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Dala Hemeyer wondered how the grade school students she was working with were feeling, so she came right out and asked them.
Offering a list of words ranging from negative to positive, she asked each student to pick the word that best describes his or her own emotions, write it down and submit it to her anonymously.
“So, they’re sitting with me and laughing and joking and seeming connected and supportive of each other, but when I looked at their sheets, I could see that they have some big, hard emotions going on pretty regularly,” said Mrs. Hemeyer, Director of Counseling Services for Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri (CCCNMO).
“Sadness or hopelessness or loneliness — you wonder what a seventh-grader has to feel hopeless about, but it’s in there,” she said. “From the outside, you might not see it. But from the inside, it can be a very different story.”
It was a good lesson for everyone.
“We can’t always see it,” she said. “We need to be aware of how the way we treat other people might be influencing them on the inside.”
Mrs. Hemeyer, a lifelong Catholic with children of her own, has been CCCNMO’s counseling services director since last September.
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and holds a master’s degree in counseling.
Part of her work includes visiting Catholic schools in the Jefferson City diocese and teaching about the importance of mental/emotional health and treating people with kindness and empathy.
“As a Catholic with kiddos, I have a stake in looking to their mental and spiritual health,” she said. “My intention has been to help tie the two together.”
She pointed out that children have many of the same struggles adults have.
“It just shows up in different ways,” she said. “And the schools have noticed that it’s just getting harder and harder to be empathetic as adults, and it’s filtering down.”
She said parents have been asking schools to help them address this challenge.
“As humans, we’re all injured in some way,” she noted. “For some people, that injury influences us more than others.”
The teachers want to help, but like many of the parents, they have a lot of other responsibilities and can’t always give mental and emotional health the level of attention it warrants.
Meanwhile, civility and compassion have been taking a beating in politics, popular culture and social media.
“For us as adults, it can be easy to lose track of how our own actions are impacting those around us and setting examples for the children who are watching,” she said.
Mrs. Hemeyer recently conducted a six-week series of classes for fifth- through eighth-graders at St. George School in Linn and Our Lady of the Snows School in Mary’s Home, focusing on kindness and empathy.
She built the lessons around tried-and-true emotional learning strategies and curriculum.
“I put a Catholic spin on it, bringing in influences from various saints as well as characteristics we all need to be constantly cultivating that contribute to our own sanctity,” she said.
The program, called “Mission Secret Saints,” reinforces compassion, empathy and mental toughness by “gamifying” acts of kindness.
“Basically, it’s sort of a way to encourage kids to do things that are little more difficult to do,” she said. “We make it into a game. There are challenges they have to work on as a team in order to carry out their mission each week.”
The missions are tied to the social-emotional learning goals.
The program culminates with a service project, with all the students taking part.
“We hear a lot in our society about antisocial behavior,” said Mrs. Hemeyer. “And where our focus goes, that’s what we tend to see, it’s what tends to get elevated.”
“Mission Secret Saints” does the opposite.
“We focus on the pro-social behavior, the things we all need to be doing,” she said. “And when you’re doing more of these things, you’re naturally doing less of the anti-social things.”
Mrs. Hemeyer has also taught lessons at St. Francis Xavier School in Taos and St. Andrew School in Tipton on helping students interact positively with their peers.
She participated in this year’s annual Wellness Day at Immaculate Conception School in Loose Creek, where students learn about various aspects of staying healthy over the summer. She talked to the younger students about physical and online boundaries.
A listening heart
Mrs. Hemeyer grew up in central Missouri, where her potential for being a counselor became evident early on.
“As a kid, I was always that friend who people came to for advice,” she recalled. “I was the one who was willing to listen.”
She was in eighth grade when her grandmother, who lived across the street from her, was dying of pancreatic cancer.
“We visited often,” Mrs. Hemeyer fondly recalled. “It turned out to be a very formative experience for me. In fact, it influenced almost everything I did after that, as far as relationships go.”
She resolved to enter a profession that would allow her to support people emotionally.
“I initially thought that would be grief counseling — helping people who are going through the end of life, or families of such people,” she said.
But she wound up taking more of a generalist route, with counseling studies focused on behavioral health.
She spent 12 years counseling military veterans for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“That was not the path I thought would take,” she said. “It was a God thing. It gave me some really good life lessons and insight and experience.”
“Where kindness comes in”
Upon coming to work for Catholic Charities last fall, Mrs. Hemeyer set about putting together a mental health program for the community, as well as supporting any mental health needs identified by Catholic schools in the diocese.
“On the community side of things, that includes helping adults with various kinds of mental-health concerns, a diagnosable illness or any other various concerns that impact our mental wellness,” she said.
That includes such factors as stress, grief, worry or trouble at home with partners, other family members or friends.
“And then additionally, I am a Catholic myself, born and raised, so also when appropriate or when asked, I can bring in a Catholic perspective into the office when people are coming in for treatment,” she said.
Mrs. Hemeyer originally thought that with the schools, she would be working mostly with children who have acute mental health needs.
“And it’s not to say those are not there, but that has not been the path we have been led to,” she said. “We have been contacted by the schools more often than not to come in and talk to the kiddos about everyday things.”
She is often asked to help young people learn to manage stress better and interact with each other in ways that are more compassionate and empathetic.
“That’s where kindness comes in,” she said.
She noted that most adults see difficulties in life through the lens of broader experience.
“Just because something happens, I don’t feel hopeless,” she said. “But kids don’t have the same coping skills that adults have, because they haven’t lived long enough to learn them.”
Also, some children haven’t absorbed effective coping strategies because their parents never learned them.
“So it becomes an intergenerational issue,” said Mrs. Hemeyer.
It takes a community
She said it’s important for parents and school personnel to work together to promote children’s mental and spiritual wellbeing.
“The schools do have those kids the majority of the time they spend awake each week,” she said. “I know parents are incredibly busy and are spread very thin, and so are the teachers.
“So it’s something that needs to be done, and if it can be done while the kids are already in school, why not take advantage of that?” she said. “Then they have their peers around them to help with practicing and reinforcing those things.”
Also essential is for parents to stay connected with their children, engaging frequently in shared activities and discussions.
“These don’t have to be heavy conversations,” she said. “Just make sure you’re talking to them and you know who they’re hanging out with and what they’re doing on their electronic devices and what kind of media they’re consuming.”
Parents need to be familiar with the messages their children are absorbing through social media, television, movies and popular music.
“That’s not to say that those things are always bad influences,” she said. “But if we aren’t tempering the bad influences with the kind of messages we want our kids to be modeling, that’s where it becomes a problem.”
Parents needn’t shelter their children from all media exposure.
“In fact, that would cause all sorts of other problems,” she said. “We just need to be constantly mixing in the lessons and modeling the behavior we want them to be emulating while they’re processing those other things.”
Children also need to know that their concerns are valid and are being taken seriously by adults.
“It can be really easy to hear our kids’ concerns and be dismissive of them, like ‘Oh, it’s not that serious,’ or ‘I grew up with that and did just fine,’” said Mrs. Hemeyer.
“That can be damaging to the connection you might need to have with them at a later time,” she said. “So when your kids talk to you about their thoughts or experiences, give them the same value and concern you would for another adult.
“Make sure that the young people in your life know that you’re available,” she advised. “And listen more than you speak!”
Parents must also make a point of attending to their own emotional needs.
“As parents, we tend to put other things before ourselves,” she said. “But if we’re not taking care of ourselves, it’s really hard to take care of anyone else’s needs.”
In this together
Mrs. Hemeyer said she has thoroughly enjoyed her work with children in schools.
“It has been a huge learning experience for me, and a humbling one at that,” she said. “These kids are funny and smart and have a lot of things to share that are really good for adults to know about.”
She asks for prayers for endurance — “the mental and emotional energy to keep showing up and putting my best foot forward, day in and day out.”
“I carry all these things I see and hear in my heart,” she stated. “That’s both a strength and a weakness.”
She also asks for prayers for the children and parents she works with to have “discerning hearts that are open and moldable and yet protected.”
“Parents are facing big, hard topics with their kids these days, and it’s easy to be paralyzed by the anxiety and the worry and the seriousness of these conversations,” she said.
Mrs. Hemeyer writes a short, informational blog each month on general aspects of mental health for the Catholic Charities website.
Her May offering, which coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month, includes suggestions for breaching the subject of mental health with people who are showing signs of stress, depression or other concerns.
That blog, along with more information about Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri counseling services, can be found at:


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Co-founded in 2007, Mascara is a journal which focuses on the work of First Nations, CaLD, disabled and neurodivergent writers, as well as human rights and experimentation. We specialise in publishing platforms for minorities, focusing on cultural cohesion and participation. We foster a space for critical research to bridge the gaps left by institutions; a space for writers, readers and researchers that is progressive and vibrant. We are interested in shaping the way that discourse structures social realities and positions individuals hierarchically. The word ‘mascara’ entered the English language in 1890. But it derives from Spanish, Arabic and French origins, its meaning evolving from the word ‘mask’, ‘masquerade’, to darken, to blacken. The Arabic word ‘maskhara’ means buffoon, suggesting violence and play in the correspondences between life and art.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Newcastle, Australia. The University makes no representation concerning, and does not guarantee the source, originality, accuracy, completeness or reliability of any statement, information, data, finding, interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented.
Mascara Literary Review is archived by the National Library of Australia’s digital archive

domain: literature


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KCRW Broadcast 340 Fanatic! Welcome to our first October broadcast. It’s always a good month for music of course but there is something about October that makes music sound great. We have been working for quite a while on our October shows. For me, it’s a month of memory. I listen to new music all the time but in this month, I like to listen to music I grew up with a careful ear, trying to understand it differently. It is a month I look forward to.
Latest Show Eric J. Lawrence hosts a musical line-up of criminally overlooked tunes, hidden gems, guilty pleasures and standout selections from the latest releases. Listen On-Demand to the latest show.

domain: entertainment


text:
Loteria by Mario Alberto Zambrano
9780062268549 In LoterÃa, the spellbinding literary debut by Mario Alberto Zambrano, a young girl tells the story of her familyâ€™s tragic demise using a deck of cards of the eponymous Latin American game of chance. Â With her older sister Estrella in the ICU and her father in jail, eleven-year-old Luz Castillo has been taken into the custody of the state. Alone in her room, she retreats behind a wall of silence, writing in her journal and shuffling through a deck of loterÃa cards. Each of the cardsâ€™ colorful imagesâ€”mermaids, bottles, spiders, death, and starsâ€”sparks a random memory. Â Pieced together, these snapshots bring into focus the joy and pain of the young girlâ€™s life, and the events that led to her present situation. But just as the story becomes clear, a breathtaking twist changes everything. Beautiful full-color images of loterÃa cards are featured throughout this intricate and haunting novel.


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Get all the finger-licking pork rib recipes you can handle. Better stock up on napkins!
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domain: food


text:
Company: Skills Alliance
Closing Date: 31 Oct 16
Salary (£): 40,000 - 60,000
Skills Alliance are offering the opportunity for an experienced CRA to move away from routine monitoring into a Lead CRA / Junior Study Manager type role...
Skills Alliance are offering the opportunity for an experienced CRA to move away from routine monitoring into a Lead CRA / Junior Study Manager type role with a niche pharmaceutical company based in Hertfordshire.
This position is with a small but growing Pharma company with a very strong pipeline across Europe at the moment and will offer excellent long-term prospects.
The Lead CRA / Jnr Study Manager role is a great opportunity for a Senior CRA or Lead CRA to take the next step and move into study management. Strong experience in monitoring in the UK is necessary. Working closely with the Study manager, you will aid and assist in the delivery and management of the projects timelines and budgets.
This will be an office based position in Hertfordshire.
Please contact Mathew O’Leary for more details - 0207 220 6240 or apply now.
I look forward to hearing from you.
KEY WORDS: Clinical research / lead clinical research / LCRA / clinical team manager / clinical trials / clinical research / lead CRA / CTM / clinical project manager / global clinical project manager / CPM / clinical team leader / clinical study manager / Study Manager / Clinical trial manager / Clinical operations / Clinical trial manager / clinical project manager / CPM / clinical operations / clinical / CTM / clinical trial manager / clinical team manager / clinical manager / study manager
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|Website:||Visit Our Web Site|
PharmiWeb.com is Europe's leading industry-sponsored portal for the Pharmaceutical sector, providing the latest jobs, news, features and events listings.
The information provided on PharmiWeb.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician.

domain: medical


Three Arrests Have Been Made in Toms River Missing Teen Case
Last night Toms River Police Department announced that Ashley Combs, the missing teen from Toms River had been found safe. In a post on the department's Facebook page, they told the public that more details would be released this morning. A press release has been made on the Facebook page including an update that three have been arrested in connection to the girl's disappearance.
The post stated, "The Toms River Police Department has made 3 arrests in connection to the willful interference with custody case involving Ashley Combs." They went on to describe the details of the case and the detectives that worked on finding the teen. "The Case Detective Ryan Quinn with support from Officer Brittany Catalano, School Resource Officer Graham Borg, Officer Frank Zangara, Detective Andrew Chencharik, and Detective Steve Bucci in addition to many other officers and dispatchers within the department worked together to locate and retrieve Ashley."
Last night detectives discovered that Ashley was with her biological father Brian Combs. It is believed that the teen was moved from house to house to avoid being discovered.
Reports on Ashley's home life have been reported to New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Permanency. Currently, there has been no mention if an investigation will occur on that front.
The department detailed the arrests made in the case, "Brian Combs with Obstruction and Interference with Custody he was subsequently lodged at the Ocean County Jail; Linda Roszel was charged with Obstruction and Interference with Custody, she was subsequently released on a summons; Mechelle Combs was charged with Obstruction and released on a summons."
Further review is needed for additional charges.


I’m extraordinarilly excited to finally be done with coursework so I can focus entirely on research. I’ll be continuing work with Prof. Colin Allen and the Indiana Philosophy Ontology Project (InPhO), completing our integration with the Stanford Encyclpedia of Philosophy (SEP) and working on further refinements of the dynamic ontology methodology, generalizing our methods for use in other disciplines. Starting in January, I’ll be working with Prof. David Michelson at the University of Alabama to redeploy the InPhO for the Syriac Reference Portal (SRP). This will hopefully lead to extended collaborations in the digital humanities.
Additionally, I’m planning to continue contributing to Prof. Larry Yaeger‘s Polyworld Project, which is an Artificial Life simulation that provides a framework for replicable studies in evolution, genetics, and neural networks. I’ve been working on methods of species identification, using information-theoretic measures of genetic distance. This has led to a series of complexity improvements to a popular clustering algorithm used in bio-informatics. I’ve also built a data-access library in Python to facilitate analysis and visualization of experimental data.
Sometime last year I started travelling all the time. My work was presented in Valencia, Evansville, and Chicago, and I further went to DC, Berkeley, Palo Alto, Louisville, Nashville, and Madrid. So far I’ve got three big trips planned for 2011: Santa Clara in January for the O’Reilly Strata Conference, DC and Philadelphia in February, and Atlanta in March for PyCon. Over the summer, I’ll hopefully be headed to conferences in Ireland and San Fransisco, but we’ll see how that goes.
Past that, my future plans are predicated on the results of my Fulbright proposal. If this comes through, I’ll head to Karlsruhe, Germany in July to spend a year as a research assistant, developing methods for ontology-driven machine translation and sentiment analysis in collaboratively-generated corpora. Either way, 2011 should be a great year!


