text:
package org.apache.beam.sdk.schemas.utils;

import static org.apache.beam.vendor.guava.v26_0_jre.com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;

import com.google.auto.value.AutoValue;
import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
import java.lang.reflect.Field;
import java.lang.reflect.Method;
import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
import java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType;
import java.lang.reflect.Type;
import java.security.InvalidParameterException;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.stream.Collectors;
import org.apache.beam.sdk.annotations.Experimental;
import org.apache.beam.sdk.annotations.Experimental.Kind;
import org.apache.beam.sdk.annotations.Internal;
import org.apache.beam.sdk.schemas.Schema;
import org.apache.beam.sdk.schemas.annotations.SchemaCreate;
import org.apache.beam.sdk.values.TypeDescriptor;
import org.apache.beam.vendor.guava.v26_0_jre.com.google.common.collect.Lists;
import org.apache.beam.vendor.guava.v26_0_jre.com.google.common.collect.Maps;
import org.apache.beam.vendor.guava.v26_0_jre.com.google.common.collect.Multimap;
import org.apache.beam.vendor.guava.v26_0_jre.com.google.common.collect.Multimaps;
import org.apache.beam.vendor.guava.v26_0_jre.com.google.common.primitives.Primitives;
import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.Nullable;

/** A set of reflection helper methods. */
@Internal
@SuppressWarnings({
  "nullness", // TODO(https://github.com/apache/beam/issues/20497)
  "rawtypes"
})
public class ReflectUtils {
  /** Represents a class and a schema. */
  @AutoValue
  @Experimental(Kind.SCHEMAS)
  public abstract static class ClassWithSchema {
    public abstract Class getClazz();

    public abstract Schema getSchema();

    public static ClassWithSchema create(Class clazz, Schema schema) {
      return new AutoValue_ReflectUtils_ClassWithSchema(clazz, schema);
    }
  }

  private static final Map<Class, List<Method>> DECLARED_METHODS = Maps.newConcurrentMap();
  private static final Map<Class, Method> ANNOTATED_CONSTRUCTORS = Maps.newConcurrentMap();
  private static final Map<Class, List<Field>> DECLARED_FIELDS = Maps.newConcurrentMap();

  /**
   * Returns the list of non private/protected, non-static methods in the class, caching the
   * results.
   */
  public static List<Method> getMethods(Class clazz) {
    return DECLARED_METHODS.computeIfAbsent(
        clazz,
        c -> {
          return Arrays.stream(c.getDeclaredMethods())
              .filter(
                  m -> !m.isBridge()) // Covariant overloads insert bridge functions, which we must
              // ignore.
              .filter(m -> !Modifier.isPrivate(m.getModifiers()))
              .filter(m -> !Modifier.isProtected(m.getModifiers()))
              .filter(m -> !Modifier.isStatic(m.getModifiers()))
              .collect(Collectors.toList());
        });
  }

  public static Multimap<String, Method> getMethodsMap(Class clazz) {
    return Multimaps.index(getMethods(clazz), Method::getName);
  }

  public static @Nullable Constructor getAnnotatedConstructor(Class clazz) {
    return Arrays.stream(clazz.getDeclaredConstructors())
        .filter(m -> !Modifier.isPrivate(m.getModifiers()))
        .filter(m -> !Modifier.isProtected(m.getModifiers()))
        .filter(m -> m.getAnnotation(SchemaCreate.class) != null)
        .findFirst()
        .orElse(null);
  }

  public static @Nullable Method getAnnotatedCreateMethod(Class clazz) {
    return ANNOTATED_CONSTRUCTORS.computeIfAbsent(
        clazz,
        c -> {
          Method method =
              Arrays.stream(clazz.getDeclaredMethods())
                  .filter(m -> !Modifier.isPrivate(m.getModifiers()))
                  .filter(m -> !Modifier.isProtected(m.getModifiers()))
                  .filter(m -> Modifier.isStatic(m.getModifiers()))
                  .filter(m -> m.getAnnotation(SchemaCreate.class) != null)
                  .findFirst()
                  .orElse(null);
          if (method != null && !clazz.isAssignableFrom(method.getReturnType())) {
            throw new InvalidParameterException(
                "A method marked with SchemaCreate in class "
                    + clazz
                    + " does not return a type assignable to "
                    + clazz);
          }
          return method;
        });
  }

  // Get all public, non-static, non-transient fields.
  public static List<Field> getFields(Class<?> clazz) {
    return DECLARED_FIELDS.computeIfAbsent(
        clazz,
        c -> {
          Map<String, Field> types = new LinkedHashMap<>();
          do {
            if (c.getPackage() != null && c.getPackage().getName().startsWith("java.")) {
              break; // skip java built-in classes
            }
            for (java.lang.reflect.Field field : c.getDeclaredFields()) {
              if ((field.getModifiers() & (Modifier.TRANSIENT | Modifier.STATIC)) == 0) {
                if ((field.getModifiers() & (Modifier.PRIVATE | Modifier.PROTECTED)) == 0) {
                  checkArgument(
                      types.put(field.getName(), field) == null,
                      c.getSimpleName() + " contains two fields named: " + field);
                }
              }
            }
            c = c.getSuperclass();
          } while (c != null);
          return Lists.newArrayList(types.values());
        });
  }

  public static boolean isGetter(Method method) {
    if (Void.TYPE.equals(method.getReturnType())) {
      return false;
    }
    if (method.getName().startsWith("get") && method.getName().length() > 3) {
      return true;
    }
    return (method.getName().startsWith("is")
        && method.getName().length() > 2
        && method.getParameterCount() == 0
        && (Boolean.TYPE.equals(method.getReturnType())
            || Boolean.class.equals(method.getReturnType())));
  }

  public static boolean isSetter(Method method) {
    return method.getParameterCount() == 1 && method.getName().startsWith("set");
  }

  public static String stripPrefix(String methodName, String prefix) {
    if (!methodName.startsWith(prefix)) {
      return methodName;
    }
    String firstLetter = methodName.substring(prefix.length(), prefix.length() + 1).toLowerCase();

    return (methodName.length() == prefix.length() + 1)
        ? firstLetter
        : (firstLetter + methodName.substring(prefix.length() + 1, methodName.length()));
  }

  public static String stripGetterPrefix(String method) {
    if (method.startsWith("get")) {
      return stripPrefix(method, "get");
    }
    return stripPrefix(method, "is");
  }

  public static String stripSetterPrefix(String method) {
    return stripPrefix(method, "set");
  }

  /** For an array T[] or a subclass of Iterable<T>, return a TypeDescriptor describing T. */
  public static @Nullable TypeDescriptor getIterableComponentType(TypeDescriptor valueType) {
    TypeDescriptor componentType = null;
    if (valueType.isArray()) {
      Type component = valueType.getComponentType().getType();
      if (!component.equals(byte.class)) {
        // Byte arrays are special cased since we have a schema type corresponding to them.
        componentType = TypeDescriptor.of(component);
      }
    } else if (valueType.isSubtypeOf(TypeDescriptor.of(Iterable.class))) {
      TypeDescriptor<Iterable<?>> collection = valueType.getSupertype(Iterable.class);
      if (collection.getType() instanceof ParameterizedType) {
        ParameterizedType ptype = (ParameterizedType) collection.getType();
        java.lang.reflect.Type[] params = ptype.getActualTypeArguments();
        checkArgument(params.length == 1);
        componentType = TypeDescriptor.of(params[0]);
      } else {
        throw new RuntimeException("Collection parameter is not parameterized!");
      }
    }
    return componentType;
  }

  public static TypeDescriptor getMapType(TypeDescriptor valueType, int index) {
    TypeDescriptor mapType = null;
    if (valueType.isSubtypeOf(TypeDescriptor.of(Map.class))) {
      TypeDescriptor<Collection<?>> map = valueType.getSupertype(Map.class);
      if (map.getType() instanceof ParameterizedType) {
        ParameterizedType ptype = (ParameterizedType) map.getType();
        java.lang.reflect.Type[] params = ptype.getActualTypeArguments();
        mapType = TypeDescriptor.of(params[index]);
      } else {
        throw new RuntimeException("Map type is not parameterized! " + map);
      }
    }
    return mapType;
  }

  public static TypeDescriptor boxIfPrimitive(TypeDescriptor typeDescriptor) {
    return typeDescriptor.getRawType().isPrimitive()
        ? TypeDescriptor.of(Primitives.wrap(typeDescriptor.getRawType()))
        : typeDescriptor;
  }
}


text:
from lastuserapp import db
from lastuser_core.models import *

def make_fixtures():
    user1 = User(username=u"user1", fullname=u"User 1")
    user2 = User(username=u"user2", fullname=u"User 2")
    db.session.add_all([user1, user2])

    email1 = UserEmail(email=u"user1@example.com", user=user1)
    phone1 = UserPhone(phone=u"1234567890", user=user1)
    email2 = UserEmail(email=u"user2@example.com", user=user2)
    phone2 = UserPhone(phone=u"1234567891", user=user2)
    db.session.add_all([email1, phone1, email2, phone2])

    org = Organization(name=u"org", title=u"Organization")
    org.owners.users.append(user1)
    db.session.add(org)

    client = Client(title=u"Test Application", org=org, user=user1, website=u"http://example.com")
    db.session.add(client)

    resource = Resource(name=u"test_resource", title=u"Test Resource", client=client)
    db.session.add(resource)

    action = ResourceAction(name=u"read", title=u"Read", resource=resource)
    db.session.add(action)

    message = SMSMessage(phone_number=phone1.phone, transaction_id=u"1" * 40, message=u"Test message")
    db.session.add(message)

    db.session.commit()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Columbia firefighters extinguished a house fire on Anwood Drive on Tuesday.
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Crews with the Columbia Fire Department battled flames at a home on the 3700 block of Anwood Drive.
Firefighters were called to the home around 11 a.m. Tuesday and were able to put out the fire.
Investigators later determined the cause of the fire was cooking related. Two adults and three children have been displaced because of the fire.
Officials also confirmed no one was injured. However, an estimate on the damages caused by the fire is not available at this time.


