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Governor Says Washington 'Stay-At-Home' Order May Be Extended Beyond Initial 2 Weeks
By NWPB News March 27, 2020
On Monday, March 23, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee addressed the state and issued a 'stay-at-home' order in a further attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. CREDIT: Governor's Office
BY LIZ BRAZILE / KUOW
A state order compelling Washingtonians to stay home unless they are partaking in essential work or life activities is now fully in effect until midnight on April 6. (The non-essential business closure lasts until midnight on April 8.)
But Gov. Jay Inslee says people should prepare to stay home for even longer, as officials work to flatten the COVID-19 curve.
Inslee said during a Thursday morning press conference that officials believe mandatory business and school closures have helped mitigate the rate of coronavirus infections, particularly in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties.
–Washington State Order
–What Businesses Are Considered 'Essential'?
–Guidance For Construction Industry
–What's Open And What's Closed In Washington?
Despite this, he added, Washingtonians should expect to see an extension of the state's unprecedented stay-at-home order.
"We cannot let up on this virus, even if we get to a point where there's continuation of reducing the rate of increase," Inslee said, adding that the goal is to see the number of COVID-19 cases drop on a weekly basis.
"But the fact is we have to, we have to hammer this until we can be assured that will not spring back up," he continued. "And so we will not be able to be confident that we can release some of our joint efforts in the state until we're very confident of that."
Inslee pointed to a need for expanded testing capacity amid the efforts to understand how COVID-19 is moving through Washington, and to evaluate the state's response.
"We need testing — pervasive testing — before we'll be able … to return to normalcy in our state," he said.
More than 31,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across Washington state so far, according to the governor. But state officials are calling on the federal government to help procure more testing materials.
Inslee also asserted that Washingtonians are not on lockdown under his stay-at-home order.
"You can leave your house for a walk, you can go for a drive, you can do things essential to your livelihood for these essential industries," he said. "We do want you to limit those activities in ways that make common sense, however."
Copyright 2020 KUOW. To see ore, visit kuow.
Hanford Waste Still On The Big To-Do List For Incoming Biden Administration
As President Donald Trump prepared to leave office, his Department of Energy was celebrating that a new analytical lab was "ready to operate" at the Hanford Site in southeast Washington. Continue Reading Hanford Waste Still On The Big To-Do List For Incoming Biden Administration
Anna King	January 19, 2021
U.S. Records 400,000 Lives Lost To COVID At 1-Year Mark Of 1st Confirmed Case In Washington
While millions wait for a lifesaving shot, the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus continues to soar upward with horrifying speed. On Tuesday, the last full day of Donald Trump's presidency, the official death count reached 400,000 — a once-unthinkable number. More than 100,000 Americans have perished in the pandemic in just the past five weeks. Continue Reading U.S. Records 400,000 Lives Lost To COVID At 1-Year Mark Of 1st Confirmed Case In Washington
NWPB News	January 19, 2021
Now Is A Good Time To Talk To Kids About Civics
If you've been riding an emotional, politics-fueled rollercoaster in 2021 (not to mention 2020), believe us: Your kids have noticed. Here's a quick primer from Life Kit on how to talk with your kids about politics — and, even get them thinking about civics. Continue Reading Now Is A Good Time To Talk To Kids About Civics
NPR News	January 19, 2021
Tags: business coronavirus covid-19 economy Governor Jay Inslee health Jay Inslee Jobs Public Health
In Historic 1st, Biden To Nominate Transgender Doctor As Assistant Health Secretary
For Idaho Colleges, Vaccines Offer Hope Of Eventual Return To More Normal Operations
What Is The Sound Of Grief? Composer Osvaldo Golijov Puts It To Music


The forecast was for too much wind and it looked like rain. It was, though, a superb race with the right amount of steady wind. Three Garelochs came to the start. Elizabeth Henderson on Thalia, Penny Davidson on Catriona and owner Carol Rowe's sister Marjorie at the helm of Hermes.
On the water Race Officer Peter Proctor sent us on two rounds of a short course. A beat to A, off the club, run downwind to C off Clynder and back.
Hermes made a good start and led with Thalia close behind. Catriona started early, her crew's advice to the helm louder than it was erudite. Time was lost in going back. She was back in contention for the run, but it was only at the end of the round that she was able to catch Thalia in a port/starboard and move up a place.
Downwind again, the spinnaker told. Both Catriona and Thalia insinuated themselves past Hermes.
1.Catriona, 2 Thalia, 3 Hermes.


Haircare Market in Bulgaria: Market Snapshot to 2022 report provides market and category level consumption within the country's Haircare market. It provides historic and forecast consumption along with latest events and recent developments in the global market.
Get access to detailed historic and forecast consumption values and volumes at category level along with a top-level overview and detailed insight into the operating environment of the Bulgaria Haircare market, making it an essential tool for companies active across the value chain and for all new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities to develop business strategies.
Enhance your understanding of the market to update your strategic and tactical plans based on volume and value changes.
Understand the market better through facts and figures, thereby allowing you to make effective business decisions.
Update yourself on the latest events in the global market.


Jio4GVoice formerly known as JioJoin. This is the one and only android app with RCS (Rich Communication Services) Features in India. Since the app using VoLTE (Voice Over Long Term Evolution) Technology, so that you will get a high-quality video and voice calling feature. Get crystal clear in video and voice conference. Even if you not own 4G Handset, you can enjoy the VoLTE feature in 3G or 2G smartphone with Jio 4G Voice. Download the latest Version of Jio4GVoice APK Free.
So many cool features make this app awesome and differentiate from other competitive apps. Let's check the Features of Jio4GVoice.
Enjoy HD Video and voice call with RCS (Rich communication services) features in your android 4G Enabled smartphone.
There is no barrier that you can call on Jio SIM only, Instead call to any other service providers mobile and land phone number.
Enhance your call with your current location, the image through RCS. You can notify the receiver the urgency of the call. The urgency message when calling makes the receiver to receive the call in any situation.
Audio and video conferencing is the other feature of the app. Connect up to 6 users in audio conference and up to 4 users in a video conference. Make a fun conference call with your friends and family.
Download and install Jio 4G Voice APK 5.2.2 latest version for android smartphone. you can also download the app version for iOS enabled smartphone and enjoy the same features.
Android required: 4.4 and above.
Updated on: December 21, 2018.
You have downloaded. Now enjoy HD Video and voice call with Jio4GVoice and Jio 4g smart network. Make your Non-VoLTE smartphone VoLTE enabled no matter if it is 2G or 3G smartphone.
How To Install Jio4GVoice On Android?
It is easy to install the app on Android smartphone. Now You have downloaded .APK file from the above Link. Now Just tap on the APK file. To Install the app, you need to check settings and make check button OK on "UNKNOWN SOURCES". After this Tap on the apk file, the android will install the app on your smartphone. Now Open Jio4GVoice and enjoy Unlimited Video and Voice Calls free.
Clash of Clans (MOD Unlimited Gold/Gems/Oils) is an attractive mobile game in the classic online strategy games and is a hot game for Android + iOS, this game developed by Supercell, a Finnish gaming company. This game features 3D graphics along with a unique tactical gameplay in fiery and new battles that have attracted millions of gamers around the world. Currently, Clash of Clans (CoC) is one of the best-selling strategy games of all time, receiving high ratings from gamers and is one of the highest-earning games on the Appstore and Google Play. As a loyal fan of the tactics, Clash of Clans is a great choice for you.
In the game, you will start with a land, where with the available resources. You will have to create your own kingdom, build buildings, recruit soldiers. The game offers a variety of defensive works such as traps, turrets, cannons and walls. These works can be upgraded to become more powerful, helping you fight attacks from monsters and other players. Each player has their own way of upgrading, you can think for yourself or refer to the experience of famous gamers.
After you build defensive structures, you can now recruit soldiers. Clash of Clans has a myriad of different types of soldiers, from warriors, swordsmen, sorcerers and even dragons. As well as defensive structures, soldiers can also be upgraded to increase their strength in combat and defense. Not only will you defend the stronghold, but you will also use them as the main force that you can use to take over other players' lands or to kill monsters in campaign mode to earn EXP and gold coins.
The most interesting part of playing Clash of Clans is when it comes to attacking other players. You will have to build a certain tactic, need to calculate carefully to be able to win. In other words, Clash of Clans is not a game that the rich will win.
You can make friends with other players, your friends, or join a guild to call for help when it comes to attacking. Your guild will send salvage help and can attack and attack. It is one of the features that made Clash of Clans one of the most engaging interactive games. The game also has a ranking to show the strength of the guilds.
You should join a guild as soon as possible, because not only are you supported but you can also request a lot of troops from the guild. For tactical games, just a few troops are making a difference.
Speaking of graphics and sound in the game, I can share with you that nothing can be more wonderful, quality 3D graphics extremely sharp, next to it is vibrant color, attractive and very Eye-catching will make you sink into the fiery battle. The explosive effects of landmines in battle and symphonic music will make you feel like you are the roles in the characters in the game.
Clash of Clans is one of the tactical games that is highly rated on the mobile in recent times. The game has been published on the Android and iOS platforms with the latest updates. Do not hesitate to invite friends to join and create your own kingdom.
You can download the game by the links below, also have APK version.
CLASH OF CLANS MOD APK IS READY TO DOWNLOAD!
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In order to provide training to your organization employees and ensure the ability to recover from a disaster, a Training and Exercise Plan is needed. A Training and Exercise Plan details what training will be provided to employees, how often and the source for the training, usually in increments of 1, 2 nd 3 years. This allows companies to integrate disaster preparedness, response and recovery programs into the overarching budgetary plans.
Exercises can be delivered in seminar, games, Tabletop, Functional and Full - Scale formats. Exercises are designed to test and evaluate all disaster related plans in your organization. Exercises are evaluated, with the results being used to update the disaster and training plans.
Review of past emergency responses, Exercises and Training programs and Lessons Learned documents.
Creation of a multi-year, FEMA approved Training and Exercise Program based on above review.
Suggest additional courses to enhance the program.