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The Florida Wildlife Federation has sued Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet to stop its decision Jan. 23 to allow sugar and vegetable farmers to continue leasing state-owned land in the Everglades for another 30 years. Download FWF Final Petition Stamped
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Wildlife Federation by Earthjustice, which represents a coalition of environmental groups in a federal legal challenge to clean-up agricultural pollution. It alleges that the farming has the potential to exacerbate the pollution the state is attempting to clean-up in the region and the 30-year deal violates a state law requiring private leases on state lands to serve the public interest.
“This is obviously not in the public interest,” said David Guest, lawyer for Earthjustice. “These leases would allow corporate agricultural pollution to continue unabated, and there is no requirement for any additional cleanup. These state leases don’t even include any pollution discharge limits to protect the Everglades.”
Gaston Cantens, vice president of Florida Crystals, one of the sugar companies that benefits from the lease deal, said the lawsuit will only serve to delay progress in the Everglades.
"The only thing Earthjustice has done since 1988 is file lawsuits and obstruct progress,'' he said. "Our goal is Everglades restoration. Apparently, David Guest's goal is Everglades litigation."
Under the arrangement agreed to by the governor, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, the state will renew leases on 14,000 acres of the Everglades Agricultural Area for A. Duda & Sons and Florida Crystals in exchange for land needed for clean-up projects.
They rejected suggestions by environmentalists to re-negotiate a shorter-term lease that gives the state more flexibility in the event the leased land may be needed for clean-up projects in the future. But South Florida Water Management District officials assured them the land would not be needed and the governor and Cabinet rejected the environmentalists' requests.
“Rather than lock these state lands up for 30 years, the state should be using these state-owned agricultural lease parcels to maximize water pollution cleanup in the Everglades and restore Lake Okeechobee,'' said Manley Fuller, president of the Florida Wildlife Federation in statement.
The Florida's Department of Environmental Regulation also came to the defense of the Cabient. In a statement released Thursday, it called the leases "essential for water quality protection in Florida’s Everglades and will secure property critical for water storage and protection for the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary."
Earthjustice claims that the polluted stormwater from the sugar and vegetable operations in the Everglades has fueled nuisance vegetation growth, crowding out native vegetation and destroying the base of the food chain. The state and federal government have embarked upon a multi-billion-dollar Everglades cleanup program to fix the damage.
“We should be using these public lands to clean up the Everglades, not allowing corporations to continue to pollute our public lands,” Guest said. “It’s a fact that this agricultural runoff is filled with chemicals that wreck the Everglades. As any cook knows, when your soup is too salty, you don’t add more salt.”
The leases were first negotiated in 1994 when land from sugar and vegetable operations in the EAA was being used for Stormwater Treatment Areas -- artificial marshes which take up fertilizer before the runoff reaches the delicate Everglades. Rather than the traditional six-year leases, the state agreed to give the companies 20-year leases in exchange for the clean-up efforts. Environmentalists now want the state to impose additional clean-up requirements in exchange for the longer 30-year leases.
Cantens said the lawsuit is intended simply to obstruct progress. "Our business is the business of agriculture, their business is litigation,'' he said. "That’s how they make a living and if there’s progress and Everglades restoration is completed, they’re out of business."
The lawsuit seeks a remedy through the Division of Administrative Hearings.

domain: geography


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Know a Pittsbugher who deserves a good "hey girl?" Send it their way with this card!
This card is part of the Historic Pittsburgh series, a cheeky look at historic images from our city. These images are all from the Library of Congress Detroit Publishing collection. Designed & printed in Pittsburgh, PA. Card measures 5.4 x 4.25 inches (A2) folded, and comes with an envelope. All cards are blank inside.
Comes with this description on the back:
The Monongahela River (1908)
A great view of the bustling riverfront area along the Monongahela river in 1908, where freight could easily be moved by barges and railway. In the bottom right is the Wabash Railroad Bridge across the river, completed in 1904 for the Wabash Railroad. Today the massive stone piers for the railroad are still standing.

domain: history


text:
I recall back about maybe two years ago I had a short online conversation with a person who wasn't necessarily a fan.
Whatever the reasons, it was clear that there were some animosities towards anyone who doesn't fit into what they think is acceptable.
Along with the usual derogate terms with which people nowadays use to label anyone with whom they disagree with.
Yes, it is a "norm" that anyone who doesn't fit into someones personal views that the approach is to attack, ban, block, disqualify via any means available and of course "exile".
Almost a perfect description of an attitude that one would expect from cult members and not from the average Joe Blo or Josephine Blo.
Reflecting on the past means that one has gone through that part of life! It is called experience.
The sad part is, that I actually saw a lot of potential in that person.
A person who had a lot of energy, but also a methodological approach to things. Sometimes distracted by all the noise around them, which is only human, but that person had the ability to logically approach tasks at hand.
I said to that person, based on what I saw something along the lines of:
"You would have been a great cadet in her younger days."
Cadets as per the Australian Cadets (youth organisation).
Sure, the compliment was probably not understood as such, for whatever reasons.
However, I look at that moment and the fact that I saw a person who could have been a great member of an organized youth association in which logic and respect apply to all of its members.
The person I got to somewhat know online, probably has some sort of prejudices towards anything that isn't as per their current opinions or perceptions, but that doesn't change the fact I saw qualities and traits that could have been built upon.
Why am I talking about this?
Just came to mind, something that kinda makes me upset, that so many good people out there, with a lot of potential and who have the ability to be a lot more than what they are, literally go forwards in life that are not fair to their true potential.
So much so, that it makes many people out there turn to the "masses" and almost, if not "cult" like "norms" of these masses.
I literally can't help but sigh and feel bad at the thoughts of it all.
Instead of team building, we get a bunch of people who are more than capable not achieving anything even remotely close to what they could have achieved with the utmost of dignity.
I am not in any way suggesting that I am "better", hell no. I am a damn good example of what I wrote here.
& knowing what I have learned through the course of my life, it upsets me to see others going through things that I clearly see around us, yet they refuse to see it.
They probably do see it, but as a result of their choices in life, they refuse to admit it and lie to themselves about anything that doesn't "make them feel good about themselves".
Which then gets this entire story back to the start of it, where those of us who do not need a "safe space" around us 24 hours per day are not welcome in any way among those who do.
Life is not easy, life is a damn whore, it literally sells you out every time you think you have it all exactly how you want it.
That is reality.
If it doesn't kill you, it could make you stronger, wiser or both.
Reflecting on that little moment, I have to admit, that the above story is not so much about others, but about me.
My incapability to help others when I see that they can achieve a lot more than what they are currently achieving is something that I feel is my failure. I won't stop trying, just not sure how to go about it with some people.
Life is too short, way toooo short.
Don't waste it.
The time lost will NEVER be replaced, you can only make the next moment in your life better, you can't fix the moment that has come to pass.
Wish everyone all the best.

domain: sociology


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Six Flags Over Texas And Other Amusement Parks Close Amid Coronavirus Concerns
If spring breakers had plans on heading to their favorite amusement parks to ride the awesome thrill rides, those plans are now put on hold.
Six Flags Theme Parks announced Friday that Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington and Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio would cease operation for the remainder of the month. We received the following press release from Sharon Parker, Media Coordinator at Six Flags Over Texas, on the parks temporary closure:
Six Flags Over Texas Announces Temporary Closure
The Parks Remain Committed to the Health and Safety of Park Guests and Team Members
Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Fiesta Texas in Texas have temporarily suspended operations until the end of March, at which time we will re-evaluate the situation. While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at either property, the safety of our guests and team members is always our highest priority. We will continue to closely monitor these evolving conditions, and will follow the most current guidance from federal, state, and local officials.
Of the Six Flags Theme Parks that are already open for their 2020 operating season, all parks nationwide have been temporarily closed.
Six Flags is not the only theme park company in Texas to have temporarily closed. MySA.com is reporting that Schlitterbahn Resorts and SeaWorld San Antonio have also temporarily closed as well as the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine.

domain: news


When the Lotto’s winning numbers were called on Tuesday, October 15, a tradesman in Leumeah (south-west Sydney) got a pleasant shock after checking them online during his shift.
“I still wasn’t sure I’d won,” he revealed, “so I called my daughter and asked her to check the numbers and she said to me, ‘Oh my god, Dad, I think you’ve won!’ As soon as she said that, I just walked out from work. I didn’t say anything. I was just thinking, ‘Oh my god.’”
The lucky winner was the only winner from Division One this time (though tenth for the year), so he gets to take the full $50 million home (minus taxes).
He asked to remain anonymous, but revealed his plans for the money: buy a home near the sea and spend his time fishing and playing golf with his friends and family.
He also has zero intentions of returning to his job as a tradesman.
“But money is not everything to me,” he added. “My friends and family mean more to me than money, so I want to use it wisely and I want to share it with them.”


text:
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Do you know about an event happening in or around Folkestone? Let everyone know what's going on in the town. Click here to promote an event.
Do you visit or live in Folkestone? Let everyone know what you enjoy about the town. Or perhaps you have a question you need answering about Folkestone or maybe your family history? Click here to leave a message.

domain: travel


I have been told that I need to use a 'low-E' glass in my home, what does this mean and is it far more expensive?
A low-E glass is a glass with a special coating designed to reflect heat back into the room, thus reducing heat loss. The extent to which low-E glass reduces heat loss is measured by the U-value, the lower the U-value the better the thermal insulation. You are required to have a low-E glass in your windows to comply with the latest Building Regulations. These new regulations have been introduced to reduce CO2 emissions associated with heating.


