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Sports Direct shares dive as it toils with 'disaster area' House of Fraser
Markets react as Mike Ashley's retail firm is forced to delay results
Some analysts believe Sports Direct underestimated size of task involved with House of Fraser
Sports Direct shares slumped more than 15% today after the company was forced to delay publication of its results.
Mike Ashley's retail empire admitted to numerous complexities in integrating department store chain House of Fraser, which it bought earlier this year.
Analysts were shocked at the decision, with some suggesting the company is too overstretched to run such a sprawling retail empire.
Mike Ashley ups his stake in Game Digital to 84%
Sports Direct had been due to update the stock market on Thursday, but this will now be pushed back until some time between July 26 and August 23, it said.
The firm said auditors Grant Thornton need more time to sign off the accounts.
On Monday, shares opened down 26.4p at 237p, falling by as much as 15% in early trading.
It said: "The reasons for the delay are the complexities of the integration into the company of the House of Fraser business, and the current uncertainty as to the future trading performance of this business, together with the increased regulatory scrutiny of auditors and audits.
"These factors have led to a need for the company to compile more information than in previous years for the audit of period ended 28 April 2019, and has therefore impacted on preparations for and responses to increased challenges in connection with this audit.
Mike Ashley describes Debenhams administration as 'national scandal'
"Sports Direct would also note that increased regulatory scrutiny is leading to longer lead times generally for the completion of audits. Sports Direct believes its accounts and their audit to be at an advanced stage.
"However, there are a number of key areas to conclude on which could materially affect the guidance given in Sports Direct's announcement of 13 December 2018."
In December bosses had suggested that House of Fraser could break even in the 2019/20 financial year. Analysts called House of Fraser a "disaster area", and said Sports Direct should avoid creating more uncertainty.
Nick Bubb, an independent retail analyst, said: "There may be something in what Sports Direct say about company audits generally taking longer because of increased regulation (Superdry's results were delayed by the complexity of its onerous store impairment provision), but the company hasn't updated the City since its interims in December and House of Fraser is clearly a disaster area, so this is a serious situation."
Peel Hunt retail analysts Jonathan Pritchard and John Stevenson warned: "House of Fraser (HOF) is clearly in a degree of disarray, it would appear that the finance department is under-staffed to cope with the array of acquisitions, and we are also concerned about the direction of the core business.
"We have no choice but to withdraw our recommendation and price target given the uncertainty".
Ashley has been on a serious spending spree across the high street in recent years, buying up Evans Cycles, sofa.com and Game Digital.
But his biggest purchase, House of Fraser, from administrators last year, has proved tough to turn around at a time when the high street is struggling to bring customers into stores.
Survey ranks House of Fraser in bottom 10 of UK shops
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the hint that profits will miss forecasts "will stoke concerns that Sports Direct's strategy to supplement organic growth with an acquisition spree is serving as a distraction to management and overstretching the key teams at a time when the core business offers more than enough challenges to keep them busy - anyone working in the buying departments right now has a pretty unenviable task, for starters."
Earlier this year, House of Fraser already revealed an underlying pre-tax loss for the first six months of the year of £31.5 million on revenues of £70.1 million.


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Regulatory reforms encourage more listings and trades
UAE: Abu DhabiEconomy
The development of a vibrant primary and secondary debt market in Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE would bring manifold benefits, acting as an alternative source of funding for the emirate's growing companies that presently rely on lending by banks. It would also provide a welcome boost to the asset management industry by expanding the number of financial instruments available to Abu Dhabi's large and financially savvy investment community. However, the lack of sovereign issuances in recent years has hindered the growth of the domestic debt market.
One method of countering this challenge is the introduction of a government debt programme to establish a yield curve by which corporate issuers might reference their own offerings. While the financial community awaits development in this regard, both the national and emirate-level authorities have made a considerable effort over the past year to boost the nascent debt market.
The first step came in June 2014 and was aimed at encouraging the listing of bonds on the Abu Dhabi Exchange (ADX). For many years the emirate's exchange hosted just a single corporate bond – the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) Subordinated Convertible Notes, dating from 2006 – and traded values have been low relative to traded equities. According to ADX data, bond trading activity accounted for Dh303.9m ($82.7m) of the nearly Dh85bn ($23.1bn) in securities traded in 2013.
In order to encourage more listings ADX signed an agreement with NBAD whereby the emirate's principal bank will act as the exchange's account operator, with settlement and clearing to be carried out by NBAD through ADX's account at Euroclear. The bank will effectively act as a window for investors that wish to trade or hold bonds through ADX without having to hold a Euroclear account themselves.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, ADX's CEO, Rashed Al Balooshi, described the introduction of the new process as the removal of "yet another reason for companies and institutions to look elsewhere for raising capital".
National Action
ADX's efforts were further aided at the national level in September 2014, when the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) met with potential issuers and financial firms in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai to outline new rules designed to make it faster and cheaper to offer and trade in conventional and Islamic bonds.
According to the new regulatory regime, the minimum issue size has been reduced from Dh50m ($13.6m) to Dh10m ($2.7m), with issuers of debt instruments henceforth required to publish financial statements on an annual basis, as opposed to quarterly. The SCA has also shortened the approval time for issuance applications to five days.
In October 2014 ADX announced a development in the debt market with the inaugural listing of a government bond on the exchange. The $1.5bn listing, with a maturity date in 2019, has been established by the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance (DoF) as a dual-listed instrument, with a presence on both ADX and the London Stock Exchange.
Speaking at the listing ceremony, Mohammed Sultan bin Ghannoum Al Hameli, director-general of the DoF, stated, "The dual listing of the bonds will help to enhance the investment exposure of the local markets and to reinforce Abu Dhabi's position as a regional and international financial centre able to attract investment and provide investors with diverse options in the securities and bond markets."
The NBAD Subordinated Convertible Notes has therefore been joined by a second listed bond – a significant step in the development of the emirate's capital markets. Thanks to these developments, the year 2014 has seen the most determined and concerted efforts by authorities at the emirate and national level to boost the bond market in recent memory. In the year ahead the financial community will have an opportunity to gauge their success.
The Report: Abu Dhabi 2015
Capital Markets chapter from The Report: Abu Dhabi 2015
Rashed Al Balooshi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX): Interview Next chapter from this report
Islamic Financial Services, from The Report: Abu Dhabi 2015
Emerging market status and updated licensing rules spur growth
Ahmed Al Sayegh, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM): Interview
Rashed Al Balooshi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX): Interview
UAE: Abu Dhabi 2015
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A long history of dispute characterized the ownership of the Oregon Territory, which included present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and portions of Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia.
Spain and Russia had surrendered their claims to the region, but the United States and Britain were active claimants in the 19th century's early years. The matter's resolution was delayed by the Anglo-American Convention of 1818, in which both parties agreed to a temporary policy of "joint occupation" of the region. This accommodation was extended in 1827.
During the 1830s, the American position came to favor establishment of the northern border along 49º north latitude, arguing that the nation's Manifest Destiny required no less. The British, however, wanted to see the southern boundary of British Columbia established at the Columbia River and based their claims on the Hudson's Bay Company's long history in the area.
The British position weakened in the early 1840s as large numbers of numbers of American settlers poured into the disputed area over the Oregon Trail. Possession of Oregon became an issue in the Election of 1844.
Democratic candidate James K. Polk took an extreme view by advocating the placement of the border at 54º 40' north latitude. Expansionists chanted, "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!" After the election, Polk put the British on notice that joint occupation would not be extended, but quietly entered into diplomatic discussions.
Navigation through the Gulf Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca was to be ensured for both nations.
The United States achieved a favorable resolution on the main boundary issue and the British retained full control of Vancouver Island, a matter of prime importance to them.
One major point of contention resulted from ambiguous wording in the treaty. It was unclear whether San Juan Island, one of the larger Gulf Islands, belonged to Canada or the U.S. Tensions over this issue peaked in 1859 in the so-called Pig War.