You can use this option to Make a Direct Donation to support a Player on the 2019 Grayson Rams Football Team.
If you designate a specific player for this donation then the amount donated will be posted to their player account to be used towards player fees, and/or any other football expenses directly related to that specific player. If you do not designate a specific player then your donation will be applied to the general use fund and will be used across the entire football program.
Grayson Touchdown Club is recognized by the IRS as a charitable 501 (c) (3) organization, TAX ID# 58-2535749.
Thank you for your support of Grayson Rams Football and if you experience any issues with your order or have questions please contact Michelle Howerton (Treasurer) at [email protected].


text:
Cinacantan o Zinacantan es un peñón convertido en fortaleza a finales del periodo de dominio pipil, y posteriormente en un proto-sitio arqueológico homónimo ubicado en Tamanique, La Libertad en El Salvador, Las coordenadas del sitio son: 13º32'29.83"N, 89º23'30.55"O. El mismo es considerado como el último bastión de protección indígena en el marco de la conquista de Cuscatlán realizada en 1525 por parte del español Pedro de Alvarado, y donde se dio ocasión el primer y último levantamiento indígena de importancia posterior a la rendición del Señorío de Cuscatlán. esto en 1528 e inicios de 1529.

Etimología
Según los documentos históricos, en la época prehispánica este asentamiento era conocido como Cinacantan o "Ciudad de los murciélagos", ya que proviene del término  cinacan= "murciélago", y el sufijo locativo tan = "en", "ciudad". (Larde y Larín, 2000). También puede considerarse la versión de "lugar del murciélago" (Amaroli, 1991).

Historia
En el año 1522, el navegante español Andrés Niño recorría por mar las costas del litoral salvadoreño, en la región de la mencionada Costa del Bálsamo (actual  Puerto de La Libertad y al divisar el peñón le coloca como mote "la del rostro fragoso". Esta se considera la primera incursión española al territorio de Cinacantan. El 1 de abril de 1524, Diego de Alvarado junto a un batallón de españoles e "indios amigos" fundan una segunda Villa de San Salvador la cual está ubicada en el valle de la Bermuda, actual ciudad de Suchitoto, esto para asentar el poderío español y las zonas dejadas sin someter por Pedro de Alvarado, que en 1525 había dispersado a los habitantes de Cuscatlán (Actual ciudad de  San Salvador) estableciendo una colonia habitada por gente de su filas.

A principios de 1528 desde Guatemala fueron enviadas una serie de expediciones para pacificar el territorio cuscatleco; Para ese mismo año a finales del mes de noviembre, un grupo de pueblos indígenas se rebeló contra la invasión conquistadora, el capitán español Diego de Alvarado (hermano de Pedro) considerando que teniendo paz y con la rendición del territorio del señorío de Cuzcatlán prácticamente consolidada, envió un español a un pueblo (cuyo nombre no consta) en la costa del bálsamo, pero los indígenas del lugar le dieron muerte, junto con una cierta cantidad de indios cakchiqueles aliados que lo acompañaban, tras esto «la mayor parte de la tierra (del territorio de Cuzcatlán)» se sublevó y atacó la villa de San Salvador, consiguiente a esto los españoles dirigidos por Alvarado les hicieron frente y lograron que los indígenas huyeran; los indígenas trataron de provocar a los españoles por lo que Alvarado les ordenó que se sometieran, sin embargo estos no acataron la advertencia, y refugiándose ocuparon el montículo rocoso (peñón) de Cinacantan (hoy conocido como cerro Redondo) convirtiéndolo en su foco de resistencia. Bartolomé Bermúdez, uno de los principales combatientes en el batallón narra esto en sus crónicas:

La agrupación defensiva de pueblos indígenas hostiles en partes altas, como formaciones rocosas o el "empeñolamiento'', como lo llamaban los españoles, era una táctica defensiva bastante común; y fue mencionado en varios casos durante la Conquista. Dicha sublevación indígena en Cinacantan tenía que ser sofocada, por lo que un contingente español fue enviado desde San Salvador hasta aquel sector, denominado actualmente como Cordillera del Bálsamo. El ejército era comandado por Diego de Alvarado y estaba formado por españoles e "indios amigos". La idea además de la pacificación y el control completo de la nación pipil, muy probablemente también buscaba subyugar a los pueblos en la imposición de encomiendas.

Cuando el ejército español, comandado por Diego de Alvarado, llegó a Cinacantan desde la Villa de San Salvador, se encontró con varios pueblos (tres o cuatro) indígenas aguerridos y agrupados sobre la formación rocosa (cerro Redondo) que era prácticamente inaccesible, ya que está rodeado de acantilados; y el lugar que presentaba el acceso más fácil a la cúspide se daba en lado norte, donde actualmente muestran se inician las estructuras de fortaleza prehispánicas y por ende donde estaba mejor defendido.

El día que se produjo la llegada al peñón (finales de 1528 o principios de 1529), los españoles acometieron dos veces la fortaleza pipil, pero fueron repelidos en ambos intentos. En el primer ataque fueron vencidos a pedradas y flechas, y que en el segundo intento fueron entre doce y trece españoles, acompañados por el capitán Alvarado, pero nuevamente fueron vencidos a flechazos, pedradas y con "galgas". Ante esta crítica situación, algunos españoles buscaron subir, simulando ir de forma pacífica a entablar pláticas con los rebeldes; sin embargo, estos llevaban una serie de armas encubiertas, entre ellas un castillete móvil construida por Bermúdez. Al verlo los combatientes pipiles dejaron de tirar flechas saliendo uno de los señores indígenas que estaban en el peñol, pidiéndoles a los españoles que regresaran a la villa, que ellos se pondrían al servicio de su Majestad, sabiendo que esta era una trampa de la cual difícilmente podrían salir avantes . Diego de Alvarado ordena entonces acometer de una vez el motín, al llegar a la cima sacaron el arsenal escondido sometiendo a los principales de los grupos, y la rebelión indígena fue abatida, causando varios cientos de muertos (incluso se habla de algunos miles) y con varios rehenes capturados. Con esto los españoles de la Villa de San Salvador lograrían poner fin a último bastión de resistencia cuzcatleca; Si bien hubo otros casos de insurrección, ninguno implicó mayores inconvenientes. Como el caso de la batalla librada en Cinacantan, se le considera junto a las ocurridas en Acaxual y Tacuzcalco, las únicas tres ocasiones en donde los habitantes del Señorío se atreverían a buscar repeler seriamente el embate de conquista española en el país enfrentándolos de forma directa y causando problemáticas en el ejército invasor.

Posteriormente y finalizada la toma de esta región del Señorío, la misma quedó en abandono durante cierto tiempo, el asentamiento y los pueblos que se conglomeraron para la defensa de este lugar se convirtieran según algunos historiadores en el origen del poblado actual de Tamanique, que apareció muchos años después, debido al reordenamiento de los poblados indígenas por parte de los españoles por su topónimo. En 1541 el rey Carlos I de España concedió a Miguel Díaz de Peñacorba uno de los sub-capitanes y cronistas del mismo, un escudo de armas por su valiente participación en la toma del peñón.

Estructura
El sitio fue registrado por los especialistas en arqueología prehispánica William Fowler Jr, Connard Hamilton y Roberto Gallardo el 14 de junio de 1999. Ese mismo mes, Gallardo realizó cinco visitas en compañía del estudiante Adonai Cardoza donde se logran ubicar seis sectores con yacimientos, esto orientados hacia el noroeste del Peñón (hoy cerro Redondo). Cada sector comprende una agrupación de estructuras, y los seis sectores conforman un total de 44 estructuras consistentes principalmente en montículos, plataformas y terrazas. En el año 2002, Hamilton realizó un mapa con estación total de tres agrupaciones de montículos, ubicando 23 estructuras del sitio.

Legado
Cinacantan es sin duda uno de los sitios donde se libró una de las batallas más emblemáticas y de las menos conocidas a profundidad durante la conquista de Cuscatlán en el actual territorio salvadoreño, considerándosele de cierta forma como La Masada de El Salvador por mostrar bastante similitudes con los hechos ocurridos en la toma del amesetado fuerte del mencionado lugar en Israel sitiado y sometido por parte del ejército romano en el año 73 d.C.

Si bien existe mucha documentación acerca del hecho (principalmente de parte de cronistas españoles), esta ha sido poco consultada; y mucho de los hechos acaecidos se ha logrado armar y desentrañar hasta apenas en el año 1999, cuando el lugar fue descubierto y desentrañado parcialmente por investigadores y arqueólogos William Fowler Jr., Paul Amaroli, y Bárbara Arroyo, de la Universidad de Vanderbilt en Tennessee, Estados Unidos; convirtiéndolo en un proto-sitio arqueológico en estado de desarrollo en el país centroamericano.

Bibliografía
 FOWLER, WILLIAM JR.; AMAROLI, PAUL Y ARROYO, BÁRBARA. Informe Preliminar del Proyecto Izalco.Temporada 1988. Informe inédito Preparado para la Administración de Patrimonio Cultural, El Salvador, San San Salvador. 1989.
 BARÓN CASTRO, RODOLFO. Reseña Histórica de la Villa de San Salvador. Dirección de Publica- ciones e Impresos. Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y el Arte, Concultura. 1996
 COBOS, RAFAEL.Síntesis de la Arqueología de El Salvador. Colección Antropología e Historia. Concultura, El Salvador. 1994.

Referencias
 LPG - El retorno a Cinacantan .
 .

