NHS chief defends 766m cost of new wing at Broomfield Hospital AFTER a damning report claimed Broomfield Hospital is facing financial ruin for using a private finance initiative (PFI) to fund its 300-bed new wing, the chief executive of the hospital has hit out at suggestions that borrowing the money was irresponsible. Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust paid French contractor Bouygues 148.1 million in 2010 to build and maintain the new wing. INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE: Inside the new wing at Broomfield Hospital DEFIANT: Broomfield Hospital's chief executive Malcolm Stamp says services will not be cut, despite a predicted 27m defecit this year Flashback: Chronicle story last week    The trust must also pay the firm 16 million-a-year for building and maintaining the facility in a 32-year contract that will cost taxpayers 766 million. And it is facing a 27 million deficit this year. Chief executive Malcolm Stamp said: "What I think people need to understand is that we're not a PFI hospital. "We have a PFI wing. This separates us from hospitals that are struggling with their finances where a PFI scheme was used to build a whole new facility. Instead our wing is just part of a number of estates which cost money to run. "There is a lot of concern or worry about the large figures that are bandied about with PFI, and what I want to make clear is that it has allowed us to create a fantastic facility that is in pristine condition and will remain so. "The decision to build a new wing was made because the old one was not fit for purpose, the NHS had a long history of delayed building works and projects being stopped halfway or going over their time limit or budget, and this is why the buildings became decrepit so quickly. "A PFI gave us the option to build the wing that we needed and also allows us to keep it in a high level of condition. I would make the same decision again as there isn't any other option out there which can offer this, or in fact, I would choose a larger PFI than we have. "What you will see in 30 years' time is what the wing looks like today -- the cost ensures it will stay in the pristine condition that is important to our patients. "What has also been misunderstood about the PFI payments is they're not like a mortgage payment -- rather it's a mortgage payment plus all the costs for keeping your house in the best condition, such as redecorating the inside and out whenever you want. "It's about keeping it at the highest level, so it'll be there for our grandchildren to use as it is now. "As it's brand new it's going to be more expensive than when it was old, but the wing is just part of the wider high asset value of the hospital." Just over 18 months ago Broomfield's patient services were rated as some of the worst in country with 18-week waiting lists for cancer services, but the hospital has radically improved and is now rated as one of the best in the country for its services, according to Mr Stamp. He said: "We've worked so hard to improve and the turnaround in such a short space of time is fantastic. "As Broomfield is on such a large size and scale it costs a lot to run, from the staffing to the estate to the computers, and the PFI wing is just part of this -- so it's not fair to say that we're struggling to pay it back. We're just a large hospital and because of that it is expensive to run." The report released last week by trade union UNISON claimed Broomfield would need a bailout from the Government to keep running or clinical services would have to be cut to make savings. Mr Stamp added: "The Government continuously support the hospital so this idea of a Government bailout is incorrect. We also have absolutely no intentions of cutting clinical services. That's not to say these services won't change as NHS guidelines and improvements in technology come about, but we're actively employing doctors and nurses and we've recently spent 1.5 million on our cancer services so cutting clinical services is not going to happen. "I respect the independent reports produced by unions like UNISON but they can be misleading. The large figure that sticks out can be misleading because it's multiplied over the 30 years or so of the contract -- so there is this glaring figure that everyone focuses on and it's not that straightforward. "The PFI is done. It is frustrating that this seems to be all people are interested in about Broomfield. "It could have been bigger, it could have been a penny less or a penny more, but it has allowed us to create an up-to-date, modern working environment which is great for patients and staff."


Newcastle-under-Lyme wins West Midlands College of the Year! Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC) is celebrating after being awarded West Midlands College of the Year in the recent British College Sport (BCS) Awards. The College was awarded at a Gala Dinner held at Aston Business School Conference Centre in Birmingham, where colleges and young athletes from across the country came together to celebrate sporting achievements. NULC was also shortlisted for the National College of the Year Award, which was devised to highlight the good practice in the Further Education sector, but was piped to the post by Gateshead College. Trevor Humphreys, Academy of Sport Manager at NULC said: "This year NULC has worked hard to cement itself as one of the top further education providers for sport in the country. No matter what you want to study at NULC you can combine it with top level coaching, competition and support to help you achieve your academic and sporting potential." The winners were selected from colleges nominated from around the country in recognition of their significant contributions to BCS in developing opportunities for students and staff through sport, developing college sport regionally or nationally, and working in partnership with other BCS member colleges locally, regionally, or nationally. Since the formation of the NULC Academy of Sport the college, has in a very short time, established itself as a leader in sports provision amongst education providers both locally and nationally. Notably the college formed the NULC Knights Basketball team which is the only club in the county to provide the opportunity to compete at national league level. The college also works in partnership with Newcastle Town Football Club to provide a Football Academy. This year in particular has seen phenomenal success for sport at NULC, with highlights including five members of the NULC Academy of Sport being selected to represent national teams in men's and women's football, netball and rugby and 17 students selected to represent regional teams in netball, rugby, hockey and men's and women's football. A number of the Academy of Sport teams have competed in regional and national competitions including the ladies football, men's basketball, netball, men's volleyball, ladies volleyball, mixed volleyball, rugby and table tennis teams, with all teams making it through to either the finals or semi-finals. The College also had record success at the British Colleges National Cup Finals with a haul of gold and silver medals and three national champions.