The apartment consists of three spacious light rooms, cosy kitchen, modern shower, separate toilet room and a balcony with morning sun - in case the weather plays along.
The apartment is very quiet yet centrally located: It's five walking minutes to the nearest subway station (Hoheluft, U3) and twenty to the Outer Alster. Cafés, bars and supermarkets are nearby.
München, Njemačka · Član od listopad 2017.
Malte je Superhost · Superhostovi su iskusni domaćini s izvrsnim ocjenama koji se iznimno trude gostima osigurati savršen boravak.


Child care and early-education programs operate on paper-thin profit margins, yet must remain affordable to working families. The Business of Child Care Initiative helps directors sharpen their business skills.
The income of early care and education programs, primarily from tuition, rarely covers the cost of high-quality programming. Center directors need to be incredibly resourceful business managers.
Since 2014, the Business of Child Care has provided technical assistance and hands-on training to early education and child care providers in targeted regions of New Hampshire.
Assesses business training and technical assistance needs.
Reviews best-practice guidelines for business operations and governance, and serves as a template for improvement-focused workplan development.
Training and workshop opportunities on timely business topics.
Direct consultation on business management and nonprofit governance practices.
The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund launched the Business of Child Care Initiative with funding from the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF). Continued efforts are supported by NHCF, the Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation, Couch Family Foundation, and the Byrne Foundation.
Neighbors helping neighbors--what a great feeling!
A pair of chance encounters illustrates how powerful the idea of neighbors helping neighbors can be.
Donations to the NH Community Loan Fund create ripples that will change people's lives.
Manufactured homes could ease the affordable housing crisis. So why aren't they?
Systemic barriers are blocking the growth of manufactured homes as an affordable housing solution.
Manufactured homes aren't modular, aren't mobile, and are definitely nothing like your grandparents' trailer.
Park-model manufactured homes and "tiny houses" both exemplify living simply in small spaces, but they're not the same.


It is safe to say that you are seeing that your auto key is staying when you attempt and put the key inside the entryway? It could be an indication that the time has come to switch your auto entryway locks. Shabby locksmith Seattle works in supplanting locks on a wide range of auto entryways, for example, Mazda's, Hondas, Lexus, even business and business trucks. Call shabby locksmith Seattle today and discover how we can help you.


I am sorry I've gotten behind on new items that I know (?) you are anxiously awaiting. I got a terrible cold as the result of not sleeping because of jet lag, while still charging around unabated during the days. For two nights I was too tired to blog.
I am starting a new "tag" for impressions so that I can say how what I am seeing and hearing affects me and what I think about it.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, February 24 and 25, we did an extensive driving tour of the north of Israel. We drove from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean coast—to Caesarea, through Haifa, to Akko (Acre), to Ein Hod (and the former but now displaced Arab village of Ein Hud) and then to Moshav Zippori for the night.
The next day we drove up Mt. Carmel, to the Galilee, to the Lebanese border, and then to the Golan Heights. In the Golan Heights we had wonderful hummous with ground meat, along with all the Israeli soldiers, at a Druse village. We passed the only Israeli ski area (no snow). We then headed south to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret to Israelis), the roman ruins at Beit Shan, through the West Bank, past many Jewish settlements, and finally back to Jerusalem.
Here are more photos from our driving tour in the north of Israel, which included the Galilee and the Golan Heights.
We are staying at the same hotel as Hillary Clinton.
The King David is the primary hotel in Israel where foreign heads of state and other international dignitaries stay. We saw George Mitchell walking down the hall with his security detail. The Israeli army (IDF) and Israeli policy blocked off the street in front of the hotel.
Earlier tonight we saw Bibi Netanyahu, the new prime minister of Israel, at the restaurant where we had dinner.
Today, when we visited the Knesset (Israeli parliament) we saw Tzipi Livni, the head of the largest party—Kadima—in the Knesset. She'll be the leader of the opposition in the Knesset.
So many other exciting things happened today that I barely know how to capture it all.
I still need to provide highlights of our visit to Jordan's primary archaeological sites: the Roman city of Jerach and the fabulous Nabatean city of Petra, carved out of living rock in a narrow canyon that gradually opens into broader canyon holding an advanced city from 100 BCE.
I am catching up with some scenes from Jordan.
We tried to cross into Jordan at the Allenby Bridge. There was some unstated security problem, which could take hours to clear up. We drove 1 1/2 hours to the crossing near Beit She'an. Our Israeli bus took us to the Israeli crossing. Then we walked across a sort of no-man's land to the Jordanian side. Formalities on the Jordan side were lightweight and tolerably efficient, including xraying all luggage and walking through a metal detector. Then, we boarded our Jordan tour bus.
Our first stop was the Roman ruins at Jerash. My eyes sort of glaze over at all of the columns, hippodromes, and coliseums and I am a bit murky on the history. Jerash was one of the cit1es of the Decapolis—the 10 great Roman cities of the eastern Mediterranean. Very few Roman sites are as intact or as well restored as Pompeii in Italy. Still it is impressive to see the remains of structures from the 1st century CE. The re-use of materials and the layering of additional later cultures is interesting in this area. After the Romans, we get the Byzantines—essentially Greek Christians. Roman temples are turned into churches. Part way through Byzantium we get the Iconoclasts who did not tolerate any imagery from pagan Rome nor any representation of G-d, man, or animals. So, mosaics and statues are defaced. Next come the Persians followed by the Umayyad Muslims of the 8th century followed by the Mamluks from Egypt, followed by the Crusaders, followed by the Ottomans.
From Jerash, we drove to Amman, which we could only see by night. See Jordan Impressions.
Yesterday we visited the Supreme Court of Israel and the Knesset, or Israeli Parliament.
The Supreme Court and the overall court system is quite a bit different than the US system. The most similar feature is that the Supreme Court is the highest court of appeal for criminal and civil cases. The most unique feature is that any suit brought against the government goes directly to the Supreme Court acting as the High Court of Justice. A suit can be brought to challenge a specific action by the government—say, demolishing some Israeli Arab houses—or to challenge a law passed by the Knesset. Anyone can bring a suit against the government, even a party which has not been harmed—so, many Israeli NGOs bring suits on behalf of underprivileged residents or to challenge specific laws as incompatible with Israel's "Basic Laws." You can bring the case, but the court has to agree to hear it. Israel never completed a constitution so the 11 basic laws are the nearest thing to the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. In addition to the criminal and civil court system, there are separate religious courts for Jews, Arabs, Christians, and Druse.
Residents can enter any court room and observe the proceedings, except cases involving very sensitive state secrets (which are rare and often challenged). We entered the High Court of Justice and heard part of any interesting case. An Israeli NGO supported by New Israel Fund gives tours of the ultra-ultra Orthodox section of Hebron. This is a post 1967 Jewish settlement in the occupied territories of the West Bank. The situation of the ultra-Orthodox in Israel is worth an entire posting. For now, the ultra orthodox or Haredim are Hasidic Jews who live like the Jews of Russia or the Ukraine of the 18th century. They wish to minimize contacts with and influence of the outside world and fiercely resist interference. They have extensive support from the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs. In Hebron, the Haredim have often attacked outside tour groups. So, the tours are accompanied by 30-50 police officers. The police tried to suspend the tours as being too dangerous. The NGO sued the government asserting that eliminating the tours violated basic rights and that the police should only be allowed to block tours when there were very specific risks based on specific events.
There have also been significant cases trying to alter the route of the separation barrier which Israel is building around Jerusalem, extending to many Jewish settlements in the West Bank (more about this later).


