Hollywood’s best kept (here meaning not true) secret is that thirty per cent of new films are commissioned by a producer flinging darts at a list of classic movies.
Presently, as can be seen in this list of upcoming features, the craze in remakes is gender-swapping. Ghostbusting boys are now girls and flies will soon have Ladies not Lords. But why? Is this a feminist re-writing of history, a PR stunt or genuine phenomenon? More to the point, do these films ever actually work?
On its release in 2016, Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters was met with a critical shrug. Having endured months of online hate – from trolls masquerading as fans of the original – the film went on to suffer a mediocre run at the box office, scuppering hopes of a sequel. A failure then? Not quite.
Someday, people will look back on Feig’s Ghostbusters and accept that it’s actually quite good. Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon and Kristen Wiig are a hugely likeable quartet, whilst Feig’s script – co-written with Katie Dippold – has wit, warmth and a whole lot of fun. Yes, it’s silly but rewatch the 1984 Ghostbusters before judging.
The problem many had with Feig’s remake was a perception that the gender-swapping was merely a gimmick. Let’s get this straight. The gender-swapping was, without a doubt, completely and utterly a gimmick. On the other hand, there’s little more gimmicky than a blockbuster bringing dozens of superheroes together from a handful of different franchises, yet, it seems, that’s considered acceptable. Surely there is no reason that ghostbusters cannot be both male and female; it’s a job.
Ghostbusters is just one example, however. Last week saw the US release of Rob Greenberg’s remake of the Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell-starring Overboard from 1987. In the original film, Hawn played a snobby heiress who suffers amnesia after falling out of a yacht, with Russell the working-class carpenter who tricks her into believing she’s his wife in payback for sacking him. Essentially, it’s Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew in screwball-comedy mode.
The remake switches things around. Anna Farris plays Kate – the name of Shakespeare’s ‘shrew’, incidentally – a working-class cleaner who tricks a Mexican playboy (Eugenio Derbez) after he sacked her. The premise remains ludicrous and the jokes limp.
Unlike Ghostbusters, Overboard has the dubious luxury of not being a beloved classic and has thus largely escaped vitriol. It hasn’t actually a UK release date yet. Over in America, critics have accused Greenberg’s film of adding nothing new to the original conceit and missing the mark as a result. This isn’t all that surprising; it was only the genuine chemistry shared by the married Hawn and Russell that saved the original.
What is interesting about the new Overboard – and the upcoming Splash remake also – is that swapping the gender here makes for a pointed twist. Returning to the 1987 Overboard now, it is clear that Gary Marshall’s film is weighed down by gender-stereotyping and sexual objectification.
In the film, Joanna (Hawn) is required to submit to her ‘husband’ and spend her days completing his chores. Fine, that’s the plot. Harder to take is the understanding that the spoilt, entitled Joanna – sans memory – rapidly discovers herself to have some maternal instinct for children she has never met. Rapidly, she assumes a new, generic, mothering persona. Furthermore, the crux of Dean’s (Russell) deception is his declaration that his ‘wife’ as a tattoo on her bottom; which he knows because he’d been ogling it earlier in the film.
In swapping the genders of the film, one could argue that a balance is set in the ‘franchise’. Whilst it is no more acceptable to objectify men than women, in the context of our TimesUp era, there is something fitting in the depiction of a strong, independent woman showing an entitled playboy what life is like on the other side of the street. If only the film itself were good, this may have been worthwhile.
Another gender-swapped remake on the horizon this year is Gary Ross’ Ocean’s 8, a star-studied spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s Oceans trilogy – which was itself a remake of Lewis Milestone’s Ocean’s 11 of 1960. Sandra Bullock leads the film as Debbie Ocean, brother of Danny, who decides to pull off a heist of her own, with crew members played by the likes of Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Rihanna.
For the most part, Ocean’s 8 is no less questionable a remake than those mentioned above. But as an addition to the growing list, the film does raise an issue. Why, we might ask, are women consistently being given parts off the back of male-dominated franchises and films? It is as though studios haven’t faith in audiences to turn out for an original female-led production.
Note too that all three of the films discussed here come from male directors, leaving the unfortunate perception that gender-swapping may only happen on the say so of the status quo. Perhaps, more interesting work could result from gender-swapping behind, as well as in front of, the camera.
There is nothing wrong with gender-swapping roles and these films are no more objectionable than any remake. As such, there is no reason that a gender-swapped remake cannot work; indeed, such films have the potential to be highly stimulating as a matter of debate. This can, however, only happen when filmmakers treat the opportunity with respect over whimsy.
2 thoughts on “Do gender-swapped remakes EVER work?”
I’m really looking forward to Oceans 8. That gender swap makes sense because a woman out of prison is more likely to call upon other women. Most women have female friends. It’s at least plausible. What annoyed me about Annihilation is all the scientists were women for no reason at all. At least Oceans 8 makes sense


By Eduard Zaloshnja
19 April is the last deadline for the registration of pre electoral coalitions for the June 18 polls in Albania. But not even a single request to register coalitions was filed at the Central Election Commission. Only a letter was sent by the parliamentary groups of the SP and SMI, where CEC was requested to postpone the deadline for the registration of coalitions and parties, in order to offer more time to political forces to overcome the gridlock caused by the opposition’s tent in front of the Prime Minister’s office. And that letter was followed by another letter sent by the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party, where the contrary was demanded.
Ilir Meta explained from Fier that SMI is more than interested to have the opposition as part of the elections and that the postponement of the deadline for the registration of coalitions and parties would assist majority in finding the necessary communication channels with the opposition, in order for the latter to participate in the elections. But he didn’t explain why SMI didn’t register at the CEC with the current coalition of the Socialist Party’; the registration of this coalition doesn’t prevent the registration of the opposition’ coalition at a later date…
In fact, Meta has made it clear that he will not sign a new agreement with the Socialist Party if the latter doesn’t make concessions to the DP in order for this party to participate in the elections. But, in spite of the German CDU request, in spite of the request articulated by Mogherini and Hahn and also by the vice German chancellor, Gabriel to participate in the elections, the DP is refusing to participate in them, unless Rama resigns from the post of Prime Minister. On the other hand, Rama insists on not resigning for as long that he has the Parliament’s confidence.
In such circumstances, it would be logical for SMI to register in the current coalition within the legal framework and come out in public as a party that tried until the very last minute for a solution of the political gridlock, but at the end, it respected the electoral code. As far as the legitimization of the elections without the opposition is concerned, the majority would only need to win 1 million votes on 18 June to confirm its legitimacy.
Very few can remember what was the percentage won by the majority coalition in the 2013 elections, but many remember the fact that it won 1 million votes. People have heard so many times about the 1 million “slaps” given to Berisha and the international community too when it is told that the current government has the legitimacy offered by 1 million votes!
An opinion poll that I conducted for Follow Business Albania magazine, suggested that the parties that are currently in majority, would actually receive close to 1 million votes if the elections were to take place in February. And the history of opinion polls ahead of the elections shows that the number of undecided voters decreases as they make up their mind to support the respective camps.
I believe that SMI does actually conduct opinion polls (ahead of the 2013 elections, I have seen two professional opinion polls conducted by two of its consultants) and I believe that its opinion polls actually suggest that the current majority coalition would win 1 million votes.
But it seems that SMI has another problem which relates to its role as a party that determines who becomes Prime Minister. In a scenario where the current majority receives 1 million votes and the elections are accepted as legitimate by the international community (despite the non participation of the opposition), Rama no longer needs the votes of the SMI in Parliament to be Prime Minister for another four years. In such scenario, SMI would just be an opponent of the government, although it may have 30 seats in Parliament (my opinion poll suggested that SMI would receive around 200 thousand votes).
Under these circumstances, if Meta doesn’t manage, with the help of the negotiators of European People’s Parties to convince Basha and Rama to budge from their current positions, they will soon face a difficult choice: he must either accept SMI’s role as a small opponent party of the government in Parliament or he would have to join the DP to topple Rama’s government before the elections.
The republication of this article is strictly forbidden without a written permission from the Albanian Free Press newsroom
Note: The stances expressed in the Opinion section do not necessarily represent the editorial line of Albanian Free Press