Oregon OSHA cites Albany Selmet foundry for safety violations in 2019 explosionChristian Fernsby ▼ | February 20, 2020
Oregon OSHA has fined an Albany foundry $27,500 for violating job safety rules designed to protect workers from serious harm or death.
Incident in America Selmet
Topics: Oregon Selmet
Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s investigation of the Aug. 15, 2019, accident identified three serious violations by Selmet Inc., a titanium casting manufacturer for aerospace parts.
Those violations included failing to account for employee safety in the layout and design of the foundry, and overlooking proper work clothing and equipment.
The worker who suffered severe burns was operating a furnace powered by high voltage electricity to melt titanium.
He was doing so in a part of the foundry that contains older furnaces and where employees use control panels that are near each furnace.
The furnace experienced a system failure that leaked water used for cooling into a vacuum chamber.
The reaction of molten titanium with water triggered the explosion.
The blast, which blew the roof off part of the building, left the worker with multiple burns to his head, neck, arms, and chest.
The force of the blast threw another worker, stationed at the operating panel of another furnace, into a parts table.
Oregon OSHA cited Selmet for failing to account for safety measures in the design, layout, and operation of the older furnaces.
Such measures could include blast walls to protect against explosions, isolated control rooms, or removal of employees from the risk zone during operations.
The company had installed such measures for newer furnaces, according to Oregon OSHA’s investigation.
That serious violation carries a $13,750 penalty.
Oregon OSHA also fined Selmet $13,750 for two related serious violations involving a lack of appropriate work clothing and personal protective equipment for furnace operators.
The total proposed fine of $27,500 reflects a 10 percent increase in the base penalties assigned to the violations.
The increase reflects Selmet’s negative history of nine reportable accidents in the last three years.
In addition to its enforcement activities, Oregon OSHA offers employers resources to help improve workplace safety and health. ■


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Liverpool’s owners, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have denied the club has been put up for sale, dismissing a report in a US newspaper as “unfounded speculation."
A report in the New York Post on Friday claimed FSG chief John W. Henry was privately willing to consider informal takeover offers for the Merseysiders.
The report claims Henry is running a “passive sales process” for the club, valuing the Reds in the region of £1.54 billion ($2bn).
That would represent a significant profit on the £300m ($391m) FSG paid to take over the club from Tom Hicks and George Gillett in October 2010.
However, when asked to respond those rumours Liverpool gave a withering response.
"As loathed as we are to give a story of this nature a meaningful response, on behalf of the club's ownership I can completely dismiss this unfounded speculation," said a Liverpool spokesman.
"To repeat once again, the club is not for sale, including any 'quiet process' or anything of that nature."
FSG, whose other interests include the MLB giants Boston Red Sox and NASCAR team Roush Fenway Racing, have invested heavily in Liverpool both on and off the pitch since their takeover eight years ago.
They oversaw the construction of a new Main Stand at Anfield in 2016, raising the stadium’s capacity to over 54,000.
On the pitch they have sanctioned significant investment in Jurgen Klopp’s playing squad, including world record deals for goalkeeper Alisson and defender Virgil van Dijk, in an attempt to compete with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
The Reds have yet to lose in the Premier League this season, though they currently find themselves third on goal difference and two points behind leaders and reigning champions City.
It’s not the first time that FSG have had to deny reports of a Liverpool takeover in recent months.
Back in August, reports claimed Abu Dhabi-based Sheik Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan, the cousin of Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour, tried to buy the Reds for over £2bn ($2.6bn).
FSG have always maintained the club is not for sale but remain open to the idea of selling a minority stake in return for the right investment.


The 'kit bridge' is starting to take shape with all pupils working as a team under the watchful eye of their engineers.
More top news
The England all-rounder is "devastated" to be missing the rest of the series against Sri Lanka after he underwent knee surgery on Tuesday.
A new multi-million pound school and community hub is officially opening in Harraby today.
Cumbria Fire and Rescue service is warning people to stay safe around lakes and rivers ahead of the Bank Holiday and school half term.


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“The admiration of science among the general public and the authority science enjoys in public life stems to a large extent from the view that science is objective or at least more objective than other modes of inquiry.”
“There is no such thing as objectivity. We are all just interpreting signals from the universe and trying to make sense of them.”
For centuries, philosophers and scientists have debated the meaning, the attainability, and the desirability of objectivity in science. Even now, the debate is far from settled. In this post, we explore various viewpoints about objectivity and then tie the ideas to population health today.
The one thing most scholars agree on is that the idea of scientific objectivity is an important element that gives science a voice of authority in society—what makes it a process that produces unbiased and reliable knowledge that people can and perhaps even should use in their lives. But scholars don’t agree on what objectivity means or how to achieve it.
Seeking a Workable Definition of Objectivity
One concept of objective science is that it reveals truths that exist in the world, independent of any human perspective. This definition is an excellent ideal, but it’s unworkable in practice. We can never know for sure what independent truth is—and therefore adjudicate which one of two or more competing claims best matches it. Identifying an independent truth is even more elusive in population health science: Our “truths” are often contingent on social conditions and meanings which vary over time and place.
Another idea put forth by philosophers is that science can be objective because it uses “a well combined use of reasoning and observation.” Although we can define science as something that uses a “systematic methodology based on evidence,” there is no single methodology that scientists use, so tying objectivity to method doesn’t work, either.
A third approach has been to define objectivity as the absence of undesirable influences. According to a current definition,
“Scientific objectivity … expresses the idea that scientific claims, methods, results—and scientists themselves—are not, or should not be, influenced by particular perspectives, value judgments, community bias or personal interests, to name a few relevant factors.”
For a long time, mainstream thought held that while scientists might be influenced by their values to advance and pursue a particular theory, they were, in principle, capable of gathering evidence and testing hypotheses without being influenced by values. However, as we saw in the last Blog post, scientists have so many degrees of freedom in carrying out these steps, this assertion is also problematic.
A more common approach is to hold science to a Value Free Ideal that is imperfectly attainable, but nevertheless critically important to the goal of producing reliable knowledge. This argues that scientists should strive to minimize the influence of personal values on scientific reasoning, e.g., in gathering evidence and assessing/accepting scientific theories. In short, although scientists can’t be objective the more steps they take – either theoretically or empirically – to try to be objective, the better.
Objectivity as a Community Project
Recognizing that all knowledge is socially situated, feminist scholars and some recent philosophers turn the issue of values and science on its head. Sandra Harding and others argue that scientists should let their values drive how they do their research as long as they and others recognize and consider the effects of their positionality (perspective) on what they produce. Because this transparent approach puts researchers’ standpoints out in the open, this creates a stronger kind of objectivity than when researchers try to stay neutral or fail to own up to their values. Philosopher Paul Feyerabend makes a similar case, rejecting the idea that scientists should avoid personal bias in their work.
But these scholars don’t stop there. If they had, science would devolve into a cacophony of assertions without any means of reaching consensus about what we know. Instead, they shifted the locus of objectivity in science from the individual to the scientific community. Science can be more or less objective depending on the structures, culture, and diversity of the communities that produce it. This dependence on communal practices echoes the ideas of Kuhn, who saw skepticism and debate within a scientific community as a critical step in the shift to new paradigms.
The ability of a scientific community to create a body of knowledge that transcends the individual perspectives of its members depends on three essential elements.
- Institutional structures such as peer review, discussants at conferences, and other processes that provide ample opportunities for other scientists to criticize work and challenge conclusions.
- A set of shared norms. These can encourage principles such as grounding criticisms in science rather than personal preferences, being receptive and responsive to criticism and new ideas, and respecting the intellectual authority of each community member. They can also establish guardrails for the process of adjudicating debates.
- A diversity of perspectives in the scientific community. Diversity along demographic characteristics like age, race, gender and class is important, but largely because it can help to facilitate bringing different perspectives into play. What’s most needed to reduce the risk of groupthink is a range of perspectives in terms of theoretical commitments, methodological preferences, and personal values. To quote Helen Longino, “When… background assumptions are shared by all members of a community, they acquire an invisibility that renders them unavailable for criticism.” In other words, without diversity, you create an echo chamber.
Implications and Remaining Questions
Perhaps what unifies scholars who have tackled the conundrum of objectivity is that all recognize the need for practices that inspire trust in science and reliance on science as an institution. The centuries-long debate leaves us with two important questions to consider:
At the individual level, are there still aspects of the Value Free Ideal worth pursuing?
- Do scientists have an ethical responsibility to adhere to the best scientific practices, become aware of their own biases, and seek, as well as possible, to address the effects of those biases in all stages of research?
At the collective level, can we act in ways that move population health science beyond the sum of the many essential—but inevitably imperfect—contributions we make as individuals?
- By broadening the perspectives we bring into our collective work and fostering the open give and take of ideas, can we make that work stronger and more reliable as a resource for understanding the world and its problems? This might make science much more complex, difficult and slower, but also more rewarding and more likely to make an impact in moving the field forward within and across disciplines.
The Role of IAPHS
If admiration of science is, at least in part, a function of its perceived objectivity, do we need to address the objectivity conundrum in the context of population health science? How should we do this as individuals, and what role can IAPHS play as a scientific organization?
Please comment! Members of a diverse interdisciplinary organization such as ours are likely to hold different views on the objectivity conundrum. Do you have answers to the “Remaining Questions” posed above? (Log in to comment)
If you’re inspired, you can enrich the conversation by posting your thoughts as a separate post.
If you’d like to read more….
Naomi Oreskes, Why Trust Science, Princeton University Press (2019).
Reiss, Julian and Jan Sprenger, “Scientific Objectivity“, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)
About the Authors
Christine Bachrach is Senior Advisor to IAPHS and the organizer of this series. She accepts full responsibility for its content as a representation of the authors’ thoughts and opinions and not necessarily the opinion of IAPHS as an organization. Many individuals, listed below, have also volunteered to contribute their ideas and suggestions. Special thanks are owed to the following people who provided substantive suggestions on this blog post: Nicholas King, Sanne Magnan, Jarron Saint Onge.
Project advisors: Yukiko Asada, Caryn Bell, Erika Blacksher, Marino Bruce, Merlin Chowkwanyun, Cynthia Colen, Jen Cruz, Jenn Dowd, Kaori Fujishiro, Taylor Hargrove, Kathie Harris, Mark Hayward, Jennifer Karas Montez, Nicholas King, Lindsey Leininger, Sanne Magnan, Jarron Saint Onge, Kat Theall, Alex Tsai, and Anna Zajacova.


