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The Dolaucothi Gold Mines (; ) (), also known as the Ogofau Gold Mine, are ancient Roman surface and underground mines located in the valley of the River Cothi, near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, Wales.  The gold mines are located within the Dolaucothi Estate which is now owned by the National Trust.

They are the only mines for Welsh gold outside those of the Dolgellau gold-belt, and are a Scheduled Ancient Monument. They are also the only known Roman gold mines in Britain, although it does not exclude the likelihood that they exploited other known sources in Devon in South West England, north Wales, Scotland and elsewhere. The site is important for showing advanced Roman technology.

Roman mining methods

Archaeology suggests that gold extraction on this site may have started sometime in the Bronze Age, possibly by washing of the gold-bearing gravels of the river Cothi, the most elementary type of gold prospecting. Sextus Julius Frontinus was sent into Roman Britain in AD 74 to succeed Quintus Petillius Cerialis as governor of that island. He subdued the Silures, Demetae and other hostile tribes of Roman Wales, establishing a new base at Caerleon for Legio II Augusta and a network of smaller Roman forts fifteen to twenty kilometres apart for his Roman auxiliary units. During his tenure, he probably established the fort at Pumsaint in west Wales, largely to exploit the gold deposits at Dolaucothi. Frontinus later restored the aqueducts of Rome and wrote the definitive treatise on 1st century Roman aqueducts, the two-volume De aquaeductu.

That gold occurred here is shown by the discovery of a hoard of gold ornaments in the 18th century. Objects found included a wheel brooch and snake bracelets, so named because they were soft enough to be coiled around the arm for display. All the objects are now held in the British Museum, and displayed in the Romano-British gallery. A sample of gold ore was found at the site by Henry De la Beche in 1844, confirming the presence of gold.

Evidence from the fortification (known as Luentinum from details given in Ptolemy's Geographia) and its associated settlement show that the Roman army occupied the fort from  to . However, coarse ware and Samian ware pottery recovered from a reservoir (Melin-y-Milwyr) within the mine complex show that activity at the mines continued until the late 3rd century at least. Since Ptolemy's map dates to about 150, it is likely that it continued being worked until the end of the 3rd century if not beyond.

Hydraulic mining

The Romans made extensive use of water carried by several aqueducts and leats, the longest of which is about  from its source in a gorge of the river, to prospect for the gold veins hidden beneath the soil on the hillsides above the modern village of Pumsaint. Small streams on Mynydd Mallaen, the Annell and Gwenlais, were used initially to provide water for prospecting, and there are several large tanks for holding the water still visible above an isolated opencast pit carved in the side of the hill north of the main site. The larger aqueduct from the Cothi crosses this opencast, proving the opencast to be earlier.

The water was stored in the tanks and then released suddenly, the wave of water sweeping away the soil to reveal the bedrock and any gold-bearing veins beneath. Pliny the Elder gives a dramatic account in his Naturalis historia of the method, possibly derived from his experiences in Spain. The method is known as hushing and survived in use until the 19th century in Britain, and into the 20th century in the goldfields of Africa. A not dissimilar method is used today in exploiting alluvial tin deposits, and is known as hydraulic mining. A smaller scale version of the same method is placer mining, and both may have been used to work alluvial placer deposits next to the river Cothi itself, judging by a large aqueduct which tapped the river a mile or so upstream, and enters the site at a low level compared with the other known aqueducts on the site. The water supply of the aqueducts was also used for washing crushed gold ore, and also possibly driving stamping mills for comminution of the ore (Lewis and Jones, 1969).

One of the first aqueducts was built at a high level on the east slope of Allt Cwmhenog and tapped a small stream about  away. There is a large tank at its end, where it sweeps around the brow of the hill onto the west side of the ridge. A gold vein must have been discovered here, because there is a large opencast below the tank. Yet the larger and longer aqueduct (with a gradient of 1 in 800) taps the River Cothi about  to the north-east and traverses the same opencast, so must be later in date.

By contrast, several tanks found on the site did not show a vein, so were abandoned. The tank shown at right occurs not far from the north opencast and was probably intended to find the limits of the deposit located in the adjacent opencast (Tank A in the schematic diagram below). It clearly didn't find the vein, and was thus abandoned. The water supply may have been obtained from a small leat run from a stream up the main Cothi valley before the much larger aqueduct was constructed.

Opencast mining

Prospecting was successful and several opencasts are visible below the large tanks built along its length. The only exception is the final and very large tank, below which are two reservoirs. It is likely that this complex was used for washing powdered ore to collect the gold dust.

More leats and tanks can be found below the line of the main aqueduct, some of which are shown on the map of the site. They surround the lip of the very large opencast and the tank shown at right is one which was built on the main aqueduct. It was successful in finding a vein, judging by the opencast below, but must have been modified later to feed a washing table built to the left-hand side (near the figure in the picture), probably to wash the crushed ore from the same opencast working. It is labelled Tank C in the schematic diagram. Similar tanks occur below as the Romans followed the large vein down to the road and the main opencast. Most of the opencast workings must therefore be Roman in origin, since one of the aqueducts has been confirmed by carbon 14 dating as to predate all modern workings. Just by the road itself the Carreg Pumsaint has been erected in the space beside a large mound, now thought to be a dump of waste material from mining activities.

The existing ponds above and below the minor road from Pumsaint to Caeo, were probably part of a cascade for washing ore, the upper tank having yielded large quantities of Roman pottery from  to at least 300 (Lewis, 1977; Burnham 2004). The upper pool is known as Melin-y-Milwyr, or the soldiers' mill, an intriguing name that implies that watermills may have been used here during the Roman period. Alternatively, it may have been a sequence of washing tables for the crushed gold ore. A large-scale mill complex is known from Barbegal in southern France, where no less than 16 mills (in two lines of 8 each) were built into the side of a hill and supplied with water from a single aqueduct. There were two lines of parallel overshot mills, the outflow from one feeding the next below. The mill supplied flour to the region. Moreover, Roman engineers used sequences of reverse overshot water-wheels to dewater mines, and the deep workings at Dolaucothi produced a fragment of such a wheel during the 1930s when deep mining operations were resumed. Sequences of such wheels increased the lift, and one extensive sequence of 16 wheels was found in old Roman mine workings on the Rio Tinto river in the 1920s. The wheels were arranged in pairs and could lift water about  from the bottom of the mine there.

Melin-y-Milwyr

The tank at the head of the small road from Pumsaint to Caio was thought to be modern since it still holds water. However, when the level of the water was low in 1970, it yielded large quantities of Roman pottery which show that it is of Roman origin and built early during their exploitation of the mines. The section shows that it was connected to a smaller tank just below the modern road by a drystone culvert in a cascade. The lower tank also holds water but is in an advanced state of eutrophication. The collection of fragments included Samian ware and coarse ware from over 100 separate pots, and must have fallen into the reservoir when the mines were in full operation. Analysis of the pottery fragments showed a distribution of ages from the late 1st century AD through to the end of the 4th century. Since the fort and fortlet under the present village of Pumsaint ends in the middle of the 2nd century, it shows that mining continued for a long time after the military evacuation.

It implies that there is a large mining settlement in the vicinity of the village of Pumsaint which has yet to be found.

The exact function of the cascade is related to the methods of extracting the final traces of gold from the crushed ore. There were probably washing tables between the two tanks so that a gentle stream of water could be used to wash the ore on the rough surface of the tables, the finer gold being caught in the rougher parts of the tables, and removed at the end of the process. The cascade would probably have been built towards the end of the 1st century when underground mining commenced following opencast development.

Carreg Pumsaint

This site yields some of the earliest evidence anywhere for the Roman use of water-powered trip hammers to crush ore (Burnham 1997). The ore was probably crushed on the famous Carreg Pumsaint, a block of stone erected many years ago before the Romans had left the site. There are parallels with similar stones at other ancient Roman mines in Europe, and the hollows in the block were formed by a trip hammer probably worked by a water wheel or a "water lever". Such a water-powered hammer would have been moved regularly as each hollow became too deep, so producing the series of overlapping oval hollows in its surfaces. The hammer head must have been of substantial size judging by the width of the hollows shown in the drawing. The stone is the only example so far discovered at the site, but is not unique, and Burnham refers to others of similar shape from Spain. As one side of the stone became worn, it was simply turned to reveal another side, so the block could be re-used several times. When found years after the Romans had left, in the Dark Ages, it gave rise to the legend of the five saints, who left the impression of their heads in the stone after being found asleep by the devil.

Deep mining

They followed the veins with shafts and tunnels, some of which still exist on the site. The remains of Roman dewatering machines were found during the 1880s and the 1920s when the Rio Tinto mines in Spain were being mined by opencast methods.

At Dolaucothi, a similar discovery was made in 1935 during mining operations, and it included part of a reverse overshot water wheel which is now in the National Museum of Wales. It was found with burnt timbers, suggesting that fire-setting was used to help break up the hard quartz in which the gold was trapped. A similar but larger wheel was rediscovered during mine operations at Rio Tinto in Spain, and is now in the British Museum, where it is displayed prominently in the Roman gallery. The Spanish example included a sequence of no fewer than 16 reverse overshot water wheels, each pair of wheels feeding water to the next set in the sequence. Each wheel would have been worked like a treadwheel, from the side rather than at the top, but it would have been a hard and lonely activity for the miners working these wheels lifting water from the mine bottom. Since the fragment of a reverse overshot water wheel was found 160 feet below any known adit or stope, it must have been part of a similar sequence at Dolaucothi to that in Spain. Gold mining was sophisticated and technologically advanced at Dolaucothi, suggesting that the Roman army itself pioneered exploitation at the site. The construction of such dewatering machines is described by the Roman engineer Vitruvius writing in 25 BC, and their use for irrigation and lifting water in thermae was widespread.

