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Governments use receipt lotteries to boost tax compliance
They make it harder for businesses to evade value-added taxes
PEOPLE PAY taxes because governments say they must and society says they should. But what if tax compliance became fun? Governments around the world are encouraging consumers to ask for receipts by turning them into lottery tickets. Taiwan was an early experimenter, in 1951. The past decade has seen a flurry of such schemes: China, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia all now have them. Latvia will launch one later this year.
The aim is to make it harder for retail businesses to evade taxes. Worldwide, 20-35% of government revenue comes from value-added taxes (VAT) or similar levies on consumption. But as much as a third of what should be collected is thought to be forfeited because businesses under-report revenues. The problem is not business-to-business transactions; firms can usually reclaim any VAT they pay if they keep proper records. But when selling direct to consumers, it is tempting to accept cash without recording the sale. A tax-dodging retailer can undercut law-abiding rivals or pocket a higher margin.
The idea of a receipt-lottery scheme is to give customers an incentive to ask for receipts, thereby forcing sales to be recorded and taxed. Receipts might be printed with a code that can then be submitted into a central draw. Prizes range from decent sums of money to cars and holidays. Digital technology means schemes are cheap to run, even allowing for the cost of prizes.
Few countries have studied schemes’ impact. An exception is Slovakia, which has run a lottery scheme since 2013 as one of a range of attempts to reduce its unusually high rate of VAT evasion. In 2014 the finance ministry estimated that the lottery had contributed a very modest €8m ($11m) in annual revenues. But the Brazilian state of São Paulo is so sure its lottery increases tax collection that it grants citizens who give their taxpayer number when making a purchase not just a chance to win a prize, but a rebate of 30% of the sales taxes they have paid.
For governments trying to up the tax take, consumption taxes have appeal. They are less noticeable than income taxes or cuts to public services. But higher rates fall most heavily on poor people, who tend to spend a bigger share of their income. Receipt lotteries allow governments to raise revenue without raising rates. As a bonus, they also increase awareness of tax evasion and encourage citizens to look out for tax cheats.
According to a report for the European Commission in 2017, of the ten European countries with the biggest shortfalls in collection of VAT in 2014-15, nine have, or are setting up, a receipt-lottery scheme. (Italy is the exception.) Though a receipt lottery cannot end evasion on its own, says Jonas Fooken, a researcher at the University of Queensland, adding “a bit of magic” to mundane purchases can help.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline "Hitting the jackpot"
Finance & economics March 2nd 2019
- Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank would gain little by merging
- Will a worsening outlook for inflation force the ECB to act?
- Governments use receipt lotteries to boost tax compliance
- The Federal Reserve reviews its monetary-policy framework
- New data sources make it harder for executives to mislead investors
- Narendra Modi’s most distinctive economic policies were his worst
- Why a global manufacturing slump is a recurring threat
From the March 2nd 2019 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition
More from Finance & economics
After Credit Suisse’s demise, attention turns to Deutsche Bank
How serious are the difficulties facing the German lender?
The battle for Europe’s economic soul
Policymakers in Brussels ready their response to America’s protectionism
How much longer will America’s regional banks hold up?
Despite the danger, policymakers must not intervene prematurely


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Authorities in Chicago report that a cab driver was injured after being struck by debris flying off of scaffolding at a construction site at Willis Tower.
According to Chicago police, the incident occurred at approximately 7:40 a.m. on November 27. Two vehicles were struck by a wooden sign from Willis Tower, which is under construction. The cab driver, who hasn’t been publicly named, suffered an arm injury and a smashed windshield on the vehicle he was operating. He was taken to an area hospital in good condition, authorities said.
The National Weather Service reportedly measured high winds as strong as 61 mph at O’Hare International Airport on the day of the incident. Willis Tower released a statement saying, “We are continuing to work with safety officials and ensure that the construction site is secure during periods of high wind.”
It is unclear if the injured Chicago cab driver will choose to file a suit against the contractor working on Willis Tower. A person injured by another person’s or company’s negligence is entitled to a personal injury claim. Under Illinois law, personal injury victims are entitled to financial compensation that can be used for medical expenses, lost wages, and punitive damages for emotional hardships and suffering.
In cases like this, it is crucial for the injured party to hire a lawyer who can advise them on their rights, options, and favorable legal steps as the injured party seeks the compensation they are entitled to by law.
Chicago Personal Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one was injured by another person’s negligence, then you should hire an attorney. Contact Agruss Law Firm, LLC to set up a free initial consultation and work with a Chicago personal injury attorney who has an A+ BBB rating and over 850 five-star reviews from his clients.
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domain: news


I have an audition on Thursday, and have to prepare a song from a musical to sing unaccompanied in front of the casting peeps. Only problem is, I have a lowish voice (I say lowish in that I can't go very very high without sounding screechy, yet I also can't really hack v.low notes). I usually sing poppy/jazzy stuff and haven't really tried 'showtunes' before, so this is an experiment!
Can anyone suggest a song for a female voice that would suit? At the moment I'm thinking about I Still Believe from Miss Saigon, but it's a duet so I could only do parts of it.
Thank you! xxx
Dude, I didn't even know this forum existed.
I'm a mezzo-soprano, so (I think) I'm a similar range to yours. The songs I suggest are ones that I've done in auditions or my singing lessons - but check the key, because obviously different versions are in different keys.
- On my Own (Les Miserables)
- Castle on a Cloud (Les Miserables)
- Memory (Cats)
- I could have danced all night (My Fair Lady)
- Tonight (West Side Story)
- Somewhere (West Side Story)
- Home (Beauty and the Beast)
If you need the sheet music, musicroom.co.uk tends to have downloadable sheets.
Tonight would be a good one ;yes;
I Could Have Danced All Night goes pretty high, and you need to be able to nail the money notes if you want to impress with your song.
Could you say what you're auditioning for Ariadne? Just that might help with some suggestions. Tbh, I'd avoid Les Mis as On My Own is officially the most overdone audition song, and the other female songs are much the same. Also a lot of the big Andrew Lloyd Webber female solos.
The first ones that come to mind (as an alto who can sing all of these):
Maybe This Time from Cabaret
U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D. and Next Time You Fall In Love (duet again) from Starlight Express
If They Could See Me Now from Sweet Charity
Take That Look off Your Face from Tell Me on a Sunday
Good Morning Baltimore and I Can Hear the Bells from Hairspray
Whistle Down the Wind from Whistle Down the Wind
If you're used to poppy stuff Hairspray might be a good idea and Kander/Ebb stuff (Cabaret, Chicago, etc.) is usually pretty jazzy.
"Tonight", "Somewhere" and "I Could Have Danced All Night" are all quite high really.
What song did you choose in the end Ariadne? And was your audition successful?
(And since I know Exeter, which group were you auditioning for? Was it Footlights?)
'Hey Big Spender' and 'All That Jazz' are good low ones. Although All That Jazz is way overdone
Old news, been and gone, dead thread I know but just throwing in, Somewhere That's Green from Little Shop Of Horrors or Pirate Jenny from Threepenny Opera?
I know this is an etremely late reply but it will be useful to any future Musical Theatre goers who look up songs for auditions etc, like I just did, in future.
For a start, never sing a Les Mis song in a Musical Theatre audition. You may be able to sing it perfectly and have a great character for it, but panel's are sick of hearing these songs and you therefore create competition between yourself and whoever else sings that song (which trust me, will be quite a few people).
Somewhere that's green as mentioned before is a beautiful song to sing but it's not really any use for an audition, it doesn't show off a lot.
You should really take a look at some less known or off stage shows to pick your audition piece. For example, Another Night at Darryl's from Witches of Eastwick is perfect for an alto audition as it has no notes you can't hit, yet it shows off a wide range in this area of your voice. It is also full of character and the panel will remember you as you will likely be the only person to sing this.
The main thing I'm pointing out here is that to have a good audition you must do something different from the crowd or else you will look as though you have taken the easy option and picked the song everybody knows.
I think "Cabaret" from Cabaret if that's not too cliched, or "Don't Tell Mama" from the stage version as that isn't too common.
I know you gave a bunch of good suggestions but I have an audition and none of those seemed right for me to sing. I also have a pretty low voice. So do you have any other suggestions?
Last edited by Kr252; 2 months ago
"No Time At All"- Pippin
"Hold On"- The Secret Garden
"If He Walked Into My Life"- Mame
"I Aint Down Yet"- The Unsinkable Molly Brown
"I Just Want To Be A Star"- Nunsense


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Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said there is a need for an emergency budget to tackle the spiralling cost of living.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, she said her party has proposed a package of measures that amount to a further €1.4 billion in relief, including removing VAT costs from domestic energy bills.
She said there is "elbow room" in terms of the State's capacity to intervene and believes it can be done without borrowing.
She said her party is open to revenue-raising measures being included.
She said they have argued with the Government that there needs to be a speedy response to the cost of living crisis.
"Government cannot be a spectator ... they can do more, they must do more."
She said she is dismayed to hear Government ministers and the Taoiseach say in recent weeks they are not prepared to do more until next October, stating that is "not realistic".
Ms McDonald said the cumulative impact of carbon tax has to be looked at and it makes no sense for the State to currently levy increases.
She said her party wants "VAT down to a rate of zero, that is a 13% saving. What we don't want is the levying of further increases on households and families at a time when people are trying to cope with spiralling inflation".
Meanwhile, the Sinn Féin leader said she is concerned that healthcare staff are saying they are under huge pressure but she is not surprised.
She said she can't understand why there has not been a meeting between the CMO, the Minister for Health and the healthcare professionals and their representatives to address the concerns.
She said that would be the responsible way to respond.
She also said any decision to make anything mandatory, in terms of restrictions, has to be informed by the best public health advice available.