What is a PCB Stiffener?
A PCB stiffener is a flat, rigid material that is attached to the surface of a PCB to provide additional support and prevent the board from bending or warping. Stiffeners are typically made from materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, or fiberglass, and they come in various thicknesses to suit different applications.
The Importance of PCB Stiffeners
PCB stiffeners play a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and longevity of electronic devices. Some of the key benefits of using PCB stiffeners include:
Preventing warping: PCBs are prone to warping due to various factors, such as temperature changes and mechanical stress. Stiffeners help maintain the flatness of the board, ensuring proper component placement and reducing the risk of solder joint failures.
Improving mechanical strength: Stiffeners increase the overall mechanical strength of the PCB, making it more resistant to shocks, vibrations, and other physical stresses.
Enhancing thermal management: In some cases, stiffeners can also serve as heat spreaders, helping to dissipate heat away from critical components and improving the thermal performance of the PCB.
Factors Affecting PCB Stiffener Thickness
The thickness of a PCB stiffener is determined by several factors, including:
PCB thickness: The thickness of the PCB itself is a primary factor in determining the appropriate stiffener thickness. Thicker PCBs generally require thicker stiffeners to provide adequate support.
Application requirements: The specific requirements of the application, such as the expected mechanical stresses and environmental conditions, will influence the choice of stiffener thickness.
Component placement: The location and height of components on the PCB can affect the required stiffener thickness. Taller components may necessitate thicker stiffeners to ensure proper clearance and support.
Manufacturing constraints: The capabilities of the manufacturing process, such as the available materials and fabrication techniques, can also impact the selection of stiffener thickness.
Common PCB Stiffener Thicknesses
PCB stiffeners are available in a range of thicknesses to accommodate various applications. Some common thicknesses include:
|Lightweight, low-profile PCBs
|High-stress, heavy-duty applications
|Extreme-stress, industrial applications
It’s important to note that these are just general guidelines, and the actual stiffener thickness required for a specific application may vary based on the factors mentioned earlier.
Selecting the Right PCB Stiffener Thickness
Choosing the appropriate PCB stiffener thickness is crucial for ensuring the optimal performance and reliability of the PCB. Here are some steps to help you select the right thickness:
Evaluate the PCB design: Consider the thickness of the PCB, the placement of components, and any special requirements, such as cutouts or openings in the stiffener.
Assess the application requirements: Determine the expected mechanical stresses, environmental conditions, and other factors that may impact the performance of the PCB.
Consult with experts: Engage with PCB design and manufacturing experts who can provide guidance on selecting the appropriate stiffener thickness based on your specific needs.
Conduct testing and validation: Perform thorough testing and validation of the PCB assembly, including the stiffener, to ensure it meets the required performance and reliability standards.
Installing PCB Stiffeners
Once you have selected the appropriate PCB stiffener thickness, the next step is to install the stiffener onto the PCB. The installation process typically involves the following steps:
Surface preparation: Clean the surface of the PCB and the stiffener to ensure proper adhesion.
Adhesive application: Apply a thin layer of adhesive, such as epoxy or acrylic, to the PCB or stiffener surface.
Alignment and placement: Carefully align the stiffener with the PCB, ensuring that it is positioned correctly and does not interfere with any components or features.
Curing: Allow the adhesive to cure according to the manufacturer’s instructions, typically using heat and pressure to ensure a strong bond.
Inspection: Conduct a visual inspection of the assembled PCB to verify that the stiffener is properly installed and that there are no defects or issues.
Advantages of Using PCB Stiffeners
Incorporating PCB stiffeners into your PCB design offers several significant advantages:
Enhanced durability: Stiffeners help protect the PCB from mechanical stresses, such as bending, twisting, and impacts, which can lead to improved durability and longer product life.
Improved reliability: By preventing warping and ensuring proper component placement, stiffeners contribute to the overall reliability of the PCB and the electronic device it supports.
Better thermal management: In some cases, stiffeners can act as heat spreaders, helping to dissipate heat away from sensitive components and maintaining optimal operating temperatures.
Increased design flexibility: Stiffeners allow for more complex PCB designs, such as those with larger dimensions or heavier components, by providing the necessary support and rigidity.
Challenges and Considerations
While PCB stiffeners offer numerous benefits, there are also some challenges and considerations to keep in mind:
Added complexity: Incorporating stiffeners into the PCB design adds an extra layer of complexity to the manufacturing process, which can increase costs and lead times.
Material selection: Choosing the right material for the stiffener is crucial, as it must be compatible with the PCB and provide the necessary support without adding excessive weight or thickness.
Design challenges: Accommodating stiffeners in the PCB design may require adjustments to component placement, routing, and other aspects of the layout.
Manufacturing processes: The installation of stiffeners requires additional steps in the manufacturing process, such as adhesive application and curing, which must be carefully controlled to ensure optimal results.
Future Trends in PCB Stiffener Technology
As electronic devices continue to evolve and become more complex, PCB stiffener technology is also advancing to meet new challenges and requirements. Some of the future trends in this field include:
Advanced materials: Researchers are exploring new materials, such as carbon fiber composites and ceramic-based stiffeners, which offer improved strength, thermal conductivity, and other desirable properties.
Integrated stiffeners: Some PCB manufacturers are developing integrated stiffener solutions, where the stiffener is built directly into the PCB substrate, eliminating the need for a separate installation process.
3D printing: The use of 3D printing technologies for creating custom PCB stiffeners is gaining traction, enabling more complex geometries and faster prototyping.
Simulation and modeling: Advanced simulation and modeling tools are being used to optimize stiffener designs, taking into account factors such as thermal expansion, mechanical stress, and component placement.
PCB stiffeners are a critical component in the design and manufacturing of reliable, high-performance electronic devices. The thickness of the stiffener is a key consideration, influenced by factors such as the PCB thickness, application requirements, and component placement. By selecting the appropriate stiffener thickness and following best practices for installation, designers and manufacturers can ensure that their PCBs are well-supported and able to withstand the rigors of real-world use.
As technology continues to advance, PCB stiffener solutions will evolve to meet new challenges and requirements. By staying informed about the latest trends and best practices in this field, electronics professionals can make informed decisions and create products that are both reliable and innovative.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What materials are commonly used for PCB stiffeners?
A: PCB stiffeners are typically made from materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, or fiberglass, depending on the specific application requirements and manufacturing constraints.
Q: How do I determine the right thickness for my PCB stiffener?
A: The appropriate stiffener thickness depends on several factors, including the PCB thickness, application requirements, component placement, and manufacturing constraints. Consult with PCB design and manufacturing experts to determine the best thickness for your specific needs.
Q: Can PCB stiffeners help with thermal management?
A: Yes, in some cases, PCB stiffeners can serve as heat spreaders, helping to dissipate heat away from critical components and improving the thermal performance of the PCB.
Q: Are there any challenges associated with using PCB stiffeners?
A: Some challenges include added complexity to the manufacturing process, material selection, design adjustments, and the need for careful control during the installation process.
Q: What are some future trends in PCB stiffener technology?
A: Future trends include the use of advanced materials, integrated stiffener solutions, 3D printing for custom stiffeners, and the adoption of advanced simulation and modeling tools to optimize designs.


