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tv mosaico by Thiago Pedrosa (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/4kRwu1
When the Walls Come Crumbling Down: The CRTC's Latest TalkTV Decision
In September 2007, I wrote a column titled "Canadian Broadcasting Policy for a World of Abundance", which focused on a report commissioned for the CRTC that recognized that conventional broadcast regulations were crumbling in the face of new technologies and the Internet. As it turns out, the Dunbar-Leblanc report was ahead of its time as the CRTC was not ready for the regulatory overhaul it recommended.
No longer.
Standing beside two giant screens proclaiming "Age of Abundance", CRTC Chair Jean-Pierre Blais unveiled the latest round of decisions from the TalkTV hearing and left little doubt that the Commission is now ready to lead with changes that have been a long time in coming. For Canada's broadcast regulator, it was time to admit that decades-old policies must adapt to a changing environment in which the viewer is in control (or the emperor, in Blais' words). Those policies were largely built on creating a regulatory wall for the Canadian system with Cancon requirements, genre protection, foreign ownership rules, and simultaneous substitution. Like many walls, the rules shielded the Canadian market from competition, guaranteeing a place for Canadian content and limiting the impact of more popular U.S. programming.
Yet the wall has been steadily crumbling since rules no longer shield Canadian broadcasters or creators from competition. The industry has reacted in different ways to the crumbling wall. Some, such as the Writers' Guild (or the Ontario government), want to patch the wall by regulating new services such as Netflix. The group issued a release yesterday arguing that the migration to unlicensed platforms raises concerns about medium-to-long term sustainability as they want the CRTC to require Netflix to contribute funds toward Canadian content (ie. a Netflix tax). Others, such as Bell Media, want to build a bigger wall. Last week, Bell Media CEO Kevin Crull called for blocking U.S. channels and adopting measures to make it more difficult for Canadians to access US Netflix.
Yesterday, the CRTC made it clear that it believes the way forward does not involve extending or expanding the regulatory wall. Instead, it recognizes that broadband Internet allows Canadians to effortless circumvent the wall, watching what they want, where they want, and when they want. The new regulatory structure therefore focuses primarily on three ways to tear down the wall by creating a more competitive broadcast environment.
First, the consumer choice that is an integral part of the Internet is being extended to conventional broadcast. The pick-and-pay world of television channels won't be announced until next week, but yesterday's decision helped lay the groundwork for pick-and-pay by removing some of the licensing limitations that make it difficult for broadcasters to convince consumers to pay for their service. Under the new rules, genre protection is eliminated, meaning there can be more competition in specialty areas and specialty services will be better able to respond to the market with their programming choices. Moreover, discretionary services with audiences under 200,000 subscribers will be exempt from licensing. All of this is designed to force broadcasters to compete (the elimination of simultaneous substitution, which was likely part of the CRTC's original plan, would have done so as well). This should create a real market with broadcasters enjoying greater freedom in what they program and consumers finally permitted to make their own subscription choices on a pick-and-pay basis.
Second, the CRTC is changing some of the rules with respect to Canadian content. These include pilot project changes in what counts as Canadian content (an effort to expand the scope of potential Canadian productions), the removal of Cancon requirements during the daytime programming (creating incentives to make bigger investments in prime time programming), and initiatives to promote Canadian content. While some are skeptical about the likelihood of success, the premise is that good enough is no longer good enough. As the wall comes down, Canadian content must stand on its own and these changes are designed to increase the chances of that happening.
Third, the CRTC has been working to address Internet-related competition concerns. The Commission's decision on Bell's Mobile TV service brings net neutrality into the discussion as it was concerned that zero-rating would "may end up inhibiting the introduction and growth of other mobile TV services accessed over the Internet, which reduces innovation and consumer choice." Moreover, yesterday's decision created a new class of video on demand service known as a hybrid service that borrows from both the regulated video on demand services and the Internet-based video services. The full rules are still to be determined, but the goal would appear to be encourage services such as CraveTV and Shomi to compete in the Internet video space (or face conventional regulation and obligations). Further, it goes without saying that the CRTC did not adopt a Netflix tax, leaving the Internet-only space largely unregulated.
While success is by no means certain, Blais made it clear that the Commission is ready to fight for its new vision of Canadian broadcast regulation. I was in the audience for the speech and the one comment that generated an audible gasp was the following:
If you hear criticisms of our decisions ask yourself this question: Are the arguments advanced by these critics those of the public interest or are they rather those that find their true roots in private entitlement, dressed up to look like they are founded on the broader public interest? This town is full of lobbyists whose job it is to spin their client's private interests into something else, to wrap themselves up, as it were, in the flag, and to puff about Parliament Hill with an air of shock and dismay. I respect their right to do so, but I respect more the rights, expectations and wishes of Canadians we serve.
In a room full of the clients and their lobbyists, Blais offered his unofficial response to the recent Bell lawsuits against CRTC decisions and the likely backlash against his latest plan: bring it on.
Tags: broadcast / Cancon / cravetv / crtc / netflix / shomi / talktv
Josh Robinson says:
Honestly, anything to dissolve the duopoly is good news. As a consumer, Netflix is a fantastic service and the regulator should permit them whatever business they would like to conduct unless it can show some undue market harm done. The onus should be on the regulator to do this. You don't want market participants skewing numbers to their advantage.
I think pick & pay is inevitable against the internet broadcaster's competition. However, this has been an unacceptably late decision. This should have been done twenty years ago. I'm sure there's problems I don't understand, but there's no problem we can't solve with a little effort right?
I still think cancon is relevant. It should be reviewed given market conditions. I think that's prudent.
At the end.. this market needs to have more diversity. The moment we take our eyes off that goal, is the moment we've started to make mistakes.
Captain555 says:
I tought they put a stop to substitution with specialty channel. I check last sunday and the Nascar race on Fox was substituted still with TSN3. On Bell TV obviously. When will that stop ?
My understanding is simsub was intended to be an incentive for OTA broadcasters, but Bell TV got an exemption a while back and they are still under the impression that they are.
I expect they have been given a timeline to stop, but if it continues to happen, please lodge a complaint.
Kit Carson says:
Why is it only Bells Mr Crull whinning? This is the second go at CTV for Bell. The first go resulted in the dropping of Canadian shows shot at their Agincourt studios. This time the introduction of automation, more job loss. And the corporation makes how much a year. Like he has done to us that work in the industry sink or swim Mr Greed!
Lisa Macklem says:
I may need a t-shirt with Jean-Pierre Blais' face on it…. or perhaps sitting on the Throne of Swords…
Priyesh says:
The best reason for this decision is that times have changed, and these regulations can't withstand the abundance of choice through the internet.
The worst reason for this decision is to decide that Canadian culture doesn't matter. It still does for many reasons: economic, cultural, and everything in between.
I see a lot of talk about how the old regime was broken. But for all the hype about Canadian lobbyists are being disingenuous, I see a white flag to American lobbyists. There isn't very much for creators and workers in the industry to cheer for. (Maybe the hope that less daytime cancon will lead to bigger investments in prime time cancon.)
Priyesh
I would like to see the term cancon changed to any movie or series filmed in Canada to count and at the same time any so called Canadian movie etc that's not filmed in Canada to not count.
Jason Riddell says:
I know where you are going BUT I dis agree and should still be "creatively" Canadian
so if a Canadian film maker goes to India to make a Canadian POV production about India
YOU say NO to CanCon I would say show percentage of Canadian creative input IE writers / editors / directors ETC
also looking in "reverse"
a Indian "Bollywood" production comes to Canada to FILM a Bollywood written/directed story
your measure is to say YES CanCon Met but I say there is LITTLE Canadian cultural value / Canadian creative effort
and I believe the cultural / creative side is more important to Canada and THAT NEEDS protection
If you were to ask most would you support a ban of all American content 99% would say no.
Lisa, I'll buy one of those shirts!
Hooray for Mr. Blais! Finally someone with the druthers to stand up and act in the interests of Canadians, rather than big business and their cronies.
Tad says:
Cheers for Mr. Blais!