Do you need bike or car welding repairs in Basingstoke?
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We have the equipment and skills to produce a first class job and to have you back on the road as soon as possible. All of our vehicle welding projects meet motoring regulations and are of an excellent standard – both hard wearing and affordable, no matter how large or small the job.
Our technicians have many years experience between them for all the services we provide and welding is no exception – our customer reviews stand as a testimony to the standard of service and customer care that we are able to provide for car welding and welding for motorbikes.
So get in touch with us for some professional and friendly advice and we will have your vehicle repaired and back on the road in no time at all!


Length: 30.7" , Fit Waist: 28-36"
Material: PU Leather One Size fits most Innovative design will make you stand out. Perfect as a gift! Easy to use. Durable, Casual, Reliable, Decent, fashion, classic and high grade. Great with jeans, slacks, dress or shorts.


Signal to noise: The ratio of useful information to useless information in any given photograph.
In the music industry "Signal to Noise" (S/N) is used to describe how much hiss is acceptable when amplifying a sound. Photographers use a similar concept when THINKing and composing an image. Anything distracting from the subject or idea is visual noise and should be removed or subdued.
In this image of rock star "Sting" the visual story is clearly told with the minimum of visual cues so has a very high signal to noise value. We totally understand this image.
When applying FAST principals to your work you are basically increasing the signal quality of your image by optimizing your FRAME and FOCUS to include only the most valuable components. By selecting the optimal balance of APERTURE to enhance or specialize FOCUS and SHUTTER to control motion capture the photographer eliminates as much noise as possible.
S/N is probably the most valued skill in photo-journalism and shows up at it's best in National Geographic type work. The photographer is consistently able to get into the right place at the right time and bring about a technically perfect image that moves the viewer of feel deeply connected with the time, place and situation. This is done by being FAST and applying S/N at every decision and is mostly unconscious at the professional level.
At the heart of S/N is the natural "eye movement" that a viewer has when looking at an image.
Your eye is drawn to the strongest element in the picture and then moves about the image. The Tic-Tac-Toe grid or helps control this natural eye movement by setting the subject off center to give the eye a chance to flow about the the image. By choosing the balance point off center the photographer creates a "relationship" between the subject and its environment.
One of the best ways to understand viewer eye movement is to study how you personally look at images. Consciously study what you look at first and then where do you look subsequently. Painters like photographers have to compose their images very carefully with one exception. Painters need to invest days while photographers only need seconds to capture their image.
Study Renaissance paintings to learn about eye movement. During this great age of creativity composition was studied in great detail and many of the discoveries are now rules such as the "Rule of Thirds" which we know as the Tic-Tac-Toe Grid.
Look at magazine ads and understand that those ancient "rules" are selling soap to nuts. This LINK illustrates Vermeer's bold ideas about composition and eye movement by breaking the first rule and placing the most interesting thing of the composition at the exact center of the image. Using light and subject placement the master artist Vermeer immerses the viewer in a rich and thoughtful image with a message to seek balance in our every day lives.
Consider that a painter would not take time to paint in "noise". Photographers must change vantage point or actually step in and change things to get rid of the noise. If you can't move because there is an obstacle why not ask the subject to move a bit so that they block a distracting garbage can? The pro will get that clean beautiful shot. So can you.
I have a few links that are great follow-ups to this article. Each of them offers brilliant examples and discussion of the composition techniques in use.
Jason D. Little's What Can Photographers Learn from the Classic Rules of Composition?


Stress is normal and can either be healthy or destructive. Good stress motivates us to work hard, rise to a special challenge or save our lives in an emergency. However, bad stress can be overwhelming. A constant low-level stress can leave us feeling exhausted, weaken our immune systems and cause other illnesses such as depression.
Learning to manage stress is a challenging life skill. Be mindful of what works best for you to minimize unnecessary stress, and be responsible in managing your most precious resource, time.
Prioritize your commitments by categorizing them into what you have to do compared with what you like to do. Don't compare yourself to others. You are unique and can do a limited number of things well.
Be selective when making commitments. Saying yes to one thing means saying no to another.
Teenagers need about 10 hours of sleep a night because their bodies are growing and maturing rapidly.
Too much stress can make falling or staying asleep difficult. If this describes you, talk to your parents, a health-care provider, a counselor or other trusted adult.
Understand that most teens you hang with are feeling the same pressures. Finding safe people to talk to and share your experiences with can be helpful. Journaling your thoughts and feelings can also be therapeutic.
Let's be honest: Junk food tastes good, and it's relatively cheap and convenient. But good nutrition helps alleviate stress because you feel better and have more energy. You wouldn't fill a car's gas tank with junk and expect it to run normally. Neither should you do that to your body.
Regular exercise is a proven stress reducer, and it will physically benefit your body, relieve tension, counteract bad stress, help you relax and even help you sleep better. Go for a walk, ride your bike — just start moving!
Work hard to do your best, and be realistic about what you can and cannot accomplish. Expecting perfection creates stress for everyone, destroying you and the relationships you care about.
Keep all areas of life neat and orderly. Organization takes time and energy, but it will save you from unnecessary stress.
This article appeared in Brio magazine in April 2006. Copyright © 2006 Vicki L. Dihle. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.


This video really speaks for itself. This dog was in a shelter for 9 years, waiting for someone to come and adopt him. After so long, the dog started to give up hope and think he would be living his whole life in the shelter. One person got word that he was the longest resident at the shelter and chose to give him a new opportunity to experience the world again. This dog cannot contain his excitement as he runs up and down amongst other dogs, he is literally lost for words.


