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complex needs
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disability hate crime
People with learning disabilities left isolated by bullying fears
Thousands of people with learning disabilities want to spend more time outside their homes but 1 in 3 fear being bullied if they do, according to new Mencap data.
The charity suggests that a large proportion of people with learning disabilities are being left isolated and lonely because of attitudes towards them. The charity spoke to 338 people aged 18 to 35 and its research found nearly half don't go out with friends as much as they want to.
The research also revealed around a third spend less than one hour a day outside their homes on a typical Saturday. Nearly 34% were worried about being bullied and more than a quarter are worried about being laughed at when they leave the house.
Rossanna Trudgian, head of campaigns at Mencap, said a lack of job opportunities and "barriers in terms of people's attitudes" can cause significant stigma.
"Some people with a learning disability won't even have the chance to leave home," she said. "That's because of high unemployment rates with a learning disability. We know that only 6% of people have a paid job and that means they don't have the independence that a job can provide."
Other findings from the survey included:
•	30.1% spent less than 1 hour outside their homes on a Saturday
•	49.3% would like to spend more time outside their house
•	44.6% do not think they spend enough time with friends
•	17.8% feel alone and cut off from other people.
Of those who were too worried to leave the house, 33.7% said they were concerned about being bullied and 25.7% feared being laughed at.
Further comments within the survey included people with learning disabilities saying they feel "cut off", "get bored", and "got put off going out because I had an incident once on the bus."
A combination of public attitudes, cuts to social care and just 6% of people with a learning disability in paid employment are all contributing to many being stuck at home and increasingly isolated.
A general public poll commissioned by Mencap and run by Populus also revealed that 39% of those surveyed said they see people with a learning disability taking part in social activities just once a month or less and only 34% said they see people with a learning disability taking part in social activities once a week or more.
Mencap are calling on the public to sign up to its Sidekicks programme to support people with a learning disability have an active social life while breaking down negative perceptions of learning disability.
Ciara Lawrence, who has a learning disability and is a campaigner for Mencap, said: "I was diagnosed with a learning disability when I was 10. I can remember my childhood being full of 'you can't do this', 'you shouldn't do that', or 'don't bother with this'. My social life was limited and protected and early on I didn't get the support I needed to go out and make my own choices in life.
"However, due to getting the right support I now have a full-time job, I am married and have a good social life. But I know I'm one of the lucky ones. I've seen people with a learning disability laughed at in my local pub, being stared at and bullied in supermarkets and made to feel awkward wherever they go, for no reason other than discrimination.
"For people with a learning disability it takes courage to go out the house and try to make friends. The opportunities aren't always there and it's easy to become stuck indoors and feel trapped.
"People shouldn't be afraid of people being different. The public should be shocked to hear people with a learning disability can spend less than 1 hour a day outside their house. We need to stop feeling afraid for no reason and break down the barriers that are denying people with a learning disability the right to a social life."
Neil Dando (pictured), 31, is often afraid to leave his house since he was a victim of hate crime. "For me, having a learning disability seemed to mean other people think they can get away with treating me differently and bullying me without any consequence," he said. "It started off with small things and then meant I was too afraid to leave my house and had to move.
"I'm a huge music fan and want to be social and take part in all kinds of fun activities at the weekend like anyone else. However the bullying has put a dampener on my social life. All I have really got is my bike and guitar. I spend a lot of time inside every day, it's pretty boring really.
"I want people to understand what it's like to feel alone, and be more understanding of people with a learning disability. I want to dream big and go all the way with my music. I have the same right as anyone else to go out and have fun, and I hope the rest of society can realise that too and give a little bit of support to people like me along the way."
#learning disabilities bullied
#learning disability employment
#Mencap
Email: info@learningdisabilitytoday.co.uk
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Kids Like Blues | World's Youngest Blues Band
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Thematic Teaching Using Blues Music
This 3 minute video that explains how our program works and details how we cover specific academic content standards in reading, writing, math, social studies, technology, and the visual and performing arts.
Once we've used the music as a springboard to teach academic content standards, our goal is to take our work to completion by performing it onstage and recording it together in digital multitrack audio and video editing programs.
The students even learn how to operate programs like iMovie, Photoshop and Garage Band.
So far our performances have included playing a street fair, for a large audience of staff and students at the Cal State San Marcos College of Education and on local TV news and KPBS TV (watch these performances on our videos page). We're a real band, and we're learning and rocking! We have about ten songs in our repertoire.
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The Scales of Justice
Here's an interesting legal case for your consideration:
A 30-year old man, one John Smith, had a son with incurable leukemia. Medical tests determined that the only suitable bone marrow donor for this child was his father. John Smith refused to donate any of his marrow; he said that he was scared of the medical procedure that would have been used. So not very fatherly, our John. But this is unsurprising; it was known that he had suffered from mental health problems most of his life, he took recreational drugs and otherwise acted in ways that proper people frown on. As a result of John's refusal, his son died. Should we now accuse him of murder?
Now change the sex of the person in question, make her name Melissa Ann Rowland, and her age 28 years, and change the circumstances into one where the mother refused a Caesarian section that might have saved her son's life. The son died here, too. Should we accuse her of murder?
What if both John and Melissa can be regarded as vain, narcissistic individuals who refused a little bit of surgery for purely trivial reasons? What if both John and Melissa were mentally ill drug-abusers living on social welfare? Though I have made the case of John Smith up, there is not much doubt in my mind that most legal commentators would not regard John as a murderer. On the other hand, Melissa really exists and the prosecutors in Salt Lake City are charging her with criminal homicide.
Try asking one of those people who voted in the msnbc poll in support of Melissa's murder charges whether John also should be tried for murder; not whether his act was morally reprehensible but whether he should be legally charged. It will be interesting to hear what they might say. I suspect that they see a clear difference between the two cases, though there is no factual difference.
Mothers are held to higher standards than fathers, and mothers of fetuses even more so. In fact, it's beginning to seem as if the only time a child's rights to life are really going to be guaranteed is before she or he has drawn one single breath. After birth, well, you're on your own, kid. And if you happen to be a girl, one day your rights to refuse surgery will not be awarded the same protection as they would if you had been born a boy.
An excellent discussion on this topic is on Body and Soul.
Some funny things end up stranded in my e-mail box. It's most likely a variation of this resume (thanks to Scout for the information). Interesting.
Law Enforcement:
I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.
Military:
I joined the Texas Air National Guard and the last year of my service is unaccounted for. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.
I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.
PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland,Texas, in 1975.
I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil inTexas. The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.
With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS:
I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America.
I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.
With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:
I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.
I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.
I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.
I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire," Condoleeza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.
I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.
I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.
My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron.
My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.
I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history.
I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed. I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.
I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.
I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government.
I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.
I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.
I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.
I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).
I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.
I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.
I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.
I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.
I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.
I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families -- in wartime.
In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.
I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.
I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.
I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.
RECORDS AND REFERENCES:
All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.
All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.
Please consider this resume in voting for the president of the United States in 2004
Bad Poetry
There's a lot to be said for bad poetry, especially as it's the only type I create. The poetry market suffers from a terrible imbalance: many are able to write bad poetry, but only a few wish to read it. The only solution is to force-feed bad poetry to the masses, and I'm doing it here first!