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Ashley Bayston arrived in Newcastle shortly before Covid. Locked down with only a fabulous view of the river and an off-piste racing pigeon for company, she explored the quayside and the city on her daily walks and was inspired to start drawing again after 20 years. Last year she illustrated a little book by author Michael Chaplin, produced to raise money for the West End Foodbank.
Up the hill from Paradise
Up the Hill from Paradise is a celebration of Benwell and drawings from the book are currently on display on the 6th floor of City Library, Newcastle, until 30 November. The artwork on display is available to purchase in exchange for a donation to the Foodbank.
Exhibition Park has always been Ashley’s happy place. She recently gave Urban Green a portfolio of drawings of the park and 10 of these are on display at the café through 12 November, and for sale with proceeds to Urban Green.
Ashley is the Founder and Chair of the Trustees of the Lewy Body Society. (Registered charity 1114579 in England and Wales and SC04704 in Scotland) . The Society is the only charity in the UK, and was the first in Europe, dedicated exclusively to Lewy body dementia.
For the past three years she has produced a fundraising calendar filled with lots of things to look at whilst the kettle boils. The 2024 calendar with c 185 images, is available to buy online at www.lewybody.org/shop
When Shaun the Sheep recently took the Toon, Ashley drew all of them and gave the portfolio of 100 drawings to St Oswald’s, who reproduced them as postcards, notebooks and prints which they sold at the farewell events.
A retired barrister, Ashley never had a private client. All her work was funded by Legal Aid or pro bono. “This really isn’t much different,” she said, “but a lot less stressful. People don’t go to lawyers for fun.”

domain: library


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Most Beautiful Trips - Maribor with neighbourhood
|Maribor - Old Town Centre|
|Maribor - Maribor Castle|
|Maribor - River Drava|
|Maribor - Three Ponds|
|Maribor - Main Square|
|Areh with neighbourhood|
|Maribor - Pyramid hill|
City Park in Maribor is a place of peace and relaxation after the city hustle and bustle. It is situated north of the town centre. The design of the park has a medieval basis. In the year 1879 the City Park was finally reformed and split into several parts, which are City Park, Calvary, Three ponds and Pyramid Hill. Despite later changes the City Park preserved the quality of the original historical design in the landscape style.
Today in the park grows about 100 species of domestic and foreign deciduous trees and many coniferous trees. In 1998, at the 100th anniversary of the Olympic champion Leon Strukelj was planted 100 new trees. In the park was in different periods raised some monuments of which are now preserved only two. City Park has many sculptures and fountains.
Occasionally are in the pavilion of the park organized different concerts. In the smaller part of the park is a playground. We can also visit the aquarium – terrarium, which is one of the most known in the south and middle Europe. From the Tomsic promenade that leads from the main railway to the City Park, we can also go to the small hill named Piramida, which is a favourite place for the local people. From here we can enjoy in a wonderful view of the wine slopes and to the whole city.
Municipality: MARIBOR (111730 population)
Settlements in the municipality:
Maribor (95171 population), Limbuš (2040), Kamnica (1638), Pekre (1517), Bresternica (1377),
Razvanje (1357), Rošpoh - del (816), Dogoše (763), Trčova (740), Zrkovci (629), Hrastje (561), Malečnik (553), Ruperče (411), Počehova (358), Jelovec (357), Laznica (315), Metava (305), Celestrina (300), Ribniško selo (292), Meljski Hrib (289), Šober (239), Vinarje (238), Gaj nad Mariborom (228), Vodole (203), Srednje (172), Pekel (170), Za Kalvarijo (157), Hrenca (144), Nebova (128), Vrhov Dol (106), Grušova (78), Zgornji Slemen - del (78)

domain: geography


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An atmospheric and harrowing tale, richly literary in complexity but ripe with all the crazed undertones, confusions, and forebodings inherent in the gothic genre. Recommend this riveting, du Maurierlike novel to fans of Jennifer McMahon. Booklist (starred review)From the author of the internationally bestselling The Lake of Dead Languages comes a gripping novel about madness, motherhood, love, and trust.When Daphne Marist and her infant daughter, Chloe, pull up the gravel drive to the home of Daphnes new employer, it feels like theyve entered a whole new world. Tucked in the Catskills, the stone mansion looks like something out of a fairy tale, its lush landscaping hiding the view of the mental asylum just beyond its border. Daphne secured the live-in position using an assumed name and fake credentials, telling no one that shes on the run from a controlling husband who has threatened to take her daughter away.Daphnes new life is a far cry from the one she had in Westchester where, just months before, she and her husband welcomed little Chloe. From the start, Daphne tries to be a good mother, but shes plagued by dark moods and intrusive thoughts that convince her shes capable of harming her own daughter. When Daphne is diagnosed with Post Partum Mood Disorder, her downward spiral feels unstoppableuntil she meets Laurel Hobbes.Laurel, who also has a daughter named Chloe, is everything Daphne isnt: charismatic, sophisticated, fearless. They immediately form an intense friendship, revealing secrets to one another they thought theyd never share. Soon, they start to look alike, dress alike, and talk alike, their lives mirroring one another in strange and disturbing ways. But Daphne realizes only too late that being friends with Laurel will come at a very shocking priceone that will ultimately lead her to that towering mansion in the Catskills where terrifying, long-hidden truths will finally be revealed.......
|Title||:||The Other Mother|
|Number of Pages||:||352 pages|
|Url Type||:||Home » Download » The Other Mother|
The Other Mother Reviews
3.5 A mental institution, journals and a reclusive author, sound intriguing, and this was, had atmosphere in spades. Raced through the first two thirds of the book, another one of those where you ask yourself, who to believe, what exactly is going on? Who is trust worthy, telling the truth? Where was this going?
As many thrillers as I read, it was bound to happen that I read two in a row that I could compare and contrast. That had some elements that were the same, but also many that were differe ...more
When Daphne Marist and her infant daughter, Chloe, pull up the gravel drive to the home of Daphne’s new employer, it feels like they’ve entered a whole new world. Tucked in the Catskills, the stone mansion looks like something out of a fairy tale, its lush landscaping hiding the view of the mental asylum just beyond its border. Daphne secured the live-in position using an assumed name and fake credentials, telling no one that she’s on the run from a controlling husband who has threatened to take ...more
Man this was a confusing read but I truly mean that as a compliment, I enjoyed every single page of this compulsive read! The confusion was the interesting kind, you know when you’re reading a book and you know the narrator isn’t reliable? It was that type of read, you’re endlessly questioning the characters, their motivations and their integrity.
Let me elaborate more on the confusion for you guys, this is told mainly from Daphne’s point of view both in a straightforward narrative in the present ...more
4.5 stars! This was one crazy, twisty, confusing, wild ride! Wow – was it ever fun!
I was highly intrigued from the start – the characters were fantastic, the atmosphere was vivid and captivating, the plot was engrossing, unpredictable and addictive. This story had me glued to the pages, scratching my head in confusion (in a good way!) at the turn of each chapter. The journal entries were brilliant! The narration was outstanding! My brain was working double-time to try keep up with this clever an ...more
“The Other Mother”
Written by Carol Goodman
I opened up “The Other Mother” during a sick day, gross with the stomach flu. At first, I thought I was really confused by the premise, because my head was foggy from fever, from chills, from the flu. After I became better, I still am not entirely sure what I read.
I am a fan of the book you don’t understand until the final twist, the book you have to read three times in a row to understand. This is reminiscent of “Shutter Island”, “A Cure for Wellness”, ...more
Thanks to William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for the advanced copy! Check out my blog for more about the author.
This was my introduction to Carol Goodman, and I had heard great things about her writing. THE OTHER MOTHER did not disappoint. This had a great pacing to it and kept me engaged throughout the read. We dive into some mental illness and obsession.
Daphne and her infant daughter, Chloe, arrive at the home of her new employer. The home is hidden in the Catskills and the mansion looks idyll ...more
This was a mental twister! I found it a little confusing at times and I had to stop and really think about some parts of it which makes this brilliant. You won't know which way it's going. A whirl wind of complexities.
Novels & Latte
Carol Goodman's special talent is creating mysteries within mysteries that incorporate emotional and physical isolation, Gothic storylines and settings, folkloric elements, and elaborate schemes that cause women protagonists to doubt the very planet they stand on. In The Other Mother, Goodman adds the very frightening and tragic element of Postpartum Depression, and almost-doppelganger-like mirror characters. Both recently had little girls, and both have troubled pasts. Add an author who lives i ...more

domain: artistic


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I had the privilege to photograph a beautiful destination wedding in Windhoek, Namibia. What an awesome couple full of laughs and a beautiful photo every time I looked through the camera viewfinder. The Game Reserve San Karros was the backdrop to their perfect day. Thanks guys for trusting me with your special day all the way over there. All the best with your new adventure!
P.S Come visit in Cape Town soon 🙂


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AISHA HAS BEEN ADOPTED!
Aisha, born May 2008, loves to talk and ask questions. She is friendly, opinionated, and confident. She is also a good helper. Aisha needs a stable loving family that will provide her with structure and unconditional love.