Arqueología de El Salvador
Historia de El Salvador

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Vietnam War was made famous, among many other ignoble reasons, by the large number of freshly minted conscientious objectors that came out of the woodwork to avoid being drafted into the unrewarding and extremely dangerous chore of manning firebases and trenches in the Viet Cong, mosquito, and heroin infested jungles and rice paddies of South Vietnam. Hordes of young American men tore up their draft cards and streamed northward to Canada, and if they couldn't bring themselves to renounce their citizenship, went into hiding. It was the law of the land to respond to the call of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Air Force, but heretofore agnostic draftees were born again, finding all sorts of religious or political objections to being called up to serve.
There were certainly all sorts of good reasons to object to the Vietnam War. The U.S. Armed Services had a flawed record of human rights in Vietnam and adherence to the Geneva Conventions. The generals running the war were arrogant and incompetent. The corrupt government of South Vietnam had little support from the general populace. American troops were poorly equipped and trained for guerrilla jungle and urban warfare. And most of all, the rationale for fighting in far away Vietnam was tenuous at best—a foggy Cold War notion of halting the domino effect of the spread of Communism—on Communist China's front door no less.
The draft was done away with thirty years ago and today's military is all-volunteer. It is hard to imagine the desperation behind the need to avoid the horrors of a seemingly socially-unjust war. But whether or not whether you agree with any of the reasoning put forward by Vietnam-era draft dodgers, you can agree with one thing—it was an individual choice to comply with the draft. If a draft-dodger ran for Canada or Mexico, they generally only hurt themselves. Of course the U.S. government was concerned about the viral effect of tolerating civil disobedience. But the conscientious objector, draft dodger, and whatever euphemism you want to use for someone who was trying to avoid service, could not prevent the drafting of other Americans, could not prevent the U.S. Armed Services from carrying out their duties, overlooked the fact that the majority of those who served in Vietnam were volunteers, and could not prevent the government from functioning under its authority granted by the Constitution.
Now we have the legalization of gay marriage and Kim Davis.
Kim Davis, an obscure Kentucky county clerk, has surfaced in the national consciousness by refusing to grant marriage licenses to gay couples. She has gone so far as to be sent to prison for contempt by a federal judge, only to be released after promising not to stand in the way of deputy clerks issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Or in another words, as long as she does not have to personally discharge her sworn duties for certain citizens but do so instead selectively by proxy, she can continue draw a paycheck from taxpayers and stay out of prison.
The reason we separate Church and State is because the Founding Fathers believed government should be guided by a balance of morality and reason, not blind religious faith. There are about 35 major Christian denominations in the U.S. Various denominations don't always agree with each other on what the proper moral action is in the same situation. Then we add in all the other religions and belief systems in our country—all protected by the Constitution—and we see why we don't go to any one religion to decide what should be legal. The Orthodox Jewish clerk at the DMV cannot deny you a driver's license because you eat ham. The Muslim clerk at the Social Security office can't deny you benefits because you drink liquor. The Christian Scientist clerk at the IRS cannot audit your taxes because you chose medical help. Practice your religion in freedom; just don't make everyone else practice your religion.
Kim Davis does not have the right to refuse to issue marriage licenses while remaining county clerk. She's sworn to uphold the laws of the United States, Kentucky and her county. If she can't carry out her job, then she should resign.
In other words, Catholic doctors who don't want to perform abortions should have a right to refuse. And hospitals that want to fire them for refusing should have that right. You cannot demand a religious accommodation that is essentially refusing to do a core part of your job. Comparing Kim Davis to the many people who have been persecuted for their Christian beliefs is absurd. The choice for early Christian martyrs was to reject their faith or die. The choice was not: reject their faith or lose a good job as head priest at the Temple of Jupiter.
Kim Davis wants to both hold political office and be a conscientious objector on behalf of her faith or set of values. She wants to maintain her authority over the lives of taxpayers on her own terms, not those set by the Constitution. She wants to have her cake and eat it too.
I guess running away to Canada was not an option.
I would really like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin (the rest of the people that gobble up what they say) would get over themselves and stop making this woman a martyr. I fought for her religious freedom and I am proud for the fact she has strong opinions. People; however, also has the right not to be forced to share her opinion. As this post states if every government employees could deny doing their job because they don't agree with what their doing. Then even less would get done than already does.
← Activist Investors or Greenmailers. Whatever.


text:
HomeBrews and Bites
Brews and BitesNews and Features
Barbecue Sauce in the Historic Triangle: Matchsticks Barbecue
Matchstick BBQ Co. is bottling and selling its own line of barbecue sauces, marinades and rubs. (Courtesy of Matchsticks BBQ Co.)
WILLIAMSBURG — In the world of barbecue, the sauce is almost as important as the meat itself. Whether you are staring down a plate of pulled pork, brisket, ribs or jackfruit, the sauce that is going to accompany the feast will factor heavily into the taste profile.
Just as there are dozens of different types of barbecue, there seem to be as many or more types of sauce and innumerable opinions on which is the best. With more than a dozen dedicated barbecue restaurants and food trucks in the Historic Triangle, the choices for locally made sauces is endless.
This is the first in a series designed to highlight the local sauce game. First up: Matchsticks BBQ Co.
When Matt Sileno wrote the business plan for Matchsticks BBQ Co. in 2017, figuring out the right sauces was one of his main priorities in opening what would become a wildly popular food truck turned restaurant.
Luckily for Matt, sauce is something that he has been indirectly studying since he moved to the small town of Goldsboro, N.C. at the age of 10.
"Down there was a spot called Wilber's [BBQ] and that was the joint for whole hog, open pit barbecue," Matt said of his early barbecue experiences. "The big thing down there is Carolina-style sauce which has a lot of vinegar, red pepper and other seasonings. That was my favorite growing up. I always knew that when I started making the sauces, that I was going to have a vinegar sauce, which we call our State Sauce."
Matt says that the first recipe for the State Sauce was popular enough that he has never altered it from his first recipe. The other sauce that Matchsticks started out with, known as Pit Sauce, is on the other end of the taste scale with more of a sweet and tangy profile. A few years into the operating the food truck, Matt came up with a sauce that would please people in both the sweet and spicy camps.
"Our 'Match Sauce' was just an innovative thing that happened along the way," he remembers. "Some people said that they liked to have a sweeter sauce, but they also wanted a punch to it. So that is when we came up with the Match Sauce."
Over the last two years, Matt has been busy with several projects, not the least of which is opening a restaurant in Midtown Row. On top of all of the trials and tribulations that accompany such a business venture, he has also started bottling his three original sauces as well a marinade, "Marinate It All" and an entire line of barbecue rubs for beef, pork, and poultry respectively.
The sauces are already in some local retails stores such as Whitley's Peanut Factory on Richmond Road and Matt is hoping to get them into more stores as soon as possible.
"The sauces and rubs have always been something that I could sell on the website or in stores or in the restaurant," Matt says. "It is just another thing to get the product out there and give someone an option of something a little bit different than what they're used to."
For more information the Matchsticks' products, food truck and restaurant, go to the Matchsticks BBQ Co. website.
Match Sauce
Matchsticks BBQ Co
Pit Sauce
State Sauce
support small business
Whitley's Peanut Factory
You Like the Sauce?
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Employers Backtrack on Background Checks
The practice of conducting criminal background checks is still common among U.S. employers, but the rate is dropping. Fourteen percent of employers polled by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) do not conduct any criminal background checks on candidates, according to a Workforce report. That compares with 7 percent in 2010.
The SHRM study found complying with state laws and reducing legal liability for negligent hiring were the top reasons companies employ background checks.
"[Employers] are looking more closely at the job-relatedness of these practices," said Mark Schmit, SHRM's vice president of research. "As a result, fewer employers are using background checks, and checks are often done for specific jobs or to comply with the law."
The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) seems to back this trend, according to recent guidance released by the agency. The EEOC recommends that companies skip the screenings unless they are relevant to the job and that HR and managers conduct "individualized" reviews of candidates with criminal backgrounds to avoid running afoul with Title VII, according to Human Resource Executive Online.
While those rules may lead to fewer but more targeted background checks, employers see a "Catch-22" scenario brewing, Gerald L. Maatman Jr. of law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP told HREO.
"You either hire someone who could hurt your workforce, or you get in trouble for not complying with the EEOC mandate and EEOC enforcement," Maatman said.
In addition to the safety fears, employers have to deal with the costs associated with "individualized" analysis of each job candidate with a criminal record, Mattman added.
"A lot of my clients are saying, 'I could comply if I had buckets of money to spend to administer this,'" he said.
Some employers simply are refusing to comply with the rules, William Tate of HR Plus told HREO. But he cautions against this move, noting that there's a way for employers to appease the EEOC and maintain a safe and productive workforce.
The costs to satisfy Title VII aren't exorbitant, and the EEOC provides a good checklist that will help employers when making individualized assessments, Tate said. For compliance tips on this issue, visit:
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm


Both the bus driver and the tour rep Josh made sure everyone was looked after.....koodos!
Our 2019 Indianapolis Big Machine Brickyard 400 NASCAR race packages, travel packages and tours for Indianapolis Motor Speedway include excellent race tickets for the Monster Energy Cup Series Brickyard 400, hotel accommodations at the Holiday Inn Indianapolis Airport hotel, informative tour booklet, all taxes and more options to enhance your Indianapolis Motor Speedway race weekend.
Our tickets are located in Turn One of Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the SouthWest Vista.
"Home to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing", Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 giving way to becoming an American Icon and being known as the world's greatest racecourse. The motorsports facility has a permanent seating capacity of over 250,000- the world's largest . A 2.5 mile track with 4 distinct turns and straightaways, the challenging layout hasn't changed in 99 years. In 1987, the Speedway Hall of Fame Museum and Speedway grounds were honored with the designation of National Historic Landmark and 1994 marked the year of the inaugural NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Allstate 400 at The Brickyard race event.
2009 marked Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 100th Anniversary of the facililty.
Kick back and relax after a long day of traveling when you book a stay at the Award Winning Holiday Inn near the Indianapolis Airport. The Holiday Inn is conveniently located in the Ameriplex Business Park, just 3 miles from the terminals at the Indianapolis Airport and offer a complimentary 24-hour shuttle to the IND airport.
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The modern design and contemporary take on the Holiday Inn everyone knows and loves offers a plethora of amenities and features free Wi-Fi, onsite dining, a private pond, state-of-the-art fitness equipment, and an salt water indoor heated pool. We've thought of everything to ensure your comfort and convenience. Enjoy convenient access to I-465 making getting downtown a breeze! Guests can enjoy downtown attractions, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Children's Museum, Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Field house, and the Indianapolis Zoo.
Let the Award Winning Holiday Inn Indianapolis Airport raise your travel expectations.
Parking is complimentary for registered guests of the hotel.
The seats for the race were very good. The tour booklet provided by TABA was very easy to read and helpful.
You may reserve extra nights at your hotel before the event. Select the number of extra nights you'd like to stay before the event on the next line. Contracted room rates are for 2 nights prior to your stay and 2 nights after your stay. There may be exceptions and we reserve the right to reinvoice you if there is a change in price. Please contact us if you are extending your stay more than 2 days on either side of your trip.
A deposit of $99.00 per traveler is due to secure your reservation.
A 2nd deposit to equal $150.00 per traveler is due by June 10, 2019.
Full payment is due by July 8, 2019.
Share a premium experience with your guests that's also affordable for you. The Brickyard Club is fully catered and located in the center of the action with great views and race festivities all within reach.
The Main Straight Suite Club offers a stunning view of the exciting front straightaway, all within a fully catered and tasteful atmosphere.
Go Behind-The-Scenes of the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard!
If you want the ultimate NASCAR fan experience at the 2018 Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, get your pit lane access passes today! You'll see all of the stars of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series prepare for the race that every driver and team wants to win. It's an experience you'll never forget!
This Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum ticket allows you to tour the Museum on your own during race weekend.