At another part of the mine, on Penlan-wen, water would have been in short supply; a siphon could have transferred water from the main aqueduct or one of its tanks, but remains unproven. The vein carries along the hill for some considerable distance, and has been trenched out. This method involved excavating the vein vertically down while keeping the top open. However, ventilation becomes a problem when fire-setting is used, so three long adits were driven in from the hillside to the north. They are much wider than normal galleries, suggesting that their primary purpose was to allow circulation of air through the trench and permit safe fire-setting. The upper two adits are still open to the trench, but the lowest one is currently blocked.

Similar sites

Although there is nothing directly comparable with Dolaucothi in Britain in terms of the extensive hydraulic systems, there are many other known Roman mines in Britain, some of which seem to show traces of hydraulic activity. They include the extensive remains of lead mining at Charterhouse in the Mendips, Halkyn in Flintshire, and many areas in the Pennines. Dolaucothi is most directly comparable with gold mines in the Carpathian mountains of Transylvania in modern Romania, at Rosia Montana, and with the Roman gold mines in north-west Spain, such as the very much larger site of alluvial mining at Las Médulas and Montefurado.  The Romans may have used slave labour taken from the local area to work the mine, although the army itself was probably most directly involved, especially for their engineering skills in surveying and building aqueducts, reservoirs and water tanks or cisterns.

There is some evidence that some of the gold was worked at the site, judging by the finished brooch shown above, as well as other finished gold products. A part engraved jewel has also been found in the vicinity. Such activities would have needed skilled, not slave labour. No workshops or furnaces have yet been found, but it is likely that both existed on site. Ingots of gold would have been easier to transport than dust or nuggets, although a high-temperature refractory furnace will have been needed to melt the gold, which has a melting point of . Pliny mentions such special furnaces in his Naturalis historia. A workshop will have been vital for building and maintaining mining equipment such as the drainage wheels, flumes for washing tables, shuttering for aqueducts, crushing equipment and pit-props.  Official mints would have produced gold coins, a key component of Roman currency. After the military occupation the mine may have been taken over by Romano-British civilian contractors some time after 125, although the final history of the site has yet to be determined.

Later history

Following the Roman departure from Britain in the 5th century, the mine lay abandoned for centuries. There was a revival in the 19th century and attempts to make successful ventures at the site in the early 20th century, but they were abandoned before the First World War. In the 1930s a shaft was sunk to  in an attempt to locate new seams. Falling into disrepair and unsafe due to flooding at its lower levels, the mine finally closed in 1938. It was during this period that ancient underground workings were found, and the fragment of the dewatering mill discovered within. The extensive surface remains, especially the traces of hydraulic mining, were to be discovered only in the 1970s by intensive fieldwork and surveying.

Between 1975 and 2000 the lease to the underground workings at Dolaucothi was held by Cardiff University. Students from the School of Engineering were largely responsible for the renovation of the underground workings that were made safe for tourists.  The mine was extensively used as a training mine for Mining Engineering and Exploration Geology students under the supervision of Alun Isaac, Alwyn Annels and Peter Brabham. Students from the School of Earth Sciences carried out an active gold exploration programme using surface and underground diamond drilling techniques, geochemical soil sampling and geophysics. Geological exploration was carried out by students using both surface and underground drilling methods. The ore processing waste tailings dam was also sampled, mapped geophysically and assessed for its Gold potential. The mine was extensively mapped and a library of Dolaucothi data is still held at the School of Earth & Ocean Sciences at Cardiff University. Cardiff University finally gave up the lease to the underground workings in 2000 due to the closure of its BSc Mining Engineering degree course. Photographs of surface and underground activities from the Cardiff University archives can be found from the links below.

Although there is yet no comparable site in Britain, it is likely that field work will locate other mines, simply by tracing the remains of aqueducts and reservoirs, and often, if not usually, aided by aerial photography. Physical remains like tanks and aqueducts are often recognised by the shadows cast by the structures in oblique lighting conditions. Thus Tank A was first seen in early morning light when the sun's rays cast an oblique light across the hill (Allt Cwmhenog) on which the structure is situated.

Other local mines
The lead mines of Nantymwyn near Rhandirmwyn village some  to the north may also have been first worked by the Romans, judging by hushing tanks and aqueducts found there in the 1970s both from fieldwork and aerial photographs. They occur at the top of the mountain called Pencerrig-mwyn, and the veins were followed underground by several tunnels leading to the workings. Inside, the veins have been removed and debris carefully stacked within the stope. The workings lie far above the later modern mines and processing plant (now derelict). The later mine was once the largest lead mine in Wales.

Other local sites
There are Roman forts at Llandovery and Bremia near Llanio, and as of 2003, in Llandeilo.

National Trust
The National Trust has owned and run the Dolaucothi gold mine and Dolaucothi Estate since 1941 when it was bequeathed by descendants of the Johnes family who had owned the mine and large surrounding estate since the late 16th century. The University of Manchester and University of Cardiff were active in exploring the extensive remains in the 1960s and 1970s and Lampeter University is now closely involved with the archaeology of the site. The National Trust organises guided tours for visitors, showing them the mine and the Roman archaeology.

See also

 Aerial archaeology
 De architectura
 De re metallica
 Dolaucothi Estate
 Fire-setting
 Georg Agricola
 Gold mining
 Gold extraction
 Gold prospecting
 Hushing
 Mining archaeology in British Isles
 Mining in Roman Britain
 River Cothi
 Roman aqueducts
 Roman engineering
 Roman mining
 Roman technology
 Welsh gold

References

Boon, G. C. and Williams, C. The Dolaucothi Drainage Wheel, Journal of Roman Studies, 56 (1966), 122–127.
Davies O., Roman Mines in Europe, Clarendon Press (Oxford), 1935.
Jones G. D. B., I. J. Blakey, and E. C. F. MacPherson, Dolaucothi: the Roman aqueduct, Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies 19 (1960): 71-84 and plates III-V.
Lewis, P. R. and G. D. B. Jones, The Dolaucothi gold mines, I: the surface evidence, The Antiquaries Journal, 49, no. 2 (1969): 244–72.
Lewis, P. R. and G. D. B. Jones, Roman gold-mining in north-west Spain, Journal of Roman Studies 60 (1970): 169–85.
Jones, R. F. J. and Bird, D. G., Roman gold-mining in north-west Spain, II: Workings on the Rio Duerna, Journal of Roman Studies 62 (1972): 59–74.
Lewis, P. R., The Ogofau Roman gold mines at Dolaucothi, The National Trust Year Book 1976-77 (1977).
Annels, A and Burnham, BC, The Dolaucothi Gold Mines, University of Wales, Cardiff, 3rd Ed (1995).
Burnham, Barry C.  "Roman Mining at Dolaucothi: the Implications of the 1991-3 Excavations near the Carreg Pumsaint", Britannia 28 (1997), 325-336
Hodge, A.T. (2001). Roman Aqueducts & Water Supply, 2nd ed. London: Duckworth.
Burnham, BC and H, Dolaucothi-Pumsaint: Survey and Excavation at a Roman Gold-mining complex (1987-1999), Oxbow Books (2004).
Timberlake, S, Early leats and hushing remains: suggestions and disputes for roman mining and prospection for lead, Bulletin of the Peak District mines Historical Society, 15 (2004), 64 ff.

External links
A set of Dolaucothi photographic images by Dr Peter Brabham of Cardiff University
Dolaucothi Gold Mines information at the National Trust
An interactive quiz relating to Dolaucothi Gold Mine. Includes an animation of a water wheel used to empty the Dolaucothi Gold Mine of water.
Cultural jewels of Wales (under metal mining and manufacturing)
Early reference
Spanish site dedicated to Roman technology, especially aqueducts and mines
Roman gold mine at Bessa, Italy
Las Médulas (Spain). Largest Roman gold mine
Roman lead mines and later mines near Dolaucothi

Archaeological sites in Carmarthenshire
Gold mines in Wales
History of gold mining
National Trust properties in Wales
Prehistoric sites in Wales
Scheduled monuments in Wales
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr
Aqueducts in Wales
Gold rushes
Roman aqueducts outside Rome
Underground mines in Wales
Mining museums in Wales
Tourist attractions in Carmarthenshire
Museums in Carmarthenshire
Museums of ancient Rome in Wales