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Educator quality is the most influential school-based factor that contributes to student outcomes. In California, the teacher pipeline is comprised of institutions that provide teacher candidates with opportunities to learn the knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. K-12 schools play a large role in this system, teaching novices the K-12 curriculum, providing the learning context for all field placements, as well as providing mentor teachers for student teaching placements and induction mentors.
Efforts to find qualified teachers has become more challenging in California, as the number of emergency teaching credentials has more than doubled since 2012-13. School leadership is similarly important and challenging. Policy and practices to build teacher and principal quality in California will need to take into account growing demand, fewer qualified people for positions, and high turnover.
PACE's work in this area is designed to highlight the problems and help the state work toward evidence-based solutions.
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Is there a teacher shortage in California?
About 75% of districts in California report teacher shortages, that is, these districts are having greater difficulty filling classroom positions with people certified to teach in certain subject areas, which affects the qualifications and quantity of teachers hired. Teacher shortages are most severe in rural and high-poverty urban areas, and schools serving high concentrations of students of color, English learners, and low-income students. Districts also face shortages of fully certified teachers in particular subject areas including Special Education, mathematics, science, and bilingual education. In math, for example, there are half as many fully prepared teacher candidates with preliminary credentials entering the workforce today as there were six years ago.
What are issues in the school principal workforce in California?
Getting Down to Facts II research found that California's overall principal turnover rate is higher than in many other states. In 2015-16, more than one in five principals left their schools, with about two-thirds of these leaving the profession or the state, and the other third moving to other schools and districts.
Typically, more experienced principals are more effective, but low-achieving, high-poverty schools are more likely to have novice principals. Fifty-three percent of principals in schools in the bottom 20% in student achievement are in their first three years on the job, compared to only 26% of principals in schools where student achievement is in the top 20%. Turnover rates show a similar disparity. A principal in one of California's high-poverty urban schools is 50% more likely to leave than one in a low-poverty suburban school.
California's principals want more professional development and are looking for support beyond management and basic academics. Nearly all (98%) of the state's principals say that they would like to receive more professional development than they currently receive.
Do California's students have access to school-based health and mental health providers?
California ranks at or near the bottom of all states in terms of the percentage of K-12 public school students with access to various types of health care or mental health care inside their school buildings. Rates are especially low for school districts' direct employment of school nurses and school counselors. For school nurses, California ranked 39th in 2012, with approximately 2,240 public school students for each nurse. Regarding school counselors, California ranks last among the 50 states, with approximately 1,000 public school students per counselor. Yet California's youth do not have low needs; for example, California ranks 28th among states in terms of the estimated percentage of children with a serious emotional disturbance.
What can be done about California's shortage of special education teachers?
About two out of every three new special education teachers are underprepared, the greatest proportion of any major subject area. Much of the special education teacher shortage is driven by attrition. Factors that impact special education teacher attrition include the following:
Inadequate preparation and professional learning
Working conditions (i.e. high caseloads)
Low compensation
The state has begun to address teacher shortages across subject areas, including special education, through investments such as teacher residencies, local solutions to shortages, and grants for teachers in high-needs fields, however, most of these have been one-time investments.
Recent investments from the state level are promising, but improvement the recruitment and retention of special education teachers will require a comprehensive and sustained policy approach that includes:
Strengthen the pipeline with recruitment incentives for high-retention pathways
Improve the quality of and access to preparation
Expand and strengthen professional development
Improve working conditions for special education teachers
Increase compensation
Read more about the shortage of qualified special education teachers and potential paths forward in California's Special Education Teacher Shortage, which was produced as part of the PACE Policy Research Panel on Special Education.
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More than 725,000 of California's K-12 students qualified for special education services in 2018-19, but they entered a system that is often ill-equipped to serve them. This brief summarizes the findings from the PACE Policy Research Panel on…
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6 January 2020 - 16:54
General Soleimani
Regional Tensions
Gen Soleimani assassination to leave serious impacts on region: Pak FM
Islamabad, Jan 6, IRNA -- Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday that the situation arising after assassination of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in a US air strike is grave, urging the international community to play its role to de-escalate the tensions.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi while giving a policy statement in Senate regarding developments in the region said the repercussions of the strike that martyred IRGC Quds Force Commander Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani were severe and could engulf the whole region.
He went on to say that the analysts have termed the US invasion as a worrisome act. Qureshi asserted that a layer of anger and demonstration rose up across Iran and Iraq.
He added that the Iranian government also convened a national security meeting following the death of their top military commander.
Qureshi said Pakistan will present its position on the current situation to the European Union (EU). Qureshi showed fear that the prevailing tensions in Mideast can go in any direction.
He also recalled that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif termed the attack as "global terrorism" and a foolish act respectively, which will escalate the tensions.
The foreign minister went on to say that active diplomacy to de-escalate tensions is the need of the hour.
He added Pakistan is very clear on its position: we stand for peace, stability and security in the region.
Qureshi said Iraq had also sent its foreign minister to the United Nations to record protest because in their view the strike violated international law and UN charter.
"I have contacted the foreign ministers of major powers in the region. I have talked in detail with the Iran foreign minister and presented Pakistan's stance on the incident," he said, adding that he also spoke with the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
"The situation in the Middle East is very sensitive, fluid and concerning." The minister said the recent developments could destabilize the already volatile region.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said before the Senate why Pakistan is concerned about the US-Iran tensions.
He said the crisis will have a negative impact on Afghanistan and Pakistan's efforts in this regard.
He said the situation could lead to high-profile assassinations in the region.
Qureshi noted the route blockades could be enacted leading to breakage in oil supply, which will have a negative impact on the regional and global economy.
He added that Iran's nuclear deal known as the JCPOA has come under severe pressure with the latest announcements coming out of Iran suggesting Tehran has virtually backed out of the deal that put restrictions on the country's Uranium enrichment.
He assured the upper house of Parliament that Pakistan's soil will not be used against any other country.
"Pakistan would neither let its soil to be used against any other state nor become part of any regional conflict," FM Qureshi said.
He said that Pakistan will not be involved in any unilateral action. "Our policy is not to add fuel to the fire, neither will we become a part of it," said the foreign minister.
Qureshi said that Pakistan works on its own set of principles, adding that the region of Middle East cannot afford to have a new war.
"If there is a fire then even we cannot escape its far-reaching effects," he added.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi reiterated Pakistan's readiness to continue to play its role in preventing further escalation and maintaining regional peace and stability.
He renewed the call on all parties concerned to abide by the United Nations (UN) Charter and principles of international law to settle differences through peaceful means.
General Soleimani and the Deputy Commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), known as Hash al-Shaabi, Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes, who were separately leaving Baghdad airport in two cars were targeted and assassinated on Friday morning.
Iran's Ambassador to the United Nation Majid Takht Ravanchi has said that response to a military action will surely be a military action.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei announced three days of public mourning on the martyrdom of the Commander.
Trump wants to trigger new war in ME: Pakistani politician
Islamabad, Jan 4, IRNA -- Chief of Pakistan's major Islamic party and senior politician on…
Trump's threat to Iranian cultural sites, shameful: Pakistani intellectual
Islamabad, Jan 6, IRNA -- Renowned Pakistani intellectual and poet condemning the assassination…
Pakistani minister condemns Gen Soleimani assassination
Islamabad, Jan 6, IRNA -- Pakistan's Minister for Aviation has strongly condemned the assassination…
Ice covers parts of Lake Zaribar
Amir Chakhmaq Complex from another perspective
US team facing disagreements ahead of deciding on Vienna talks
Iran football team rejoicing qualification for 2022 FIFA World Cup
Iranians rejoice qualification for 2022 FIFA World Cup


text:
<?php
namespace Controllers;

use Core\View;
use Core\Controller;
use Models\User;