Do not soak your silverware
You cannot go from here to there
The warning signs are everywhere
Do not soak your silverware.
The die is cast, and cast aside
My pain is gaping, gaping wide
And everywhere the other side
seeks for me, I cannot hide.
If you do, you do not care
and everybody over there
will know you soaked your silverware.
What do you think? On second thoughts, I don't think I want to know... Feel free to use the comments thread for more bad poetry.
This should be silence
There are some things that I can't write about, not really; yet I can't stay quiet about them either. Blogs are not the places to discuss bottomless despair and unbounded grief, but somehow to ignore them seems wrong, too. At least 190 human beings lost their lives yesterday in Spain, people who were traveling to work, to do the shopping, to school. People with spouses and friends, children and jobs; people who were thinking what to make for supper that night, who were checking the soccer scores, who were taking one more quick nap before the day's activities really started. People who loved and feared, hated and adored, felt bored and laughed at silly jokes. People who are now dead, ultimately to be remembered mostly as numbers in the political struggles for power by others.
For those who loved them today is the first day of the After: a horrible time, a time that nobody wants to live through, a time that doesn't seem possible to live through, yet something that must be lived through. There is no other way out but through the necessary suffering. My heart breaks for them, or would break for them if it would do any good at all. But only time, the horrible time, will do any good, and even that will be limited. The lives of the survivors will continue, yes, and slowly they will be patched together again, but they will never be the same: the scars will fade, but they will not stop aching, one will get used to the sudden gaping holes in ones heart, but the holes will not close.
This is what death does. And there are no words vile enough to describe those who use it like a chainsaw in their fanatically orchestrated plans for supremacy.
Postscript: If this sounds familiar, it is. As familiar as the violence that caused it.
The New John Kerry: A Rant
I stole this quote from corrente:
"[KERRY:]George Bush is running on the same old Republican tactics of fear — and they're already getting tired," he said. "It's clear that this president will fight like hell to keep his own job, but he won't lift a finger to help Americans keep theirs."
How do you feel reading it? This is what I felt: A warm wave of recognition and joy spread through my body, an impish delight at righteous anger played out tickled my laughing nerves and I found myself shouting "YES! YES!" at the startled snakes still half-asleep. Am I proud of these reactions? Well, yes, but then I'm not bound by the Christian rule of having to keep on turning the other cheek.
Republicans have been hammering away at us poor liberals for over a decade, and we've met this with self-examination and conscience raising sessions and carefully reasoned attempts at compromises. More hammering away, more attempts to remain cordial and polite and so on. The end result: "liberal" is now such a dirty word that it will no doubt soon be banned from all airwaves in this country, civil rights have become "special privileges", anyone daring to speak out for the poor or the oppressed is ridiculed as politically incorrect, and the people on welfare are called piglets at the nipples of the government sow while the Enron crooks gently slide into obscurity. Any war is pre-emptive self-defense, and the country is in furor over "death taxes" which affected less than one percent of all estates. We have given away much of our rights to privacy in exchange for security, but instead of security we get...more fear.
It would be nice to run politics as a civilized form of cooperation and compromise, but such endeavors take at least two willing participants. The Republicans have not been willing participants in anything for donkey's years (or rather, elephant's years) and ultimately even a kind, sensitive liberal runs out of cheeks to turn. Then the rabbit roars ( to really mix my animal metaphors).
And what will the Republicans say about all this? Let me guess, without even looking for a link to prove it. They will accuse Kerry of negative campaigning and the Democrats of nasty language and Hitleresque demagogy. They will raise their innocent eyebrows and shrug their innocent shoulders, as if to suggest that the sudden liberal anger is inexplicable, uncouth, nay, even un-American. Why do they hate America so?
Then they will point out that what we should really be concerned at is the fear that's lurking in the shadows, the fear that's made us silent and cooperative so far, the fear that can only be defeated by going on as we've done so far. What they don't tell us is that it's perfectly ok to change direction when you are heading straight down the cliff, it's even perfectly ok to change drivers of a vehicle that's careening out of control.
I've had it with fear, and I hope that John Kerry has had it with courtesy and manners until a little bit later in the election battles. First he needs to light the lanterns, only then can the light that they spread be celebrated.
Rara Avis VI: George and the Girls
Another Rara Avis, I'm afraid. This time I have dared to raise my gaze upwards, far far into the upper stratospheres. There, in his solitary royal thoughts, flies the King Of All Birds, the most powerful bird of all. The bird that we have raised above the rest, the one who is to protect the free world and the free markets. It's almost a sacrilege to view him as a mere avian among many, and perhaps even greater sacrilege to ask what this great solemn leader with so many real cares on his weary wings might think about women. But that's my topic for today.:
The International Women's Day was a good time to meditate on George Walker Bush and women. Not that there's much in this exercize for us prurient minds. George is either very good or very careful, or his minders even more so. Instead, I'm going to look at his attitudes towards women more generally, as human beings, as the objects of his policies and as voters.
To find out about these attitudes, it's necessary to examine not only what George has achieved in his four-year realm, but also what he has tried to achieve. Not all his brilliant goals have been met. Yet. That's why he wants another four years.
It's easy to decide that George has done very well indeed abroad. One of his very first acts as a president was the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule: no U.S. funding will be given to health care providers in developing countries who as much as whisper about the rumors that abortions are available somewhere. Providers could then decide between receiving American money for things such as condoms or counseling and screening for STDs and HIV/AIDS, and having the freedom to include the abortion as an option in their reproductive counseling. Many opted for the latter.
The Christian right is very pleased with this policy and its international success, especially as they have been less successful in their domestic efforts to illegalize abortion and to demonize birth control as well. Though it's early days still, and the next four years of George would most likely see a spread of these policies at home, too. The effects are hard to predict or measure, but many argue that these international policies have caused an increase in both abortions and maternal mortality rates:
What is known as the "global gag rule" is having a devastating impact on women and families in the developing world. Without U.S. assistance, health clinics have closed in Nepal, Zambia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. The loss of USAID funding has forced others around the world to cut staff and services, including for HIV screening, voluntary counseling and education. At a time when the spread of HIV-AIDS has dramatically elevated the demand for condoms, USAID has stopped shipment of condoms to 16 countries because the sole recipients – local family planning organizations – have refused to sign on to the gag rule.
George's second foreign success must be the canceling of $34 million in funding to the United Nation's Family Planning Fund (UNFPA). This fund provides hundreds of thousands of women in 140 countries with family planning and maternal health programs. But the Bush administration decided that UNFPA had been engaging in coercive abortions in China, and the funds were cut. Four fact-finding missions and Colin Powell failed to find evidence for such Chinese coercion. But we all know that faith is stronger than facts.
I see George's third international success in the way he has shifted the U.S. diplomatic voice from the chorus of demons preaching for birth control and female empowerment to the higher registry of the angels singing for God and the religious traditions. No longer is the U.S. supporting "the right of couples and individuals to determine freely the number and spacing of their children and to have the information and means to do so." No longer is the U.S. supporting "reproductive health services and education" for teenagers, and no longer is the U.S. affirming the Beijing platform of gender equality, as somewhere within these there must lurk the devil of abortion. We now vote in bloc with Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on most matters pertaining to women.