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I am in dispute with my business partner, how do we separate our business interests?
The type of business structure in place will determine how the assets and liabilities of the business are dealt with when the relationship between business partners is beyond repair, or they have agreed to go their separate ways.
In a private company situation, the most common outcome is for the company to obtain a valuation and for one party to purchase the other parties' interest. Where the parties are in dispute in relation to the valuation, the disputing party should make an application to the Supreme Court of Victoria seeking that the courts determine the value of the business and subsequently determine how the business is to be dealt with such as winding up of the business, buy out of a party, appointment of a receiver to manage affairs, or restraining the parties from engaging in specific conduct.
In a partnership arrangement, not to dissimilar from private companies, the assets of the partnership will be called in, and valued with the proceeds of the partnership split in accordance with the partners share in the business. The partnership will be dissolved by a formal agreement and the dissolution is required to be advertised in the local gazette. Any partnership arrangements such as leases or supply agreements will need to be renegotiated by the continuing partner, or the party that intends to "carry on" the business as a sole trader or other corporate structure.
A customer has failed to pay my invoice, how can I recover the money?
The first step in recovering an unpaid invoice from a customer or a bad debtor is to review the terms of payment or any contract you entered into with the customer.
Secondly, if the relationship permits, you should informally contact the debtor to enquire as to the status of payment. They may have simply forgotten particularly if the invoice was payable on terms, for example, within 30 days.
Where your enquiry is met with opposition, we suggest a formal letter of demand either prepared by you or with our assistance. If the debtor fails to make payment in accordance with the terms of the letter of demand, a final notice should be sent, notifying the debtor of your intentions to commence legal action.
The amount owed to you will determine which court you seek recovery of the debt through. However, for matters under $100,000 they will usually be heard in the Magistrates Court of Victoria or in some cases the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
You may then commence action through the appropriate court, and if successful, obtain a court order against the debtor for repayment of the debt plus interests and costs.
In the event that the debtor fails to pay the amount ordered by the court, you will then be required to enforce the court orders. There are various methods of enforcement including warrants to seize property, oral examination, and winding up of the debtor (if it is a company).
I have a judgement debt registered against me, how can I remove this from my credit file?
The judgement debtor makes an application to the court seeking that the judgement be set aside by way of consent between the parties, or if the judgement debtor is unable to obtain consent of the judgement creditor, by way of court order.
Why you delayed in making an application to have the judgement debt set aside.
If I commence Court action, will I recover my legal expenses?
If you are successful in your application to the court, or defending any proceedings commenced against you, you are likely to recover a portion of your legal expenses incurred.
The State and Federal based courts operate on a "scale" meaning that you will recover your costs incurred based on the court scale and not the costs incurred with your solicitor.
In some cases, there are occasions where you will recover your costs on an indemnity basis meaning that the unsuccessful party will cover the costs that you have actually paid (assuming such costs are reasonable).
Costs are always at the discretion of the court and costs orders will generally reflect the way the proceeding has been conducted and whether the costs incurred by the successful party have been reasonable.


Liverpool youngster Ben Woodburn could be in line for an early exit from Sheffield United, after Blades boss Chris Wilder admitted an early termination of the player's loan deal had been discussed.
The Welsh international, who is highly rated by Jurgen Klopp's coaching staff, was tipped for a breakout role at Sheffield United this season, but has had his opportunities limited by the supreme form of veteran forward Mark Duffy.
Woodburn has made just seven appearances for the Championship outfit, and has not registered a goal or an assist for his team in those showings.
Following reports that Woodburn - who is Liverpool youngest ever goalscorer - may have his deal cut short, United's manager Wilder has spoken out about the possibility of the winger returning to Anfield ahead of schedule.
As quoted by the Sheffield Telegraph, the 51-year-old manager admitted: "It's been talked about [his loan being terminated in January].
Speculation about a Liverpool recall for Ben Woodburn from Sheffield United rings true for me. I think #sufc boss Chris Wilder just as receptive to this. For whatever reason, it has just not happened for Woodburn & no real prospect of that changing.
"The loan hasn't gone as well as Ben and us would have liked, for various reasons – like the form of Mark Duffy, who's probably playing the best football of his career, and the team as a whole."
Woodburn has played just 23 minutes since August, and has been absent from the last two matchday squads. He was unavailable for the Blades' trip to Rotherham this weekend because he had returned to the Liverpool Under-23s for a Merseyside derby with Everton.
By all accounts, the Welshman excelled in the Reds' 1-0 win at Goodison Park, and this performance, combined with his toils in South Yorkshire and the apparent willingness of those in charge to relinquish him, make the termination of his loan seem inevitable.


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WIFT Australia to pilot intervention program to help prevent gender-based violence
06 November, 2019 by Staff Writer
Women In Film & Television (WIFT) Australia will run a pilot educational workshop designed to help industry practitioners recognise abuse and harmful behaviours, and have the confidence to speak out and offer help.
The ScreenMATE Bystander Program is based on the MATE Bystander Program delivered by Griffith University, and has received funding from Film Victoria and the support of the City of Port Phillip.
ScreenMATE brings each individual into the conversation to think critically and with empathy about the root attitudes and beliefs that underpin harmful gender stereotypes. The trained facilitators create a safe space to allow individuals to share their experiences and opinions about these issues.
Areas covered in the four hour workshops include:
Language and Jokes
Racism & Discrimination
Victim Blaming & Shaming
General Violence
WIFT Australia board member and ScreenMATE facilitator Katrina Irawati Graham says: "The ScreenMATE Bystander Program builds on WIFT's dedication to systemic change by creating parallel focus on grassroots culture change. This program targets not just sexual harassment, but also the broader issues of harassment, discrimination, violence and bullying. Powerful, radical change needs all of us to pull together. This training gives us the tools to create a safer, more creatively flourishing industry."
Caroline Pitcher, CEO of Film Victoria, says, "This vital program goes hand-in-hand with the Victorian Screen Industry Code of Conduct to work towards eliminating gender-based violence and gender inequality in our industry. Through the ScreenMATE program, Victorian screen practitioners will be empowered to recognise and call out instances of inappropriate behaviour, both in their place of work and in the wider community. Ultimately this will encourage cultural change in all aspects of Australian life and a society that is safer and more respectful."
Griffith University's MATE Bystander Program that has been running for eight years.
"Griffith University and MATE are pleased to be working alongside WIFT Australia to deliver this adapted program to the screen industry. Preventing violence and promoting equality is paramount in every industry and environment and the screen industry has additional challenges and nuances, best addressed by those within the industry. We believe that through these conversations, we will empower people to recognise problematic behaviour, motivate them to respectfully challenge it, and inspire them to create positive change – which, thanks to the far-reaching potential, will extend beyond the industry and in to mainstream society," says assistant director of MATE Anoushka Dowling.
Two workshops will be held across November 25-26 at the Port Melbourne Town Hall, one for the screen industry and one for the games industry. A crèche for parents and carers of children is offered at the workshops.
film-victoria,
katrina-irawati-graham,
screenmate-bystander-program,
sexual-harassment,
wift-australia
Victorian screenwriter to pen crime scenes
Film Vic CSI fellow writer appointed
Gena Rowlands to star in Last Dance
Screen Leader Awards for Jill Bilcock and Roger Savage
Film Victoria chief executive Sandra Sdraulig leaves the agency

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Boost For Liverpool Boss Klopp As Thiago Edges Closer To Comeback And Matip Returns To Training
Posted by Sports Staff on December 17, 2020,
The Spaniard is stepping up his recovery from a knee injury and was pictured training outside on Thursday
Liverpool have been handed an injury boost with Thiago Alcantara edging closer to his long-awaited return to action.
The Spaniard was pictured at the Reds' training complex at Kirkby on Thursday, completing an outdoor rehabilitation session with the club's fitness coach David Rydings.
Thiago has not featured since suffering a knee injury in Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Everton on October 18 – his first Premier League start for the club.
And while he still has some way to go before he is considered for selection – manager Jurgen Klopp has already said the club will be ultra-careful when managing his return – fans will be encouraged at the sight of the 29-year-old stepping up his recovery.
There was another boost for Klopp with the sight of Joel Matip back in training, having missed Wednesday's vital 2-1 win over Tottenham with a back issue.
The Cameroon international was substituted at half-time of Liverpool's 1-1 draw at Fulham last Sunday, and was not deemed fit enough for the visit of Spurs, with teenager Rhys Williams deputising impressively on his league debut.
But Matip was pictured in full training on Thursday, alongside a number of youngsters and other players who didn't feature against Tottenham, including midfield duo Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, both of whom are working their way back to full fitness after injury issues of their own.
Working his way back towards full fitness 👊
💪 @Thiago6 💪 pic.twitter.com/SPYLjNoEd8— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 17, 2020
Liverpool are in action this Saturday, taking on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the lunchtime kick-off.
They will be without Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas, both of whom are set to be missing until at least late-January with knee issues, while James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri are yet to resume training after muscle problems. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are long-term absentees.
The Reds head into the weekend top of the Premier League after Roberto Firmino's late winner against Spurs, and can ensure they stay there for Christmas by avoiding defeat against Roy Hodgson's Palace.
And they go into the game boosted by the news that Klopp, for the second year in a row, has been named FIFA Best Men's Coach.
The German saw off competition from Bayern Munich's Hansi Flick and Leeds' Marcelo Bielsa to land the award.
"I am [shocked]," he said. "I was sitting here because I thought last year I won it. I am here with my players. Thank you very much, wow.
"I have so many people to thank and most of all my coaches. If I had known we'd won it my coaches would be here with me. What we did in the last year is all about these boys.
"We didn't dream 30 years but we dream already for a few years. It was absolutely exceptional and we all had a special year, in an unfortunately not so positive way, but for Liverpool fans at least we could make some highlights in a tricky period.
"I had no idea how it would feel and it felt absolutely overwhelming."
source:- goal


Afghanistan's Minister of Interior Noorulhaq Olomi said on Sunday that he had agreed to a closer working relationship with China during his first official visit to the country earlier in the week.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Olomi said he had met with officials and together they had signed a bi-lateral agreement to expand cooperation in the fight against terrorism and drug smuggling.
China's top security official Meng Jianzhu also vowed to boost cooperation with Afghanistan in fighting terrorism and drugs, state media agency Xinhua reported.
Olomi said the forging of ties would also see tightened working commitment between the two countries in border security. Afghanistan and China share a common border in the northern part of the country.
He went on to say that China has agreed to help provide Afghanistan with equipment to help detect and neutralize roadside mines and prove metal detecting equipment for border gates.
"It was a very good trip for us. The provision of equipment by China will be very effective for us," he said adding that China has also offered scholarship opportunities to Afghan servicemen.
Olomi said at the press conference that terrorism was a global threat, as well as a regional threat. He said that preventing the spread of insecurity in the region needs to be tackled jointly by Afghanistan and other regional countries.
"Terrorism is a global problem. This does not mean that it is only a threat for Afghanistan. If Afghanistan is insecure, it can result in insecurity in other countries as well. All the countries must pay attention to this issue," says Olomi.
He went on to say he visited military training centers and arms producing companies while in China.