Pensioners - but not all of them - better off than previous generation Most pensioners are considerably better off than the previous generation, with incomes rising nearly every year since 1977, according to the Office for Natioanl Statistics (ONS). The average disposable income for retired households reached 17,700 in 2010-11. But the extra income is not spread across all pensioner groups, and there are question marks over future generosity of occupational pensions. Many people currently in work are seeing an erosion in the potential benefit of their workplace pensions, as employers and the Government reduce their generosity, often by closing final-salary schemes. Figures show that average disposable income for retired households was two and a half times higher in 2010-11 than in 1977, taking inflation into account. Working-age households' incomes, on the other hand, tended to rise during times of economic growth and stagnate during recessions. As a result, these households' incomes have risen slower than pensioners' - up 2.12 times, compared with 2.68 times for retired households since 1977. Income inequality among pensioner households became much more pronounced between 1977 and 1991, but narrowed gradually thereafter. This meant that many pensioners still lived with "modest" levels of income. In 2010-11, some 45% of single pensioners received less than 10,000 in income from the state pension, benefits and any private pension. About CashQuestions Got a finance related question and want an answer free of charge from a totally unbiased source? CashQuestions is a unique service run by a panel of renowned personal finance journalists. Alongside our team of financial experts, we are on hand to solve your money problems - and other consumers can help too on the CashQuestions forum. Disclaimer The information contained in the material on this Site is intended for information and interest only, and not to either provide advice to, or to address the particular requirements of, any individual. We do not recommend or endorse any investment, adviser or other service or product, or any material submitted by third parties, or linked to or from this Site. We do not offer any legal, financial or other advice, either regarding the nature, potential value or suitability of any particular investment, security or investment strategy, or otherwise. You should not rely on any material in this Site to take (or refrain from taking) any decision or action.


Michael Urie talks 'Partners,' living in Los Angeles, and the role for Mitt Romney We're basically obsessed with Louis ( Michael Urie ) on "Partners" and we want him to be our best friend... but it's hard to deny that sometimes, his well-intentioned snark seems particularly mean when it's leveled at Wyatt ( Brandon Routh ), whose naive idealism can put him at a bit of a disadvantage in the battle-of-wits department. On occasion, Louis has dismissed the importance of Wyatt's sobriety, scoffed at his job prospects, and just straight-up prioritized Joe ( David Krumholtz ). We were relieved, then, when we visited Urie on set, to learn that in an upcoming episode, Louis will find new reason to respect his boyfriend. Urie also gave us the scoop on Ali's humor deficiency, his LA vs. NYC conundrum, and whether Louis and Joe actually have friends other than each other. Read on for our Q&A, and don't forget to tune in for "Partners" at 8:30 p.m. EST on CBS Mondays. Zap2it: So far, Louis and Joe pretty much seem like each other's only friends. Are we going to see their worlds open up a bit? Urie: Yes! There was an episode where I mention Buck, Andrew, Randy and the other Randy, who are these four gay guys that Wyatt and Louis hang out with, and you'll get to meet them in an episode, which is really fun. You also get to see a group of guys at a bar that Ali used to work at, so you get a sense of that. The episode we're shooting tomorrow is about a straight guy that Joe becomes really good friends with. We're starting to see more and more of the life outside the four people. Are Louis's friends a lot like him? Well, Louis and Wyatt's friends that they get together and watch TV and make snarky comments with -- they're considered 'gay funny.' The whole problem of the episode is that Ali is hilarious when she's hanging out with her straight guy friends, but when she comes and hangs out with gay guys, they don't find her funny, and I have to explain to Joe that Ali is pretty funny. And he's like "Yeah, she's pretty funny!" "No, she's pretty funny. She's pretty, so straight guys think she's funny even if she's not funny." Last time I saw you, you were a little iffy about leaving New York and moving to LA. How's it treating you? Thank God for this amazing job and for Runyon Canyon. LA is a tough place to live. It's great when you have a job. I'm a homebody, and being a homebody in LA means you never do anything . In New York, you can be a homebody but you still go out, because there's life like a block away. Here, you've got to have your whole plan, you've got to get in your car, you've got to park -- sometimes I won't go places just because I don't know how or where to park. I definitely miss New York, but I'm going back next week. The actors have a week off every month because the writers have to catch up with us, so I usually go back. My boyfriend's there, and I get to go see theater. When I go back I'll go see 'The Heiress' on Broadway with Jessica Chastain, who was my classmate at Juliard. Oh, just Jessica Chastain, no big deal! She's such a huge deal. It's so funny. There was a time when we hung out with another classmate of ours, and we were all three in a place in our careers where we were complaining. 