The leases that thousands of Ohio landowners have signed with oil and gas companies will drive the development of thousands of shale gas wells in the eastern half of the state during the next five years, even if the state proceeds with raising its taxes on the energy industry, according to experts on minerals rights. The catch for energy companies is that the leases require drillers to begin production on each property in three to five years. If a company fails to do so, it either loses the lease or must pay a cash bonus to renew it, at a cost of up to $6,500 per acre based on existing lease prices. There's no escape clause for an energy company to say that it needs more time to develop a property because of a change in Ohio's tax code. And a change appears likely, as a 10-point energy policy Gov. John Kasich unveiled two weeks ago calls for raising the state's tax on oil and gas producers in order to pay for a reduction in personal income tax rates. The governor, and others, say Ohio taxes the oil and gas business less than other states and should adjust its rates upward. The energy industry has complained that any increase in taxes would raise the risk that drilling would slow in Ohio. But industry observers are not convinced. "For better or worse, the companies have created a contractual obligation to drill," said Andrew Thomas, a geologist and former oil and gas attorney in New Orleans who now serves as executive in residence at Cleveland State University. Dr. Thomas was one of the lead authors of a Feb. 28 study done on behalf of the Ohio Shale Coalition by researchers at CSU's Levin College of Urban Affairs, Marietta College and Ohio State University. The study outlined the status and likely future development of Ohio's shale gas industry, including the economic benefits it will provide to the state. Dr. Thomas predicts that Ohio will see a total of about 2,000 wells drilled between now and the end of 2014. By then, well development should be on pace to create 1,000 more new wells per year. "I think, after that, it will sustain that level of activity for 20 years," said Dr. Thomas, who based his prediction on estimates of how much gas and oil lies trapped in Ohio's deep Utica shale deposits, about 8,000 feet below ground.
Since each well costs as much as $6 million to drill, Dr. Thomas and his fellow researchers are predicting an annual investment in Ohio by energy companies of as much as $6 billion a year by 2014. That figure is just for the drilling work itself and does not include investments in pipelines, processing facilities, water treatment installations and many other tangential aspects of what is becoming Ohio's most famous industry. It's a big number, but it isn't as big as those the drillers themselves have thrown around. Last August, Chesapeake Energy Corp. CEO Aubrey McLendon, whose company has spent about $2.2 billon on shale gas leases in Ohio, predicted his company and others like it will invest an estimated $20 billion a year in Ohio's shale gas and oil industry for the next decade. The ultimate driver of all this activity is the money to be made by extracting valuable natural gas and oil once believed to be trapped underground forever. The natural resources drillers seek are simply too valuable to be left alone, say both drillers and industry observers such as Dr. Thomas. But the lease clauses are going to add significantly to the urgency drillers feel to produce, Dr. Thomas said, because if they don't, it will cost them plenty.


text:
Play title: Radium Girls
Author(s): D.W. Gregory
Publisher: Dramatic Publishing Company
Primary Discipline: Chemistry
Secondary Discipline: Medicine?
Scientist (s):
Dr. Cecil Drinker: A Harvard industrial hygienist
Dr. Harrison Martland: The county medical examiner
Dr. Joseph Knef: A dentist
Dr. Marie Curie: Discovered Radium
Frederick Flinn: Columbia University industrial hygienist
Source Texts: "Radium Girls: Women and Industrial Health Reform 1910-1935" by Claudia Clark
Character Breakdown: At least 4 men and 5 women, extras
Grace Fryer, Kathryn Schaub, Irene Rudolph, Mrs. Alma Macneil, Arthur Roeder, Edward Markley, C.B. "Charlie" Lee, Dr. Von Sochocky, Tom Kreider, Diane Roeder, Harriet Roeder, Anna Fryer, Katherine Wiley, Raymond Berry, Dr. Cecil Drinker, Dr. Harrison Martland, Dr. Joseph Knef, Dr. Marie Curie, Frederick Flinn, Reporter, Sob Sister, William J.A. Bailey, Mrs. Michaels, Society Woman, Clerk,
Setting: Orange, New Jersey
Synopsis of Play: In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie an international celebrity, and luminous watches the latest rage – until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by a true story, Radium Girls traces the efforts of Grave Fryer, a dial painter, as she fights for her day in court. Her chief adversary is her former employer, Arthur Roeder, an idealistic man who cannot bring himself to believe the same element that shrinks tumors could have anything to do with the terrifying rash of illnesses among his employees. As the case goes on, however, Grace finds herself battling not just with the U.S. Radium Corporation, but with her own family and friends, who fear that her campaign for justice will backfire. (play text cover blurb)
First Performance Date: May 11th-28th, 2000
First Producer: Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey
Performance History: Radium Girls was originally produced by Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey and developed with a commissioning grant from The Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science and Technology Project. It opened on May 11th, 2000 and was directed by Joseph Megel. With casting by Michele Ortlip; set design by Jim Bazewicz; costumes by Valerie Holland Hughes, lighting by Ted Mather, sound by Dean Gray and Jonathan Taylor, makeup and properties by Tiffany M. Bazewicz, and the artistic director being John Pietrowski. Under a grant from Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project, the play was subsequently revised. This revision was presented at the University of Washington-Seattle on March 6th-17th, 2002.
Review: 'Radium Girls' at Rockville Little Theatre
https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/tn-wknd-et-radium-20190312-story.html
Theatre Review: 'Radium Girls' at Maryland Ensemble Theatre
https://www.richmond.com/entertainment/theater-review-radium-girls/article_b8dde42a-52eb-560d-8f91-b1b0aa79eeb2.html
http://www.playbill.com/article/njs-playwrights-theatre-glows-with-radium-girls-may-11-28-com-89122
https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-shining-lives-radium-girls-musical-20150517-column.html
https://www.npr.org/2017/04/27/525765323/the-radium-girls-is-haunted-by-glowing-ghosts
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/books-the-radium-girls-they-paid-with-their-lives-their-final-fight-was-for-justice-by-kate-moore-bktzwl3lj
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/06/the-radium-girls-still-glowing-in-their-coffins/#
Entered by: Meaghan Yesford
Photo/Visual Research with citations:


Worthy to hang, these small glass cross martyrika coordinate with our Stavros baptism candles.
Clear glass cross imported from Europe - measures approximately 5/8"x4/8".
The crosses are hanging from a long enough sisal twine that allows you to hang from your rearview mirror or anywhere else you choose.
Depending on availability, clear, blue or both color crosses will be used for your order.