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Siemens to spin off gas and power division
It intends to create a 'new major player' on the energy market with a business volume of £26bn
Image: Tobias Arhelger/Shutterstock
Siemens has announced plans to spin off its power and gas division into a separate company.
It intends to create a "new major player" on the energy market with a business volume of €30 billion (£26bn).
The company is giving up its majority stake in Siemens Gas and Power (GP), which comprises of the company's oil and gas, conventional power generation, power transmission and related services businesses.
It will, however, "remain a strong anchor shareholder" in the new company, with a stake that is to be initially less than 50% and for the foreseeable future, above the level of a blocking minority holding.
Siemens also plans to transfer its 59% majority stake in Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) to the new company.
Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens said: "This move will create a powerful pure play in the energy and electricity sector with a unique, integrated setup – an enterprise that encompasses the entire scope of the energy market like no other company.
"Combining our portfolio for conventional power generation with power supply from renewable energies will enable us to fully meet customer demand. It will also allow us to provide an optimized and, when necessary, combined range of offerings from a single source. We're convinced that this strategic decision will be positive for all participants and enable long-term value creation for customers, employees and shareholders – as can also be seen in recent market successes such as those in Iraq, which we'll jointly continue to pursue."
gas and power Renewable energy SGRE Siemens spin off

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Swiss Francs: How to Invest in One of the Strongest Currencies in The World
Most traders in the market often depend on gold and foreign currencies to trade.
However, the United States Dollars (USD) is the primary currency when it comes to trading in the forex market.
Traders that are looking for a stronger alternative to the USD, to save and earn money, should consider the Swiss Franc, which is the currency of Switzerland.
The Swiss franc (CHF) is regarded as one of the strongest currencies in the world; not only that, it is also a safe haven for investors and the world of finance.
The reason why the Swiss Franc is a stable currency and a haven for the world of finance is that it is known to keep its value no matter the state of the market.
When you invest in the Swiss Franc, you are ensured with high security and protection from inflation and market turbulence.
Why Investing in Swiss Francs
There are many benefits to why you should invest in the Swiss Franc; one of them is due to the stable economic system of Switzerland and its steady economic growth.
Switzerland is stable with no economic deficit to it. Moreover, the income in Switzerland exceeds that of the expenses; hence, the economy is reliable with steady growth. Switzerland also has a low unemployment rate with a high per capita income.
When European debt was increasing, back in 2011, the Swiss Franc was still stable and wasn't affect by the turmoil.
However, lots of investors, including the world of finance, began to rely on CHF, and that drove its value to increase in the market.
As a result, the Franc became stronger but began to hurt the country's exports.
Then the Swiss policymakers placed an artificially cap their currency at 1.20 against the Euro so that CHF won't be too strong.
To uphold the new policy, the central bank of Switzerland began to print more Franc notes.
Nevertheless, despite these decisions, the Swiss Francs remain a haven for the world of finance, as a stable economic system supports it.
With its stable financial system and good backing, investing in CHF is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself.
For investors in America, the Swiss Franc is lovely due to its low short-term volatility when it comes to exchanging between CHF and USD.
The Swiss Franc is highly liquid and available, and that why it is a haven for investors.
There are different ways to invest in Swiss Francs, and some of them are:
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
It is possible to invest in Swiss Francs through ETFs. It is essential to know that CurrencyShares' Swiss Franc Trust helps to track the value of Swiss Francs when compared to USD.
It is possible to purchase ETFs through brokerage accounts. ETFs don't cost much to buy.
Futures and Options
You can invest in the Swiss Franc through futures and options. Lots of traders think that the only way to trade derivatives is through stocks only.
The forex market offers retail traders derivative products to take advantage of the profit opportunities.
The forex market is the platform to trade different currencies. The forex market involves buying and selling.
A trader in the forex market gets his profit when the currency he/she purchases increases in value when compared to the money he/she used to buy it.
When it comes to the Swiss Francs, the USD is the most widely used currency for investment.
Before you invest in Swiss Francs, it is essential to note that the forex market is prone to dips.
Although the Swiss Franc is stable, It can be affected by economic policies and the action of the central bank. Nevertheless, the Swiss Franc is a haven for investments.
Last Updated: December 17th, 2019


This book brings to life a wonderful and somewhat forgotten time.
The 70s and 80s in New York; two entire decades in which creativity, art, glamour and nightlife dominated the city.
Another Planet is a tribute to this historic time, to the giants of fashion, art and a society in which drag queens, players, con artists, clubbers, the legendary Studio 54, 42nd Street cinemas, peep shows, prostitutes, the meat district and the fish market were all part of everyday life.
The photographer Christophe von Hohenberg not only lived through this period, but also thoroughly documented it.
Throughout these twenty years, he attended exhibitions, parties, artists' meetings, cinemas and others, armed with his camera.
His fresh and revealing photographs reflect the style and emotion that characterized what he himself calls "a great era".
His portraits appeared in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview and other magazines.
Christophe gradually became one of the greatest photographers of his time and through his lenses, one by one, some of the greatest personalities were portrayed, such as Allen Ginsberg, Julian Schnabel, Cornelia Guest, Robert Kennedy Jr. or Britney Spears, among others.
In addition to the photographs that capture and pay homage to one of the most vivid moments in history, this scrapbook includes letters, anecdotes from the people involved and their reflection on these years, as well as their continuous encounters with Christophe, seen everywhere from Andy Warhol's funeral to the runways and dance floors of Studio 54.