'Oh, what am I going to do.' Jessica had done a bunch of movies that hadn't gone anywhere, Jess Weixler was like 'Oh, I got offered this part in a movie, I don't think it's going to work,' and I was like 'I just shot this pilot, and there's no way it's going to go.' My pilot was 'Ugly Betty,' the movie that Jess was lamenting was 'Teeth,' which went to Sundance and she ended up winning best actress, and all of Jessica's movies came out at the same time, and now she's probably going to get nominated for another Oscar. How the tables turn. When "Partners" started you'd just come off of "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" on Broadway. Do you miss theater, or is the live studio audience enough to satisfy the stage performer in you? The live audience is amazing. Thursdays at this job are heaven. Doing it with the audience and collaborating on a back-and-forth level with the writers is such a rush, The best performances come up when you really feel it with the audience. I miss the theater a lot though, because it's only one show a week and I like doing eight shows a week. I'm already looking for something I can do when we have a break. Are there any upcoming episodes that you're particularly looking forward to fans seeing? I think what this show is doing so well is really, every episode is about something, and it's based on a real thing that happens with people. Like "Pretty Funny," that's a real thing that happens. There's an episode where Joe and Louis get into a debate about which one of them is Simon and which one of them is Garfunkel, and when you're dealing with a partnership, that is a very real thing, that's something that actually happens. The issue of who gets to be closer, the best friend or the fiance. These are real things that people go through. I love the relatability of this show. As far as the arc of Louis and Wyatt's relationship, are we going to see things balance out a bit? Will Louis give Wyatt a break? Actually yes, in the episode we're shooting right now, Louis has to go to the hospital, because he takes Elphaba [the dog]'s hormone pills. He gets to see Wyatt in action, and he finally respects him as a nurse. It's a big moment for them, and I love it because, you know, Louis is ridiculous to not respect Wyatt. A nurse is such a noble profession! And he's so mean! So Louis gets his comeuppance and he gets shown the light. And finally, who do you think should play Louis's bigoted older brother if he ever comes into play? Oh, Mitt Romney. Hopefully he'll be available.


Option is still there, but you need to have billable time or expenses tracked for a particular task before it shows up. Note that this checks for "free records" - records that are billable and not already used to create an invoice. If you need to charge for custom work, without pulling reports based on tracked data, use standard New Invoice form from Invoices page. All "New Invoice Based On" (project, milestone, task, tracking report) tools use time and expenses to create an invoice, and only regular New Invoice form is free-form. Option is still there, but you need to have billable time or expenses tracked for a particular task before it shows up. Note that this checks for "free records" - records that are billable and not already used to create an invoice. Cool. I missed it! :-) I use this trick sometimes... I create an invoice from ticket. Then edit it to make it look like "fixed cost" (generally qty=1 & description, cost changes) Then release time records associated with invoice! Above takes more "clicks" but less time as in our case, list of clients and projects is too big to scroll though :|


Catherine, tell us a little about your business. Do you have any particular niche? How many staff do you have, and where are you based? I run my own PR company which I set up in February 2008. My background is in the children's toy and nursery sector so I did imagine that I would specialise in that area, however, I was introduced to the local business networking scene very early on so it has really been small and medium size local companies looking for one off PR campaigns that I've worked heavily in so far. I'm based in Oxford and while most of my clients are local I've worked with companies nationwide. I don't employ anyone, but work closely with other freelancers. Why did you start the company? Was it something you always intended to do, or did you fall into it? I had always wanted to set up my own business -- a tea shop, a boutique or something very day dreamy like that! Realistically though I knew where my strengths were -- in writing. It's something I've loved since I first learnt to write, and spent Sunday mornings copying articles out of the newspapers while my parents had breakfast! My husband and I travelled the world after marrying in 2007 and the plan was to return and set up the business. I happened to also be pregnant at the time, so it was a busy year, but it's worked out well-now our son is a toddler and the business is growing well. Did you start it alone, or with partner(s), and how did that work out for you? I started alone -- working for myself for the first time my connections locally were very limited so I didn't have contacts to join up with. I had really good relationships with local marketing and PR agencies and had some great support and advice there. I also kept closely in touch with my previous boss who has become a real mentor to me. The PR industry can be really supportive I've found, I've been introduced to hugely successful people who run big agencies and they've always been open and welcoming with their guidance. Do you work from an office, or home? Why have you chosen to do that? I work from a home office. We moved this summer and a big reason for that was so that I could have dedicated office space. There's space for three people to work from here so I can expand without the overhead of an office becoming a necessity, however in a year or so I imagine we'll have a serviced office. See, I'm already saying 'we'! What was your vision for you business when you created it? My vision was to create a small but successful business that could make a difference to small and medium sized businesses -- to show that you can take a different approach to stand out -- that quirky and creative is good. You can achieve a lot by breaking the mould. Has that actually happened in reality? I think so yes. Definitely the making a difference part. I'm really proud of the campaigns I've worked on with local businesses. Now I want to utilise what I've learnt about running the business to attract bigger clients. Regarding the small but successful business, I'm getting there! I work a three day week, and am mum the other two days. Since returning to work in January I've taken on two big retained clients, finished a big restaurant