text:
Tag Archives: English General Election.
THE BEADY EYE CONGRATULATE'S. THE WARPED FIRST PAST THE POST IS THE WINNER IN THE GENERAL ELECTION IN ENGLAND.
Posted by bobdillon33@gmail.com in Uncategorized
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English Constitution., English General Election., English parliamentary system
(Five-minute read) The outcome of today's General Election has been decided by a system called first-past-the-post. Some seventeen million voted for another referendum and fifteen million voted not to. An irrefutable travesty of democracy. In Britain's electoral system, seats won at a general election are not shared out between the parties proportionally nationwide. There is no system of proportional representation for candidates who come second in each constituency. Instead, each one of the 650 constituencies is self-contained, meaning any vote not used to win a seat is, in effect, wasted. Even if millions of voters support the same party, if they are thinly spread out they may only get the largest number of votes in a couple of these contests. Tens of thousands of voters supporting the same party and living in the same area will end up with more MPs. This means the number of MPs a party has in parliament rarely matches their popularity with the public. As parties want to get as many MPs as possible, parties prioritise voters who might change their minds who live in swing seats. Parties design their manifestos to appeal to voters in swing seats, and spend the majority of their funds campaigning in them. As the number of MPs a party gets doesn't match their level of support with the public, it can be hard for the public to hold the government to account. Many swing seats have two candidates where either could get elected. But some have more. The more candidates with a chance of getting elected the fewer votes the winner needs. Voters try to second-guess the results. If a voter thinks their favourite candidate can't win, they may vote for one with the best chance of stopping a candidate they dislike from winning. There can never be one nation. First past the post allows the Nigel Farage's of this world to manipulate the results as was shown in this election which handed Boris Johnson the victory by not fielding candidates in almost half of the districts. ( In the districts that they did contest, Brexit party candidates divided the pro-Brexit vote and thereby handed Labour some important seats. In some places, the Conservatives gained seats from Labour on modest swings, while the Brexit party got swings of more than 10%.) People who voted for the populist Brexit Party at the general election. They needn't have bothered: Nigel Farage's Brexit party won zero seats but took votes away from the Labour Party that could not support clearly the remain side of Brexit .Should we laugh or cry. This is the real tragedy. It's too early to say what the consequences are going to be – Leave the EU, Yes. With or without a trade deal. Both possible. Brake up of the Union. Depending on the forthcoming results of Negotiations with the EU. A written constitution. Inevitable if there is ever to be one nation. All human comments appreciated. All like clicks and abuse chucked in the bin.
THE BEADY EYE ASK'S: Thinking ahead to 5 years from now, do you think Britain's decision to leave the EU will have had a positive or negative impact on the UK?
Posted by bobdillon33@gmail.com in 2019: The Year of Disconnection., Brexit v EU - Negotiations., Brexit., Digital age., England EU Referendum IN or Out., England., English General Election., European Union., Fourth Industrial Revolution., Modern day life., Reality., Sustaniability, Technology, The common good., The Obvious., The world to day., Unanswered Questions., WHAT IS TRUTH
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England - EU - Negotiations, England in five years., England's future., English General Election., The English in or out EU Referendum
Of course, as with all hypothetical questions, there is no correct answer.
Whether it will be a liberal One Nation Tory party, ongoing coalition governments or the Labour party that will be the political beneficiary is not yet sure.
However, looking at the present state of England against the problems facing the world one would have to say the horizon is far from looking bright.
The longer-term questions about the UK's relationship with the EU will still need to be addressed no matter what the result of the current general election.
This very question itself will pale in comparison to the coming nexus environmental and energy problems facing us all.
Even if one was to ignore climate change it is truly impossible to overstate the havoc—financial, social, cultural—that could be brought about by peak oil if sufficient renewable energy is not in place to make up for declines in fossil fuels.
By the middle of the next decade or so, we will either all be starving, and fighting wars over resources, or our global food supply will have changed radically.
The bitter reality is that it will probably be a mixture of both.
The one thing we can be sure of is this:
No matter how wacky the predictions we make today, they will look tame in the strange light of the future. From the web to wildlife, the economy to nanotechnology, politics to sport, will see technological change on an astonishing scale.
All this assumes that environmental catastrophe doesn't drive us into caves.
With over 60% of global GDP will be digitized by 2022 it is a total waste of time for countries such as the UK to attempted to pull up the drawbridge, to increase national production and reducing reliance on imports. These world-changing technologies are already creating more interconnected, interdependent and rapid business networks.
How far beggar-my-neighbour competitive devaluations and protection will develop due to a hard Brexit is hard to predict, but protectionist trends are there for all to see.
The question is, will Britain outside the EU be a more global, more deregulated, more free-trading country five years from now.
Presently nearly half of the UK's total trade is with EU countries.
Leaving the biggest free trade area with over 500 million consumers won't be cheap no matter what the divorce bill is. The EU has 53 trade deals worldwide the UK has zero.
The consequent rebalancing of the British economy will therefore take years and more than likely create a food underclass.
Because it is as yet unclear when the UK will have the legal authority to begin negotiations; when the UK will leave the EU customs union; and what the trade arrangements between the UK and the EU will be after that point.
It is therefore difficult to see how third countries could engage seriously with the UK until these decisions have been taken. In addition, there are significant obstacles to meaningful trade deals with most of the countries.
The world will be more complicated even if these projections assume an orderly exit from the EU.
Only when we stand together can we secure our prosperity in a competitive world as the distinction between the country, town, will blur, with Artifical intelligence not to mention sea levels rising.
Because if I'd been writing this five years ago, it would have been all about technology: the internet, the fragmentation of media, mobile phones, social tools allowing consumers to regain power at the expense of corporations, all that sort of stuff but artificial intelligence is proving itself an unexpectedly difficult problem.
To describe EXACTLY what they will be doing in 1,820 days never mind that a second financial crisis in the 2010s – probably sooner than later – that will prove not just to be the remaking of Britain but the whole of the EU.
THE BEADY EYE ASK'S; JUST WHAT IS A GENERAL ELECTION IN ENGLAND. THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE OR OTHERWISE.
Posted by bobdillon33@gmail.com in 2019: The Year of Disconnection., Democracy, ENGLAND'S SNAP ELECTION, England., English General Election., English parliamentary proceedings.
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English Constitution., English General Election., English voting system., The English in or out EU Referendum
(Three-minute read)
British elections are decided using what is known as the First Past the Post (abbreviated FPTP, 1stP, 1PTP or FPP) voting system.
Along with no written constitution, it is the primary cause of all Britain's dysfunction.
You would think that a General Election is how the British public decide who they want to represent them in Parliament and ultimately run the country.
First past the post is a voting system designed to keep the electorate/country under the control of a two-party dictatorship while giving the delusion of democracy.
The candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins and becomes the MP for that seat. All other votes are disregarded.
As there is only one candidate from each party, voters who support that party but don't like their candidate have to either vote for a party they don't support or a candidate they don't like. This means the number of MPs a party has in parliament rarely matches their popularity with the public.
Westminster's voting system creates two sorts of areas. 'Safe seats', with such a low chance of changing hands that there is no point in campaigning, and 'swing seats', that could change hands.
Parties design their manifestos to appeal to voters in swing seats, and spend the majority of their funds campaigning in them. But, policies designed to appeal to voters in these seats may not help voters in the rest of the country.
Voters who live in safe seats can feel ignored by politicians. The more candidates with a chance of getting elected the fewer votes the winner needs.
Under Westminster's First Past the Post system it is common for constituencies to elect MPs that more than half the voters didn't want.
As the number of MPs a party gets doesn't match their level of support with the public, it can be hard for the public to hold the government to account.
To combat this, voters try to second-guess the results.
If a voter thinks their favourite candidate can't win, they may vote for one with the best chance of stopping a candidate they dislike from winning.
Democracy is the political system where the government represents the will of the people. There never has been a perfect democracy, there are only degrees of approximation, and democracy goes far beyond discussion of the voting system. Nevertheless, the voting system is an important element in shaping a democracy, and First Past the Post (FPTP) is woefully inadequate in expressing the will of the people because the vote never gets beyond the constituency boundary.
Worse still, a Government can be elected on the basis of 33% of votes cast, but considering turnout, this falls to 22% of those entitled to vote.
22%! One in five!! Yet idiot conservatives of right and left still defend FPTP.
Words fail to describe such a form of democracy.
What's immediately needed to resolve the impasse on Brexit is a second referendum, since Brexit is a single issue and referendums are a ballot on a single issue.
First past the post (FPTP) is the first step to full radical reform in the UK.
It is time to change the system.
Most countries around the world use proportional voting systems – a party winning half the vote would win half the seats in parliament.
All comments appreciated. All like clicks and abuse chucked in the bin.
THE BEADY EYE SAY'S: EVEN IF ENGLAND IS NOW FORCED INTO A GENERAL ELECTION WITH FIRST PAST THE POST IT WILL BE UNDEMOCRATIC.
Posted by bobdillon33@gmail.com in Brexit Language., Brexit Party., Brexit v EU - Negotiations., Brexit.
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Brexit v EU - Negotiations., Democracy, English General Election., English parliamentary system, English voting system.
(Five-minute read)
The right person to lead the country is being selected without any democratic scrutiny by the people of England.
It is no wonder that Brexit is tearing the country apart when so many are denied a voice.
Millions of voters go without a say in crucial national decisions – excluded not only from government but from holding the government to account.
In 3 of the last 4 general elections IN ENGLAND at least 50% of votes went to losing candidates.
First past the post.
A seat won by a 40,000 vote majority has the same outcome as a seat won by a single vote: both elect just a single MP.
Parliament in allowing an internal election of a new Conservative leader to become the Priminister is not only failing to reflect the people it is supposed to represent it is a form of Populous Dictatorship.
A minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy.
The latest developments to vindicate a New Primister for the country (who will, in fact, represent the choice of hundred thousand or so Conservervate members out of which 60% are over 50 years of age) isn't just bad for democracy; it's bad for politics and society.
First Past the Post is completely undemocratic severing the link between votes and seats.
Bipolar politics is designed to promote argument, not thought.
So it's not surprising that we are now witnessing the election of a New Priminister with an out of date spluttering system that is unable to represent its citizens or to negotiate England's withdrawal from the European Union without a mandate that represents the country as a whole.
Its no wonder England has politicians who most of you didn't vote for and don't agree with have the power to govern the UK however they like.
Its no wonder we see the construction/ imposition of one ideology for a period, followed by another, quite different ideology.
Its no wonder we see both main parties cling to their roots with extraordinary tenacity, even when confronted with the obvious fact: the conditions in society giving rise to these ideologies have long gone.
But First Past the Post keeps them in business and allows them to continue to indulge their emotion-based policies – with taxation paying for this indulgence.
Unchallenged by a more competitive electoral system, the 'left' and the 'right' parties remain trapped in their histories and beliefs, seeking differentiation through adopting the opposite of the other.
First Past The Post has many hidden direct and indirect costs. These are unrecorded, unstated and considerable, in taxes, wasted economic capacity, and wealth appropriation. The costs of all of these zigzags are borne by taxation.
First past the post is a non- linear system a dazzlingly stupid way to organize a modern democracy. It provides the bare minimum of democracy, is unrepresentative for the majority, and distorts the allocation of power.
Finally, First Past The Post is the best electoral medium for preferential lobbying.
This scourge of democracy is near universal.
Its elimination can only be achieved through a complete redesign of systems of government.
It may be simple to write an "X" next to a chosen candidate, but it's incredibly difficult to know what that vote will mean. Millions of voters are forced to try to vote tactically by anticipating the decisions of other voters.
PR makes sure the share of seats each party gets matches the share of votes they receive. If a party gets 20% of the vote, it wins 20% of the seats. Parliament would accurately represent the people's range of views and perspectives.
The opposition to PR Says:
We need the strong government that only first past the post can give' and, by inference, not the namby-pamby government from coalitions and other inadequacies.
Sounds good, does it not?
Flutters the spine?
Makes one stand up straight.
I would say that the voting population of England is intelligent, much more has to change in all of these systems, including the EU.
Systems of government with PR suffer from many of the same failures and poor performance as the UK's First Past The Post but,
does not allow the lending of votes to one candidate in order to knock out another to become Primisister
The unseen consequences are about to be seen.
THE BEADY EYE ASK'S WHY IS ENGLAND IN SUCH A MESS.
Posted by bobdillon33@gmail.com in Brexit v EU - Negotiations., England., English parliamentary proceedings., European Union., Heredity Monarchy., The Queen.