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To legally dissolve a Nevada C corporation, you must file the one-page Certificate of Dissolution form with the Secretary of State. The form does not require you to state the specific type of organization you have been operating (such as C or S corp). The same Certificate of Dissolution is used for all "domestic" corporations that are headquartered in the state; a different form is used for "foreign" corporations that have headquarters elsewhere but are registered in Nevada.
You must enter the full legal name of your corporation on the Certificate of Dissolution, as well as names and addresses of the president, secretary, treasurer and all directors. By signing the form, you certify that the directors, or directors and shareholders, have approved a resolution to dissolve the corporation. You may enter the date and time of the dissolution at your discretion; this can be important for legal reasons, such as a corporate bankruptcy. An officer of the company must sign and date the form. The filing fee for the Certificate of Dissolution is $100, as of June 2013.
You must also complete the Customer Order Instructions form, which provides the office of the Secretary of State with instructions, such as where it should send copies of your dissolution documents, method of delivery you would like and your method of payment. The agency charges $30 for return of a certified copy; documents can be delivered by mail, FedEx, fax or e-mail. The agency charges more for 24-hour service. Two-hour service incurs a $500 charge, while one-hour service runs $1,000.
If your C corporation has not issued stock or begun business activity, you file a different form, which requires signatures of a majority of the directors or incorporators of the company. The filing fee and procedure is the same as for a company already in business. If you are winding down a foreign corporation (headquartered outside of Nevada), you will file a Notice of Withdrawal to end its Nevada business registration and officially dissolve the corporation in its home state.
A C corporation is a type of business entity with advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps the biggest advantage is that a C corporation can ultimately become a publicly traded business, enhancing its growth potential. The biggest disadvantage is that a C corporation is subject to double taxation. This means that the profits of the corporation are first taxed at the corporate level and then the shareholders are personally taxed once the profits are distributed. Nevada has specific requirements for individuals wishing to form a C corporation.


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You are here: Home / Our Instructors
Our Instructors have devoted many years to Karate and other martial arts and have attained a level of expertise. Through extensive testing, certification and tournament level competition, our Instructors have attained mastery in this martial art and now enjoy sharing their skills to students.
Richard Norton, Soke
(Ambassador for BKJ Martial Arts)
Soke Richard Norton has trained in many aspects of the martial arts well over 55 years of training, including Judo, Karate, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, Thai Boxing and several Japanese weapons systems. He currently holds the rank of 9th Degree Black Belt in Zen Do Kai. He also has a 6th Degree Black Belt in Ukidokan Kickboxing under Sensei Benny Urquidez, 5th Degree Shihan title in Goju Ryu under Hanshi Tino Ceberano, 8th Degree Masters rank in Chun Kuk Do under Chuck Norris and a 5th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the Machado brothers. He has also extensively trained with other Martial Arts legends such as Tadashi Yamashita, Fumio Demura, Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace and Pete 'Sugarfoot' Cunningham.
Soke Norton regularly conducts seminars all over the world, covering such topics as street defence, martial arts weapons drills, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. His 15 years experience as a Personal Body Guard for some of Rock and Roll's greats finds Richard in particular demand for teaching the realities of real life street defence, focusing on aspects such as adrenal dump, stress control and preemptive strikes.
Since his return to Australia, after 30 years living in the USA, he has been closely aligned with BKJ Martial Arts by providing comprehensive training and consultation in Karate, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA and Reality Based Defence. Most people know Richard Norton from his film work appearing in over 90 feature movies, including former bodyguard to James Taylor, Abba, Linda Ronstadt, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger. Click pic to play movie reel.
Dr George Adams, Hanshi (Chief Instructor)
Hanshi George Adams has an 8th Degree Black Belt in Karate-Jitsu and a Black Belt 1st Degree in Jiu Jitsu with over 45 years experience in the martias arts. He is dedicated to his organisation and students, and will continue to do so for a very long time.
"I started martial arts training in 1974 and I have been training and teaching for over 45 years. I have helped many persons to use the discipline of the martial arts to conquer their fears and transfer that power to all areas of their lives. No other activity can better this! The martial arts have literally saved my life. Not just defending myself but the challenges of surviving two near fatal incidents; the mental and physical abilities achieved through my martial arts is why I am still alive and training today."
– Dr George Adams
John Ellis, Renshi (Black Belt 6th Degree)
John, alongside his brother, Tim, has commenced training at the age of 15 years old. John regularly trains and teaches a minimum of 3 lessons a week. He also is the holder of a Black Belt in Jiu Jitsu.
John has competed in some of the toughest Karate tournaments in the country including NSW and National Kyokyushin Karate Knockdown Championships.
"I have been with Budoshinkai Karate since the day I started training and I have seen many progressive changes in the system including BJJ, MMA and Reality Street Self Defence. Many other school Instructors always look up to Hanshi George Adams."
– John Ellis
Timothy Ellis, Renshi (Black Belt 6th Degree)
Timothy, alongside his brother, John, has commenced training at the age of 15 years old. Timothy has never missed a martial arts lesson and currently trains and teaches a minimum of 10 lessons a week. Timothy has also competed in some of the toughest Karate tournaments in the country including NSW and National Kyokyushin Karate Knockdown Championships. He also is the holder of a Black Belt in Jiu Jitsu.
" Like my brother, John, I have been with Budoshinkai Karate since the day I started training and I love the introduction of BJJ & MMA training within our classes. Hanshi George Adams is highly respected and is a great ambassador in the martial arts."
– Timothy Ellis
Jonathan Adams, Sensei (Black Belt 3rd Degree)
Jonathan started the age of 6 years old and was awarded his junior Black Belt at the age of 11 years old. He has won numerous Karate tournaments in his early years and now continues to train in the martial arts and is dedicated to teaching the Little Dragons class at West Pennant Hills, as well as, senior classes. Jonathan is regarded as one of the most respected Instructors in Budoshinkai, who has a vibrant personality. Jonathan holds a Degree in Laws Honours Class 1, including the University's medal, and a Degree in Criminology with Distinction, including the Dean's medal, and is the former President of the Young Law Society. He also holds a Master Degree in Law from Oxford University and works as a full time barrister but still loves his martial arts.
"I have attained many achievements in the martial arts. The discipline and the mental ability I have developed has given me the opportunity to take on challenges in the professional world. I remember what my Sensei (and father) had told me, 'the mental skills from your martial arts training will help you take on the challenges in your profession.'"
– Jonathan Adams
Darren Grieve, Sensei (Black Belt 3rd Degree)
Darren lives, trains and teaches at Rainbow Beach and Tin Can Bay. He also has a number of police officers training with him particularly in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA. The Chief Instructor, Dr George Adams, visits his schools for seminars and gradings annually. Darren also is the holder of Brown Belt in Jiu Jitsu.
"I became involved with Martial Arts when I took my two young children along to the local school in Tin Can Bay and was encouraged by the Instructor to take part in classes. After 10 years of training I attained the rank of 3rd Dan and I am now an Instructor of that school. I also commenced a school at Rainbow Beach which is proving to be very popular in a small community. Being a police officer I have found that my training and development in Martial Arts in particular BJJ has given me new found confidence to handle the hazards associated with modern policing. I have to thank Hanshi George Adams and his Sydney instructors for the support and encouragement they have provided me along the way."
– Darren Grieve
JJGF


The Gruter Institute is a research community that fosters collaboration across disciplines in order advance our understanding of the interplay between law, institutions and human behavior. The goal of the Institute is to build a richer understanding of the underlying behaviors at the heart of society's most pressing problems and to improve our understanding of how law and other institutions facilitate or hinder those behaviors. To that end, the Institute brings together academics and practitioners from diverse fields ranging from evolutionary biology, economics, anthropology, finance and law to exchange knowledge from the diverse disciplines, collaborate on core questions, and develop tangible outputs, including publications, policy recommendations and the architecture of innovative institutional and legal regimes.
THE GRUTER INSTITUTE'S PROGRAM ON UNDERSTANDING INNOVATION WILL CONTINUE TO BRING THE INSTITUTE'S INTERDISCIPLINARY TOOLKIT TO THE STUDY OF INNOVATION AND GROWTH.
The Gruter Institute will continue to bring together academics and practitioners across a wide spectrum of disciplines to build a systems-level theory of innovation and growth. Just as we are better able to refine legal systems with an improved understanding of that which law is meant to regulate — human behavior, so too we are better able to refine institutions with an informed understanding of that which we are trying to facilitate – innovative behavior. There is a wealth of knowledge about how innovation occurs in a range of complex systems, from evolutionary biology, to anthropology, law and economics. Taking a systems-level approach to analyze what constitutes a system receptive to innovation versus hostile to innovation, we are best equipped to positively foster and support specific legal regimes, economic policies, and business approaches that facilitate innovation and growth and advance global quality of life. The Program convenes select scholars and practitioners to 1. exchange relevant knowledge and questions within the diverse disciplines, 2. collaborate on the core questions at the heart of better understanding productive innovation, and 3. develop tangible outputs of publications, policy recommendations and the architecture of innovative institutions and legal regimes.
The Role of Money in Innovation and Growth.Read more ..
Evolution of Regulation and its Impact on Innovation. Read more ..