launch campaign that was really successful, and am moving forward with expansion plans, having just joined up with another freelance PR woman locally who also has a son the same age as mine. What do you think you have that clients appreciate? I think we listen and understand. This is a small business too and we appreciate the challenges -- there's no huge pot of money for marketing and PR, but there is a need to stand out above the competition. We're honest, flexible and creative. It's not a PR machine, we don't pump out press releases. We listen, we research, we test and try and we get to know our client and their business so that we can do them justice. We strive to be innovative and original and capture the imagination as well as the attention of the media. Who are your favourite type of clients? Those who want to do things a little differently! They're bored of paying thousands for an ad in business directories every year and want to take a different approach. For example, a high street coffee shop who will enlist a local artist to do pavement art guiding customers to their door, rather than just handing out buy one get one half price coffee vouchers. Can you run through a typical day for us? A typical day is really tricky, but a typical week will include some of this -- time on our own PR -- updating the work blog with news and PR advice, scooting around Twitter and LinkedIn, keeping up to date and posting comments and ideas, meetings with clients to discuss next steps and review current activities, conversations with press about securing coverage for clients, writing of press releases, articles, news stories, editorial and other copy for client campaigns, attendance of local networking meetings, our business development -- website, strategic planning, pitches, our portfolio and marketing material, a quick lunch break, reviewing artwork for clients, commissioning photography, website design, graphic design, and a quick cuppa before heading off for the nursery run! Are you still very much hands-on, or is your role now more about bringing in clients and management? Very hands on. One day I'd like to focus on the running of the business, with a smaller role in the day to day client campaigns -- purely because this is how I see the business growing. I'll always want to retain my commitment to the creative planning side of the business. What's been your worst financial worry? I've been lucky that PR is booming during the recession as a cost effective alternative to marketing. I think my biggest worry has been when I need to make big investments such as the media databases I need for up to date journalist contacts. These are really expensive but an absolute must have. And your absolute favourite moment? Getting a client in with Paris Hilton, onto the Paul O'Grady Show and into Heat Magazine, all in the space of a week. I was over the moon, and the client was too! How do you cope with the work/life balance (if you do, that is!) It's the biggest challenge I've faced and something I think about daily. I have to be really strict that work time is for working (that's the easy bit), but mum time is quality time with my family (that's the hard bit!). Because I work part time, it's very easy for work commitments to spill out beyond those days. I just work my socks off on my three days so that I have time to dedicate to my son when I'm being mum. You have to be extremely focussed. I admit that if my husband is working late though, that the laptop comes straight back out after my son is in bed! What's been your worst moment? I'm not sure, I've had a few frustrating moments -- a huge opportunity with prime time TV that a client decided not to pursue, and a campaign that changed course completely and lost a lot of momentum when new management came in. Without going into detail, I think the hardest moments are when you put your life and soul into making something work, you can see the finish line and then something unforeseen changes at the last moment. How do you cope with clients that are behind on payments? This has only happened to me once thankfully and it was resolved within a week or so, but it can be really stressful. If I had to pursue a matter I think I would call a meeting. I ask clients to sign a contract upfront. If they don't want to, it's a good indication that reconsidering the account may be worthwhile! What do you look for in a new member of staff? Passion, lots and lots of energy and most importantly creative flair -- the ability to brain storm and bounce around ideas. Has the recession made much of a difference to your business? No, in fact it's been a positive influence on my business which is a relief. What have been your must have investments (gadgets, PR tools, taking the time to learn about...) Number one has to be the PR databases that I subscribe to which I could do my job without. Others include storage -- it sounds simple but I can't work efficiently in a messy office! Branding -- always invest in a professional designer, and my Blackberry -- although not really an investment, just a free upgrade!! Who do you admire most in the PR world, and why? Ideas that come out of nowhere -- original, inspired ideas. Not reports off the back of news stories, or market research shoe horned to fit a story. I really like quirky thought provoking stunts -- like the T Mobile flash mob dances at Liverpool Street station. What are you plans for the future? Now that I've joined up with another PR, my plans are to continue expanding and working with small and medium size businesses. I also want to pitch for more copywriting work in the children's toy sector -- I did some party plans for a very well know fashion doll and really enjoyed it -- writing as if you're a 7 year old girl is a lot of fun! I also want to cement the suppliers I use and over the last year I've found a fantastic website designer, photographer and graphic designer so I'll be using them regularly. I'm also rolling out a rebrand which will be a new umbrella that allows the business to grow and work with other freelancers. It's an exciting time and I'm really pleased that the business is doing well. Hopefully next year we'll be able to work with even more businesses and get stuck in to some great PR campaigns with them.