text:
accent on the individual: bulletin of florida technological university, 1967 - 1968 / 1968 - 1969 (1)
accent on the individual: bulletin supplement of florida technological university, 1967 - 1968 / 1968 - 1969 (1)
accent on the individual: bulletin supplement of florida technological university, 1967-1968 / 1968-1969 (1)
florida technological university -- catalogs (3)
florida technological university -- curricula -- catalogs (3)
florida technological university -- curricula -- periodicals (3)
universities and colleges -- curricula -- florida -- orlando -- catalogs (3)
Title-Alternative: 1967
Accent on the individual: Bulletin of Florida Technological University, 1967 - 1968 / 1968 - 1969
Florida Technological University -- Catalogs; Florida Technological University -- Curricula -- Catalogs; Florida Technological University -- Curricula -- Periodicals; Universities and colleges -- Curricula -- Florida -- Orlando -- Catalogs; ...
This catalog includes general introductions to Florida Technological University, its history and policies, programs and degree requirements, colleges and departments, and course offerings. It includes Letters from Claude R. Kirk, Jr., Governor of...
Accent on the individual: Bulletin supplement of Florida Technological University, 1967 - 1968 / 1968 - 1969
This catalog includes general introductions to Florida Technological University, its policies, programs and degree requirements, colleges and departments, and course offerings. It also contains pictures of campus buildings and facilities (prologue,...
Accent on the individual: Bulletin Supplement of Florida Technological University, 1967-1968 / 1968-1969
This catalog includes general introductions to the State of Florida Board of Education and Board of Regents, Florida Technological University, FTU's programs and degree requirements, colleges and departments, and course offerings. It also contains...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A center median planted with trees could be installed on Main Street and East Avenue within three years, Mayor Kenneth D. Swan said Tuesday after a public hearing on the city's proposed new comprehensive plan.
About 30 persons, which Swan called a "disappointing" turnout, attended the City Hall presentation by four consultants. Community Development Director William J. Evert said the city has spent $70,000 on the planning effort, the first since 1970.
Swan said after another public meeting at 8 a.m. Thursday in the Best Western Lockport Inn, 515 South Transit St., the plan will be in the hands of the Common Council for action sometime in May.
One of the speakers, Ellen Nutter of Nutter Associates of Rochester, mentioned during her talk that the city has already sought funding for the Main Street-East Avenue median from the Big Bridge to Lockport Memorial Hospital.
Swan said it did so at a recent meeting of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Committee, which discussed repaving Routes 78 and 31 through the city in stages over a three-year period.
Swan said he instructed city Director of Engineering Allan R. Rutter to attend and see if state money could be obtained for reconstruction of Main Street along the lines of the vision in the comprehensive plan.
Main Street is not part of a state route, although it runs straight into East Avenue, which is part of Route 31.
If the money comes through, Swan said the streets would be switched from four rather narrow lanes to two wider lanes, with the trees in the middle, and left-turn lanes at each intersection interrupting the median. Parallel parking at curbside would be maintained. The total width of the streets would be unchanged.
"I think this would be an ideal way to make the traffic flow better," the mayor said.
Meanwhile, the presentation on the comprehensive plan, illustrated with slides, repeated much of the talk the Council heard last Wednesday. The consultants emphasized greenery wherever possible. In residential areas, the plan advocates trees between the curb and the sidewalk for all new housing, along with uniform setback distances.
Landscape architect Kathy Wolf of Ithaca touted trails along the canal banks, and a new Escarpment Trail from the locks along Eighteenmile Creek through Gulf Wilderness and Rotary Parks and over the former city landfill.
Ms. Nutter said mixed use, bringing business to neighborhoods with a residential look, would be a good way for Lockport to have economic development while preserving its "small-town character."
Ms. Nutter said whatever is built on the vacant South Block on Main Street should be built right up to the sidewalk, in a "traditional Lockport design," instead of being set well back, as were some of the projects built in the 1970s after urban renewal.
Michael Metzger of McIntosh and McIntosh, an engineering firm, said the city has more than 3,000 parking spaces downtown, and in some areas has "an excess of parking."
He said urban renewal commitments of certain areas for parking expire in 2002, and the city ought to consider using some of the spots for development instead.


text:
Q: How to base64 encode/decode a variable with string type in Python 3? It gives me an error that the line encoded needs to be bytes not str/dict
I know of adding a "b" before the text will solve that and print the encoded thing.
import base64
s = base64.b64encode(b'12345')
print(s)
>>b'MTIzNDU='

But how do I encode a variable?
such as
import base64
s = "12345"
s2 = base64.b64encode(s)
print(s2)

It gives me an error with the b added and without. I don't understand
I'm also trying to encode/decode a dictionary with base64.

A: You need to encode the unicode string. If it's just normal characters, you can use ASCII. If it might have other characters in it, or just for general safety, you probably want utf-8.
>>> import base64
>>> s = "12345"
>>> s2 = base64.b64encode(s)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File ". . . /lib/python3.3/base64.py", line 58, in b64encode
    raise TypeError("expected bytes, not %s" % s.__class__.__name__)
TypeError: expected bytes, not str
>>> s2 = base64.b64encode(s.encode('ascii'))
>>> print(s2)
b'MTIzNDU='
>>>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Prince and the Pauper : a tale for young people of all ages by Mark Twain
"The Prince and the Pauper" is the story of how when young Prince Edward Tudor of Wales and Pauper Tom Canty switch clothes that they are mistaken for each other and end up switching places. Prince Edward learns of the struggles of the commoners of England while Tom discovers what it is like to be a Prince and then a King. "The Prince and the Pauper" is both a delightfully comedic tale and a biting social commentary on the inequities among different social classes.
Publisher: Readers Digest - The World's Best Reading series
Condition: New. Minor shelf wear and corner bumping.


text:
Alley Cat Allies›Alley Cat Allies Resources›Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is Not Abandonment—And Local Laws Must Reflect It
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is Not Abandonment—And Local Laws Must Reflect It
White Paper| Anti-Cruelty, Trap-Neuter-Return
Alley Cat Allies supports the enforcement of laws that punish true abandonment, but these laws do not apply whatsoever to Trap-Neuter-Return.
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is not cat abandonment. When community cats are returned, they are going back to the outdoor homes where they have been living and thriving. TNR improves community cats' lives and is in their best interest.
However, in too many jurisdictions, community cat caregivers and TNR advocates face legal consequences for their TNR efforts because of punitive and outdated abandonment laws that do not account for community cats who live in the outdoors.
A specific law is not necessary to practice TNR. Most communities with active and successful TNR programs do not have one on the books. However, existing, outdated ordinances should be updated to remove barriers to TNR.
The American Bar Association (ABA), the largest association of legal professionals in the United States, adopted a resolution urging …"legislative bodies and governmental agencies to interpret existing laws and policies, and adopt laws and policies, to allow the implementation and administration of trap-neuter-vaccinate-return programs for community cats…"
To protect TNR programs and those who carry them out, animal laws must be reviewed and the term "abandonment" redefined to exempt TNR and the work of community cat caregivers.
When community cats are returned during TNR, they are going back to the outdoor homes where they have been living and thriving.
All around the world, communities are increasingly embracing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs—sometimes known as Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR), Shelter-Neuter-Return (SNR), and Return To Field (RTF) programs—as the humane and effective approach to community cats, also called feral cats. They do so in recognition that top animal experts and peer-reviewed studies confirm that TNR stabilizes community cat populations through a process of spay and neuter, vaccination, and return to the outdoor homes in which they were found.
The most successful TNR programs evolve naturally from grassroots advocacy. Grassroots activists take action to fill a void in much-needed spay and neuter services for cats who live outdoors. Their local shelter and animal control agency then acknowledge the positive impact and waive typical requirements—such as a shelter hold period—accordingly for community cats. And finally, the local government, often prompted by advocates, ensures these TNR programs do not face legal roadblocks by updating the animal code to exempt community cats from policies created for indoor cats who are reliant on humans.
That final change is one of the most critical. Community cats are not pet cats. They have no owners, they thrive outdoors as part of our neighborhoods, and require a different kind of care . And though most model animal ordinances do not include a specific TNR law, they do clarify the distinction between community cats and owned cats. They specify that community cat caregivers are not owners, and as such are not in violation of leash laws, pet limits, at-large provisions…or abandonment laws.
Successful ordinances acknowledge that the completion of TNR is not abandonment, but a homecoming.
In this resource, we walk you through the definition of abandonment, why TNR does not fit that definition, the recommendations of top legal experts in drafting animal laws, and how following those recommendations is vital to prevent TNR programs and those who carry them out from being wrongfully penalized.
What is Cat Abandonment?
While the legal definition of "abandonment" varies, it generally refers to when an owner (or person responsible for an animal) intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence leaving an animal behind, or permitting an animal to be left behind, without providing for the animal's proper care or making reasonable arrangements for custody with another person.
Abandoning a cat is considered animal cruelty in 49 states and the District of Columbia and is mentioned in almost all states' animal cruelty laws. Some of these laws include abandonment in their definition of "cruelty," some include it in a list of cruel acts, and some deem abandonment as its own offense.
Alley Cat Allies supports the enforcement of laws that punish true abandonment, but these laws do not apply whatsoever to TNR.
Why TNR is NOT Abandonment
If abandonment is defined by an owner intentionally and recklessly putting a cat in harm's way by placing her in an unfamiliar environment without the resources she is accustomed to, then TNR is the exact opposite.
First, consider that the people caring for community cats are NOT their owners. Community cats were there before a caregiver began to feed them and would continue to be there should the caregiver decide to stop. They have no owner, and their caregivers are simply good Samaritans.
Next, note the fundamental difference between community cats and pet cats. Unlike cats who live indoors and rely on people for their care, community cats have the skills to care for themselves in the outdoors. They bond to their specific territories and feline families. They know where to find food, where to hide, and how to stay safe.
Understand what the "Return" in TNR really means. Cats are brought back to the exact outdoor homes in which they are trapped—the territories they know well and in which they have the resources to thrive. TNR is NOT relocation, which introduces cats to unfamiliar surroundings. TNR also does not put cats accustomed to indoor homes into the outdoors.
On the matter of intent, those who carry out TNR do so because it improves, rather than threatens, the health and wellbeing of community cats. Vaccinations, which are usually given during TNR (AKA TNVR), protect cats against disease. Spay and neuter reduces the stresses of mating and pregnancy in cats, and is scientifically proven to prevent certain feline infections and cancers.
To top it all off, community cats who are spayed or neutered through a TNR program often gain caregivers they may not have had before. As such, they are provided with regular food and water and cozy shelters.
No part of the process represents anything approaching abandonment.
"These animals have been thriving and surviving in the same area, so we are not abandoning them by returning them [through TNR] and we have not had any complaints regarding abandonment. This program is our biggest and most lifesaving that we've ever put in place," says Rene Vasquez, director of Fort Bend Animal Services in Fort Bend, Texas. In 2018, Fort Bend amended its animal ordinance to support and protect TNR, including exempting community cats from laws like leash requirements.
Top Legal Experts Agree that Abandonment Laws Should Exempt TNR
Today, despite the incredible track record of TNR, too may animal control agencies still wrongfully interpret the return of community cats through a TNR program as abandonment. In most of these communities, officers have legal grounds to impound those cats and penalize their caregivers. Local laws have not yet been amended to prevent it.
Keep in mind that in these same communities, grassroots TNR efforts are underway right now. Should an activist be in the wrong place at the wrong time one day, they could face a heavy fine just for bringing a cat back to her outdoor home. That is not conducive to the growth of nonlethal programs, or the wellbeing of a community's citizens.
The American Bar Association (ABA), the largest association of legal professionals in the United States, recognizes the lifesaving benefits of TNR—and the dangers animal laws pose to TNR community cat programs and advocates if they remain stuck in the past. In 2017, the ABA adopted Resolution 102B urging…
"state, local, territorial, and tribal legislative bodies and governmental agencies to interpret existing laws and policies, and adopt laws and policies, to allow the implementation and administration of trap-neuter-vaccinate-return programs for community cats within their jurisdictions so as to promote their effective, efficient, and humane management."
This resolution implicitly calls upon governments to redefine "abandonment" in their animal code in order to explicitly exempt community cats as part of a TNR program.
As you've read so far, TNR protects and improves the lives of cats and reflects the humane values of communities. As sound public policy, it benefits the cats, the people who care for them, and the neighborhoods in which they live. It allows community cats to stay in their outdoor homes where they belong.
However, too many jurisdictions have animal laws that lack express language exempting TNR and the work of community cat caregivers from the definition of abandonment. As a result, many caregivers have faced, or are facing, legal consequences for their compassion. Efforts to improve cats' lives and benefit the community are hindered by enforcement of these punitive laws. Or, alternatively, abandonment laws are simply not enforced at all because their scope is too wide.
To further advance lifesaving change, we cannot let animal laws that are decades out of date stay on the books. We must urge our local government leaders to open up a discussion on the animal ordinances as they stand and update them so they no longer create barriers to nonlethal approaches. Look into your community's law governing animal abandonment. If abandonment is not explicitly defined to exclude community cats in a TNR program, speak up and ask for change. We'll help you get started at alleycat.org/AdvocacyToolkit.
Contact your legislators and ask that they follow the ABA's advice. Resolution 102B is a powerful endorsement of TNR and its place in our communities.
For examples of ideal ordinance language, ask them to look to three states that have explicitly exempted cats who have been part of a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program from abandonment definitions: Maine, Nevada, and Utah.
To ensure TNR is not considered abandonment, Alley Cat Allies recommends that all animal ordinances include the following language:
A person who returns a community cat to its original location while conducting Trap-Neuter-Return is not deemed to have abandoned the cat.
TNR is NOT abandonment. The voice of the people—YOUR voice—is key to ensuring TNR and those who carry it out are not at risk from laws that are meant to punish animal cruelty offenders.
Finding and Understanding Your Local Laws
Trap-Neuter-Return
Why Trap-Neuter-Return Community Cats? The Case for TNR
Research: Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is Not Abandonment