Australian reliance on luck is a risky strategy
24 September 2022
Green woke idiocy is the greatest renewable resource of our times but despite an over-abundance of it in Australia, the nation will almost certainly outperform its allies and adversaries. Why? Because the sabotage inflicted on us by our ruling class will be outdone by elites in other countries.
Europe is a world-class performer in this respect recklessly indulging in decades-long green moralising while placing its energy security in the hands of a deranged dictator.
Last week, President Putin mocked the Europeans’ energy crisis rightly blaming it on their green agenda and reminding Germany that all it had to do to end its economic and energy meltdown was lift its sanctions on Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which has the capacity to transmit 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year.
Germany embargoed the pipeline days before Putin invaded Ukraine, doubling Europe’s gas prices. Europe has accused Russia of weaponising energy supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the invasion. Seriously, what did the Europeans expect? Russia is not Myanmar. As Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán pointed out recently, ‘Sanctions work when deployed by stronger actors against the weak.’
The pain in Europe and the UK has been immediate and profound, with manufacturing shuttering, fuel lines growing, and businesses going bust and worse is to come over winter. It was a measure of the European Commission’s desperation that it labeled nuclear and gas ‘sustainable’ to the horror of global warming alarmists whose primary concern is achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. But European leaders are now engaged in the more urgent task of sustaining energy flows over the winter and generating enough good will to stave off a popular revolt.
Russia is suffering too. The ‘special operation’ in Ukraine went from a cakewalk to quagmire in three days. Sanctions are biting, particularly on goods needed to maintain gas and oil production. Russia has been forced to sell its gas for less than it would like to the Chinese who, for all the talk of being an eternal ally has driven a hard-nosed bargain and is making a handsome profit reselling Russian gas to Europeans at a mark up.
Putin’s military incompetence coupled with his paranoia has made the world a dangerous place for his allies. The most graphic measure of how badly the war is going is the vertiginous escalation in sudden deaths among his friends and associates. His assent career from KGB agent to kleptocratic president has been built on waging wars and assassinating critics but the pace has picked up in the latter as his success has faltered in the former. Indeed, Putin seems to have had more success killing off his allies than his rag-tag collection of soldiers, reservists and mercenaries have had in Ukraine. Everyone from executives in Gazprom and Lukoil to the founder of Sputnik news agency and even the editor-in-chief of Pravda, Putin’s favourite paper, has died suddenly by an assortment of defenestration, stabbing, hanging and old-fashioned shooting.
Compared with Putin, it might seem that Xi has been masterfully machiavellian, allowing Russia and the West to weaken each other and themselves. Yet Xi has not been sitting idly on his hands. Rather he has been engaging in his own incomprehensible economic destruction with Chinese characteristics.
Xi’s zero-Covid zeal has zero chance of succeeding but comes at anything but zero cost. All 31 of China’s regions have reported outbreaks over the last month, with more than 70 Chinese cities in full or partial lockdown affecting more than 300 million people. Goldman Sachs estimates that the restrictions are suppressing the level of GDP in China by 4 to 5 per cent and a third of the economy in GDP terms is subject to lockdown. Analysts expect growth to slow to 3.9 per cent, the slowest rate since 1990.
All this should be bad news for Australia. Almost 40 per cent of our exports went to China last year and exports to China are down 11 per cent over the last year to July. But thanks to Putin and the Europeans, our gas exports have boomed, more than doubling from $30 billion to $70 billion and are projected to rise to $84 billion in the coming financial year.
Not only that but to the chagrin of Greens everywhere, coal is enjoying unprecedented profit margins. Trade in global seaborne thermal coal reached an all-time high in July of 98 million tonnes, up almost 10 per cent year on year. Add to that, prices for Newcastle thermal coal – the global benchmark – are at almost record levels trading at $429 a tonne last week, just below the record high of $483.50 in March, up $176 a tonne this time last year.
With Russia no longer providing 70 per cent of the EU’s thermal coal and 40 per cent of its natural gas, Europeans have been forced to stop preaching to Australia and instead purchase as much fuel as they can stockpile, reopening mothballed coal plants. Europe’s carbon dioxide emissions reduction goals have had to be abandoned and CO2 emissions are expected to increase by 1.3 per cent. Of course, if renewable energy was such a great source of power, governments would be rushing to build wind turbines and solar arrays. They are not. Yet at least Europeans weren’t as foolish as Australians who, full of hubris, blew up their coal-fired power plants.
Naturally, the painfully learned lessons for Europe have been completely lost on the Albanese government. Far from adopting gas and nuclear as green sources of energy, the federal and state governments are allowing dispatchable power generators to accelerate their plans to close coal-fired power plants, despite an ‘urgent warning’ from the Australian Energy Market Operator of a shortage of wind, solar, storage capacity, and new transmission links, to make up for the mass exodus of five coal generators by 2030. ‘Forecast reliability gaps’ have emerged across National Electricity Market but Australian governments are no doubt counting on our luck not to run out before the blackouts begin.
Rebecca Weisser is an independent journalist. Like what you read? Consider supporting her work at PayPal.
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Apple India CEO resigns
Apple India CEO Mahendran Balachandranhas has resigned after two and one-half years with the company, according to The Times of India: "Interestingly, in its decade-long presence in India, Apple has so far seen five country heads. Balachandran, a Tektronix veteran, had joined Apple in December 2001, succeeding Naresh Thappa who had a brief stint as its country manager. Last year, Apple broadened its base in the education segment and embarked on its retail journey by setting up the maiden Apple Centre in Bangalore. In education, it is targeting K12 (from kindergarten to 12th) students in addition to engineering colleges, fashion and multimedia institutes."
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Mohammad is an auto driver in Vittal, a small town in Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. Each summer, as the mercury rises to its highest levels, he can be found inside wells. It's his unique profession of digging tube-wells that takes him inside dug wells.
This started way back in 1986. In 1983, there was an unprecedented drought all around. Mohammad was impressed by surangas, the man-made caves that have served as water-harvesting structures for long. A man-sized cave is painstakingly dug, and finally the water oozes out from only one or two tiny eyes. Mohammad used to dream about simplifying this process, with a simple twist to that approach; "why can't we dig a miniature suranga, by pushing a pipe into the soil?" This, if successful, would be far cheaper and faster than the suranga. After much thought, he designed a drilling bit, and by joining small pieces of galvanized iron pipes started piercing the soil. And lo, it worked!
The team puts a horizontal tube well in place. Picture by Shree Padre.
Since then, drilling tube-wells has become a part-time profession for him. Come March, he starts receiving calls from farmers. Generally it takes only one day to dig one or two tube-wells. In the morning, his 4-member team arrives with the necessary equipment in his auto rickshaw, and gets to work. But quite unlike the usual machine-driven vertical bore well that pierces the underground rocky layer and sucks water from deeper aquifers, he starts digging nearly horizontally! This odd technique has proved quite successful, so much so that today, he is better known as adda bore. ('adda', in Kannada, means horizontal) This nick-name of his adorns not only his auto rickshaw, but his visiting cards too.
More often than not, Mohammad's services are required inside a dug-well when the latter is drying up. Generally, he makes an advance visit to the site. This visit has two purposes - to ascertain the possibility of finding water, and to check the practicality of digging a horizontal tube well. Some practical problems cannot be overcome, and the advance visit is to rule those out. For example, if the dug well has knee-deep mud at its bottom, the work of drilling the tube well can't go on. Another potential problem is size; dug wells must be at least eight feet in diameter, or the work area for his drilling will be inadequate.
Once inside the dug-well, the team fixes up the drilling equipment at waist level. Initially, a 4 inch drilling bit is fixed to a 5 feet GI pipe. A detachable handle is fitted to this apparatus to provide a better grip. Within the GI pipe is another half-inch pipe, through which water is directed inwards for drilling. Once the entire apparatus it properly set, the drilling begins. For the water to flow out freely, there must be a small gradient to the structure.
Drilling is not easy. The team has to manually push and pull the drilling unit. Loosened soil gets mixed with the water sent inside and comes out through the hole of the bigger pipe. Once the first 5-feet pipe is almost pushed into place, another piece is fitted to its rear end, lengthening the horizontal tube. The process is repeated until the water is found.
If hard rock comes in the way, the drilling stops. At best, the horizontal tube can go up to 80 feet. Since the drilling charges are affordable, sometimes two, three or even four tube-wells are dug from within a single dug-well. If the client is fortunate, they will find water in all of these. According to Mohammad, "though these water veins are located so close to each other, they aren't usually inter-connected". The water flows vary from a pencil thickness to that of a thumb. To avoid blockage of the water source due to crumbling of soil inside, a perforated PVC pipe is introduced into the hole once the entire horizontal tube length has been dug.
Though Mohammad hasn't kept count, he thinks he would have dug more than 1000 horizontal bore wells in the last two decades. "Failure rates are low", he claims. His advance visits to scout the dug-well for the likelihood of finding water have been very useful; his past experience gives him a pretty good indication of his chances. "Generally, the existence of sweat-like moisture inside the well is an indication of availability of water. Still, there have been cases where despite having no hope that we would find water nearby, I was asked to try my luck. Most of those cases turned into failures."
Mohammad was charging Rs.3 per foot for his bore well when he started this profession two decades ago. Now he charges Rs.35. All other incidental expenditures are extra. Whenever he has no orders, he runs his auto. As he does once the monsoon sets in by June; the heavy rains spell curtains for Mohammad's drilling work for that year.
V S Ganesh Rai is a farmer near Vittal whose water source, an earthen tank is indicative of the step by step decline of water in the last half century."This is a place that till recently was considered blessed with ample water", he points out. During most of his father's time the lands around were paddy fields. The tank water was more than sufficient. Three decades ago, his father raised beetel nut, which requires profuse irrigation for six months a year. To meet the water requirement, they dug a well inside the tank. As the years passed, this became insufficient. They had to deepen the well and put in cement rings. But even this has not been enough; in last two years, the water crisis has raised its ugly head again.
Looking at the experiences of others around him, Ganesh Rai was convinced that vertical bore wells were not permanent solutions for water shortages. He opted for a horizontal bore well. Mohammad's team dug three tube wells in three directions. Each one has a water source of about a cigarette's thickness.
Adda bore Mohammad with his other means of livelihood - the auto-rickshaw. Picture by Shree Padre
Many small farmers have benefited from this water harvesting technique. A water source of 3 inches that he tapped in Gopalakrishna Pailoor's farm years ago, recalls Mohammad, was the best so far. This year, at Vokkeththoor, in Ramanna Shettigar's farm, he tapped another big source - 2 inches in diameter. Wherever groundwater is at higher levels, this type of tube well will likely hit water fairly easily, as in most of Malnad, with its heavy rainfall. Unfortunately, Mohammad's is the only team that is pursuing this profession. So far, nobody has learned these skills from him. "Many people ask so many questions, show interest", Mohammad points out, "but I think it is the inability to identify the water point that keeps them away".
Adda bores are far more sustainable than their vertical counterpart. A good chunk of vertical bore wells have dried up the open wells and tanks in the neighborhood. Since horizontal bore wells usually draw water only from the top layer of the soil, they will attract water from the neighboring one acre area or so. If one adopts groundwater recharge measures in the catchment area, adda bores will last long, just like open wells.
Working at depth his team can sometimes be at risk of running short of oxygen. Mohammad has a few interesting methods to tackle this; he arranges to pour some water from the top 4-5 times in a day, or a lighted paper is let down, or a few wigs of plants are tied to a long stick and waved around. The exact science of such attempts isn't something he dwells on, but he's confident that "such exercises promote air circulation and we don't feel suffocated". Over the years, Mohammad has carried out his own Research and Development with his equipment too. Initially, the tube well was of 2 inch diameter. Now it is double the width. The design of the drilling bit too has been improved. Couldn't some machine come to his aid? "Many times I have thought about this. But it may not work. We can't afford to a machine that emits smoke inside a dug-well. It will risk our lives."
And so he carries on, with a little fix here and a litte retooling there. And along the way, thanks to his innovations, hundreds of farmers have been able to overcome their water shortages. But for his technology, they would have had vertical tube wells dug, paying huge sums in risky attempts to find the life-giving water; worse still, they would have lowered the ground-water table over time. Instead, with Mohammad's help they have a harvester they can afford, and the comfort in knowing that they're not hurting their long-term water prospects. "I have no regrets for the Rs.5,000 I have spent", a smiling Rai was heard saying at the end of the day Mohammad's team finished its work on his farm.