Wind farm 'will benefit all' Story Tools IN THE DISTANCE: Waverley Wind Farm, as it would look from the junction of Peat and Stewart roads, looking south. PHOTO SIMULATION/ SUPPLIED The idea of a $350 million wind farm at Waipipi on the South Taranaki coast was instigated by the two farmers who own most of the land, one of them says. Warwick Lupton and his cousin David Alexander own much of the 980ha site, with another portion leased from the Parininihi Ki Waitotara Incorporation (PKW). Mr Lupton said the two men hatched the first wind farm idea with Australian company Allco Wind Energy. That company went broke and they are now working with electricity generator and retailer TrustPower. The coastal site had good consistent wind and the landowners would be paid by the company for use of the land. "It's good for the community and it's obviously good for us as well. We're always looking for other options to diversify into," Mr Lupton said. He and his cousin use the land for dairying and cropping, which he said could continue with wind turbines in place. They also have a freight business and race hydroplanes. Mr Alexander's house is the closest to the site. Their deal with TrustPower would see the wind farm built within two to three years. Mr Lupton's impression is that local people are supportive of it. "The majority seem to be in favour of it, but they would probably say that to us anyway." One person vehemently against it is Sally Sisson, who lives about 2.4km from the edge of the proposed site and does not want to see or hear the turbines. "There's no way you could say that these things fit into the environment," she said. The turbines would be huge, and she predicted that property values would fall and all the profit would go out of the area. "We are in the throes of getting together an anti group. It sort of feels like the ant versus the elephant." The proposed wind farm site is 6km southeast of Patea and 7km southwest of Waverley, and TrustPower lead environmental adviser Ryan Piddington said the turbines would be visible from both towns. He's been leading consultation meetings, with 40 people at the first one in Waverley, one person at the open day on Sunday and a steady stream at Waverley A & P Show. He said it would take 18 to 24 months and 80 to 100 people to build the wind farm. The economic benefit to the area during that time was predicted to be $80 million. Once the turbines were working it would take eight to 10 people and cost about $2 million a year to maintain them. The wind resource at Waipipi was nearly as good as that at TrustPower's Tararua wind farm, the biggest in New Zealand and one of the best in the world. The output would be enough to power 50,000 homes. The turbines would be among the highest in New Zealand, to catch the best wind. They would be imported from Denmark and each would need 400 to 600 cubic metres of concrete at their base. The company would not site turbines on sensitive dune areas, Mr Piddington said. It had also promised to enhance Waipipi Stream by fencing and planting along it. The next community consultation meeting is at Patea Old Folks Association Hall from 5pm to 8pm on November 22, with presentations starting at 6pm.


How to get a start in the (booming) mining industry There is so much talk at the moment about the "white hot" mining sector and the "boom" in WA and Qld. As a result of saturated media coverage on the matter in the "non-mining" Australian states, we receive constant enquiry from people trying to get that start. Firstly, it is not that easy, there is not an out of control boom as such and mining companies are being very careful with how the spend their money right now. They are also very careful with who they hire, their equipment is often sophisticated, expensive and takes certain skills to operate well. Additionally, the mining sector has a very strong safety culture (despite what the media will have you believe) and good companies will also screen for people with the right safety attitude. That said there ARE thousands of excellent opportunities for people to get into this exciting sector right now and so here are some very basic tips, for someone with little or no experience just wanting to get that break: If you have any sort of mechanical background or are from a farming or related industry then highlight this when applying. People that have worked in remote environments or have some mechanical training or aptitude inevitably have more to offer and have been proven to succeed in the mining sector. If you are prepared to relocate, then taking the risk (and it IS a risk) and moving to a regional area such as North Qld, the W.A. Goldfields (Kalgoorlie etc) will usually give you a head start over someone trying to land their first job from a capital city. Be prepared to do anything. With no experience, you have no track record to demonstrate so your best chance is to prove you are a good worker, after which time (presuming you ARE a good worker) other opportunities will quickly open up for you. If you can get some sort of certification through a night class at one of the many excellent TAFE (and like) courses now, this does two things. 1.) it shows you are serious and 2.) it will give you a basic overview of a certain field of work (being a pit technician supporting a Geologist for example). If you know someone, ask them to refer you on and ask them to give you a positive recommendation. Once again, with no demonstrated track record and probably little in the way of relevant referees, referrals are often viewed as good sources of new staff because hiring managers assume the person making the referral will usually only do that if the potential new employee IS also a good worker otherwise their own reputation is damaged. Keep it simple. The opportunities are there. Look at each knock back as another test and keep at it. Every so often check in with someone already in the industry or a trusted advisor who can assess what activity you have done and propose modifications to your approach as appropriate. These comments are intended to be general in nature. For a more detailed overview refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section of the MPi web site. Mining companies dont hire carefully. They take anyone. Its just the agencies that tell you that. Ive worked in mining for 22 yrs. Anonymous @aplleby I agree but the companies that don't hire carefully loose out in the long run and many companies learn the hard way. Samwise I gather that if you've worked in mining for 22 years, that it was a different story for you when you first started out in the mines. Nowadays, yes, I have an understanding of what the Mining companies are looking for and it is harder for people with no experience to get into the mines. Some companies will take on greenies as their learning capacity has not been tainted with set procedures and practices and they can be taught the way the company would prefer them to conduct themselves. But generally, they would take someone with experience over someone with no experience. If they have called up all the mining recruitment agencies and are still coming up dry, they will start to look at other people. They won't just take "anyone" as you say. They will still be looking for people with good attitutes and work ethic and atleast an understanding of the mining sector. Case and point buddy Abeckman9 Ive been applying for over a year now heard nothing back yet abeckman9@gmail.com email me with more info if you can please kannadiide Aldhoux {kenneth} i ,there my name is Kenneth Aldhoux ive a apply a position as field assistant and i heard nothing yet so please im still available .thanks Mark_1988 Can you get a job in the mines without a licence? As a t/a or labouring? What about if you relocate? Anonymous @Mark_1988 relocating to a town like Kalgoorlie can help your chances as Mining companies are more willing to take on people with no industry experience as Drive in drive out vs fly in fly out. Anonymous Guys here is the link to our FAQ's page on our website. It has loads of good info and links to other websites to help out if you currently have no mining experience and wanted to get into the industry. What is MPi LIFE? "MPi LIFE" is a lifestyle blog that is written for mining employees, FIFO workers and mining industry partners across Australia. The blog is written by the Workforce Division of Mining People International (MPi). Commenting Policy The editors of MPi LIFE aim to promote constructive debate about topics affecting people within the mining industry, by presenting thoughtful ideas in a way that respects a wide range of views. We welcome all respectful comments free of personal attack, however we reserve the right to remove any comments that we think are offensive or not supporting the ideas we look to promote.


