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Wonders of Flight Inspire 9th Annual Art of Travel Gala
Posted on August 05, 2019 in Media Releases
St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) is delighted to announce the 9th annual Art of Travel gala will be held on October 3, 2019 to fund future exhibitions and a major art installation in the Airport in 2020. This year's gala – Cloud 9 – is inspired by the wonders of flight and the generations of dreamers who have set their sights on the sky. The Art of Travel will feature exclusive hand-crafted works for sale by St. Louis artists by Carol Carter, Robert Thomas Mullen, Leia Zumbro, Malaika Tolford, Carmelita Nunez, and Eugenia Alexander.
The Art of Travel, presented by Spire, HMSHost, Ameren and 103.3 KLOU, will be held in the Aero event space, located in Terminal 1 from 6-9 p.m. For event and ticket information, visit www.artoftravelstl.com. Tickets are $75 each, or $65 each when purchasing four or more tickets, and $100 at the door. Event sponsorships are still available and include group tickets.
Art lovers, philanthropists, community leaders, and supporters of STL will attend this year's gala, benefiting the Lambert Art & Culture Program, which supports the Airport's growing temporary exhibition program of local and regional artists as well as future permanent artwork throughout the terminals and concourses. The Airport has issued a request for qualifications nationally for artists for its 2020 Legacy Project in the C Checkpoint Atrium in Terminal 1, which will be the first commissioned public art at the Airport in more than eight years.
The custom Art of Travel Collection of works by St. Louis artists will be displayed in a Pop-up Shop and feature watercolor paintings, handcrafted jewelry, and ceramics that highlight the importance of flight and the wonders of the sky. Items will be priced for all budgets, ranging from $40 to $200 or more.
In addition to exclusive art pieces, the 9th annual Art of Travel will feature a menu destined to elevate your senses by the Airport's master food and beverage concessionaire, HMSHost. Chefs will prepare the menu tableside for more than 400 guests. Each guest will be able to sample Art of Travel signature cocktails, as well. This year, we welcome the sounds of Midnight Piano Band, to let your mind soar in the skies. The very popular silent auction featuring travel, art, and sports-themed packages will also return this year.
The 2018 Art of Travel gala raised close to $100,000 for the Lambert Art & Culture Program. That funding has helped to support numerous exhibitions in the last year from local artists and partners, including The Sheldon Concert Hall & Galleries, Missouri Botanical Garden, Sun Smith-Foret, Edna Patterson-Petty, Kaeko Maehata, Lindsay Obermeyer, Jerry Montieth, Jeremy Rabus, The Griot Museum, Libby Reuter, Brian DePauli, Dave Adams, 10th Street Gallery, Lola Ogbara, and Cheryl Wassenaar.
The Chairs of the Art of Travel are Lee Kling, president of The Kling Company and member of the St. Louis Airport Commission, and David Frey. Both Kling and Frey are passionate about art and travel and bring great energy and enthusiasm to this year's gala. The Art of Travel Host Committee members are Jeff Bewley, John Colhouer, Erika Fiola, Laura Helling and Rick Oloeto, Cabanne Howard, Peggy and Anthony Hoy, Stacey and Jay Kamps, Jeff Kapfer, Nancy Kranzberg, Adam Kruse, Hannah McAfoos, Margaret McDonald, Mel Pashea, Ray Simon, Kelly and Sean Spencer, Shannon St. Pierre, Kaven Swan, Solomon and Patricia Thurman, Jim Timmerberg, Mark Utterback, and Angela and Keith Walleman.
The Lambert Art and Culture Program is led by the seven-member Airport Art Advisory Committee. Current members are Lisa Cakmak, Associate Curator of Ancient Art at Saint Louis Art Museum; Ellen Gale, Executive Director Clayton Chamber of Commerce; Shelley Hagen; Leslie Markle, Curator of Public Art, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum; Kiku Obata, Founding Principal of Kiku Obata & Co.; Roseann Weiss, consultant with ART+; and design artist and illustrator Carlos Zamora.


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Bristol City sign Matty Taylor from rivals Bristol Rovers
Matty Taylor has signed for the Robins Photo: Bristol City FC
Bristol City have confirmed the signing of Matty Taylor from city rivals Bristol Rovers.
He has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club for an undisclosed fee.
The 26 year old striker had scored 67 times in 132 appearances since he joined Rovers on a free transfer in the summer of 2014.
Taylor has been Rovers' top scorer this season netting 19 times in all competitions before moving to Ashton Gate.
During last year's campaign, Taylor scored 28 goals as Rovers secured promotion on the final day of the season.
Watch Matty's first interview on the Bristol City Youtube Page here:
Sheffield United sign Morrison on one-year-deal
Rumours: Leicester will let Maguire leave for bids over £75m
Norwich City sign West Ham right-back Byram

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Good ol' Beans and Rice ..with Bacon!
Serves 2 for dinner or 3 for lunch. Takes about 30 minutes, or as long as it takes to cook a pot of rice.
First, fry some bacon. Add a dash of olive oil to a heavy bottomed pan and lay out at least 6 pieces of back bacon. Leave them alone, turning occasionally, until they are really browned. Lay them out on a paper napkin so they will crisp up.
Meanwhile, prepare to cook your rice. I like to use brown basmati rice- add a cup of rice to a saucepan and cover with water. Add a boullion cube (chicken packs the most flavour!) and a 1/4 tsp of garam masala. Let this simmer away until the rice is al dente or soft, but definitely not mushy.
And there should be time yet to prepare the beans! Take one small can of pinto/black eye/barlotti beans and empty them into a strainer. Now, you will need to rinse them beans about 50 times until the water runs clear and there are are no more strange white bubbles forming on the top and sides. This process will force out a lot of the tinned smell and flavour. It may actually only take like ten rinses but really this is one of the few dishes that is so quick and easy (and almost universally pleasing) that it makes more sense to deal with the drawbacks of canned beans rather than cooking your own.
Once the bacon is done, leave all that bacon grease in the pan. You will make the most of this. Over a medium-low flame, soften the onion in the fat and then add 1/2 tsp cumin and red pepper flakes into the hot oil. Dump in your rinsed beans and fry 'em up good, letting them stick to the bottom of the pan to develop a nice crust. Add your vegetables next, however many you like although I would really only use a few mushrooms myself. When its all nicely cooked, spoon in your rice and mix 'er all up. Garnish generously with bacon bits, sliced green onions, lemon juice, freshly ground pepper and sea salt.


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· The combination of pure coconut oil and the potassium glass gives the Soap Pure Mineral Antiodorante a particular action, which counteracts the formation of bad odors due to perspiration.
· His soft dough makes the skin clean and fresh protecting it from odors for several hours in a natural way, it does not contain dyes and chemical preservatives and surfactants.


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Me and My Zamboni Arousing My Albedo
On Health Care, Windmills and Marriage CRTX Up 264%
ANOTHER HOME WINDMILL
Hubert Heller: "Is affordable, practical home wind power generation becoming a reality? The EarthTronics Honeywell wind turbine works in 'low wind' areas, can be installed on a house or business rooftop and pays for itself in less than 2 years."
☞ Well, at $6,000 installed – less huge subsidies and rebates, but those are still costs to somebody – each one apparently saves in the ball park of maybe $600 a year on a home's electric bill. Which is a good 10% return if they last forever with no maintenance, but a 0% return if they last "just" 10 years. Still, very cool and worth watching the video.
OR NOT
Dan Nachbar: "I hate to play the nay-sayer but . . . Be very careful about mounting any wind power system on the roof of your home. Unlike solar panels, turbines have moving parts. Moving parts inevitably lead to vibrations. So, if you put any wind turbine on a your roof, the turbine will almost certainly act like the vibrating strings of a guitar and your house will act like the sound-box. A couple of nights laying in bed listening to the thrumming of the turbine on the roof and you'll want to rip it off with your bare hands. . . . Don't get me wrong, I'm a great fan of wind power in general. But residential roofs are simply the wrong place to install it. . . . Also . . . vertical-axis wind turbines (such as the one mentioned Monday) are lovely in theory. But they haven't worked well in real life because they have always had a great many 'harmonic modes.' In other words, they tend to shake themselves to pieces over a fairly short period of time. (Think the famous collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge in 1940.) Smart people are working very hard on this problem but it is a seriously tough nut to crack. The good news is that horizontal-axis turbines work just fine today. That's why every major wind power company world-wide uses them."
TRIANA ON HEALTH CARE
The Republican line in opposing a public health care option (like the Medicare program seniors wish they didn't have?) is, "do you want a government bureaucrat between you and your doctor?" Well, Triana – who's apparently just seen her parents both cut off from needed medication by their private insurance company – ain't buying it.
SENATOR DODD ON MARRIAGE
From The Meriden Record-Journal this past Sunday, by Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut:
Public officials aren't supposed to change their minds. But I firmly believe that it's important to keep learning. Last week, while I was in Connecticut meeting with members of the gay and lesbian community from across the state, I had the opportunity to tell them what I've learned about marriage, and about equality.
While I've long been for extending every benefit of marriage to same-sex couples, I have in the past drawn a distinction between a marriage-like status ("civil unions") and full marriage rights.
The reason was simple: I was raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. And as many other Americans have realized as they've struggled to reconcile the principle of fairness with the lessons they learned early in life, that's not an easy thing to overcome.
But the fact that I was raised a certain way just isn't a good enough reason to stand in the way of fairness anymore.
The Connecticut Supreme Court, of course, has ruled that such a distinction holds no merit under the law. And the Court is right.
I believe that effective leaders must be able and willing to grow and change over their service. I certainly have during mine – and so has the world. Thirty-five years ago, who could have imagined that we'd have an African-American President of the United States?
My young daughters are growing up in a different reality than I did. Our family knows many same-sex couples – our neighbors in Connecticut, members of my staff, parents of their schoolmates. Some are now married because the Connecticut Supreme Court and our state legislature have made same-sex marriage legal in our state.
But to my daughters, these couples are married simply because they love each other and want to build a life together. That's what we've taught them. The things that make those families different from their own pale in comparison to the commitments that bind those couples together.
And, really, that's what marriage should be. It's about rights and responsibilities and, most of all, love.
I believe that, when my daughters grow up, barriers to marriage equality for same-sex couples will seem as archaic, and as unfair, as the laws we once had against inter-racial marriage.
And I want them to know that, even if he was a little late, their dad came down on the right side of history.
I have always been proud of my long record fighting for the civil rights of the LGBT community. I've co-sponsored legislation to strengthen hate crime laws and end discrimination in the workplace. I've spoken out against "don't ask, don't tell" and always supported equal rights for domestic partnerships.
I am proud to now count myself among the many elected officials, advocates, and ordinary citizens who support full marriage equality for same-sex couples.
I understand that even those who oppose discrimination might continue to find it hard to re-think the definition of marriage they grew up with. I know it was for me.
But many of the things we must do to make our union more perfect – whether it's fighting for decades to reform our health care system or struggling with a difficult moral question – are hard. They take time. And they require that, when you come to realize that something is right, you be unafraid to stand up and say it.
That's the only way our history will progress along that long arc towards justice.
CRTX
Suggested here by Chris Brown of fledgling Aristides Capital at $3.80 in April, CRTX closed last night at $10.06. That's good enough for me. It may well go higher, but a 264% gain in two months in this environment? I'm out. Back to painting the driveway. Stay tuned.


