN, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse with Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Gothic Theatre (March 4, 2022)
Venue: Gothic Theatre (Englewood, CO, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Metro Music Hall (March 5, 2022)
Venue: Metro Music Hall (Salt Lake City, UT, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse with Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at The Showbox (March 7, 2022)
Venue: The Showbox (Seattle, WA, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Hawthorne Theater Lounge (March 8, 2022)
Venue: Hawthorne Theater Lounge (Portland, OR, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Ace of Spades (March 10, 2022)
Venue: Ace of Spades (Sacramento, CA, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at The UC Theatre (March 11, 2022)
Venue: The UC Theatre (Berkeley, CA, US) Find tickets
Young M.A, Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and 1 more… at The Observatory (March 12, 2022)
Venue: The Observatory (Santa Ana, CA, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at The Belasco (March 13, 2022)
Venue: The Belasco (Los Angeles (LA), CA, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Revocation, Shadow of Intent, and Whitechapel at The Van Buren (March 14, 2022)
Venue: The Van Buren (Phoenix, AZ, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Sunshine Theater (March 15, 2022)
Venue: Sunshine Theater (Albuquerque, NM, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Unknown venue (March 17, 2022)
Venue: Unknown venue (San Antonio, TX, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at White Oak Music Hall - Downstairs (March 18, 2022)
Venue: White Oak Music Hall - Downstairs (Houston, TX, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Amplified Live (March 19, 2022)
Venue: Amplified Live (Dallas, TX, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Red Flag (March 21, 2022)
Venue: Red Flag (St Louis, MO, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Mercury Ballroom (March 22, 2022)
Venue: Mercury Ballroom (Louisville, KY, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Iron City (March 23, 2022)
Venue: Iron City (Birmingham, AL, US) Find tickets
Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Revocation, and Shadow of Intent at Jannus Landing (March 25, 2022)
Venue: Jannus Landing (St Petersburg, FL, US) Find tickets
Thy Art Is Murder


text:
Conexant, Globespan Merge
News Analysis Light Reading 11/4/2003
The Intersil Corp. (Nasdaq: ISIL) 802.11 chips are changing hands again. GlobespanVirata Inc. (Nasdaq: GSPN), which acquired the 802.11 line in August, today announced it will merge with Conexant Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CNXT). (See Globespan-Intersil Deal Done and Conexant, Globespan to Merge).
Intersil, the 2002 market-share leader in 802.11 chip sales, faced new competition this year from Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq: BRCM) and Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) (see Intel's A Train Arrives (At Last)). Now, it appears the merged Conexant-GlobespanVirata will take its shot on fending off the newcomers.
Conexant chairman and CEO Dwight Decker will chair the combined company, with Globespan chief executive Armando Geday taking the CEO seat. The combined company will employ 2,400 and use Globespan's Red Bank, N.J., facility as its headquarters.
Executives say it's a merger of equals, but the numbers make it look more as if Conexant is acquiring Globespan. Each share of Globespan stock will be exchanged for 1.198 shares of Conexant, and Conexant shareholders will own 62.75 percent of the combined company. The new entity will carry a market capitalization of about $2.8 billion, with annual revenues of around $1.2 billion. Officials expect the deal to close before April.
One of the areas of overlap between the combined companies is in wireless LAN chipsets, as Conexant announced its 802.11b and 802.11g baseband/MAC chips earlier this year (see Conexant Intros 802.11 Chips and ITU Telecom Show Closes). However, the new company will likely favor the Intersil chips, which are actually shipping. Conexant is only "making investments and entering that space; obviously Globespan's position is much stronger," Decker says.
Shares of both companies were off in late afternoon trading on Monday as investors were still trying to make sense of the proposed marriage. Conexant shares fell $0.67 (11.47%) to $5.17 and Globespan shares dropped $0.06 (0.98%) to $6.09. — Craig Matsumoto, Senior Editor, Light Reading
Like what we have to say? Click here to sign up to our daily newsletter
sailor 12/4/2012 | 11:17:16 PM
re: Conexant, Globespan Merge Armando worked for Dwight at Rockwell Semi (now Conexant). He got blamed for missing the 56k modem opportunity and "left". Now he returns to be CEO of a much larger company. Things worked out pretty well for him.
sponsor supplied content
Ultrahigh density MPO/MTP cabling system in Data Center offered by Gigalight
AOC Technology - Strong Driving Force for Consumer Electronics
Brief Discussion CFP2
Rapid Growth of Gigalight in AOC and Parallel Optical Transceiver Modules Field
Educational Resources Archive