The Appalachian Literary Society was a club at Appalachian State Teachers College (and predecessor institutions), operating from at least 1912-1937. This collection contains two books of meeting minutes, dated 1905-1912, for the Appalachian Literary Society.
The Appalachian Literary Society was a club at ASU predecessor institutions, operating from at least 1912-1937. It is unclear if or when this group disbanded. It has, however, seen a resurgence and as late as 2010 was in operation. They state: Appalachian Literary Society, or AppL Society for short, is a club at Appalachian State University based in literature and creative writing, the club strives to promote literacy and creativity by means of service projects and other events to be scheduled in the upcoming meetings. AppL Society is great for Communication, Education, and English Majors as well as anyone interested in reading and/or writing.
This collection contains two books of meeting minutes, dated 1905-1912, for the Appalachian Literary Society.
This collection is housed in one folder. This collection is stored with other small University Archives collections, as denoted by the UASC box label.
Transferred from the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection in 2006 and accessioned as UA.2006.290.
Processed by Rose Buchanan in December 2011. Finding aid written by Rose Buchanan and Grant Maher, 2011.
[Identification of item], UA.5100: Appalachian Literary Society Records, University Archives, Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C., USA.


BUCHAREST, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Romania's central bank upped its annual inflation forecast for December on Friday and said political uncertainty that has delayed vital aid cash had pushed it into wait-and-see mode on rates.
The International Monetary Fund stopped reviewing Romania's 20 billion euro aid package on Friday, holding back rescue funds originally slated for next month pending the resolution of a political crisis sparked by the government's fall last month.
The revised forecast -- due to higher excise taxes -- puts price growth at 4.5 percent in December, at the top end of the bank's 2.5-4.5 target band, central bank Governor Mugur Isarescu said on Friday. The bank kept its 2.6 percent forecast for 2010.
Some analysts say this year's target is at risk largely because of political noise and chances of leu weakening.
Earlier this month, the bank surprised markets by keeping its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 8 percent, leaving Romania with the highest borrowing costs in the European Union.
'The main reason (for keeping rates flat) was uncertainty. There is nothing we can do but wait and see,' Isarescu told a conference to present the quarterly inflation report.
Isarescu said the government's massive needs to finance its budget deficit would cause the spread between the key rate and interbank rates to persist, exerting pressure on inflation.
He warned efforts to fund the fiscal deficit without IMF cash were an 'acute problem'.
Analysts have said the central bank's cautious stance was a signal it was worried about the leu currency which has been under pressure since sinking to its lowest level in eight months after the fall of the centrist minority cabinet.
Dealers have said the central bank has intervened repeatedly to support it in recent months. The bank has declined comment. On Friday, Isarescu said its foreign exchange reserve level was 'slightly excessive'.
He said further leu weakening was unjustified by economic fundamentals, adding the current account deficit had narrowed far beyond expectations.


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Unique proteins give water bears extreme drought tolerance
By Emma Stoye2017-03-17T10:12:00+00:00
Glassy proteins allow water bears to survive being dried out for more than a decade
Source: T C Boothby
Water bears are exceptionally hardy and can even survive in the vacuum of space – scientists have now discovered a set of proteins that helps to explain how they manage these feats of extreme survival
They're often touted as the toughest animal on the planet. Tardigrades – also known as water bears – can survive extremes of cold, heat and radiation, and even the vacuum of space.
Now, scientists in the US have identified a set of proteins unique to the creatures that that help keep them alive and unharmed when they are dried out – even if the desiccation lasts for years.
Water bears' extreme drought tolerance has always been something of a puzzle for researchers. Other drought-resistant organisms, such as yeast and nematode worms, are able to survive because their cells contain a sugar called trehalose, but this is not found at high levels in tardigrades.
By looking at patterns of gene expression in tardigrades, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill isolated proteins they dubbed tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins (TDPs) that were expressed during drying out periods. They showed that introducing TDPs to other organisms such as bacteria and yeast enabled them to survive desiccation. Further investigation suggested TDPs protect cells in a similar way to trehalose sugar – by forming glass-like solids as they dry out rather than crystals. The team says these proteins could have important potential uses, such as engineering drought-tolerant crops or enabling sensitive drugs to be stored at room temperature.
T C Boothby et al, Mol. Cell, 2017, DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.02.018
Emma StoyeSenior science correspondent, Chemistry World
How goldfish 'get drunk' to cope with cold winters
Researchers reveal the metabolic survival secrets of boozy pond dwellers
Theory of crack networks helps understand paint ageing
New model could benefit art conservators and geologists
Supramolecules break the ice
Synthetic dye self-assembles to inhibit ice growth


Nowadays, there are so many churches which have different doctrines each other. Among them, which church is the true one that is the eternal life and God together? The Bible tells God is in Zion.
Where is God? God said he would stay in Zion forever. Then, where should we go to meet God and to receive the blessing?
Of course, we have to find out Zion where God dwells. In Zion, we will get eternal life from God.
(Ps 133:3) It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
That is not about the physical Zion in the Old Testament Age, but about the spiritual one where will be established by Jesus in the New Testament Age. Because the eternal life was not for Old Testament Age and allowed by Jesus at the New Testament Age.
God's people in the New Testament Age should go to Spiritual Zion where is with God and the blessing of eternal life.
Then, where is the spiritual Zion the will be established at the New Testament Age?
(Is 33:20) Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.
Who is there? [God] Because God is in Zion together, there is safe and flood God's blessing. Also there is the forgiveness of sin.
(Is 33:24) No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill"; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.
'the wages of sin is death.' If we get the forgiveness of our sin, we can also get the eternal life. It is Zion that we can meet God and be allowed the eternal life. Zion prophesied in the Bible must has the Feasts of God like Sabbath, Passover… That place without the Feasts of God can never become Zion with the blessing of eternal life and God together.