Opinion: DREAM On: Immigration reform should not focus on Dreamers by Stephen A. Nuo 7:00 am on 11/13/2012 As the GOP licks its wounds and the Democrats lick their chops after this election, the broad impact Latino voters had throughout the country on the president's reelection will once again focus the national discussion on immigration reform. We've been here before. Presidents from both parties, as well as Republicans and Democrats in Congress, have tried to pass immigration reform to no avail. And as Congress has failed to pass a reform bill that would relieve Latino families from the brutal results of our immigration system, a segment of the undocumented community has emerged from the dialogue -- the Dreamers. Dreamers are a group of undocumented residents who draw their name from the Dream Act, a bipartisan bill proposed more than a decade ago as a compromise for failure to come to an agreement on a comprehensive reform bill. Seeking to influence the public and policy makers through moral persuasion, Dreamers are young, smart, and they challenge authority by daring police to arrest and deport them. These are bold kids, but something about them has always been a little unsettling. Keep in mind that as we march into this debate over immigration yet again, the language and images both sides use in this debate will be critical. My own wish is to pass a comprehensive immigration bill that addresses the perverted incentives built into the immigration system that ultimately leaves no participant -- not the government, nor the immigrants or the businesses that hire them -- particularly interested in cooperating. As Dreamers protest across the country, trying to convince the public that our immigration system is unjust, I am left wondering how effective they will be in helping comprehensive reform move forward. I wonder how persuasive it is to on the one hand argue that the system is merciless, while on the other hand expect to travel around the country challenging authority. How brutal can the system be if these kids are allowed to flaunt the law like that? This image is damaging to the prize, because the system is brutal. It is unjust. It is unreasonable. It's irrational and economically damaging. But that's not the message I get from Dreamers.  If I weren't already convinced that they should be given a pathway to citizenship, I'd question whether or not the government isn't negotiating immigration reform from both sides of the table. Of course, that's why the president has implemented the harshest deportation program since Eisenhower; to address that argument. But who cares? Immigration reform will be tough to pass. Getting it past a House of Representatives run by the Republicans may make this a drawn-out affair at a time when the president will be under extreme pressure to move on and focus on the broader fight over the budget and the economy. We've been here before. Faced with a decision to address health care or immigration reform, the president chose health care. I'm not sure he had a choice, but choose he did, and in the process condemned the Latino community to three years of hard time. Will the president sell us out? I can't say I'm confident he wouldn't. And this is where I think Dreamers can be detrimental to the goal of immigration reform. To put it bluntly, Dreamers think they are special. They feel entitled. They're cute. They're smart. They make people cry because of their compelling stories. But that's not special. And if times get tough for the president, I fear he may use the Dreamers as a pressure valve. He may focus the debate away from comprehensive reform and towards this small group of vocal undocumented immigrants. I have a problem with that. Dreamers aren't special. They don't suffer disproportionately for being undocumented. Besides the individual level storytelling, they have not moved the debate except to focus much of the debate on them. I have a problem with that. I think that needs to change before we go back into the fray. Excellent! I love kids - my kids, your kids - everyone's kids........and their aspirations and hopes. But - in relation to national legislation and it's effect in immigration as a whole, I agree with "And this is where I think Dreamers can be detrimental to the goal of immigration reform." Based on standard national statistics, the Dream issue is like 2% of the 5% of the 30%. It's like basing legislation reform for construction standards based on how left handed people open doors. BUT - excellent 'throw-a-bone' sensationalism for the masses to focus on and NOT hold lawmakers accountable. Another 'Wag - meet Dog'. I get the point of this column and respect it. However, I think the DREAMers have done an amazing job in using social media to take their issues to the masses, and this is something that all of us who are pushing for CIR should use a digital grassroots model. Their ability to make this issue so public and part of the national dialogue is because of how they have organized through hard work and social media. Others who are fighting the same fight would learn a lot from them. How do you know that Dreamers don't suffer disproportionately for being undocumented? What is the objective criteria for what makes Dreams special or not? And, lastly, why do you fail to differentiate between activist dreamers and non-activist dreamers? Most dreamers do not go around the country protesting. Most just work to get by. They see their potential hit a hard, concrete ceiling, unlike those who came here as adults. This article is ridiculous. Who do you think made sure to turn out the latino vote? What faction of the latino community do you believe is the most organized and politically aware? The fact that immigration reform still on the map at all considering the last few years is because of the hard work and sacrifice of DREAM students. Now that they've done the hard work you just want to brush them aside? The DREAM act is necessary and relevant to the whole discussion of Immigration reform. If you can't see that, then you honestly have no place in the discussion that will soon be taking place in congress. Immigration Reform NOW! DREAM Act NOW! Fuck your kids and the things they say, fuck you're misery cause it ain't worth shit, too. Suffering? It's the American way! Ain't you ever heard