domain: pet


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Vegetable gardens not only bring fresh, seasonal produce to your table and immense satisfaction to your soul, but they can be inspirational and educational for your children.
Working with compost, worms, water, seeds, insects, plant growth and the final fruits of your labour instil in children not only the importance of being involved with their own food production and food security, but also a sense of responsibility.
It also gives them the opportunity to learn about the environment and cycles of nature.
I once interviewed a 6th generation farming family for some research that I was conducting. They home school their children and spoke of the benefits of growing food. The children are actually able to see what they are learning about in textbooks.
For example, when they are learning about plant life in a book, they can walk outside and witness seed germination and cotyledons before their eyes.
Planting a garden with children is an act of patience and for best results it should take place over time rather than attempting a marathon weekend gardening extravaganza, which usually results in rapid burnout and “Can we do something else yet?” or “I’m too hot” comments.
I have found that preparing the ground (digging in compost and manure) should be left to the adults as shovels and rakes are cumbersome for little ones to handle.
It is valuable however, to let children into the garden after the initial “stir up” is complete because finding worms is an exciting past time. Stop here to explain what worms do and how they help the garden to flourish.
What to plant
When the ground is prepared, plant a mixture of both quick growing seeds and seeds that produce interesting looking vegetables and yummy straight-off-the-plant snacks.
I also recommend planting some seedlings so that growth can be observed taking place above ground while the seeds germinate below ground. This tactic keeps continued interest in the garden.
While not every vegetable that you plant will be a favourite of your children, you can have them taste everything at least once. It is also important to remember that taste buds are continually developing and changing during childhood, so don’t give up if they do not like something the first time. Try and try again in the future.
I find that planting interesting looking vegetables like Armenian cucumbers that grow twisty, purple runner beans, rainbow chard and candy cane beets that are striped just like the favourite Christmas sweets can spark a new interest in otherwise “boring” vegetables.
Additionally, planting edible flowers like calendula and nasturtium adds an attractive and fun element to the garden, not to mention their ability to attract beneficial insects like butterflies and bees.
Plant herbs in pots and let your child be “in charge” of watering them.
Give your child their own special watering can and keep the herbs in a convenient location so that it does not become “chore-like” yet gives them the sense of responsibility and importance.
It is important to plant vegetables and fruits that can be picked and eaten straight from the plant in order to allow children to make the correlation between growing and eating food.
Sugar peas, cherry tomatoes, carnival carrots and strawberries are just a few of the more popular options although my daughter has been known to grab a lettuce leaf or flower petal to munch on at times.
Making it fun
For vegetables that normally require preparation and cooking before eating, let your children help with the harvest.
Pulling beets, yanking carrot tops and trying to guess what colour the carrots are, and digging potatoes akin to a treasure hunt provides for an interactive, fun component to the harvest.
This year, a main highlight in our garden is the single pumpkin plant that is taking over more than its fair share of space. Each day, my daughter puts a marker at the end of the vine and then she can see how much it grows in one day. Currently, it is spreading into the yard, up the hedge and over the neighbour’s fence!
If you have the dreaded slug or snail encroaching on your garden, although pesky to you and your garden’s wellbeing, they are fantastic opportunities to discover what creeps about in the dark. Head out with flashlights and conduct a hunt.
Despite all of your efforts to create a perfect, bountiful garden, there is no doubt that something will not grow or something else will get eaten. While disappointing, it is also an opportunity to teach children about the unpredictably of Mother Nature.
The skills learned and knowledge gained from a family garden are well worth the time and labour not only to provide your family with fresh, organic produce but to teach your children the greatness of life and the wonderful things that grow and exist in the outdoor world.

domain: biology


Here's What the Cast of Happy Days Looks Like Now
Happy Days is a beloved 1970s television series. First airing on January 15, 1974, the show boasted 255 episodes spanning 11 seasons. It was highly successful, being one of the top shows of the '70s. However, the series' rating fell during its second season, causing producers to reformat it. Emphasizing certain minor characters was the best decision they could have made.
Highlighting Fonzie, a cool biker/high school dropout, Happy Days became the number one program for a time. Fonzie's character became one of the most popular characters of the 1970s. While The Fonz enjoyed all this success, other cast members also enjoyed the show's success.
The show included actors such as Ron Howard, Anson Williams, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley, and of course, Henry Winkler. We began to see more main characters added in later seasons played by actors like Don Most, Erin Moran, Al Molinaro, and Scott Baio. After the show ended, many of these actors pursued other ambitions and are living a quieter life. Some continue to be a part of the acting world, starring in films and other TV shows. However, Happy Days is where many made their start. We remember them fondly by their characters in Happy Days, but what do the actors look like now?
Richie Cunningham | Ron Howard
Richie Cunningham was the original star of the show, playing the second son of Howard and Marion Cunningham. He was a perfect example of an all-American teenager—wholesome while getting into trouble occasionally. It was fun to watch him chase and try to land potential girlfriends.
Today, you can find Richie—Ron Howard—directing films, including the most recently released Hillbilly Elegy in 2020. Being in his late sixties, Howard’s looks have changed a bit but he is still unmistakably the young man from Happy Days.
Potsie Weber | Anson Williams
Warren “Potsie” Weber, played by Anson Williams, was a close friend of Richie and Ralph Malph. He was portrayed as not being very bright, gullible, and socially awkward. He was frequently called a nerd. However, he was a very talented singer, which audiences saw more of in later seasons.
Williams is now 72 but still an active part of society. On July 7, 2022, Williams announced he would be running for the position of Mayor of Ojai, California.
Marion Cunningham | Marion Ross
Marion Cunningham, played by Marion Ross, is the wife of Howard Cunningham and mother of Richie. She’s also one of three characters to remain on the show for all 11 seasons. She is a housewife and is usually seen doing stereotypical housewife things like cooking, cleaning, and raising the kids.
Marion Ross has remained active in filmography until 2021, when she played her final role as Marion in Senior Entourage before retiring. Approaching her mid-90s, we believe her retirement is well-deserved!
Howard Cunningham | Tom Bosley
Tom Bosley played the role of Howard Cunningham, the husband of Marion and father of Richie. He is one of only two characters to appear in all 255 Happy Days episodes and remain with the rest of the cast for all 11 seasons.
Bosley remained active in the acting world as a voice-over actor and making guest appearances. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2010 at age 83 due to complications with a staph infection.
Fonzie | Henry Winkler
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, or The Fonz, was played by Henry Winkler. He was originally a secondary character but became popular with audiences and was therefore promoted to a main character. Fonzie was the epitome of cool and was an iconic sex symbol.
Today, Winkler is still close to his friends from Happy Days. In 2021, he said, “I loved the people. They are still my friends. Tomorrow, I am taking Marion Ross to lunch for her 93rd birthday. Ron is like my brother, my younger brother; and Anson and Donny, we talk all the time.”
Ralph Malph | Donny Most
Ralph Malph, played by Donny Most, usually had two things on his mind: girls and jokes. Though his jokes tanked, he still used his catchphrase, “I still got it!” Though not very successful at getting dates, he was at least more successful than Richie and Potsie.
Most is now in his late 60s and is in the music industry. As of 2016, he switched to swing music and released a Christmas CD. In 2017 he was touring. There are plans to release a new, full-length album sometime in the near future.
Joanie Cunningham | Erin Moran
Joanie Cunningham was played by Erin Moran. She is the daughter of Howard and Marion Cunningham and younger sister to Richie. She played the perfect example of an all-American teenage girl and eventually became a teacher on the show.
Sadly, Erin Moran passed away in 2017 at the age of 56 due to throat cancer. Her final film role was in The Deceit in 2012 and her final TV role was as herself in Celebrity Ghost Stories that same year.
Al Delvecchio | Al Molinaro
Al Molinaro played the role of Al Delvecchio, the drive-in owner and cook of Arnold’s Diner. His catchphrase was more of a sigh—”Yep, yep, yep…” He would often talk about his former love and how she left him for a tie salesman. He eventually married Chachi’s mother, Louisa.
Molinaro’s last television role was in 1992 in Step by Step. Though he retired from acting, he continued to appear in commercials until the early 2000s. He died of complications from an infected gallbladder in 2015 and the age of 96.
Chachi Arcola | Scott Baio
Chachi Arcola, played by Scott Baio, is the younger cousin of Fonzie, first appearing in season five. He falls in love with Joanie Cunningham and together, they become aspiring musicians. Eventually, they get married.
Baio has remained active in the acting world, his most recent film being Courting Mom and Dad in 2021. Being a man in his early 60s, it would not be surprising to continue to see him in shows and movies.
Lori Cunningham | Lynda Goodfriend
Lori Cunningham, played by Lynda Goodfriend, is Richie’s girlfriend and later wife. She married Richie over the phone. Fonzie helped her deliver her first baby. She is revealed to be pregnant in the final season with a second baby.
Goodfriend has not been a part of filmography for some time, her last appearance being in Exit to Eden in 1994. However, she is now the acting chair at the New York Film Academy.
Jenny Piccolo | Cathy Silvers
Cathy Silvers played the role of Jenny Piccolo, Joanie’s boy-crazy best friend. She is frequently mentioned in early episodes but never actually seen. She made her first appearance in season eight. She became a regular during season ten and was a guest star in the series finale.
Silvers has not been seen on screen since 1996 in the TV film Encino Woman. At age 61, her focus has shifted to a healthy lifestyle. She is the author of Happy Days Healthy Living and hosts an online show The Healthy Living Show.
Arnold Takahashi | Pat Morita
Mitsumo “Arnold” Takahashi, played by Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, was the owner of Arnold’s Drive-In for season three. He said he obtained the moniker when he purchased Arnold’s restaurant and people assumed it was named after him. He also played a martial arts instructor, teaching self-defense at the drive-in after hours.
Morita, unfortunately, passed away in 2005 at age 73 due to kidney failure. More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story was a documentary released in 2021, featuring archival footage and interview material. Morita’s Miyagi is honored throughout the Cobra Kai TV show with flashbacks and audio clips.
Roger Phillips | Ted McGinley
Roger Phillips, Marion’s nephew and coach/teacher at Jefferson High, was played by Ted McGinley. Roger continued to be a coach and teacher before becoming the principal at Patton High. He was introduced after Richie left the show as a recurring character.
McGinley, now 64, can still be seen on screen with his most recent appearance being in 2018 in God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness. He also has a recurring role as Sam on the show No Good Luck.
Ashley Pfister | Linda Purl
Linda Purl played the role of Ashley Pfister, a divorced mother who becomes Fonzie’s steady girlfriend. She made her first appearance in season 10 and can be seen in 19 episodes.
Now in her mid-60s, Purl is still involved in the film industry, starring as Blondie in Broken Halos in 2020. She has also made numerous television show appearances throughout the years, most recently playing Madeline Mandel in Code Black in 2018.
Heather Pfister | Heather O’Rourke
Heather Pfister, played by Heather O’Rourke, was Ashley’s daughter. Initially, Heather was portrayed as not getting along with Fonzie. However, she gradually learned to like him and even accept him as a father figure. She appeared as a recurring character in season ten.
O’Rourke has not been seen in a new film since 1988 when she starred in the cult classic Poltergeist and its two sequels. That’s because sadly, in 1988 at the age of 12, O’Rourke passed away due to congenital stenosis of the intestine complicated by septic shock.