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Martyrdom Anniversary of Imam Hadi (AS)
Salaam, and heartfelt condolences to you all on the tragic 3rd of the month of Rajab, the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Ali an-Naqi al-Hadi (AS), the 10th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Following is an exclusive feature on his life and times.
Born in Medina in 212 AH, he was in the prime of manhood, when he was martyred at the age of 42 in 254 AH in Samarra, Iraq, as a result of a fatal dose of poisoning by the tyrannical Abassid caliph, Mu'taz. His period of Imamate was 34 years, having entrusted with the divine trust of leadership of mankind, at the young age of 8 years on the martyrdom of his father, Imam Mohammad at-Taqi al-Jawad (AS) in 220 AH in Baghdad. As his epithets an-Naqi and al-Hadi indicate, he was of spotlessly pure character and a guide for mankind from the darkness of ignorance towards the light of faith and knowledge. In a bid to take advantage of the young age of 10th Imam, his father's assassin, the crafty Abbasid caliph, Mu'tasim, tasked the famous Arabic scholar Obaidullah al-Junaydi to be the teacher of the Imam in order to try to brainwash him. To the surprise of the supposed teacher, and to the horror of the caliph, it was the young less-than-10-year boy-Imam who influenced Junaydi through his God-given knowledge and made him a devotee of the Ahl al-Bayt. A person named Mohammad bin Sa'eed said: I came across al-Junaydi on Friday and asked him how the Hashemite child was progressing with his education is. He became angry and said, this child is the greatest scholar of the Hashemite clan. Then al-Junaydi asked me: By God! Do you know any person more learned than me in Medina? I said no. Al-Junaydi said: by God whenever I dwell on a scientific point with the assumption that it is only me who is aware of it, the Imam opens for windows of knowledge unknown to me. When I ask him to recite a Surah of the holy Qur'an, he does it so eloquently and authoritatively that I get astonished. By God he is the best person on the earth and the best creature of God.
Imam Hadi (AS) ruled the hearts of people. Another incident from the boyhood years of the 10th Imam's life is the encounter with the famous Mu'tazalite ideologue, Yahya ibn Aktham, who over a decade-and-a-half earlier had been outwitted in a memorable debate in front of the whole Abbasid court of Mamoun with the Prophet's 9th Infallible Heir, Imam Mohammad at-Taqi (AS), who was then still a beardless boy. Yayha ibn Aktham in the vain hope of trapping Imam Hadi (AS) in a complicated theological debate, sent a list of questions, but at the same time avoided direct meeting. To his utter amazement, Imam Hadi (AS) gave highly satisfactory replies to all the complicated queries with the words:
"I have received your questions through which you want to test us out of your obstinacy so that you may find a gap for which you may criticize us. We, hereby, explain your questions. Lend your ears, open your mind, and engage your heart for receiving our answers, but therefore, some jealous people were unhappy with this."
As time passed, this vast knowledge of the Tenth Imam and his popularity among the masses made some jealous and they wrote to the Abbasid caliph Mutawakkil that Imam Hadi (AS) had collected weapons and money in his house for possible revolt against the authorities. Mutawakkil sent Yahya bin Harthama along with 300 troops to Medina to forcibly bring the Imam to Samarra in Iraq. The house was searched and nothing was found of weapons and money. Nevertheless, the Imam saw wisdom in accompanying Ibn Harthama to Iraq. When he arrived in Baghdad, he was given a huge welcome by the people, before moving on to Samarra.
Thus after having preached the message of genuine Islam in Median for 16 years, the Imam had to settle in Samarra where for the next 18 years he was kept under close surveillance of the Abbasid regime. Here is also he continued his mission, and the more pressure the Abbasids put on him the further felt the need to enlighten the masses. As the same time, whenever an opportunity arose, Imam Hadi (AS) exposed the vicious nature of the caliph, whose claim to rule was dubious. Mutawakkil, who has earned notoriety as the most Godless of the Abbasid caliphs tried in vain to implicate the 10th Imam in the various uprisings that rocked the realm from Khorasan in the east to North Africa in the west, but to no avail. The Imam's setting of the highly secret and foolproof network of "wikala" of representation through the Islamic realm, indicates the pressures upon him by the Abbasids. At the same time, the Imam strengthened the scientific and academic centres. He trained a great number of faithful believers. The number of qualified scholars trained by him stands out around 185. These scholars campaigned against the spread of distortions. He had to confront the deviated Jabriyya group who believed that humans have no choice and whatever they do, it is God Who forces them. Imam Hadi (AS) gave dynamic answers to quell such absurd ideas. Once during an encounter with such persons he resorted to logic and reasoning to dismiss their views. He aid: The one who believes in force means that God obliges His servants to commit sin, and then (paradoxically punishes them. Such person has actually denied God.
Mutawakkil, the destroyer of the shrine of the Master of Martyrs, Imam Husain (AS) was killed by his own son with the help of the Turkic guards before he could do physical harm to the Imam. His son and successor was soon deposed and replaced by another of his sons, Mu'taz, who now took the dastardly step of lacing with poison the Imam's food. As a result, the Imam achieved martyrdom on the 3rd of Rajab and was laid to eternal rest in his own house in Samarra, which is now the grand site of pilgrimage for people from all over the world.
Once again we offer our heartfelt condolences and in conclusion bring you some of Imam Hadi's sayings:
"There are definite places in which Allah likes the servants to supplicate to Him. One of these places is the tomb of Imam Husain: Master of the Martyrs (AS)."
"Do not expect honesty and purity of intention from someone who has suffered from your malice; do not expect loyalty from one to whom you have been disloyal; do not expect goodwill from someone whom you regard with ill-will: his heart towards you is the same as your heart towards him."
Here is a supplication to God from Imam Hadi (AS):
"O Allah, the founts of Your gifts are brimful, the doors of Your supplications for one who hopes in You are wide-open, and Your merciful looks on one who resorts to You are not cut. Caution is bridled, need is urgent, and people of patience are unable to wait. O Allah, You are in watch over all places, and You do not ignore but (provide) respite. Whoever takes refuge with You will be secure, and whoever resorts to You will succeed and get to Your door safe...."
More in this category: « Birthday of the 9th Infallible Imam	Excellent Exemplar for Daughters of Eve »


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If you are a military veteran, our friends at VALoans.com will be happy to help you get your VA Certificate of Eligibility, quickly and easily.
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Before You Get a VA Loan
If you are a military veteran, our friends at VALoans.com will be happy to help you get your VA Certificate of Eligibility, quickly and easily. Fill out their request form and they will send a blank VA Form 26-1880(Request for a Certificate of Eligibility) to you by mail or email.
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VETERANS ELIGIBILITY
You are eligible for VA loan benefits if you served on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable after either 90 days or more, any part of which occurred during wartime, OR 181 continuous days or more (peacetime)
You are eligible if you enlisted (and service began) after September 7, 1980, OR were an officer and service began after October 16, 1981, you are eligible if you have completed 24 continuous months or more, OR the full period for which ordered to active duty, but not less than 90 days (any part during wartime) or 181 continuous days (peacetime).
ACTIVE DUTY ELIGIBILITY
If you are now on active duty, you are eligible after having served on continuous active status for at least 90 days. When an ending date is established for Persian Gulf War service, a minimum of 181 days of continuous active duty will be required for persons who did not have wartime service.
SELECTED RESERVE ELIGIBILITY
If you are Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of any of the Reserve components which consists of units and individuals who participate actively in paid training periods and serve on paid active duty for training each year, including Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reserves as well as Army National Guard and Air National Guard, you are eligible if you completed 6 years as a member of the Selected Reserve and you received an honorable discharge; were placed on the retired list; were transferred to the Standby Reserve or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after service in the Selected Reserve characterized as honorable; continue to serve in the Selected Reserve.
ELIGIBILITY BY DISCHARGE
You may be eligible if you were discharged for a service-connected disability, or were discharged for the convenience of the government after completing at least 20 months of a 2-year enlistment; OR you completed not less than 90 days (any part during wartime) or 181 continuous days (peacetime), and you were discharged because of a hardship, or were determined to have a service-connected compensable disability, or were discharged or released from active duty for a medical condition which pre-existed service and has not been determined to be service-connected, or received an involuntary discharge or release from active duty for the convenience of the Government as a result of a reduction in force, or were discharged or released from active duty for a physical or mental condition not characterized as a disability and not the result of misconduct but which did interfere with your performance of duty.
SPOUSE ELIGIBILITY
As a military spouse, you may be eligible if you are not remarried and are the spouse of a veteran who died while in service or from a service connected disability, or are a spouse of a serviceperson missing in action or a prisoner of war.
OTHER ELIGIBILITY:
Certain United States citizens who served in the armed forces of a government allied with the United States in World War II.
Individuals who served in certain organizations such as Public Health Service officers, cadets/midshipmen at service academies, officers of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, merchant seamen with WWII service, and certain others.
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai thinks AI is more important than electricity or fire
By Digit NewsDesk | Published on 22 Jan 2018
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he considers AI to be more profound than fire or electricity while speaking at a Town Hall arranged by MSNBC.
It's no secret how intrinsic AI has become for Google. The company is doing some of the most extensive research in the field of artificial intelligence, and Google's CEO Sundar Pichai is taking the technology very seriously.
At an MSNBC Town Hall arranged in partnership with Recode, Sundar Pichai spoke to Kara Swisher about the importance of AI, apart from talking on other subjects.
"AI is one of the most important things that humanity is working on. It's more profound that, I don't know, electricity or fire."
By drawing parallels to electricity and fire, Pichai essentially said that AI is both useful and dangerous at the same time.
"We learnt to harness fire for the benefits of humanity, but we have to overcome its downsides too."
Speaking of the benefits, Pichai said Google is researching extensively in the field of AI and said that the technology could play a big role in curing cancer. However, he did acknowledge the need for "balance" to be struck.
"It's fair to be worried about AI. We want to be thoughtful about it," Pichai said.
The excerpts are part of a new series on MSNBC called "Revolution: Google and YouTube Changing the World" where Pichai along with YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki were interviewed. The show will air soon on MSNBC.
Google Sundar Pichai Google AI Artificial Intelligence AI stealing jobs AI dangerous
Call of Duty: Warzone is in Danger!


Do you know if Al uses the same pick regardless of guitar he's playing? I understand he uses a very heavy pick, but I would think on nylon string that might be a bad thing.
I have become an Al Di Meola fan after watching this video.
I have gathered a whole bunch of the best Rodrigo y Gabriela concert videos, inteviews and guest appearances and created a website, the Rodrigo y Gabriela Fan Club. Cheers.
Al Di Meola World Sinfonia are doing a monumental tour around 14 venues in Australia and 3 in New Zealand!!