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pacha nyc
By phocas December 01, 2005
Betty Kang ~ New York City, NY – November 17, 2005 – World-renowned lifestyle brand Pacha is teaming up with DJ/producer Erick Morillo to launch Pacha in New York City this fall. The newest member of the international nightlife consortium will be the first North American branch of the club.
Pacha was founded by Ricardo Urgell in 1967 with a single club in Sitges, Spain. The family-run business has since grown into a global brand that encompasses more than 25 nightclubs, restaurants, a hotel, a record label, a radio station, a bilingual lifestyle magazine and a full-scale merchandising division built around their recognizable cherry logo. This year, they entered the resort industry with Isla de Pacha, a private island off the coast of Brazil.
"After 36 years and 25 nightclubs, it has been the dream of Pacha to host a New York venue. We believe New York is the spiritual home of discos and nightclubs and we are happy to be a part of its great history." says Pacha brand director Danny Whittle.
The four-tiered, 30,000-square-foot club and event space is already a part of New York nightlife lore, having housed the second incarnation of legendary nightclub Sound Factory. Armed with the expertise of New York nightlife veterans Eddie Dean and Rob Fernandez, and the musical guidance of co-owner and resident DJ Erick Morillo, Pacha will offer a unique experience, combining European flair and New York energy.
Showing its commitment to music and DJs, Pacha has commissioned New York's first Dynacord alpha concept sound system, imported from Germany. The system, built specifically to play dance music, is also in place in Space Miami. Unlike other large New York clubs, Pacha's DJ booth is set in the center of the dance floor, providing a connection between DJs and dancers.
"I want this to be a club where the best DJs in the world will come to play on the best sound system in the world," says Morillo. Known for consistently drawing unprecedented crowds to Pacha's flagship club in Ibiza, the producer and Subliminal Records label head will serve as a resident at the New York location.
Frequented by celebrities like U2, Kelis, Kylie Minogue, and Shakira, Pacha Ibiza has long been a fixture of the international party circuit. In addition to Morillo, prominent DJs like Danny Tenaglia, Roger Sanchez, David Morales, and Deep Dish have played there in the span of a single season.
The name 'pacha' comes from Spanish folklore and loosely translates to "live like a king." New York's Pacha will fully embrace that philosophy.
For more information visit PachaNYC.com or PlexiPR.com!
event photos dec.05
black liquid on decks
shadowrunner december 2005 trance
solaris december 2005 techno
brent crampton december 2005 house
get funk'd
aol music dj sessions
bill patrick gourmet
stickin with madtizzy
viva recordings
murk mansion
spree & adb
mixtape meditation
love wins a world of its own
4 ~ the phocas.net 4th anniversary event
december 2005 editor note


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Pristimantis lucasi es una especie de anfibio anuro de la familia Craugastoridae.

Distribución geográfica
Esta especie es endémica de la provincia de Oxapampa en la región de Pasco en Perú. Se encuentra en las cercanías de Oxapampa entre los 2790 y 3000 m sobre el nivel del mar en la Cordillera Oriental.

Descripción
Los machos miden de 15 a 19 mm y las hembras de 21 a 23 mm.

Etimología
Esta especie lleva el nombre en honor a Lucas Northwood.

Publicación original
 Duellman & Chaparro, 2008: Two distinctive new species of Pristimantis (Anura: Strabomantidae) from the Cordillera Oriental with a distributional synopsis of strabomantids in Central Peru. Zootaxa, n.º1918, p. 13-25.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

lucasi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


While I have built custom furniture for years this was my largest undertaking at the time; the remodel was designed and built by me without outside help; except for the granite installation. The original builder left a lot of dead space that I was able to take advantage of in the new design. I used Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) for the cabinets and doors because it has no grain as well as easier to paint than plywood's. Plum European style hinges were used on all doors with self-closing slides on all drawers. The panel molding was machined from edge molding; Granite was installed over the base cabinets as well as the island. I built the wall cabinets in various sizes and heights to give the kitchen a dimensional feel with under cabinet lighting. I replaced the Laminate hardwood floor with a nail down BirchAspen Amaretto hardwood flooring. I hope you enjoy my work, feel free to leave a comment below.
My Kitchen Design using CAD software.
The doors were made from a rail & style router bit and edge molding.
European style hinges recessed with the drill press.
For the island a made three cabinet bases with some custom ends.
The cabinets were sprayed with primer and Behr paint then antiqued with Gel stain before the top coat.
I like to leave some open shelves for nick nacks.
In wanting a 3-d look the corner cabinet, refer cabinet, pantry and range hood were built taller than the other wall cabinets. I made the wall cabinets 33" high and 13" deep. Bringing the refer cabinet out made for extra storage plus a broom closet was added.
The backsplash was done with Venetian Stone 4"x4" tiles. Adding an Italian Tuscany mural tile above the stove framed in stone edge tiles.
I placed the granite double sink in the corner with a slide out trash and recycle bin to the side.
Other creations for the remodel included Bathroom Vanities, TV Cabinet, and a Oak Fireplace Mantel with Surround.