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Main Article Content
Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is caused by bleeding within the brain tissue and accounts for about 7%-15% of all strokes. It is the most devastating type of stroke with mortality rate of 34%-51%. This study was done to determine the predictors for short-term mortality in primary intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) patients in relation with size of hematoma and ventricular extension determined by computed tomography (CT) scan at presentation. Study was conducted over 100 admitted patients in the department of Medicine and Neurology, Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital, Barisal, Bangladesh for a duration of one year from 1st July 2010 to 30th June 2011. Data was collected in hospital directly from patient or their attendance. CT scan findings at presentation were correlated with the outcome. Poor outcome was associated with a hematoma volume of more than 30ml (80%) and presence of ventricular extension (88.2%). Mortality was 40% in first month, most of the death occurred in first 7 days (95%). Though outcome and functional status at discharge were well correlated with the initial CT scan findings but larger study with greater matched variables, risk factors and long-term follow-up is needed to make a concrete comment.

domain: medical


Infill Housing Guidelines
Cities are undergoing constant change. Ongoing renewal and redevelopment has prompted many cities, like Regina, to develop guidelines that will ensure that new development has a positive impact on existing neighbourhoods. Like the City of Edmonton, Saskatoon, Ottawa and many others, the City of Regina is developing Infill Housing Guidelines to increase the compatibility of future infill development with its surroundings.
What is Infill Development?
Infill Development refers to the addition of new residential dwellings in established neighbourhoods. Infill Development can include: 1) development of a new residential dwelling on vacant land, 2) additions and structural alterations to existing dwellings, or 3) the replacement of existing dwellings with new ones. Infill Development does not necessarily result in intensification; intensification through Infill Development only occurs when such development results in the introduction of additional residential units.
Why Infill Development?
Infill Development is important because it allows property owners to renew and revitalize the housing stock and redevelop on their properties, while also providing benefits for the wider community. It promotes compact and complete communities and better utilizes existing transportation and servicing infrastructure because new homes will be built within existing neighbourhoods rather than at the edge of the City. When residential intensification occurs as part of infill development, there is an increase in the diversity and affordability of housing options, and more households will live in existing neighbourhoods and support local businesses and amenities.
How, When and Where will Infill Development Occur?
Infill Development is already occurring throughout Regina’s established neighbourhoods. Based on the Infill Housing Guidelines, the City of Regina’s Zoning Bylaw will be amended with new regulations. At such time, new Infill Development applications will be required to conform to these new regulations, and construction will commence incrementally as demand warrants.
Site and Building Design Considerations
Infill Development should balance the need for neighbourhood renewal and flexibility with ensuring a good fit in already established neighbourhoods. Infill developments should be well proportioned and designed, and oriented toward adjacent streets and open spaces. They should contribute to an attractive, animated and safe community. The height and massing of new buildings should not overwhelm the character of neighbouring homes or the street, ensuring that neighbours’ access to sunlight, privacy and views are not affected.
Key considerations include:
- Building location and orientation on the property;
- Building form, height and massing;
- The depth of front, side and rear-yard setbacks;
- Parking and access;
- Landscaping, servicing and drainage;
- Front porches and front entries;
- Internal pathways and lighting; and
- Sustainable design features including permeable pavers and on-site storm-water retention.


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The magical story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince is sure to delight children and adults of all ages! Julie Moffitt’s artistic directorship in its 5th year brings exciting original choreography and brilliant costuming. For your enjoyment the ballet will include even more fun and fresh additions complementing the traditional Nutcracker story. J.M.B.S. Nutcracker Ballet is a children’s-length ballet lasting just over one hour and is perfect for families! It’s the most enjoyable and affordable entertainment this holiday season!
Join the Cache Valley Civic Ballet in their presentation of the enchanted Christmas story by E.T. Hoffman. This production has become a family holiday tradition. Audiences will be delighted by the colorful scenery, beautiful costumes, enthusiastic performances by the dancers and of course the wonderful music of Tchaikovsky.
The story centers around Clara, the young girl whose fantasy dream makes the Christmas tree grow larger than one could imagine, brings toy presents and soldiers to life, and warms our hearts with the beauty of her candy land filled with mystical characters and a Sugar Plum Fairy. Supporting these characters is our ensemble cast of talented company dancers and community players, often involving entire families. We so appreciate their dedication and enthusiasm.
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domain: entertainment


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About: Papworth Hospital Papworth Hospital Cambridge CB23 3RE
Posted by A*******d
I had to have a second ablation for my Atrial Fibrillation last July. I was admitted on Friday at midday, by 1.30 I was in theatre and by 6 pm was in a single room and eating heartily! The staff, consultants, nurses and porters were nothing but brilliant! I was treated with warmth and respect and more importantly, with great care! I can't thank them enough for their care and support. I still have 6 monthly checks but am now off Warfarin and a couple of other tablets too! Brilliant care! I left the ward the next day at midday, how's that for service?


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16 September 2014
The European Commission pledges to increase its support for the farmers due to the Russian ban. On Monday a debate was held in the European Parliament concerning Russia’s embargo on agricultural imports from the EU. At the debate, MEPs from the Law and Justice party persuaded the European Commission to support Polish farmers, struggling with the effects of the embargo.
On Monday a debate was held in the European Parliament concerning Russia’s embargo on agricultural imports from the EU. At the debate, MEPs from the Law and Justice party persuaded the European Commission to support Polish farmers, struggling with the effects of the embargo.
The debate was held on the instigation of MEPs Beata Gosiewska, Zbigniew Kuzmiuk and Janusz Wojciechowski. During the debate, Janusz Wojciechowski MEP emphasised the fact that the economic sanctions have affected both sides and that farmers from Baltic Republics and from Poland are bearing the highest costs. “Nowadays, more than ever, there is a need for European solidarity. The costs of sanctions must be split among not only all the farmers, but simply among all European citizens” said Mr Wojciechowski.
Zbigniew Kuzmiuk pointed out the general importance of the issue. “The European Commission acts as if the matter was non-essential. Yet the prices of plant and animal agricultural products in Poland have decreased by 30-40% comparing to the previous year. It is the direct effect of sanctions”, he recalled.
Law and Justice MEPs together stressed that the European Commission has at its disposal a reserve fund, designed for crisis management, and asked why it had not been made available so far. They also argued that, instead of protecting Polish farmers, the EC refuses to support them. “The decision taken last week regarding suspending applications from farmers, is outrageous and left them without any help. I cannot understand the reasons for which the European Commission, facing one of the most serious crises, refuses to use the fund designated to this very purpose”, said Beata Gosiewska. She also stressed that, given the current crisis, the dairy sector needs to be supported as well, and therefore financial penalties for not sticking with dairy limits shall be abolished.
The debate lasted three hours and it was attended by ca. 50 MEPs. A significant majority of MEPs agreed that, in order to finance the compensation mentioned, additional funding should be provided, not only from Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) resources, but also from other budgetary lines. “As Russian sanctions are obviously of political nature, the EU is obliged to reply at a political level, governed by a spirit of European solidarity”, said Zbigniew Kuzmiuk MEP.
According to the information provided by the European Commission, after the sanctions had been imposed by Russia, the Polish government did not ask the Commission to release the reserve fund of 400 000 000. “It is outrageous that the Polish government did not ask for the money”, said Janusz Wojciechowski.
26 February 2021
22 February 2021
19 February 2021
16 February 2021

domain: agronomy


RCMP say it’s a troubling situation.
People in BC, sharing child porn online.
Inspector Ed Boettcher with the RCMP says The Mountie’s Integrated Child Exploitation Unit found over 1,200 transactions of child porn images exchanged online, unique to BC.
“It appears to show a significant increase in child pornography.”
Police are wrapping their heads around that information.
“This was the first time this was conducted in BC, so the numbers do not really, we can’t say right now whether it reflects a dramatic increase, but it’s more accurately reflects the scope of the issue.”
The investigation continues and we may see arrests and charges.