These are the real, intended successes of George's policy in regard to women, and they should be used as the main criteria in judging how well he is doing, especially by those women who have a vote in the United States. But many women are too lenient: recently, a group of women's organizations in the U.S. rated the Bush administration on its foreign policy with respect to women, and this rating didn't even mention the great intended successes. Instead, they focused on several policies which had nothing to do with women's affairs in their initial intentions: the liberation of Afghanistan, the occupation of Iraq and the AIDS crisis in Africa.
Keep in mind that George believed the Taliban to be a rock band only four years ago. That the war in Afghanistan destroyed the Taliban, at least temporarily, was a nice bonus of the campaign but not what we went to war for. The women's lot under the Taliban didn't perhaps look that unsuitable to some in George's base, and in any case the world was fully aware of the situation for several years, yet nothing was being done. No, I can't assign George any credit for wanting to liberate the Afghani women, and the lot of Iraqi women looks more precarious now than it did under the Saddam regime, as cruel as that was. The AIDS funding would help women as it would help men, too, if only the funding was forthcoming.
These women's organizations were wussy, I think, in handling George with kid gloves. Even so, he rated two "Ds" and one "Incomplete" in their final evaluation. Then again, you might argue that "Ds" from lefty women's organizations equal "As" from George's religious base. Maybe he's on the Dean's list, after all.
George's domestic successes are far fewer. True, he managed to close down the White House Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach and he also ended the Labor Departmen't "Equal Pay Matters" iniative. Equal pay doesn't matter anymore, you see, because women are choosing to have less pay quite freely, and to have an office for women's initiatives and outreach would give women 'special rights'. He filled 26% of the vacant positions in government with female appointees, a respectable drop from Clinton's 37%, but he failed in his attempt to close the regional offices of the Women's Bureau in the Department of Labor.
His new budget will do away with programs that advocate gender equality in education. and John Ashcroft has been an excellent hitman in the area of Civil Rights enforcement, gradually turning it into the area of Special Rights Abatement. As an example:
when the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Federal Communications Commission's equal employment opportunity rules—which, according to the Washington Post, represented "the most inoffensive corner of affirmative action," because they only required broadcasters to make an effort to inform women and minorities about job openings and encourage them to apply—Ashcroft's department filed a brief urging the Supreme Court not to review that regressive decision
George failed in his first attempt to do away with the 'special rights' that Title IX in education gives female athletes, but this was only the first battle of the war, and he has since regathered his troops to attack from a different angle: that of reintroducing gender segregation into the public schools without worrying too much about whether 'separate' can ever mean 'equal'. This may not hurt girls, of course, but if it doesn't it's quite likely to hurt boys. Given George's attitudes (as reflected in his other policies), I'd bet for the hurting of the girls here.
Actually, I can do better than just try to surmise George's attitudes from his policies. I can quote Condie Rice as his spokeswoman on this International Women's Day:
As President Bush has said, "No society can succeed and prosper while denying basic rights and opportunities to the women of their country."
Women should not be denied basic rights and opportunities, ok. But what about equal rights and opportunities? Here's Ari Fleischer, another spokesman for George:
At a recent press conference, George W. Bush indicated through White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer that he does not consider discrimination against women to be an offense as serious as racial or ethnic discrimination. According to Fleischer, membership in a group that excludes women is not "a disqualifying factor" for candidates to Cabinet posts. However, when prodded, Fleischer stated that racial or ethnic discrimination is a "very different category for the President."Sources: PR Newswire, "Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer," Dec. 11, 2002; Federal Document Clearing House, "Ari Fleischer Holds White House Briefing," Dec. 9, 2002
All is clear now. I think George doesn't believe that women's issues are as serious as racial or ethnic issues, and though women should be provided some basic rights and opportunities, it is not necessary to worry one's head too much over equality. If God had wanted equality of the sexes, He would have told George about it, I presume. You know, when He told him to attack Iraq and stuff.
I think that I can place George now. He's in the same category of birds as the late Ayatollah Khomeini, who appointed his daughter to run all women's affairs in Iran. Given this, it's interesting whom George selected as the representatives of the United States in this week's UN conference about gender equality:
President Bush's sister and Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter will be delegates to a U.N. women's conference next week aimed at promoting equality of the sexes, a U.S. official said.
More than a dozen ministers are expected at the annual meeting of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, which starts Monday, but the presence of Dorothy "Doro" Bush Koch and Liz Cheney in the U.S. delegation is likely to give the gathering a higher profile.
Koch, the president's youngest sibling and only sister, has recently been campaigning for his re-election. Cheney, a lawyer and deputy assistant secretary of state who focuses on Mideast issues, joined her parents last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and Italy.
"These women leaders represent the best in America and are asked to serve as public delegates to this important U.N. conference," Richard Grenell, a spokesman for U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, said Friday.
This was an easy one!
Now I know what George thinks about the girls. What do the girls think about George? Most women I have asked this question give me unprintable answers, but clearly there were many who voted for George in the first place, and there must be some who still like him. Or maybe not. All through writing this, I had that silly old nursery rhyme jingling in my head, and I think it's trying to tell something about George and the voting girls:
Georgie, Porgie, pudding and pie;
Kissed the girls and made them cry...
Don't let him make you cry again!
The International Women's Day
Today is the International Women's Day, though you might not notice it very much if you live in the United States. If I recall correctly, last year's IWD-related programming from my local public radio station consisted solely of a humorous debate about whether the Hooters restaurant chain should take over managing the Amtrak trains in order to increase male passengership. As the NPR is supposed to stand for the extreme liberal media, I was quite disappointed. The right wing mainstream media is more understandably silent about the IWD, given that it has its roots in the women of the American Socialist Party who arranged large demonstrations in 1908 to call for the vote and for political and economic rights to women. The day became an international one in 1910 in the second International Conference of Socialist Women.
From the beginning there was some disagreement about the meaning of the IWD. Should it be a time for celebrating women's progress, for taking stock of what has been achieved or for demanding remedies to problems that have not been solved? My review of this year's news from all over the world proves that the same disagreement still prevails. Some stories take on a festive air of celebration, others lay out starkly the immense problems that women in many parts of the world face. I also found some new interpretations of the meaning of the IWD: it might be a good time to promise Chinese women that a woman, some day, though not yet, might be, perhaps, selected to be a taikonaut in the Chinese space program, or that the women in Brunei have their rights, as defined by others, of course, extremely well guaranteed. And the Iraqi Governing Council chose to move the IWD in Iraq from March 8 to August 18, the date of birth of the prophet Mohammed's daughter, thus connecting women's issues to religion.
I'm sure that the original founders of the IWD would be very pleased to see the progress that has taken place in the last near-century, and celebration is the correct response to this. Women now can vote in the majority of countries in the world. The recent Constitutional Loya Jirga in Afghanistan produced a constitution for the country which safeguards the rights of women as equal to those of men (though with the usual caveat of possible limits to this dictated by Islam), and in Rwanda women won 49% of the seats in Parliament. Even in Iraq women might be guaranteed a quarter of the parliamentary seats. Looks very good from where I'm sitting, in the U.S.A where women's share of seats in the House and Senate hovers around a little more than one in ten...