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Boost for Scottish Motorsport Heritage Centre plans
The bid to create a motorsport museum at the Rest and Be Thankful has gained charitable status – moving the project a step closer to realisation.
Al Suttie
PLANS for a Scottish motorsport museum at the world-famous Rest and Be Thankful landmark have received a major boost.
Scotland's charities watchdogs have given the project to build a visitor centre to attract tourists and motorsport fans official charitable status.
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator have approved the scheme to create the Scottish Motorsport Heritage Centre near the top of the climb at the hairpin so many racing drivers found such a challenge.
Renowned for its hillclimb and rally stages, the Rest and Be Thankful road runs alongside the A83 through Glen Croe. It's been used since the early pioneering days of motoring and became a dedicated hillclimb course in 1949 when the A83 road was completed to allow easier access between Glasgow and the Highlands.
The view with the centre in situ
That first event attracted some of the biggest names in Scottish and British motorsport. In 1964, the outright hillclimb record of 50.09 seconds over the mile-long track was set by Peter Boshier-Jones in a Lotus 22.
Scotland's driving routes - take the high road and the low road
Watch the video of the heritage centre planned for Rest and Be Thankful
The final event was held in September 1970. Since then, there have been many attempts to revive the Rest and Be Thankful as a motorsport venue, but none have succeeded.
The project has been led by Dundee man Douglas Anderson, who has also helped bring the Monte Carlo Classic Rally start back to Scotland.
The interior of the centre
He said: "There's great significance to the Rest and Be Thankful. It was seen as the ultimate test for many drivers because of its steepness. Many of the greats like Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart raced there, so it's the ideal place to celebrate Scotland's impressive motorsport heritage."
Plans for centre include a permanent exhibition space for motorsport fans and other facilities for the community to use for cultural, business and film events. The idea has gained the backing of motorsport heroes including Sir Jackie, Jimmy McCrae and John Cleland.
Aileen Morton, leader of Argyll and Bute Council, said: "We support anything that takes advantage of the area's natural beauty and would welcome the additional tourists this attraction could bring."
The project is now looking for funding and Stan Bernard, chairman of the trustees for the proposed centre, said: "I have a good feeling about the possibilities to create an attractive motorsport heritage centre that benefits the local community and all of Scotland."
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FordFord Puma first drive review – Crossover leaps ahead of its rivalsThe new Ford Puma has what it takes to see off rival compact crossovers. In this first drive road test, we tell you all about the specs, performances and prices of this hotly anticipated addition to the blue oval badge marque's line-up of family cars.
Motoring FeaturesYour road trip adventure begins with new Haynes manualA classic road trip is on the bucket list for many motorists and now automotive publishing experts Haynes have created the ideal book to set you on your way. You can find out all about the new manual here.
MotoringThe Haynes Road Trip manual


Rather than crack on with the second project, I wanted to use today to finish off the Felix & Herbert game from last week, and I'm pleased to say that everybody managed it. Well within the time in fact, so pretty much everyone also managed to tweak their characters a bit.
We picked up from the point where Felix is successfully chasing Herbert, so only had to drop in a few simple bits in order to register points and when the mouse gets caught. In theory, doing that doesn't take very long at all, but I took a lot of time (possibly too much, they are children after all), to explain the reasoning behind introducing variables in our game. That and if statements (or rather, the if code block). I like to think that next week when I mention variables, they'll all know what I'm talking about but we'll see how that pans out.
Everybody finished the game so when I gave out the worksheets, it was really only as a refresher in case they need to look back. I don't know if anyone has access to Scratch at home yet, but I got the impression that they don't have a lot of access in school so any 'homework' type of activity will be limited.
I think we're at a nice stable point ready to move onto the next game next week. I'm still not 100% confident that they'll work through the sheets alone (without me leading the session from the front) but I've got to let go at some point, because walking through the whole game isn't ideal for a range of a reasons. I'll probably kick it off for 10 minutes and see how it goes from there.


To ensure that learning about stinging plants and insects remains fun, read books with the kids. Go on educational nature walks or visit nature centres, especially those with hands-on activities for the kids. Playing or walking through the garden doesn't have to be a worrisome ordeal. Taking the time to teach kids how to avoid stinging plants and insects is your best defence to ensure everyone's safety in the garden and beyond.
Most of us, including kids, are well aware of irritating plants, such as poison ivy. Coming into contact with these plants can result in a red, itchy rash. But did you know that other plants could cause problems too? In fact, some plants can prick, burn, or even sting and these too, can cause pain, swelling, and red rashes.
The dangers associated with stinging plants should be addressed, especially when you have kids in the garden. In order to teach kids how to avoid stinging plants, you must learn what plants grow in your area and how to identify them. After all, if you don't know, how will the kids.
Remember, "when in doubt, check it out." Show the kids what stinging plants look like so they can stay away from them in the garden and elsewhere. Teach kids to be aware of their surroundings, always looking around carefully before touching (or eating) any plant that hasn't been safely approved by a parent, teacher, or other responsible adult.
Show them how to check for plants with spiny leaves or thorns such as cactus, rose or holly. The most common stinging plant is the Stinging Nettle. This plant is normally found in moist areas near creeks, damp woods, and sometimes in the garden if conditions are favourable. However, since there are different varieties, they may also have varying growing conditions, making it possible for them to pop up nearly anywhere.
Stinging nettle has fine, sharp hairs that resemble tiny thorns. These are found along the stem and underside of its leaves. Coming into contact with stinging nettle will cause a painful sting and occasional rash. Besides teaching kids how to recognise these and other potentially harmful plants, it also helps to periodically check the garden and other areas where children frequent to make sure it remains safe for them.
Although most stinging insects are harmless and only cause minor discomfort, there are some people, especially kids, that are extremely sensitive. In fact, just one sting from an insect such as a bee, hornet, or wasp can cause them to go into anaphylactic shock. This life-threatening condition causes the airway to swell, making breathing difficult.
For this reason, you may want to consider carrying an adrenaline pen for emergencies and learn how to use it. This counteracts the allergic reaction and can in effect save lives. The best way to avoid an emergency due to stinging insects is to teach kids how to recognise them, their habitats, and favourite hangouts as well as how to avoid them altogether.
Just as with plants, you and your kids should become familiar with common stinging insects in your area, as well as those that are not so common. Most of these stinging insects have bright colours and spiny bodies, which can inadvertently attract the curiosity of kids.
Make sure you keep a good resource book (with pictures) on hand so kids can recognize these potential garden hazards and avoid them. Pictures are a great way to teach kids what various stinging insects look like. You should also let them know where they are found as well.
Even though the majority of stinging insects are not aggressive, they will quickly turn that way if they or their homes are disturbed. Make sure the kids know not to swat at insects or disturb their nest sites. Instead, have them play statue, freezing up whenever stinging insects approach. Show them pictures of nests or hives and where they may be located.
Also, tell kids to avoid the favourite hangouts of stinging insects, such as near fruit trees. Stinging insects love fallen fruit. Avoid drinks cans and never leave any unattended. In fact, it may be a good idea to encourage all drinks, and even ice-lollies, to stay indoors unless supervised by an adult.
Another important prevention tip for kids is to avoid going barefoot outdoors. Make it a rule to keep shoes on. Many stinging insects, such as honeybees, can be found close to the ground going from one flower to another.
Tell kids to avoid wearing bright clothing like yellow, red, or pink. These colours attract stinging insects, as they resemble bright-coloured flowers in the garden. They should also avoid wearing perfume or other fragrant stuff that may also attract insects, as they are mistaken for fragrant flowers.