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Murder in Saint-Germain / Cara Black.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Bowen Island Public Library.
0 current holds with 1 total copy.
View other formats and editions
|Location||Call Number / Copy Notes||Barcode||Shelving Location||Holdable?||Status||Due Date|
|Bowen Island Public Library||MYS BLA (Text)||30947000516944||Mysteries||Volume hold||Available||-|
- ISBN: 9781616957704
- Physical Description: 326 pages : map ; 24 cm
- Publisher: New York : Soho Crime, 2017.
- Copyright: ©2017.
"Paris, July 1999: Private investigator Aimee Leduc is walking through Saint-Germain when she is accosted by Suzanne Lesage, a Brigade Criminelle agent on an elite counterterrorism squad. Suzanne has just returned from the former Yugoslavia, where she was hunting down dangerous war criminals for the Hague. Back in Paris, Suzanne is convinced she's being stalked by a ghost--a Serbian warlord she thought she'd killed. She's suffering from PTSD and her boss thinks she's imagining things. She begs Aimee to investigate--is it possible Mirko Vladic could be alive and in Paris with a blood vendetta? Aimee is already working on a huge case, plus she's got an eight-monthold baby to take care of. But she can't say no to Suzanne, whom she owes a big favor. Aimee chases the few leads, and all evidence confirms Mirko Vladic is dead. It seems that Suzanne is in fact paranoid, perhaps losing her mind--until Suzanne's team begins to turn up dead in a series of strange, tragic accidents. Are these just coincidences? Or are things not what they seem?"-- Provided by publisher.
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With its first episode airing across the pond tonight, anticipation is high for the final season of Breaking Bad, the Emmy award winning drama about bitter and luckless chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) who turns to a life of crime and meth production after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.
Billed by creator Vince Gilligan as ‘Mr Chips meets Scarface’, White’s slow transformation from well-meaning but suffering father and husband to amoral and megalomaniacal drug baron Heisenberg alongside his assistant and former pupil Jesse (Aaron Paul) has deservedly earned Breaking Bad a reputation as one of (if not the) best shows in television and the wait between seasons has led this to be one of the most anticipated finales in television history.
In preparation for Walt’s return to our screens, we count down some of our favourite moments from the last five seasons of Breaking Bad. For those of you haven’t seen the show, be cautioned as there are spoilers ahead. Then again, if you haven’t seen the show, give yourself a slap in the face, recite ‘I must be more culturally informed’ to yourself in the mirror ten times then go out and get the box set on DVD.
10. Car Problems (Season One)
In one of the series’ first indications of how much of a badass Walter will turn into, this scene sees Walter doling out justice to an annoying loudmouth yuppie in one of the purest examples of working man’s rage. We’ve all been there: stuck in line at the bank, Walter is forced to endure the phone conversation of an egocentric jerk, who moments earlier had stolen his parking space, as he boasts of his achievements at work and makes wildly inappropriate comments to the woman working on the till. Seeing him again at a petrol station, Walter takes his revenge by flipping the bonnet of his unattended convertible and introducing a wetted sponge to the car’s battery. Proving the old adage that cool guys don’t look at explosions, Walter walks away with a smirk on his face as the car erupts in a ball of flame.
9. Gale’s Home Video (Season Four)
Introduced in season three, Gale Boetticher (David Costabile) was Walter’s eccentric lab assistant whilst working under Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) before being executed by Jesse in an act of self-preservation (having been groomed as a replacement for Walter altogether). Shy, intellectual and a closeted homosexual (it is hinted that he had an attraction to Walter), Gale was a genuinely sweet and innocent character in a show filled with amorality and corruption. A small scene in which Hank (a DEA agent and Walt’s brother-in-law played by Dean Norris) shows Walt a home video recovered from the scene of his murder gives a rare insight into Gale’s private life as he is seen singing a rendition of Peter Schilling’s ‘Major Tom’ in an Asian karaoke bar. In keeping with Gus’s character, this scene is just plain adorable and retroactively makes his death even sadder (the full video can be found here).
8. ‘I am not turning down the money; I am turning down you’ (Season Three)
Though Walter White may be the most recognisable character in the show, he shares equal billing with Jesse whose transformation from drug addicted and self-destructive teen to level-headed voice of reason provides a contrast to his partner’s descent into crime. This scene in particular, in which Walt offers Jesse back his old job after severing ties at the start of the season, is indicative of the strength of Aaron Paul’s performance and the attention to his role. In hospital after receiving a beating from Hank, Jesse quietly declines Walt’s offer then berates him after he refuses to accept his decision. It is an emotional scene, one in which a tearful Jesse lays down some cold hard truths about Walter, and his admission that he has lost everything important to him after ‘hooking up with the great Heisenberg’ hits like a punch to the gut.
7. ‘I am the one who knocks’ (Season Four)
The constant nagging and browbeating of Walter’s wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) has led her to become one of the most hated characters in entertainment right now (behind only King Joffrey and Justin Bieber). Whilst I would argue that she is nowhere near as annoying as her detractors make her out to be, this scene from season four is a coup for fans who want nothing more than to see her put in her place. After berating Walter for the danger he has put himself in at the hands of Gus (specifically referencing Gale Boetticher’s death who died when he answered Jesse’s knock at his door), Walter snaps and reveals just how powerful he is before admitting to murdering Gale (‘a guy opens his door and gets shot, and you think that of me! No, I am the one who knocks!’). Cranston here plays Walt at his most intimidating and shows just how far his new persona has overtaken him.
6. The Death of Mike (Season Five)
Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathon Banks) is one of those characters who is permanently on the verge of saying ‘I’m too old for this shit’ and that is exactly why we loved him. An ageing, cynical hitman working for Gus, he approaches his tasks with the weariness of a man approaching retirement and attempts to impart his life lessons to both Jesse and Walt. It is his association with the latter that leads to his eventual downfall as Mike, in possession of a list of names who would testify against them in court, is gunned down by Walt after refusing to turn this information over. Jonathon Banks was so popular with the Breaking Bad team that cast and crew alike wore black arm bands whilst filming this scene in respect to his character. As Walt (in a rare moment of atonement) apologises for his actions, Mike uses his last words to hammer home his cynical nature: ‘shut the fuck up, and let me die in peace’.
5. Season One Finale (Season One)
One crime that many US shows commit is the end of season cliff-hanger. Whilst many shows will try to reward return investment by promising to tie up storylines at the start of a new run, Breaking Bad offered an alternate take on this at the end of its first season. Walt and Jesse begin a partnership with unhinged drug lord Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz) and the season ends with a scene in which they deliver their first shipment. After the deal is done, Tuco takes offense at an innocuous comment made by one of his associates and proceeds to beat him half to death, much to Walt and Jesse’s horror. As Tuco and his remaining crew drive away, Walt and Jesse are left to face up to the consequences of their decision. While it does tie in nicely to the start of season two, this scene can be read equally as a full stop as the two make the realisation that they are facing an uncertain future.
4. The Salamanca Brothers’ Last Stand (Season Three)
Breaking Bad is a visually arresting series. From the time lapse montages that score Walt and Jesse’s cooks to the use of surrealism (the severed head on a tortoise, anyone?), Breaking Bad is one of the more cinematic examples of recent television using cinematography and editing to affect emotional response as much as acting and dialogue. The finale of the season three episode ‘One Minute’, in which the Salamanca brothers (twin hitmen, Leonel and Marco, out to avenge their cousin Tuco) ambush Hank in a car park, is a testament to this fact. A lesson in suspense that would make Hitchcock proud, tension is built from the get go as an anonymous caller (hinted to be Gus) tips a nervous and agitated Hank off to the attack and ends with a severely wounded Hank scrabbling to reload his gun before Marco can deliver the coup de grace. If Hank had said ‘hasta la vista’ before firing the final shot then this scene would be nothing short of perfect.
3. ‘Stay out of my territory’ (Season Two)
As has been noted, Walter’s transformation from mild mannered family man to ruthless gangster underpins Breaking Bad and the scene where this metamorphosis becomes apparent is one of the shows’ most memorable. Midway through season two, Walt decides to give up the drug lifestyle and heads over to the local hardware store to buy supplies for his house. Whilst there, he comes across a meth dealer buying materials for a cook. Deciding to step in, Walt gives the dealer patronising fatherly advice on how to procure the best ingredients before radically changing tone and following him to the car park. Eyeing his boss down, Walt warns him to ‘stay out of my territory’. The man named Walter White is dead; the legend named Heisenberg is born.
2. ‘This is not meth’ (Season One)
Walter White is a very smart man; the men he deals with are not, though they are gun wielding, meth addicted maniacs who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Tuco Salamanca is one such man and, after he robs Jesse of their drugs and gives him a severe hiding, Walter goes to confront him at his place of business with what appears to be another shipment of meth. Unfazed by Tuco’s intimidations and his affectations of superiority, Walter reveals that what he is carrying is in fact mercury fulminate causing an explosion that all but destroys Tuco’s headquarters. It’s not the first time Walt has used his knowledge of chemistry to outwit his opponents nor would it be the last, but no other scene is this spectacular and no other move so ballsy. In the immortal words of Jesse, ‘yeah, science!’
1. ‘I won’ (Season Four)
Season four contains Breaking Bad’s most memorable episode arc. Locked in a war of nerves with eerily calm super dealer Gus Fring after the death of Gale Boetticher, each episode sees Walt and Jesse on the brink of certain death. It all reaches a head in the last episode. With Walt now of no use to him, Gus prepares to throw the final blow, but past affiliations make him visit Hector Salamanca, a wheelchair bound former rival and uncle to Tuco, Leonel and Marco. Little does Gus know that Hector and Walter are in cahoots letting out a scream (the character’s only admission of emotion throughout the series) as a home-made bomb under Hector’s wheelchair is detonated killing them both. As Walt emerges unscathed, it is unclear whether or not the hero or the villain has truly prevailed: talking to Skyler afterwards, a remorseless Walt glibly states ‘I won’.
Written by Chris Shackleton, a Leeds based blogger with an interest in film, music and television. Currently moonlighting as a Michael Cera lookalike. Find more of his writing on his blog: filmcraicwithchrisshack.wordpress.com.


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18 Ways to Eat Sustainably in 2016
December 31, 2015 | Davina van Buren
Getting ready to put together those New Years’ resolutions? If eating more sustainably is among them, here’s a quick guide to get you started.
1. Can, freeze and dehydrate all year.
Put up foods like berries and summery fruits and veggies throughout the year instead of buying them out of season. This way you can still cook with local foods even in the dead of winter. Save money by patronizing you-pick farms for berries and vegetables in the summer; apples, pears and pumpkins in the fall.
2. Buy organic meat.
Whether your centerpiece is a turkey, ham, roast or goose, make sure your meat is grass-fed, pastured, hormone-free and organic. (Same goes for dairy.) Or, go even further and serve venison, boar or other wild game that you’ve hunted yourself. You can’t get more free-range than that.
3. Compost it.
No backyard? No problem. You can start worm composting right in your kitchen, closet, pantry or basement. Come spring, you’ll have rich soil to start your seedlings.
4. Drink tap water.
Bottled water is just plain wasteful and has no proven health benefits whatsoever. Invest in a filtered pitcher and a reusable BPA-free water bottle instead.
5. Buy local.
Whenever possible, buy local. This helps reduce greenhouse gasses created by transporting food long distances.
6. Reuse your cooking water.
Boiling veggies or pasta? Don’t throw out the water—it’s filled with flavor. Instead, reuse it in couscous, rice or soups.
7. Invest in good cookware.
Remember those coated non-stick pans your mom loved in the 90s? Yeh, they’re horrible for you. Choose stainless steel, ceramic or cast iron instead.
8. Replace refined sugar with honey.
Use honey instead of table sugar in recipes—it’s more sustainable and has tons of health benefits. Local honey? Even better, and may help with your allergies.
9. Buy fair trade.
When it comes to products such as tea, coffee and chocolate, buy only fair trade. You’ll be promoting better conditions for workers and more sustainable growing methods.
10. Use organic olive oil.
Conventional olives are heavily sprayed with pesticides, which can be even more pronounced when pressed into oil. Spring for the good stuff.
11. Give plastic the boot.
As we learn more about the health and environmental effects of plastics, this is the perfect time to phase them out of your kitchen. Opt for wood or glass bowls and storage containers instead.
12. Cheap it out.
Check the clearance section at your local supermarket for deeply-discounted bread, produce and items that are nearing their expiration date. This is another great way to build up your frozen food stash.
13. Go foraging.
Take advantage of the foraging trend and hunt your own wild herbs, nuts, greens, mushrooms, nettles and edible flowers. You can even fashion your own table arrangements from pine cones, branches, holly, greenery, branches and whatever else you can find in the woods.
14. Give vegan “dairy” products a try.
We know, we know: vegan cheese just ain’t the same—but hear us out on this one. You can easily replace things like butter and mayonnaise with healthier, vegan versions without anyone (including yourself) noticing. We hear a lot about organic, free-range meats, but the truth is, factory-farmed dairy animals are kept in the same abhorrent conditions. Every little bit helps.
15. Get creative with leftovers.
Move over turkey sandwiches, these turkey spring rolls with cranberry sauce are a much tastier way to use up that leftover bird.
16. Buy in bulk.
Purchase items such as beans, lentils, quinoa and rice in bulk. It’s considerably cheaper, and who needs all that extra packaging, anyway?
17. Grow your own.
No more excuses: if you have a windowsill, you can grow food. Plant herbs, garlic and other small veggies in cups or container gardens, which you can keep inside all year. Just water them along with your houseplants.
18. Keep it real.
Forget about using disposable plates, napkins and utensils. The holidays are special, so don’t be shy about breaking out the fancy china and silver. (Or, at least use your everyday plates and flatware.)
According to Use Less Stuff, the United States generates an additional 25 million tons of waste from Thanksgiving to New Years. Recycle what you can. Unfortunately, most wrapping paper is not recyclable, so opt for newspaper, reusable bags, tins and ribbons, fabric scraps or other creative coverings for your gifts. Mother Earth will thank you.
This article originally appeared on Seedstock.com:

domain: food


Radioee.net (Radio Espacio Estacion) is a
nomadic, multilingual, online radio broadcast addressing themes of mobility,
migration, and transportation. Radioee.net hosts time and site-specific
broadcasts that adapt to the local scenarios and situations. The transmission
integrates at least two languages at once, focusing on language incorporation
and integration rather than translation. Broadcast events create a platform for
dialogue, music, and sound experiments, connecting local participants and
collaborators to an ever-growing audience of global listeners.
Broadcasting live from November 11-13th
11-5pm, radioee.net: SOLARIO will
explore the sun's presence and promise in transportation, migration, and
climate transformation. The three-day broadcast in Spanish and English will
address sun rooms, solar racing competitions, solar energy and ecology,
considering the sun’s impact on social, political, and infrastructural dynamics
in Dallas and across the SunBelt. On November 11 and 12th, radioee.net will
open a channel for intensive conversation and sound and music performances with
local voices on solar topics and themes.
On Sunday November 13, radioee.net will broadcast key lectures and
discussions from New Cities,
Future Ruins, a four-year curatorial initiative inviting
artists, designers, and thinkers to re-imagine and engage the extreme urbanism
of America's Western Sun Belt. Sunday’s morning broadcast will transmit the
mainstage presentations from SMU. In the afternoon, Radioee.net will broadcast
conference roundtables, and host its own roundtable in the Pollock Gallery with
artist Aaron Landsman on the Perfect City project and other special guests. For
the remaining days of the exhibition, the Pollock Gallery will become a
listening booth for the SOLARIO broadcast.
radioee.net is an online, nomadic, multilingual radio station.
We hosts 24-hr broadcast events on mobility and movement. We take up topics of transportation, migration, and climate transformation, transmitting local voices, music and sound to create an audio portrait of a place in time. Our radio events are often hosted while on the move--from trucks, cars, boats, and bikes. Each broadcast connects an ever-growing network of 5000+ global listeners, and is co-broadcast with local terrestrial and/or online stations.


Former Chief Transportation Officer John Manconi and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson on September 14, 2019, the day of the light rail launch (files).
The Mayor of&# x27;Ottawa's Jim Watson is “notorious for wanting a high level of detail,” former OC Transpo general manager John Manconi said during a hearing of the OC Transpo Commission. public inquiry into Ottawa's light rail transit last week. The lawyers then asked him how involved the mayor was in launching the light rail system.
Mr. Watson himself swore to commission counsel in April that he was in the crow's nest and was looking at 30,000 feet. However, he said he did not go into detail about the Confederation line.
Since then, a chain of hundreds of messages sent on WhatsApp in the fall of 2019, released this week in full as evidence before the Commission, matches the description of the mayor's style substantiated by Mr. Manconi. These posts provide unprecedented insight into how Mayor Watson leads City Hall.
During the particularly difficult period following the launch of light rail , Jim Watson kept asking for information about the system.
He even gave his opinion on points of detail. He thus suggested to John Manconi that the employees on the platforms equipped with red jackets [the light rail ambassadors, editor’s note] shout out the routes of the buses put in place when the light rail was experiencing difficulties. He also asked if shovels were available for snow removal.
This WhatsApp group was created a few months before Mr. Watson was added to it. As part of the public inquiry, the lawyers looked into these messages in order to unravel the thread of events leading up to the final test of the light rail in the summer of 2019.
It was also a question of determining who could have been at the origin of the decision to return to lower evaluation criteria, after a failed departure.
Prior to Jim Watson's arrival in the focus group, City Manager Steve Kanellakos, Transit Commission Chairman Councilor Allan Hubley and staff from the Mayor's office discussed the test results and milestones…and even noticed spilled blueberries on an escalator on the light rail's grand opening day.
Following issues when OC Transpo went totally from bus to train, John Manconi sent a message to the group asking for help from the mayor's chief of staff, Serge Arpin, and his assistant, Mathieu Gravel, because the mayor sends me text messages frequently.
They then decided that Jim Watson should receive updates from the WhatsApp channel – one of many City of Ottawa channels, as evidenced by the odd messages to various threads – and John Manconi finally added him to the group on October 23.
So began a torrent of messages from the mayor, often misspelled, as #x27;he demanded updates on all aspects of light rail and worried that our reputation is in tatters.
As soon as he joined the WhatsApp thread, Mr. Watson seemed obsessed with the messages the OC Transpo Twitter account was sending to passengers about delays and how they didn't correspond. not what he had heard directly from John Manconi.
Why does the Twitter account always show delays? It's been 20 minutes and yet you tell me the problem was solved in five minutes, it reads. CFRA [an Ottawa private radio] gets its information from your feed, so it's hard to blame them, when we still have an old tweet, he adds.
The mayor also added his voice to John Manconi, who was concerned that one of the Transit Commission members, Sarah Wright-Gilbert, was destroying us with false information during a ;an interview on the same private radio station. Mr. Watson suggested she be removed from the committee and urged Mr. Manconi to use attacks on staff as an issue.
Ms. x27;is defended last week following the filing of this exhibit during Jim Watson's testimony before the Commission.
On Sunday, October 27, Mayor Watson was placed aware of multiple train breakdowns.
This is ridiculous. I want a parallel bus service ready to run all next week as a backup. We have no credibility at this stage, he wrote.
He then ordered staff to arrange a meeting with Group representatives Transport Rideau and Rideau Transit Maintenance at their office.
Retain all payments to them. They must not receive a penny until I, personally, give you permission, continued Mr. Watson.
Just five days after adding it, John Manconi wrote: Mr. Mayor please I get so many messages from you on multiple channels and from your staff. I will respond to each of them. All are taken into account. We are drowning in message overload.
Mr. Watson persisted, checking for updates regarding the installation of non-slip coating on station stairs and straps for passengers to hold on to on trains.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, center, in light rail with a number of city officials and politicians on August 23, 2019, when the City symbolically accepted the Rideau Transit Group's rail system (file).
When the Mayor rode the light rail that fall, he harassed City leaders about everything he saw. For example, he sent this series of messages on the morning of November 11:
Watson at 9:35:13: I'm heading for the& #x27;is at Tremblay station and it says the train is on hold.
Watson at 9:35:43: Is& #x27;is anyone there?
Watson at 9:36:46: Ok, the train is leaving.
Watson at 9:41:40: Can the conductor shout the stops until the train is fixed? Will he or she know it's not working?
Watson at 9:49:24: PA system is now working !
Watson at 9:51:31: It's stopped working.
Watson at 9:51:52: He just announced Saint-Laurent and we're in Tremblay.
Watson at 9:54:32: Can someone turn off the PA system that is playing the wrong station every time.
Watson at 10:03:44: Please answer and turn off the PA. He announces all the bad stations!!!!
Councillor Hubley at 10:04:18: Mayor, I'm going to call.
Watson at 10:04:56: Very frustrating. Especially if a blind person gets on the train.
Manconi at 10:07:15: The system should reset at the end of the line.
On another ride, Jim Watson told John Manconi to ask support staff to tell riders to take off their backpacks because OC Transpo might get more riders into the cars if they put them between their backpacks. feet.
Mayor Watson even made several suggestions regarding train switches and yard operations that John Manconi had to reject.
Light rail riders wait for the bus at Blair Station, following a light rail breakdown on the morning of October 22, 2019 (on file).
Mr. Watson also wanted a rope-like barricade to prevent riders from holding doors when a train departs.
That's impossible. It's against all safety rules, replied John Manconi. You had the option during the design and tender phase to implement [sic] screen doors that are designed to do exactly what you ask, but that was not not affordable according to your budget limit.
During this time, Mr. Manconi frequently asked the mayor where he got his information on transit issues, and had to warn him when other Twitter posts from others didn't properly describe the situation.
< p class="e-p">The mayor did not reserve his frustration for discussions with senior City officials.
On November 22, 2019, Jim Watson requested a call with Peter Lauch, then CEO of the Rideau Transportation Group (GTR).
I am furious, writes Jim Watson. I start the morning with one breakdown and end the afternoon with another.
John Manconi then gave him Mr. Lauch's cell phone number and 12 minutes later, the mayor replied, I just blaster Peter. This technician should be fired and replaced.
Former Rideau Transportation Group CEO Peter Lauch speaking a press conference in February 2020 (archive)
John Manconi himself didn't mince words when addressing the staff of Alstom and Rideau Transit Maintenance on WhatsApp threads, calling them clowns, morons and idiots.
Throughout the year, John Manconi promised to provide information to the mayor, but on December 7 – a Saturday – Mr. Manconi finally told him: Today I am trying to take rest and do things for me that I haven't been able to do for months, so can I ask you that we talk about all this at our weekly meeting?
December 13, the mayor asked: What happened in Cyrville and are you not alerting me to this forum anymore?
It is clear from other message chains that John Manconi continued to receive text messages and directives from the mayor afterward, such as the order to stop publicizing the few trains in operation on line, that winter.
These threads were not among the half-million documents the City of Ottawa originally provided to the commission of inquiry. The City's outside attorney, Peter Wardle, maintained that the Commission had said it did not want documents from personal devices.
Mr. Wardle described the messages as ephemeral and disposable, per the City's records policy, and Mr. Watson said his eyes clouded over as he read the informative messages exchanged between City employees. City.
On June 30, Co-Lead Commission Counsel John Adair, however, asked Mayor Watson why he had not mentioned the existence of these sworn messages during his pre-trial interview. ;hearing, in April 2022.
I will suggest, sir, that you knew […] that these WhatsApp messages were important and that you specifically chose not to disclose them , right?
No, replied the mayor. I didn't think it was that important. It was snippets here and there. It wasn't substantial at all. The more substantial information came from meetings we had with our suppliers and staff.
Since its commissioning, the light rail had many problems (archives).
Nor did John Manconi speak to the Commission about these messages at the time of his interview. During his June 28 testimony, he told Mr. Adair that he had completely forgotten about the WhatsApp chats.
Mr. in charge of light rail by the city of Ottawa and what the two men could have exchanged by text, when the mayor was not yet on the WhatsApp thread. Mr. Adair had seen references to these texts, but none had been delivered.
I'm going to suggest that if the mayor of the town is texting you non-stop, that& #x27;is pressure on you to achieve [the light rail launch]?
No. No, replied John Manconi. Absolutely not.
He has incredible energy levels and wants to know what's going on, not just on public transit, even on my days at public works or in my other portfolios.
With information from Kater Porter, CBC