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'The Warm Heart of Africa"
Our view over Lake Malawi from the tent in the morning, near Sangilo village, Malawi.
There's a 1 hour time difference between Tanzania and Malawi so when we woke up at 5:30 there was already daylight and we woke up to the Lake Malawi beach view, which was nice. As we drove off, we learned that they grow a lot of cassava in Malawi, seeing the little patches of farms on the side of the road; we also drove up a mountain to a very scenic drive and view over the valley and the lake.
The fishermen villages we saw on the coast looked very shabby and we were told it's because they are just temporary, seasonal villages. The fishermen live there some months and then go back to their families who live elsewhere, probably to do farming for the rest of the season.
Our next stop after a pretty drive through a mountainous area was the town of Mzuzu. Mzuzu is one of the largest cities in Malawi and they even have a Shoprite supermarket there! We had a stop here to restock on drinks etc., and I bought a baobab juice. It was very sweet and sour and iron-y at the same time, and it wasn't very good. I couldn't finish it and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else, but I had to give it a try.
After another little while we made a short stop at a souvenir market by the road. They were mainly doing wood and stone carvings, a lot of them figures of The Big Five. As it turns out, a lot of these types of souvenirs that can be bought throughout Africa are made in Malawi and Zimbabwe (probably they have the best sort of wood for it?) and they export their goods elsewhere, like South Africa, where they are sold more expensively. They were carving their figures and bowls and everything else while we were there, so it was very nice to see. There were lots of beautiful things on offer.
Malawi is called "The Warm Heart of Africa", and it is very hot and humid here; but also the locals are known to be very open and welcoming, and they did bid us welcome whenever we went with big smiles on their faces. Everyone was waving, yelling greeatings and overall being very excited to see the truck and there were especially a lot of children. We're told that they are some of the most open people that we will meet on our little adventure through East and Southern Africa.
Next up was our lunch stop, which we made by a rubber plantation. I was one of the people 'hired' to help our cook prepare lunch today, chopping up veggies for the food. After eating our lunch, Godfree took us up to a rubber tree and showed us how they harvest the rubber and how they 'bleed' into the collection baskets that are fastened on the tree trunks. There were some boys trying to sell us balls made from the rubber. No one bought anything and they seemed a little sad about it, which made me feel a little bad because they are so poor and have to do anything to earn some money.
Rubber plantations with new trees coming up.
Driving on along the lake and rivers, I observed that people here tend to bathe completely naked. Elsewhere, and especially on Zanzibar, had been wearing clothes when swimming on the beach/in the rivers. Maybe it's a cultural or religious thing but it was a fun difference to notice.
We arrived at our camp site at about 16:45. It was a very nice, well-kept camp site with a nice garden, a small pool and direct access down to the beach on the shore of Lake Malawi. In fact, we pitched our tents right on the border between grass and the beach sand. While it was nice, it definitely also didn't look like pictures of Lake Malawi as seen on google. The water is muddy as opposed to clear, is sort of brown in colour as opposed to blue/green and it just doesn't look like a nice place to swim. Had a dip of my foot in the water, but there were rocks and sea weed. The lake is so big, though, that you can't see an end to it and it resembles an ocean with waves crashing in much more than it does a lake.
There were activities available for the coming days, although they were so expensive that upon discussing it after dinner in the bar, it seemed most people would not be doing anything. Snorkelling was something I had wanted to do in the lake, but the price they went with from this location was 80 USD per person for half a day. Horseback riding was available but was priced at 200 USD for 1 hour, which is very expensive even for Danish standards. It seems we'll have 3 nights, 2 days here where we won't be doing anything special.
I was looking forward to Malawi and seeing the lake but as of right now I'm a bit disappointed that this is the place that the tour company chose to have us camp for 3 nights, as I am sure after some research that there are places that are a bit more attractive and reasonably priced. I guess I'll see in the next few days how I feel about it. I'm sure the country is wonderful and the local people, too. I'm just not good at doing 'nothing' while I'm away on holiday.
The People of Ngala
A woman and her son walking on the beach in Ngala.
Before noon today we had a walk in the local village of Ngala on the schedule. Our local guide showed up at the lodge and picked us up. He lives in the village himself and therefore is perfect for showing us around.
At first we walked up to where the local market is taking place. Basically, it is an installation of some wooden tables under an intermittent roof made up of a mix of straw and plastic bags. There were a lot of empty tables at the market today, although there were some women selling tomatoes and dried fish which seem similar to sardines.
As we were walking around we attracted the attention of the children in the village, who tended to come running at us full speed to then grab onto our hands and walk with us. Those who knew English would try some light conversation. Some of them were almost begging to have their picture taken (to which of course the group obliged). The guide had told us before the walk that he'd give us his e-mail address so that we could send him any pictures we took of the people in the village so he could print them and hand them out to the right people. Therefore, most of the villagers were happy to be in our photographic shots.
Next stop was at the local school, situated a bit further from the shore. Close to the school they had also placed the village water pump which had been installed there by volunteers. A lot of children were hanging around the area even though there is no school on Saturdays. Every place we walked by, a new group of children would show up and ask for our attention and grab our hands, and near the school we really got flocked. We were definitely the ones on display, feeling rather like the observed than the observers – which is a lovely thing! Although observed and observers sounds too passive, because we were all up close and personal with those kids and we were welcomed without any hesitation.
The school consisted of a few different, separate buildings with very basic classrooms and a headmaster's house + a room functioning as the headmaster's office. The headmaster talked to us about the school while we were sitting on hard wooden benches in one of the small, hot class rooms. The village is home to about 5000 people and the school has around 500 students. Out of those, a staggering 300-something are in the same class – and they only have 1 teacher for this class! In total, the school has 6 teachers, including the headmaster. While it is not compulsory for children to go to school in Malawi, most parents want their child to be able to read and write and thus send them to school.
After 8th grade there's an examination and if the student does well there, they may be selected for secondary school. However, only primary school is free so parents would have to pay for the 4 years of secondary school, which is not always an option for them. If after those 4 years you do well at the next examination, you may get selected to go to college or university.
A picture from one of the class rooms in Ngala school.
While the school had previously lacked space for all their students (teaching some of them outside in the shade of a huge mango tree), they now had enough buildings but were lacking writing materials. At the end of the tour of the school we got taken to the headmaster's office where he explained a bit about the subjects they taught before he put a collection jar on the table.
After the school we went to the local hospital. This was a very small place, basically consisting of one building for everything, and then one other building which was intended for pregnant women. They could only do very basic things at this hospital, like minor surgeries, helping women give birth as long as there were no complications, vaccinations and treatment for malaria and HIV. Anything more serious and the patient would have to be sent to the 'mother' hospital 90 kilometres away. However, there was only one ambulance to serve all the local hospitals in the area so it was really unreliable. Unfortunately, they had lost a fair number of women to child birth because of this. The things we take for granted.. We were told that they bring between 2 and 4 children into the world every day here, which seems crazy for a population of 5000. That's the case in Malawi, though, most people get a lot of children.
The hospital is free and government owned, but the building was filled to the brim with patients waiting to be looked after and they only had 2 doctors and 2 nurses. It was a little shocking to see with your own eyes.
A home-repaired wheel chair.
The last official stop on this tour was by the shore of the lake, at the small fisherman's village. Here we saw close up how they dry the fish they catch on the lake, using mosquito nets to dry them on. A lot of people have malaria in Malawi and that is partly because they find alternative uses to the free mosquito nets given to them by the government, case in point with the fish drying on the nets.
Fishing is very important to a lot of Malawi people, and during the off-season for fishing (rainy season) the fisherman go home to their family to farm (f.ex. maize, which grows nicely during the rainy season). Our local guide said that most fishermen work at night, then when they go back to shore they go to the local bar for drinks, catch a few hours of sleep in the afternoon before going back out on the lake. It seems a tough life.
Fish drying on mosquito nets.
Electricity comes and goes sporadically in Malawi. Apparently, there's only one source of power, a hydroelectric power plant located where Lake Malawi runs into a river, which has to supply electricity to the whole country. Therefore, they have a rotation where any region has 6 hours of power at a time, with changing times from day to day. It's a very different life from what we're used to. The lodge does have their own generator which they turn on for a few hours if power is out during the evening, but otherwise you're just out of luck.
Malawi is one of the poorer countries because during slavery a huge amount of the country's labour force was taken away to be sold (same with Zambia). This laid the foundation for a country that needed workers but didn't have enough, while simultaneously also not having the fortune of having any minerals or precious materials as many other African countries. This is also a contributing factor to the country being poorer than neighbouring countries.
Hastings Banda was one of the country's leaders in 1964 and up to 1994, and while he banned family planning methods which might have contributed to the high birth rate in the country, he also encouraged more farming such as tobacco and cotton, which really helped the country economically, seeing that most regions in the country did not use to farm. Now, Malawi even produces enough produce to export to neighbouring countries when these have had a bad farming season.
The rest of the day and night was free time where we relaxed by the pool and by the shore of the lake. In the evening we were sitting in the bar, having a drink, when the cat suddenly pawed at something by the couch. Then one of the girls from our group jumped up and out and we saw that the cat had been playing with a little black and yellow snake (a sand snake, not dangerous). That ended the night for us as it slithered back behind the couches and disappeared.
Woman preparing tomatoes on the local market.
A Windy Day by the Lake
(Sunday 21st October, 2018)
The beach by the lodge at its most beautiful (not from this day of bad weather).
We had a little bit of rain during the night, and we had the rain cover on and the window/door flaps closed. It felt a little claustrophobic in the heat but it was necessary to avoid wet things inside the tent. We woke up sort of early to quite a lot of wind. The lake was foaming, frothing and looking angry, trees were dropping their leaves and even branches like no one's business, and our tents were bending severely inwards. Some of us were pretty concerned that our tents would simply blow away.
No one had booked any activities and the weather was pretty bad. The Japanese man had wanted to go fishing on the lake but it was cancelled because it would be too dangerous due to the weather conditions. It was cloudy and so windy that the sand was flying all over the place, couldn't enjoy the beach or even really sit outside pleasantly. Our guide's tent even fell over from the wind and we had to go and rescue it and secure it. If you hadn't closed the flaps on your tent, you were going to find your belongings covered in sand.
We also had no electricity during the day today so most of us sat around indoors by the bar/couch area, reading books or looking through photos or having a nap. After lunch, rain clouds were pulling up on the horizon, making the day look even more drab. It was a short rain but it was there, and after it was gone we had some electricity back here and there, spottily. It started raining again later, though, and we also heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance. A free day on the beach and the weather is like this; lovely, isn't it?
I had thought the country was very pretty when driving through it. The lake is quite impressive, although not as expected. It is one of Africa's 3 great lakes and is home to more than 1000 species of fish, also being the only place in the world where you can find a lot of the fresh water cichlids. The part of the lake we were by wasn't all that great, though, and even though you could swim in the water, there are crocodiles and hippos out there sometimes. The owners of the lodge told us that as little as 1-2 weeks ago they had observed a mother and calf hippo walking along the shore. There aren't many activities on offer in this area and as I mentioned, they are extremely expensive even for Westerners. The lodge is pretty, the surroundings too, and the local people are all smiles and friendly, but I didn't enjoy having this much free time in this place and this day was pretty boring, honestly.
The shoreline of Lake Malawi at its most beautiful (not from this day of bad weather).
I think the country seems great and inviting and I would maybe come back and visit the more southern parts of Malawi and the lake, but I think things could have been organised better on this tour so that we didn't see two places in the country which are quite so similar. Not that it has been bad being here, at all, I'm just not a 'sitting still' and 'relaxing by the pool' sort of person.
From Lake Malawi to Luangwa River
(Monday 22nd October, 2018)
View over the river at sunset from our South Luangwa camp.
Today was the day that we left Malawi behind and instead got greeted by Zambia. We got up early to enjoy the last sunrise at Lake Malawi (more like, in order to get to the next camp in time but hey – this sounds more poetic!), at 4:30. It had gotten really windy again during the night and the sunrise was not really anything special because it was also very cloudy. At about 5:30 we left the lodge to drive on.
We drove through Nkhotakota town on our way, a town which used to be a central spot for slave traders. Slaves collected from the country and surrounding countries were gathered here before they were forced to walk all the way to Tanzania. Most slave traders in this part were Arabs, and therefore most people in this town are Muslims to this day.
Some other things that I noticed: In Tanzania, the villages are often right on the road side, stretching along it in a single line. The houses also seem more often to be made out of clay. In Malawi, the villages will have some houses along the road, but the villages reach in and away from the road more so, and a good deal of houses are made of brick put together with some mud-mix and completed with either a straw or tin roof, depending on the amount of money the owner has available. We also started to see some of the houses having decorative plants in the front areas, and that they are able to find time and energy to keep nice, decorative plants is sort of impressive with the amount of hard labour most people have to do here.
As I was seeing the country pass by I started to feel a surge of affection for it and I realised I really do like it here quite a lot from what I have observed.
We made it to the small border post and 'checked out' of Malawi easily enough. We had to fill in, in hand writing, details about our yellowfever certificate before getting our VISAs for Zambia. It was a little bit slow though not as slow as getting into Malawi to begin with had been. While waiting, it was quite cool as it had been all day and would remain so at our destination; chilly and cloudy.
Entering Zambia, Evans told us that the living standard here is higher than in Malawi and that there are a lot less people living in this country. You could see the difference only a few kilometres from the border, as the houses looked a lot nicer, bigger and with enclosed gardens. It was pretty weird to observe the difference.
Our first stop in this country was at a shopping area in Chipata to refuel and get some snacks and water for the next few days. Chipata has an estimated 1.5 million citizens (mostly living on the outskirts) and is sort of the capitol of the Eastern part of Zambia. They grow a lot of tobacco and cotton here, though it is not yet season for tobacco and you'd see the empty half-shelters above the farms. The city looked very neat, even had paved and marked footpaths and bicycle paths on the roadside. Haven't seen something so advanced in a while. Less women wearing sarongs here, though, rather they wore more Western European clothes. Driving through Zambia there was also a whole lot more personal vehicles and a good amount of large shops.
Landscape near our lunch stop after entering Zambia.
Evans told us that in Zambia most people are farmers although the country also has mineral deposits, namely copper. The government privatized the industry, however, so the country does not optimally benefit from the minerals being mined. Thabani-talk later informed that Zambia has significant debt to China and that as a result, some people joke that the country is the first Chinese colony.
We arrived at the The Wildlife Camp at the edge of South Luangwa National Park before sunset as promised. It was, however, also very cloudy here, so though the beauty of the place made it nice, it wasn't super spectacular. The camp is located on the river bank which marks the border of the national park. However, because the amount of water is currently so shallow, many animals come to this side – and of course they don't care about borders anyway. There is, therefore, wildlife at the campsite and you have to take precautions: don't keep food in the tent, always leave the tent closed at all times because monkeys and baboons are cheeky, and if you have to pee at night, sweep the area with your torch; if eyes shine back at you, stay put until they are gone.
When we first drove into the camp site, we saw baboons just chilling everywhere. I also did see/hear (from the yelling of a man) a baboon steal something from out of a truck and then climb into a tall tree with it. The man tried to hit the baboon with a slingshot but to no avail. On the river bank, ducks, warthogs and some impalas were going about their business. A hippo emerged from the water. It was all pretty beautiful, right on the edge of wilderness.
Ducks, geese and other birds enjoying the river at sunset.
When we were sitting in the bar and enjoying the view, we suddenly noticed that the rock on the shore moved and was, in fact, a hippo. It was just grazing peacefully, gradually coming closer and closer. I think it walked within 10 metres of us! It was amazing. Then it walked up the bank and into the camp, where next to the tents you could really see how big it is. It then disappeared into the darkening dusk but I've since heard the grunting noises around.
The top image shows a local house in Ngala, Malawi and children running towards us.
Last updated 3rd January, 2019.