text:
Escaped inmate captured in Louisiana, sent back to Hancock County
HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - An inmate who escaped custody Friday in Hancock County has now been captured.
According to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Kelli Palermo was found in the Lake Charles, Louisiana area. HSCO says Palermo will be extradited to Hancock County where she will face new charges for escape.
Palermo was working near the Emergency Operations Center when she first escaped.
In a Facebook post, HCSO wrote “According to Sheriff Adam — Part of the rehabilitation process is transitioning inmates to a worker status and there are times that inmates demonstrate that they are not yet capable of maintaining our trust. In Kelli’s case, she now has alot bigger problem on her hands and she will have to work twice as hard to work her way out of the criminal justice system.”
In addition to the arrest of Palermo, HCSO also announced the arrest of Larry Glen Holland of Beaumont, Texas. Holland is being charged with accessory after the fact for his role Palermo’s escape.
In a Facebook post, HCSO wrote “According to Sheriff Adam — The resolution of this investigation further exemplifies the great teamwork happening in our office and with our surrounding law enforcement partners on the federal level. I couldn’t be more pleased at the fine work that was done by all involved to lead to Palermo and Holland’s arrests.”
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Copyright 2023 WLOX. All rights reserved.

domain: law


One of Boston’s newest civic technology partnerships is transforming how thousands of young people find summer employment.
Each year in Boston, over 8,000 local youth apply for a summer job through the City of Boston’s SuccessLink program, an initiative launched in recent years by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. In past years, SuccessLink staff would undergo a labor-intensive task of calling each applicant over the course of several months, placing about 3,000 in jobs in local community based organizations and City of Boston jobs at places like the Parks Department or the Boston Aquarium. Staff would, in large part, rely on their memory and knowledge of Boston’s neighborhoods to find a young person a summer job. In 2016, Mayor Walsh called for a new standard of youth summer employment with a target of hiring 10,000 youth in summer jobs, a dramatic increase over previous years.
To help reach that target, Boston’s Civic Tech Data Collaborative (CTDC Boston), led by MAPC’s Digital Services team, has worked closely with both adult and youth staff at SuccessLink, exploring ways to alter a manual process to one that is faster and better at placing youth into jobs well-suited for them. CTDC Boston is working together to help young people find better summer employment, faster, with the ultimate goal of increasing the youth employment rate in the City. Along the way, we hope to simplify the application and placement process for all users of the system: the youth, City staff who run the program and employers who offer summer jobs.
Boston’s CTDC partners represent an unusual mix of highly technical public sector staff: Digital Services at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and the City of Boston’s Department of Information Technology (DoIT), city staff and youth employment experts at the City of Boston’s Division of Youth Engagement and Employment (DYEE), volunteer programmers and interactive designers from Code for Boston, as well as experts in metrics and performance measurement at the Boston Indicators Project and MIT’s Department of Economics. Their work is supported by additional funding provided by BNY Mellon.
Once assembled, the project team recognized that it’s all too easy to build technical solutions without considering the user’s needs. To put the users (youth and city staff) first and ultimately arrive at something useful, our team asked:
How do we ensure that we provide a service that young people in Boston really need?
We quickly agreed that involving the youth themselves would have to be part of the solution.
“Boston wanted to hear from the young people who have experienced the old process and give them the chance to voice their expertise on improving the youth employment process by using this new data and technology.” said the Department’s Youth Employment Manager, Jared Blandino. “We felt that giving young people access to not just the application, but the behind the scenes process, was the most comprehensive way to get their feedback and get them more involved.”
The team involved the primary stakeholders – local young people – as collaborators and equal partners in the design of the project. Youth engaged in the exercise as true “designers,” making most of the decisions, while staff from MAPC facilitated the design process. Young people designed the format and feel of notification emails, wrote youth-appropriate messaging, and even helped the team design youth job preference inputs, baked into an algorithm which matches applicant preferences with best fitting jobs.
Youth were involved in every step of the design process, effectively embedding their perspectives in the technology itself. The new matching system will produce better user data, which analysts at MAPC, MIT and SuccessLink will use to understand the young people the program serves and improve the placement program over time.
Having stakeholders take on leadership roles in a project goes beyond the typical “engagement” activity that often “includes” someone but doesn’t allow them to take ownership. The work is rooted in a user-centered design process (“with, not for”) that engaged DYEE staff and young people in early-stage decisions related to data, technology, and user experience.
Boston recognized that their primary stakeholders– the young people applying for jobs– should not only be involved to help iterate and improve SuccessLink, but should also be able to gain personal empowerment and new skills from the process by seeing immediate, tangible results from their involvement in helping guide this large public program.
In fact, many of the young people involved in helping shape the SuccessLink upgrades found jobs through the program in previous years – as did Mr. Blandino. Longer term outcomes of SuccessLink are critical to the program, as other US summer job programs have been statistically correlated to meaningful reductions in participant incarceration and mortality and positively impacting lifetime earning potential. Though youth will surely be proud of their contribution to SuccessLink, participating youth may experience longer-term effects of program participation, using a new summer job as a springboard for the rest of their lives.
Boston resident Anna Gallagher, 18, managed social media as a member of the DYEE outreach Team, and provided valuable input during the SuccessLink redesign process. “Seeing the system implemented in this way really shows that they [DYEE] listened to my opinions when recreating the system.”
She added, “Participating in this with them made me feel really confident in my ability to improve the office.”
When thinking about developing a project in your community, keep in mind about how Boston engaged with teenagers to not only create better public services, but thoughtfully designed a process to empower citizens, communities and future leaders.
The Civic Tech and Data Collaborative was a partnership of Code for America (CfA), Living Cities, and the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership and is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The national organizations are working with seven communities around the country to understand how to harness the power of data and technology to increase efficiency, equity, and effectiveness in order to benefit the most vulnerable residents in our urban communities.


April 2013 TLO is available
March 2013 TLO is available
February TLO is available
More GRAIL info
More information about the upcoming GRAIL impacts is also available at
The impacts will occur at 22:29 UT, seperated by 20 seconds. The spacecraft are small, so nothing is expected to be visible, although the impact occurs in the dark. Because it’s waxing crescent, it will be daylight or twilight in most locations where the moon is above the horizon. LRO will image the site both before and after impact.
Thanks again to Mike Mattei for pointing out this web-site.
NASA live commentary during GRAIL impact
Mike Mattei brought this announcement of live commentary during the impact of the GRAIL spacecraft to my attention. The site for the impacts is near the northern crater Goldschmidt, which will be in darkness at the time.
12/14/2012 12:00 AM EST
NASA will provide live commentary of the scheduled lunar surface impacts of its twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft beginning at 2 p.m. PST (5 p.m. EST) Monday, Dec. 17.
GRAIL impact update
More information about the upcoming impact of the GRAIL spaceccraft can be found at
Thanks again Mike.
NASA GRAIL impact teleconference
The two GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) spacecraft are scheduled to impact the moon on December 17th. Thanks to Mike Mattei for bringing the announcement of a teleconference to provide an overview of events to my attention.
NASA will host a media teleconference at 10:30 a.m. PST (1:30 p.m. EST) Thursday, Dec. 13, to provide an overview of events leading up to twin spacecraft being commanded to impact the moon’s surface on Dec. 17 at approximately 2:28 p.m.


Brexit ‘solution staring us in the face’ claims Maier
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A Sky News host revealed the key post-Brexit reason for the growing number of Channel crossings this year, as the embattled Suella Braverman warned of the “invasion of the southern coast”. She also admitted the immigration system is “broken” after an asylum centre was found to be overcrowded. Sky News panellists were debating how to stop the flow of immigration into Britain on The Great Debate when Trevor Philips brought up the European Union’s Dublin Convention.
Sky News’s host Trevor Phillips said: “We, after leaving the EU, came out of what was called the Dublin Convention, which meant that we could return people who landed here very quickly, very swiftly to countries on the continent where they might have been fingerprinted and identified.
“But when we came out, we couldn’t do that anymore.
“And in fact, if you look at the numbers, it’s quite striking. [In] 2020, fewer than 9,000 came across on the boats. [In] 2021, 29,000.”
Turning to Labour’s Shadow Immigration minister Stephen Kinnock, the Sky News host asked: “Isn’t that the reason?”
Mr Kinnock replied: “You’re absolutely right” adding the Government’s failure to negotiate a “successor” to the Dublin convention had also been a contributing factor.
Suella Braverman’s handling of immigration has come under closer scrutiny after the Manston asylum centre was found to be overcrowded.
The processing centre, which is supposed to hold a maximum of 1,600 people for just 24 hours for initial checks, was found to hold up to 4,000 migrants – some staying in terrible conditions for weeks.
In a speech to the Commons, the Home Secretary admitted the immigration system was “broken”, warning of an “invasion of our southern coast” after she claimed, “some 40,000 people” have crossed the English Channel this year.
According to Government data, almost 40,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, making the highest number since figures began to be collected in 2018.
In 2021, the total number of crossings reached 28,526 – three times as many as in 2020 when 8,404 made the perilous journey from France to Britain.
Under the Dublin Convention, Britain would be allowed to send migrants back to the first EU country they set foot in. But Boris Johnson’s choice for a hard Brexit meant Britain can no longer benefit from the EU-wide immigration rule.
Asylum seekers must be fingerprinted and lodge their asylum claim in the first EU member state they join, according to the convention.
Tory MP shames ‘inexcusable’ Home Office workers ‘not doing their job’ [REPORT]
Suella Braverman has my full support in tackling the migrant crisis [REPORT]
Migrants call Manston a ‘filthy prison’, people treated like ‘animals’ [REPORT]
From January to June, the UK received over 60,000 asylum claims, with small boat arrivals accounting for roughly half of these claims.
The Home Secretary will potentially face legal action over the safety of women and children at the Manston centre in Kent. The case brought forward by lawyers from the charity Detention Action alleges ministers left a woman in “egregiously defective conditions”.
“We have taken this action out of serious concern for the welfare of thousands of people, including children, still being detained at Manston for periods far beyond legal limits,” said Jamie Wilson, deputy director of the charity. “We are calling on the home secretary to declare that anyone held at Manston for more than 24 hours is being detained unlawfully.
“We are also asking that the home secretary allow access to the facility for organisations qualified to provide support in immigration detention settings.”
Sunak drags Labour for ‘opposing every measure’ to tackle migration
Starmer ridiculed by Sunak for having ‘no plan’ on immigration
Millions of UK-based EU citizens ‘at risk of deportation’ over Brexit
Broken system shames our proud legacy on asylum, says ESTHER KRAKUE
Harry should spare a thought for his family
Source: Read Full Article