/*
 * Welcome controller
 *
 * @author Phuc
 * @version 2.2
 * @date June 27, 2014
 * @date updated May 18 2015
 */
class Hello extends Controller
{
    public function __construct(){
        parent::__construct();
        $this->language->load('Home');

    }

    public function index(){
        $data['title'] = $this->language->get('title');
        $user = new User();
        var_dump($user->getData());
        View::renderTemplate('header', $data);
        View::render('welcome/welcome', $data);
        View::renderTemplate('footer', $data);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Ghandi's Backpackers and Guest Lodge offers spacious accommodation with en suite bathrooms, generous communal areas, an open plan kitchen, a thatched bar with a pool table and a swimming pool in a beautiful historical house which was built in 1889 – situated on the infamous Langermann Koppie it is central to all major routes around Johannesburg, this luxurious lodge is alive with character and history.
If your life mantra chants 'shop up a storm and eat out in style', drop your pack and do a little chanting here.
It's close to the OR Tambo Airport as well as the Park Station buses and trains. Major shopping centres like Eastgate and Darras Centre are close traveling distance too. Safe off street parking and free pickup from airport & bus stations is provided from 07:00 until 20:00.
It has a charming thatched Bar with Pool table and DSTV with food and drink refreshments on sale - the bar onlooks a gorgeous circular swimming pool which is open to all.
There is an open kitchen offering a light breakfast on the house each morning.
The luxurious bedrooms include an en-suite bathroom and television – with many different options of rooms to choose from – see rates page.
Ghandi's Back Packers and Guest Lodge will give you a relaxing and refreshing stay meeting all your needs whilst in our home.
FREE! GRATUITO! KONSTENLOS! GRATIS! MAHHALA!
We offer the following to all our guests free of charge.
Free Pickup from airport between 7am and 8pm!
Free Pickup from bus stations between 7am and 8pm!
We are also a City Sight Seeing location stop.
O.R.Tambo International Airport is a 15 minute drive away and close to major freeways.
Eastgate Mall, Rosebank Rooftop Market, Darras Centre and Sandton are all within easy spend spend spend reach.
Ellis park stadium 2km from Ghandis backpackers.
Maboneng districts such as Arts on Main market is 1 km away.
Luciano Bus Station to Maputo is a 5 minute walk from Ghandi's Backpackers.
Ghandi's offers expert travel advice and will assist with booking overland tours, day trips and car hire.


Christmas-themed movies have not had a good track record as "Christmas with the Kranks", "Surviving Christmas" and "Deck the Halls" have shown.
Doesn't stop the studios from moving forward with more though as Screen Gems has set up an impressive ensemble cast for its holiday-themed drama "This Christmas" reports Variety.
Laz Alonso, David Banner, Chris Brown, Loretta Devine, Idris Elba, Ricky Harris, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Lauren London, Nia Long, Mekhi Phifer, Keith Robinson, Columbus Short and Jessica Stroup will all star.
Preston Whitmore ("Crossover") helms the tale about the first Christmas gathering of the Whitfield family in four years. Shooting begins today with a November 30th release planned.


I can�t believe that summer is nearly over- although it is the longest summer I�ve ever experienced, since I got out May 15. I only have two more days until I move back in for my sophomore year. I found out my housing assignment at the end of the first week in august; a torturous wait considering half of my friends already knew where they were living since June. My three friends and I were put into �overflow� housing, an apartment-style complex called DeWolfe, just for this year. Basically there are 16 freshman dorms, but only 12 upperclassmen houses. Coupled with the fact that some seniors stay on for an extra term, people come back from study abroad, and other such random housing issues, there is never enough room for all sophomores to get a room inside the �house� they are assigned to. Multiple houses put students in the two DeWolfe apartments; mine consists of Kirkland, Quincy, and Lowell. Each floor is assigned to a specific house, so all Kirkland overflow students will be on the same floor as me.
DeWolfe has its pros and cons. It does not have its own dining hall, so we have to either travel 3 blocks to Kirkland�s dining hall to eat, or go to one of the other houses with dining halls to grab a bite. It�s pretty far away from classes, and extremely far away from the practice fields for rugby. But it is only 2 blocks from the shuttle that takes us around campus and it has a lot of amenities that other houses on campus don�t have like cable, AC, elevators, and an in-suite kitchen. I am excited to be living in overflow housing so I can meet more people outside of my house.
I still have no idea what classes I�m taking. As I mentioned previously, I have to �shop� for classes when I get there, but many of the classes I�m interested in are limited enrollment so I won�t know if I have been picked to be in the class until sometime in September- so I've been looking at a lot of "back up" courses in case I don't make it in to some of my top choices. I am working again at the Fine Arts Library and due to the up-in-the-air nature of my academic schedule I won�t be able to finalize a schedule with them for a while, yet I already signed up for a ton of hours my first week to get book money. And rugby preseason starts the day after I move in; I will have two practices a day until September 1st, (when classes start). I am going to be the starting scrumhalf this year, so I am both nervous and excited.


text:
Diocletianopolis steht für:

Städte:
 Diocletianopolis in Palaestina
 Diocletianopolis, früherer Name von Chissarja, Bulgarien
 Diocletianopolis in Ägypten, siehe Qus (Stadt)

Bistümer:
 Titularbistum Diocletianopolis in Palaestina
 Titularbistum Diocletianopolis in Thracia
 Titularbistum Diocletianopolis in Thebaide

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: How to access An element ID with a string I have my requirement which is useless and loss of your time here:-
So, if I have
<form:amount id= "stackOverflowAMT" path ="stackOverflowAMT" size="10" maxlength="11"/>

And if I create a String in Java script, say stringX ="stackOverflowAMT"
is it possible to use this string as ID of stackOverflowAMT.
I tried a lot , now just want to assure whether it is possible or not
Could Your help .Thank you !

A: You should be able to access it using:
document.getElementById(stringX)

Or in jQuery:
$('#' + stringX)

Hope that helps.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


An FIR has been registered against Hardik Pandya, K L Rahul and Karan Johar for their controversial remarks on a celebrity chat show.
Jodhpur: An FIR has been registered against cricketers Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul and filmmaker Karan Johar for their controversial remarks against women on the celebrity chat show 'Koffee With Karan'.
Pandya, who shared the couch with Rahul on the latest episode of Karan Johar's show, faced backlash for what netizens termed 'sexist' and 'disrespectful' remarks on women.
Later, Pandya took to social media and apologised for the remarks saying he "may have got a bit carried away with the nature of the show".