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Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP
Cultural Competency: A Critical Skill Set For The 21st Century Planner
Understanding the needs of ethnic minorities is critical for contemporary working planners, says Leonardo Vasquez, AICP/PP.
How Frederick Law Olmsted Got the Central Park Job
If the Frederick Law Olmsted of 1857 offered to plan and manage your city's central park, you probably wouldn't hire him. The 35-year-old then was a farmer, journalist and former sailor with no formal training in architecture, engineering or any related field. Though he didn't have much technical expertise, he had great leadership skills. Those gave him the opportunity to succeed, and helped him become successful, according to Leonardo Vazquez.
Changes to AICP Certification Maintenance Program a Positive Step Forward
September 8, 2008, 5am PDT
Leonardo Vázquez, AICP/PP, applauds recent changes to the AICP Certification Maintenance Program that reduce costs and improve access.
Will the American Institute of Certified Planners Live By the Principles it Promotes?
April 21, 2008, 5am PDT
The continuing education program of the American Planning Association's American Institute of Certified Planners has stirred much controversy amongst members, educators and officials. Many agree the system's flaws need to be addressed. But where is the public discussion?
Improving The Purpose And Accountability Of The American Planning Association
April 11, 2007, 10am PDT
When membership is not much more than a subscription and decisions are made with little group input, the APA needs to adjust the way it interacts with its members, according to self-proclaimed "APA lifer" Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP.
Latinos and Planning: The Road Ahead
February 26, 2007, 8am PST
With the Latino population growing tremendously, it's time to begin addressing the shortcomings in the practice of planning regarding this key demographic.
The AICP Certification Maintenance Program: Good Steps In The Wrong Direction
Though the program has good intentions, APA's proposal for mandatory continuing education could just encourage more planners to attend the National Planning Conference than to actually get more training.
How Bad Leadership Spoils Good Planning
September 18, 2006, 7am PDT
In many ways, a successful urban planner is first and foremost a leader, yet far too many professionals lack the ability to lead, and ignore the importance of cultivating good leadership skills.
Urban Fables: The Role Of Storytelling And Imagery In Successful Planning Movements
August 7, 2006, 7am PDT
New Urbanists and pro-property rights advocates have made good use of both allegory and myth to capture the attention of planners and the public.
National Biotechnology Conference Highlights: The 'Florida Model' For Economic Development
June 5, 2006, 7am PDT
Want to get cleaner businesses that pay high wages and attract better retail? Think greenways and culture before tax breaks and roads.
Thomas Jefferson: The Founding Father Of Sprawl?
On this President's Day, are you stuck in traffic from your exurban house to the sale at the local Hummer dealer? It's Thomas Jefferson's fault.
A Plan For Democratic And Equitable Planning In New Orleans
November 7, 2005, 7am PST
Planners from around the country have already descended on the Gulf Coast region, beginning a series of charrettes to shape the future of land use and community development in the devastate
Overcoming the Comfort of Powerlessness
May 23, 2005, 12am PDT
If we as planners don't do better in defining ourselves, we risk being seen as irrelevant and superfluous, writes Leonardo Vazquez. Do planners assure their own powerlessness by ignoring those in power?


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DSC's Jay Cox on Untamed Heritage Podcast
by Managing Editor | Aug 8, 2020 | Conservation, North American Wildlife Conservation Model, Op-Ed, Partnership, Podcast
If you listen to the Untamed Heritage Podcast this week, you will hear from a familiar DSC voice! Director of Publications and Editor-in-Chief Jay Cox, PhD, talks with Larry Weishuhn on the importance of story-telling, what it's like to be a writer and editor,...
View from A Virtual Creek, Post Thirty-three
by Managing Editor | Jul 17, 2020 | hunting, Hunting Gear, nature, North American Wildlife Conservation Model, Op-Ed, We Hunt For Life, wildlife
Velvet Larry Weishuhn is a widely known writer, speaker, raconteur and world hunter. He co-hosts "DSC's Trailing the Hunter's Moon" on Pursuit Channel, CarbonTV and the show's YouTube Channel. Temperature north of the century mark, buzzing mosquitos,...
View from A Virtual Creek, Post Thirty-two
Not the Air Rifle of My Youth Larry Weishuhn is a widely known writer, speaker, raconteur and world hunter. He co-hosts "DSC's Trailing the Hunter's Moon" on Pursuit Channel, CarbonTV and the show's YouTube Channel. "Larry, can you meet me at Jeff Rice's Buck...
View from A Virtual Creek, Post Thirty-one
by Managing Editor | Jul 8, 2020 | hunting, Hunting Gear, nature, North American Wildlife Conservation Model, Op-Ed, We Hunt For Life, wildlife
Handgun Hunting Basics Chapter 3 Larry Weishuhn is a widely known writer, speaker, raconteur and world hunter. He co-hosts "DSC's Trailing the Hunter's Moon" on Pursuit Channel, CarbonTV and the show's YouTube Channel. You have spent time at the range, your...
The Danger of a Sentimental Ban
by Managing Editor | Jul 6, 2020 | Big Game, Conservation, Conservation in Action, North American Wildlife Conservation Model, Op-Ed, wildlife, Wildlife Conservation
The Government's proposal to ban the UK importing and exporting hunting trophies has caused much concern to those of us who live with wild animals and shoulder the financial burden of conserving them and their habitat. If enacted, it won't just stop British hunters...
View from A Virtual Creek, Post Thirty
Handgun Hunting Basics Chapter 2 Larry Weishuhn is a widely known writer, speaker, raconteur and world hunter. He co-hosts "DSC's Trailing the Hunter's Moon" on Pursuit Channel, CarbonTV and the show's YouTube Channel. Ready to step up to a big game hunting...