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Seraphus
Putting Humanity back into Migration Law
Video Link Consultation
Surinder Singh
EU Settlement Scheme Seminars
Partnered with Free Movement
Protection and Asylum
Studying and Working in the UK
Tier 2 Workers
Innovators and Start-Ups
Visiting the UK
Standard Visitor
Marriage Visitor
Paid Engagements Visitor
Transit Visitor
News Archive | June 2020 | April 2020
The impact of COVID-19 on the EU Settlement Scheme by Charlotte Rubin
29/05/20 16:48 Filed in: Brexit & EU Citizens Rights | Law & Policy
Since the EU Settlement Scheme has fully opened on 30 March 2019, there have already been more than 3.5 million applications from EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens, and their family members. Applying to the scheme is mandatory for all EU citizens and other EEA/Swiss nationals who wish to continue living in the UK lawfully after the transition period. EU citizens have until the 30 June 2021 to apply under the Scheme. If they do not apply on time, they will be unlawful residents in the UK.
Just like every other aspect of life, and every other government service, the EU Settlement Scheme has been heavily affected by the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The (temporary) closures of phone advice lines, local scanning centres, and the inability to send in documents have had a severe impact on the reach and success of the EUSS.
When the UK lockdown measures came into force on 23 March 2020, all face-to-face support services for EUSS applicants were shut down. Visa centres and passport scanning locations closed. The postal route for making applications, which those without biometric passports or access to the mobile scanning application have to use in order to apply, temporarily stopped operating.
Additionally, many national embassies and consulates remain closed except for emergencies. This means that EU nationals who need to request or renew their ID documents in order to apply to the Scheme cannot do so. Even when those consulates reopen, there will be a backlog of applications, putting those who do not have a valid form of ID at an increased risk of missing the EUSS application deadline of 30 June 2021.
EEA nationals currently stranded abroad due to lockdown measures around the globe are also increasingly at risk of falling through the cracks. If an EEA national wants to obtain settled status under the EUSS, they will have to prove five years of continuous residence in the UK. Continuous residency means that they do not have more than six months of absences in any 12-month period. The general rule is that the Home Office allows for one longer absence from the UK for an 'important reason,' such as illness, but no pandemic-specific guidance has been given. As travel remains disrupted and discouraged across the globe, EEA nationals looking to apply for settled status in the next five years risk breaking their continuous residency and jeopardizing their future immigration status if the Home Office do not operate a flexible approach to absences. Although, the European Union perspective is that absences as a consequence of the pandemic should be disregarded entirely.
This week, Home Office support services and application routes are slowly but surely starting to reopen. In addition to a range of online, telephone and email support for those who have questions or need help applying, the postal route for making applications has now reopened, meaning that those without biometric passports or access to the scanning app can make their applications and send their ID documents to the Home Office. The ID scanning locations, however, remain closed.
Community groups across the UK have tried to make up for the reduced services, and continue to work with vulnerable EU nationals during the lockdown, but there is no denying that webinars and online assistance are less effective than the real thing. As a consequence, new applications to the EUSS halved in April, bringing them to their lowest since the launch of the Scheme. Yet, the Home Office has confirmed that they do not plan on extending the EUSS deadline, making EU citizens increasingly worried they might lose their ability to secure their right to long-term residence in the UK because of the pandemic.
Tags: Covid
Suicide in detention by Charlotte Rubin
26/05/20 15:10 Filed in: Law & Policy | Asylum & Human Rights
According to a report published in 2019 the number of self-harm incidents in Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) has tripled since 2016. In 2015, 393 suicide attempts were reported in UK immigration detention centres. That same year, 2957 people in detention were put on suicide watch. In 2018, more than one person a day needed medical treatment for self-harming in detention, with the number of detainees on regular suicide watch still on the rise. Yet, the risk of suicide in detention is barely on the Home Office agenda.
In 2016, the Home Office called upon Stephen Shaw, former Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, to use his expertise and write a review on the welfare of vulnerable persons in detention. As a former government employee himself, he openly criticised some of the most irrational aspects of the Home Office's policy towards vulnerable detainees.
In his report, Shaw highlighted some of the issues with the UK handling of Foreign National Offenders. These are the people who, once they finish their custodial sentence and are released from prison, often get stuck in detention for the longest periods of time. These are also the people who the Home Office have insisted on keeping in detention during the nine-week long (and counting) COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown, even though there has not been a realistic prospect of removal for months as planes were grounded all over the globe.
It is therefore on Foreign National Offenders that the effects of detention often weigh the most. Case in point is Michal Netyks, 35, who jumped from a first-floor window in HMP Altcourse in Liverpool on 7 December 2017. He had been due to be released from prison, having just completed his short criminal sentence. An inquiry found that Mr. Netyks had packed up his belongings and was waiting for his release when he was informed that he would continue to be detained under immigration powers pending possible deportation to Poland. He took his own life that very same day.
The Coroner's report outlined numerous concerns with this practice, echoed in Shaw's report. By de facto depriving ex-prisoners of their liberty indefinitely beyond their custodial release date, the Home Office shatters any hope and expectation of rebuilding and rehabilitating after a criminal offence. This is made infinitely worse by not giving prisoners any prior notice that they will be detained upon release from prison. In his review, Shaw wrote that this practice is most detrimental to the detainees' mental health, fuelling suicidal tendencies and tragedies like Mr. Netyks'. Nevertheless, the Home Office made no changes to its policy; the responsibility for the horrendous consequences of this failure to act rests entirely on the government's shoulders.
As a response to Shaw's findings, the Home Office developed a new Adult at Risk policy for people held in detention under immigration powers. This new policy is underpinned by the rule 35 mechanism, which supposedly ensures that potential vulnerable adults are examined by a medical practitioner and that their detention is only maintained when there is absolutely no other option.
But the numbers tell us otherwise. In 2018, an average of two suicide attempts a day happened in UK detention centres. 56% of these attempts were committed by individuals who had a rule 35 report and were recognised vulnerable adults. Clearly, the rule 35 regime is not effective, despite the Home Office's continued argument that they do everything in their power to flag up potential concerns about detainees' suicidal tendencies.
Shaw also raised concerns about the concealment and coverups of deaths in detention. Generally, when someone dies in an IRC, the Home Office does not conform to the Ministry of Justice's practice of publishing data on deaths of immigration detainees who passed away under Home Office supervision. That is why numbers and explanations are elusive, and thus, exacerbations of harm even harder to prevent. In Mr. Netyks' case, the Coroner's report found that files had actively been deleted and redacted by senior management, an alarming example of how non-transparent the Home Office is regarding death in detention.
Between 2000 and 2015, at least thirteen people committed suicide in detention. This accounts for 36% of the deaths that happened in detention in that same period of time. The high rate of self-inflicted deaths reflects the high rates of mental despair among immigration detainees caught in a system which is difficult to understand, and seems arbitrary and unfair. To prevent these horrible and inhumane results, it is not a question of improving the management of vulnerable people. Rather, the Home Office should ensure that they are not put in detention in the first please so as to avoid unnecessary and inhumane deaths and trauma.
Tags: Detention, Criminality, Human Rights
Settled Status not enough to prove eligibility for British Citizenship by Charlotte Rubin
On 15 May, the Home Office published an update to government nationality policy. The updated policy includes changes to the requirements for EEA nationals who want to become British citizens, and has major ramifications for EU citizens who apply for naturalisation after obtaining settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).
After Brexit all European residents in the UK, as well as their family members, need to obtain immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme. This is to ensure that they can continue to enjoy residence rights in the UK under national law instead of EU law when EU law stops being applicable at the end of the transition period. Under the Scheme, an EEA or Swiss citizen or their family members who have a 5 years' continuous qualifying period of residence in the UK are eligible for settled status (provided they also meet any other relevant eligibility and suitability criteria). Put simply, if the individual can prove that they have been in the UK for five years, they are granted settled status, a status which is supposedly equivalent to indefinite leave to remain. Those with a continuous qualifying period of less than 5 years' are eligible for pre-settled status.
As a general rule, anyone who wants to naturalise as a British citizen must have lived in the UK for five years (or three years if they are married to a British national). The period of residence must be a lawful period of residence, and only a certain number of absences from the UK are permitted during that period.
The Home Office has long considered EU citizens physically present in the UK without a right of residence under EU law as individuals in breach of UK immigration law. As such, EEA citizens living in the UK without studying, working, or looking for work are not exercising treaty rights and therefore, unlawfully resident. But the EUSS partly abandons that rhetoric, as settled status is granted irrespective of what the individual was doing in the UK for five years, as long as they can prove that they were present in the UK for the required period of time. Immigration lawyers had previously expressed concern on how this would affect naturalisation applications from people who obtained status under the EUSS. The new guidance now confirms their fears, clarifying that when individuals apply for naturalisation, settled status alone might not be enough to fulfil the criteria for citizenship.
The updated guidance states: "However, this grant of settled status (also known as indefinite leave to enter or remain) will not confirm that they were here lawfully under the EEA Regulations during that time, as defined by the British Nationality Act 1981 as this is not a requirement of the EU Settlement Scheme. You may therefore need to request further information from the applicant to demonstrate this. The naturalisation application form (Form AN) asks for information to confirm the applicant was lawfully in the UK for the relevant 3 or 5 year qualifying period."
An applicant who is applying based on their settled status can still get citizenship, if the caseworkers exercise their discretion when considering the application. EU nationals will have to "provide sufficient evidence to justify discretion being exercised in their favour."
In other words, the policy update confirms that because settled status-type leave to remain does not directly prove that the applicant's residence up to the point of getting settled status was in accordance with immigration law, an individual wanting to become a British citizen will have to show that they were, in fact, lawfully resident for the qualifying period when they apply for naturalisation in addition to proving their settled status. This goes against previous Home Office verbal assurances that 'they'll be flexible and pragmatic', that 'it would be odd to grant settled status and then go on to refuse naturalisation applications because of this' and that 'they'll update the guidance in due course.'
To make matters worse, the policy can be applied retrospectively. There have already been reports of the Home Office reaching out to applicants who previously applied for naturalisation to ask for additional evidence of exercise of treaty rights.
The inevitable conclusion is that EU citizens are less likely to successfully naturalise than others. As always, this will have a disproportionate effect on vulnerable applicants. Getting citizenship is an expensive ordeal: the cost of an application for one adult is £1330, and for a family, can easily ramp up to thousands of pounds. The heightened risk of losing such a significant amount of money and having their application refused will discourage many eligible EU citizens, especially those from disadvantaged economic backgrounds, from applying at all. Additionally, the guidance also applies to family members relying on a qualified family member for their EEA status, who will need to include evidence of the family member's right to reside. Vulnerable applicants, such as domestic violence victims, may not be able to get the evidence required, and therefore have their application refused.