Купить Commercial buffet furnace Electric Buffay stove Three grid insulation furnace with stainless steel cover kitchen equipment 500W. Бытовая техника.
. Commercial buffet furnace Electric Buffay stove Three grid insulation furnace with stainless steel cover kitchen equipment 500W.
Это товар представлен надежным он-лайн магазином. Информацию об отзывах, оплате, доставке и гарантии Вы найдете на страничках интернет-магазина. Здесь можно купить Commercial buffet furnace Electric Buffay stove Three grid insulation furnace with stainless steel cover kitchen equipment 500W Бытовая техника.
Commercial buffet furnace Electric Buffay stove Three grid insulation furnace with stainless steel cover kitchen equipment 500W .


Max Thabiso Edkins was born in Lesotho and grew up between Lesotho, Germany and South Africa. He completed his undergraduate in natural science, conservation biology and economics and holds an MSc in environmental change and management from the University of Oxford, where he focused on renewable energy, climate change mitigation, and the role of businesses and media. Max has worked as a marine biologist and ecologist in southern and eastern Africa and as a renewable energy specialist advising climate change and energy policies in South Africa. He is also a photographer and filmmaker. He initiated and coordinated the ClimateConscious Programme and he was involved in the international Why Democracy? and Why Poverty? media campaigns. He is passionate about the environment, and he enjoys combining communication and science to solve development challenges. Since January 2013, he has worked as the Climate Expert on the Connect4Climate Program of the World Bank Group.


There are many ways to advertise a business today. This is true both online and offline. However, many online and offline businesses are effectively using article marketing on the Internet with great results.
Therefore it's important that you know how to write an article to achieve effective article marketing. In this article we will talk about a few tips that will help you do that.
1. Determine what is the primary reason you are writing your article. Articles are used for primarily for article marketing. However they can also be used to create blog posts, build web pages, publish in an online ezine and so on.
2. Write a catchy title including a keyword phrase you are targeting. This will help catch the attention of both the reader as well as a search engine. You can go to online directories and look at existing articles to come up with ideas for article titles. Titles that catch your attention will probably catch other people's attention as well.
3. Choose a theme for your article that is in demand. Discussion forums are good resource places for possible article themes. Some of the hottest threads in the discussion forum will make for a very good article.
4. Keep your articles short and stay on theme. Keep your paragraphs short which makes them easier to read on the Internet. A good way to do this is writing numbered list articles.
5. Include a well-written resource box at the end of the article. It should include your name, and a description about yourself or your website. Your goal is to get the reader to click on a link pointing back to your website or blog. If possible hyperlink keyword phrases as well as list your website URL.
6. Spend an adequate amount of time distributing your article. Getting your article into article directories is important because that's where people will be able to find it. For this reason you want to be sure and submit it to the top rated article directories. Search engine spiders these all the time and your article could be picked up and ranked for a specific keyword phrase.
7. Create a swipe file of well written articles and refer to those for article ideas as well as a reference point on how to write a good article. Swipe files are nothing new, but are very easy to fill up thanks to the Internet. These are several tips on how to write an article for effective article marketing on the Internet. The more articles you have online the more potential traffic they can bring you.
Kenji Sakamoto is the owner of Article Directory Online one of the most visited online article directories on the internet. If you are looking for a high traffic article directory, or content for your own website or newsletter visit it here.


Not as bad as many of us were expecting because SM are awful when it comes to designing lightsticks. I was lowkey hoping that we would've got the rainbow duster with LED lights as our official lightstick.
That said though I can't believe that SM have finally given one of their girl groups a official lightstick. It took them long enough!
Suzan, crispina_aguilera, woase and 32 others like this.
sonemariam, NCT_lt3 and BritishSone like this.
The design is so elegant and classy.
NCT_lt3, legendjekki and BritishSone like this.
woase, kimjisoo, legendjekki and 2 others like this.
I was kind of hoping that the lightstick would look like a red velvet cupcake or something. However, it still looks nice to me.
jjeoreo, LadyS and BritishSone like this.
SaviorTwice, NCT_lt3, legendjekki and 2 others like this.
WhatYallSmokin, Sory, crispina_aguilera and 15 others like this.
SaviorTwice, woase, SUNSHINE and 2 others like this.
SaviorTwice, LadyS and 3RACHA like this.
WhatYallSmokin, SaviorTwice, woase and 3 others like this.
I am kinda relieved that it doesn't look horrendous but at the same time I am also kind of let down because it was said that the company that made their lighstick are also the ones who designs Got7 and Seventeen's lightstick which had pretty great concept put into it instead of just being a normal lightstick.
SaviorTwice, woase and legendjekki like this.
I was expecting something more i guess. Also what is that shape on top? is it supposed to be a cupcake?
Its plain but on the brightside at least its not ugly.