The 1908 socialists would also rejoice in seeing how women can work in almost any field of their choice today (with the exception, as usual, of many religious fields), and though their pay on average is not equal to men's, the ratio is considerably better than it was a century ago. Women have gained access to education in many countries of the world, to a point where they now outnumber men in higher education in countries as diverse as the United States, Colombia and Iran. ( That this trend is an international one casts serious doubt, by the way, on the argument popular in the U.S. that the greater number of women in higher education is due to an Evil Feminist Plot, unless these evil feminists somehow got their fingers into the pie in Iran as well.)
There is, indeed, much to celebrate. At the same time, much more remains to be done for the girls and women of this world. The education for girls is a pressing need that has not been met in many Asian and African countries, and customs and laws concerning marriage are still nowhere near fair and equal for the majority of world's women. And I'd like to see more women in positions of political power everywhere, not just in places like Scandinavia. It would be good for the world.
The most widely reported themes for this year's IWD are violence and the AIDS epidemic, especially in Africa. Noeleen Heyzer, the Executive Director of UNIFEM has this to say about women and AIDS:
Ten years ago, women worldwide made up 38 per cent of people infected with the disease. Today they make up 50 per cent. In some regions this ratio has tilted further towards women: in the Caribbean it is 52 per cent, in Africa, 58 percent. Ten years ago, women were at the periphery of the epidemic. Today, they are at its epicentre. For young women the situation is particularly alarming. Young women in the developing world outnumber young men among newly infected 15-24 year olds by two to one. The social impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls is greater - they are the ones who assume the burden of care when family members are affected by the disease, putting severe constraints on their access to education, employment, food cultivation, and often treatment. Violence against women, both a cause and a consequence of the epidemic, adds another major risk factor for transmission. Rape, sexual violence and women's inability to refuse unwanted sex or to demand safe sex are serious factors in the spread of the epidemic. (bolds mine)
Violence against women is the Amnesty International's topic for the IWD:
In poor and war-torn countries women suffer some of the worst abuse, Amnesty's figures show. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, some 40 women a day are raped, and many are unable to get medical treatment or report the crimes to the authorities.
In Somalia, more than 90 per cent of women are subjected to genital mutilation.
In Pakistan, a recent survey showed 90 per cent of married women have been abused by their male partners.
But in industrialized countries like Russia, where the Soviet constitution has proclaimed women's equality for more than 70 years, they are still socially and legally disadvantaged.
Some 14,000 Russian women each year are killed by partners or relatives, but there is no law addressing domestic violence.
In strict Islamic countries, women fare badly, regardless of their economic background.
"Fifty schoolgirls were burned to death and dozens of others were injured in a fire at their school in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on March 11, 2002," the report says. "Religious police prevented the girls from leaving the building because they were not wearing headscarves, and had no male relatives there to receive them. They also reportedly prevented rescuers who were men from entering the premises."
However, wealthy Western countries are far from immune from violence against women.
In Canada, government statistics show 50 per cent of women are victims of at least one act of physical or sexual violence after they turn 16.
In France, 25,000 women are raped each year, and in Ireland 20 per cent of adult women have reported a sexual attack. In Iceland only 21 per cent of reported rapes end in a conviction for the accused attacker.
Violence doesn't necessarily discriminate on the basis of gender, of course. But women face the threat of specific acts of violence solely due to them being women, and the legal and law enforcement systems of many countries lag behind in acknowledging the seriousness of these acts. It is sad that the sexual violence against African women has become truly newsworthy only when it can be shown to affect the spread of the AIDS epidemic.
This International Women's Day I'm going to raise a toast for those socialist women of 1908. Bless their hearts. I'm going to feel proud and happy about all the progress that has been made, and I'm going to be a Fierce Goddess in Her Wrath about the dreadful scourges that still remain. After all that, I'm going to write a second post about George W. Bush and the International Women's Day.
And the Moral of the Story Was?
This is a true story. A couple I know own a summerhouse with an old-fashioned outhouse. Every spring they clean out the base of the outhouse. This year some (misinformed) gardener asked them for the stuff to use as compost, and the couple (also unaware that human waste is not recommended for composting) agreed to save it for this gardener who lives in the same city as they do. They packed 'the compost' neatly into a black garbage bag, and then put the garbage bag inside a large corrugated cardboard box on the back of their truck. On their return trip to the city they stopped at a 7/11 for something to drink. When they got back to their truck, the cardboard box had disappeared. The box had a large picture of an expensive television set on the outside...


text:
Q: Proving and identity with the normalized sine function I have no idea where to begin with proving the following
$$ \prod\limits_{i=1}^\infty \cos\left(\dfrac{t}{2^i}\right) = \dfrac{\sin( t)}{t}$$
I couldn't do it by expanding the cosine and no trigonometric identities appeared helpful.
Maybe someone has encountered that before? Hints welcome!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Holidays can be stressful - even in the best of circumstances. Expectations are at a peak. Pressure comes both from the outside and within to break out of the normal routine - to celebrate and to enjoy! But for the person experiencing infertility, holidays can be the most difficult time of the year.
You certainly can't make the pain of infertility disappear miraculously but by planning in advance and acknowledging that the holidays may be uncomfortable, you can prepare yourself and improve your chances of having a pleasant holiday season. Here are some suggestions for getting through the rest of the year.
DO: Be selective about accepting invitations to parties and holiday celebrations (especially the ones you know there will be children or pregnant women at). Remember: you don't have to say yes.
DON'T: Feel guilty about not participating in all the traditional family events. You're going through a difficult time, and you need to concentrate on helping yourself and your partner get through the holidays.
DO: Plan to spend time with couples or friends who don't have children. Consider arriving just in time for the holiday dinner rather than the night before if you find it painful to be around your young nieces, nephews and cousins.
DON'T: Rely completely on family traditions to fulfill your present needs.
DO: Spend time doing things you like best.
DO: Decide in advance how you will handle difficult and insensitive questions.
DON'T: Be caught off guard by unexpected or embarrassing questions about your plans for having a family. Plan your responses, but don't feel that you have to disclose all the details of your situation either!
DO: Try to help others in need. Visit an elderly or bed-ridden relative; volunteer at a hospital or nursing home; or participate in a holiday program to help the homeless. Cheering up other victims of the holiday blues has a rejuvenating effect.
DON'T: Close yourself off to positive feelings and new experiences. You may find that you have a special ability to make others feel good, even though you're not feeling upbeat yourself.
DO: Set aside time to share your feelings with each other.
DON'T: Get caught up in the whirlwind of the holidays and forget about each other. You need each other's comfort more than ever.


Wondering how to earn money online?
The professional world has definitely changed and more than ever, people are choosing to forgo the typical 9-5 workday by choosing remote opportunities – and in some cases, build a part-time side gig, to make money online fast. But with so many opportunities – and scams – out there today, finding legit ways to make money online can be difficult.
You can earn money online fast via online surveys, random freelance gigs, or even selling your old stuff on eBay. But what are the best ways to make money online consistently? There seem to be so many options out there, but which ones are actually worth the effort?
There are plenty of ways to make good money online, you just need to know where to look.