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Must-See Stops on Your Tour of Dalmatia in 2021
It’s the feel-good life, great food & friendly people. It’s the beauty of nature and the sea. It’s the rich cultural-historical heritage. It’s Dalmatia and it’s your moment to see the very best of it in a single go. Here are the places to include on your tour of Dalmatia in 2021:
1. Start from the top - Zadar
Fly to Zadar Airport and start your Dalmatian adventure with Zadar! Perfectly combining modern vibe with unique historical charm, the city will take your breath away.
Don’t miss: Sea Organ, Greetings to the Sun, historical core with squares, gates and defensive walls (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Maraschino cocktails
Make your second stop Šibenik, the oldest town founded by Croatians. With its narrow streets in the medieval core, the town is also one among the five in the world with two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Don’t miss: St James’ Cathedral and St Nicholas’ Fortress (UNESCO sites), St Michael’s Fortress for the view.
3. National parks: Krka & Kornati Islands
From Šibenik to wonders of nature! The town is a great place to arrange a trip to either or both national parks. Go on a sailing adventure around the Kornati islands and explore the Krka river, its cascades and nature all around.
Don’t miss: snorkeling in the crystal clear sea around Kornati islands, swimming under a waterfall in Krka NP
4. Trogir & Split
Curious about life as it used to be centuries and even millennia ago? On your way to Split, stop by Trogir. Its historical core is an example of urban continuity since Antiquity, which is why it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It also happens to be conveniently close to Split, the most beautiful city in the world according to its natives. Enjoy its urban buzz as you see the attractions.
Don’t miss: historical core in Trogir, Diocletian’s Palace (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the historical core in Split, the golden toe on the Statue of Gregory of Nin for good luck, Klis Fortress (particularly for Game of Thrones fans)
Take a hike. Literally! If you’re outdoorsy, you won’t want to miss the Skywalk attraction on Biokovo mountain (nature park). Just remember to check the weather report, proper footwear and plenty of water.
Don’t miss: spectacular views of the sea and the islands
6. Islands of southern Dalmatia
Aim and… pick! One or more. Discover amazing beaches such as Zlatni rat on Brač or Stiniva on Vis, then party on beautiful Hvar. See all the shades of Blue Cave on Biševo, the home of Marco Polo on Korčula and stop by Pelješac peninsula for a glass of local red wine. Experience the beauty of untouched nature on the Lastovo islands (nature park) or Mljet National Park.
Don’t miss: either of them
See the pearl of the Adriatic Sea - Dubrovnik! Walk the town walls and admire its historical core (UNESCO World Heritage Site). It truly is a worthy destination to conclude your tour of Dalmatia.
Don’t miss: the centre of Dubrovnik - Stradun street, town walls and forts, cable car for amazing views, a trip to Lokrum island.
The best of Dalmatia in a few days
350. Not the number of days, but rather kilometres in your tour of Dalmatia. Namely, that’s the distance between Zadar and Dubrovnik. In other words, you won’t have to spend a lot of time travelling in a single day, yet you will get to see top attractions in southern Croatia.
Starting your tour in Zadar, spend the night at one of Croatia’s finest hostels in the very heart of the historical peninsula. While you’re at it, do as Dalmatians do, beginning with the way they drink ‘coffee’.

domain: geography


text:
I am about to encourage you to buy and cook a fruit that is probably not available in your grocery store. But before you dismissively turn the page, consider this: If it weren't for stories about once-hard-to-find ingredients like extra-virgin olive oil, prosciutto and fresh thyme, we would still be trying to make something edible out of canned peas.
Now that that's settled, let's talk about kumquats. The size and shape of a large olive, the kumquat is like an orange in reverse, with a sweet skin and tart pulp. So you don't have to peel the kumquat; you simply eat the entire fruit. Thus its brilliance.
Need to add some zest to a salad? No more straining your knife skills by segmenting an orange. Just slice a kumquat into thin rounds and toss them in. Need to add acidity to a braise of pork, duck or lamb? Drop kumquats in whole during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Need an easy dessert? Simmer them in sugar syrup until tender, and watch as they become translucent and deflate like tiny tires as they cool; serve the softened kumquats with cheese. Slice them in half horizontally, dip their ends in egg white followed by a mixture of raw sugar and cinnamon and freeze them. They turn into sweet-tart ice cubes. Or just pile them in a bowl and pass them around after dinner.
Kumquats, which are not citrus fruits but belong to another genus, originated in China and have been cultivated across Asia for centuries. They inspired some unorthodox grafting techniques: in "The Oxford Companion to Food," Alan Davidson cites this bit of instruction from the "Book of Nabatean Agriculture," a 10th-century Iraqi text: "The branch which is to be grafted must be in the hand of a beautiful damsel, whilst a male person has disgraceful and unnatural sexual intercourse with her; during intercourse the woman grafts the branch into the tree."
Modern growers have streamlined the cultivation process somewhat.
Although kumquats have been in America for more than 150 years, Helene Beck of Beck Groves in Fallbrook, Calif., says that when she decided to plant them, about 25 years ago, "the nursery was happy to have someone who would buy their kumquat trees." And the owners of the nearby orange and lemon groves were pleased to see one less competitor.
Now the Becks harvest more than 300,000 pounds of kumquats a year and offer tastings at their local farmer's market and in specialty-grocery stores. Many people squirm and pucker when they put a kumquat in their mouths -- for those expecting a miniature orange, the first taste is a bit of a shock. But then, Beck says, "there are those who know about it, and they will just gobble them down and feel heroic."
It is difficult not to love: the kumquat is like a tidy orange. You get the punch of zest and sweetness without a lot of drippy juice. And this is why it is terrific for cooking.
Most kumquats you see in America are nagami kumquats, the oval variety, but there is talk of the meiwa, a rounder, sweeter variety, making a run at the nagami. California kumquats are grown from January through June and are at their best during March and April. Kumquats from Florida, where the growing season begins in November, are harvested until mid-March. (They are grown in other states as well.)
If kumquats are not available near you, they can be ordered by mail from Kumquat Growers in Dade City, Fla.; www.kumquatgrowers.com. A 10-pound box is $26.95, including shipping ($8 more if you're west of the Mississippi). Organic and biodynamic kumquats from Beck Groves are $4 a pound, plus shipping, and come in 10-, 20- or 25-pound boxes; www.lavignefruits.com. There is no need to buy more than five pounds of kumquats, and many farms, like Beck Groves, also grow varieties of citrus, so if you order a large box, you can get a mix of fruits, which, if stored in a cool place, will last for weeks. By then you might even be used to them.
Salad of Kumquats, Dates and Shaved Parmesan
4 handfuls baby arugula
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 Medjool dates, pitted and diced
1/4 cup Parmesan shavings (made +++with a vegetable peeler)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Slice the kumquats into thin rounds, discarding the seeds. Combine the arugula, parsley, dates, kumquats and Parmesan in a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss. Serves 4.
Shrimp With Pineapple and Pickled Kumquats
(This recipe is worth the two-day wait for pickling.)
1 cup white-wine vinegar
2 cardamom pods
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of piment d'Espelette, Aleppo pepper or toasted and ground red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for sautéing
1/3 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 cup frisée or other bitter or spicy greens, torn into small pieces
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 sprigs thyme.
1. To pickle the kumquats, bring the vinegar to a boil in a small pan. Add the cardamom pods. Put the kumquats in a heatproof container, then pour in the vinegar mixture. Let cool, then refrigerate for 2 days.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and 3 tablespoons of the kumquat vinegar. Season with black pepper and piment d'Espelette. Whisk in the olive oil.
3. Thinly slice 6 pickled kumquats and remove the seeds; set aside. Thinly slice the pineapple cubes. (You need only 12 slices total.) In a mixing bowl, combine the frisée, pineapple and pickled kumquats.
4. Place the shrimp in a bowl and season generously with salt; add the thyme and toss. Heat a large cast-iron pan until almost smoking, then pour in enough oil to thinly coat the base. Carefully add the shrimp and thyme and brown on both sides until just cooked through, about 2 minutes; discard the thyme. Transfer to the bowl with the frisée. Pour in just enough vinaigrette to coat (about half) and toss. Divide among 4 plates. Serves 4. Adapted from John Fraser at Compass.
Braised Duck With Green Olives and Kumquats
1 5-pound duck, quartered
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 cup white wine
2 fresh bay leaves
3 to 4 cups chicken broth
8 green Cerignola olives.
1. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Lightly coat the base of a large braising pan with olive oil. Lay the duck skin side down in the pan, place over medium-low heat and cook for 30 minutes. Strain off the fat and continue to cook over medium heat until the skin is dark and crisp, another 30 minutes. Transfer the duck to a plate.
2. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan; add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion wilts. Add the wine and reduce over high heat until syrupy; add the bay leaves. Return the duck to the pan, skin side up, then pour in enough broth to cover it by two-thirds. Tuck the kumquats and olives into the broth, cover and simmer until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Let the duck cool in the broth, then remove the duck, kumquats, olives, onions and bay leaves and set aside. Skim the fat from the broth, then reheat the broth, reducing by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the duck and its accompaniments to the pan to warm through. Place a piece of duck on a plate, topped with olives, kumquats, onions and sauce. Serves 4.
Additional recipes are at nytimes.com/magazine.