'Fundraiser', 55 Sydenham Rd, Marrickville, curated by Iakovos Amperidis.
This work painstakingly recreated the composition of one of Kurt Scwitters' famous Merz collages from 1930 except in this instance using real money. Seminal Dadaist Schwitters was perhaps best known for his 'Merz' collages and paintings. In these Schwitters deployed many banal found objects from train tickets, to napkins to match-books and canned food labels. The word Merz was drawn from Kommerz (German for commerce). In true Dadaist spirit Schwitters' works questioned traditional conceptions of artistic value by incorporating rubbish. In them rubbish was transformed into art, into Culture. Today such transformations have become so commonplace and their value so ambigiously relative that their critical impact has been greatly diluted.
In Merz Schmerz Schwitters' Modernist process is reversed; value (as literalised by money) is transformed into rubbish (money cut-up). Painstakingly retaining the formal composition of Schwitters' original, the work asked what the value of art is when the hidden game of investment speculation, that propels the globalised art market, is foregrounded. Is the work less valuable for this fact if the work can only be valued according to the actual worth of the materials (in this case money) used to produce it? The Schmerz (Pain) of the title is accounted for by this very contemporaneously accute dilemma. Can contemporary art amount to more than its speculated (hierarchically arbitrary) value?


This entry was posted on Dimarts, 10 de/d' Març de 2009 at 18:44 and is filed under Catosfera, Twitt Vallès.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.


Thanks for having me on your show Meron, and thanks for the Israeli chocolates too!
Hi Meron I admit I was reading my email this morning when you're headline caught my attention. I like the commentary style of podcast. It gives me a preview of what to look for when Yaro was speaking so I can zone in. A shorter format is good. I find a lot of time similar genre type of podcasts go on too long and I zone out. This whole topic of blogging and building an email list if something I've not been too successful at so I'll probably listen to this a few more times as it is a goal for this year. In the meantime, I've built up a decent income using teaching platforms and stock footage video platforms. I've done this with a very small audience. I don't believe you've covered this before so please feel free to reach out if it is something your audience would be interested in as it is true passive income.
Once again, invaluable advice from the people who have "been there and done that". Yaro, it is awesome that you freely give away such important, practical and valuable advice on Meron's show. Excellent skill list and how to get unstuck…..because we all get stuck from time to time.
Previous Previous post: How To Build A $1M Business By FORGETTING EVERYTHING You've Been Told!


text:
Home » Sport » Kell Brook tells rival Amir Khan he's in 'cuckoo land' ahead of fight
Kell Brook tells rival Amir Khan he's in 'cuckoo land' ahead of fight
Amir Khan and Kell Brook go head-to-head at the press conference
Kell Brook says Amir Khan is in "cuckoo land" if he believes he's levels above his rival.
The pair will clash in February in a hotly anticipated fight as the beef between the fighters stretches back to 2008 Olympics when Khan was selected as part of Team GB.
Khan recently said he thinks he is better than Brook and that he's never been scared of him. Brook has responded: "Levels below!? He's in Cuckoo Land. He needs to go back to believing he's a celebrity. This fight is the icing on the cake.
"This fight is a grudge match. This is what I want. I am sick of people asking me about this fight. I've been in with the pound for pound best in the world. This is an easy fight for me. You're getting knocked out. This is my first fight. Forget my legacy. I'm going to knock you spark out. You'll see, you're getting it.
"It's easy to talk a big game. Watch what happens. I'm going to knock you out and look over and go, 'I told you so.' Levels below you?! You're nuts."
And he added the grudge match means "everything to him", stoking the fires of the rivalry between the pair.
"You've never acknowledged me. I've heard you say, 'Who is Kell Brook?' I know you know who I am. I can't wait to spark you. I'm going to retire you," Brook said.
"We will see who the king of the north is. I'm so happy this fight has gotten made. It means everything to me. As I said, I am treating it like it's my first fight."
Miami hotels, Uber drivers undergo sex trafficking awareness training as Super Bowl nears
The Everest: Richest race on turf worth £119,000 per second – and one of the most controversial – returns on Saturday
Meet Jeff Van Drew, the party-switching lawmaker who will join Trump at his New Jersey rally
Floyd Mayweather explains why Oleksandr Usyk beating Anthony Joshua wasn't an upset
First URC instalment of Glasgow vs Edinburgh postponed due to Covid