Instead of changing the rules to reflect the Home Office's rhetoric of EU citizens as "our partners and friends," the updated policy poorly clarifies the existing rules, needlessly complicating the application process. Indefinite leave to remain under the EUSS seems "less valid" or tied to different conditions than other forms of indefinite leave to remain, as applicants are left with no other option than to rely on Home Office (arbitrary) discretion to secure their citizenship.
If you would like to discuss this with us, please book our online video consultation service here.
Tags: EU Settlement Scheme, Citizenship
Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules and EUSS quarterly statistics out today by Charlotte Rubin
14/05/20 14:58 Filed in: Law & Policy
An eventful day in the immigration world, as the Home Office released a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, as well as their most recent set of EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics.
The Statement of Changes to the Immigration rules carries some good news. For one, it confirms that victims of domestic violence for durable partners will be eligible for status under the EUSS. This is in line with other government initiatives to tackle domestic abuse in the UK.
In the same vein, any family member within scope of the EUSS whose family relationship with an EEA citizen breaks down is now eligible for status under the EUSS. Previously, only ex-spouses and ex-civil partners of EEA citizens could apply to retain a right of residence after divorce or breakdown of a relationship.
Additionally, for family members of the people of Northern Ireland, the proposed changes extend the EUSS to dual Irish/British citizens, allowing eligible family members of the people of Northern Ireland to apply for UK immigration status under the Scheme on the same terms as the family members of Irish citizens in the UK. Prior to this change, family members of Northern Irish people could not access the EUSS – under the new rules, they are able to do so on the same basis as those of the Republic of Ireland.
These are welcome changes which broaden the applicability of the EUSS. It comes as no surprise, then, that the government considers the EUSS a great success. Today's EUSS press release boasts that with over a year until the application deadline, currently set at 30 June 2021, almost 3.5 million applications to the scheme, making it the biggest scheme of its kind in British history. 3.1 million of those applications have been concluded, of which 58% were granted settled status, 41% pre-settled status and 1% had other outcomes. Other outcomes include 640 refused, 23,740 withdrawn or void and 10,030 invalid applications.
Most EUSS applications are made online, and are relatively straightforward. But the online service is not available to everyone. The EUSS sets out that applicants must send in paper applications if they don't have biometric ID documents, or if they are applying on the basis of a derivative right to reside. The latter includes people who are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens but are applying under the scheme as the family member of a British citizen they lived with in the EU/EEA/Switzerland, the family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen who has become a British citizen, the primary carer of a British, EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, the child of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who used to live and work in the UK in education, or such a child's primary carer.
Immigration lawyers and front-field workers were looking forward to this release of quarterly statistics, as the Home Office had promised to integrate paper applications into the statistics in March, something they had not previously been able to do.
Despite this promise, there is still no information about the paper routes to be found in the newly released statistics. The reason given for failing to deliver on their promise is the COVID-19 pandemic, as the statistics state that it was the Home Office's "intention to develop electronic integration of the two systems to provide a more complete account of all applications received for the quarterly publication in May 2020, but due to the impacts of Covid-19, this has not been possible."
The Home Office have also temporarily stopped accepting ID documents by post, which delays the processing paper applications. Nevertheless, the statistics reaffirm that the deadline to apply to the EUSS will not be extended.
Paper applications are amongst the most complex applications under the EUSS, and often represent the most vulnerable individuals in society. As a consequence of the pandemic, charities and outreach projects which assist vulnerable applicants in their applications are unable to operate. As such, the people most unlikely to apply to the EUSS on time (those without ID), and whose applications are most affected by the pandemic (as they have to submit ID documents), are quite literally being left out in the cold: they cannot currently apply, their applications are excluded from the statistics and there is reduced community assistance available. The Home Office is working hard to overcome obstacles and delays caused by the pandemic, and resume normal operation. It is only logical that they should take the same approach towards applicants dealing with hindrances on their side of the process.
In brief, other, non-EUSS related changes to the Immigration Rules include:
Changes to the new Start Up and Innovator visa categories, tightening the requirements that endorsing bodies have to take into account when giving their endorsement
A change to student visas (Tier 4), whereby all applicants who apply under Appendix W who are sponsored for their studies in the UK by a government or international scholarship agency now have to obtain written consent from the relevant organisation.
The new Global Talent visa has been finetuned, as the Rules merge the old Exceptional Talent visa with this new category, and minor amendments have been made at the request of the endorsing bodies.
Changes to the Representative of an Overseas Business visa category, restricting its scope. Representative of an Overseas Business visa holders are employees of overseas businesses which do not have a presence in the UK, to be sent to establish a branch or wholly owned subsidiary of the overseas business in the UK. The changes include that the overseas business must be active, trading and intending to maintain their principal place of business outside the UK; that applicants must have the skills, experience, knowledge and authority to represent the overseas business in the UK; and that applicants must be senior employees of the overseas business.
Some amendments and clarifications regarding family life, including that if an individual is granted leave as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner, this automatically enables the marriage or civil partnership to take place in the UK, as well as clarification for the spent period for applicants under the family rules who have been convicted and sentenced to a period of imprisonment for a period between 12 months to four years is 10 years.
Read the full explanatory note here.
Tags: Statement of Changes, EU Settlement Scheme
Rescue flight brings vulnerable asylum seekers to the UK for family reunion by Charlotte Rubin
12/05/20 17:28 Filed in: Asylum & Human Rights
On Monday, a group of 52 asylum seekers and refugees, including 16 unaccompanied minors, flew from Greece to Britain to be reunited with their families in the UK. The transfer had been delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Under the EU Dublin III Regulation (the Dublin Treaty), family reunifications are facilitated if a close relative is already in the country of destination. As such, section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 provides that unaccompanied refugee children can lodge an asylum claim to come to the UK from another Dublin State if they have family in the UK to be reunited with. The burden of responsibility for those children lies on the State in which the child has family ties, in this case the UK, and it is up to that State to make arrangements to transfer the child.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, family reunification has been suspended across much of Europe as a natural consequence of closed borders and cancelled flights. After a six-week corona-related delay, a joint effort by the UK and Greek governments allowed a flight with over 50 migrants to go ahead and bring over 50 migrants to the UK from Athens on Monday. The individuals on the flight included people from Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria. Many of them have been living in Greece's overcrowded refugee camps for months, alone and in problematic sanitary conditions. There are currently 42.000 people on the Greek islands. Amongst these are at least 1500 unaccompanied minors, in addition to another 3500 unaccompanied children who are stranded on the mainland.
The UK and Greece recently committed to a Joint Action plan on migration in which they focus on family reunification, and specifically on the best interests of unaccompanied children in Greece. Monday's flight can be considered a first direct product of this pact. Although this renewed commitment to family reunification efforts under the Dublin treaty is welcome, the pact comes with significant shortcomings.
On the one hand, the Action Plan is only valid for "as long as the UK remains bound by the Dublin Regulation." In other words, it will only stay in force until the end of the transition period – which is less than eight months away. Once the transitional period ends, and the Dublin Treaty is no longer binding on the UK, there is no guarantee that unaccompanied minors will still be able to join their family members in the UK. Additionally, the pact only addresses unaccompanied children who qualify for family reunification. It does not satisfactorily deal with the relocation of other unaccompanied children stuck in Greece. In order to protect all children refugees adequately, relocation efforts for unaccompanied children in Greece's refugee camps who do not have family members or relatives in the UK should be in addition to the UK's pre-existing legal obligations under Dublin III. There is no mention of that in the Joint Action Plan.
The success of this particular flight was a result of intense advocacy by refugee families in the UK working with charities such as Safe Passage, a campaign group which fights for family reunification and two cross-party members of the House of Lords, Lord Alf Dubs (Labour) and the Earl of Dundee, a Conservative peer with responsibility for child refugees at the Council of Europe. Beth Gardiner-Smith, the CEO of the refugee charity Safe Passage International, said in a news release: "The British and Greek governments have shown real leadership in reuniting these families despite the travel difficulties."
Let's hope they keep doing so in the future.
Tags: Family Visas, Dublin, Covid
Home Secretary confirms that late applicants to the EU Settlement Scheme will be unlawful residents by Charlotte Rubin
When Brandon Lewis MP stated that EU citizens who miss the EU Settlement Scheme deadline could face deportation, it was a wake-up call for all EU citizens in the UK. The 3 Million, the largest campaign organisation for EU citizens in the UK, and one of many organisations advocating for a declaratory instead of a constitutive scheme, called upon the government to ensure that law-abiding EU citizens living in the UK do not fall subject to the hostile environment as unlawful migrants merely due to a formality such as a missed deadline.
At the time, the Home Office sussed the situation by reiterating that they "are looking for reasons to grant status, not refuse, and EU citizens have until at least December 2020 to apply." A spokesperson said: "We've always been clear that where they have reasonable grounds for missing the deadline, they'll be given a further opportunity to apply." Mr. Lewis personally clarified that EU citizens will have enough time to apply, and highlighted that the Home Office will accept late applications.
"It is not true that as a general rule, eligible persons who remain in the UK without registration are here 'unlawfully'. For most purposes, there ought not to be legal consequences," said Professor Bernard Ryan of the University of Leicester. Guy Verhofstadt, the EU Brexit spokesman, also reported being told by the Government that there would be no automatic deportation for EU citizens who fail to apply to the Scheme.
Now, the Secretary of State for the Home Department Priti Patel confirmed in writing what grassroot organisations always feared, and Mr. Lewis hinted at in October: that those who fail to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by the deadline of 30 June 2021 will be unlawfully resident in the UK. If information regarding EU citizens' rights after Brexit was previously conflicting, the Home Secretary now clarified once and for all that late applicants will be subject to the hostile environment rules during their period of unlawful residence.
Ms. Patel made the remarks in response to a letter from the Home Affairs Committee outlining various concerns regarding EU citizens' rights in the UK after Brexit. The Home Secretary wrote that "those who have not applied to the EUSS by the deadline will not have lawful status in the UK. This means, for example, they will not be able to evidence a right to work or rent if they seek new employment or a new private rental property during the period in which they have no lawful status."
In the same breath, Ms. Patel stated that late applications to the EUSS "for good reason" will be accepted as valid. Some examples of good reasons given are children whose parent or guardian do not apply on their behalf, those in abusive or controlling relationships who are prevented from applying or accessing the documents they need to do so, and those who lack the physical or mental capacity to apply. If these examples are an indication of what may constitute "good reason," the bar seems to be set high and at the Home Office's discretion.