about how the frontier was slayed? No worries, colonization (if not a master teacher) is still a merry master. Your wife? She's fucked too. Oh, & by the way my foundation told me to tell you. They dictate this. Stephen Nuo, check your privilege. Your perceptions of what undocumented youth experience is based on what you see in the media. Did you bother to meet any before writing out this crap? Throwing youth under the bus does not boost your argument- it merely shows just how clueless you are to the issues. Stephen A. Nuo I can tell from you writing that you get a long with leaders in the CIR community. It is clear that you are an ignorant in the internal politics of immigrant organizations. You don't understand organizing. If you have time please educate yourself before writing another peace in CIR and DREAM ACT. "I Agree with this article in that its United We DREAMs fault for creating such a perception of what a DREAMer is i.e cute little innocent valedictorian success story etc.. Has this author seen the work DREAMactivist.org and TheNIYA have been doing the past year? infiltrating jails stopping deportations of older non dreamers etc.." Jose Franco. Thanks for continuing to add to the divide in our movement. There is already enough between the DREAMers and then you add fuel to their fire. People need to understand we aren't all cookie cutter, there are many different stories, don't let what this man whom obviously has a biased view, determine what you think. If you think all DREAMers are cute and valedictorians, then go for it, if you want to think all DREAMers infiltrate jails, then go for it. However I really hope that you don't base your opinion on this man and his skewed view of what he wants you to think. What makes us all great is that we are so different and we are able to work past that. Why are the resources being spilled into having a Dreamer travel the country, much less travel the country and go partying. In light of the number of deportations under Obama, something has to be done now. We have to spend our resources wiser than that. I think the Republicans are on one hand just trying to make it possible for themselves to win an election in 2016 while on the other hand are making it possible for us to have the bipartisan support we need in both Houses to pass comprehensive immigration and the DREAM Act all at once. Stephen A. Nuo, We all due respect, thank you for pointing this out! Thank you for making us, DREAMers the oppressors, the selfish arrogant kids that all we want is to fix status without worrying or even caring for our loved ones. I'm sorry to say it, but you are not seeing the big picture. We are the product of the hardworking families, countless sacrifices made by our communities. We are the Fruit produced by every member of our community. Therefore, we love the "fruit (us), but we cannot love it without loving the roots that produce it -- our communities". If I'm not mistaken, what you said about those kids is: "Dreamers think they are special. They feel entitled. They're cute. They're smart. They make people cry because of their compelling stories. But that's not special. And if times get tough for the president, I fear he may use the Dreamers as a pressure valve. He may focus the debate away from comprehensive reform and towards this small group of vocal undocumented immigrants.". So for you we are selfish and arrogant? Well, let me break it down for you! Our families have sacrificed everything they had; they risked their lives so we could have a better future. So you are saying their sacrifices are in vain just because we could potentially be used as a valve for the failure of the Immigration Reform? No sir, we are not dumb, either! We will hold President Obama and all the politicians accountable for their empty promises. As a matter of fact we have proven it! Does DACA sound familiar to you? We were the ones that kept the Immigration issue alive after almost everyone else gave up on it! We will fight until the end, we won't stop on just the DREAM Act, and we will fight until we get the CIR! The author of this piece is still smarting from the way in which Dreamers were able to navigate a spineless Democratic party, a hate-mongering Republican party, and the oppressive CIR non-profit industrial complex, to WIN, by making ourselves the litmus test for immigration reform, and winning some form of relief (DACA). There is a much better way to say that Dreamers should not be the only people who benefit from immigration reform and there is a much better way of pushing for the best available plan while being inclusive of everyone-- something, that you should also learn from Dreamers. Go figure. After reading the article and reading the responses I think there is a general misconception about the point of the article. The article itself does not speak out against the DREAMers, nor does it call for a halt to the movement, rather it questions whether or not it should be the leading the democratic party's reform plan. To the millions of uneducated white folk in America, illegal immigration as a whole is bad and mass migration back to Mexico is the only solution. Now, present the image of an 18 year old Latino/Latina who gets to travel the country and lives better than said white American while on speaking tours to rally immigration change. Some are moved and come to the inevitable conclusion that immigration reform is necassary, others are enraged, and this symbol created for the future becomes an antithesis, a symbol for the GOP to use as the next "handout" group. This is what Nuo is saying, comprehensive immigration reform is the only form that will fix all of the relating issues in the United States. If this subject becomes the headlining topic, then there is a strong possibility that it might be the only issue fixed and the hundreds of thousands of other illegal immigrants, the mothers and fathers of these DREAMers will never get a chance to live safely in this country. A little unsettling? You mean they are the ones willing to put themselves on the line to pass legislation, risk being deported, so that they and their families could become fearless? This vato, hahaha! But he got what he needs: page views. Now, let the market dictate; we want more hate articles! Let capitalism be the ultimate decider; spoon