It's hard to imagine there's anything more beautiful than some of Hawaii's above-ground landscapes. But, below the surface of the ocean, you'll find an entirely different world — just as beautiful (perhaps even more so) with caves, caverns, and undersea lava tubes, all for you to explore.
For those who are proficient scuba divers, exploring some of these underwater caves can be an incredible experience. But, for beginners, diving in and out of some of these sea caves can be highly dangerous. So, it's important to assess your ability before attempting to dive any of these underwater venues.
1. Spitting Caves, Oahu: According to Reefpirates.com, Spitting Caves is one of the premier drift dives on Oahu. Located along Portlock Wall, the Spitting Caves dive site is a great place for a chance encounter with the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal. White tip reef sharks can also been seen at this site with regularity. Eagle Rays, large eels, frog fish, and turtles are all common sightings here as well. Spitting Caves has around 5 different sized caves naturally carved out from thousands of years of constant ocean pounding and strong currents. When conditions are good, this is one of the best dives on Oahu. When conditions are not good, diving this area becomes very dangerous. During winter months, you can hear whale song echo off the wall.
Only experienced scuba divers should attempt to dive in the underwater caves in Hawaii. Less experienced divers could get lost or get disoriented during the dive.
2. Bubble Cave, Maui: Californiadiver.com raves about the Bubble Cave on Maui. According to the website, Bubble Cave is a large cave with an air bubble in it (which is actually at surface level) where divers can remove their masks and regulators and talk within it. Access to this unique cave requires an underwater swim of about 50 feet through a narrow underwater lava tube. The entrance is a wide opening that begins at the sandy bottom at a depth of about 15 feet and narrows as you enter the ancient lava tube. The lava tube extends to about 50 feet back (you'll definitely need flashlights — including backups), then ends in the large cave itself. Here you can surface into the air pocket and enjoy the unique experience of being at the surface, inside a cave. There's room for about 5 divers inside.
3. Sharks Cove, Oahu: According to Island Divers, Hawaii, there are a couple of sources for its name; the first is from the air, the rocks forming the cove look like a shark. The second is that the cove looks like a shark took a bite out of it. Because of its amazing underwater world, Shark's Cove is a favorite spot among snorkelers and shore divers. The lava has formed underwater caves and tunnels about 15 to 45 feet below the surface. These caves are a real thrill for experienced scuba divers with lots of arches and open-ended lava tubes, allowing light penetration and easy access.
Sharks Cove is a favorite among divers due to its beautiful underwater landscape.
4. Three Room Cave, Big Island: Aggressor Fleet describes Three Room Cave on the Big Island as a 200-foot lava tube with 3 large rooms. One way in, one way out. The dive is set up with line and cylume sticks to follow. Inside the caves there are mole lobsters, ghost shrimp, Hawaiian lobsters, puffer fish and nudibranches. Outside the cave there are frogfish, Reticulated Butterfly fish and turtles. However, this is a dive for experienced divers only — and it should be made only when there are extremely calm seas.
5. Makaha Caverns, Oahu: According to Island Divers, Hawaii, Makaha Caverns located on the west-side of Oahu in Waianae, are formations created by hot lava flowing into the ocean, trapped air in the lava formed bubbles when these bubbles popped the ocean water ran in and cooled off the surrounding lava forming caverns and caves. The overhangs are great habitats for all manner of marine life. The marine life that visits these caverns are green turtles, multiple species of eels, frogfish, leaf fish, occasional reef sharks, and eagle rays to name a few.
If you're not an experienced diver, you can practice your skills at easier dives, such as near Molokini. Book a Maui scuba diving tour through Hawaii Aloha Travel, and you can choose from a 2-tank morning dive or even charter a private boat for your scuba crew.
But, if you're ready for an extreme dive, consider exploring these underwater caves in Hawaii — and find out why our underwater scenery is just as spectacular as that above the sea.


At Glenballythomas, Tulsk, Co. Roscommon Hughes & Company are selling a farm consisting of circa 33 acres and an old stone residence thereon. The lands can be sold in a number of lots to suit and would be suitable for renovation.
The lands are located in one of Roscommon's most historic and renowned farming areas and close to all amenities.