He manages a food business.
He thinks the recession is lasting way too long.
He needs to boost sales, but doesn't know how.
But he doesn't want to stand by and twiddle his thumbs either. He wants to show that his products are great, and that he can compete among the best.
We took his sales experience and transformed it into a direct marketing campaign.
Mass, indiscriminate advertising messages don't work anymore.
We need new tools to capture consumers' attention. So how do we do it? We personalise the message, giving clients specific information that they're really interested in.
We create a database using their tastes and preferences. This tool will allow us to create specific campaigns.
We took his good taste, and applied it to the design, including the website.
If you don't have a web presence, you don't exist.
70% of the Spanish population uses the internet to look for information about products and where to buy them. What's more, 6 out of 10 access the internet via a mobile device.
That's why your website needs to be dynamic, attractive and accessible via any mobile device. It needs to be set up for e-commerce, and differentiate itself using innovative design elements that the competition doesn't.
We take advantage of his generosity to create a Loyalty Program.
Getting clients is difficult. Retaining those clients is even harder.
The market is full of tempting offers and aggressive campaigns. That's why you need to offer your clients something different.
One option is to offer a loyalty program. Offering occasional discounts on some products or services, creating promotions that are advantageous to only the best clients, and giving freebies on specific dates, are some examples.
Corsino is a nice guy, so we let him shine on social networks.
Eight out of ten internet users use a social network.
Social networks have changed the way we relate. Showing up is a must, but with a clear, well-defined strategy. You need to listen to, analyze and understand clients' needs and tastes, provide them with useful information, and, sure why not, raise a smile now and then.
The bottom line: creating a solid community where experience and knowledge can be shared.
The results are in, and sales are on the up.
We're people who enjoy making your projects a success. We do this using branding, content marketing and new technologies with the aim of telling the world who you are and what you do.
An advertising and PR graduate with various qualifications in marketing and e-commerce, he's worked as a creative in major advertising agencies in Barcelona, Valladolid, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Gijón where he's worked as Art and Creative Director.
He's orchestrated campaigns for HC Hidrocantábrico, TeleCable, Ternera Asturiana, Central Lechera Asturiana, The Canarian Government and ThyssenKrupp, among others.
After 15 years learning the nitty gritty from the major players in the world of creativity and advertising, in 2013 he decided to create his own company, deOtraForma ("anotherWay") based on a new creative model that meets companies' communication needs.
We're a creative agency that offers efficient commercial communication. We create 3 basic pillars on which we build the image of a solid, easily recognisable brand that adds value to your clients and customers.
For those who decide not to remain with their arms crossed and looking for new alternatives to boost their businesses. Customers, who do not want a simple promotion but looking for results. Thank you for trusting us.
Get in touch. Tell us what you do, what you'd like to do and, if you're really good, we'll find you a position.


text:
Q: Complex Special Theorem confusion Statement:

Suppose that $V$ is a complex inner product space and $T \in L(V)$. Then $V$
  has an orthonormal basis consisting of eigenvectors if and only if $T$
  is normal.

Proof in one direction:

First suppose that $V$ has an orthonormal basis consisting of
  eigenvectors of $T$. Then for each element of the eigenvectorish
  orthonormal basis $(v_1,\dots,v_n)$, we have $Tv_i = λ_iv_i$ where $λ_i$
  is the eigenvalue corresponding to the eigenvector $v_i$.
Then obviously the matrix of $T$, $M(T)$ is a  diagonal matrix. Thus
  $M(T^∗)$ is also a diagonal matrix. Matrix multiplication with
  diagonal matrices is obviously commutative, which implies that $TT^∗= T^∗T$ and thus $T$ is normal.

I don't understand where was orthogonality of the basis used here? If my basis was not orthogonal then $M(T)$ would also have been a diagonal and so would its adjoint(which is just conjugate transpose) $M(T^*)$. Thus the theorem would no longer be true. What am I missing?

A:
and so would its adjoint

Nope. This is only true if the basis is orthonormal. If the diagonalizing matrix $P$ of a linear operator $T$ (whose columns are the eigenvectors of $T$) is not unitary, then
$$
T^\dagger = (P^{-1}D_T P)^\dagger = P^\dagger D_T^\dagger(P^{-1})^\dagger = [(P^\dagger)^{-1}]^{-1}D_T^\dagger[(P^{\dagger})^{-1}]
$$
has a different diagonalizing matrix from $T$, because $P\ne (P^\dagger)^{-1}$.
For a concrete example, consider the non-normal linear operator $T$ on $\mathbb R^2$ whose matrix in the standard basis is
$$
T = \begin{bmatrix} 2 &2 \\ -2 & 7\end{bmatrix}.
$$
It has the non-orthogonal eigenbasis $[2,1]$ and $[1,2]$, and diagonalizes to
$$
D_T = \begin{bmatrix} 2 & 1 \\ 1 & 2\end{bmatrix}^{-1}\begin{bmatrix} 2 & 2 \\ -2 & 7\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix} 2 & 1 \\ 1 & 2\end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 3 & 0 \\ 0 & 6\end{bmatrix}.
$$
However, its adjoint in this basis is
$$
D_{T^*} = \begin{bmatrix} 2 & 1 \\ 1 & 2\end{bmatrix}^{-1}\begin{bmatrix} 2 & -2 \\ 2 & 7\end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix} 2 & 1 \\ 1 & 2\end{bmatrix} = \frac{1}{3}\begin{bmatrix} -7 & -20 \\ 20 & 34\end{bmatrix},
$$
which notably is not diagonal.


text:
If Sonia, Rahul guilty in 2G, they should have been in jail: Adhir Chowdhury
New Delhi: The BJP came back to power as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a "very big salesman" while the Congress failed to market its product in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Monday.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, Chowdhury launched a scathing attack on the government and Prime Minister Modi, with the Chair ordering expunging of some of his comments, considered unparliamentary.
"Our Prime Minister is a very big salesman. We (Congress) have been unable to sell our product, that is why we lost (Lok Sabha elections)," he said. Taking a swipe at Union minister Pratap Sarangi, who had initiated the discussion, he said Sarangi crossed limits in his praise of Modi, inviting sharp reactions from the treasury benches as they referred to "India is Indira, Indira is India" remarks made by Congress leaders when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. Chowdhury said his party does not to criticise the President.
"We want to lambast government for its failure on various issues," he said. Targeting the Modi government, Chowdhury said the country is reeling under drought, but the government is not worried. He said BJP MPs did not take steps to alleviate miseries of the people as they think Modi will do everything.
"They think that praising Modi is sufficient, he will help them sail through (Modi baba par lagayenge),"he said. Chowdhury also reminded NDA members that several infrastructure projects were initiated by successive Congress governments.
He said several major public sector undertakings (PSUs) were also set up under the Congress rule.
Chowdhury alleged the BJP government renamed several schemes initiated by the Congress government to benefit the poor.
Hitting back at the BJP for alleging a scam in the sale of 2G spectrum, he said if there was a wrongdoing why were UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi not in jail. "Why are they still in Parliament", he quipped. He also dubbed the ruling dispensation as a "compliment- addicted government."
"Did you manage to catch anybody in 2G and coal allocation scams? Did you manage to send Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi behind the bars? You came to power by calling them thieves. Then, how are they sitting in the parliament," asked Chowdhury, newly-elected Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha.
The 2G scam dates back to 2007-2008 when the Congress party was in power. It relates to the grant of 2G spectrum licence allocations, which caused, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the public exchequer.
On the other hand, coal allocation scam relates to the allocation of coal blocks to private companies by the Central government between 1993 and 2010.
PTI/ANI Inputs…
Lok Sabha polls
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
Cong-JD(S) leaders engage in "daily street fight", people need relief: Yeddyurappa
UAE assures India to cover shortfall in oil supplies after US sanctions on Iran: Envoy
Dubai: Passengers travelling to the UAE by Air India can now carry 40 kgs of check-in luggage after the national carrier enhanced the baggage limit by....
ICJ to announce verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case on Wednesday
The Hague: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver on Wednesday its verdict in a case relating to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, wh....
Snake bites man in Gujarat, man bites it back, both die
A 60-year-old man died from a snake bite in Gujarat's Mahisagar district but not before he bit back and killed the reptile too, a village official sai....