In other words, people who fail to apply to the EUSS by the deadline will lose the right to rent and work, as well as lose access to most social services and benefits including free NHS treatment. They will be subject to the hostile environment rules until they acquire status under the Scheme, assuming they do successfully apply late, which in itself is a strong assumption to make considering late applicants must meet the "good reason" policy. Even if they do get status, late applicants will face consequences of their interim unlawful residence until years after the facts, not in the least because they will not be able to naturalise as British citizens for a further 10 years.
Last week, the Home Affairs Committee hosted a livestream with Ms. Patel to discuss the Home Office response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The online discussion was meant to offer reassurance at a time of crisis. Concerning EU citizens' rights, Ms. Patel confirmed that there will not be an extension to the deadline to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme. Except of that reiteration, she did not address many of the concerns which EU citizens in the UK have brought to her attention since the COVID-19 outbreak. Most importantly, she failed to address the effect of breaks in continuous residence due to the coronavirus outbreak, except to say that the government will be "flexible."
A pattern emerges here, whereby there is a lot of talk about Home Office flexibility and cooperation at the government's discretion, but very little clarity about what that translates to in practice. The Home Secretary's letter reiterates the government's known position on a number of issues without offering clear answers to the questions asked. It provides vague statements instead of hard facts and lacks a legal framework to resolve the pitfalls the Committee flagged up.
These ambiguities and failures on behalf of the Home Office will impact the most vulnerable and marginalised citizens most devastatingly, as they are least likely to apply to the EUSS at all, let alone before the deadline. As per the 3 million, even if the EU Settlement scheme performs as well as the UK's most successful campaign ever - to switch everyone to Digital TV (97% of people signed up by the time analogue TV was disactivated) - over 100,000 EU citizens would still lose their legal status and face the full consequences of the government's hostile environment. Following the Home Secretary's comments, those 100,000 people will be at the discretionary mercy of the Home Office.
Tags: EU Settlement Scheme, Hostile Environment, Immigration Decisions
Putting humanity back into migration law: a call to action during the COVID-19 outbreak by Charlotte Rubin
In March, the PM promised that destitute migrants would receive the necessary accommodation and funding during the coronavirus pandemic. Six weeks later, food banks are struggling to meet demands, asylum seekers are moved out of their flats without warning, and local authorities fail to offer guidance on how to offer shelter to rough sleepers during the crisis.
Under Theresa May's "hostile environment" rules, individuals without immigration status in the UK do not have access to public funds. The hostile environment prevents them from accessing many benefits, ranging from healthcare to housing to public authority assistance of any kind.
In an open letter to the Government, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) asks the Prime Minister to grant all immigrants who currently do not have status a period of Leave to Remain for the time of the pandemic, to avoid the hostile environment's detrimental effect on public health. The letter is signed by over 30 organisations and charities who work with asylum seekers, refugees and other individuals with insecure immigration status, including Bail for Immigration Detainees, Women for Refugee Women and many others.
The JRS' letter asks the PM to "to grant a period of leave to remain, with recourse to public funds and access to the labour market, to all those with insecure immigration status," stating that "This is a vital step to protect public health during the Covid-19 pandemic. At a time when public health demands that everyone has ready access to housing and healthcare, insecure immigration status acts as a barrier and puts everyone's health at risk."
Although the government has made all COVID-19 treatment free of charge irrespective of the patient's immigration status, many people with precarious status are reluctant to get help. They fear that data-sharing between the NHS and the Home Office, another pillar of the hostile environment policy, will lead to their deportation if they go to the hospital. If they think they might be sick, many migrants prefer staying under the radar so as to avoid the risk of getting into trouble, leading infected people to remain untested and at large.
In order to avoid a crisis of exploitation, destitution and homelessness on top of the coronavirus emergency we are already going through, all migrants should be encouraged to access public funds and especially healthcare.
As charities which normally support vulnerable asylum seekers have been forced to shut down, destitute and vulnerable asylum seekers have been left out in the cold. A #HumaneMigration system including temporary amnesty and leave to remain for migrants who are in the UK during the pandemic is the only viable solution not only to help all the people who are currently slipping through the cracks, but also to limit the spread of the virus in the wider community. Only unprecedented measures can reflect the unprecedented nature of this crisis, and ensure the health and safety of the nation as a whole.
Tags: Hostile Environment, Social Security, Covid
What happens to new-born babies when birth registrations are suspended? By Charlotte Rubin
01/05/20 10:48 Filed in: Law & Policy | Brexit & EU Citizens Rights
On Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his fiancée Carrie Symonds welcomed a healthy baby boy to this world. The birth of the PM's son brings some uplifting news in difficult times, as the PM comes out of a tough personal recovery from coronavirus, whilst facing a daunting national crisis for the weeks and months to come. But the PM might not be out of the woods yet. COVID-19 might impact the Prime Minister on a personal level yet again – not by infection this time, but in relation to his new-born son.
In the UK, there is no central government authority to register births. Instead, this has to be done in the area the child was born. Ever since all local authorities closed down their offices on 23 March, birth registration appointments are no longer carried out. Parents of new-born babies in the UK are therefore unable to register their child as normally required, with potentially unduly harsh consequences.
The general rule is that parents need to register the birth of a child with their local authority within 42 days of birth. If they fail to do so, they risk a fine or some other form of reprimand. Fortunately, this rule has been relaxed due to the coronavirus outbreak: government guidance states that no action will be taken against parents who fail to meet the deadline due to no fault of their own. In addition, parents can exceptionally make claims for child benefits and/or universal credit prior to obtaining official birth certificates.
These are welcome changes, but they are not enough. In order to issue ID cards and travel documents, embassies have to see the birth certificates of children born in the UK. As ID cards are currently not being issued, parents cannot obtain passports or ID cards for their new-borns. In other words, the suspension on issuing birth certificates contributes to citizens ending up without identification and travel documents.
For non-British citizens, these concerns are exacerbated even further. In a global pandemic, emergency situations are not rare occurrences. Yet, because new-borns cannot get IDs under the current circumstances, parents cannot travel abroad in those emergencies unless they leave their new-born child behind.
Not only are all non-British parents unable to travel with their children should they need to do so, they also face additional challenges when applying for immigration status in the UK. EU citizens, specifically, will find that applying to the EU Settlement Scheme without a form of ID is a complicated endeavour.
When asked to clarify on these pressing issues, a Home Office official wrote that his office will evaluate on a "case by case basis" any application where a parent is unable to obtain an identity document for their child from an EU27 embassy due to circumstances beyond their control. Concerning the EU Settlement Scheme, the Home Office employee reiterated that the deadline to apply under the scheme is not before 30 June 2021, and, assuming that local authorities will resume their functions soon enough, parents therefore have plenty of time to apply before then, should they be unable to do now.
The case-by-case evaluation proposed by the Home Office is at their discretion and therefore, does not offer a solution to the structural consequences of suspending birth registrations.
In theory, this chaos affects everyone in the same way. One cannot help but wonder whether the PM will face similar obstacles when registering the birth of his son. Might that prompt the Home Office to find a temporary solution to avoid that more citizens, British and European alike, end up without IDs?
Tags: EU Settlement Scheme, Citizenship, Covid
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Art lovers and book collectors alike will enjoy these collector's editions of unabridged, avidly collected, well-loved and widely read classic novels, featuring modern illustrations.
Classics Reimagined, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes– This 320-page paperback is written by Arthur Conan Doyle and illustrated by Sophia Martineck. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of 12 short stories, originally published on October 14, 1892, features Sherlock Holmes, a private detective who is highly skilled in forensic science, logical reasoning, and observation. Arthur Conan Doyle was a British author of 56 short stories and 4 novels, while Sophia Martineck is an award-winning German illustrator, designer, and comics artist.
Classics Reimagined, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz– This 312-page paperback is written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Olimpia Zagnoli. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, originally published on May 17, 1900, showcases the story of Dorothy, a young farm girl from Kansas and her dog Toto, who is swept away, by a tornado, to the magical Land of Oz. L. Frank Baum was an author and playwright who wrote 14 novels in the Oz series, as well as 41 other novels, 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and approximately 42 scripts, while Olimpia Zagnoli is an Italian illustrator.
Grit and Grace is a 236-page hardcover that features advice, quotes, stories and thoughts from 90 classic and modern female leaders, pioneers and trailblazers. The book, written by Quotabelle, is designed to inspire young girls and women to pursue their dream of becoming future leaders. Some of the female voices in Grit and Grace include Amal Clooney, Anita Roddick, Beatrix Potter, Clara Barton, Jane Goodall, Reese Witherspoon, and Susan B. Anthony.
These all-in-one art kits come with step-by-step instructions and supplies.
Cross Stitch Creations: Fine Art– (12 Patterns of the World's Finest Masterpieces)- Features instructions for 12 projects to create artworks originally painted by Edvard Munch, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Vincent van Gogh.
Playful Painting: People – This colorful guide will have you creating beautiful portraits of women and men, as well as nature motifs and animals. Whether you're an aspiring, beginning, or more advanced artist, you'll be working with affordable, approachable tools, such as colored pencil, gouache, watercolor, pen and ink, and pencil, to create your own portraits.
Decorative Tile Art– (Create Beautiful Tiles for Display or Use)- Comes with instructions for 10 projects and enough supplies to create 4 ceramic tiles.
Kawaii Doodle Class – The Japanese word kawaii translates to "cute," and this how-to book is chock-full of super-adorable images of tacos, sushi, smoothies, clouds, rainbows, cacti, doodle monsters, Christmas trees, lipsticks, teacups, and more for your adoration.
Embroidery Designs: Natural Splendor– (Everything You Need to Stitch 12 Natural Designs)- Includes instructions for 12 nature products and enough materials to make 2 modern, chic embroidery projects. These nature projects include bumble, butterfly, hummingbird, ladybug, leaves, and mushroom.
Wall Art: Geometric Origami– (10 Hip and Stylish Wall Décor Projects for Your Home)- Contains instructions for 10 home décor projects using origami folds and enough supplies to create 2 projects- Birds on a Wire and Light and Shadow.
Drawing Wild Animals – To feed your curiosity, you'll learn the characteristics, behaviors, and habitats of animals from categories like predators, burrowers, grazers, marsupials, frogs and toads, and lizards and snakes. To nurture the artist, you'll get more than 25 step-by-step instructions that show how to develop each animal from simple shapes into richly detailed drawings. Armed with a deeper understanding of animals, you'll be better able to capture their stunning beauty and enchanting attributes in your artwork.
Watercolor Glue-Resist Wonders– (Create Irresistible Art Using Glue and Watercolors)- Provides instructions and supplies so you can create your own works of watercolor art.
These 16-month wall calendars are perfect for anyone on your list.
Supercars 2019 – The Supercars calendar features full-color pages showcasing stunning photography of amazing supercars, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche.
Barn Find Collector Cars 2019 – The Barn Find Collector Cars calendar features an array of collector cars that were results of barn finds.
Classic Farm Tractors 2019 – The Classic Farm Tractors calendar features a bit of nostalgia and rural farm life of simpler times.
This entry was posted in Reviews and tagged art, Books, calendars, classics, Craft, drawing books, novels, quarto knows by Amy Smith. Bookmark the permalink.