W.G. Clark provided extensive preconstruction services for the project, which the University and its design team planned for a strong community flavor that promotes student interaction and connection through its large shared living spaces and the project's many appealing amenities. The University was eager to have the project schedule accelerated, and W.G. Clark worked with the team to develop a phased turnover schedule that achieved earlier student move-in dates than originally planned. The project achieved LEED Gold certification.


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ProSportsDaily.com > Basketball > NBA > Kevin Love to Seriously Consider Leaving Cavs, Joining Lakers
View Full Version : Kevin Love to Seriously Consider Leaving Cavs, Joining Lakers
goingfor28
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/10/report-kevin-love-will-seriously-consider-opting-out-maybe-to-join-lakers/
As I always figured, Love will go to LA and Russ will join in a couple years.
Leaves a potential title contender(if they get things sorted out) for a 20 win laker team... makes sense :laugh2:
-Kobe24-TJ19-
Arch Stanton
I was wondering when all these silly rumors would start. :laugh2:
Gasol to the Spurs and Love to LA
JLynn943
I hear he's going to opt out to play in New York (you know, just to get ahead of that rumor already)
chi-townlove1
Are they silly because you don't want them to be true?
highly doubt Love leaves. The Cavs will be an offensive machine 20 games from now and start killing teams. Why would he leave?
abe_froman
i can def see him consider it ,but doubt he leaves the cavs in the end.just part of the rumor mill that keeps fan interest among popular teams high when nothing else is going on
Remember last year Mychel Thompson said that kyrie wanted to be a laker bad.... look how that turned out :laugh2:
kdspurman
I'm really hoping this happens too :)
No, they are silly because we are 5 games into the season and the author provides little evidence to support his claim. Is it possible? Sure. But I think a lot of things would have to go wrong for the Cavs and right for the Lakers.
Wouldn't surprise me if he did leave with all the movement these days. Plus, it's the LA.
If it doesn't work out why would he stay ?
Well it's hard for him to leave after his rookie contract . Those players hardly leave because they're RFA . If Kyrie was An UFA be prob would have left and this happen before all the Lebron drama .
cause he is awesome
Cavs would gave to get a 1st or 2nd round exit for love to leave . Also could see Love leaving if things just don't click .
Co-sign the guy is putting up 18-11 shooting 36%. Once the team gets their **** together it should be a fun show.
jimm120
Love always said he wanted Lakers and 2nd the Knicks.
He agreed to go to the Cavs because of LeBron...but if things don't go smoothly, the Cavs traded away Bennet and Wiggins for 1 year of Love. YIKES!
RowBTrice
I don't blame him. What a cluster ****.....
Munkeysuit
Considering Loves current contraction now, he almost has to say that...
numba1CHANGsta
Think about this for a minute, Miami was an attractive destination, that's why Bosh stayed. Cleveland isn't so attractive, doesn't really fit in with a guy who is used to living in a big city. In the end, he will go where he feels more comfortable with, I can see him leaving to go to either NY or LA. As a Laker fan I wouldn't mind having him but I also didn't mind if he never came here since we already have our PF of the future in Randle (hopefully)
I seriously thought that one of the conditions was for Love to sign an extension before getting traded, guess Cavs messed this one up.
This would be the most hilarious thing in the history of hilarious things.
Snakeyestx
:p If he goes to LA, he'll become the next "Dan Marino" of the NBA.
Let's totally flip the rumor-truck on its side... Love to Houston.
PurpleJesus
This is just big media being big media.
ILLUSIONIST^248
Because Lebron will start to suck his stats away.
Jamiecballer
He's not kobe
what would you consider not working out? Does anyone really think the Cavs offense won't become unstoppable eventually?
then he would be a hypocrite. If he wants his 26-14 numbers, he needs to be on a bad team.
It's not the their offense it's their defense . They can't stop anyone
D-Leethal
You guys gotta stop looking at these guys like they are basketball robots. Would you want to move your family to Cleveland and live there for half the year? Enroll your kids in school in that shithole? Its more than finding a team to play for the next 5-10 years, its finding a city to live in the next 5-10 years. "Its all about winning" is a stupid cliche, LeBron wasn't going to freakin' Utah no matter what type of team they had there to take less and win titles. He went to South Beach. Basketball is a part of it, but these guys have lives off the court too. If they struggle (relative to their talent level) this year and don't make the Finals or ECF, why the hell would he stay in Cleveland?
Do you really think Love, who has played with the Wolves, will leave a team that will easily make the playoffs and advance at least a round or 2, to head to the Lakers, who are in worse shape than his former team?
You guys gotta stop looking at these guys like they are basketball robots. Would you want to move your family to Cleveland and live there for half the year? Enroll your kids in school in that shithole? Its more than finding a team to play for the next 5-10 years, its finding a city to live in the next 5-10 years. "Its all about winning" is a stupid cliche, LeBron wasn't going to Utah to team up with anyone and take less and win titles. Basketball is a part of it, but these guys have lives off the court too. If they struggle (relative to their talent level) this year and don't make the Finals or ECF, why the hell would he stay in Cleveland?
Love has no kids
His gf is an actress or something. So, if he wants to go to a team that is in limbo and sucks for the next few years, so he can be in LA and with his girl, cool. Every word he muttered while in Minnesota was b.s. than, about wanting to win.
L8kers4life
Come on Jamiecballer, it has been proven that if you play with Lebron, your stats will go down, see Wade, Bosh, Allen, Love and anyone else who has played with LeBron. I can name you over 10 people who's stats were better playing with Kobe than without, I challenge you to find 10 for LeBron. Kobe, enhanced, Pau, Ariza, Shaq, Fisher, Vujecic, Walton, Odom, Bynum, Smush and many others.
But even with all that said, Love aint coming to the crappy Lakers, he will stay in Cleveland because LeBron does increase the winning!
Although you make a great point, don't you think it would be a bit appealing to go back to the city he played college in and become the face of the greatest Basketball franchise on the planet? He will have even more marketing power, live in a better city and let's not forget, Lakers know how to build a team. So if Love comes he will attract more pieces to LA.
With that being said, he will not leave Cleveland.
Its never only about one thing. If he thinks LA could build a successful team around with their picks and cap space in coming years, that doesn't mean he doesn't want to win.
Nothing is guaranteed in this league - the only sure thing is that Los Angeles >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Cleveland.
You can want to win, while not desperate enough where you choose to build a life in Cleveland over Hollywood for the sake of the easiest route to the Finals. The vast majority of his life takes place off the court. Love has a lot of prime basketball left in him, he should make his decision based on a 10 year plan to end his career and not a quick vacation to the easiest titles possible like LeBron did.
You never know , things that seem 100% logical to us doesn't always turn out that way . Everyone thought Bosh should have went to Hou and they could have had the best team in the west prob with Bev / Harden / Parsons/ Bosh / Howard locked up for several seasons but it didn't happen . Like I said it depends on how this team meshes and if they actually can find an identity on both sides of the game . If they can't instead of missing the playoffs in the west every year you're not losing in the 1st and 2nd round every year because of the teams overall lack of defense .
Also, don't make it out like the Lakers do not know how to win, they have missed the playoffs like 4 times in their history. With all the cap space, some young pieces and a chance to be the face of the Lakers, Love would have to consider the opportunity.
Just because the Lakers have 2 bad years, you act like they will never have the chance to win again. It takes one free agent to come here and the chips will start to fall. But stop acting like we are some cursed franchise like say "Cleveland", oops my bad, Cleveland will win the championship this year right? Surely the Cavs will add to their title count this year right?
lamzoka
If he leaves then it just shows that K-Love gives no fŪck about winning. He just wanna pad his stats and get paid big money while living in a big city.
Melo to Chicago seemed like a no brainer too
Wow, this is an amazing post, spit that Knowledge D-leethal. Heck, New York, Chicago and LA would all be better for him for the next 10 years. Your point that most of their life takes place off the court, and being in NY, Chicago or LA would definitly be more appealing than a few years in Cleveland till LeBron finds a better option.
I somewhat agree to what you're saying here, but
Kevin Love is not leaving Cavs for Lakers.
More money plus title contender and Lebron as a teammate >>> City of Los Angeles
Kevin Love is not married nor does he have any kids.
AsiandudePH
He's just trying to get leverage.
Quinnsanity
I hear his true passion is interpretive dance.
still1ballin
and all that is fine. LA is not Minny, they at least have a track record. But they are not going to be a contender for a while, he would basically be a hypocrite to go there, essentially spurning a contender for LA. All has clamored about is wanting to get to the playoffs, and win. He would be walking away from that. I would lose respect for him if he did that, only because of all the winning stuff he has had coming out of his mouth.