domain: food


text:
Investment Decisions and Tax Revenues Under an Allowance for Corporate Equity
In recent years, some European countries have relied on elements of an allow-ance for corporate equity (ACE) in the design of their tax systems. We analyse the effects of ACE-based taxation on rates of return and effective tax rates. In-vestment neutrality is lost if the imputed interest rate deviates from the market interest rate. With increasing profitability, the relative importance of the ACE compared with the statutory tax rate decreases. This might induce disadvantages for countries that compete for profitable, multinational companies. Revenue ef-fects indicate that tax rates under an ACE-based tax system should not exceed those in competing countries by much.
|Date of creation:||2002|
|Contact details of provider:|| Postal: L 7,1; D - 68161 Mannheim|
Web page: http://www.zew.de/
More information through EDIRC
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Devereux, Michael P & Hubbard, R Glenn, 2003.
International Tax and Public Finance,
Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 10(4), pages 469-487, August.
- Michael P. Devereux & R. Glenn Hubbard, 2000. "Taxing Multinationals," NBER Working Papers 7920, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Devereux, Michael P & Griffith, Rachel, 2003. "Evaluating Tax Policy for Location Decisions," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 10(2), pages 107-126, March.
- Devereux, Michael P. & Griffith, Rachel, 2002. "Evaluating Tax Policy for Location Decisions," CEPR Discussion Papers 3247, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
- Boadway, Robin & Bruce, Neil, 1984. "A general proposition on the design of a neutral business tax," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 231-239, July.
- Robin Boadway & Neil Bruce, 1982. "A General Proposition on the Design of a Neutral Business Tax," Working Papers 461, Queen's University, Department of Economics.
- Paul A. Samuelson, 1964. "Tax Deductibility of Economic Depreciation to Insure Invariant Valuations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 72, pages 604-604.
- Michael Heinhold & Silke Hüsing & Helmut Pasch, 2000. "Consumption-Based Tax Systems And Investment Neutrality: Does The Corporation Income Tax Depreciation Method Impact Investment Capital Value?," Schmalenbach Business Review (sbr), LMU Munich School of Management, vol. 52(3), pages 261-281, July.
- Michael P. Devereux & Rachel Griffith, 1998. "The Taxation of Discrete Investment Choices," Keele Department of Economics Discussion Papers (1995-2001) 98/08, Department of Economics, Keele University.
- Michael Devereux & Rachel Griffith, 1998. "The taxation of discrete investment choices," IFS Working Papers W98/16, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Devereux, Michael P. & Griffith, Rachel, 1998. "Taxes and the location of production: evidence from a panel of US multinationals," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 335-367, June.
- Michael Devereux & Rachel Griffith, 1996. "Taxes and the location of production: evidence from a panel of US multinationals," IFS Working Papers W96/14, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Ulrich Schreiber & Christoph Spengel & Lothar Lammersen, 2002. "Measuring The Impact Of Taxation On Investment And Financing Decisions," Schmalenbach Business Review (sbr), LMU Munich School of Management, vol. 54(1), pages 2-23, January.
- European Commission, 2001. "Company Taxation in the Internal Market," Taxation Studies 0005, Directorate General Taxation and Customs Union, European Commission.
- Homburg, Stefan, 2010. "Allgemeine Steuerlehre," EconStor Books, ZBW - German National Library of Economics, number 92547. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

domain: economics


text:
Every year in Quebec, more and more children are getting the hyperactive label. Is there really an increase in the number of children who are hyperactive or is this phenomenon explained by other factors? According to Stephanie Deslauriers, psychoeducator,: “We’re all a little surprised by the increase in diagnoses in general, but I think there are several factors at play here. People are more aware of the need for early testing; parents, teachers and medical professionals are better informed. One could hypothesize that there are more cases, but that fact has not been proven. The tool psychiatrists use to diagnose the disorder has evolved significantly over time as well, as the understanding of the disorder increases, the definition widens to include more people which means that we can now diagnose adults who have never received help for their difficulties.”
Is my child hyperactive?
A hyperactive child begins to show signs as early as 2 to 3 years of age, but as children are often little balls of energy at that age anyway, they often receive a diagnosis later, when they start school around the age of 7.
But if the fact that your child acting like a tornado destroying everything on his way and seems to always have energy to spare automatically imply that he is hyperactive? Not necessarily as explained by Stephanie Deslauriers: “Other problems can sometimes be confused with hyperactivity. Sometimes, a child who experiences severe anxiety will show outwards signs that will be wrongly associated with hyperactivity. This is why it’s important, if you think your child is hyperactive, to receive a proper diagnosis after extensive testing to determine what is troubling your child and how to best help him.”
- Nearly 8 % of children born in Quebec suffer from ADHD. The disorder affects boys slightly more than girls.
- Researchers believe that the disorder might partially be related to genes as 30 to 40 % of people diagnosed with ADHD have at least a family member with the same disorder.
- Only 30 % of children diagnosed with ADHD have only this diagnosis. At least half of them are also diagnosed with an opposition disorder, 25 % receive a behavioral disorder diagnosis, 18 % mood disorders, 25 % anxiety disorders and 60 % of them also have a learning disability.
To receive a diagnosis of hyperactivity, symptoms must be present for a period of more than six months, your child has to have shown signs of hyperactivity from a young age and these symptoms must create behavioral, social and organizational problems in his daily life.
Symptoms of inattention:
- Your child can’t pay attention to details;
- He has difficulty staying attentive in class or when he is playing;
- He never seems to listen when spoken to;
- He doesn’t follow through, fails to complete homework or activities;
- He has trouble staying organized
- He avoids or complains when asked to perform tasks that require sustained mental activity;
- He often loses his toys;
- He is easily distracted by external factors;
- He is often forgetful.
If your child has issues with being attentive, Stephanie Deslauriers suggests you give him some tips to manage his troubles. For example, you can divide the tasks you give him, remind him of the order in which he has to do things, ask him to repeat the instructions to make sure he understood. If what he is doing requires a lot of concentration, encourage him to take breaks to stretch or have a little snack before completing the task.
Symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness:
- Your child is often moving their hands and feet or squirms in their chair;
- They often get up in situations where they are supposed to stay sitting;
- They run or climb excessively in inappropriate situations;
- They have trouble keeping quiet when they should;
- They have intense reactions;
- They have difficulty waiting for their turn;
- They often interrupt or impose their presence to others.
Tips from our specialist
A child who always feels the need to move and acts impulsively has a high level of energy he is struggling to manage and channel. As a parent, you can give him the tools to help him regain consciousness of his body and to help him focus and get back to the present. You can use a magic bag on his neck and legs for example, or have him sit on an exercise ball. Some kids love to use anti-stress balls, sensory play dough or even marking time with a timer. Stephanie Deslauriers tells us that visual reminders and schedules that clearly explain the sequence of events can be very reassuring for these children as well.
Ritalin: The controversy
Ritalin, a drug typically used to treat children who suffer from ADHD, typically raises concerns with parents. Even some professionals like the Ministries of Education, recreation and sports, Health and Social services and Family and Seniors felt the need to address the issue by taking an official position because of the dramatic record increase of prescriptions for Ritalin in the past years (just from 1997 to 2003, the number of prescriptions for Ritalin has jumped 55, and has continued to grow since!).
The Ministries recommend avoiding over-prescribing Ritalin, taking into account that the use of this medication may be desirable in some cases. What does Stephanie Deslauriers think? According to her, “Medication can be useful when used in conjunction with psycho-social care. The medication will help the child to see more clearly, reduce his distress to that he can be mentally prepared to find ways to manage his difficulties long term.”
Hyperactivity in school
Many parents report that teachers seem to be pressuring them to get a prescription for Ritalin for their active kids. Even school psychologists feel the pressure to prescribe drugs without even having had the time to diagnose the child properly. Stephanie Deslauriers explains that this trend of overprescribing Ritalin actually reveals a sad reality that teachers have to face daily: “More and more children with disabilities are integrated in regular classrooms, but the teachers don’t receive any training or support to handle the extra workload. If the system doesn’t support them properly, they quickly feel overwhelmed and incompetent and will be more likely to recommend medicating the child due to a lack of resources and information.”

domain: medical


Kickbike Sport 8"
In aluminium and plastic. Collapsible, which makes it easy to take with you. Solid polyurethane wheels with ABEC 5 ball bearings. The rear wheel is fitted with a footbrake. No suspension. Wheel: 200 mm. Dimensions, extended: 860 x 330 x 1010 mm (w x d x h). Dimensions, collapsed: 795 x 120 x 240 mm. Weight: 5.3 kg. Max. load: 100 kg. Age: 8+.