1972 House Bill 5850. An Act In Addition To The General Appropriation Act Making Appropriations To Supplement Certain Items Contained Therein, And For Certain New Activities And Projects.
Title 1972 House Bill 5850. An Act In Addition To The General Appropriation Act Making Appropriations To Supplement Certain Items Contained Therein, And For Certain New Activities And Projects.


text:
London fire: 'Nobody on top three floors survived'
Anzac Day march
Dawn Service
Anzac Day dawn service
Cyclone Debbie: report from Cannonvale
Cyclone debbie footage
Cyclone Debbie on its way
Water main burst
12 dead in London tower fire
by Victoria Craw, news.com.au
15th Jun 2017 4:47 AM | Updated: 8:09 AM
QUESTIONS are being raised about what caused a London apartment block to turn into a blazing deathtrap, as witnesses reveal residents were advised to "stay put".
At least 12 people died on Wednesday when Grenfell Tower became engulfed in flames in a fire described by London's Fire Commissioner as "completely unprecedented".
Witnesses reported seeing a baby thrown out a window to safety to avoid the horror inside. As many gathered outside evacuation centres to await news of loved ones, they reported people following official advice to stay inside, unaware of the true extent of the danger unfolding.
One resident who said he and his neighbours had complained about the building's safety for years said he considered the disaster "mass murder".
LATEST LONDON FIRE COVERAGE
Local media is reporting "nobody on the top three floors survived", crediting the claim to a local community leader.
Authorities and family members are desperately searching hospitals and the surrounding areas for missing relatives as the death toll is expected to rise.
RELATED: Why was deadly cladding adding to building?
One family has had no news of their three young girls who were believed to be trapped in the building. Relatives said two sisters, Mirna, Fatima and Zainnb, along with two other family members had been in the building and had not been heard from.
The damaged remains of a fire at Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block in North Kensington, London, Britain.
Ahmed Chellah told news.com.au his brother-in-law and his wife were inside with their three children when the fire broke out.
"The last time I spoke with them was at 1.45. She seemed calm," he said of his relative.
"Her husband was talking with emergency services. She told me they asked her to put towels around the doors. She sounded calm."
However, he spoke to her again at 2.15am and she said "smoke was coming into the flat".
"That was the last time I heard from her," he said. "Whether the emergency services got to them and have taken them to hospital, I don't know."
Grenfell Tower advised residents to stay inside their homes in the case of a fire. Picture: Residents Action Group
He said many of those inside shouted back "We've been told to stay", following official management advice that says people should "stay put" unless the fire is affecting their own property.
"They couldn't see it spreading," he said.
Former resident David Collins said he had lived in the block for two and a half years and had never experienced an evacuation drill during that time. He also said emergency lighting in stairwells was not working properly.
The high-rise condominium in London in flames. Kyodo / AAP
Shortly after news of Wednesday's tragedy broke, it claimed: "Regular readers of this blog will know that we have posted numerous warnings in recent years about the very poor fire safety standards at Grenfell Tower.
"ALL OUR WARNINGS FELL ON DEAF EARS and we predicted that a catastrophe like this was inevitable and just a matter of time."
Forensic teams move a body near the high rise apartment block that suffered a deadly fire in London. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Rydon construction, which recently refurbished the block in an $11 million job to modernise the exterior, said new cladding and windows "met all required building control, fire regulation, and health and safety standards."
The company said it would not be commenting further "given the ongoing nature of the incident and the tragic events overnight".
Pete Griffiths, a spokesman for the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, told the Associated Press: "I can't comment. We're getting hundreds of requests for comments." The group issued a statement saying it was focused on helping residents.
LONDON INFERNO: Death toll hits 17, set to rise
London inferno: 'The baby just fell straight down'
London Fire: 'They can't say they haven't been warned'
Grenfell Tower fire: Why was cladding added?
Mum trapped in London fire posts harrowing videos
London blaze's flammable cladding used here, says MP
TV host embraces fire survivor as he breaks down
TOWER TRAP: Fire exits gone in renovations done last year
grenfell tower
london fire
editors picks grenfell tower london fire