text:
May to Corbyn: Ruling out no-deal Brexit is 'impossible condition'
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused the prime minister of trying to 'run down the clock' on Brexit.
British Prime Minister Theresa May says she can't rule out a no-deal | Jack Taylor/Getty Images
By Judith Mischke
Ruling out a no-deal Brexit is an "impossible" precondition for participation in cross-party talks to resolve the political deadlock, Theresa May told opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn in a letter published today.
After the prime minister survived a no confidence motion on Wednesday night Corbyn told MPs he would not enter into talks with her unless she ruled out a no-deal Brexit.
In her letter to the opposition leader, she said this was "an impossible condition because it is not within the Government's power to rule out no deal."
The prime minister argued there were "two ways to avoid a no deal" which were either "to vote for a deal, in particular a Withdrawal Agreement, that has been agreed with the EU or to revoke article 50 and overturn the referendum." The latter option she said was "wrong."
She added that the EU would not agree to extend Article 50 in order to give the UK more time to debate Brexit.
May said she would "sincerely urge" Corbyn to accept her offer for talks, stressing her "doors would remain open."
In a speech in Hastings this morning, Corbyn called May's talks with opposition leaders a "stunt."
"With no deal on the table the prime minister will enter into phoney talks just to run down the clock," he said.
More from ... Judith Mischke
Opinion How not to negotiate with Russia
Northern Ireland's next trade headache: Britain's bonfire of old EU laws
Rishi Sunak orders investigation into minister Nadhim Zahawi's tax affairs
Boris Johnson hogs spotlight with Ukraine visit
Financial/Business Analyst
SPONSORED CONTENT FROM IFPMA
Playing poker with pathogens
By Thomas Cueni, director general, IFPMA
No amount of regulation can render the internet safe for every user
Article 50 British politics Negotiations
Jeremy Corbyn Theresa May