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Brexit v EU - Negotiations., English General Election., English parliamentary system, The English in or out EU Referendum, The Queens powers.
Here is a country with growing numbers of food banks, people sleeping on its streets, trying to negotiating its way out of a market with over 500 million people while renewing its worthless Trident missiles at a cost of anything between 30 and 200 billion.
A country that voted by a small majority to take what it calls sovereignty back from Brussels while giving the green light to letting China Huawei 5G network get involved in domestic infrastructure.
It also beggars belief that on the very same day Donald Trump is threatening to veto a United Nations resolution against the use of rape as a weapon of war, Theresa May is pressing ahead with her plans to honour him with a state visit to the UK.
Mr Donal Dump to visits ( His first visit costs £18 million) this visit will cost the Conservative party a political price with social liberals, ethnic minorities, the young and Remain, voters.
It's difficult, to put it mildly, to see what the overall benefit of a state visit by Trump is from a British perspective never mind Chinese surveillance.
Readers will have noticed that there is never, these days, the money to properly fund schools and hospitals, and provide the elderly with the care and dignity they deserve.
But, always, billions are available to the military.
HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. The two ships have cost more than £14bn to build and equip, double the original budget.
Both might well be floating piece of sovereign territory, but "gunboat diplomacy" on steroids is not what the world wants.
Then we had the debate in the House of Commons marking the 50th anniversary of the UK's continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent, Trident.
To use the fabrication of a threat from North Korea as a justification for the renewal of Trident is beyond defence.
It's no wonder that a General Election is needed not just to give the people a voice on whether to remain in the EU or not but to drag an out of a dated system of governance into the twenty-first century.
Members should be elected to represent their constituencies, their country and not a queen or king who ascends by heredity birthrights.
According to "The Parliamentary Oath" even if the entire country were to vote in a general election for a party whose manifesto pledge was to remove the monarchy, it would be impossible by reason of the present oath, and current acts of parliament, for such elected MPs to take their seats in the House of Commons.
The oath of allegiance has its origins in Magna Carta, signed on 15 June 1215.
If an MP refuses to take the oath or the affirmation to the Queen they will be unable to take part in parliamentary proceedings and will not be paid any salary and allowances until they've done so.
By swearing allegiance to the unelected monarch, her heirs and successors. It is an insult to democratic values, to all voters who participate in any General or other election.
It has to change.
It's one of the great ironies of a political system that is in dire need of a written constitution.
In parliamentary terms, a pledge of loyalty to the state is invalid without a pledge of loyalty to the monarch.
The Queen is responsible for appointing the Prime Minister after a general election or a resignation, in a General Election.
The Queen has the power to prorogue (suspend) and to summon (call back) Parliament – prorogation typically happens at the end of a parliamentary session, and the summoning occurs shortly after when The Queen attends the State Opening of Parliament.
It is The Queen's right and responsibility to grant assent to bills from Parliament, signing them into law.
The Queen is commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and all members swear an oath of allegiance to The Queen when they join; they are Her Majesty's Armed Forces.
I believe in an elected head of state.
There is no point in pledging loyalty to God or the Queen when elected by the people.
As long as being an MP means pledging loyalty to an unelected
head of state, the English parliamentary system will remain
undemocratic.
Requiring politicians to pledge loyalty to the monarch confers greater power to a symbolic ritual than to the democratic right of MPs to act in the name of the electorate.
As long as parliamentary participation is contingent on pledging allegiance to an unelected royal, the English parliamentary system will remain staunchly undemocratic.
So let me ask this.
When verifying the credentials of the newly elected Members of the
European Parliament, MEPs take no oath when they are elected, but Judges and Commissioners do.
With the Brexit negotiations now extended into the European elections, it throws up potentially uncomfortable scenarios for the New English Commissioner taking the oath of allegiance to the Commission which would require him – like all Commissioners – "to neither seek or take" influence from governments, not hereditary monarchs.
Our Politicians need to wake up to the fact that- Globalization and technology stop at no border.
≈ Comments Off on Our Politicians need to wake up to the fact that- Globalization and technology stop at no border.
Capitalism, Democracy, English General Election., Greed, Politicians
After seven or eight post on Nuclear Weapons its back to what's wrong with Capitalism/ Democracy.
Those of you that have been reading my blog will have already seen that I have advocated that Greed is the root problem when it comes to both the above.
I have suggested that we need to come together through Social media to stop Sovereign Wealth Funds privatizing the resources that we all rely on. To stop Computer Algorithms from plundering the Foreign Exchange, Stock Exchange, not to mention E Bay Auctions.
I have also stated that this is impossible, but that it is not impossible to place a 0.05% WORLD AID COMMISSION TO CREATE A PERPETUAL SOURCE OF FUNDS TO REMOVE INEQUALITIES IN THE WORLD.
Unfortunately to date most of my readers are to busy living their lives to engage in developing such an idea other than pressing the like button.
Not to despair. Today, we are living in the age of globalization and technological revolution.
Both have delivered much benefit to society, but have reshaped the political economy of western industrialized countries in ways that challenge the middle class and those striving to get into it.
THE TROUBLE FOR CAPITALISM IS THAT IT HAS SOMEHOW OR OTHER STOPPED SERVE THE VAST MAJORITY OF SOCIETY AND IT IS THEREFORE TURNING – DEMOCRACY INTO WORTHLESS VOTES – that are now turning to Internet Petitions and reality TV.
This sea change has been facilitated by technology that has loosened the connections between top management and ordinary workers. Corporations have become less committed to their work forces and their communities.
Institutions on all levels are deeply mistrusted by the public. However, part of that mistrust has developed precisely because both government and business have failed to offer broadly shared prosperity. Today, the ability of free-market democracies to deliver widely shared increases in prosperity is in question as never before.
So how do we create a stronger, fairer, and more sustainable economic model in which the many and not just the few benefit from rising prosperity now and into the future?
This is not just a question for governments but for companies and citizens as well.
My first contention HAS NOT CHANGED it is impossible to remove Greed but where we see profit for profit sake we should cap it.
We all know what is wrong, but just in case you are a Politician: It is the GROWING GAP BETWEEN THE HAVE AND HAVE NOT'S ( NOT MONEY BUT INEQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY)
Confidence in government is at an all-time low, and consequently, the public resists intervention by a government it viewed as incapable of solving its problems. This forces families that could benefit from public support to face the challenges of the evolving economy on their own. It is a vicious cycle — and a cycle we can and must break by renewing confidence through a government that works effectively and efficiently for its citizens.
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE?
While some on the left seek to turn away from globalization and technology, that is not a realistic option. No country can prosper in isolation.
Those on the right who argue for a return to laissez-faire, trickle-down economics — cutting taxes at the top, stripping out regulation, and making deep cuts to public services — do not provide a viable alternative.
Developed countries cannot succeed through a race to the bottom in which companies simply compete on cost as workers see their job security erode and their living standards decline. When democratic governments and market systems cannot deliver prosperity to their citizens, the result is political alienation, a loss of social trust, and increasing conflict across the lines of race, class, and ethnicity.
HERE IS WHAT I SEE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
1) There are still too many people who are unemployed.
2) Minimum wages have lost their real value.
3) Workers must benefit from increased productivity rather than seeing returns accrue primarily to shareholders.
4) Remove barriers to women's labor-force participation, such as inflexible work environments and high-cost child care.
5) Focusing on early childhood education, increasing the quality of our schools, eliminating financial barriers to higher education, and providing support for apprenticeship programs are all critical to driving higher skill levels across economies in both tradable and non-tradable sectors.
6) Cities and regions must be given the tools to make their own local decisions to help drive growth.
7) Increasing numbers of workers find themselves in contractual relationships that do not guarantee hours worked or provide benefits such as paid vacation, sick days, or pension benefits. No hours contracts are slavery.
8) Large corporate attention has shifted to financial engineering, particularly with the goal of minimizing tax payments. Restoring the integrity of corporate taxation will require more than a simple reversal of the policies of the past 30 years. It will require governments to develop a taxation system that can withstand the pressures of a globalized economy, promote long-term investment, and provide a stable, fair, and predictable policy framework for businesses.
9) Create Profit-sharing and share-ownership schemes provide a direct way to ensure that employees have an incentive to help their company to succeed.
10) Raising skills levels.
These challenges are formidable, but they must be met, and any politician worth his privileged position would do well to take note.
These are essential for democracy itself. Advocates and apologists for anti-democratic regimes argue that the democracies are no longer capable of managing their problems or creating a sense of social dynamism. For democracies to thrive, rising prosperity must be within reach of all citizens.
The profound technological changes that brought down the cost of many goods and services are also replacing traditional middle-income jobs. It is changing balance of economic power away from domestic workers and toward mobile, international corporations.
Internet and computer technology has made cross-border business organization less costly and more efficient, it has become easier for businesses to outsource or relocate all or part of their operations to countries where wages, labor, and environmental standards are low.
In addition to unskilled labor — which has, in some cases, been squeezed by globalization and off shoring –advances in robotics and artificial intelligence have put intermediate-skill jobs at risk in what economists call a hollowing out of the labor market.
This trend is set to continue with 3-D printers, Google's driver less cars, and Amazon's drones. This is creating an even greater premium on higher levels of skills and qualifications, making the returns from ideas, capital, and top-class qualifications greater and greater.
Employment is less likely to be stable or long term.
Powerful forces of globalization and technological change must be navigated or inequalities will continue to widen, and for many, precarious low-skill work will increasingly become the norm. The consequence is that growth will stall.
Finally, it is essential that markets work in the public interest and for the long term rather than focusing only on short-term. Infrastructure investments deteriorating facilities, unpredictable service disruptions, congestion, and higher costs to businessesj and households is the result.
In summary, declining growth, the effects of the financial crisis, and increasing inequality have combined to put substantial economic stress on middle-and low-income families across the developed world.
Poor policy choices have only made matters worse. Concerns about financial instability, immigration, and tax avoidance are not the causes of our problems they are fruits ripening on the tree.
To ensure that all of society's citizens have a stake in prosperity, and therefore all of citizens have a stake in the future we need new social and political institutions to make 21st century capitalism work for the many and not the few.
( If you are English reading this blog feel free to forward this post to your candidate in the forthcoming General Election.)
2015 will see the creation of new political parties organised in radically different ways, – See more at: http://www.nesta.org.uk/news/2015-predictions/democracy-makes-itself-home-online#sthash.vxQJ1BiK.dpuf
Five Star in Italy prides itself on its internet-based decision making structure, as do the Pirate Parties in Iceland, Germany and Sweden. Democracy OS in Argentina has designed a sophisticated way for all its members to propose ideas and shape them online. – See more at: http://www.nesta.org.uk/news/2015-predictions/democracy-makes-itself-home-online#sthash.vxQJ1BiK.dpuf
Democracy could be reenergised. There are other possible futures, of course. A sullen anti-political mood could fuel populist demagogues. But there is at least a good chance that those with their eyes on the future rather than the past will have the edge. – See more at: http://www.nesta.org.uk/news/2015-predictions/democracy-makes-itself-home-online#sthash.vxQJ1BiK.dpuf
The global economy has fundamentally changed over the past 40 years.
As communism collapsed and countries gradually liberalized their economies, rapid reductions in poverty and increases in living standards have taken place in Asia and especially China, in South America, and in Eastern Europe, with growth increasingly taking off in Africa. Some of those countries that have produced economic growth have done so in a manner that has left most of their citizens no better off.
This is an economic problem that threatens to become a problem for the political systems of these nations — and for the idea of democracy itself.
Governments in developed countries must stay open to the world, seek new trade deals and regional partnerships, and continue their commitment to a dynamic market economy. While the economic mission of progressives is unchanging, the means of its achievement change from generation to generation as the economy evolves.
We need a smarter, and fairer society that returns to long-termism which will not only meet our fulfillment of environmental commitments, but will created a world worth living in.
Inclusive prosperity nurtures tolerance, harmony, social generosity, optimism, and international cooperation. Left to their own devices, unfettered markets and trickle-down economics will lead to increasing levels of inequality, stagnating wages, and a hollowing out of decent, middle-income jobs. This outcome is morally wrong, economically myopic, and at fundamental odds with a democracy in which everyone quite reason- ably asks for an equal chance to succeed.
understand and can respond to voters political systems restore their vitality and reclaim their ability to deliver on the promise of prosperity for all.