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;
using WindowScrape.Constants;

namespace WindowScrape.Types {
    /// <summary>
    /// Contains information about the placement of a window on the screen.
    /// </summary>
    /// <see cref="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms633518(v=vs.85).aspx"/>
    /// <see cref="http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/user32/GetWindowPlacement.html"/>
    /// <see cref="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms632611(v=vs.85).aspx"/>
    /// <see cref="http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/Structures/WINDOWPLACEMENT.html"/>
    [Serializable]
    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
    public struct WINDOWPLACEMENT {
        public uint  length;
        public WINDOWPLACEMENT_Flag    flags;
        public WINDOWPLACEMENT_ShowCmd showCmd;
        public POINT ptMinPosition;
        public POINT ptMaxPosition;
        public RECT  rcNormalPosition;

        /// <summary>
        /// Allows automatic initialization of "length" with "new WINDOWPLACEMENT(null/true/false)".
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="filler"></param>
        public WINDOWPLACEMENT(Boolean? filler) : this() {
            length = (uint)Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(WINDOWPLACEMENT));
        }
    }

    [Flags]
    public enum WINDOWPLACEMENT_Flag : uint {
        WPF_ASYNCWINDOWPLACEMENT = 0x0004,
        WPF_RESTORETOMAXIMIZED = 0x0002,
        WPF_SETMINPOSITION = 0x0001,
    }

    [Flags]
    public enum WINDOWPLACEMENT_ShowCmd : uint {
        SW_HIDE = 0,
        SW_MAXIMIZE = 3,
        SW_MINIMIZE = 6,
        SW_RESTORE = 9,
        SW_SHOW = 5,
        SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED = 3,
        SW_SHOWMINIMIZED = 2,
        SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE = 7,
        SW_SHOWNA = 8,
        SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE = 4,
        SW_SHOWNORMAL = 1,
    }
}


text:
Home Headlines Dennis Rodman Returns to North Korea to Visit Kim Jong-un
Dennis Rodman Returns to North Korea to Visit Kim Jong-un
Dennis Rodman hugs Kim Jong-un
AFRICANGLOBE – Dennis Rodman, the former basketball star, returned Tuesday to North Korea, where he said he planned to see "my friend" Kim Jong-un, the dictator whose country until recently was threatening to annihilate the United States with nuclear weapons.
Mr. Rodman said in Beijing that he was planning a five-day visit to the North, but played down speculation that he would try to secure the release of Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American Christian missionary who has been jailed there since late last year after being detained on North Korean soil.
"I'm not going to North Korea to discuss freeing Kenneth Bae," Mr. Rodman, a Basketball Hall of Fame member,told reporters in a telephone interview. "I'm just going there on another basketball diplomacy tour." Mr. Kim is known to be a fervent basketball fan, and the two watched a game together during Mr. Rodman's previous visit.
His visit comes amid a thaw in relations between North and South Korea, sworn enemies that just months ago appeared to be on the brink of military conflict.
Mr. Rodman's last trip to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, was sponsored by Vice Media, and he drew wide criticism for cozying up to a government with a long record of human rights abuses. The current trip is being sponsored by Paddy Power, an Irish gambling operation, he said. After Mr. Rodman's first North Korea trip, Paddy Power sent Mr. Rodman to Vatican City to urge people to place their bets on a new pope.
But Mr. Rodman said this trip to see Mr. Kim was all about friendship — and sports.
"I've come out here to see my friend," he said. "I want to talk about basketball."
During his visit to North Korea in March, Mr. Rodman told reporters in Pyongyang that North Koreans "love" Kim Jong-un, adding, "I love him — the guy's awesome."
It was around that time that North Korea was reaching new heights of bellicosity toward the United States, threatening to turn Washington and Seoul, the South Korean capital, into "a sea of flames" with "lighter and smaller nukes" because of stricter United Nations Security Council sanctions over the North's third nuclear test in February.
Mr. Rodman's visit also comes just days after North Korea rescinded its invitation to Robert King, a senior American diplomat who was planning to travel to Pyongyang to try to secure Mr. Bae's release.
By: Gerry Mullany
Raw: Dennis Rodman Back in North Korea
Kenneth Bae
Previous articleJustice Department Bids to Trap Poor, Black Children in Ineffective Schools
Next articleHow Many Successful Black Business Women Can You Name?
We Have The Evidence!: Kamala Harris Identifies As INDIAN Not BLACK!
18 Things You Didn't Know About Robert Mugabe
Edward Seaga And The Institutionalization Of Thuggery, Violence And Dehumanization In...
Special Message To The African Youth On African Union Day