text:
Unis: Eunice Lee used a combination of fabrics and colors in harmony for her fall 2010 collection. Especially loved the cobalt blue ribbed jacket.
Richard Chai for the first time impressed me with his men’s collection. The color combinations were amazing with slimmer cuts from him this time. The collection had this military vibe and the accessories were cool.
J Crew: Designer Frank Muytjens sticks to the Brands classic and you get a feeling he probably got inspiration going through their archives.
Caulfield Preparatory did show a decent collection considering the fact that its only a few years old. Loved the big checks, herringbones and khaki’s. Very typical American vibe.
Billy Reid: The Billy Reid man can flaunt his cool
Burkman Bros sure know a thing or two about layering. Ben and Doug Burkman get it right also with the fabrication and use of colors. It’s a bit refreshing to find more menswear fall collection from

domain: artistic


text:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2009
Randy Hart Named Notre Dame Defensive Line Coach
39-year coaching veteran completes 2009 Irish football coaching staff
NOTRE DAME, Ind. Randy Hart, defensive line coach the past 21 seasons at
the University of Washington, has been named to the same post at the
University of Notre Dame, Irish head football coach Charlie Weis announced
“I’m thrilled to add someone with the resume and personality of Randy Hart
to our coaching staff, Weis said. As I discussed last week, there were
certain attributes and qualities I was looking for in this hire. First and
foremost, he had to have great chemistry with Jon (Tenuta, defensive
coordinator) and Corwin (Brown, associate head coach). Second, we wanted
someone that was a high-energy coach that could develop our young defensive
line. Lastly, I was looking for a coach that would serve as a great mentor
to (defensive graduate assistant coach) Bryant Young.
“With Randy joining our program we have added a veteran coach of great
character and knowledge that truly completes our coaching staff. I welcome
Randy and Linda along with their sons to the Notre Dame family and look
forward to introducing him to our team soon.
A 39-year coaching veteran, Hart has coached at five other schools in his
career and returns to the Midwest where he coached for 17 of his first 18
years. Prior to Washington (1988-2008), Hart coached at Ohio State (1970-71,
1982-87), Purdue, (1977-81), Iowa State (1973-76) and Tampa (1972).
“Im excited to come to Notre Dame and be part of such a storied and
tradition-rich university,” said Hart. I look forward to working with Coach
Weis, the entire football staff, and our team of young men to perpetuate a
great defense, a great team, and winning football games.”
Hart has been part of 22 bowl teams in his coaching career, including six
Rose Bowls. At Washington he helped guide the Huskies to 12 bowl
appearances, including three-straight Rose Bowl games. His 1991 defensive
unit allowed only 101 points and 1,191 rushing yards in 11 regular season
games en route to winning the schools first national championship. That
unit still holds six Washington defensive team records.
Three times during Hart’s tenure, Washington allowed fewer than 100 rushing
yards per game, including 1990 and 1991 when the Huskies permitted 66.8
yards and 67.1 yards rushing, respectively. Prior to Harts arrival,
Washingtons football team had allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards per game
in a season only four times in the 51-year history of the program.
Four of the eight-best single-season defensive rushing averages in school
history occurred under Harts watch, and six times the Huskies allowed 120.2
rushing yards or less in a season. The 1990 defense owns the school record
for fewest rushing yards allowed in an 11-game season (735 yards), while the
2002 unit permitted 1,270 rushing yards to set the standard for a 13-game
With the Huskies, Hart coached 14 first-team all-Pacific-10 players and 11
of his players were selected in NFL drafts. Hart developed four
All-Americans, three winners of the Morris Trophy (awarded to the Pac-10s
top offensive or defensive lineman) and two players who were named Pac-10
Player of the Year.
Hart’s prized pupil was Steve Emtman, the 1991 recipient of the Lombardi
Award and Outland Trophy. Emtman was a first-team All-American, two-time
winner of the Morris Trophy and the first overall selection in the 1992 NFL
draft by the Indianapolis Colts. In 2007, Emtman was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame.
As a standout defensive tackle for Hart, Emtman became the most decorated
defensive player in Husky history. He anchored a defense in 1991 that
allowed just 67.1 rushing yards and 9.2 points per game. Emtman finished
fourth in Heisman Trophy balloting that year after registering 62 tackles
including 20.5 tackles for loss.
D’Marco Farr also was a member of the 1991 national championship team and
became the top defensive player in the Pac-10 under Harts guidance in 1992
and 1993. He was the recipient of the Morris Trophy in 1993 when he totaled
66 tackles and 19 tackles for loss.
Hart produced the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 1996 when Jason
Chorak paced the conference with a school-record 14.5 sacks and 22 tackles
for loss. He was named first-team All-America that season and followed that
by being placed on the All-America second team in 1997. Chorak finished his
career as the schools all-time leader with 61.5 tackles for loss and ranked
third with 25.5 career sacks.
Several other players for Hart enjoyed NFL careers, including Dennis Brown,
David Richie, Tyrone Rodgers, Jamal Fountain, Jabari Issa, Mac Tuiaea, Larry
Tripplett and Terry “Tank” Johnson. As the Huskies’ defensive coordinator
from 1995-98, Hart also helped develop future second-round draft picks
Lawyer Milloy and Tony Parrish.
Prior to his tenure at Washington, Hart was the defensive line coach at Ohio
State, his alma mater, from 1982-87. His return to Columbus marked his
second coaching stint with the Buckeyes and the third time he coached under
Earle Bruce. Hart went to five bowl games in his six years at Ohio State,
including the 1983 Fiesta Bowl, 1985 Rose Bowl and 1987 Cotton Bowl.
Hart coached the defensive line at Purdue from 1977-81 under head coach Jim
Young and broke into the coaching industry with his first full-time job at
the University of Tampa in 1972 under Bruce. Hart served as the offensive
line coach in his only season at Tampa before following Bruce to Iowa State
where he switched sides and started his defensive line coaching career with
the Cyclones from 1973-76. He worked as a graduate assistant, focusing on
the offensive line, with Ohio State in 1970-71.
Hart was a three-time letterwinner for the Ohio State football team as a
6-2, 234-pound offensive guard. He was a member of the 1969 Rose Bowl
championship team that defeated USC 27-16, to cap a perfect 10-0 season en
route to being named national champion. Hart was also a member of the Ohio
State wrestling team for the 1966 season.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Hart was born March 9, 1948, and graduated from
South High School in Willoughby, Ohio. He earned his bachelors degree in
education from Ohio State in 1970 and a masters degree in education in
1974, also from Ohio State. Hart and his wife Linda have two sons, Jay and
John. John was a three-time letterwinner on the Washington football team and
graduated in 2002.
Hart replaces Jappy Oliver who resigned in January to pursue other
THE HART FILE
Year School Assignment
1970-71 Ohio State Graduate Assistant
1972 Tampa Offensive Line
1973-76 Iowa State Defensive Line
1977-80 Purdue Defensive Line
1981 Purdue Defensive Line/Administrative Asst. to
1982-87 Ohio State Defensive Line
1988-94 Washington Defensive Line
1995-98 Washington Assistant Head Coach/Defensive
1999-2008 Washington Defensive Line
2009 Notre Dame Defensive Line
Director of Football Media Relations
University of Notre Dame
112 Joyce Center
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Office – 574.631.9471
Cell – 574.532.4134

domain: sports


Fortunately, jobs for women can be created by concentrating on professions that build the most important infrastructure — human capital. In 2007, women were 83 percent of social workers, 94 percent of child care workers, 74 percent of education, training and library workers (including 98 percent of preschool and kindergarten teachers and 92 percent of teachers’ assistants)....I think Obama must respond to this problem. If a huge federal jobs program is really what we need -- and I'm not willing to say it is -- then how can nearly all the job be men's jobs? Is it enough of an answer to say that it's up to women to take up the hard physical labor of building roads and bridges and the like?
Many of the jobs women do are already included in Mr. Obama’s campaign promises. Women are teachers, and the campaign promised to provide support for families with children up to the age of 5, increase Head Start financing and quadruple the money spent on Early Head Start to include a quarter-million infants and toddlers. Special education, including arts education, is heavily female as well. Mr. Obama promised to increase financing for arts education and for the National Endowment for the Arts, which supports many school programs....
The current proposal is simply too narrow. Women represent almost half the work force — not exactly a marginal special interest group. By adding a program for jobs in libraries, schools and children’s programs, the new administration can create jobs for them, too.
December 9, 2008
Linda Hirshman doesn't like it. Her solution?


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A woman stabbed her husband with a kitchen knife following an argument that began when she accused him of opening a Christmas present early, authorities said Friday.
Misty Johnson, 34, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and battery, a felony, and misdemeanor domestic battery. Her husband, Shawn Fay Johnson, 34, was treated at a local hospital for a wound to the chest and released, police said.
Misty Johnson made an initial court appearance Thursday in which she requested a court-appointed attorney, according to authorities. She was released after posting bail, which was set at $7,500.
There was no telephone listing for her in Rock Springs.
Authorities said Shawn Johnson called 911 just before 1 a.m. on Wednesday to report that his wife had stabbed him.
An officer patrolling the area arrived at the couple's apartment in less than a minute, said police Detective David Thompson. A medical team arrived a few minutes later.
According to court records, Shawn Johnson told police that his wife started arguing with him over his opening a Christmas present. Thompson said he did not know what the present was, or if it was intended for the husband.
As the argument escalated, Misty Johnson accused her husband of having an affair, according to authorities. Police found a marriage license in the couple's apartment stating they were married in late September.
Misty Johnson was also taken to the hospital and treated for a minor cut to her leg before being jailed, Thompson said.

domain: news


Port of Spain (Trinidad), Jun 6 (IANS/CMC): David Williams, overlooked for the post of West Indies assistant coach, has been appointed head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago.
The 48-year-old, who played 11 Tests and 36 One-Day Internationals (ODI) between 1992 and 1996, replaces namesake Kelvin Williams who will now serve as assistant coach, reports Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
His first major assignment is expected to be the T-20 Champions League in India, scheduled for October.
David Williams held the post of T&T head coach up to 2008 when he resigned to take up the position as assistant to then West Indies head coach, Australian John Dyson.
He was the officiating coach of West Indies on the one-day tour of Australia in February, 2010, following Dyson's departure before Ottis Gibson took over for Zimbabwe's tour immediately thereafter.
David Williams continued as assistant coach on a tour-by-tour basis until March this year when he was replaced by Englishman Toby Radford.
A former West Indies wicketkeeper, Williams will be in charge of the T&T youth side for the regional Under-19 Championship in July-August before taking up the senior team post.