text: It is possible that Siere was shortened from your name. All I know is that our Siere was supposed to live in Ohio. His wife Eva had a son in the late 1920's. Our Siere was supposed to have gone back to his homeland after the birth of the son. We have no other info. Have you run across the names of Mikle or O'Jon or O'John? Eva and the son moved back to Southern Illinois.

domain: history


text:
The Greater Accra National Democratic Congress (NDC) Youth Wing has warned the convener for Fixing the Country Movement, Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah that he should not make any attempt to picket at former President John Mahama’s office.
This comes on the back of media reports that Mr. Owusu Bempah has issued a 14 day ultimatum to picket in front of the office of former President John Dramani Mahama.
In a sharp rebuttal, the Greater Accra NDC Youth stated that Mr. Mahama cannot be blamed for the failures of President Akufo-Addo.
“In the event Owusu Bempah and his group remain nonchalant and attempt anything close to what they have announced, they should pay for their coffins and graves before they come.
“There are hundreds of scandals under this government that Owusu Bempah must be interested in. If his government is unable to investigate alleged corruption, he should gird his loins and demonstrate against his own government,” the Greater Regional Youth Organizer, Amorse Blessing Amos stated.
He continued: “It would only take someone whose brain may probably be on holidays, to dream of doing what Owusu Bempah has announced; all because a certain Akufo Addo/Bawumia government has not taken action on a supposed Airbus scandal. Mr Mahama is not in charge of any investigative institution in Ghana. He cannot be blamed for the failures of the Akufo Addo/Bawumia government’s inability to investigate any supposed scandal.”


© 2015, The Author(s) 2015.This study explores the question of whether response decision and situation-dependent emotions, concepts of the Social Information Processing model of Crick and Dodge (1994), are useful in explaining differences involving the victimization of police officers. Officers from five regional police forces in the Netherlands completed a digital questionnaire, based partially on the Social Information Processing Interview. Results indicated that victimization involving verbal violence, threats, and physical violence were associated with response decision but not with negative emotions. Police officers who had more negative outcome expectations of aggressive or assertive responses, or who selected an aggressive rather than a passive or assertive response, were more likely to report being a victim of violence than were other police officers. Not all results were as hypothesized, and associations were discussed in the context of police officers’ work situations, protocols, and training.


text:
"Where'd you get that mouth of yours, anyways?"
Following a night of drinking that Kei doesn't entirely remember, the result was Agnes, his heathen of a daughter that somehow takes after her old man way too much for his liking, despite him not being around for even a minute of her upbringing. One thing is for certain: Agnes is the epitome of karma in Kei's life. Meeting her for the first time when she was fifteen resulted in a rather brutal death as a result, as his offspring shared equal enthusiasm for the fact that the two are related.
Their general encounters usually lead towards gunfire and an eventual fatalist, on either side. Yet generally this never leans in Kei's favor. Other encounters come easier and the two manage to be more civil. Although it took three years after for Kei to own up to his mistakes, the two have reconciled for the most part... or in the least, they have come to a stand still... though that is something subject to change by the day. The cat is careful around her. Knowing danger when he sees it, and they're two different opposing kinds of crazy in comparison to one another. All in all, he holds mixed feelings for his daughter. While it was something he'd never asked for, she is the only biological family he's got.
"If I had my pistols, I'd shoot you in the fucking face right now."

domain: literature


text:
authoritative source on
early churches of New Jersey
We've created a database and photographic inventory on more than half
the 18th & 19th century churches in the state and add to it each month.
We welcome and solicit all contributions and suggestions from our visitors.
to use this site
Respond to readers' queries
Consult the database
Annotate the database
Upload a photo
Suggest a church for inclusion
List of churches, by county
Links to related sites
Street Baptist chapel
Bridgeton, Cumberland County
red brick chapel was built the same year (1867) as the adjacent church.
There are significant
similarities in the decorative elements of the two buildings, as
one would expect. Apparently Philadelphia architect Frank Furness
was involved in the design
note of his involvement in the church itself, which I find a bit
curious. The elaborate brackets are typical of the period--usually
called Italianate. The window molds are another typical feature.


text:
THE MAYRHOFNER BERGBAHNEN WORLD OF ADVENTURE
Let’s be honest. Who doesn’t dream of excitement, variety, fun, a fair bit of action, and lots of leisure? That’s what Mount Penken and Mount Ahorn in the hiking area MOUNTOPOLIS are all about. The two mountains in the Zillertal offer endless possibilities and promise action-packed excitement, a variety of fun activities, and unique, magical moments. Mountain enthusiasts of all ages can look forward to a very personal experience this summer.
Summer highlights in the mountains around Mayrhofen
Whether hiking, biking, climbing, action or relaxation - the Mayrhofner Bergbahnen invite you to enjoy pure summer feelings.

domain: travel


text:
If you are looking for something more convenient, consider renting a yurt. These 8-sided tent-like structures are heated, furnished and available year-round.
Twelve yurts are available in Area 1 of Riverside Campground. Inside each yurt, visitors will find two bunk beds to accommodate six people, a table and four chairs, electric lighting and a heater for cool weather camping. In addition, you will find a gas barbecue outside for cooking, a firepit and a picnic table on the site. A comfort station with flush toilets, showers and laundry facilities is located nearby.
Visitors are asked to bring their own bedding, cookware, dishes, food and other personal items.
Please note that domestic animals (pets) are not permitted in the yurt or on site and smoking is prohibited in all facilities. Cooking in yurts is not permitted.
Parking for one vehicle is included in your rental fee.
Reservations can be made online or through our call centre by calling 1-888-ONT-PARK.


text:
| Jun 17, 2013
| 11:52 AM
Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson is vice president for community engagement and executive director of the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Foundation. She returned to her alma mater in December 2011 to head the university's new office of community...
| Sep 15, 2012
Carol M. Herndon, a longtime volunteer and advocate for the developmentally disabled, died Sept. 8 of complications from cancer at PowerBack Rehabilitation in Lutherville. She was 82.
The daughter of a surgeon and a homemaker, Carol Mae Smith was born...
| Sep 19, 2012
| 8:35 PM
Stealing signs and banners is becoming a very popular activity during elections. These signs are not free; they have cost and value. All these candidates work very hard to expose their names to the public.
Signs and banners are very important tools. To...
| Aug 1, 2012
| 12:53 PM
WSFL-TV (SFL-TV) is Miami-Fort Lauderdale's CW affiliate, programming a strong schedule of entertainment, local news, and public affairs programming. SFL-TV's signal reaches 1,583,300 South Florida television households representing more than 4 million...
| Jun 12, 2013
| 7:30 AM
I read the whole paper June 10 but found no report of the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim that occurred the day before.
My 62-year-old husband swam in the event for his eighth consecutive year and thus I have had seen the energy and excitement it creates...
| Jun 7, 2013
| 5:29 PM
As hundreds of people prepare to participate in the annual Great Chesapeake Bay Swim on Sunday, Anne Arundel County health officials have issued an advisory warning people of potentially dangerous levels of bacteria in the water because of storm runoff....
| May 15, 2013
In recent weeks, the March of Dimes has held its annual March for Babies walks across the Chicago area. The walks benefit community programs and research aimed at helping pregnant moms reach full-term pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, 1 in 9...
| Apr 30, 2013
| 4:59 PM
The Chicago Park District will turn on Buckingham Fountain for its 86th season on Thursday, the district announced today.
The fountain, a memorial to Clarence Buckingham, was donated to the South Park Commission by his sister, Kate Buckingham, cost...
| May 3, 2013
| 1:24 PM
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. —Tau Delta Zeta Chapter celebrated 10 years of service in Northern Prince George's County at a gala April 20 at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt. Chartered on April 10, 2003 in Laurel, the chapter began with 11 business...
| May 6, 2013
| 10:43 AM
What an amazing month in Newport Beach!
The Board of Supervisors approved the memorandum of understanding with the city, Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON) and the Airport Working Group, moving forward with airport curfew protections for an additional...
| Apr 24, 2013
| 7:47 AM
More than 600 Harford County residents joined to support the nation's smallest citizens at the 2013 March for Babies on Sunday along Route 23 in Forest Hill, raising in excess of $100,000 to improve and protect the health of infants.
Now in its 43rd ...