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HomeEconomy & BusinessA tale of three neighbouring economies – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea
A tale of three neighbouring economies – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea
October 5, 2012 Abdul Rashid Thomas Economy & Business 0
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 5 October 2012:
Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia may have a lot in common, most notably, they share a common border. But there is more that distinguishes the three countries than meets the eyes – take the economy, for one.
Political instability and an economy battered by civil war, is a caricature more associated with Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Both countries, just ten years ago were classified as 'failed states', thanks to former warlord – Charles Taylor, who is now locked up behind bars at The Hague, waiting to serve his jail term for war crimes against the people of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
As the two countries struggle to repair their battered public institutions, restructure their economies, re-establish law and order, and rebuild democracy, confidence is growing of a better future as the prospect of oil exploration looms.
And so too is Guinea, whose economy has experienced much turmoil after years of mismanagement, corruption, political instability and poor governance.
When the International Monetary Fund (IMF) comes knocking at the door, no one knows what they'll find, as government officials have a habit of either being economical with the truth, or withholding information that may reveal the truth about the economy.
Economic analysis and forecasting is a daunting exercise in Africa, but the IMF is confident, although in its last review meeting with officials in Sierra Leone, it expressed its disappointment that vital economic data was not made available.
But in a follow up meeting held in Freetown on 20 September to 3 October to carry out its fifth review of Sierra Leone's economic and financial program supported by the IMF under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), the IMF remained cautious.
Led by Ms. Malangu Kabedi-Mbuyi, the mission met with President Ernest Bai Koroma; and held discussions with Minister of Finance and Economic Development – Samura Kamara; Minister of Trade and Industry – Richard Konteh; Central Bank Governor – Sheku Sesay; representatives of the business community; development partners; and other senior officials from the Government and the Central Bank.
At the end of their discussions, Ms. Kabedi-Mbuyi said that; "Sierra Leone's economic growth has strengthened in recent years, driven by expansion in agriculture, services and construction activities."
Once again, as with previous meetings, the IMF was unable to confirm government's exaggerated economic growth figures.
Instead, the IMF's statement issued on Tuesday in Freetown, said that; "Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth increased from 3.2 percent in 2009 to 6 percent in 2011. The coming on stream of iron ore production in late 2011 is expected to boost growth and exports significantly in 2012 and beyond."
But the IMF continues to be encouraged by efforts to curb rising prices in the country. "Inflationary pressures have trended downwards since mid-2011, aided by a sharp fall in non-food inflation, a tight monetary policy stance, and stability in the exchange rate" says Ms. Kabedi-Mbuyi.
The IMF believes that there is a "need to continue fiscal consolidation efforts in 2012-13, by maintaining expenditure restraint, enhancing non-mineral revenue mobilization, and advancing public financial management reforms." his confirms long held suspicion that the Koroma led government is not in control of its finances.
There is a deep worry that, the government's economic policy – as the country prepares for elections in November, may not have been consistent with the need to promote economic stability
But the IMF said that; "economic policies should continue to support macroeconomic stability, and long-term debt sustainability", with future prospects looking much more positive.
"The medium-term prospects are favourable. However, they are subject to downside risks related to the uncertain global economic outlook and potential adverse movements in commodity prices for Sierra Leone", says the IMF.
Yet, it seems the IMF's continuous call and that of the opposition and critics, for the government to build a much more diverse economy that is less reliant on iron ore export, has been falling on deaf ears.
The IMF said on Tuesday, that; "To support broad-based growth and reduce the economy's vulnerability to exogenous shocks, the authorities would need to sustain efforts to improve the business environment and address impediments to growth."
"Key among these are continued investment in infrastructure to support productivity gains in the private sector, increased economic diversification, and broader access to financial services, particularly for small- and medium-sized enterprises to create employment opportunities", says the IMF.
The government has been making a lot of noise lately about its new AGENDA – its Agenda for prosperity. But many believe that, with so much left undone by the government, as it completes its five year term in office, its Agenda for Change has been a disaster for the economy.
The IMF has not endorsed the government's view that its management of the economy has been a success. What the IMF is able to say is that; it "welcomed progress in the preparation of the authorities' new poverty reduction and growth strategy – the Agenda for Prosperity, which outlines policies and reforms to address Sierra Leone's developmental challenges."
But contrary to its last review statement, which gave a qualified 'pass' on the government's performance in managing the economy, it seems the IMF has last Tuesday back-pedalled.
Sounding more optimistic and rather caught in the government's electioneering fever, the IMF said; "Regarding program performance at end-June, the mission found that all quantitative performance criteria and indicative targets were met, and that progress was being made in implementing the government's privatization agenda."
Visiting Liberia in September, the IMF seems encouraged by President Helen Sirleaf's government's effort in restructuring the economy and tackling deep entrenchment caused by decades of war, poor governance, neglect and lack of investments.
The mission held discussions with Minister of Finance – Amara Konneh, Deputy Central Bank Governor – Theophilus Bettie, and other senior officials. At the end of the discussions the head of mission – Ms. McAuliffe, issued the following statement in Monrovia:
"Liberia's economic growth is on an upward trajectory and economic prospects over the medium term remain favourable. Real GDP growth is expected to reach close to 9 percent in 2012, driven by continued strong growth in the mining sector and rising activity in construction and other services.
"Non-mining activity slowed in the first half of 2012 due to declining rubber export prices and the impact of elevated food and fuel prices on consumption. Risks to growth remain on the downside, especially from sluggish global demand for commodities.
"Inflation has declined to single digits and is expected to remain stable through end-2012, with upside risks from rising international food prices, although rice prices have so far not moved significantly in world markets. The external payments position remains stable."
"The mission has reached preliminary understandings with the authorities on the key elements of their economic program that can be supported by the IMF.
"Policy discussions focused on creating fiscal space to boost spending on infrastructure and human development, while maintaining macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, promoting financial sector deepening and access to credit, and creating a favourable business climate to support broad-based growth and job creation.
"The authorities' medium-term structural reform agenda rightly focuses on strengthening financial oversight and reporting of state owned enterprises; enhancing budget programming, control and monitoring; improving capital spending execution and containing non-priority current expenditures; developing the financial sector and supporting the stability of the banking system; and improving national accounts statistics.
"The mission welcomed the authorities' commitment to limit annual external borrowing to 4 percent of GDP in net present value terms to support the scaling up of infrastructure investment while maintaining low debt vulnerabilities.
"The planned issuance of government treasury bills will provide additional tool for meeting domestic financing needs and will support financial market development."
Moving across to Guinea, the message from the IMF mission that visited the country in September, is no different to what is happening in Sierra Leone and Liberia: three economies – one story, same message.
In 1996, the World Bank and IMF launched the HIPC Initiative to create a framework in which all creditors, including multilateral creditors, can provide debt relief to the world's poorest and most heavily indebted countries to ensure debt sustainability, and thereby reduce the constraints on economic growth and poverty reduction imposed by the unsustainable debt-service burdens in these countries.
Sierra Leone is one of the major beneficiaries of the HIPC, which saw billions of dollars in international debt wiped off its slate eleven years ago. But today there are worries that Sierra Leone's debt has once again reached astronomical level – estimated at over $1 billion.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) have decided to support US$ 2.1 billion in debt relief for Guinea, representing a 66 percent reduction of its future external debt service over a period of 40 years.
According to report from the IMF, the Boards of Directors of both institutions determined that Guinea has made satisfactory progress in meeting the requirements to reach the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, the stage at which the HIPC debt relief becomes irrevocable and the country will benefit from the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI).
The requirements met by Guinea included, among others, the preparation and satisfactory implementation of a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), the maintenance of a sound macroeconomic policy framework, the improvement of a poverty database and monitoring capacity, the publication of annual reports on the activities of the Anti-Corruption Agency, an increase in gross enrolment rates in primary schools, and an increase in immunization rates for children.
Guinea was granted a waiver on the trigger related to audits of large government procurement contracts, as the broad objective of this requirement was achieved and implementation has improved.
"Reaching the HIPC completion point represents an important achievement for Guinea. It reflects the significant progress made in economic management following the first democratic elections in December 2010," said Harry Snoek, IMF mission chief for Guinea.
"Reaching the completion point will help Guinea allocate more resources for poverty reduction and economic growth. Sound macroeconomic management will remain critical after the completion point to make the most of Guinea's abundant mining resources and other growth potentials," Mr. Snoek said.
"Full debt relief is a tremendous development opportunity for Guinea, as this will help the country achieve economic stability and devote more resources to reduce poverty," said Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Director for Guinea.
"We will continue to support Guinea in strengthening financial management, transparency and accountability to turn debt relief into visible development outcomes such as better health, education, environmental preservation and infrastructure for sustainable and inclusive growth," Mr. Diagana said.
Of the resulting reduction of about US$2.1 billion, about 70 percent will come from multilateral creditors, and the remaining from bilateral and commercial creditors.
MDRI relief provided by the World Bank's IDA and the African Development Bank Group would save Guinea US$964 million in debt service over 40 years. There remain no loans eligible for MDRI relief from the IMF.
Full delivery of debt relief (HIPC Initiative, MDRI, and additional bilateral assistance at the completion point) will considerably reduce the debt burden of Guinea.
The annual external debt service will fall by 70 percent, from an average of US$170 million for the period 2012-2021 to US$49 million.
Nevertheless, both the IMF and the World Bank consider that the improved Guinea's debt indicators will be sensitive to export levels and the terms of new external financing, underlining the need for sound macroeconomic management, further progress with structural reform, and strengthened debt management.
Guinea becomes the 34th country to reach the completion point under the HIPC Initiative.
The completion point marks the end of the HIPC process, which started in 2000 when the Executive Boards of the IMF and the World Bank's IDA agreed that Guinea had met the requirements for reaching the decision point, the stage at which countries start receiving debt relief on an interim basis.
According to Reuters: "Guinea's President Alpha Conde sacked 11 of his government ministers in a surprise cabinet reshuffle announced on state television late on Friday, 5 October, 2012. The statement from the presidency gave no reason for the shake-up, but the move comes amid heightened tensions in the world's top supplier of aluminium ore bauxite, over long-delayed parliamentary elections."
Sierra Leone's former Anti–Corruption Czar speaks about the challenges of fighting corruption
Sierra Leone's diversity can become the building block for positive change, if……


APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate and relates to the total cost of the loan. The purpose of an APR is to help people compare loans and credit cards more easily.
APR is calculated based on interest rates and any fees attached to the loan. Because APR includes fees as well, it helps you compare loans more accurately than if you compare on interest rates alone.
APR is calculated as an annual rate. This means that even if the loan is only a short-term loan, the APR shows what the rate would be if it were taken over a year. This makes it easier to compare credit which is being offered over different terms.
Should you compare interest rates or APR?
If you are comparing loans of the same amount, taken over the same period, then you should compare the APR as this will give a truer reflection of which loans offer a better rate. APR rates will almost always be higher than interest rates because they include the interest rate plus any applicable fees.
Lenders are required by law to show the APR on any consumer credit agreements.
Should you always choose the lowest APR?
The lower the APR, the less you are likely to have to pay back, but that doesn't always mean the lowest rate is best for you.
Because APR rates are calculated over a yearly basis, APR on a short-term loan, paid back over a few weeks or months, will often appear much higher than on a loan paid back over years. If you don't want to be tied into a long-term loan, you may prefer to pay the higher rate for a shorter-term agreement.
With credit cards, you don't usually pay interest if you pay the balance in full each month. If you intend on paying your full balance each month, you might be better choosing a card based on the cash back or rewards rather than the APR. However, if you can only pay the minimum balance, then the lower APR is probably better.
What does 'representative APR' mean?
Some people are less likely to repay loans on time than others, so they pose a greater risk for lenders. High-risk borrowers will often be offered a higher interest rate, and lower-risk borrowers will receive lower interest rates.
A lender can't advertise their lowest rates if only a handful of people will actually get offered these rates. Representative APR means that at least 51% of borrowers whose applications are successful will receive that rate of APR.
When you take out any loans or apply for credit, it is important that you understand the fees and interest you are being offered. You won't always be offered the APR that is advertised; this will depend on how much risk you pose to the lender.
A responsible lender should make it clear what you are borrowing and what the terms and rates are. If you don't understand how much you have to repay or the timescales in which payments are due, then find out from the lender before you enter any credit agreements.
At Morses Club, we provide home collection loans. Before your application is accepted, we will visit you at home to ensure that you understand the terms of the loan and the repayment amounts. As responsible lenders, we only lend to customers who can afford to repay what they borrow. To find out more about our home collection loans, visit our how it works page.


text:
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEditor;
using System.Collections;

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public class TetrahedronEditorUV : Editor {
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	static void Create() {
		GameObject gameObject = new GameObject( "TetrahedronUV" );
		TetrahedronUV s = gameObject.AddComponent<TetrahedronUV>();
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		meshFilter.mesh = new Mesh();
		s.Rebuild();
	}

	public override void OnInspectorGUI() {
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		obj = target as TetrahedronUV;

		if ( obj == null ) {
			return;
		}

		base.DrawDefaultInspector();
		EditorGUILayout.BeginHorizontal();

		// Rebuild mesh when user click the Rebuild button
		if ( GUILayout.Button( "Rebuild" ) ) {
			obj.Rebuild();
		}
		EditorGUILayout.EndHorizontal();
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Maba 1 (auch: Maba-Mensch; ) ist die Bezeichnung für ein mittelpaläolithisches Fossil, das im Juni 1958 in einer Karsthöhle des Shizi Shan ("Löwenberges") beim Dorf Maba (Mabacun) in Shaoguan in der chinesischen Provinz Guangdong entdeckt und der Gattung Homo zugeschrieben wurde.

Fund und Datierung
Es handelt sich um ein in mehrere Stücke zerbrochenes, unvollständig erhaltenes Schädeldach mit Stirn und Nasenbereich, dessen Alter bislang nur ungenau bestimmt werden konnte. Anhand von Tierfossilien aus der gleichen Fundschicht wurde der Schädel zunächst ins mittlere bis junge Pleistozän datiert. Eine spätere Uran-Thorium-Datierung von vermutlich gleich alten Tierzähnen ergab ein Alter von 129.000 ± 10.000 Jahren, jedoch ist nicht gesichert, dass diese Datierung die Fundschicht betraf: Der Schädel war von Bauern beim Abbau von Dünger gefunden worden, weswegen die Fundschicht nur annähernd rekonstruiert werden kann. Eine weitere, ebenfalls nicht hinreichend gesicherte Datierung legte ein Alter von nahezu 240.000 Jahren nahe.

Der unbezahnte Schädel weist Fraßspuren auf; es fehlen etwa 60 Prozent der Gesichtsknochen und rund ein Viertel des Scheitelbeins. Ein besonderes Merkmal, das diesen Schädel von anderen, ähnlich datierten Funden unterscheidet, sind die an Neandertaler erinnernden, relativ grazilen Überaugenwülste, weswegen der Fund zunächst als dem des Neandertalers ähnelnd beschrieben wurde. Von chinesischen Experten wurde er als archaischer Homo sapiens eingeordnet. Sofern die Datierung mindestens ins späte Mittelpleistozän korrekt ist, steht diese Zuordnung jedoch in Widerspruch zu den heute bekannten, genetischen Analysen zur Ausbreitung des Menschen, denen zufolge der Fund dem Homo erectus zuzuordnen ist.

2011 wurde geschätzt, dass der Schädel zu einer bei Eintritt des Todes etwa 50 Jahre alten Person gehörte. Zugleich wurde nachgewiesen, dass er eine – zumindest ansatzweise verheilte – Verletzung des Knochens aufweist, die durch einen kräftigen Schlag mit einem stumpfen Gegenstand verursacht worden sein muss. Hiervon zeugt an der rechten Schädelseite eine halbmondförmige, acht Millimeter lange, 308 Quadratmillimeter große und 1,5 Millimeter tiefe Druckspur sowie an gleicher Stelle auf der Schädelinnenseite eine Auswölbung. Anzeichen für eine Entzündung im ehemaligen Wundbereich wurden nicht gefunden, wohl aber Hinweise auf neugebildetes Knochengewebe nach einer Fraktur. Die Ursache der Verletzung ließ sich nicht klären.

Francis Clark Howell bezeichnete das Fossil von Maba (vormals Mapa) mit dem Art-Epitheton "mapaensis Kurth". Der Taxonom Colin Groves erwähnt, das Fossil sei von Gerhard Heberer und Gottfried Kurth als "Homo erectus mapaensis Kurth (1965)" eingeführt worden. Colin Groves indes entschied sich 1989 für die (heute dem Wissenszuwachs widersprechende) Umbenennung in "Homo sapiens mapaensis Kurth, 1965".

Das Fossil wird unter der Sammlungsnummer PA 84 im Institut für Wirbeltierpaläontologie und Paläoanthropologie der Chinesischen Akademie der Wissenschaften verwahrt.

Siehe auch
 Liste von homininen Fossilien des Paläolithikums in China
 Liste paläolithischer Fundstätten in China

Weblinks
 Abbildungen des Schädels und der Knochenverletzung bei wissenschaft-online.de

Belege

Hominines Fossil aus China
Guangdong
Archäologischer Fund (Asien)
Mittelpaläolithikum
Altsteinzeitlicher Fund (China)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


For archive purpose, I'd like to be able to "tag" the subject of emails (without using the tags, I would have hundreds of them). So I want to add some key words in the subject itself.
However I didn't find a way to change the subject of an email. I moved recently on Mac, and I knew how to do that in Windows, but here I didn't find a way.
This return a script error "Mail got an error: Can't set subject of message"
We can't edit this property.
4) Delete the old message from the mail. Well, it is you yourself.