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“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up a myrtle tree:” (Isaiah 55:12, 13).
The well-loved hymn, “Joy to the World,” is not about Christmas, Christ’s first coming, at all. Rather it is about His, yet future, second coming as “King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9). This theme is obvious in the third verse.
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.
Today we live in a world dominated by sin and its consequences-pain, sorrow, disease and death. But when He returns and claims His full victory, He “shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Even the earth and its flora will rejoice, as we see in our text.
Our home on this “new earth” (Revelation 21:1), will be “the holy city, New Jerusalem” (v.2). Our food will be “the tree of life” (Revelation 22:2) and our drink “a pure river of water of life” (vat). He promises that He will come to make “the places round above my hill a blessing” (Ezekiel 34:26).
The contrast between that world of blessing and our world is great. “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants there of. . . . Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate” (Isaiah 24:5,6).
But when He comes all the consequences of man’s rebellion will be removed, “and there shall be no more curse” (Revelation 22:3). Only then will there be “Joy to the Earth.”


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I grabbed the starter for monpoc because the origins of the settings seemed fun so using my knowledge of the lore around Godzilla monsters and 70s giant robot shows I acquired some toys to represent my monsters in special fashion. .
On the defenders side(guard) defender X represented by a revoltech gunbuster and some micro scale tanks
on the destroyers side a pacific rim kaiju 2 (gorghadra) with the starter box units.
buildings wise I used my geocrapers neon genesis evangelion city tile set with a few others (more on the way to fill out the map more).
it was our first time so we made a few mistakes but overall it was a fast fun game with a nail biter at the end where we got both monsters down to 1 wound. the guard force ended up winning. after giving me a "hulk smash" (slam) and a rocket punch.
Fun times all around.

domain: game


Watch: England's Katherine Brunt Dismisses Sidra Ameen With "An Absolute Jaffa" During Women's World Cup Match
ICC Women's Cricket World Cup: Katherine Brunt dismissed Sidra Ameen in the 25th over with a fiery delivery, which she inside edged into her middle stump.
Katherine Brunt was in fantastic form as England cruised past Pakistan in their league stage fixture of the ongoing ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday. The pacer took three wickets in eight overs, conceding only 17 runs and also registering two maiden overs. Her dismissals accounted for openers Nahida Khan, Sidra Ameen and Nida Dar. In a talismanic performance, Brunt's wicket of Ameen summed up her form as the batter inside edged it to smash the middle stump out of the ground. The incident occured in the 25th over when Brunt sent a spectacular length delivery which forced Ameen on the front foot and then it seamed back in for the inside edge, hitting the middle stump. The wicket proved to be a crucial one as Ameen was also her side's top-scorer with a knock of 32 runs off 77 deliveries. Such was the brilliance of the delivery that the commentator stated, "That is an absolute jaffa".
Here is the video of Brunt's dismissal of Ameen:
Chasing a target of 106 runs, England reached 107 for one in 19.2 overs with Danni Wyatt smashing an unbeaten knock of 76 runs off 68 deliveries. The opener also hammered 11 fours.
Meanwhile, Heather Knight was also unbeaten, playing a knock of 24 runs off 36 balls.
Diana Baig managed to take a wicket for Pakistan, dismissing opener Tamsin Beaumont (2).
Initially, Pakistan were bowled out for 105 runs in 41.3 overs. Other than Ameen, only two other players reached double figures for Pakistan. Omaima Sohail registered 11 runs off 30 balls and Sidra Nawaz added 23 runs to the scoreboard.
Other than Brunt's performance, Sophie Ecclestone also took three wickets for England. Meanwhile, Kate Cross and Heather Knight bagged a dismissal each.
Winning by nine wickets, England have also climbed to fourth position in the league table.


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Keep the Trail Access info current...
Select items to indicate conditions for access to the trail.
Large Car Park
Small Car Park
Keep the Trail Features current...
Select items to indicate features found along the trail.
Prams & Strollers
Mountain Bike Trail
Historic Rail Trail
Coast & Beach
Waterfalls & Lakes
Goldfields & Mining
This trail starts in Castlemaine and runs parallel to the Victorian Goldfields Tourist Train line to Maldon via Muckleford and is 18km long.
The rail trail is mainly on the maintenance track beside the railway line so is more undulating than a rail trail.
The towns at both ends are very attractive, and significant for their historical interest.
Maldon is notable for its 19th century appearance, maintained since gold-rush days.
Some parts of the surface is rough, but definitely rideable with a mountain bike or bike with wide tyres. It is about 18km long and is a pleasant walk or ride. Most of the trail is parallel to the railway line, with a few deviations to avoid deep gullies.
This trail was officially opened on 18th March 2017, but some detail including signage is still to be completed. Toilet facilities or water is not available on the trail. (The toilets at Muckleford are opened when the tourist train is at the station.)
Castlemaine to Maldon in Western Victoria
120km north west of Melbourne
For more information and a location map please visit RailTrails Australia.


Sirui W-2204 Carbon Fibre Waterproof Tripod
- Load Capacity: 39.7 lb
- Max Height: 70.9 inch
- Min Height: 6.1 inch
- Folded Length: 20.5 inch
- Leg Sections: 4
- Weight: 3.7 lb
- Reverse-Folding Legs
- One Leg Converts to 69.7 inch Monopod
- Split Center Column
- Stainless Steel Spikes and Rubber Feet
The W-2204 Waterproof Carbon Fiber Tripod from Sirui features a Waterproof Sealing System that prevents water, dust, or other particles from entering the leg tubes. The tripod extends to a maximum height of 70.9inch, holds up to 39.7 lb, and weighs 3.7 lb. Reverse-folding legs wrap around most ball heads allowing the tripod to fold down to 20.5inch.
The 4-section legs are individually adjustable and are held in place with twist locks. One of the legs is removable and can be attached to the center column to make a full-sized 69.7inch monopod. The removable rubber feet can be replaced by stainless-steel spikes, affording the tripod stability on a variety of surfaces. The split center column allows the tripod to reach its minimum height of 6.1inch, and a ballast hook on the center column can hold a stabilising weight.


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I find it particularly enjoyable to read entrepreneur and startup stories. Of course, mainly stories with good outcomes get circulated but I enjoy a quality about them that is reminiscent of any classic hero story formula. The great thing is that you as a reader might have real-world connection to aspects of the story either through similar experiences or because you know their product or industry.
For example, I think a big part of what would make reading the Google story interesting is the fact that it's something you use and know about and you could become aware of how it came to be. Then again, I'm an absolute documentary nut and I don't read much fiction.
I stumbled across this book while browsing the web, Founders At Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days. The quotes are pretty interesting and I enjoy that the page numbers are cited, giving a sense of how the book might be paced and the range of variety.
I think I'll pick up a copy at some point and I hope that it will differ from other startup story books by presenting an interesting cross-section of startup lore as opposed to one profile that is drawn out for longer than necessary.