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Potential Residential Care Home Vote Fraud Concern
Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Articles, Community, Featured, Information, News No Responses »
With thanks to Suzanne Kelly.
A new cloud covers the controversial Union Terrace Gardens Referendum today, as a care home worker came forward with concerns about postal votes sent to a residential home.
The worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, approached Aberdeen Voice to say that over a dozen postal vote envelopes arrived at one residential home – but when the worker went to retrieve them a short time later – they were not where they had been left. No one at the residence seemed to know precisely what became of them. The concern is whether or not the residents' votes were properly distributed and managed. The matter is still being looked into, and no allegation of wrong-doing has been made at this stage.
Aberdeen Voice's Suzanne Kelly is researching further, and contacted the elections officer, and the other recognised campaigning organisations on the issue.
Kelly asked the elections officer for the marked Register to be checked with a view to how many care home residents returned votes, and whether there are any unusual voting patterns. However, the elections officer's position is that "it would be illegal for me to provide this in terms of the Representation of the People(Scotland) Regulations 2001." In an election relevant parties would normally be able to view the marked Register.
Crawford Langley, the Elections Officer for the Union Terrace Gardens referendum vote, previously contacted the police over potential postal vote fraud in May 2005 when he was elections officer and a small number (between 6 and 12) of anomalies arose, where people appeared not to have received their postal vote forms.
Langley was quoted at the time as saying:
"We are talking about a very small number but, given the publicity elsewhere and the tight ship we run in elections in Aberdeen, it was sufficiently unusual that I needed to do something about it."
The controversial referendum, which was over the future of Aberdeen's Victorian Union Terrace Gardens, gave residents a choice to either 'retain' the gardens, or to endorse a £140 million pound scheme called the Granite Web. This entails the city obtaining a £70 million pound TIF loan, which will be matched by Sir Ian Wood / The Wood Family Trust (£50 million), £5 million from an anonymous donor, and another £15 from as-yet unnamed private sources. The TIF scheme is still in trial stages in Scotland.
many feel the media bombardment influenced the vote
The referendum was dogged by controversy. Official campaigning groups were entitled to place a 300 word essay into the voting pack, and had to adhere to strict expenditure limits.
The Green Party's statement was not printed in full. Also controversial were the actions of a 'secretive' group (as described by a BiG Partnership employee) known as 'Vote for the City Gardens Project.' This federation of businessmen and women, who prefer to remain anonymous, are thought to have spent tens of thousand of pounds to promote the City Garden Project Granite Web.
Their glossy, A3 full colour brochure went to households in Aberdeenshire which were not eligible to vote as well as to City residents. The group also issued a four-page newspaper format item, and had several full-page spreads in the local press. Local radio stations broadcast pro City Garden Project commercials. None of the officially recognised campaigning groups would have been able to afford such a campaign, and many feel the media bombardment influenced the vote.
The materials produced by the group used projections by PriceWaterhouse Coopers to claim the scheme would create over 6,500 permanent jobs and mean £122 million to the local economy every year until 2023. Those who tried to contest these projections being used as fact found that the Vote for the City Gardens Project group was not accountable either to the elections officer or the Advertising Standards Agency. Other points of contention have been brought to the election officer's notice as well.
Willie Young of the Labour Party, who were an official campaigning organisation, had this to say:
"We really do need to see the mark register so we can prove to ourselves that the referendum was run correctly. In a democracy we need checks and balances and the Electoral Commission is clear that those involved in an election should be given access to the mark register. I am not suggesting anything is untoward, but it is our right to make sure that it isn't. We are baffled by the stance taken by the counting officer".
Suzanne Kelly commented:
"It is abundantly clear to me why my source wishes to stay anonymous. They are keen to continue in the job they love, and are all too aware of what can happen to a whistle-blower. This issue is still being investigated, but I thought bringing it to the election officer's attention immediately was the right thing to do. This is why we need to check the votes sent to all of our residential care homes – we must ensure no one has been exploited and no votes have gone astray. Were all the votes sent to the homes used, and if not, what percentage went unused? Did the vote split at the residential homes echo the nearly 50–50 split the total vote saw? If not, then further research will be needed.
There is at present no allegation of any wrong doing by any individual – but it is clear that we need to have the transparency we were always promised concerning Union Terrace Gardens, but which we so sadly lacked. We've seen redacted minutes – minutes where lines of text have been 'blacked out' to keep the public in the dark. Why should there be any secrecy over what is common good land?"
Kelly was chair of one of the recognised campaigning organisations ('Democracy Watch') and has been liaising with other campaigners; a number of issues remain over the referendum, and these will be reviewed soon.
Posted by at 23:04	Tagged with: ACSEF, Advertising, Agency, BIG, Brochure, Business, Campaign, Care, City, Commission, Common, Coopers, Crawford Langley, Economy, Elections, Electoral, Expenditure, Fraud, Funding, Gardens, Good, Granite, Green, Home, Incremental, Labour, Land, Mark, Media, Minutes, Officer, Partnership, Party, Police, Postal, Press, PriceWaterhouse, Project, Radio, Referendum, Register, Secrecy, Sir, Sir Ian Wood, SIW, Standards, Suzanne Kelly, Tax, Terrace, TIF, Union, UTG, Victorian, Vote, Web, Willie Young
The Great City Gardens Project Gravy Train
Aberdeen City, Articles, Community, Featured, Information, Opinion No Responses »
A person might think that a chamber of commerce exists to promote local businesses. Here in Aberdeen this is true as well. But as Aberdeen Voice's Suzanne Kelly learns – the taxpayer is funding at least some of the PR work for the City Gardens Project – and the Chamber of Commerce and ACSEF seem to be leading the City Council by the nose.
The proposed City Gardens Project/Granite Web is a contentious idea which would see a mix of public and private interests building huge, granite ramps over Union Terrace Gardens.
While this idea may not even get off the ground, it has been a gold mine for some fortunate businesses via the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce – at the taxpayer's expense.
This article will primarily deal with money that the City Council was invoiced by the Chamber of Commerce for PR-related work. Before doing so, a little recap of other financial facts will add perspective.
PriceWaterhouse Coopers have come up with some grandiose projections including the creation of some 6,500 permanent jobs and £122 million flowing into Aberdeen every year until c. 2023: all because of the granite web. PriceWaterhouse Coopers were first paid £41,000 and change for TIF-related work in March 2010. Other invoices followed, and so far I have been shown by Scottish Enterprise £71,000 worth of PwC invoices.
These invoices are made out to Scottish Enterprise, and Scottish Enterprise is funded by the taxpayer. Unfortunately, these projections have been seized upon by the press and turned into 'facts' (The Press & Journal published these and other items in a box entitled 'facts and figures' on 19 January next to an article about the PwC projections and the garden's many projected benefits).
The unelected and free-spending and secretive 'Vote for the City Gardens Project Group' have likewise promoted these figures in their literature as being reliable facts as well. They are projections, and arguably very optimistic ones at that. Whether or not these glowing projections (that we will have more permanent jobs from our web than London expects from its 2012 Olympics) are based on the fact that PwC is being paid by the side that wants to build the web is something the referendum voters may wish to ponder.
A Freedom of Information request I lodged with Scottish Enterprise some time ago revealed (details of which I have previously published) included:-
Item Description Date Amount
1 Technical Feasibility Study to undertake an engineering, cost and design appraisal of the development options for UTG, each incorporating an arts centre. Jun 2009 £162k
2 Architect, Design & Project management fees for a Contemporary Arts Centre project Feb 09/May 10 £226k
3 Consultation Report – City Square Project.. Mar 2010 £113,915
4 Union Terrace Gardens (TIF)-Tax Increment Financing Mar 10
Nov 10 £71,959.65
5 Scottish Enterprise holds 22 copies of invoices relating to ACSEF approved spend for activities relating to stakeholder engagement, events management, and communcations. [sic] 2009-10
2010-11 £51,766.60
(source – Scottish Enterprise email exchange with Suzanne Kelly May 2011)
While this £648,000 was being spent, Aberdeen City Council was battling with potential job and service cuts in order to balance its books. It seems that these costs have largely been paid by the taxpayer via Scottish Enterprise and other vehicles, and I can find nothing to show that the Wood Family Trust, which has offered £50,000,000 to further the project, has paid towards any of these costs. The PR and promotional invoices referred to at Item 5 have been paid by the Aberdeen City taxpayer.
Before moving on to Item 5, which is the subject of this article, some of these other items are worth a further glance.
At Item 2 you will notice we are now talking about some kind of 'Contemporary Arts Centre project' – is Peacock already being edged out of the picture at this point?
Item 4 would seem to correspond to PriceWaterhouse Coopers invoices which I referred to. How much more money has been spent on PWC since this May 2011 exchange is unknown.
From what I have been subsequently sent by Scottish Enterprise, the bulk of the invoices at Item 5 were from the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce to the City Council. In the words of Scottish Enterprise:-
9 invoices relate to financial year 2009/10 – these total £51,766.60
16 invoices relate to financial year 2010/11 – these total £36,692.95. This total is higher than the original figure stated due to the invoices received after the date of that response
There has been no spend on the City Garden Project from the ACSEF budget during the current financial year (SK notes – it is only February – there is time)
(source – Scottish Enterprise email to Suzanne Kelly February 2012)
Arguably a mere £88,459 is small change as Aberdeen City contemplates borrowing £92,000,000 (minimum) if the project goes ahead. However, this is money which the City paid from its own budgets – it is taxpayer money. Should a financially-pressured city use pubic money for propaganda purposes – PR, events and photos designed to promote the City Garden Project? Is the Wood Family Trust contributing any money towards these expenses yet? I simply do not know.
A spreadsheet of the expenses comprising Item 5 can be found online at http://oldsusannahsjournal.yolasite.com/ I would recommend looking at these 50 or so items.
If you look at the wording in the table above, ACSEF is apparently approving this expenditure. ACSEF is a public-private quango, and at the time of writing, Stewart Milne is on its board. He owns the Triple Kirks land adjacent to Union Terrace Gardens, and he wants to turn this landmark into an office complex which will likely enrich him if it goes ahead in my opinion.
Despite several emails, no one in a position of power has the slightest qualm with Mr Milne potentially having a conflict of interest. Why precisely ACSEF is allowed to commission and recommend for payment invoices to the City Council is a matter I personally find worrying.