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Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Can the Silver and Black bounce back against a Western Conference contender in the second matchup of their nine-game homestand?
By Noah_Magaro-George@N_Magaro Mar 24, 2021, 2:00am CDT
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Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
San Antonio is on a two-game losing streak after dropping the opening outing of their nine-game homestand on Monday night. They must now quickly rebound against the fourth-place Clippers if they hope to avoid falling further in the tight Western Conference standings. But that won't be an easy task as Los Angeles could see the return of Patrick Beverley and Serge Ibaka when they come to the AT&T Center.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be a handful for head coach Gregg Popovich and crew. However, the Silver and Black always come prepared for a showdown with the former face of their franchise. And the good guys are finally getting their ideal starting lineup of Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, DeMar DeRozan, and Jakob Poeltl on the same page after injuries kept them from building chemistry.
San Antonio Spurs (22-18) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (28-16)
March 24, 2021 | 7:30 PM CT
Watch: FSSW | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: LaMarcus Aldridge (Out - Not With Team), Keita Bates-Diop (Out - Hamstring), Lonnie Walker IV (Out — Wrist), Rudy Gay (Questionable — Foot)
Clippers Injuries: Jay Scrubb (Out — Foot), Serge Ibaka (Game Time Decision — Back), Patrick Beverley (Game Time Decision — Knee)
The Spurs are allowed their opponents to shoot the ninth-best three-point percentage (37.5%) in the NBA this season, and Los Angeles is shooting a league-high 41.4% from beyond the arc. Nine Clippers shoot at least 38% from long-range, and San Antonio could be in for a long night if they can't communicate or keep track of their man away from the ball. The good guys have held teams to a striking 32.9% from perimeter over their last five games, but this is the sort of matchup that could skew that number back in the wrong direction.
Lonnie Walker IV only suited up for nine minutes against the Hornets on Monday night after dropping a career-high 31 points in the previous outing. The third-year guard looked a little banged up out there, and it makes sense that he popped up on the injury report with a sore right wrist. Lonnie held Kawhi to just nine points on 44.4% from the field when designated as his primary defender in San Antonio's victory over the Clippers earlier this season, and someone else will have to step up in his stead. Look for Derrick White and Keldon Johnson to spend a bulk of their defensive possessions guarding the perennial MVP candidate.
Los Angeles has been wildly inconsistent over their last 12 games, losing to the Grizzlies, Wizards, Celtics, and Pelicans, but picking up a trifecta of blow-out victories during that same span. While the extended absence of Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley hasn't helped their cause, both players might find their way back onto the court and into the starting lineup by the time we reach Wednesday evening. Neither veteran is a major scoring threat, though they play a significant part in what the Clippers do on both ends.
Paul George and Kawhi Leonard form one of the most dangerous two-way tandems in the league. The Los Angeles superstars are mere percentage points away from becoming the first pair of 50-40-90 teammates in league history. They are also just two of 18 players averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game this season. While Pop has the personnel to cover the All-NBA wings, Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, and Devin Vassell will likewise have to overcome the defensive pressure from a multitude of versatile Clippers defenders.
The NBA trade deadline falls on March 25 at 2 PM CST this season, and while that usually means nothing for the Spurs, there has been plenty of buzz as of late. Shams Charania reported PATFO were listening to deals for DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills, Rudy Gay, and Trey Lyles three weeks ago, and several ensuing reports from a handful of credible outlets have substantiated that claim. The last time San Antonio executed a midseason swap was in 2014 when they sent Nando De Colo to the Raptors for Austin Daye. Don't be surprised if the Spurs roster looks a little different during pre-game warmups. You shouldn't be shocked if the Silver and Black stand pat either.
For the Clippers fans' perspective, visit Clips Nation.
PtR's Gamethread will be up this evening for those who want to chat through the game. You can also follow along with the action through PtR's Twitter feed.