domain: library


Transportation Deployment Casebook/2015/Passenger Airliners in the US
Throughout the last century the development of air planes has had a role of ever increasing magnitude in our society. The advent of airplanes has allowed for almost every aspect of travel and communication to be greatly accelerated. Previously, railroads and ocean liners had been the dominating modes of transportation across continents and oceans respectively. In the short span of only 112 years since the first flight airplanes have become the primary means for almost any long distance trip to anywhere in to world, allowing for great distances to be covered in much shorter times.
History of the Airplane, Policies, and TechnologyEdit
At the Turn of the CenturyEdit
The beginnings of the airplane were somewhat slow before the first success, as is true of many new technologies. There were many failed or alternative designs that were experimented with through the years. Many early designs included flapping wings modelled after birds. Zeppelins and hot air balloons were also common, but they were heavily subject to the whims of the wind. It was not until 1901 that Samuel Pierpont Langley launched a gasoline powered version of his models which he called “aerodromes”. Although previously, in 1896, he had created steam powered models capable of traveling half of a mile. In 1903, Langley was surpassed by Orville and Wilbur Wright, who claimed the title of the first powered, controlled flight of an airplane. They tested their craft four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina resulting in a maximum flight distance of eight hundred fifty two feet over the course of fifty nine seconds. Through the following years they refined their design and ultimately released “The Flyer”, the world first practical flying airplane.
Over the next several years a number of minor advancements were made in the field of air traffic and design. Some landmarks include the first airplane take off from a ship in 1910 by Eugene Ely in a Curtiss Biplane, and a landing on a ship following three months later through the use of hooks attached to the landing gear. In 1914 to 1916, a rudimentary autopilot was first developed by Lawrence Sperry using a set of gyroscopes to both stabilize the craft and to adjust course.
It was on January 1st, 1914, in Tampa, Florida that the first scheduled air service was established. Glen Curtiss designed a sea plane which could be built larger than previous planes due to the lack of a heavy undercarriage. An auto parts maker by the name of Thomas Benoist constructed one of these sea planes to found the St. Petersburg - Tampa Air Boat Line. The line connected the two towns by flying across the bay – it covered the 18 mile distance in 23 minutes – a vast improvement over the two hour boat trip. Reportedly, the plane rarely exceeded an altitude of five feet above sea level. The line could only transport a single passenger at a time and charged a five dollar fee for a one way trip. It only operated for a four month period but its potential to replace boats as the primary mode of transoceanic travel was obvious.
Despite the proven successes, the general public was still afraid to ride in the newfangled flying machines and they were mostly seen as a novelty item. To couple this, the improvements in the technology were slow and most planes still only flew short distances at extremely low elevations. But as with many technologies, the onset of war changed this. When world war one began in 1914 the strategic advantages of airplanes became quickly apparent and significant resources were put into their advancement. Most notably was the creation of larger motors which allowed the crafts to not only be bigger but for them to be able to reach speeds of 130 miles per hour – more than twice that of pre-war aircrafts. Due to the war time clime, planes at this time were associated with espionage and bomb raids. However, some transportation routes were opened such as France and England using planes to cross the English Channel.
In 1917, the United States Congress decided that air transportation had progressed enough that they could invest in an airplane delivery system – the first time it had been attempted. They invested 100000 dollars into the attempt that started with a short route between Ney York and Washington D.C. with a stop in Philadelphia starting in May of 1918. A year later the beginnings of a transcontinental route were opened with a route between Cleveland and Chicago with the Rocky Mountains being spanned a year after that. Rotating light beacons were added throughout the country in the early 20s to enable nighttime flying – before this night runs needed to be done by train. The new capability to deliver mail purely by air allowed for the U.S. post service to carry envelopes and packages from coast to coast in as little as 29 hours. As the number of established plane routes increase post-delivery by trains and boats became continually less favorable.
Policies and Tech advances in the mid centuryEdit
By the mid 20s, the US government had lost the desire to continue providing the mail service. In many ways the Contract Air Mail Act of 1925, aka the Kelly Act, can be seen as the beginnings of the private airline companies throughout the US. The act sold the rights for privatized post-delivery to the highest bidders. The original five bid winners would merge, split, rename, and be bought out over the years until the modern day and are now parts of the current major airline companies. For instance, National Air Transport and Varney Air Lines would eventually become parts of United Air Lines.
About a year later the Air Commerce Act of 1926 was passed. The bill set the groundwork for the government oversights of the airline industry that the 1926 act brought into creation. It suggested that a set of standards be created for air planes that were outside of the military field. The Secretary of Commerce was granted oversight of the blooming industry by being able to license pilots and craft, decide on official air routes, investigate accidents, and create navigation technologies. However, at this time, planes were still almost purely used for mail or military uses.
Henry Ford decided to step into the airline industry in 1927 with the invention of the Ford Trimotor, aka the “Tin Goose”. The Tin Goose was a landmark in many regards, first and foremost among these being that it was the first craft designed to carry passengers rather than mail. In addition to its twelve passenger capacity with flight attendants (nurses to assist with flight sickness and serve food) and a roof high enough to stand up under, the Trimotor also had a fully metal construction of lightweight duralumin and three motors that allowed it to traverse distances at faster speeds. The popularity of these new passenger planes was then skyrocketed by another event in 1927. With the non-stop flight of Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic Ocean, the abilities of air planes were made undeniable. The speed superiority over rail and ocean liners made it clear that travel by air would be the way of the future and that the previous modes of transport would soon lose popularity in terms of both travel and mail delivery.
The Air Mail Act of 1934 acted as a final step in creating passenger airliners. It became apparent that there were unfair characteristics to the nature of the bids over mail routes that the Kelly act allowed for. The Air Mail Act addressed these unfair policies and made the bidding process for mail contracts more competitive to give smaller companies a chance where before they would struggle to get contracts from the much larger air lines. These changes in policy ended up forcing a number of air lines to re-specialize on the passenger end of air plane service and to move away from the air mail division of the technology. Looking back it can be seen that the modern passenger air liner industry owes its origins to the Kelly Act, the Commerce Act of 1926, and the Air Mail Act of 1934. These three acts set the standards for the purchasing of contracts in the air industry, the monitoring of the air lines by the government, and encouraged the eventual shift from mail delivery to passenger travel.
However, the increases in passenger travel would not become notable until after World War Two. By the early thirties, air travel was still new in the public eye compared to the tried and tested modes of train and boat travel. Though Charles Lindbergh had proven that a nonstop transatlantic crossing could be performed, it had been an extremely challenging task and weight was such a concern that he was the only person on the vessel. Significant advances need to be made to create airplanes that were large and fast enough to make the crossing with a profitable number of passengers. At this point, most trips taken by airplane were relatively short in distance. At the same time, safety was proving to be a concern. In order for the airlines to draw a large number of passengers they needed to create larger, faster, and safer vessels.
As a result of these needs for growth and the recent confidence inspired by events such as Lindbergh’s flight the airplane technologies saw significant advancement throughout the thirties. Many of these advancements included improvements to in-flight navigational ability. Better altimeters, compasses, speedometers and others instruments all allowed the pilots to determine their location and condition of the airplane more accurately. Radio allowed for constant communications with the ground and soon led to the construction of the first flight control tower at what became Newark airport. A network of beacons was set up across the nation with marker beacons at airports to maintain constant contact to provide visual aid in low visibility. Air cooled motors replaced the water cooled motors that had been previously so that larger and more powerful engines could be built to power larger airplanes. Additionally, the first flight simulator was created in 1928 which allowed for pilots to practice to some extent without risking an airplane in the process.
Most importantly, in 1933 the world saw the first planes that can be described as a modern airliner. With the unveiling of Boeing’s 247 and Douglas’s DC-1 and DC-2 the (10, 12, and 14 passenger capacities respectively) the way was paved for widespread air travel. Then came the DC-3. This was the first plane that showed that passenger airliners could be profitable and soon became the norm in the United States after debuting with American Airlines. It was able to hold as many as 21 passengers and cross the United States in only 16 hours yet still only costing ten percent more to operate than the DC-2. In addition to the advances in speed and capacity, the DC- 3 was among the first aircrafts to use foam soundproofing and rubber padding in the seats.
The inefficiencies and the often questionable finances of the airline industry proved to be in need of remedying once more. As a result, the Civil Aeronautics act of 1938 established the Civil Aeronautic s Authority, later renamed to the Civil Aeronautics Board. The CAB could act as a regulatory agency that would set pricing and monitor business practices. This proved to be vital in stabilizing the precarious situations that many airlines found themselves in. The presence of and overseeing entity to regulate the businesses helped to secure the future of the airline industry.
Into the Jet AgeEdit
As with World War One, World War Two proved to be motivation for further technological advancements. The two most notable technologies to arise, in part, from the wartime clime are the radar and the jet engine. Methods of radar use included the ability to detect aircrafts as far away as the mainland coast from England’s shore. Additionally, an oscilloscope was able to create a mapped image of the ground in the area surrounding the air craft vastly improving navigation. The jet engine was under development by the Germans and the British throughout the course of the war though it was still incomplete at the end of the war. The P-59, America’s first jet engine air plane was introduced at the end of the war.
Thanks to the Jet engine, remarkable speeds and distance could now be obtained. However, safety was still an issue. The constant oppressive climate of the cold war provided the incentive to constantly increase the capabilities of the air crafts that were in use. The arms race that the military was involved in directly contributed to the acceleration of the growth in the private sector of passenger aircrafts. Due to this rate of growth in the span of six years aircrafts grew from the Comet, a 36 passenger British plane that could fly at 500 miles per hour (and eventually would fall apart mid-flight due to fatigue in the metal of the fuselage) to the Boeing 707. Introduced in 1958, the 707 was a modified version of the KC-135, a plane used to refuel bomber planes in mid-flight. The 707 could hold 136 passengers and fly at up to 550 miles per hour, effectively dwarfing the competition in terms of capacity, safety, and speed. The age of passenger jets had officially begun.
With the high demand for air travel that was now beginning, there was a need for an overseeing safety regulation. With a mid-air collision in 1956 this need became all to obvious. To answer this need the federal government created the Federal Aviation Administration (Federal Aviation Agency at the time of its creation) through the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. The FAA acts as the body in charge of aviation safety nationwide from the airports to the control towers to the monitoring of airplanes in flight. The primary concern was to ensure that accidents such as the 1956 collision were prevented from happening again. Its control did not end there; the FAA also had control over the approval of new airplane designs and modifications as well as pilot training and training for any service that would affect the safety of the industry.
To add to the jumbo jets there was another set of airplanes that focused on speed above capacity. The supersonic Concorde jets that were debuted in the late 60s were a very niche market. While they offered unparalleled speed they were also very expensive. The industry had reached a balanced point where there was no longer a need to strive for faster and faster trips- normal passenger jets could already take a person anywhere in the world within 24 hours. The tradeoff for a few hours shaved off of the trip in exchange for a significant fee was only an appeal to the wealthy. Other concerns were pointed out too, such as the constant sonic booms that would make airplanes even louder than they already were. The United States airline companies never adopted the Concordes, and in the end the supersonic planes were shut down in 2003.
Air liners before the first jumbo jets were rather different from the modern day in many respects. The price of air plane tickets in the fifties was considerably higher than it is today, for some people it may have cost several weeks salary for even a short flight. In terms of passenger comfort the airplanes of the time strove to lure more customers into the use of the air lines. By comparison, the leg room provided in economy was similar to what business class has today, and it was not uncommon for planes to lounges with full couches. At the same time, the obvious lack of inflight entertainment at the time meant that most people either slept, smoked, or drank to pass the time. The safety of the planes was also somewhat questionable. Turbulence was more noticeable and deaths due to airplane accidents were five times more common than they are today.
With the creation of the jumbo jets such as the 707 and the 747 passenger airliners had cemented their place in the world of travel. Trains and Ocean liners, which had dominated the market for transportation of any type including shipping, mail, and people just 50 years before were now completely outclassed. From the fifties to the modern day airports have grown in size along with the airliner fleets. Airlines have consolidated into a small number of large companies that dominate the market. Through it all, annual passenger numbers have grown continuously to the point that nearly eight hundred million trips are made every year in the United States alone. In addition to all of this they are among the safest modes of travel with only 1.3 deaths for every 100000 hours of flying time.
Historical Ridership DataEdit
Data was compiled on the annual number of domestic flights in the US. The data came from two sources: 1954 to 1980 was gathered from rita.dot.gov while 1981 to 2014 was found at data.worldbank.org. The data from both of these sites was put side by side and a regression curve was fit to the plot. The R squared value for this curve was 0.9874 and the maximum number of annual passengers predicted is approximately 825,000,000.
A number of things can be determined by analyzing the regression curve. Firstly, it can be seen that the united states airline industries entry into the growth phase of its cycle almost directly coincides with the development of the 747. This shows that the passenger jets and jet engines acted as the final push, the magic bullet, to accelerate the growth of the industry. Secondly, it can be seen that the airline industry has already entered its maturity phase and that the rate of growth has begun to taper off. This indicates that growth may soon stop unless another extreme change is made in the industry.
1 <Air transport, passengers carried. (2015). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.AIR.PSGR/countries/1W?display=default/>
2 <Airplane Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century. (2015). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3728 />
3 <Historical Air Traffic Statistics, Annual 1954-1980 | Bureau of Transportation Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from https://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/subject_areas/airline_information/air_carrier_traffic_statistics/airtraffic/annual/1954_1980.html />
4 <History of Aviation - First Flights. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from http://www.avjobs.com/history//>
5 <What It Was Really Like To Fly During The Golden Age Of Travel. (2013, December 5). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from http://www.fastcodesign.com/3022215/terminal-velocity/what-it-was-really-like-to-fly-during-the-golden-age-of-travel/>