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HomeIndiaAndamanSamudrika Naval Marine Museum
Samudrika Naval Marine Museum
GuidesIndiaAndaman
The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum, located in Port Blair, is a must-see destination for anyone interested in the rich maritime history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The museum, which is run by the Indian Navy, offers visitors a glimpse into the diverse marine life and cultural heritage of the islands.
The museum's exhibits include a wide range of marine specimens, including coral reefs, shells, and fish. Visitors can also see a variety of traditional boats used by the local tribes, as well as models of ships and submarines. The museum also features exhibits on the geography and geology of the islands, as well as the history of the Indian Navy's presence in the region.
One of the highlights of the museum is its collection of anthropological artifacts, which provide insight into the lives of the indigenous tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The museum also has a section dedicated to the history of the islands, including the tragic story of the Indian penal colony that was established there during the British colonial period.
The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is not only a great place to learn about the natural and cultural history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but it's also an excellent educational resource for students and researchers. The museum's staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and they are more than happy to answer any questions visitors may have.
Overall, the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is a fascinating and informative destination that should not be missed by anyone visiting Port Blair. It's a great way to gain a deeper understanding of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the people who call them home.
Things to see in Samudrika Naval Marine Museum
The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum in Port Blair offers visitors a wide range of exhibits to see and explore. Some of the highlights include:
Marine specimens: The museum has a large collection of marine specimens, including coral reefs, shells, and fish. Visitors can learn about the diverse marine life that can be found in the waters around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Traditional boats: The museum features several traditional boats used by the local tribes, including dugout canoes and catamarans. Visitors can learn about the different types of boats used by the tribes and the methods used to construct them.
Models of ships and submarines: The museum has several models of ships and submarines, including a replica of the INS Vikrant, the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. Visitors can learn about the history of the Indian Navy in the region and the different types of vessels used.
Anthropological artifacts: The museum has a collection of anthropological artifacts, including tools, weapons, and clothing used by the indigenous tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Visitors can gain insight into the lives of the tribes and their traditional customs and practices.
History of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: The museum has several exhibits dedicated to the history of the islands, including the British colonial period and the Indian penal colony that was established there. Visitors can learn about the tragic events that took place on the islands and the impact they had on the local population.
Overall, the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum offers visitors a wealth of information and exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It's a great place to learn more about the region and gain a deeper understanding of its people and history.
Facts about Samudrika Naval Marine Museum
The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is located in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The museum is run by the Indian Navy and is one of the main tourist attractions in Port Blair.
The museum was established in 1967 and has a wide range of exhibits that focus on the marine life, cultural heritage, and naval history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The museum's collection includes marine specimens, traditional boats, models of ships and submarines, anthropological artifacts, and information on the history of the islands.
The museum's anthropological section is quite unique, which gives visitors a glimpse into the lives of the indigenous tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which are known as Onge, Jarwa, and Great Andamanese.
The museum also has a section dedicated to the history of the Indian Navy's presence in the region, including the history of naval operations, weapons, and equipment used by the Navy.
The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is open to visitors from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm on weekdays, and from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm on Sundays and holidays.
The museum is closed on Monday and a few other public holidays.
The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is a great place to learn about the natural and cultural history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and also an excellent educational resource for students and researchers.
The museum's staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and they are more than happy to answer any questions visitors may have. It is a must-see destination for anyone interested in the rich maritime history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
History of Samudrika Naval Marine Museum
The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was established in 1967 by the Indian Navy. The museum was created with the goal of educating visitors about the diverse marine life, cultural heritage, and naval history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The museum's collection includes a wide range of exhibits, including marine specimens, traditional boats, models of ships and submarines, anthropological artifacts, and information on the history of the islands. The exhibits are designed to give visitors a comprehensive understanding of the region and its people.
In the early days, the museum was focused mainly on the naval history and maritime heritage of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. But over the years, the collection has been expanded to include information on the natural history and cultural heritage of the region. The anthropological section of the museum is particularly unique, providing insight into the lives of the indigenous tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum has also been used as an educational resource for students and researchers. The museum's staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and they are more than happy to answer any questions visitors may have.
In recent years, the museum has undergone renovations and expansions to improve the visitor experience and add new exhibits. The Indian Navy continues to operate and maintain the museum, ensuring that visitors have access to the latest information and exhibits.
Overall, the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is an important institution that helps to preserve and promote the rich history and culture of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is an excellent resource for visitors, students, and researchers, and it continues to be a must-see destination for anyone interested in the region's maritime history and natural beauty.
How to reach Samudrika Naval Marine Museum
The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is located in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. There are several ways to reach the museum:
By Air: The best way to reach Port Blair is by taking a flight to Veer Savarkar Airport. Flights are available from major cities in India such as Kolkata, Delhi, and Chennai. From the airport, you can take a taxi or an auto-rickshaw to the museum.
By Ship: There are regular ship services from mainland India to Port Blair. The ships operate from cities such as Kolkata, Chennai, and Visakhapatnam. From the port, you can take a taxi or an auto-rickshaw to the museum.
By Road: Port Blair is not connected by road to the mainland, so it is not possible to reach the museum by road.
By local transport: Once you are in Port Blair, the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is easily accessible by local transport such as auto-rickshaws or taxis. Public buses also run between Port Blair and the museum.
It is important to note that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a Union Territory of India and is only accessible by permit and visitors need to have a permit to enter the islands, which can be obtained from the Indian government.
The museum is located in the proximity of major tourist places in Port Blair, such as Cellular Jail, and Chatham Saw Mill which are also major tourist attractions and can be visited after or before visiting the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum.
Anthropological Museum Port Blair
Chidiya Tapu Port Blair
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park
Frequently Asked Questions About Samudrika Naval Marine Museum
Q: What is the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum?
A: The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is a museum located in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It is run by the Indian Navy and has exhibits that focus on the marine life, cultural heritage, and naval history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Q: What can I see at the museum?
A: The museum has a wide range of exhibits including marine specimens, traditional boats, models of ships and submarines, anthropological artifacts, and information on the history of the islands.
Q: What is the history of the museum?
A: The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum was established in 1967 by the Indian Navy with the goal of educating visitors about the diverse marine life, cultural heritage, and naval history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The collection has been expanded over the years to include information on the natural history and cultural heritage of the region.
Q: How can I reach the museum?
A: The best way to reach Port Blair is by taking a flight to Veer Savarkar Airport. Regular ship services are also available from mainland India to Port Blair. Once you are in Port Blair, the museum is easily accessible by local transport such as auto-rickshaws or taxis.
Q: What are the timings of the museum?
A: The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is open to visitors from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm on weekdays, and from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm on Sundays and holidays. The museum is closed on Monday and a few other public holidays.
Q: Is there an entry fee for the museum?
A: There is no entry fee for the museum, but visitors need to have a permit to enter the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which can be obtained from the Indian government.
Q: How can I get more information about the museum?
A: The museum's staff is knowledgeable and friendly and they are more than happy to answer any questions visitors may have. You can also check the official website of the Indian navy for more information about the museum.
Chatham Saw Mill, Port Blair


text:
Q: Start VsCode gdb debugger with F10 or Ctrl+F10 My setup
λ code --version
1.61.2
6cba118ac49a1b88332f312a8f67186f7f3c1643
x64

λ code --list-extensions
adpyke.codesnap
astallinger.sourcetrail
eamodio.gitlens
errata-ai.vale-server
GitHub.github-vscode-theme
marus25.cortex-debug
matklad.rust-analyzer
ms-python.python
ms-python.vscode-pylance
ms-toolsai.jupyter
ms-toolsai.jupyter-keymap
ms-toolsai.jupyter-renderers
ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh
ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh-edit
ms-vscode.cmake-tools
ms-vscode.cpptools
trond-snekvik.gnu-mapfiles
vrjuliao.sml-environment
vscodevim.vim

My problem
I've mapped Ctrl+F10 to run to cursor.
I can step with F10 and run to cursor with Ctrl+F10.
But I can't start a debugging session with those keys. Especially starting a program with Ctrl+F10 would be very useful to me, since it gives me a REPL-kind of workflow when using the debugger. Setting stopAtEntry : true in launch.json, allows me to run to main by pressing F5 but that doesn't help with my run to cursor use case.
How do I start a debugging session with Ctrl+F10?


text:
Q: Paypal IPN simulator now wipes out all values after every "Send IPN" As a result of the upgrade of the PayPal developer site, the behavior of the IPN simulator has now taken a huge change for the worse.
Before, you could fill out the form once, and hit "Send IPN" as many times as needed to debug the backend.  Now every time you click "Send IPN", all the data you entered gets reset to the default values.  This means for a form which has 30+ fields, you have to fill it out over and over again every time you want to send the test IPN.
It's bad enough there's no way to save the information indefinitely, but clearing out every field every time you click "Send IPN" is just horrible.
Is there any way to get it to preserve the existing field data?


Our hotel enjoys a quiet location at the start of the pedestrian area, close to the "Olympia" sports and congress center.
The Seefeld Olympic region is conveniently situated at the heart of the Alps. A fast motorway connection in all four compass directions enables you to make a swift and uncomplicated journey to your holiday paradise. Whether you are travelling in your own vehicle, by air or by public transport - the Seefeld Olympic region is always quick and easy to reach.
Coming from Munich or Salzburg, take the A93 to Kufstein and then take the A12 via Innsbruck as far as the Zirl exit. From there you reach the region after travelling around 12 km over the fairly steep "Zirler Berg". An alternative: Do not leave the motorway in Zirl, but continue to the Telfs Ost exit. Follow the signs towards Mösern or Seefeld and reach the region after around 12 km.
From Vorarlberg you travel over the Arlbergpass or through the Arlbergtunnel (S 16) via Landeck and take the A 12 motorway as far as the Telfs Ost exit. When you get there follow the signs towards Mösern or Seefeld until you reach the Seefeld Olympic region after around 12 km.
You travel through Garmisch Partenkirchen to Mittenwald and cross the former border. You soon arrive in Scharnitz, the gate to the Seefeld Olympic region (vignette free). The route from Garmisch to Scharnitz is around 35 km.
From the former "Brenner" border crossing take the Brenner motorway (A 13) and switch to the A 12 at around Innsbruck. Following the motorway, continue to the Zirl exit. From there you reach the region after travelling around 12 km over the fairly steep "Zirler Berg". An alternative: Do not leave the motorway in Zirl, but continue to the Telfs Ost exit. Follow the signs towards Mösern or Seefeld and reach the region after around 12 km.
Good train connections coming from Innsbruck and Munich are perfect for reaching the region quickly and simply. For all those who appreciate a convenient and simple journey, the train is a reasonably-priced alternative. There are good connections to the Seefeld Olympic region from both Munich and Innsbruck. Seefeld station is located in an ideal position directly on the edge of the pedestrian area.


text:
Digital Leaders Forum finalist
17/09/2014 12:00:00 a.m.
The Whanganui Digital Leaders Forum (WDLF) is a finalist in the New Zealand Innovators Awards 2014 in two categories: 'Excellence in Social Innovation' and 'Innovation in Financial & Professional Services'.
The awards are an initiative of the New Zealand Innovation Council and are strongly supported by foundation sponsors Bayer New Zealand, Idealog and Ideas Accelerator Ltd.
Bayer New Zealand Managing Director Holger Detje says the aim is to recognise great kiwi talent and the commercialisation of New Zealand products and services.
The WDLF is made up of volunteers from a variety of local sectors, including health, education, iwi, business, sport and the arts. The Forum entered the awards with its '100% Connected' project, which has helped push the early adoption of ultrafast broadband in our district, as well as working towards a comprehensive network of free, public internet services for everyone.
Chair of the WDLF, Mayor Annette Main, is delighted the Forum has been recognised in not one, but two categories, amongst entries from established national companies, universities and financial corporations.
"Being a finalist in two Innovators Awards is another way we are being recognised outside our district for the work on digital connectivity in Whanganui.
"We have been chosen as a finalist for what we are achieving for our community socially, as well as how we are using the 100% Connected project to bring better business practices and economic development to our district.
"It is important to me that every member of our community can benefit from our commitment to being '100% Connected' in a way that works for them.
"We share these nominations with finalists who have substantial financial support behind them, or who are well-established national organisations. We are fortunate to have the voluntary and dedicated commitment of people from our community on our Forum. This is a great achievement for us and we look forward to our work being recognised nationally."
The winners of the New Zealand Innovators Awards 2014 will be announced at an awards ceremony in Auckland on Wednesday, October 15. For more information please visit www.innovators.org.nz.
Page reviewed: 17 Sep 2014 12:00am