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MySkuulKenya
Education In Kenya
KMTC
KUCCPS
Scholarship and Loans
Tips and Gists
Mount Kenya University Nairobi
By myskuulkenya | June 24, 2019
Mount Kenya University Nairobi, Mount Kenya University (MKU) is a fully fledged chartered university committed to a broad-based, holistic and inclusive system of education. It has an overall goal of promoting human resource development for society's progressive good. The university has adopted several international best practices in its core functions, which has enabled its students and faculty win awards, thus stamping its authority as a centre of excellence.
At its main campus in Thika town in the outskirts of Kenya's capital Nairobi, the university is transforming a hitherto industrial town into an educational hub. At the same time, it is widening access to higher education for the larger East African Community through a well-structured network of campuses. The university also offers a wide-range of academic and professional courses, through various flexible modes that include E-learning,evening classes , weekend classes and Distance and Institution Based E-Learning (DIBeL)..
The award-winning university library and the imposing Chancellors Tower at Thika Main Campus make the university unique. The university's distinct blue and light yellow corporate colours are a byword for academic excellence to many students and potential employees looking for an increasingly competitive, well-trained manpower.
An empowered division of student welfare services continuously re-engineers and positions itself to unlock any emerging talents among the students through diversified programmes and career orientations, research, international linkages and talent searches.
Those who choose Mount Kenya University get access to a wide-range of courses that form a springboard to a sea of opportunities. We seek to promote a record of achievement and success in academic excellence and job prospects. To enable our students realise their lifetime agenda, we have invested heavily in facilities and staff. Mount Kenya University is on the forefront in using Information and Communications Technology to support learning and teaching. We have blended the use of e-learning with traditional learning and teaching values to give our students a flexible and dynamic learning experience.
Put together, these factors have etched Mount Kenya University's position as the leader in quality higher education provision in the region. Indeed, to borrow the tagline coined by an alumnus – "My University, My pride, My future"- the university continues to help thousands of ambitious, discerning people to scale the heights of education.
Mount Kenya University is ISO 9001:2015 Certified .Mount Kenya University is a member of the following associations:
Inter-University Council for East Africa
Association of Common Wealth Universities
National Association of Private Universities of Kenya
Kenya Association of Private Universities
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business(AACSB)
Association of African Business Schools (AABS)
United Nation Academic Impact (UNAI)
The Talloires Network
"To be a Global Centre of Excellence in Education, Research and Innovation in Science and Technology."
"To Provide World-Class Education, Research and Innovation for Individual Transformation and Sustainable Global Development."
To harness knowledge in applied Sciences and technology for the service of humanity
ACADEMIC CHARACTER
With an emphasis of Science, technology and humanities, Mount Kenya University offers an all rounded education including moral and professional education to all persons irrespective of religion, race, gender or political affiliation, social or cultural background. It endeavors to develop well trained man power equipped with technological scientific knowledge and capacities from certificates, diplomas, under graduate and post‐graduate degree courses.
The idea behind the establishment of the University dates back to 1996 when the precursor of the University, the Thika Institute of Technology was founded as a Computer Outreach Program. At this point in time in Kenyan history, the development of Information Communication Technology (ICT) both Mobile Telephony and Computer Technology had started gaining an upward momentum in rural and urban centres.
In the year 2000, the Institute developed into a commercial college offering management and computer training programmes. Later in the year the Ministry of Education Science and Technology recognized the institute as a full fledged institution of higher learning and granted it a full registration approval.
In order to remain relevant with the training needs of the society, the institute initiated training programmes in the fields of paramedical, Information Technology, and Business and Entrepreneurship education in the year 2002.
In the year 2005 the Institute became the 1st private institution in Kenya to be allowed to train Pharmaceutical Technologists by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of the Ministry of Health.
In the year 2006 the Commission for Higher Education (CHE) validated and approved the institute's request for collaboration with JKUAT to offer both Diploma and Degree programmes. The Institute continued to work closely with the Commission for Higher Education in line with the stipulated guidelines for establishing a privately funded university.
After fulfilling all the requirements as stipulated in the guidelines of establishing a privately funded university (1989 rules), the Commission for Higher Education issued MKU with the authority to establish a full fledged privately funded university with Thika Institute of Technology as its precursor/forerunner.
Why study at MKU
Mount Kenya University Provides a stimulating learning environment through an innovative student-based and quality driven approach to teaching and learning. We ensure that our students enjoy a rich, highly interactive and personalized learning environment which is essential in the realization of one's potential and preparation for the future.
Those who choose Mount Kenya University get access to wide range of courses that form a springboard to a sea of opportunities. We seek to promote a record of achievement and success in academic excellence and job prospects. To help you realize your life-time agenda, we have invested heavily in facilities and staff.
Mount Kenya University is in the forefront of using Information and Communication Technology to support learning and teaching. We have thus blended the use of e-learning with strong traditional learning and teaching values to give you flexible and dynamic learning experience.
Our aim is to become a leading centre of academic excellence and a preferred destination for all those who aspire for an academically fulfilling experience.
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Shaolin Temple, The (1982)
Director: Chang Hsin Yen
Notable Cast: Jet Li, Ding Lan, Yu Hai, Hu Jianqiang, Jian-kui Sun, Pan Hanguang, Hui Neng, Wang Guangkuan, Yu Chenghui, Ji Chunhua, Pan Qingfu
Also known as: Shaolin Temple
Perhaps it's just the circles of influence that I frequent or I have seemingly missed the memo, but The Shaolin Temple is fuckin' fantastic and no one told me this. In the grander scheme of things, the film might be easy to overlook due to its many similarities to the legendary 36th Chamber of Shaolin (more on that in a minute), but I was impressed almost immediately with the strength of the film's story and its insightful execution on screen. There are a few nitpicky things that I have against the film, but overall The Shaolin Temple was a massive delight that took the basic concepts of classic kung fu film and added a lot of heart and thematic strength to it. It's unfortunate that it's not spoken about more, even if it's just in the martial arts spheres that I visit. It's worth the watch.
When a young man's (Jet Li) life is torn apart and his father killed by a vicious government, he flees for his life and finds shelter in a Shaolin temple. There, the monks nurse him back to health and he is taken under the wing of one of the kung fu masters there to become a monk. However, he can't let go of the injustice he witnessed and when the same villains start threatening the Shaolin temple – he will take matters into his own hand and hope that the monks will follow.
Speak less and carry a big stick.
On the surface, The Shaolin Temple (not to be confused with Shaolin Temple directed by Chang Cheh from the decade prior) is essentially a 36th Chamber of Shaolin reproduction. The idea of a slighted young man retreating to Shaolin to learn kung fu so that he might return to and bring justice might be one of the more replicated stories told. Unfortunately, The Shaolin Temple isn't quite as effectively made and told as 36th Chamber is and, in retrospect, sort of lives in the shadow of one of the greatest martial arts movies ever made. However, don't let those comparisons detract you…The Shaolin Temple is still a fantastic story wrapped in some very effective film making. Director Chang Hsin Yen nails a lot of the main beats of the film including the flow of narrative, despite some of its trickier time jumps and pacing tangles in getting the film moving with its period piece placement. Occasionally I wanted more from some of the relationship building elements (the father/son aspects for our hero tend to be brushed over a bit much for my tastes), but it's only because the characters are all so much fun and effective that I wanted more and it doesn't necessarily detract from the film as a whole.
There are two aspects to the rest of the film that stand out immediately in The Shaolin Temple: Jet Li and the settings. This film was one of the first movies to really use mainland China as a back drop and while the gimmicky bookends of "being based on a true story" and explaining to the audience about Shaolin with a cheesy narrator and a song might seem eye-rolling at first, it establishes the setting and gives the film a back bone of realism that not many kung fu movies attempt to grab at. The rest of the film is dynamically back dropped by massive temples, rolling hills, beautiful waterfalls, and some other iconic Chinese topography. Sure, in the end the setting is simply that – a setting for the guts of a film, it gives The Shaolin Temple an almost instantly memorable canvas to paint itself on.
The other iconic piece of this film is a young Jet Li in the main role. While Li does occasionally struggle with the more emotional beats of the film, including some attempts to portray the complex emotions of losing not only his father, but his master, he wins over the audience with impeccable charm and some striking screen presence. His youthful energy compliments a lot of the charisma needed to sell some of the secondary relationships of the film, like a romantic subplot featuring the daughter of his master, and it's endearing to see a young Jet Li give it all in his debut film.
It also helps that Jet Li is perfectly utilized in the fight work of the film. Li's sharp movements and almost unbounded skill sets are all shown in full with his repeated fight sequences and diverse choreography to match. As the character's skill sets increase, so do the complexity of the fight sequences, but it's hinged on a fantastic one-on-one battle where Li's hero must use drunken staff fighting to counter the villain's drunken sword at the mid-point of the film. The finale has a lot of emotional punch for the action (which works stunningly well), but this mid film fight is damn near iconic and it's a blast to watch. All of the fight work is impressive, but there are some instantly unforgettable moments that ought to be praised for its speed, complexity, and execution.
"I'm smitten with Jet Li too!"
The Shaolin Temple blew me away. Perhaps it's because it tends to be a bit overlooked by fans and its release on home video has been mediocre at best (thanks goes to Netflix Streaming who picked it up), but the film deserves more praise, more glitz, and more love from fans for its impressive pieces. It's seeing films like The Shaolin Temple that makes me wonder what other iconic martial arts films exist out there that seem buried to those who have no ways to dig into the robust genre. If they are anything like the quality of film present here, then there is a gold mine awaiting to be found.
Posted by DarkReif at 11:15 AM
Labels: Action / Adventure, Drama, Martial Arts
Great Hypnotist, The (2016)
Death Walks at Midnight (1972)
Death Walks on High Heels (1971)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Wandering Ginza Butterfly (1972)
Lady Snowblood (1973)
Black Mama, White Mama (1973)
Cart (2014)
Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972)
Witch, The (2016)
Visions (2016)
Rise of the Legend (2016)
Sleepy Eyes of Death 1: The Chinese Jade (1963)
Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss (1970)