Jeffy25
It's silly because it's silly
5 games into the season, wants to leave a title contender to go to one of the worst teams in the league
Maybe in the off-season, maybe
Also, author provided no evidence to support his theory.
ciaban
I don't think he will go alone, probably with Rondo or Leonard, and they're build some high draft picks up.
The Cav's had the 1st overall pick last year and missed the playoffs and are now a title contender, things can change quickly in the NBA.
DemarDerozan
They started when Cleveland played like a lottery team the first seven games of the season... And when Miami looked like a title contender without lebron. Hahahaha.
bleedprple&gold
Yea but his girlfriend actress Cody Horn lives guess where....?
koreancabbage
none of which is true.
Crackadalic
That be just as bad as Howard going to the Rockets after the Lakers gave up a lot for him except he was going to a good team. Love is going to be in the lottery if he leaves for the next few years
Bongashow
Whatever, the Lakers will already make a decent improvement next year by adding Randle and Okafor.
I don't get it, why are they playing at Ohio State in your sig?
What's more important to Kevin Love? His career, playing for a contender and winning championships or move to LA and play for a mediocre team just because his girlfriend lives there? Tell that bîtch to pack her shît and move to Cleveland. I think her father is the president of warner bros. She won't be missing out on any opportunities. She could always fly to LA whenever she wants.
ohreally
Doubt that this is true, but it's possible. More likely he wants the Cavs to get rid of Kyrie, since playing with LeBron is one thing but a 2A to someone's 2B ain't what he's interested in. But it would be funny if the Cavs got rid of Kyrie and Love did leave forLA, hoisting Bron on his own petard since Love was born in Southern Cal.
I figure the Cavs have dissension written all over them though.
Just wait until the reporters realize that Lebron's contract expires the same year where Kobe (likely) retires.
:laugh: #LBJTOLA2016
Lets see, the Lakers have been to the finals 7 times in the last 14 years, so basically every other year and have won 5 rings during that time. They have 16 championships and have missed the playoffs 4 times in their history. The Cavs have been once in the last 35 years and lost, and have won the lottery 3 times in the last 11 years, yet the Lakers have been so good since the 80's that this years pick number 7 was the lowest since 1982, and the Lakers are the bad choice for him? Sounds a bit lopsided, and one sided to me. and now the hopes of the Cavs rely on LeBron, who could very likely leave in a few years for greener pastures.
So you would be upset because he wants to go to one of the most storied franchises, whose track record to win, spans over the last 5 decades. He is almost the 3rd option this year, and he plays for a team that won the lottery this past summer. Yet coming to the "Lakers" would be a bad idea. I think your hatred for the Lakers has caused you to lose some perspective.
Let's see, Randle coming back, another top pick this year (yes we suck this year), Swaggy P, Jeremy Lin, last year of Kobe and a plethora of cap space, as well as the keys to Los Angeles sounds bad to you? Sounds like a bright future to me.
Iron24th
It would make no sense, and I'm a Lakers fan...
P&GRealist
Really thoughtful of you for planning out the next 10 yrs of their lives. You know, since you're like God or something. :rolleyes:
Well the Lakers are hiring all ex-Cavs coaches so maybe they should try to grab their players too. To them I say good luck with that!
He would be a hypocrite for going to L.A. and trying to win titles with a good team along side Griffin and CP3?
10 years? :confused:
Love can sign for a max contract 5 years with option to opt-out after 4. In which he can then sign with the Lakers and buy a house in Beverly Hills and live happily ever after.
Love signing with the Lakers next season could alter his legacy.
Leftcoast_yg
Noo you would hate him because he will be a Lakers keep it real kawkeye.
mightybosstone
This is all way, way too early at this point. Let's see how many rumors there are if the Cavs are sitting at first in the Eastern Conference in a couple of months and look to be the most dominant team in the league. Or if the Cavs dominate the East in the playoffs and make it to the Finals. If the Cavs are even only 80% as good as they have the potential to be, they'll be playing in the NBA Finals this year. I have a very hard time believing that Love turns that down to play for a cellar dweller in LA with virtually no assets or young talent whatsoever.
Could it be possible that the man without morals, LBJ, would violate his poor naive Cleveland fan base twice? Say it ain't so.
Do you think they would buy his jersey a third time in 6-8 years when he retires?
You in denial Bro?
cmellofan15
did anyone even read the article? there's no credibility to this claim. the rumor is completely false and this should not be a thread.
If the thread asked, "Do you think Kevin Love should consider leaving Cavs?", it would be just fine. but this article is completely bogus and fictitious until proven otherwise.
What is your team? All I see you do is post negative comments about the Cavs.
Of course no one read it. Pretty much any nimrod with a smart phone can concoct a bogus claim for headlines. If he's right, he may get some notoriety. If he's wrong, no one will care and he will crawl back into his pile of crap. Just like that dimwit who claimed Kyrie was going to the Knicks next year.
kobe4thewinbang
Hell, I'm down with it. Duh. Maybe he doesn't want to be a third wheel. With Kobe, he'd be more of a go-to guy. Having Kevin Love is better than not having him for Kobe's final season. Probably just rumors, though.
:eyebrow:
KobeOwnSU
As a Laker fan, I wouldn't mind of course. However, I highly doubt it happens but it gives me something to hope for in this lost season.
If I was a professional player I wouldn't want to play in Cleveland. Don't care if LeBron was there or not.
Such a miserable city and place to live. I bet love ends up leaving after they lose in the conference or semi finals.
SportsFanatic10
i highly doubt it.
that was also under the old regime dude. Who is to say the Lakers won't remain bad for a long time? In their entire HISTORY, they have never missed the playoffs 2 times in a row. They are at the lowest point in franchise history.
All I mean is, Love is a ****ing liar if he runs to LA, under the circumstances.
that would matter, for sure. But it would make me lose respect for him if he left a contender for a loser, which the Lakers are, and will be for the near future. As I explained above, I don't trust the Lakers to be the Lakers of the past 30 years. New management, they really seem like they have no clue what they are doing.
Love would be a liar if he bolted an obvious playoff team, and contender, to go to the Lakers.
astrosmaniac
That's absolutely right. So he shouldn't leave a guaranteed title contendor in a weaker league to go play 2nd fiddle to Kobe's farewell tour and a bunch of junk in a hyper-competitive western conference.
You do know YOU live in the most miserable city right :laugh: Next time you should probably do some research before you pull **** out of your ***. Guess it makes sense why your post is just hate lmao.
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mli45hdlg/1-miami-fla/
Typical dumb nba rumor. Never gonna happen. He'd be the most hated player in the league
Chrisclover
This sort of rumor is ludicrous. Too early to judge love's future.
The gratuitous rumor is just the author's trick to attract attention. Too early to say anything that makes real sense. Wait for a month or two and then people can talk about it again.
jerellh528
Guaranteed title contender? Since when? As far as I'm concerned, you are what your record says and although it's not a large sample size, the cavs don't look like a good playoff team much less title contender. They may or may not right the ship but let's not throw around guaranteed title contender like they're the Spurs or something. They could just as easily implode as they could win the title. And also I don't think its too far fetched if they underachieved this year that love wouldn't make a run for the lakers(where it's been rumored he's always wanted to be) because they would have probably a top 5 pick this year, randle, 1 year of kobe before his big contract comes off the books and tons of cap space for 2 or 3 top talents, and with love in place, that might entice other talent. That's not too bad of a start for love and the lakers and he could be what he wants, the king of la.
@ChrisBHaynes: I asked #Cavs F Kevin Love about Lakers rumor: "Whatever we were doing with our hands is about as true as me going to the Lakers next year."
Tony_Starks
I was no fan of Love since the UCLA days until now and just because my Lakers are in dire straits I'm not changing my opinion. Let him stay in Cleveland, I'd much rather develop Julius Randle.....
kingsdelez24
Sources say that Buckets Blaze of the Harlem Globetrotters is considering opting out of his contract at the end of the season and signing with the Washington Generals
^ that's literally the equivalent of what that article says. This shouldn't even be a discussion
Have you ever lived in Cleveland? How about Ohio at that? Lol guessing not. Sounds like someone's still mad.
Also why do athletes have to live in Cleveland? You do know Ohio is ranked tops in suburbs right? Most of which are right outside of Cleveland.
Ahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!! Omg that guys so dumb!! Lol
I like your analysis. Love Love.
D Blue987
Love to LA would make some sense. He is from southern California, went to UCLA, and grew up obsessed with the Lakers. Could you really blame him to want to play for his dream team growing up? He could make LA relevant again much quicker in a year or two again. I can see him doing it if the Cavs fail to go deep in the playoffs.
He's from Oregon, not LA.
Lebron wont allow it.