Survey sites, marketplaces, and blogging can be great sources of additional side income.
Landing on something that can earn a lot of money month after month can be a challenge – but if you're consistent, you can feasibly make an extra $200-$300 a month.
Pinecone allows you to evaluate products before they hit the shelf! Earn $3 per survey! It is easy to sign up. Fill out some general information about yourself, select who does the grocery shopping and if any member of your household works in the research or adverting industry. Then you are off to start earning $3 for each survey you fill out. Check it out and start earning now!
If you've ever joined a survey website, you'll know how frustrating they can be. One of the biggest gripes is that you're often entered into surveys for which you are ineligible. What should be an easy way to make money instead wastes precious time and takes a lot longer than it should.
Opinion Outpost emails its members once every couple of days with new jobs. Every time you complete a survey, you receive points. Points then can be turned into real cash. The exchange rate between points and real cash is one point per $0.10. What's more, unlike many survey sites, the minimum number of points you can cash out is low at 100, or $10, and all money will be instantly paid into your linked Paypal account. If you need to make money online fast, this is a pretty good option.
Nielsen research, one of the leading research providers with 90 years of research, allows you to improve products & services you already use online. Nielsen's panel combines their unique internet insights with people like you to build a picture of consumer behavior and interest. With no additional work except being yourself, we invite you to make a difference – and you can win prizes! Nielsen also gives away over $10,000 every and every month.
It is easy to get started. You just sign up, fill out a few registration questions about your household & the types of Internet devices you use.
Nielsen is one of the oldest and trusted professional research company and the world's leading provider of media and marketing information, including the Nielsen TV ratings.
Blogging has gone from obscurity to a major marketing vehicle in the space of just a few short years. As a result, companies and blogging agencies are desperate for people who are able to write in engaging and fluent prose. We started with Bluehost because they give you a free domain name and great hosting for only $3.95 a month.
The great thing about many online blogging jobs is that you're able to do them at your own pace. Deadlines are often within a 24-hour period, meaning that there's no obligation to work certain hours of the day. Most blogs can be completed in the evenings, on the weekends or even in the early mornings outside of your regular working hours.
If you decide to go it alone, you can potentially make even more money. Many amateur bloggers who corner a particular niche end up taking home more than $10,000 a month in advertising revenue. Large followings open up advertising deals and sponsorships, jacking your monthly income up even more. Stay focused on your audience, continuously predict the content they want, and dedicate your free time to making it a reality.
It's worth remembering, however, that blogging isn't just about writing. It's also about integrating your blog into wider social media circles. Often, having your own website isn't enough to attract a significant audience. Bloggers need to know how to make a presence on major social media sites, like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook to really penetrate the market.
If you're a professional looking to make a little money online, you might have wondered whether there are any opportunities to teach. It turns out that thanks to sites like Udemy, there are. Udemy is a platform which connects teachers with students for thousands of different courses. You can either sign up as a teacher on an existing course, or you can create your own. What's more, you're not restricted by any imposed pricing by Udemy themselves. Instead, you can simply charge what you think your services are worth. If you're a world-leading expert in a particular subject matter, you can earn a significant amount of money.
To be successful on sites like Udemy, you'll need to work hard and have a strategy. Thousands of new instructors join the site every year, meaning that it can be difficult to get your course noticed. To really succeed, you need to adopt a business-minded approach, marketing your course on Facebook and offering money-off codes and other incentives. Top Udemy instructors describe the site as a cash machine, but you need to get your marketing right.
Like Opinion Outpost, Swagbucks is a survey site where people can earn money just for filling in online surveys. However, Swagbucks has some advantages over its competitors.
The first is the fact that it gives out $5 to each person who signs up, something that few sites do. Second, it's a lot more user-friendly than the majority of survey sites out there. Not only are there plenty of surveys to complete, but the site also offers additional activities for making money online too. So far the site has awarded its members more than $15 million (£114 million), for everything from taking surveys, to shopping online to watching videos.
Finally, Swagbucks holds regular raffles where it selects lucky members to receive extra points at random which they can then transform into cash. Swagbucks is well known and has been featured on major news outlets like ABC, Time and Fox. Though it sounds like a scam, it's not: it's legal and safe to use.
If you're looking to make money online surveys are a fantastic opportunity. Harris Poll is one of the most famous survey companies in the world and owned by the Nielsen company. As a result, they are one of the premier survey companies to make money online. They have been in business for 50 years and are one of the oldest and original market research and survey companies. You get to use your opinions to influence corporations, governments and even not for profit organizations. You can share your opinions and ideas, but you also get to receive rewards for it. They are always trying to add new rewards and some of the best new rewards on the rewards page. It is a great way to earn money online quickly. They also have some of the best reward partners featuring Amazon, iTunes, Starbucks, ESPN, WSJ.
With the rise of the gig economy, entrepreneurs are slowly waking up to the fact that there's money to be made matching people to jobs. Customers want their houses to be cleaned, their new shelves from IKEA to be installed, and their lawns to be mowed but they don't want to go to the hassle of searching online for the exact person to do it.
This is where TaskRabbit comes in. It's an online market, trading skills for cash, allowing customers to find people to do odd bits of work in their local area through an app. For the people doing the work, the TaskRabbit app informs them of potential jobs nearby, allowing them to select any jobs they'd like to complete, quote a price, and confirm with the client. It's a little bit like Uber, but for dozens of other services, other than taxis.
There are all sorts of jobs you can do on platforms like TaskRabbit, including helping people move into a new home, working as a personal assistant, being the local handyman or cleaner, or delivering products by courier. The potential list of jobs is virtually endless – great news if you've got a wide range of skills to offer.
Digital technology is the new frontier in businesses, and more companies than ever before recognize that online user experience matters. Because of this, companies are looking for people who can test their websites, find bugs and alert them to any problems before opening up their sites to the general public.
Sites like UserTesting.com are platforms that connect businesses with testers. Companies upload their jobs onto the site, and all you have to do login, accept a job, try out the company's website features and rate it for usability using online apps. Most testing jobs will net you around $10 and take about 20 minutes.
The great thing about website testing is that there is a lot of competition in the market. Dozens of websites offer user testing services, including Enrol, StartUpLift, Testing Time and more. Some platforms, like Testing Time, demand more of your time, but they pay significantly more. 60 to 90 minutes' work can net you more than $50 which is paid into your Paypal account 5 to 10 working days later.
Ever since Amazon Kindle first burst onto the scene, authors of all stripes have been able to bypass the regular publishing channels and get their books out into the wild. What many people don't realize, however, is that making big money on Kindle and other online eBook platforms is actually doable, especially if you've got significant expertise in a particular topic. You don't need to write the next Tom Clancy novel or Harry Potter: all you need is a niche idea that can really help people in their personal and professional lives.
Take Nathan Barry, for instance. Barry started out his career as a web designer. But he got sick and tired of his job and decided to quit at the end of 2011. Not knowing what to do next, Barry began considering whether he could make any money selling books on Amazon. He soon realized that people wanted books on subjects like How To Design Web Applications and App Design For Dummies. Before long, he began writing his first ebook, launching it a few weeks later. Within 24 hours, he'd made more than $12,000, thanks to pent-up latent demand. It turned out that people were desperate to learn how to build their own apps, but there were so few reasonably-priced resources out there they could use.