This holiday season Elevita committed to help the nonprofit organization WHOlives raise money by sending all if its "Angel Donors" ($25 or more) an Angel Ornament. WHOlives is an impressive organization with a mission to provide clean and easy water access to millions of people through the use of its Village Drill. The WHO stands for Water, Health, and Opportunity. Elevita always feels privileged to form partnerships such as these!
Work is underway on the hostel Elevita is helping to build in Keru, Rajasthan, India. This hostel will allow girls from the rural desert to stay in a safe place and attend secondary school--an opportunity previously not available to them. This is very exciting, as similar hostels in Rajasthan have proven to be a great success.
Below are a few photographs of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, laying the ceremonial foundation stone of the hostel. We are very grateful to all our generous donors who helped make this possible!
We have all been saddened by the devastating typhoon that ravaged the Philippines last week. Though all our Elevita artisans are safe, there are still nearly 2,000,000 victims who have been displaced from their homes and are in desperate need of help. In an effort to assist, Elevita has committed to donate $1 to the Philippine Red Cross for every Christmas ornament sold between now and November 30th. Decorate your tree in love this year! Please visit www.Elevita.com to purchase as many ornaments as you can.
Yes Maam,the damage was so terrible,especially in Visayas region,may province is not affected Maam,and thanks God,last time it was in our region.
i ll just need a little time to recover my materials and my studio,when the typoon come,ill prepared all.my parents got angry because ill protect my studio.even theres a typhoon i did not go to our home.even i know what happened.in the other stake almost 1000 got die. Now i retouch your painting..
We are OK here in Southern part of Luzon though a Signal #2 has been warned. Thank you in remembering us here. Lets pray for all the families in Visaya regions.
Our province just had hard rain. people are safe. artisans farm are still in good safe. Our neighboring island are the most devastated. this [photo below] happens to my neighboring island...just 1 hour away from my place...Please include as in your prayer.. Thank you for the american Soldiers for helping us. Thank you again.
"we had a very rainy day today due to the super typhoon but we are so blessed and lucky that our place is not the center of the super typhoon..but we still experiencing heavy rain that last night we started putting sea sand in the sack to prevent the water coming in inside the house..
i want to say thank you very much for your help, i will say this over and 0ver again because i was so happy that i was able to send my children to school without depending others to help me..and because of the elevita i have plenty of changes in our lives,before i was so dependent in my mothers help, since the father of my chidren was not supporting them..but now..i was the one helping my sibling and my mother,and other people who need help.I was so glad for the opportunity given to me to help others in a small and honest way..
Yesterday, after i get the money,and after i set aside the tuition fee of my daughter for this month,then i went to the grocery store, i bought milk for the whole family,1 kilo of pork and 1 kilo of chicken..fish are very expensive because of the weather so i bought pork and chicken,vegetables and biscuits for the children..i also give my mother money to buy for rice..sorry if i tell you but i was just so happy again..
And most of all i bought a christmas tree! its a white christmas tree, our first christmas tree ever..and everyone are so excited..after we hang christmas decor and put lights around it,we just sat there in front of our christmas tree for hours,admiring it..it really true..we set up the christmas tree at 6 pm,we sat around it then later we eat dinner then we all gather around then we just stare at it and feeling sooooooo happy! we sleep past midnight...and when we woke up early today, my brother then lighted the christmas tree..and we all so excited..while me doing the house chores would take a look at the tree and giggle i feel like a small child!
Thank you Elevita! ..That was a very memorable night we had..:)"
It is not uncommon for Elevita to receive messages like these, which highlight the importance of what we do, and also the ripple effect our efforts have within villages and communities. A big thanks to all our customers for continued support!
Please spread the word and bring friends if you are able! It is an amazing experience to see and feel Elevita products firsthand. You may never see the world in the same way again!
Now that sufficient funds have been raised and ground has been broken for our girl's hostel in India, we are turning our attention to educating youth in the Philippines. To do this, we have partnered with BELIEVE International. The BELIEVE mission is to "Help disadvantaged youth in the Philippines become people of integrity and leaders in their communities by providing them with the resources needed to attend school and by teaching them positive life-long values and leadership principles." BELIEVE offers scholarships to students who are carefully selected based on their poverty, academic performance, moral character, and leadership potential. The scholarships are to cover otherwise prohibitive expenses related to their education in public schools. BELIEVE requires their students to also engage in additional values and leadership training, which will enable them to lift themselves out of poverty. Trained scholars such as these will eventually help solve the deep-rooted problems of corruption in their communities and in their nation. Elevita will now give scholarships to these needy Filipino students one by one, as funds are raised. To donate, please click here. Your generosity will make a tremendous difference for good!
In the photo above, Alida Camo stands with her mother and younger sibling in front of their home. Alida's mother died about 6 months after this photo was taken, and without a scholarship from BELIEVE, it would have been impossible for her to attend school. Now she is #1 in her academic class, is vice-president of the Supreme Student Government, is a top athlete, and is actively involved in service projects. Elevita feels privileged to be a partner with BELIEVE in creating more success stories such as this one!
"...The ladies said that they're very happy for your orders. They use their earnings to buy rice/food for their children and send their children to school. You see most of the ladies in this group are single parents. Once again, they would like to thank you for your orders."
Just another example of how a little bit of help can go a long way to improving someone's lifestyle! And we in turn are very grateful for the amazing quality these women produce. They make our "Best Bags Ever" and our "Perfect Pouches." Well done, ladies!
Filipino woodcarver Frank Cajumban has been working with Elevita to sell his 17-piece nativity sets. Because of the number of pieces, Elevita does not stock this beautiful set, although it is available for special order. Please email info@elevita.com if you are interested in purchasing this treasure, and we can arrange for Frank to directly ship you a wooden crate!
It is amazing to think that Arman's intricate nativity figures are made from these tools!
Here Arman Cagayat begins one of the palm trunks--a signature piece of his set.
Holding the piece tightly with a rope, Arman is able to carve the perfect grooves.
It is clear that Arman's three daughters enjoy "supervising" his work! Well done, Arman!!
Sometimes Elevita comes across amazing artisans whose work we are not able to carry on our website, ether because it is too large, too fragile, or too expensive. The exquisite paintings of Margarita Cajumban are just such an example. Margarita is one of eleven children born to a humble woodcarver. In spite of very limited resources, she has worked tirelessly to pursue her life's passion: Oil Painting. Now at the age of 18 Margarita is using her painting as a way to pay for her college courses in Economics. Of course Elevita would like to do everything we can to help promote Margarita's work. If you are interested in purchasing her paintings, email info@elevita.com. Her work is replete with texture and radiates a fantastic ethnic flare.
SHE CAN PAINT ANYTHING YOU LIKE FROM A PHOTO!
Louela di Nalzaro is one of our artisans in the Philippines. Creating jewelry for Elevita has allowed Louela to greatly improve the quality of life for herself and her children. Recently, she needed to travel to Dumaguete City to receive a much-needed operation. Her church was willing to pay half, but Louela needed to come up with the rest. Around this time Elevita was able to place another large order from Louela. She sent Elevita a message, explaining her situation, and saying, "That's why I am very happy when you order me more of my craft...God works in mysterious ways, because when I need money, I don't think it's a coincidence that you ordered more." Louela's necklaces have been very popular, and Elevita is pleased to be a part of her success.
Last week my mother-in-law was visiting. She was wearing what appeared to be a beautiful amethyst Elevita necklace, which I couldn't take my eyes off--not only because it was beautiful, but because I was racking my brain trying to remember when I had given it to her. Try as I might, I could conjure up no memory explaining how she came by the necklace. Finally we asked. She replied that it actually wasn't an Elevita piece, but one she had purchased in a department store, after looking high and low for just the right purple piece. Hesitatingly I inquired, "Can I ask you how much you paid for it?"
"Two-hundred dollars!" was her reply. I quickly went to retrieve a twin piece from my Elevita inventory, thinking surely there must be a noticeable difference when the necklaces were placed side by side, but no! The only difference we could ascertain was that the Elevita necklace was actually longer, enabling it to be doubled or even tripled. Amazing!
So why, she wondered, do we sell it at such a low price? The reason is that we always allow our artisans to set their prices, telling them to make sure it is a fair price for them and their families. Then we sell their goods as inexpensively as possible, in the hope that the low prices will drive more sales. Quickly selling through a product enables us to purchase more as soon as possible, continually supporting the artisans. After realizing that our price difference was because of our business model and not because of quality, my mother-in-law immediately bought three more strings of Elevita beads! Thank you, Sharon!!
Elevita has helped a brave new group take steps to lift themselves from poverty. The I Reach Out cooperative, inspired by Elevita and headed by Filipina Florita Escandor, has a vision to help all its members become self reliant. In February the I Reach Out was able to open its first warehouse with a generous gift from Elevita.
One of the biggest reasons for poverty in the Philippines is corruption. Prices of everyday commodities are controlled by a few large entities. This makes it difficult for the average person to purchase more than a days worth of necessities at a time.
For years Florita Escandor (Flora) has had a vision to help lift her countrymen out of poverty. Once she connected with Kirsten Monson, Elevita Cofounder, in Singapore, Flora knew it was finally time to act. Flora decided to tackle the poverty problem by changing the method of goods distribution. With her background in economics and business, Flora approached major manufacturers and negotiated with them to release their products at reduced prices. These products will then go directly into the hands of cooperative members, without several middleman price increases. The cooperative has launched in a warehouse, which also gives its members a place to sell their own produce and handmade goods. Elevita plays an additional role by helping the artisan members sell their handmade products on Elevita.com.
The cooperative is carefully organized so that members receive a rebate for all their purchases, which is applied to savings, investments, and to furthering the mission of the cooperative. With this ingenious model Flora has taken great steps to help free her fellow citizens from the rule of the "tycoons" who run the country. The I Reach Out cooperative is young, but Elevita has great hope for the future of its members, and is proud to play a role in its inception.
The I Reach Out cooperative, headed by Florita Escandor (back right).


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Accession 14-060, National Museum of the American Indian , Website Records, 2009-2013
General Information About This Collection
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Website Records
Language of Materials:
This accession consists of two websites and one blog maintained by the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). The main NMAI website, crawled on September 14, 2013, includes visitor, exhibitions, programmatic, and professional training information; educational resources; and membership and donation information. The NMAI blog, crawled September 14, 2013, discusses museum events, exhibitions, activities, and objects as well as native American life. The first post was in April 2009. The "Native Networks" website, available in both English and Spanish, was crawled on September 10, 2013, and includes information about film, video, and radio produced by indigenous peoples of the Americas and Hawaii. It also serves as the official website for the Native American Film + Video Festival organized by the NMAI Film and Video Center. The festival portion of the website includes information on programs and participants as well as press releases. The website was discontinued shortly after it was crawled and the content was incorporated into the main NMAI website. Materials are in electronic format.
This accession consists of two websites and one blog maintained by the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI).
The main NMAI website, crawled on September 14, 2013, includes visitor, exhibitions, programmatic, and professional training information; educational resources; and membership and donation information.
The NMAI blog, crawled September 14, 2013, discusses museum events, exhibitions, activities, and objects as well as native American life. The first post was in April 2009.
The "Native Networks" website, available in both English and Spanish, was crawled on September 10, 2013, and includes information about film, video, and radio produced by indigenous peoples of the Americas and Hawaii. It also serves as the official website for the Native American Film + Video Festival organized by the NMAI Film and Video Center. The festival portion of the website includes information on programs and participants as well as press releases. The website was discontinued shortly after it was crawled and the content was incorporated into the main NMAI website.
Materials are in electronic format.
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
National Museum of the American Indian (U.S.). Film and Video Center
Native American Film + Video Festival
Indians of North America
Indians of South America
Museums -- Public relations.
Native Networks (Website)
Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 14-060, National Museum of the American Indian , Website Records
NMAI main website, crawled September 14, 2013
NMAI blog, 2009-2013, crawled September 14, 2013
"Native Networks" website, crawled September 10, 2013
Finding Aid encoded on: 8-25-2014