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sFund is a new $250 million initiative to invest in entrepreneurs inventing social applications and services. The sFund will provide financing, counsel, and relationship capital for a new generation of entrepreneurs to deliver on the promise of the social web.
KPCB's latest social ventures show the breadth of the social opportunity, from seed stage to scale-up, and enterprise to entertainment, including Jive, Flipboard, Cafebots and Lockerz.


text:
YC Companies Looking for Summer 2021 Interns
by Ryan Choi4/15/2021
With summer just around the corner, YC startups have projects that could benefit from the help of industrious student interns. Over 20 startups have posted open positions on YC's Work at a Startup, which range from engineering to marketing to sales and more.
Really promising startups are hiring this summer, including:
OpenSea (W18) is the largest marketplace for NFTs, and is also where digital artist Beeple regularly showcases and sells his own work. They're based in New York and looking for a Software Engineering Intern to join the team and help scale the platform.
Moonshot Brands (W21) just recently graduated from YC, and is building a vehicle to acquire, operate, and grow profitable e-commerce brands. They're looking for an eager MBA Private Equity intern to learn how to use software to pick and optimize their portfolio.
Lucy Goods, Inc (W18) is on a mission to reduce tobacco-related harm to people by developing nicotine-based food-grade products. They're in need of a Growth/BD intern to help them find new growth channels and drive projects to test them out.
FightCamp (W16) has delivered one of the first connected at-home boxing experiences, and needs great marketing and advertising interns to help develop the brand and increase their distribution.
Advanced Robotic Construction (W21) is building homes with robots, and needs mechanical and software engineers to help them fulfill a backlog of $107M in orders.
As an added perk of interning at a YC startup, students can also participate in the YC Summer Internship program, which includes a speaker series on founding startups, career panels, and 1-1 mentorship. There's also a growing community of current and former interns, some of whom have gone on to startup their own companies. (Sara from Alloy Automation (W20) was actually a former participant in the internship program.)
If you're still looking for a great opportunity to learn, work with great founders and gain some hands-on experience, check out the below list of YC companies looking for fall interns, and apply to them all with a single profile at Work at a Startup:
https://www.workatastartup.com/internships
StartupsWork at a Startup
6 founding engineer roles at W22 YC startups
July 12, 2022 by Ryan Choi
New: Filter by equity – at the best YC startups
August 3, 2022 by Ryan Choi
YC Jobs Series: Women Eng in Startups
August 26, 2021 by Kat Mañalac
Sign up for weekly updates from Y Combinator
Ryan Choi
Ryan works with YC companies to find great engineers — from 2-person startups to larger ones like Airbnb, Stripe and Instacart.