By far one of the most lucrative ways to make money online is to sell consultations. Perhaps the biggest market out there right now for this sort of thing is tuition, with dozens of companies offering opportunities for people to educate others online, using programs like Skype and Zoom. If you target the high end of the market, you can often make more than $100 an hour, especially if you're educated to a post-graduate level.
Ipsos is an election polling company which tries to assess the current state of public opinion. During the Brexit campaign and the 2016 US Presidential Election, many of the major polling companies did a bad job, although Ipsos fared a little better.
To get accurate polls, the company needs a broad sample of people to include in its survey. And the good news is that that includes people like you. All you need to do is answer how you're likely to vote, what issues matter to you and so on and you'll get paid by Ipsos for any work you do.
The amount you get paid as a panel member varies considerably depending on the type of survey. The majority of surveys take around 20 minutes and pay out $10 into your Paypal account. Some, however, pay out even more. There are rumors that the longer surveys which take more than an hour to complete pay out more than $95, though actually being entered into one of these is relatively rare.
Ipsos, like Swagbucks, also uses a point system to try and make earning money through its platform more fun. The cool thing about the Ipsos system is that these points can be earned alongside actual money and exchanged for goods and services on partner sites like Amazon and iTunes.
Want even more tips on how to make money online?


In a few weeks, Apple will likely unveil a new iPhone with a better camera, a faster chip, an additional speaker, and no headphone jack.
It started with the infamous revelation that the new device would come without a headphone jack. Wait? What? Why? Then came a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth over this great indignity foisted on consumers by Apple. Apple is essentially forcing new iPhone owners to use a dongle if they want to keep using their standard analog headphones.
Cascading downhill from the headphone jack bombshell came a series of smaller reveals about the next iPhone, which will likely, but not certainly, be called the iPhone 7. All in all, the new phone (based on what we now know) can't be said to be a massive reinvention of the iconic device. But it may pack just enough new features and component upgrades to tempt you to upgrade.
The iPhone 7 is likely to look slightly different from the iPhone 6s–but not much. The phone will almost certainly come in two sizes, probably the same 4.9-inch and 5.5-inch screen variants as in the iPhone 6 and 6s. The plastic antenna separation inlays at the top and bottom of the device are situated differently and are a little less prominent. One rumor says we may see a new deep-blue color option.
About that headphone jack, as with most tech advances it comes with the good and the bad. Apple has always been on the front edge of adopting new tech standards. It led the way in ditching floppy drives, 30-pin connectors, and embracing the USB-C port. The rest of the industry usually follows. So it shouldn't be too shocking that it's now moving to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack–the same jack used on the Sony Walkman back in the '80s!
The upside, we're told, is that the audio quality coming out of the Lightning port to the headphones will be of much higher quality than that delivered through the old analog jack. It could enable some impressive new noise cancellation technology, too.
On the other hand, as digital rights activist Cory Doctorow points out, the new all-digital audio stack in the iPhone may create an opportunity for the record labels to impose new DRM controls on some kinds of audio content. The "analog hole" created by the old 3.5mm jack was the only thing preventing them from doing so, from a technical point of view. Whether the content owners will actually seize on the opportunity is another question altogether.
The removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack creates more space both on the bottom of the phone and inside the shell. It's likely that Apple will use that space to add a second (presumably stereo) speaker.
The iPhone 7 will have a pressure-sensitive home button. The button, a new Bloomberg report says, will give the user a haptic buzz when pressed. It may also perform different tasks based on the force and duration of the downward press, similar to the "3D Touch" screen press feature on the iPhone 6.
Apple is facing serious competition from Samsung when it comes to the camera. For this reason we're likely to see a dual-lens camera on the back of the next iPhone. This information first came from in-the-know analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and was later revised to say that only the larger 5.5-inch Plus size of the new iPhone would get the dual lenses.
The two lenses would each take a photograph of the the subject, then the two images would be reconciled to create one higher-resolution image. This would reduce the grainy look you see when you zoom in on your photos, and it might reduce the graininess of images shot in low-light conditions. Overall, photos shot with a dual-lens camera would be noticeably sharper and more accurate.
However, the image files created may be larger, so storage on the phone becomes more of an issue. Also, the phone would need more RAM to handle the graphics processing of dual-lens images. And finally, the new iPhone is expected to offer far more onboard shooting and editing controls, which also require more processing power.
Every new iPhone gets a specs upgrade, so the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will have a more powerful processor than their predecessors, and will likely come with larger storage options. One rumor says that the larger "Plus" version of the phone will offer 3GB of RAM to handle increased photo processing chops.
A news report appeared today saying that Apple had originally planned to release three new phones–the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, and 7 "Pro," the Pro being basically an iPhone 7 Plus with a Smart Connector on the back and a dual-lens camera. Then, just months before launch, it decided to 86 the Pro version and give the "Plus" version the dual-lens camera. The decision was reportedly based on highly competitive conditions in the smartphone market.
The new iPhones will be waterproof, possibly to the IP68 rating of the new Samsung Note 7. This means that the phone will be dust-resistant and able to protect itself when submerged in a meter of water.
The next iPhone will likely be presented to the public for the first time at an Apple event this fall. A new Apple Watch (or two) will likely make an appearance.
The new $399 iPhone SE is reportedly selling better than expected, but we've heard nothing about an upgrade to that device–maybe next year.


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BG Capital Group's Cowboys Saloon Announces National Expansion
South Florida-based Cowboys Saloon has signed a national expansion deal with Starpoint Commercial to open additional venues in major markets throughout the Continental U.S.
FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA (PRWEB) APRIL 08, 2015
South Florida-based Cowboys Saloon has signed a national expansion deal with Starpoint Commercial to open additional venues in major markets throughout the Continental U.S., announced Cowboys Saloon Founder Anthony Perera and co-owner BG Capital Group Chairman Bobby Genovese.
Since opening its first south Florida location in 2011, the casual dining, bar, and entertainment venue has become a major player in live music and entertainment, receiving numerous awards for its entertainment excellence. In May 2014 Perera and Genovese opened a second club in Ocala, Florida following a multimillion-dollar build-out that replaced the city's old Midnight Rodeo complex in downtown Ocala, which had closed in 2011.
"Cowboys is now the number one entertainment spot and ultimate place for friends and families to gather and have fun in a classic western themed bar and restaurant that is modern and sophisticated," said Genovese.
"We are excited to have been chosen by Cowboys Saloon for their national rollout," said Starpoint Commercial Founder Joshua Rush. "Starpoint Commercial is a fully integrated real estate consulting and brokerage house focusing on retail and entertainment industries. It's like having your own in-house real estate department."
Cowboys Saloon is a fun entertainment driven dining and nightlife experience that combines Americana style eats, large dance floor and ample room for hosting national artists in a rustic western decor setting. The average location ranges from 12,000-15,000 square feet with a seating capacity for over 200 people and a concert capacity of close to or exceeding 1000 people.
"We love where this brand is going," said Perera. "There is tremendous opportunity for a brand like Cowboys Saloon to gain massive market share and on that basis we plan to open 10-12 units in the next 24 months. More than just a restaurant or bar, we are truly an entertainment destination that engages guests from the moment the walk in and keep them entertained until the moment they leave."