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from far and wide ›
Quebec Police Display Violent Behaviour
Halq'emeylem
Fucking Pigs!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CO3q121w0c
The pigs were charged.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.1276050
Excellant, the only way we will get the culture to change is to charge those that violate the law while pretending to enforce it
[url=http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Officers+accused+beating+video+want+... accused of beating in video want their pay back[/url]
The union representing four police officers suspended for allegedly beating a robbery suspect wants them reinstated, with pay.
The union insists the city council in Trois-Rivières ignored the presumption of innocence when it expanded the municipal officers' suspension to take away their pay.
Union president Louis Lesage says the officers' families are in disarray after being deprived of their income.
The officers were suspended with pay on Feb. 8, but city council revised the suspension to one without pay in a decision at their Monday night council meeting.
No, I am not on the side of the union!
"Suspicious" fire destroys hotel owned by SQ top brass
The media, of course, aren't asking the obvious questions about why the SQ brass owned a tiny hotel together in the Laurentians to begin with -- including as one of the partners the guy who's currently investigating criminal misspending by the former SQ chief. Wouldn't want to call the good reputation of a force so corrupt gangsters break out of prison to deliver incriminating tapes to the press into question, after all.
lagatta
Police officer threatens to attach beggar to a pole outdoors on bitterly cold day:
http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/montreal/201401/02/01-4725248-je-vais-...
As you can see in the photo, the itinerant is dressed for a summer day - he is wearing a t-shirt and bermuda shorts, and has a Santa Claus hat on his shoulder. According to the report, it was -40 (actually, that would include the wind chill, but it is a very windy spot - this is on Jean-Talon, in front of the main entrance to Jean-Talon métro station - near my place).
The police officer said several people had complained because the man was begging in an aggressive manner. (And yes, this does happen). Once again, the police don't seem to have any understanding or training in how to deal with people who seem to have serious mental health problems. They shot another itinerant outside another métro station, in Old Montréal, some time back...
Found a story in English:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/video-shows-montreal-police-offic...
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Police+officer+caught+video+threaten... The building on the other side of the street is Casa d'Italia. It is a large métro station entrance, and several bus lines stop there. Always busy.
lagatta wrote:
Once again, the police don't seem to have any understanding or training in how to deal with people who seem to have serious mental health problems.
The odd thing is that police foundations programs, which are prerequisites to police academy diploma courses, include exposure to sociology and psychological material. So it's not as if they're merely trained in criminal code enforcement, given badges and guns and unleashed in the streets. I would say that no amount of psychological training suffices to prepare the average cop for the quantity of problems that this society produces, and even the most learned Psychiatric institutions contain histories of abuse of power by its practitioners. The profession of nursing for instance is rife with abuse, as certain individuals become immune to the conveyor belt of suffering they have to contend with on a daily basis, corresponding to a dangerous decline in the quality of care in many respects. When a cop abuses an individual who is crying out for help, it reveals the cracks in a system that is not designed to adequately address the scale of what it causes by its very existence. The salary of a beat cop is a systemic allowance that is intended to effect compliance for the sake of whatever social peace the more favoured contributors of society demand, which in essence only makes the problem temporarily disappear so as not to disturb the more valued citizenry, lest they too become overly disturbed by being constantly reminded of the problems that surround them.
Thanks for the needed context, SJ. Everyone is beating up on this cop, including our glorious mayor Denis Coderre, and the police are distancing themselves from him. His crime, of course, is that: 1) He works for them. 2) He got caught.
Yeah, they put the cop out there for that very reason, to enforce compliance and ultimately to get rid of the problem, knowing full well as these politicians certainly do that this sick society that representational politics is the façade for, can never hope to properly manage what has become unmanageable. There's not enough capacity or resources because of the exigencies of the global market economy.
ETA: It's not to say that there shouldn't be better expectations and demands in terms of how human beings are treated, but I can't help thinking about what all of the fine people of society who complained expected would happen when they involved the police.
You are right, Unionist, it isn't fair to single out this cop. It is a systemic problem.
I was once hit hard by a woman (who seemed to have extreme mental health problems) at Berri-UQAM métro. I had bruises on a breast and a sore ribcage afterwards for days, fortunately no broken ribs or anything else more serious. She could have killed a frail elderly person. I can certainly see how commuters or passerby could be intimidated by an aggressive young guy like the one in the photo and film.
For as long as I can remember, the police have been sadistic and violent and after each incident, we are treated yet again to reassurances that the latest outrage is a one-off, aberration. It isn't. Nor is our relentless denial, especially in Canada where the ass-kissing, veneration of the police is a national religion..
Benoît Roberge pleads guilty to gangsterism
This story just keeps getting bigger:
[url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/school-staff-accuse-montreal-poli... school teacher and janitor say they were handcuffed, one pepper-sprayed in altercation with officer who ran red light[/url]
Carl Cadieux, the janitor at École au Pied-de-la-Montagne, says the incident began with the officer running a red light in front of the school at the corner of Pine Avenue and Henri-Julien Avenue without turning on his flashing lights.
Cadieux says there were children waiting to cross at the intersection, and he yelled out for the officer to be more careful.
The officer then allegedly returned to confront Cadieux, who says he was handcuffed and roughly pressed up against the squad car in the process.
Teacher Nadia Lessard then intervened and told the officer to let Cadieux go.
"[Cadieux] was yelling out because it hurt, and so I said, 'Let him go' louder and touched the officer's arm," she told CBC News.
At that point, the officer turned on Lessard, who said he put his hand to her throat and pepper-sprayed her in the face.
"He pepper-sprayed me not even two inches from my face and after then I couldn't see anything," she said.
Lessard said she was then handcuffed and put in another squad car that had arrived on the scene.
The teacher has been charged with "obstructing swine" - I may not have captured the precise legal terminology.
People are speaking out.
Update from later version of above story:
Dave Miller's daughter attends the school and he witnessed the incident.
He told CBC News that it left him feeling troubled and unsafe.
"I'm paying their salaries with my tax money and then I see people like that," he said.
Miller said other police at the scene seemed just as shocked by the incident, which left many children in tears.
"The teacher just completely blind and a bunch of cops who looked as stunned as everybody else, quite frankly, at what their colleague was doing and a dozen children bawling their eyes out," he said.
Cadieux [the janitor] said the support he's been getting from the students is a comfort.
"It makes me feel better because the situation in front of parents, children, I don't like it," he said.
People speaking out to the media against the cops. It's an exciting development.
The thing is this behavior doesn't come out of the blue. Officer 728 was very sick by the time they finally laid her off. There were many incidents and clear behavior that indicated she had serious problems. Her partner was afraid to work with her.
Maybe organizations like police and doctors need some sort of reporting mechanism to their unions or associations when a colleague looks to be having serious issues. Then the union or association can step in sooner and make sure the officer is getting the necessary help.
arielc
Pondering wrote:
So her colleague cops just stand and watch her go apesh!t ?
The teacher just completely blind and a
bunch of cops who looked as stunned as everybody else, quite frankly, at what their colleague was doing and a dozen children bawling their eyes out," he said.
There was an end-of-year school party going on - that is why there were so many children outside, in the schoolyard. Also parents and teachers. And of course, nowadays, some parents filmed this on their phones.
http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/actualites-en-societe/410857/des-arresta...
I'm also sick of police going through red lights with impunity, unless they are in hot pursuit, and even then, they have to weigh consequences to innocent bystanders - here, a bunch of schoolkids crossing busy avenue des Pins! against their pursuit.
More than once, I've seen teams of police on bicycles running the red light on the bicycle lane outside my house, and they were laughing and joking. Once, I was (obediently) waiting at the corner, and did not dare shout out "hé, le feu est rouge!" The'd certainly find something not regulation about my bicycle... or perhaps simply pepper-spray me.
Still more on this from Radio-Canada. A complaint had already been made against this cop for similar behaviour, in 2011. I guess he likes his cayenne.
http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/Montreal/2014/06/13/004-policier-arre...
Officer reassigned, no punishment
We are the goon squad and we're coming to town -- beep-beep.
Police in St-Roch, a neighourhood in the Basse-Ville (Lower Town) of Québec City, killed a cyclist, Guy Blouin. According to many eyewitnesses, they ran over him at least twice, carried off the victim's bicycle and returned with it (or another bicycle?) later, and put the very severely injured man in an ambulance without a stretcher. Mr Blouin died that night in hospital.
St-Roch used to be a very poor neighbourhood, but it is undergoing very rapid gentrification since Mail St-Roch (an almost-dead urban mall that was mostly a place where itinerants and other poor people could sit and chat in severe Québec City winters) was pulled down. There is a beautiful new library ... and the local MEC store. There are still a lot of marginal people around there, and many of them converge on the Église St-Roch steps now that the mall is no more.
Guy Blouin may have been a small-time pusher, but that (if true) does not warrant a death by police sentence. People in the neighbourhood are furious.
Short video from QC daily Le Soleil showing the demonstration against the killing of Guy Blouin: http://tinyurl.com/CyclisteQuebecFlics
Article in English from CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/vigil-for-guy-blouin-ends-with-10...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/st-roch-residents-demand-justice-... This includes a video that shows the very narrow small street where Guy Blouin was allegedly cycling the wrong way.
Today's police force reminds me of bouncers I used to know back in the day.They didn't consider what they did a job but a sport.
The police are just hired tax payer funded goons that have been given power that puts them above the law.
What's the worse that could happen? An indefinate paid vacation? Take that,justice system.
They also placed the victim under arrest while he was lying - dying - in the street, before putting him in the ambulance.
Still haven't heard whether they will be laying charges against him.
Here's another article about Guy Blouin, by a peer mental-health worker in the neighbourhood, Gilles Simard:
http://www.pressegauche.org/spip.php?article18758
I don't like posting Toronto Sun articles, but for what it's worth:
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/09/05/quebec-city-cops-pinned-dying-cycli...
Twenty or thirty years ago, Saint-Roch and neighbouring St-Sauveur could have accurately been described as "hardscrabble", but it has changed a lot since then with the concomitant "social cleansing".
And almost two years later, wrists are duly slapped - but at least it was a finding of wrongdoing:
[url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-police-officer-pierre-lu... Pierre-Luc Gauthier gets 2-day suspension for threat to tie man to pole[/url]
Officer Pierre-Luc Gauthier will be suspended without pay for two days for using intimidation and showing disrespect.
Gauthier's punishment is technically two separate two-day suspensions, which will be served concurrently according to the police ethics committee's decision.
Gauthier's colleague, officer Vincent Marcotte, will be suspended for one day without pay for not stepping in to intervene.
That'll show 'em.


The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce (SCSBCC) and four co-sponsors have been holding town halls across much of the state to engage the public on the possible sale of Santee Cooper, the state's financially-troubled agency that provides electricity to much of the state. The next town hall will be in Orangeburg on Monday, April 15, form 5-6:30PM at the Orangeburg County Library, 510 Louis Street.
Joining the SCSBCC in sponsoring this town hall is The Palmetto Promise Institute. Other co-sponsors are the SC Coastal Conservation League, The Horry Independent and Lexington County Chronicle. The town halls are open to the public and are free.
*The Town Halls are not library sponsored events.
The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce is a statewide advocacy organization founded in 2000. With over 10,000 small business and entrepreneur supporters, it has successfully worked to make South Carolina more small business friendly in areas such as healthcare, taxation, regulation, worker training, energy/conservation, workers' compensation and economic development.