Virtually none of the invoices from the Chamber to the City specify who / what company actually performed the services in question. What company got all the PR work? Who took the photos? I do note that Zoe Corsi of the BIG Partnership is on the Chamber's Board of Directors – as are other key players such as Tom Smith, one of the two directors of the private entity, Aberdeen City Gardens Trust. This company seems to be in the thick of the decision-making processes; it is apparently the company which is holding onto the results of the design finalist public vote – which it refuses to release at present.
The taxpayer apparently paid for that exhibition and the public vote – and yet a private company seems to be withholding the results. The argument has been put forth that it is no longer relevant. Many people took the opportunity to write on the voting papers that they were against all the schemes and wanted the gardens retained and improved.
The public should have had this 'no' option at the final selection vote, but it seems councillors who asked for a 'no' option were outmoded by the Project Management Board (note – see the website listed previously for details of how all these companies and entities have interesting personnel overlaps).
It may be of interest to accountants that the party which actually performed the work not specified on these invoices, and with only a rare exception is VAT ever charged. It would be interesting to know whether or not the Chamber of Commerce adds any fees or commission charges to the work it is invoicing the City for.
Highlights of the list of invoices include:-
£180 paid for a photograph showing 'inaccessibility of Union Terrace Gardens'
over £25,000 paid for 'Stakeholder engagement' events and so on since October 2009 to August 2010
£3500 paid to 'Comedia' for Charles Landry to attend event / speak
Redacted line items and handwritten notes adorn several of the invoices
One invoice – No. 42407 shows only one line relating to 'coach hire' – this is £246. However, the total shown on this one page invoice is for £7444 – what has happened?
A January 2010 Advertising bill from Aberdeen Press & Journals for £ 2,820 ( See: http://fraserdenholm.blogspot)
£11,000 in February 2010 charged from the Chamber to the City for "Development of images, movie, powerpoint and exhibition material for City Square Project as per attached sheets"
As to the redacted text on the invoices, redacted text has started showing up in Project Monitoring Board minutes and reports again, despite Councillor McCaig's previous intervention to cease this practice. One company which has had its name redacted from recent documentation is Brodies.
The value of three Brodies invoices which I received copies of is around £12,000. One of these invoices from April 2011 is for:
"City Gardens Project – Development Constraints Report (Legal [sic] To fee for professional services in connection with the preparation of a development constraints report relating to the title of Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen, and surrounding land."
I suppose our City's in-house legal department cannot be expected to know whether or not it has free title to Union Terrace Gardens. Happily, experts have demonstrated the land is Common Good Land. As such, whether any of these garden projects can or should be legitimately carried out will be a big question in the future.
Earlier we saw how ACSEF was allowed to recommend these expenditures; we have seen how the Chamber of Commerce invoices the City for ACSEF-approved costs. If we were to put in some of the over-lapping names from ACSEF and the Chamber of Commerce into the equation, we would be able to see that:
ACSEF [including Stewart Milne, Jennifer Craw (of Wood Family Trust), Tom Smith (Director, Aberdeen City Gardens Trust), Colin Crosby (Director, Aberdeen City Gardens Trust), Callum McCaig (ACC) ]
approved invoices generated by the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce [Colin Crosby; Zoe Corsi (BIG Partnership) , former director Tom Smith]
for the City Council [Callum McCaig]
to approve to further the aims of the Garden Project (CGP entity members include John Michie, Colin Crosby, Jennifer Craw).
Given the above, I suggest that the time is right for an entire re-think of how this project has been allowed to develop, and a full investigation into the demise of the Peacock plan and an investigation into the genesis of the current state of affairs might not be a bad idea as well.
While this is going on, a local care home has announced it will no longer provide 24/7 on-site staff as there is not enough money. Residents were told to drink less fluids at night time.
Posted by Fred at Aberdeen Voice at 17:11	Tagged with: Aberdeen, ACC, ACSEF, Advertising, Approved, Arts, BIG, Board, CGP, Chamber, City, Colin Crosby, Commerce, Common, Conflict, Coopers, Council, Development, Director, Enterprise, Fact, Family, Finance, Freedom, Good, Grampian, Granite, Group, Information, Interest, Jennifer Craw, John Michie, Journal, kirks, Land, London, Members, Monitoring, Office, Olympics, P&J, Partnership, Peacock Visual Arts, PR, Press, PriceWaterhouse, Private, Project, Projections, Public, PVA, PwC, Report, Retain, Scottish, Sir, Sir Ian Wood, SIW, SMG, Stewart Milne, Suzanne Kelly, Terrace, Tom Smith, Triple, Trust, Union, UTG, Visual, Vote, Web, Wood, Zoe Corsi
PwC: An Internationally Renowned Institution
"They rubbish job projections made by internationally renowned institutions" was one of many statements made by Aberdeen City Councillor John Corall in an article headlined "Development opponents 'tired, blinkered people'" which appeared in the P&J on 20th Feb 2012. Richard Pelling takes a good hard look at PriceWaterhouse Coopers and begs to differ.
Which "internationally renowned institutions" made the job projections that Councillor Corall was referring to? PwC? They did the TIF business case which contains the only job projections I've seen (see Think of A Number in AV for more details). PwC are indeed internationally renowned and hit the headlines frequently, even without taking their role in the Global financial crisis into account.
On 6th April 2011 the BBC reported that "Satyam and PwC are fined in US for accounting fraud" noting that Satyam (an Indian outsourcing company) which PwC audited had falsely reported "more than $1bn in profits over five years" – this cost PwC India a $7.5 million fine from the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Closer to home, in January 2012, the Yorkshire Post reports that PwC were fined £1.4 million for "wrongly telling regulators for seven years that JPMorgan Securities was keeping its clients' money safe"
Anyway, the fact is that PwC prepared the City Centre Regeneration Scheme (CCRS) business case for Aberdeen City Council, but Stewart Carruth – Aberdeen City Council's director of corporate governance – is a PwC old boy, so everything will be in order and we have nothing to worry about there.
Outside of ACC, the projections in the business case are, however, being presented by some as hard facts. For example, in their City Garden Project FAQ Diller Scofidio + Renfro state that the CCRS "will attract 6,500 new jobs and contribute £122m into the economy". These are projections, not hard facts.
Projections and predictions often go wrong …
Who could have predicted that the once mighty Glasgow Rangers would be insolvent? Couldn't happen to them could it?
Now, way back in June 2002, Unison published a paper ironically titled "A Web of Private Interest" which looked at how "internationally renowned institutions" had built the case for and benefitted from privatisation in its many forms, citing some work done by PwC :
"PwC has now stepped in with what it calls new "hard evidence". PwC, which describes itself as No.1 in the privatisation league table, has stepped up its promotion of PFI with a report that claims to have evidence that "PPPs work"
– ( Public Private Partnerships: A Clearer View, October 2001).
This will be balm to the ears of a government that says what works is all that matters.
However, PwC's evidence turns out to consist of 90 anecdotes about the benefits of PFI from senior managers directly responsible for introducing it. There is no financial or service data despite major criticisms that PFI increases costs and reduces staffing, service volume, and terms and conditions of employment. Asking those with the job of introducing PFI to their services whether the policy is good or bad is by any standards a pretty lame research method. But after 9 years of PFI the government is still relying on evidence of this sort from one of the policy's main financial beneficiaries."
Now we all know what happened with PFI don't we? Turns out that it wasn't such great value for us at all, we (the public) take all the risk and the private companies take all the profit – still the accountants, lawyers and consultants make their money either way, so it's easy to see why they would promote a business case for PFI or TIF.
Yes, TIF is not PFI, but the institutions building the business cases are the same and the accountants, consultants and lawyers will no doubt trouser a tidy sum, so take their projections with a pinch of salt and always bear in mind that the public usually bear all the risk.
Vote Retain Union Terrace Gardens.
AV Footnote:
An Aberdeen Voice writer contacted PwC and asked if the firm was comfortable with the way its projections were being used. The Press & Journal printed the large claims in a box called 'Facts and Figures'.
PwC were asked to confirm:
"…that those are indeed your projections and you stand by them", and "…these figures appeared in a newspaper recently (Press & Journal,19 January) under a column, 'facts and figures'. Can you please confirm whether or not PwC thinks its projections should be labelled 'facts and figures'?"
Did PwC happily confirm the figures were robust and reliable? Not exactly:
"Our work was undertaken on behalf of our client. It would not be appropriate to discuss this with anyone other than our client" was their spokeswoman's reply.
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Tour Talk
Predict Tiger's 2019 Season
By iacas, August 13, 2018 in Tour Talk
Tiger in 2019
1. Assuming Tiger Woods is as healthy in 2019 as he was in 2018, how many PGA/European Tour events does Tiger win in 2019?
2. Assuming Tiger Woods is as healthy in 2019 as he was in 2018, how majors does Tiger win in 2019?
107 posts / 18229 viewsLast Reply May 12
Zeph 398
Swing Junkie
Forum Leader
Index: 15
Plays: Righty
He shouldn't be fourth. He's the best player of 2018 without a win, but as long as there are consistently good players that win every year and regularly get top 10s, it's difficult to climb past them without winning anything. Just by 2018 points alone (no divisors) he's still just 16th. With a few wins, he's certainly up there.
You could almost call his 2nd place at the PGA as a win. The 60 points is more than the winner gets in a lot of the tournaments.
Awards, Achievements, and Accolades
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Shindig 505
Location: Outside Los Angeles, CA
Index: 12.6
my !
Five wins, two of them majors. Note that three of the majors in 2019 are at courses where he's won a major before.
If the British Open rolls around without him having won a major, it will have been as long since his last major win as the gap between his first and fourteenth major wins.
ChrisP 228
Index: 5
I do think he'll compile a couple PGA Tour wins. However, majors is going to continue to be so difficult for him to win. I think it's difficult for anyone, except maybe Koepka who is racking them up. But his A-game in 2018/19 may not be good enough anymore to beat a hot Dustin Johnson at Pebble Beach, or a hot Rory McIlroy at Portrush, or a hot Jordan Spieth at Augusta, or a hot Brooks Koepka anywhere. If those guys are on their game in those majors, I'm not sure Tiger can outlast them. This isn't 2007 anymore. Tiger's older and the quality of players is better. It's my opinion, but I think if the field was this deep from '97-'08, I don't think Tiger would have 14 majors. Maybe 9 or 10, but not 14. And Jack definitely wouldn't have 18. He may be in single digits. But that's a discussion for another thread.
Personally, I would like to see him more majors so I hope I'm wrong on my prediction. And if he does bring his A-game, it can definitely win a major. There are good sites for him next year. He's won majors on 3 of those 4 layouts. So we'll see what happens. Hopefully he can do it. I do think he at least ties Snead, though.