About BG Capital Group Limited
With more than 25 years of experience in mergers and acquisition. BG Capital Group Limited and BG Capital Management Corporation are both based in Barbados with associate management offices in the Bahamas, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, Florida, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver. In 2013 Genovese developed and launched BG Signature, a portfolio of 12 exclusive luxury retreats in the US, Canada, Europe, South America and Bahamas, including its flagship property, BG Equestrian Resort in Ocala, Florida, a 100-acre, year-round luxury equestrian retreat featuring world-class stables and lodging for traveling horse enthusiasts.
cowboys gainesville
cowboys ocala


Following are FAQs about our Farm Share Program. Don't see an answer to your question? Contact us at 908-879-2908 or stonyhillcsa@gmail.com.
What is included in the produce shares?
Will I get the same items every week?
When is the growing season?
Do you offer anything else besides fruits and vegetables?
May I swap items in my box with items being sold at the farm market?
When and where can I pick up my weekly share?
Do you offer a program for businesses?
What happens if I am unable to pick up my share?
Are there any reminders sent out about picking up our shares?
What is the best way to get in touch with Stony Hill if we have questions about our share or the items in our boxes?
Fresh Produce, Full Share - A full share is approximately one bushel box of in-season, fresh-picked, assorted local produce recommended for a 4-6 person family. Each full share box is 11.5"W x 16"L x 13.5"H.
Fresh Produce, Half Share - A half share is approximately one half bruce of in-season, fresh picked, assorted local produce recommended for a 2-3 person family. Each half share box is 10.5"W x 16"L x 11"H.
Fresh Produce, Personal Share - A personal share is a half bushel of in-season, fresh-picked, assorted local produce suitable for a single family home. Each personal share box is 9.5"W x 13"L x 9.5"H.
Eggs (Add-On Only) - A half, full dozen, or two dozen cage free brown eggs can be added on to your weekly produce share. Available at most locations.
Cheese Shares - Shares of cheese made with local ingredients. Options include Farmstead Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese. Cheese shares are available as a stand-alone option or as an add-on produce shares. Only available at select locations.
Fresh Fresh Meat Shares - 3 cuts of farm-fresh, frozen meat (approximately 3 pounds) each week. Your share may include poultry, pork, and/or beef. For those who select a 24-week share option, a fresh, frozen turkey from Ashley Farms will be included in the last share week of the season. Meat shares are available as a stand-alone option or as an add-on produce shares. Only available at select locations.
Homemade Ice Cream Shares - New for 2018! 1 pint of ice cream each week. Flavors include traditional and seasonal flavors such as peach, apple, sweet cream, pumpkin, strawberry, maple, peppermint, eggnog and more. Ice cream shares are available as a stand-alone option or as an add-on produce shares. Only available at select locations.
Please visit our Online Store for current pricing, additional details, and availability.
What is included in the fresh produce shares?
Produce share members will receive boxes of fresh produce each week throughout the growing season from Stony Hill Farm Market. The following are examples of what members may expect to find in their boxes (depending on what is in season at the time): Lettuce, carrots, peaches, kale, broccoli, radishes, leeks, summer squash, cucumbers, beets, celery, strawberries, blueberries, herbs, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, garlic, apples, scallions, peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn etc.
No, you will not get the same items every week. Items will vary from week to week and month to month. For produce shares, we pick all of our fruits and vegetables at the peak of their season to ensure maximum ripeness and nutrient content. Weather patterns may also affect the development of certain crops altering the size of the fruit or vegetables. For meat, cheese, and ice cream shares, contents will also vary from week to week.
The growing seasons begins in early June and ends mid November. Number of weeks may vary according to location. See our Growing Season page for anticipated produce availability.
Cage free brown eggs can be added to produce shares. You may choose from a half dozen, full dozen, or two dozen eggs per week. We also now offer meat, cheese, and ice cream shares. Please visit our Online Store for current pricing, additional details, and availability.
Stony Hill uses Integrated Pest Management (IPM) on all our fruits and vegetables. IPM uses site assessment, monitoring, and pest prevention in combination with a variety of pest management tactics to keep pests within acceptable limits. Instead of routine chemical applications, Integrated Pest Management employs physical, horticultural, mechanical, sustainable and biological controls with selective use of pesticides when needed.
No, you may not trade any items in your box with other items that are for sale at any of our retail location.
Please visit our Online Store to view pick-up or delivery locations and date options.
NOTE: You may only choose to pick up your share in one location for the entire year. You may not have your share delivered to another location.
When and how do I pay for my Farm Share membership?
Please refer to our Online Store or appropriate Farm Share Application for pricing.
To become a Farm Share member, complete the Farm Share Application found in the Get Started section on the application page or purchase your share online. You may sign up online OR e-mail, mail, or bring completed application to Stony Hill.
Payments can also be made online, in person, or over the phone by credit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. EBT and Food Stamps are not accepted for Farm Share memberships.
Do you offer a Farm Share Program for businesses?
Yes, we do offer a Corporate Farm Share program. Visit our Corporate Program page for more details.
You are responsible for picking up your share each week. If you are unable to pick up your share you may ask a friend to pick it up for you. If your share is not picked up at your scheduled location and time you may not pick it up at another location. Any weekly share not picked up will be forfeited and you may not get a refund or store credit. Your share will then be donated.
Yes, we will send out reminders 1-2 days before your share pick-up date about as well as what will be in your share boxes. We also will include some yummy recipes for the items in the boxes.
The best way to reach us is to email stonyhillcsa@gmail.com. We will usually respond within 24 hours.
You can also keep up to date with the latest Farm Share news and program updates via the Stony Hill Farm Share (CSA) Facebook page.


Bound Art Book Fair is back and expanded at the Whitworth in 2018. We will be celebrating all aspects of contemporary printed matter from across the U.K and Europe. Friday will mark the opening of the weekend with a special late night preview evening with DJ's and refreshments. Throughout the weekend Bound Art Book Fair will be hosting a range of workshops, discussions and artist talks for everyone to get involved with; all of which will be free admission.


Keeping your car in check is simple with the help of a Toyota certified maintenance center. With honest work and top quality service, you can expect to find only the best Toyota dealership close by for you and each and every one of your auto care questions.
From convertibles to pickup trucks, trust your area's Toyota dealer to help you search for the right Toyota for you.
Looking for a Toyota dealership near you? Use this search page to look for important details such as the opening hours, contact details, and holiday hours for Toyota dealerships near you.
Deciding between selling your old vehicle and trading it in? Find out more about your trade-in options at a Toyota dealer close to you.
Rest assured that at your community Toyota dealerships, we're always here for you. Our door is open to help answer your car purchasing questions, from rebate offers to financing incentives.
Nearby Toyota dealers are ready to provide an exceptional choice of factory fresh and quality used Toyota vehicles for a variety of lifestyles and budgets.
If you're ready to buy a brand new Toyota but would like to give it a try it out first, visit a local Toyota dealership to schedule a test drive in your local area today.
When it comes to caring for your vehicle, you expect only the most qualified mechanics to give you your regular maintenance. Find the best Toyota service center in your area for dependable and problem-free Toyota car maintenance close by.