text:
New Plymouth's West End
New Plymouth is a prime specimen of a provincial player punching well above its weight. There's a confidence, a buzz, and a palpable sense of pride in the city's new-found urban vitality. I'd heard big talk about the unfolding revitalisation of the West End, magnified immeasurably by the stainless steel traffic-stopper, the Len Lye Centre.
Like a gallery wrapped in a grand and glistening tutu, it will literally make you stop and reflect. Its curved façade is a composition of towering columns of mirror-like, marine-grade stainless steel; a spectacular and dramatic demonstration of destination architecture. It is absolutely New Plymouth's answer to Bilbao's Guggenheim.
I instantly fell under its spell, making a point to marvel at its reflective majesty, morning, noon and night. Trust me, your eyes will never tire of this mesmerising masterpiece and its shifting moods with the changing light. Within this gleaming exterior, adjoined to the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, the Len Lye Centre is New Zealand's first institution devoted to a single artist, showcasing his world-famous work in kinetic sculpture, photography and film.
Our nation's most prominent international artist, who died in 1980, left his life's work to be housed in New Plymouth. Free to enter, take your time to explore the plethora of works, although the prize draw is unquestionably the Large Works Gallery, which displays the Four Fountains, vast bundles of rotating stainless-steel rods that twist, flex and shimmer. They are wondrous and whimsical – if not a little hypnotic.
Fountain IV, engineered by the Len Lye Foundation, is the new rock-star, reaching a staggering height of 8 metres. The Len Lye Cinema is a delightful boutique space which reflects the red and black colour scheme that was commonplace in New York arthouse cinemas, that Len loved so much. The centre is superbly geared at young people, with purpose built art learning centres and weekly family activities, every Sunday between 1pm and 3pm.
But as much as the gallery is the great anchor of the West End's renewal, there's a feast of neighbouring innovations and attractions to enjoy, accentuating the precinct into a cultural, food and entertainment hub. Directly across the road, on the corner of Devon and Queen Street, the colonial splendour of the historic White Hart Hotel, with its wraparound wooden verandah, has been meticulously restored, now home to variety of hospitality venues and inviting shops including the interior design concept store, Plantation.
Queen Street, which will soon be pedestrianised, boasts some divine cafes, including the new Monica's Eatery, inspired by the life and spirit of the art gallery's founding patron, Monica Brewster. They specialise in informal Italian fare. Don't miss Ozone Coffee Roasters, housed in the old Dominion Breweries factory.
Locals are right to swear by their coffee – it is stupendous. Make a beeline to their on-site café, The Bean Store, adjacent to the roaster. Ozone is so popular that it has spread its wings across the other world. They have an outlet in Shoreditch, London and alongside their artisan coffee, they produce outrageously good hot chocolate. Their West Coast Cocoa range is so acclaimed, you'll find it on the discerning pantry shelves of Harrods Department Store.
One of my favourite places for a casual lunch or dinner is Frederic's, a playful, convivial restaurant and bar that crowns Egmont Street, with character by the caseload. It's become a local institution. Opened just two months ago, The Social Kitchen is a very laid-back bistro, where the charcoal oven produces salivating menu options including Waiarapa lamb rack or Waikato angus eye fillet. Share plates and tasty bites include their must-try Zany Zeus halloumi and blue cheese gnocchi.
Also in the West End, cosy up in the Snug Lounge, a Japanese inspired restaurant and cocktail lounge. The Yakitori grill whips up a feast of delights – try the Chow-Down, a dining experience that lasts for the whole night, as you order in rounds off the 'all you can eat' menu.
As a self-confessed devotee of all things retro Americana, I had to make a date with the Deluxe Diner. Featuring classic red diner booths, an all-day breakfast and casual American-themed food, and extravagantly bedecked in rock 'n roll memorabilia, this Leach St establishment is a hit.
A winning way to accentuate the atmosphere of the West End revival is to be royally treated at the King and Queen Hotel Suites. The Macfarlane and Boddington families' have been instrumental in driving many of the precinct's developments, including this magnificent luxury boutique hotel. Opened four years ago, the distinctive design theme blends light industrial chic with Moroccan and European décor.
There are some extraordinary decorative touches, like the beautiful main doors that previously graced the Alexandria police station in Egypt, and the commissioned art works that liberally adorn the property. Needless to say, the level of service is exemplary, highly personable and unfailingly attentive, discharged with typically unpretentious Kiwi informality. It's not easy to offer immaculate service and be disarmingly down to earth at the same time, but King & Queen staff have nailed the juggle with aplomb.
I stayed in one of the brand-spanking Left Wing Spa suites, which have been artfully outfitted within the White Hart building. Loaded with comforts, enjoy a jet spa bath and spacious rain shower, tea & coffee making facilities ( freshly ground Ozone, naturally), a super king-sized bed, flat screen LCD TV, writing desk, private minibar, iPod docking station, plus complimentary extras including daily cookies, newspaper and free WiFI. Need a workout? Enjoy complimentary to Cityfitness gym.
You are richly blessed with effortless dining options where you can simply show your room key to charge back from eight venues, including Monica's, Snug Lounge, Frederic's and Social Kitchen. Some venues will also provide in room dining – just call reception to place an order. King and Queen Hotel Suites is a stellar experience, surprisingly inexpensive and where the art of standing-out from the pack is constantly being refined. King and Queen Hotel Suites website.
Air New Zealand operates an outstanding network of daily services, connecting Taranaki with the nation. Fly direct to New Plymouth from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Use the fare finder to bag the lowest flight price at Air New Zealand website. For more regional information, head to www.taranaki.info
River city thrills in Brisbane
Lake Taupō: Playground Central
Layover at Novotel Auckland Airport
Kapiti Wonder
Ski and sky in Mid-Canterbury
Summer Sizzle in Surfers Paradise


Survivors of Tropical Storm Washi in Mindanao are in desperate need of water and sanitation facilities, say aid workers and officials.
"Water for drinking and hygiene purposes is our number-one concern right now," General Benito Ramos, the Philippines' top civil defence official and head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), told IRIN.
Snehal Soneji, country director for Oxfam in Manila agreed: "Unless we act now, there is a real risk of disease outbreak."
More than 1,000 people were killed and over 640,000 people affected when Washi struck the southern island of Mindanao on 17 and 18 December, dropping the equivalent of one month's rainfall in a day, resulting in massive flooding, flash floods and landslides.
Some 300,000 people were displaced and close to 30,000 homes damaged or destroyed, the NDRRMC reported on 22 December, with more than 43,000 people now in 51 shelters, mostly schools, and another quarter of million staying with relatives or living in makeshift shelters.
"Entire areas were completely flattened; only a few sturdy buildings remain standing, and these had sustained a lot of damage," said acting UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Dr Soe Nyunt-U, who returned from a two-day visit the area.
Anecdotal evidence on the ground suggests about 80 percent of the affected population do not have access to flowing water, says Oxfam, with one shelter reportedly having only one latrine for 4,000 residents.
"Open defecation is fast becoming an issue which will further exacerbate the risk of disease," Soneji said. "And in a largely urban environment this is particularly problematic."
But addressing the massive water, sanitation and hygiene needs will prove a challenge.
"The water is there, but with the damage to the booster pumps and wells, the problem now is bringing the water to the beneficiaries in evacuation centres as well as those in the damaged areas," Andres Casal, water and habitat coordinator for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Philippines, explained.
According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the water systems of the two main affected areas, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, were totally destroyed, leaving most residents with no safe, reliable source of water.
"The water supply system is essentially broken," Oxfam's Soneji said, while NDRRM's Ramos said damage to the system could take at least a month to repair.
On 22 December, the UN and humanitarian partners called for US$28.6 million to help the survivors.
Under the Emergency Revision of the Philippines (Mindanao) Humanitarian Action Plan 2012, the appeal aims to provide clean water for drinking and bathing, food, emergency shelter, and essential household items to 471,000 worst-affected people in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan for three months.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the humanitarian response plan will be revised within six weeks to reflect evolving needs on the ground.
The Philippine government declared a state of national calamity in the hardest-hit areas on 20 December, accepting international humanitarian assistance.