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Facebook Concerns at the Senate
Since day one Facebook has experienced significant pushback towards its plans for releasing a digital asset and accompanying wallet. With the recent launch of its Novi pilot-program, various U.S. Senators have taken the time to re-iterate their displeasure, urging Facebook to cease its actions.
In this letter the Senators did not mince words, speaking harshly on their belief in Facebook, based on the company’s track-record. Not only do they touch on the potential financial instability that Facebook might bring with a digital asset, but its proclivity for placing profit above the well-being of the nation’s youth. The following is an excerpt from this letter, summarizing the stance being taken by the Senators.
“Unfortunately, Facebook’s decision to pursue a digital currency and payments network is just one more example of the company “moving fast and breaking things” (and in too many cases, misleading Congress in order to do so). Time and again, Facebook has made conscious business decisions to continue with actions that have harmed its users and the broader society. Facebook cannot be trusted to manage a payment system or digital currency when its existing ability to manage risks and keep consumers safe has proven wholly insufficient.
We urge you to immediately discontinue your Novi pilot and to commit that you will not bring Diem to market.”
Lending Service Crackdown
For months now it has been clear that regulators were coming down hard on lending services within the United States with companies such as BlockFi, Nexo, and Celsius, having each experienced high levels of scrutiny. The most recent example of this saw both New York Attorney General Letitia James announce that multiple lending platforms have been ordered to not only cease operations in the state within 10 days, but that various others were being investigated further.
“Cryptocurrency platforms must follow the law, just like everyone else, which is why we are now directing two crypto companies to shut down and forcing three more to answer questions immediately…My office is responsible for ensuring industry players do not take advantage of unsuspecting investors. We’ve already taken action against a number of crypto platforms and coins that engaged in fraud or that illegally operated in New York. Today’s actions build on that work and send a message that we will not hesitate to take whatever actions are necessary against any company that thinks they are above the law.” – Attorney General James
Celsius in particular has taken the time to address this issue, assuring its clients that it is not going anywhere. The company states that it, “…has NOT received a cease and desist from New York state”, but rather a ‘request for information’.
A controversial subject, predating the aforementioned scrutiny being placed on lending platforms, is the true backing of USDT. Simply put, many have and continue to doubt the veracity of Tether’s claims that USDT has the backing it says it does. This controversy is part of the reason which has allowed rivals such as USDC to steal away such a large share of the stablecoin market in recent months.
Unfortunately for Tether, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) was not convinced by its claims. Days ago the regulator announced that it found Tether had made, “…untrue or misleading statements and omission of material fact in connection with the U.S. dollar tether token (USDT) stablecoin.”
In coming to this conclusion, the CFTC levied and settled charges against Tether, with the company paying a $41 million fine.
With Tether playing such an important role within the digital asset sector, these continuing issues have also resulted in interest not only from regulators, but forensic financial research firms. Hindenburg Research has just announced a, “…reward of up to $1,000,000 for information leading to previously undisclosed details about cryptocurrency “stablecoin” Tether’s backing.”
Essentially, Hindenburg Research does not believe Tether’s claims, stating that it is determined to protect investors by exposing any fraud occurring behind the scenes. Tether on the other hand has referred to this reward as both an ‘opportunistic’ and ‘pathetic’ attempt to profit.


LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Offense and defense dominate most of the conversation about the matchup between the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals, but special teams could ultimately decide the winner in this one.
Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis and head coach Marc Trestman understand the challenge the Bears face Sunday when they host the Bengals at Soldier Field.
“Special teams is going to be huge,” Trestman said. “They’re sitting there with (Brandon) Tate and (Adam) Pacman Jones as their returners. They’re both exceptional. They’ve been as aggressive as any team in the National Football League in the last few years in faking field goals and making big plays. They’ve got speed on their team just like we do. They’ve got a punter (Kevin Huber) who can direct kicks and kicks it high. It’s the first of three left-footed punters we’re going to see over the next three weeks. That’ll be an issue just covering kicks and doing those types of things.”
Huber set Cincinnati’s record for gross punting average (46.6 yards) last season, as well as net average (42). In addition, Huber led the NFL last season in punts downed inside the 5 (11). During the preseason, Huber averaged 44.9 yards on punts (39.3-yard net), and hit three inside the 20 with no touchbacks.
Kicker Mike Nugent, who missed the last four games of 2012 with a calf injury, hit 19-of-23 attempts, including a 55-yarder against Oakland. The year before, Nugent set team records for field goals (33) and points (132).
“The field goal kicker is a real solid guy and the punter is a real solid guy,” DeCamillis said. “Darrin Simmons is the coach and does a great job. It’s going to be a heck of a challenge for us coming right out the gate.”
Tate is already Cincinnati’s career leader in punt return average (10.1 yards), and Jones, who didn’t return a punt in the preseason, has returned five punts for touchdowns during his career, including one last season. Only Chicago’s Devin Hester has returned more punts for TDs (12) than Jones among active players.
“They’ve got excellent returns,” DeCamillis said.
Jones ranked seventh in 2012 in punt return average (11.6 yards). Meanwhile, Tate averaged 24.8 yards on kickoff returns, and finished the preseason with a 30.5-yard average on four returns. Tate also returned a punt for a TD in the preseason.
“There’s a lot of issues on special teams,” Trestman said. “It’s going to be huge. We feel we’ve got good matchups. We feel it’s going to be a heck of a game from that standpoint.”


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“The Amazing Race” host Phil Keoghan is getting ready for an amazing ride: a multitasking bicycle trip across America.
Keoghan said he’s cycling cross-country to encourage people to pursue a healthy life. He also intends to spotlight the battle against multiple sclerosis, a cause he’s supported for several years.
Keoghan will set off from Los Angeles on March 28 and end in New York on May 9 — the day before the “Amazing Race” season finale airs on CBS, the network said Wednesday.
He plans to average 100 miles a day, and said he hopes people will join in as he passes through their area.
“I feel like where we’re at in the economy, the bicycle is a pretty good solution to helping people’s waistlines, wallets and the environment,” Keoghan said by phone from Auckland during a visit to his native New Zealand.
The ride, sponsored by nutritional retailer GNC, also is intended to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Bike MS fundraising effort, with Keoghan attending rallies nationwide.
A member of Keoghan’s family, a cousin, has the disease, a CBS spokesman said.
Keoghan’s path will take him to more than 30 cities including Las Vegas; Denver; Lincoln, Neb.; Des Moines, Iowa; Chicago; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh; Washington; Baltimore; Philadelphia; and New York.


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Rumor: ‘Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Renewed For Sixth Season
ABC is rumored to have renewed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for season 6, keeping its flagship Marvel TV series around for 2019.
Continuing the story of Phil Coulson after the events of The Avengers, the series premiered in Fall 2013 to solid fanfare and record ratings, but the show’s viewership dwindled in its first season. Since then, the show has built a dedicated fan base, with those who’ve stuck around agreeing that the show has only gotten better with each season.
Season 5 finds the team on a space station almost a century in the future, as they attempt to stop the Earth from breaking apart. The team returned to Earth in the present day, only to find new threats while trying to change the timeline. While the series is currently halfway through its fifth season, fans have wondered whether or not it would reach season 6.
MovieTVTechGeeks is reporting that they have confirmation of a season six renewal from three sources at Disney, ABC, and the production team. However, this report should be taken with a grain of salt, as ABC has not announced pickups for it’s upcoming season.
In the past, the series’ renewal has always been questionable, with low but decent ratings, but not on the same level as the network’s other shows. Last year, the series did get a season 5 renewal, though it was later revealed that parent company Disney mandated that the show be renewed, according to Variety.
The series recently reached its landmark 100th episode in March, and the season 5 finale is set to air on May 18 on ABC. With the series also being the network’s only Marvel TV series currently on the air, a renewal seems possible, though Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen told Entertainment Weekly that the season’s final episode is being written as a series finale, as they aren’t sure of a renewal either.
What do you think? Are you hoping Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gets a sixth season? Let us know in the comments down below.


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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2012
DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012
In the morning, the President will return to the White House from Camp David. There will be in-town travel pool coverage of the President’s arrival.
Later in the morning, the President will deliver remarks at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members in the East Room. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas will present the countries of the candidates for naturalization and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will deliver the oath of allegiance. This event is open press.
In the evening, the President and the First Lady will celebrate the Fourth of July by hosting military heroes and their families for an Independence Day celebration with a barbeque, concert and a view of fireworks on the South Lawn. Staff and their families from throughout the Administration will also attend this event for the concert and fireworks viewing. The President will deliver remarks. His remarks will be pooled press. The event will be streamed live on www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.
In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: ABC
Print: Washington Times
8:30AM Pool Call Time
10:15AM THE PRESIDENT arrives at Ft. McNair
In-Town Travel Pool Coverage (In-Town Travel Pool Gather 8:45AM – Brady Press Briefing Room)
10:25AM THE PRESIDENT arrives the White House
In-Town Travel Pool Coverage
10:50AM THE PRESIDENT deliver remarks at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members
Open Press (Pre-set 9:00AM – Final Gather 10:00AM – North Doors of the Palm Room)
6:00PM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY attend a Fourth of July celebration; THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks
Pooled Press (Pre-set 3:30PM – Final Gather 5:30PM – North Doors of the Palm Room)

domain: politics


Please go check out the Research section, where we just updated more science about our environment! https://theearthhood.org/research/
*A hint of what it’s about
There Might Be Shark In Your Sunscreen
By Annie Roth
Photograph by Brian J. Skerry, National Geographic Creative
Did you know that in order to produce some Sunscreen, millions of endangered sharks are being killed? Shark’s liver secrets a type of oil called squalene, which can also be found in plants. However, killing sharks is cheaper than extracting oil from plants. As a result, of 60 species that are hunted, 26 kinds may go extinct. Due to difficulty in monitoring species’ population in deep ocean, protection of endangered sharks and regulation of shark hunting by fishermen are hard to execute.
Link to the original article:
YS Ding, Posted on Sep.5 2018