The Annual Ahr Star Easter Egg Hunt took place on Wednesday, April 10, 2019. The night before, the Easter Bunny visited Bishop Ahr High School and left big footprints outside some of the classrooms. Mikey Lucas and Ellona Grazziano, this year's Ahr Stars, came to BGA looking for the footprints, eggs, and other treats that were left in the classrooms by the Easter Bunny.
They were led around hunting for the Easter eggs by the Ahr Star representatives Joseph Dunn '20, Bethany Ciccarelli '20, and Ahr Star Board Members Tina Raspa'20, Katie Wilson '20, Alyssa Pittari '20, and Nihaal Walia '21. The Ahr Star reps and board members assisted the Ahr Stars and their families to the rooms that the Easter Bunny had visited.
Lots of fun-filled, colorful, big, and silly eggs plus lots of candy, money, stuffed animals, and toys were found by Mikey and Ellona. The Easter Bunny even left eggs for their siblings llyana, Kylie, Tommy, and Ryan. At the brunch reception, everyone had fun playing basketball, sharing funny stories, and enjoying the food. Each Ahr Star family also received a $1,500 check to be used for whatever they need! Mikey, Ellona, and their siblings left with fun-filled Easter Baskets, a tray of Roche Cookies and lots of little treats after having had an awesome time!


On-campus MBA info sessions Monday-Friday between 1 and 2pm, until May 3rd.
Visit MBA classes, have lunch with students, and attend info sessions at various times during the academic year.
Visit campus and sit-in on MBA classes during the school year. Register here.


Rapidly improving and versatile player at both ends of the floor.
Shaniya is making a stamp on the UK basketball scene as a standout player recently being awarded the 2018/19 WEABL Most Improved Player.
Able to to score off the dribble with range to the 3-pt line. A very good rebounder and active defender able to guard multiple positions.
Full game tape upon request.


Fast Fit. Your first stop for Tyres.
We'll match or beat our competitors' prices!
When you're in a hurry to get new tyres for your vehicle, Fast Fit at Vospers is the place to go.
Fast Fit at Vospers offers a while-you-wait service and stocks all the major brands.
Call 01752 255285 to book your vehicle in for new tyres at Fast Fit.


Fundamentals of Human Resource Management provides a succinct yet comprehensive overview of the key issues shaping HRM today. The book explores the complex relationships between HRM and a range of organizational functions and encompasses the business, public and voluntary sectors. Using a wealth of real world examples, the text analyses HRM from a number of illuminating practical and theoretical perspectives.
This highly engaging, bestselling textbook, now in its eighth edition offers a comprehensive examination of contemporary human resource management issues and debates. Aimed at undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students, this title provides an authoritative source for students of CIPD Advanced qualifications.
Attracting, hiring, developing and retaining the right people is crucial to an organization's success. The stakes have never been higher: a 2015 study by CAP suggests that the average cost of employee attrition is 20% of a mid-level employee's annual salary and up to 213% of a high-level executive's salary. In a business environment changing so rapidly that jobs which will be essential in 2020 don't even exist yet, Exceptional Talent examines how changes in technology, communication, and employee preferences are impacting the talent journey.
The Employer's Handbook 2017-18 has established itself as a source of reliable, unambiguous guidance for all small- to medium-sized employers in the UK, clearly identifying the legal essentials and best-practice guidelines for effective people management. It is a comprehensive source of hands-on advice on the increasingly complex legal framework now governing UK employment law, including guidelines on age discrimination legislation and the latest employment tribunal procedures.
This book examines the progress made in e-enabling the HR function and the relationship with outsourcing. The editors will review and analyse recent developments in the application of outsourcing and ICT to the HR function and its overall contribution to organizational aims.
Introducing Employment Relations draws on the most up-to-date research and many contemporary examples to encourage students to think critically about the significant issues surrounding employment relations from a variety of perspectives. Integrated learning features, factual examples, and real-life case studies prompt students to reflect on how employment relations are regulated, experienced, and contested, by organizations and employees, collectively or individually. End-of-chapter assignment and discussion questions then develop reflective learning and promote lively debate.
Now in its 11th edition Laurie Mullins's Management & Organisational Behaviour is the essential guide to OB for students today. Over half a million students have used this engaging and practically focused book as their introduction to the world of management and organisational behaviour, and it continues to evolve and improve to serve the needs of modern students.
Human Resource Management is the leading textbook for the CIPD People Management and Development module. Written by the CIPD's chief examiner, it is closely aligned to the CIPD standards and is the ideal text for anyone seeking a critical look at Human Resource Management (HRM) theory and practice.
Engaged employees are more productive, motivated and resilient, yet gaining financial support to develop engagement is harder than ever as budgets are being squeezed and everyone is being asked to do more with less. 50 Top Tools for Employee Engagement shows that you don't need expensive interventions or additional resource to achieve employee engagement. It contains practical tools which can be used to make an immediate difference.
Previously restricted to cascading information and managing day-to-day conversations, internal communication is now essential to empowering employees to deliver business strategy. Strategic Internal Communication shows how to design and implement a strategy which will lead to engaged and motivated staff, increased productivity and consequently improved business performance.
Blackstone's Employment Law Practice 2017 is the only text to provide everything you need for bringing, defending, and appealing employment cases in one single, portable volume, providing an unbeatable combination of clear commentary and key legislation. Drawing together comprehensive coverage of practice and procedure in the Employment Tribunals, Employment Appeal Tribunal, and Central Arbitration Committee, Blackstone's Employment Law Practice 2017 is an essential purchase for all employment practitioners.
Based on empirical research rather than second hand advice, it discusses the strategies and tactics that both applicants and interviewers can use to make their interviews more successful; from how to make a good first impression to how to decide which candidate is the best fit for the role. Illustrated with examples throughout, the book guides job applicants on how best to prepare for and perform in an interview, and provides managers with best-practice advice in selecting the right candidate.
In his classic book, David Ulrich says that HR holds the key to an organization's future success. HR people serve as strategic players, administrative experts, employee champions and change agents. Full of illustrations and examples from dozens of companies, this book show how HR professionals can operate in all four areas simultaneously.
A research-focused introductory text written by a stellar contributor line-up including Linda Holbeche, Stephen Taylor and Jim Stewart. The Second Edition integrates an international perspective using examples and case studies from a broad range of regions and industries including Microsoft, Volkswagen and Rolls-Royce. The 2 new chapters on Culture and Globalisation reflect the contemporary workplace, and the future of HR based on Linda Holbeche's latest research is included in the final chapter.
This book demonstrates, in detail, why annual performance appraisals might still work in hierarchical environments, but largely fail in agile ones. The annual performance appraisal is one of the world's most widely used management tools. For many years, it was indeed seen as a pre-requisite for successful leadership and professional management. While most managers and employees have always been sceptical in this respect, those at a strategic level are now also realising it causes more harm than good, and a growing number of leading companies have similarly abolished this approach.
Once thought of simply as the place where employee records are kept, today's human resources department has evolved into a manager of human capital. However, HR faces challenges��among them providing necessary services at competitive cost, enhancing productivity, and justifying budgets at a time when outsourcing firms threaten its very existence. Now more than ever, HR needs to position itself as a value-added partner that contributes to the strategic goals of its organization.


Local Hero needs Platelets and Bone Marrow Match!
Sergeant Jorge Chavez was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. Sergeant Chavez has served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 17 years, lets work together and try and find him a lifesaving marrow donor.
You can request a swab kit at http://join.marrow.org/swabforjorge.


Collect of the Day: God, our refuge and strength, true source of all godliness: Graciously hear the devout prayers of your Church, and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Lord; who sits at your right hand to intercede for us, and who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns in everlasting glory. Amen.
This is an especially appropriate prayer for the week we have lived together. Through various sources we have learned that in the midst of life we are in death – but I pray we have also learned that in the midst of death we are in life.
Two of our families have suffered the death of a parent and grandparent recently. Both were sudden. Yes, both deaths involved people who had lived long and good lives, but they were both too short for us.
Our dear Alita has gone home, as has Lareisha's father, Larry. We didn't know Larry, but we will miss him as a strong brother-in-Christ, and as the grandparent of Rusty and Lareisha's girls, Nevaeh, Kamyra, and Keziah. We certainly know Alita, an awesome sister-in-Christ, and a well-beloved member of our family. She kept the coffee going, the tables decorated, the Vestry working. We also know her as the mother of Cathy & Shawn, and the grandmother of Zachery, Cody, Brooklyn, and Kira. She was so proud of them all.
But more than that is happening. Cathy kept saying throughout the time of Alita's death that she was joyful her mother was going home, while she kept mourning her leaving. In the midst of death we are in life – at its very fullest.
In the midst of all the death we have seen about which we have heard, we are in life. In an attic in South Carolina America's Cajun Navy found a litter of kitten just a day or two old, as well as rescuing two dozen humans. The Dothan (FL) Fire Department rescued 22 people during the storm.
And wonderfully, through the tireless efforts of President Trump, Vice President Pence, Senator Lankford, and others Pastor Andrew Brunson has been released in Turkey, and is now safe in the United States, reunited with his family.
God is always working to bring good from our foolishness, evil, and misfortunes. He does that because God is good, all the time. That is his nature. He can do no other.
We mourn. We rejoice. They are part of the same coin, because of the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life for those who love Jesus, the only Way, Truth, and Life.