Edited August 18, 2018 by ChrisP
brocks 313
2 hours ago, ChrisP said:
But his A-game in 2018/19 may not be good enough anymore to beat a hot Dustin Johnson at Pebble Beach, or a hot Rory McIlroy at Portrush, or a hot Jordan Spieth at Augusta, or a hot Brooks Koepka anywhere.
Seriously? Tiger's C game just came within a couple shots of beating Koepka's A game. Let's give him a few more months of practice and see what he can do from the fairway.
I know everybody wants to think Koepka is unbeatable right now, but he's not unbeatable, he's just hot. He's won two majors in a single year, and three in 14 months. That's pretty hot, but not as hot as Padraig Harrington was in 2008, when he won two majors in a row, and three in 13 months. By your logic, he should have torn up the tour after that, but his next (and only) PGA win since then came 7 years later, even with Tiger out of the picture most of those years. And Harrington didn't win any Euro events during those years, either.
This isn't 2007 anymore. Tiger's older and the quality of players is better. It's my opinion, but I think if the field was this deep from '97-'08, I don't think Tiger would have 14 majors. Maybe 9 or 10, but not 14
The field most likely is deeper now, but only incrementally, not a quantum leap. Tiger was playing fairly well in 2000, and Bob May pulled even with him on the front nine of the final round of the PGA, then kept pace as Tiger shot a 31 on the final nine, to force a playoff. Tiger was playing fairly well in 2002, winning the first two majors, and finished the PGA with four birdies in a row to "intimidate" the field, but Rich Beem didn't get the memo, and cruised in to win just like Koepka did.
If journeymen like Beem and May could do that when Tiger was playing the best golf the world has ever seen, then the fields were plenty deep back then. If Tiger can win now at all, he can win a major. His best showing this year, solo second, came against a star-studded leaderboard whom he spotted three shots at the beginning of the tournament.
It's not a matter of whom he's playing, it's only a matter of how he's playing. Yes, if DJ or Brooks or YJS gets hot, they can beat Tiger if he isn't hot. But if a barely lukewarm Tiger makes a guy break the all-time scoring record to beat him, then a hot Tiger can still beat anybody -- if he stays healthy.
4 hours ago, brocks said:
Seriously? Tiger's C game just came within a couple shots of beating Koepka's A game. Let's give him a few more months of practice and see what he can do from the fairway.I know everybody wants to think Koepka is unbeatable right now, but he's not unbeatable, he's just hot. He's won two majors in a single year, and three in 14 months. That's pretty hot, but not as hot as Padraig Harrington was in 2008, when he won two majors in a row, and three in 13 months. By your logic, he should have torn up the tour after that, but his next (and only) PGA win since then came 7 years later, even with Tiger out of the picture most of those years. And Harrington didn't win any Euro events during those years, either.
I think that was a lot more than his C-game. My point was I don't think you're going to get much better than what you got last week with Tiger in his 40s. And if you say "he can shoot better" I'm sure Koepka was also saying "he could have shot better." Kopeka made some silly mistakes during the week just like Tiger did. He had a pretty lousy first round, too.
As for Koepka vs. Paddy, Koepka is much younger than Paddy was and I don't think he's dumb enough to change his swing all around like Paddy did. Paddy won 3 majors, tried to improve himself by making changes in his swing and screwed himself up. Kopeka is still young and getting better week-by-week, whereas Paddy was in his mid-to-late 30s, a little later in his career, and won 2 of those majors without Tiger playing.
It certainly could happen where Tiger can win more majors. I just think it's a lot tougher now than in 2000. I go back to what i said before: I don't think you're ever going to see Tiger's 2000 form nor his 2007 form ever again...nor even his 2013 form. I hope to God I'm wrong on that, but I think last week's about as good as you will get post-back surgery. There will be weeks where his putting or driving may be better, but maybe his irons aren't as sharp. We'll see how it plays out. I'm optimistic he'll win more; not optimistic you're going to see his A-game from 2000-2013 ever again.
iacas 7,353
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26 minutes ago, ChrisP said:
My point was I don't think you're going to get much better than what you got last week with Tiger in his 40s.
He's gotten better all year. Why do you think he's at his peak now?
Wally Fairway 329
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1 hour ago, ChrisP said:
I think that was a lot more than his C-game. My point was I don't think you're going to get much better than what you got last week with Tiger in his 40s.
How much better do you think he has to get to win? He finished 2nd
1 hour ago, iacas said:
He certainly has room to improved with his driver.
Because he's going to be 43 next year and very few players that have gone through what he's gone through and approach their mid-40s actually get better with time. I just think it's going to be hard for him to keep moving in the forward direction. I think he can play at the level he did last week for a couple more years. I've said on record a few times I think he's going to have swings of going up and down, kinda like this year. I guess seeing is believing for me on if he can take it up yet another notch. I'm happy that he's back playing well....I'm still just holding my breath a bit.
How much better do you think he has to get to win? He finished 2nd
I don't expect every single major for him to play like he did last week. But for those that he does, if he just improves improves his driving a bit, he can certainly win. But the other facets of his game also have to stay strong. And there's the issue that there are some damn good players out there that he has to beat out.
1 minute ago, ChrisP said:
Because he's going to be 43 next year and very few players that have gone through what he's gone through and approach their mid-40s actually get better with time.
Very few players have done anything Tiger has ever done. I hate comments like that; they fail to acknowledge Tiger being pretty special. "Very few players have won a U.S. Open by 15 and a Masters by 12." "Very few players have won 14 majors with and three U.S. Ams." "Very few players have won 79+ PGA Tour events." The list goes on…
Tiger is not "players."
I'm not saying he'll win again. We can't know. I just think that you can't be certain of much, and I think it's folly to say that that wasn't Tiger's C or B game when he couldn't even find a fairway with a 2-iron, and that he can't figure out the driver.
He's a rare specimen, and I think betting against him is folly.
MacDutch 169
Location: Alhaurin el Grande (near Malaga)
Tiger didn't win a major this year, but man he came close. I bet next year he will win one and a couple of other tournaments. Why? There is no way to know the future, its just a guess and hope.
skydog 141
Location: Richmond, Virginia
If It was 2008 and Tiger played like he did at Bellerive- he wins the tournament IMO.
Tiger used to be able to win tournament fairly easily with his B game; I don't think he can do that anymore against the fields that are out there. But what's scary is that his B game now (which we saw at Bellerive) seems just as good as his B game of before.
If he can continue to make improvements (mainly off the tee) I think his B+/A game is still good enough to consistently beat the best players of today. But that window will close in a few years so I hope he can make hay quickly. I'll say he wins three times in 2019 with one major (British).
18 hours ago, iacas said:
I definitely wouldn't bet against him. And I wouldn't be surprised if he keeps hitting the gas pedal, gets better and wins majors. I'm just stating what I think will happen. If I'm wrong, I'll come back here next year and say so. Wouldn't be the first time, that's for sure. You're right that Tiger is a different specimen and he could prove me wrong, and I hope he does.
Sure Tiger missed fairways and made mistakes. Koepka did, too. Is that to say we didn't see Koepka's A-game, either? I just think the game is in a different place than 2000. I think it's much tougher to win majors. I think the guys at the top now are better than the guys at the top in 2008 (besides Tiger). So while I wouldn't say Tiger can't win a major anymore, the challenge is a lot tougher than it used to be.
Dr. Manhattan 37
Weekend Duffer
On 8/19/2018 at 9:34 AM, skydog said:
Tiger's B game was almost as good as Koepka's A+ game and I agree, that's pretty scary for the rest of the field. The question becomes whether Tiger can figure out the tee shots. If he does that, he becomes a huge threat to win.
Jack is best 0
On 8/14/2018 at 9:18 PM, Dr. Manhattan said:
He's currently #4 in points per start. Be interesting if he can keep that kind of pace going or perhaps even do better than that. Once he fills out closer to the minimum divisor of 40 events, I tend to think he will make it back into the Top 10 pretty soon.
Woods has talented competition now. He will hover around #50 even with the rigged rating system
2 minutes ago, Jack is best said:
He's 26th despite the minimum divisor of 40.
RussUK 160
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6 hours ago, Jack is best said:
Correct, Woods has telented competition (as he had back in his early years) so he has to up his game, like he has, in order to compete (and beat) them. To say he has come back from major surgery and playing as well as he is (better than many other major champs in the field) is testament to his will to succeed.
Tiger is no different from anyone elese (including you and me) when it comes increased competition and wanting to stay with it. Unless you are saying you roll over and give in when anyone raises their game over yours?
Tiger is fifth in the Sagarin rankings:
http://rankings.golfweek.com/rankings/default.asp?T=world
13 hours ago, Jack is best said:
He is 26th already despite having 22 events counted as "0 points." He will be in the Top 10 by next summer if he continues playing like we have seen this season.
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Dabs reveals more about debut Dispatch album: Wormatic
Dave Jenkins / 5 March 2019
After a decade+ of releases, Italian drum & bass craftsman Dabs will release his debut album Wormatic on Dispatch Recordings on March 15.
Featuring collaborations with Seattle's Quadrant & Iris, Nymfo, Illaman and regular MC cohort Kwality, Wormatic traverses the entire spectrum Dabs has been sculpting since he first emerged on the likes of Modulate, Basswerk and Dispatch, the label that he's most consistently released on in recent times, alongside key releases on equally diverse and innovative labels such as Eatbrain and Horizons. Naturally the album mirrors his wide armed explorative signature and a strong sense of foundations.
"The album reflects the different states and my moods surrounding the sonic journey of drum & bass: wild, hypnotic, acoustic, synthetic, electronic…every part is connected and contaminates the others," Dabs explains. "Every sound can evoke a frame of the past, and shaping the future in a different and eclectic way. What I wanted to say is that there are no boundaries. I wrote what I felt needed to be expressed without defining any main style or subgenre."
Dabs, real name Davide Rustici, continues to exalt his love of drum & bass's versatility and endless melting pot combinations and how Wormatic, like any serious debut artist album, is a deeply personal creation.
"Not many kinds of bass music will actually allow so much freedom," he explains. "The LP shows the vibes of my life, soundscapes of when I was a kid in the city with a walkman in my pocket and a spray-can in the other and up until now, when I'm a grown up man, sometimes walking in cities that never sleep."
Don't sleep on this one: Dabs has crafted an album that taps deep into the roots we share and his own personal route into the genre. As Italian drum & bass has begun to truly flourish in the last few years, Wormatic has landed at a critical time and acts as a document for everything that dug the foundations, set the scene and continues to lead the way for one of the most exciting music movements in Europe right now.
Dabs – Wormatic is out March 15 on Dispatch
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