SMS text messaging just turned 20 years old, but the technology is already being put out to pasture.
Now those free services that use wireless Internet or carrier data plans to send messages, which include apps such as Skype, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp, are next year expected to surpass SMS as the texting tech of choice, according to a report released Wednesday by mobile enterprise company Tyntec and GigaOm Research.
Remember your irresponsible friend who, back in the day, racked up hundreds of dollars in 10-cent texts each month? Teenagers with cell phones that came without texting plans wreaked havoc on their parents’ bills.
We could have all avoided being grounded–I mean, our friends could have stayed out of trouble–if free IP messages existed in the early days of texting.
This year is the first that avid texters are expected to send an even number of IP and SMS messages–about 10 trillion, according to the study. Just two years ago, smartphone users sent just over 2 trillion IP messages compared to more than 8 trillion SMS messages.
“When [SMS] was invented in the '90s, it was more like a waste product,” said Giovanni Benini, Tyntec’s director of product management. “Nobody expected people to start texting like crazy. We see for the first time that this growth is reduced, not because people don’t want to text anymore, but because there’s a new technology coming up.”
SMS versus IP
SMS texts used to be a huge moneymaker for wireless carriers, because they are transmitted leveraging existing cell phone towers and cost carriers almost nothing to send. The rise of IP messaging has cut into carriers’ revenues; in 2011, mobile operators worldwide saw a 9 percent drop in messaging revenue. That trend is expected to continue.
Tyntec's Benini said carriers will hang on to SMS texts and promote unlimited texting plans bundled with voice and data–at least for the next five years. Businesses are also sticking to SMS as a reliable way to reach a wide subset of customers.
But IP messaging is expected to far surpass SMS by 2016–16 trillion versus 11 trillion messages, according to the Tyntec/GigaOm study. The rise of virtual phone numbers, which IP messaging companies can create without piggybacking on carriers, contributes to that growth. Teens who once would have racked up huge overage fees can now turn their iPod Touches and tablets into phones without buying text or data plans.
This story, "Texting supremacy crown passes to IP as numbers for SMS messages decline" was originally published by TechHive.


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Travis Peterson scored 18 points and
Randall Gulina added 17 to lead Samford to a 61-50 victory over
Murray State on Wednesday night.
Three Samford (5-4, 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference) players scored
in double digits and Peterson's career-high 18 points was on
7-of-11 shooting."This was a complete effort from our team on both ends of the
court and I thought that this was our best game of the season,"
Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette said. "Earlier, we would put
together a good half, but then struggled for awhile, but now I
think that we are more determined to do what we need to do to win
games."Murray State (5-3, 3-1) withstood a 10-2 start from the Bulldogs
and eventually took a 27-19 lead with 3:35 left in the first half.A Samford rally sparked by Ryan Woolsey, Jerry Smith and Gulina
tied the score at 27-27.Woolsey gave the Bulldogs the lead for good, closing out the
half with a 3-pointer and a pair of lay-ups to give Samford a 34-29
lead.Pearson Griffith scored 19 points to lead the Racers and was the
only Murray State player to reach double figures. Shawn Witherspoon
led the team with seven rebounds.


Daniel Porter Live at Hotel Vin
January 22, 2021
Hotel Vin (map)
215 E Dallas Road
Grapevine TX 76051
Join us Friday, January 22 from 7-10 PM for a special night with Daniel Porter.
A graduate of the UNT Jazz program, the Daniel Porter trio deftly moves through diverse genres and tempos to create a fun and engaging vibe.
Bacchus dinner reservations can be made here: https://linktr.ee/BacchusTX
Tables are spaced for social distancing and masks are required when entering Hotel Vin.


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Www.rovinfest.com - The Northwest Chocolate Festival. Associated to The Northwest Chocolate Festival, In the event you agree that nothing might be better than being outside, making new friends, and making some cash in your boss then you're ready to turn into a festival vendor. Becoming a festival seller can be easy or difficult; it certainly depends on the festival you want to sell your wares at.
A community festival will be an event that is more often than not organised and staged by a nearby community to celebrate or highlight a unique component of that self same community. This is often similar to The Northwest Chocolate Festival.
As songs pageant time ways be ready and prepare forward. If you are choosing the one most vital piece of your camping kit, your tent, ensure that it is well assumed out in advance of you choose on that which you all want. I supply you with some food stuff for imagined below.See Also: Church Of England Christmas Cards
Summer is in this article, meaning some time has come to hear excellent tunes at a number of the festivals around the globe. Before you pack up for your day and head out to the competition, have a moment to understand some guidelines so you're able to hold the most enjoyment probable. Find out ways to have a very fantastic time without any on the stresses which will have an all-day or multi-day summer season audio pageant.
The Pageant time is upon us and it is time to grab your Hunter Wellingtons for an additional wild tunes tour. You can discover journals brimming with pageant tips, nevertheless they can be very impractical - all sandals and maxi dresses. This is certainly apparel is ok should you be Kate Moss along with your very possess shower and VIP space but when you're going to any British isles Festivals and also you will not possess the luxury of employed help, then rain combined with mud, are pretty much a presented.

domain: hobby


Over four hundred species of Justicia are native to the world’s tropics. Several have showy
flowers and are grown in warm gardens. This plant is native to Mexico.
Spikes of orange flowers are produced in summer. The flowers are attractive to
Shrub to about six feet tall.
Light: full sun to part shade
Water: moderately drought tolerant
Soil: ordinary, well-drained soil, no other special requirements
This tropical plant is not widely grown in north Florida. It is evergreen
to the mid-20’s F. We have not yet learned the winter temperature that kills it
back to the ground, or kills it completely.
Copyright © 2018 University of North Florida1 UNF Drive | Jacksonville, FL 32224 | Phone: (904) 620-1000
Regulations | Consumer InformationWebsite Accessibility |


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As we enter the final run-up to polling day, we have pulled together a helpful spreadsheet to enable you to compare the tax policies of the main parties contesting the General Election in Scotland, England and Wales.
The 2019 CIOT/ATT tax tracker allows you to see proposals from the Conservatives, Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Brexit Party and Plaid Cymru.
In summary this is how the parties compare:
Income and capital gains – Labour and the Greens would wrap capital gains and dividends into income tax and tax them at income tax rates. The Lib Dems would wrap capital gains in but not dividends. Labour propose income tax increases for those earning more than £80,000 a year. The Lib Dems would increase each income tax rate by a penny. The Conservatives promise no increases in income tax or national insurance rates, but would increase the employee national insurance threshold. The SNP, also backing no increases in National Insurance, want NI to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
The Conservatives and Plaid Cymru would keep the Corporation Tax rate at 19 per cent. Lib Dems would raise it to 20 per cent, the Greens to 24 per cent and Labour to 26 per cent, with a lower 21 per cent rate for small profits. The Brexit Party propose a new zero rate for the first £10,000 of profits. A number of parties plan changes to R&D reliefs, most radically Labour who would phase out R&D tax credits for large corporations over the Parliament.
Various sector-specific tax proposals have been put forward, the most headline grabbing of which is Labour’s plan for a windfall tax on the oil and gas industry. Labour and Lib Dems would place a levy on the gambling industry to tackle problem gambling. Labour plan a Financial Transactions Tax. Lib Dems would increase the digital services tax rate.
Small businesses would be particular beneficiaries of a series of other business tax measures, including a more generous Employment Allowance (Conservatives, SNP and Greens) and reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy (Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems). A Labour government would target high-paying employers with a new excessive pay levy on earnings over £330,000.
On international tax measures, all parties want measures to tackle profit-shifting by multinationals, but while the Conservatives only offer unspecified ‘further measures’ Labour propose to bring in unitary taxation of non-UK multinational companies via apportionment, based (it appears) on some combination of sales, assets and labour. Lib Dems would broaden the rules for determining whether a multinational has a UK establishment. SNP want an online retailer tax.
Explicit pledges not to increase VAT can also be found across the political spectrum, with a series of measures aimed at maintaining or ending VAT on a variety of products and efforts by the SNP, Plaid and Greens to boost the hospitality industry. Lib Dems and SNP also plan lower VAT rates for home insulation.
Further indirect tax measures are focused on boosting the environment, including taxes on plastic and flying, and, for the Greens, taxes on meat and dairy products to encourage a shift to plant-based diets. The Conservatives, SNP and Liberal Democrats all hint at plans to cut duty on Scotch Whisky.
On property and land taxation the Greens propose a land value tax, while Lib Dems would introduce this for commercial landowners only, replacing business rates. Labour would consider this change. The Conservatives would review business rates and propose reductions for some categories of business. A number of parties propose tax measures targeted at owners of second homes, empty properties and overseas purchasers of UK property. Labour would reverse Conservative inheritance tax cuts while the Brexit Party want to scrap IHT altogether.
As usual at election time there are lots of proposals to strengthen tax compliance, including plans from Labour, Lib Dems and Greens to replace the current General Anti-Abuse Rule with a General Anti-Avoidance Rule (or principle, in the Greens’ case) . Labour have a 35 point programme in this area, including increasing transparency with public filing of tax returns for big companies and high earners. They would also scrap non-dom status and massively increase HMRC’s programme of tax audits. The Conservatives plan tougher sentences for tax fraud and a new Anti-Tax Evasion unit in HMRC. Lib Dems and SNP would review the current IR35 proposals and Lib Dems want to end retrospective tax changes like the loan charge. Labour promise not to extend quarterly reporting to businesses below the VAT threshold.