text: NORWALK By ROBERT KOCH Hour Staff Writer A White Plains, N.Y., developer has put forward to the city a plan for townhouses and apartments in the West Main Street neighborhood, where preservationists several years ago sought to save century-old homes. Although the old homes are now gone, the new plan for two-and-one-half story apartment and townhouse buildings will fit into the historic neighborhood, according to developer AG-Phase I, LLC, and architect Raymond G. Sullivan of the Sullivan Architectural Group of South Norwalk. "We're using different styles, so it doesn't look like it was all done at once, (but instead) like the neighborhood grew up over time," Sullivan said. "We're using a shingle-style building. We're using traditional Colonial." The new plan calls for 32 apartments and townhouses in nearly a dozen buildings on the main parcel, which is bordered by West Main Street and Summer Street. Another 13 similar units would be built in several buildings on the west side of Summer Street. On Thursday night, the Zoning Commission's Plan Review Committee began its preliminary review of the new development proposal. The plan likely will go to a public hearing before the full Zoning Commission in December, according to Elizabeth B. Suchy, the attorney representing AG-Phase I. In 2005, preservationists fought vigorously to save century-old houses in the neighborhood from a Cos Cob developer's plan to construct condominiums. That developer worked with the preservationists to come up with a plan to save several of the house, but couldn't complete the project. "There were a variety of reasons, one of which had to do with finances. Then AG-Phase I bought the property," Suchy said. "AG did a really nice job in trying to reach out to the neighborhood, to get them involved in the process, to let them know what was going on, that the project was changing." Suchy said AG-Phase I had about five meetings with the neighborhood to keep residents informed. Plans for the new development, tentatively named "West Main Place" and "Summer Street Place," show three- and four-unit buildings in two basic configurations. One building configuration has two 900-square-foot, one-bedroom apartments and one 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment. The other configuration shows a four-unit, townhouse building. While the interior configurations are standardized, the exteriors vary in architectural style from shingle and Colonial to Victorian style, according to Andrew J. LaSala Jr., director of development for Summerview Development Group, LLC, construction manager for AG-Phase I. "One of the reasons why we brought the community in right away was because we felt that their neighborhood had been kind of taken away from them," LaSala said. "That was one of the promises we made ... We wanted to make it look like it wasn't built in a week." The West Main Street neighborhood had been home to a number of what preservationists described as "vernacular, Victorian houses" representative of the neighborhood's working class history. Those houses included an 1880s-era Italianate house at 19 West Main St.; a flat-roofed Italianate at 15 West Main St.; and two almost identical working-class houses built about 1900 at 3 and 5 Summer St., according to the Norwalk Preservation Trust. Tod Bryant, Preservation Trust president, said Thursday that he hadn't seen the new plans and could not comment on them.


PSC Board Member and Beekeeper Richard Coy Speaks Out on Dicamba
Honeybees and other pollinators are feeling the effects of habitat destruction. Urban sprawl and intensive agriculture have been chipping away habitats for decades. Now pollinators face an even greater risk from increasing use of a herbicide known as Dicamba. This herbicide has been documented to turn into a gas and move uncontrollably across the landscape. Researchers refer to this as volatility.
During the summer of 2017, farmers in soybean and cotton growing regions began planting a new form of seed that had tolerance to Dicamba. The Dicamba Tolerant (DT) seeds are known as Roundup Ready Xtend System. This technology was developed by Monsanto so farmers would have better control of weeds. Although the Xtend System was effective for farmers who chose to use the product, its uncontrollable damage to non-DT crops, gardens, and pollinator habitats became evident. Weed science experts Dr. Ford Baldwin and Dr. David Mortensen warned of the volatility component of Dicamba for many years prior to the release of the Xtend System. Prior to the release of the Xtend crops, Dr. Mortensen published a research study in 2015 showing that sub-lethal doses of Dicamba, (.1% of labeled rate), on non DT plants, such as alfalfa and boneset, would reduce flowering and subsequently reduce pollinator visits by 50 percent. (Eric W. Bohnenblust, Anthony D. Vaudo, J. Franklin Egan, David A. Mortensen, John F. Tooker, Effects of the herbicide dicamba on nontarget plants and pollinator visitation, Published July 2015)
Beekeepers have been experiencing below-average honey yields and reduced colony strength in areas where Xtend crops are grown. This is due to non-crop vegetation being damaged by volatile Dicamba. Honeybees rely on an abundance of pollen and nectar in order to sustain a healthy colony. Without the essential components of pollen and nectar, honeybee colonies are doomed to an unhealthy existence which in many cases leads to the death of the colony. Multiple state agencies and environmental groups across the central US have documented Dicamba residue in multiple species of trees, flowering vines, clover, and alfalfa.
EPA recently announced that chronic effects from dicamba exposure have been shown in mammals (reduced weight and delayed sexual maturation), birds (reduced number of offspring), and honey bees (reduced weight, survival, and adult emergence). Also, EPA says “Based on the weight of evidence, there is an identified risk concern for terrestrial plants.” Furthermore, in a memo released in a report dated May 24, 2021, the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) determined that the Agency “deviated from typical procedures in its 2018 Dicamba pesticide registration decision.” ( Dicamba: Draft Ecological Risk Assessment for Registration Review
Posted by the Environmental Protection Agency on Aug 17, 2022),(OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL Report No. 21-E-0146)
The current registration for Dicamba products used on Xtend crops expires in 2025. Honeybees and other pollinators will continue to lose areas of healthy habitat for the foreseeable future while being exposed to harm. Why is it important to you? Diversity of pollinator habitat is critical to the health of honeybees, and the countless food choices we enjoy will be in question. Unfortunately, honeybees and other pollinators are not the only ones affected by habitat destruction, they are the “canary in the coal mine”, which should be alarming to us all.
Learn more about dicamba:
2018 Progressive Farmer article discussing dicamba damage to off-target plants and trees due to drift, which greatly reduces pollinator forage access and habitat.


text:
Good morning Shabby is Chic Boutique fans! We are so very excited to share our new Design Team for Summer 2016! We have some very talented ladies who will be creating projects and bringing them to you this summer for Shabby is Chic Boutique on Facebook!
Please welcome our new ladies and our returning designers!
Please welcome our two new designers to the team!!
Stay tuned for more from all the talented designers for Shabby is Chic Boutique on Facebook!


A Rachelle M MUST HAVE
Shelly's Essential Thermal Pocket Hoodie is the perfect go to piece for any season. The attention to detail in the textured fabrication and trim details, elevate this to more than your staple hoodie. Great contrast stitching along the seams. Front hoodie pocket. Incredibly stretchy fabric and a bit longer in length to cover the behind - a great added bounus. We just feel incredibly comfortable in this top and we are so glad to offer it in an array of sizes and colors.
Once you put it on, you won't be able to go back to any other hoodie!
Great lightweight hoodie for the spring and summer months and perfect for layering in those colder months.
- 64% Cotton, 34% Rayon, 2% Spandex
Care Instructions: Machine wash cold with like colors. Do not bleach. Do not use fabric softener. Tumble dry low or lay flat to dry.


2022 World Cup: Ex-media officer loses Qatar corruption appeal
A former employee of Qatar's 2022 World Cup organisers who raised concerns over migrant workers has lost his appeal against a conviction for corruption.
A court in Doha sentenced Abdullah Ibhais to three years in prison after it upheld a guilty verdict on the charge of misappropriating state funds.
Ibhais said security forces coerced him into signing a confession and that he was being punished for criticising the handling of a migrant workers' strike.
Qatari officials denied the claims.
They insisted the trial was fair and that Ibhais was convicted on the basis of "an abundance of strong and credible evidence".
Human rights group FairSquare said the failure of football's world governing body, Fifa, to call on Qatar to ensure a fair trial had "enabled" the verdict, for which, it asserted, there was no evidence other than Ibhais's confession.
Ibhais, a Jordanian national, was a media manager for Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which is overseeing preparations for the World Cup.
The Supreme Committee said that it received a complaint alleging corrupt activity in October 2019 from a third party participant in a tender for a contract related to the management of its social media platforms.
Following an internal investigation, Ibhais and another employee were suspended on full pay and the findings were passed on to Qatari authorities, it added.
FairSquare and Human Rights Watch reported that Ibhais was initially arrested that November on the basis of allegations that he was engaged in activities aimed at "harming the state or its security".
He told the two campaign groups that interrogators coerced him into confessing to lesser charges, and that he was denied access to a lawyer during questioning.
Ibhais alleged that it was his internal criticism of the Supreme Committee's handling of a strike by migrant workers over unpaid wages in August 2019 that led to his prosecution.
He retracted the confession during his trial, but the court refused to invalidate it and found him guilty this April of "bribery", "violation of the integrity of tenders and profits", and "intentional damage to public funds". He was sentenced to five years in prison.
Ibhais was taken into custody by police on 15 November, reportedly just before he was due to be interviewed by two journalists from Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. The journalists were later detained themselves by Qatari security forces for more than 30 hours for allegedly trespassing on private property and filming without a permit.
Ibhais went on hunger strike in prison while awaiting his appeal.
"For me this was the last resort after I was denied a chance for a fair trial. I was denied the chance to be heard. I was denied the chance to speak up," he said in an audio message released by the Dutch newspaper NRC on 2 December in which he denied any wrongdoing.
On Wednesday, Qatar's Court of Appeal upheld his conviction but reduced his sentence to three years. Ibhais was not in court for the hearing, which one journalist who attended said lasted less than a minute.
A Qatari official said the case "followed all the proper legal procedures and protocols" and that the evidence against him "included extensive details of the crime - much more than the defendant's own confession".
"The State of Qatar rejects in the strongest possible terms any assertion that the ruling was influenced by factors other than its unwavering commitment to justice and the rule of law."
The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said the allegations that the case was linked to Ibhais' views on migrant workers were "ludicrous, defamatory, and absolutely false".
Nicholas McGeehan, co-director of FairSquare, said: "Every day Abdullah Ibhais remains in jail more people will know his name, know what he did for the migrant workers who built Qatar's World Cup, and know the price he has apparently paid for that."
"It was Qatar's World Cup organisers who instigated this prosecution, but it was Fifa's silence that enabled today's verdict," he added.
A Fifa spokesperson said any person deserved a fair trial that observed and respected due process, and that it would "consider today's ruling before making any further comment".
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