I got a few nice shots on our walk this morning!
Indy and I walked through the South End and Terminal Avenue to the waterfront where we met with Elaine and Deb (who are visiting for a few days - from Alberta) for coffee and a walk along the water and around Maffeo Sutton Park.
Here are the shots: An old door with interesting woven tire-tube panel on Strickland Street as well as some Lilies o the same street.
Downtown on Terminal Avenue I took a couple photos of the Centennial Fountain - one of a granite Salmon and a segment of the mosaic tiles.
At the waterfront I got a nice shot of boats on placid water, and at Maffeo Sutton Park - the Island Queen pulls in at low tide and Elaine and Deb check the view through 'The Porthole'.
On June 28, the Province of BC elevated the 'drought level' on south eastern Vancouver Island to 'Level 4 - Extremely Dry'. This is based on precipitation and stream levels. 'Drought Level' is not related and should not be confused with the City's Watering Restriction Stages.
The City supports the Province's call for practising water conservation, particularly with discretionary outdoor water use.
Stage 2 Watering Restrictions (every other day watering) have been in effect since May 1, 2016 and will remain in place until the end of September. The City's water supply at Jump Lake is at its normal storage level for this time of year.
The new watering restrictions have helped ensure consistency across the entire mid-Island area. It is still important that everyone maintain a conservation focus to preserve our precious drinking water and avoid further restrictions.
Similar to last year, we encourage residents to let their lawns go golden. Outdoor watering uses twice the water compared to winter time use.
When you attend the Canada Day Celebrations in Maffeo Sutton Park be sure to take the time to stroll around the park and check out this year's newest temporary art. In addition to the many new pieces the golden picture frame and the large crab continue to please park visitors of all ages.
VICTORIA – BC Ferries in partnership with Parks Canada is pleased to announce the return of the popular Coastal Naturalists program to educate and entertain customers of all ages again this summer. The Coastal Naturalists program runs on board from June 29 through September 5 on select vessels servicing the Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay and Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay routes.
Nine enthusiastic Coastal Naturalists will engage with customers during 20-minute presentations on the ships offering a real life coastal experience. The program helps raise awareness about B.C.'s coast and increase appreciation for its wildlife, marine life, geography, culture and history. Approximately 150,000 passengers participate in these presentations each season.
Indy and I had a lovely long walk today - though it DID get a tad warm out there! I took quite a few photos, here are the keepers.
First Indy on the trail that crosses the Cat Stream near our house - at the start of our walk he is always way out front leading the pace! Next some nice little poppies on Halliburton Street and a few shots on Irwin Street - including an #abandonedchair and table ensemble - marked free - I'm sure they'll be scooped up by tomorrow!
On Cameron Island I took a picture of a 'modified' sign that made me smile (in a sad way); and a few shots of the harbour and downtown with the Pacifica Tower featured in one, the Bastion in another - and lastly a small boat moored in quiet spot at the docks.
Vancouver/Toronto, June 29, 2016 – Did any government do an economic impact analysis before signing on to the CPP agreement in principle? That's the question the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) seeks to answer, after filing Freedom of Information (FOI) requests with all eight provinces that signed the agreement, as well as the federal government this morning.
Note: email subscribers may have to visit Nanaimo Info Blog to veiw video.
Was a diving platform part of the design??
Is is a safe design???
Perhaps the million or so spent on engineering costs involved with the auxiliary spillway in Colliery Dams Park was not out of line, if designing a safe, user-friendly diving platform to enter the refreshing waters of Colliery Dams Park was part of the package.
Clearly these young folk appreciate the new feature added to their park which I am sure would not result in any cracked coconuts as wet feet slip on concrete. Unlike Westwood Lake Park there are no lifeguards on duty in this park, which at one time did have at least one guard on duty over the summer months many years ago.
I wonder if lifeguards had to be cut out as a means of being able to continue to pay middle and upper management some of those attractive wage and benefit packages they have managed over recent years?
A handful of shots from downtown today. Indy and I had to stop at the City Hall Annex to pay our property taxes and then cut through the City Hall Gardens on our way to the waterfront for coffee.
I stopped on the path in the garden to try and get a picture of Indy but he wasn't cooperating! It was too hot there and he wanted to keep moving, so I got only one picture with him in the frame and not too blurred. Next I turned to face uphill and took a picture of City Hall. It looks quite imposing from near Wallace Street.
Down on Gordon Street there was more filming (or taping) going on. I believe for the same production that was working in town a couple weeks ago - 'Chesapeake Shore'. This time it's the back of the Conference Centre that is posing as a New York building.
I thought that the big square 'diffuser' on the crane was pretty cool!
The Nanaimo Equestrian Association, Vancouver Island Exhibition, Island Roots Market Cooperative and Indigenous Peoples Place of Culture brought a proposal for a new concept for the centre of Beban Park. The development would see multi-purpose facilities and amenities that would be easily accessible for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. An open house will be held where residents can review the site plans and provide input.
Council provided their vision for Nanaimo over the next two-plus years: Developing the south downtown waterfront, a sport and entertainment centre, redevelopment of Beban Park, a connected waterfront walkway, a Georgia Avenue pedestrian/cycle bridge, property acquisition and affordable housing were all identified as priority projects and initiatives for Council going forward until the end of the current term. The next step will be to get feedback from residents at an e-Town Hall.
The City's Manual of Engineering Standards and Specifications received an update using feedback from the public, staff and engineering consultants. The amendments reflect best practices for current design and construction.
The City will apply for an $11,975 grant from Fortis BC for an energy study that will look at energy efficient replacement options for the 40-year-old boilers used to heat the pool and recreation centre at Beban Park. The total cost of the study is an estimated $23,950.
The City of Nanaimo would like to remind residents and park users that smoking, campfires and bbq's are not permitted in City parks. Propane bbq's, however, are permitted within the approved locations of the picnic shelters in Bowen Park and Maffeo Sutton Park and on picnic tables within all parks. Signs are being posted in City parks.
For further details or clarification on the notice please contact Nanaimo Parks, Recreation and Environment at 250-756-5200.
All users of the parks and trails systems are urged to use caution when in the parks and on the trails, and to be aware of all fire hazards.
Hey folks - just four shots from my Sunday morning walk with Indy - Some poppies on Halliburton Street - I think these are very cool little poppies - love the colours. Then the 'Island Queen' and the 'Triple M II' from on the docks; and a bunch of plastic clothes-hangers that were placed in a couple boxes out on the side of Albert Street.
It was a beautiful day for walking but got hot out there real quick!
Will this Council actually DO something with their priorities?
As a serious observer of the past two city councils I always had the suspicion that previous council's and administration's were willing to fund a never-ending stream of reports and studies. After the expenditure of considerable tax dollars it appeared once being received by Council, those expensive reports and studies were just added to the growing pile to gather dust with many others which had gone before.
The idea of actually using those reports to formulate and inform a forward moving action plan seemed almost a foreign concept. It was almost as if when the study had been complete, the work was also complete, and then on to the next study. Very lucrative proposition for engineers and consultants of all stripes.
A recent example was a $50,000 consulting bill apparently approved by the Mayor which now seems to have disappeared when the consultant was asked to produce documentation to support their invoice.
We (that is you and I fellow taxpayer) also coughed up about a million bucks to engineer that ditch in Colliery Dams Park.
If memory serves we spent $25,000 to some outfit to help reorganize the city website, we also spent a considerable amount for someone to do graphics for the website. As a regular user of the City website, I fail to see any fruit these two expenditures have brought to the website.
This Council seems to be adopting a GIT - R - DUN attitude, to the point some seem willing to jump ahead of the public consult process vis a vis the Strategic Plan update.
January 2011 Study ------ whatever became of it?
If you would like to view/download this 103 page report which cost many thousands of tax dollars to see what kind of long term benefit we actually got for our money click HERE.
I am convinced there is a vault in the bowels of city hall where studies and reports are simply sent to die, never actually being the basis for anything except more paralysis by analysis.
In preparation of supporting Council with the implementation of any recommendations contained in the City's recently completed Core Services Review, senior management have introduced changes to the City's organizational structure by reallocating budget resources previously aligned with vacant management roles to create five new positions.
The positions include roles in the areas of strategic planning and policy, culture and heritage, IT, freedom of information and social and multiculturalism. Additional changes include the introduction of a Chief Financial Officer position which combines the leadership responsibilities of the current Director of Finance with strategic duties previously held by the vacated roles of Director of IT and Senior Director of Protective Services.
The changes being introduced are cost neutral to the City. Costs associated with the new positions are drawn from budgeted 2016 management roles that were recently vacated.
The City is following a phased approach when introducing changes to its organizational structure. Changes introduced earlier in June involved realigning various business units within revised reporting lines.
NAC is selling buttons! As part of our fire recovery fundraising efforts we're selling these "Keep Calm and Art On" buttons, $2 each or 3 for $5. Available at NAC's Network Hub office - 256 Wallace St. - and more locations coming soon. Get them while you can!
By June 30th, if we don't protest the placement of a 150' long PRIVATE pier into Hammond Bay, by Pipers Lagoon, along with gravel to cover the oyster bed, and the erection of concrete pillars, we will be too late forever.
Before June 30th, email (petitions are really listed to, private email is best): Authorizing Agency.Nanaimo@gov.bc.ca, bonita.wallace@gov.bc.ca (Ministry of Forests) info@dfo-mpo.gc.ca (Department of Fisheries) mayor&council@nanaimo.ca info@snuneymuxw.ca (Snuneymuxw First Nations) The precious area that would be scarred forever!
We are accepting original works from Nanaimo area artists for a two-month Exhibition in the Port Theatre, 125 Front Street. One piece per person please. Hanging date will be Monday, July 4, 2016, 10:00 am.
As our Art Around Town program expands, we have implemented some new procedures. In addition, the various locations have different requirements so please read the Submission Form carefully.
· Work may be for sale. Commission is 20%.
· Outside dimensions must be no larger than 36 inches in the longest dimension.
· All work must be hanging-ready with braided-wire hangers.
Here are a few photos from our walk today. We captured a few abandoned chairs (one in my own yard LOL); some nice Day Lilies and another orange flower of some sort on Bruce Avenue; Indy checking out repairs on 'The Frame' at Maffeo Sutton Park; and some looming clouds over Mt. Benson from Port Place Shopping Centre (formerly Harbour Park Mall).
The first #abandonedchair is on 5th Street - and the #abandonedsofa with chair in background is behind the Diplomat Motel on Nicol Street.
Parks, Recreation and Environment invites children between the ages of 5 to 12 years old and their parents to participate in the Summer Playground Program from July 4 to August 26. This free program running Monday through Friday in six of Nanaimo's parks is fun for the whole family and includes music, crafts, games and sports.
Also, in Nanaimo's parks throughout the summer are Family Fun Nights on Wednesday evenings starting July 13 and running until August 17 at a different park each week.
The Summer Playground program runs from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in Harewood Centennial Water Park and Mansfield Park Mondays through Fridays; Carmanah Park and Country Hill Park Mondays through Wednesdays; and in Groveland Park and Deverill Square Park on Thursdays and Fridays.
Family Fun Nights run on Wednesday evenings from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm in Mansfield Park on July 13 and August 3, Carmanah Park on July 20, Country Hills Park on July 27, Groveland Park on August 10 and Deverill Square Park on August 17.
The Summer Playground Program is in partnership with Harewood Neighbourhood Association and Nanaimo Foodshare.
It's officially summer which means spending more time outside. The City of Nanaimo would like to remind residents and visitors to Nanaimo that lifeguards will be on duty daily at Westwood Lake starting June 26.
Throughout the summer, the City will be offering swimming lessons and day camps in Westwood Lake Park. In August, join staff for an afternoon of Hawaiian-themed games with the Hawaiian Holidaze Aquatic Event. More information on summer programs and events can be found in the Spring and Summer Activity Guide.
Lifeguards will be on duty at Westwood Lake daily from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm starting June 26 until September 5, including Canada Day, BC Day and Labour Day.
To register for swimming lessons and day camps, visit ireg.nanaimo.ca or call 250-756-5200.
I shot 85 frames on my walk with Indy this morning but will only bore you folks with the best Baker's Dozen!
We start out with a little portrait of Indy standing beside an aging skateboard ramp at the end of Farquhar Street - I loved the blue and yellow in this scene!
Next on to Hecate Street where I shot some lovely Chicory flowers in a vacant lot near Milton Street - and an #abandonedchair on the other side of the street. Then one of my favourite rocks in Nob Hill Park and another chair on Hecate - this one may be yard art rather than abandoned.
As we descended the stairs at the end of Hecate to Cavan Street I shot a picture of a beautiful Arbutus Tree.
Downtown on Commercial Street we saw one of our favourite downtown folks - Riel - who is a most pleasant fellow and always has a smile and kind words for us.
At the waterfront we got down onto the docks for a black and white photo of the pilings that support the Lighthouse Bistro; and captured the orange floats that have been capturing my eye the last few days. In Maffeo Sutton Park I took a pic of the footbridge over the lagoon.
Back into downtown we paused to shoot a 'Commercial Street Morning' scene - folks enjoying coffee and breakfast at Gabriel's Café. I also took a picture of the Vault Café - this lovely building was designed by Francis Rattenbury and was originally the Merchant's Bank of BC.
The last shot is of some beautiful flowers on Victoria Road. I'm not sure what they are - but they look like a kind of lily to me.
Celebrate our Nation's 149th birthday with the City of Nanaimo on July 1. Canada Day festivities will be held in Maffeo Suton Park from 11:00 am until 3:30 pm.
It's a great day for all ages to stay in town and show their national and community pride. Everyone can enjoy the Celebration of Flags and Opening Ceremonies, multicultural food fair, Bowen Road Farmers' Market, interactive booths, birthday cake and live entertainment throughout the day.
New this year is the Cultural Showcase Stage featuring cultural performances by local talent.
Live entertainment by The Midnights, Doctors of Rock 'n Roll, Little Crow, Jake West and Craig McKee "The Con Man".
Parking at Maffeo Sutton Park will not be available on Canada Day. Free parking options include all on-street City meters (2-hour limit), Bastion Street parkade, Harbour Front parkade, Port of Nanaimo Centre parkade and the Wallace and Wentworth parking lot.
The Nanaimo RCMP Law Enforcement Torch Run is set to go for 12 noon, this Saturday June 25th at Maffeo Sutton Park with registration opening at 10 am. This will be the 6th annual LETR and it has become a popular community event bringing together not only supporters of Special Olympics and law enforcement, but community minded people and families for a fun filled event.
Registration for the event is 20 dollars and includes a beautiful navy blue T-shirt. The 5 k run, walk or stroll meanders along Nanaimo's seawall, beginning and ending at Maffeo Sutton park. To keep the spirits up, music will be provided by RSM DJ Services. Afterwards, help yourself to a BBQ by donation run by RCMP and Special Olympic volunteers. Registration is free for children under the age of 12.
To register, go to http://ow.ly/ZGCE300pT89 or simply show up and register on Saturday.