You can drive with confidence knowing your Toyota car service is handled by experienced and certified Toyota technicians.
This online Toyota dealership search makes it fast to find certified Toyota OEM replacement parts close to you.


Grab all those bonus bits for your scooter and keep it rolling with top quality accessories. We stock all the spares you could need for your scooter including hardware, spaces, headsets and brakes. You can also upgrade your ride with fresh griptape to keep you attached to that ride, new handlebar grips to keep a firm hold, tools to fix everything on the move or stunt pegs to add extra tricks to your arsenal we here at Action Sports Club have you covered.
The shop is well stocked with scooter accessories from brands such as Madd Gear, JD, Blazer Pro, Slamm, Tilt, Blunt, 81 Customs, Grit, UrbanArtt and Apex Pro Scooters.
Popular brands include 81 Customs, Madd Gear, UrbanArtt, Slamm, Blazer Pro, JD, Grit, Enuff, Addict and Tilt.


Stratasys Additive Manufacturing Presentation at EuroMold 2014 - Jigs and Fixtures - Robolab Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
In this segment. Ryan presents an end of arm tool from a robotic arm assembly, demonstrating the complex geometries and special features only possible with additive manufacturing.


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October 8th: Migrant and Refugee Girls
Sponsored by EXSSA
"In ten years of IDG, adolescent girls have shown extraordinary resilience, tenacity, and resourcefulness under challenging circumstances. This ten-year milestone gives us a chance to recommit to preserving their future. Let us continue to provide these adolescent girls with the agency to roar into that future with their full potential as human beings deserving of a fulfilling life." – EXSSA
Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for a discussion on the experiences of migrant and refugee girls!
WGG would like to thank EXSSA for their generous contribution as an anniversary-level sponsor!
Hear from EXSSA here.
EX-SAKER STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (ExSSA), the U.S.A., whose members are popularly known as, Sakerettes, is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization with over 500 members who are all former students of Saker Baptist College, Limbe Cameroon (West Africa). Our mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through education programs, mentorship opportunities, and training programs that will enable their social emancipation and economic empowerment.
Our Association believes that empowering women and girls, providing them with educational and economic opportunities, and securing their health and human rights are essential in eliminating poverty and achieving social justice in Cameroon and beyond.
EXSSA-USA boasts a distinct and dynamic group of ladies with varied talents, diverse cultures, experiences, and backgrounds. While a majority of Sakerettes hail from Cameroon, Africa, some of our members are nationals of Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, the United States, Great Britain, and France. This diversity enriches our Association and allows us to synergize our unique in-house talents and efforts to improve and empower individuals and communities in Saker, Cameroon, and the Diaspora.
EXSSA-USA is committed to:
Empowerment: Enable women and girls to act in their own best interest
Education: Allow women and girls access to quality education, programs, and initiatives
Fellowship: Saker alums and patrons from varied backgrounds and perspectives will work together to improve the lives of women and girls
Resource Development: Identify effective models and tools for Saker girls and alumnae.
Ex Saker Students Association seeks to empower adolescent girls irrespective of their societal status. We chose to highlight migrant and refugee girls because our Association is sensitive to their plight. Migrant and refugee girls without permanent accommodation or shelter are often exposed to rape, sexual harassment, or forced marriages. In the 1980s, Saker Baptist College, our alma mater, graciously opened its doors to Namibian girl refugees who had fled from their country during the Namibian war of independence. These refugees became our sisters. Interacting with them taught us empathy. In 2019, Students from the class of 1984, which includes one of our Namibian Sakerette sisters, organized their 40th anniversary of meeting in Saker in Windhoek, Namibia, where President of Namibia, Hage Gottfried Geingob, received them.
Our Namibian refugee experience inspired us to launch a scholarship program for young, internally displaced girls in Cameroon. The crisis exacerbated these adolescent girls' already precarious financial and familial situation.
When families get displaced due to war or heightened insecurity, they move to big cities that find it challenging to absorb the growing population. These IDPs suffer many challenges, including a lack of shelter, healthcare, unemployment, and no access to basic amenities. Young IDP girls are especially vulnerable to gender-based violence and sexual assaults.
If you or your organization is investing in Internally Displaced, migrant, or refugee girls in Cameroon or any other African country share photographs of your activities or beneficiaries with us on social media.
If you or your organization is presently investing in the education of underprivileged girls in Cameroon or any other African country share photographs of your activities or beneficiaries with us on Twitter.
Are you a woman who has been empowered by education? Please retweet our posts or share your story or word of wisdom.
Do you want to help provide Dreamer scholarships for girls in Cameroon? Donate today to ExSSA USA. https://www.mightycause.com/story/Dreamersscholarship
Some of our recent Projects:
Dreamers scholarships for Adolescent IDP girls: ExSSA U.S.A.'s Flagship Program
In keeping with our mission to empower the girl-child and our empathy for displaced young girls, we launched the Dreamer Scholarships in 2020 for intelligent young girls who are impoverished. To these young girls, attending a secondary school is a dream, not to mention attending the high-ranking and prestigious all-girls Christian boarding school, Saker Baptist College.
While the underlying eligibility for this Scholarship is extreme and prolonged unusual financial challenges, we may decide to focus on a specifically disenfranchised group each year. Our target group for the pioneer cohort is young girls "Internally Displaced" due to the armed conflict in Cameroon.
The four young girls selected in 2021 have been awarded full scholarships for six and seven years to Saker Baptist College, Limbe, Cameroon, from form one or form two to upper sixth. This Scholarship also ensures that these young girls are catered for holistically to ensure success beyond the classroom. Our Dreamers completed their first year in Saker and just resumed their second academic year.
Water tank Restoration and Borehole Construction: For us, empowering girls also translates to enhancing their living and learning environment and overall well-being. We were able to clean out, wash and restore all existing storage water tanks on the campus of Saker Baptist College, home to over 900 adolescent girls. In addition, ExSSA U.S.A. dug two new boreholes, one equipped with a solar pump, installed an additional storage tank, and restored the existing borehole on campus. The students currently have water pending renovation of the plumbing system, which is about 60 years old.
Donation of 50 Computers: To enhance effective learning in this information technology age, ExSSA U.S.A. supplied two servers and 50 N-Computing units with accessories to equip the computer lab. The computer students were able to use these to write the General Certificate of Education (G.C.E.) exams.


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Divan Consulting Services - Cairo
Divan Student Travel was founded in 1992 by Mr. Kamal Wajih Hijazi. Mr. Kamal participated in international exchange programmes during his high school and university years, earning his diploma and Bachelor's degree in the United States. Kamal's experiences as an exchange student inspired him to launch Divan, a company in the Middle East specialising in providing young Arab students with the same cultural and formal learning experiences abroad that had changed his life. Today, Divan is the leading expert on student exchange programmes in the Middle East. Since its inception in Amman, Jordan in 1992, Divan Student Travel has expanded to include offices in the Egyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria, Saudi Arabia's city of Jeddah, and Dubai Knowlege Village in United Arab Emirates. For nearly two decades, Divan has been enhancing students' educational experiences, cultural exchange and practical training all over the world.
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