text:
Rossmann R (Editor)
Year of Publishing
Convergence / Sida
Over the course of three months, a Working Group comprised of over 50 organizations explored the use of blended finance in two important segments of water service delivery and sanitation: (1) repair and maintenance of water infrastructure in less densely populated areas; and (2) fecal sludge management. Commissioned by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), this Outcome Document highlights the Working Group's recommendations.
Currently, there is greater demand for (and hence a greater prevalence of) blended solutions with design and preparation-stage grants, Technical Assistance, and results-based financing. As business models mature and the enabling environment for water and sanitation services improves, more solutions that make use of guarantees and concessional debt or equity within a blended capital stack will emerge.
For fecal sludge management and water infrastructure maintenance (and many other water and sanitation services), public funding, whether through taxes or transfers, will remain critical. But attracting private capital to investable transactions will allow traditional development aid and government funds to refocus on projects and enterprises that should not or cannot attract private capital.
Rossmann R (Editor) (2021) Blended Finance for Water Infrastructure Maintenance and Fecal Sludge Management. Working Group Output , Convergence / Sida
Blended Finance for Water Infrastructure Maintenance and Fecal Sludge Management
pdf • Size: 4.79 MB

domain: economics


Monday, 12 November 2012
Namibian Telephone Numbering Plan
Your telephone number belongs to you. This is a basic accepted principle by any consumer. After all, who would dial your number unless they wanted to speak to you?
It should therefore mean that you can keep your number even if you change your provider from Leo to MTC or even from a mobile company like MTC to your home telephone. The idea that your number belongs to you is called number portability and the method of implementing this is through a National Telephone Numbering Plan.
As a consumer, you have an attachment to your number. After all, you give out on your CV, to your friends and family and to creditors. If you change your telephone service provider, you will have to face the inconvenience of learning the new number, changing your documents and making sure everyone knows your new number. This inconvenience has a financial cost and could be important in forcing you to stay with your service provider, even if you are unhappy with the service, or can get a better deal from another provider.
Being able to change your provider without changing your number gives you, as the consumer, the power and the right to choose the telephone service provider that makes you happy with it price, service and products.
Since 2002, most countries around the world have opened their telecommunications markets to competition (that include a national numbering plan), which has accelerated the deployment of telecommunications services more quickly and cost-effectively than past monopolies have achieved. For example, the European Union (EU) Universal Service and Users’ Rights Directive (2002/22/EC), Article 30 — effective since July 2003 — imposes on all EU member states the following obligations:
“Member states shall ensure that all subscribers of publicly available telephone services, including mobile services, who so request can retain their number(s) independently of the undertaking providing the service:
• In the case of geographic numbers, at a specific location; and
• In the case of non-geographic numbers, at any location.”
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) is mandated to establishing a numbering plan and to require mobile number portability by 2013. According to a recent advertisement, CRAN s looking for sufficient information to justify the implementation of number portability taking into account consumer needs, ensuring fair competition in the market and economic feasibility.
CRAN will have to establish a numbering policy that provides a legal, legislative, and regulatory basis for competition. Then CRAN ust decide on numbering and dialing schemes, services, technologies, and billing and tariff methods that support its chosen numbering policy. Lastly, it must also establish a fair, neutral office for numbering administration.
From discussions with CRAN and industry representatives, it is obvious that certain telephone providers would prefer not to have a numbering plan implemented. The argument being put forward is that the plan has not worked well in some countries because of the costs involved, the implementing agency not being technically capable, etc.
It is understandable that CRAN should look at the costs or other issues involved for the providers as they will put these costs on to us as the end user. However, the power granted to the consumer to change providers will force cheaper prices and a better service which is the ultimate reason for the establishment of regulatory authorities that need to “take into account consumer needs”.
As consumers, we often do not have the regulations or protection we need because we lack an adequately funded organisation that will look after our needs and address issues such as the national numbering plan to ensure that government and its regulatory authorities such as CRAN Electricity Control Board, etc do “take into account consumer needs”.
This needs to change.


text:
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domain: finance