feed us entertainment. It's sometimes incomprehensible why people stick their necks out when others sit and hold their tongues. We can see this as irrational or we can see this as bravery. I see it as bravery. That said, I also think that immigration reform should not *only* focus on Dreamers, because this is a human rights issue. We can't allow ourselves to get painted into a corner and only address some of the inhumane aspects of our immigration policy. We have to attack it all with a focus on creating a just system for all. You'll hear some elites go on about how super elite college grads should be allowed in the country because they will instantly become job creators and you'll hear others push for work programs to fill the needs of large corporations and agribusiness but these are all exceptions. We need something comprehensive and something with a path to citizenship. This is horrible analysis. Self-contradictory. So what does he expect dream activists to do? Sit down, shut up, and go to the back of the bus, and then "stop crying about themselves." Who said they were crying about themselves? They're raising a ruckus for all uf is. The worst part is that he invalidates the whole suffering of undocumented people, and makes it seem like giving them anything is an act of grace and kindness, rather than an act of necessity and justice; something worth fighting for that they are going to have to fight for themselves, because clearly, with friends, like this who needs Mitt Romney? I've seen lots of so-called "experts" with PhD's or JD's say things like this. If it were up to them, we'd still all be hiding behind black bars and on-screen shadows, never saying our true names or advocating for ourselves, because all we really need is experts to do it for us right? wrong. This "kid" is 22 years old, and by all rights an adult. But I am sure that as a mature and grown up person with papers you know what is best for us. It must a 'burden' to let us young undocu-folk know how to be GOOD, young undocu-folk, but thank you for going out of your way. Thank you for being one more patronizing and belittling voice... And thank you for assuming I would throw my mother under the bus for a chance at citizenship. " I have a problem with that. Dreamers aren't special. They don't suffer disproportionately for being undocumented. Besides the individual level storytelling, they have not moved the debate except to focus much of the debate on them." Really? Our parent's struggle is our struggle as undocumented immigrant youth and students. We have always, and will continue speaking and organizing loud and strong for a path to citizenship for our entire family. I guess you are not aware of immigrant youth organizing out in the streets, risking deportation, mobilizing the Latino Vote, and pressuring for Deferred Action as something that has placed the immigrant debate as a top priority and the biggest pro-immigrant step in the past 26 years! AND GUESS WHAT..we made that happen along with our families! Orale! My Dear Stephen Nuo, I do not know what are your qualifications to write an article like this one, but you have shown a lack of knowledge, empathy, and compassion for the cause of the undocumented immigrants that is bewildering to me. I have had the PRIVILEGE to get to know many of the Dreamers and their situations, and let me tell you, they are from what you describe them. It is not because they feel entitled that they have been able to organize and travel the country to advocate for the cause, it is because they are trapped in a unbearable situation with no end in sight that they have gathered the courage to fight for their rights and for what they duly deserve as young undocumented immigrants who have not broken any law. Rather than look down on them, you should make them an example of what a group can achieve for the betterment of society when people put their mind together. And, by the way, I am a citizen, and I welcome this group into the country. The Dreamers will make a fabulous contribution to our society.


I'm exactly the same; just my head, nowhere else. My hair looks as if I've just got out the shower! I've always been hot and never feel cold, even pre MS. It happens after any exertion such as hanging the washing out or making a drink! You should see me after my physio class! I go bright red as well but I do also have rosacea It's only recently that I've looked at the side effects of my medication and amitryptaline and duloxetine both can cause sweating. I think I may mention it to my GP next time I see him as it can be a bit embarrassing.


The Course of Theoretical Physics is a ten-volume series of books covering theoretical physics that was initiated by Lev Landau and written in collaboration with his student Evgeny Lifshitz starting in the late 1930s. It is said that Landau composed much of the series in his head while in an NKVD prison in 1938-39. [ 1 ] However, almost all of the actual writing of the early volumes was done by Lifshitz, giving rise to the often repeated witticism, "not a word of Landau and not a thought of Lifshitz". [ 2 ] The first eight volumes were finished in the 1950s, written in the Russian language , and translated into English by the late 1950s. The last two volumes were written in the early 1980s. Vladimir Berestetskii and Lev Pitaevskii also contributed to the series. The series is often referred to as " Landau and Lifshitz ", " Landafshitz " (rus. " Ландафшиц ") in informal settings. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] Contents The books are well known for their concise, elegant and accurate formulation of the laws of physics. Generations of physicists, both in Russia and around the world, have been educated in physics through this series. The presentation of material is advanced, requires a foundation of physics, and is suitable for graduate-level study.


Egyptian astronomy Egyptian astronomy begins in prehistoric times, in the Predynastic Period . In the 5th millennium BCE, the stone circles at Nabta Playa may have made use of astronomical alignments. By the time the historical Dynastic Period began in the 3rd millennium BCE, the 365 day period of the Egyptian calendar was already in use, and the observation of stars was important in determining the annual flooding of the Nile . The Egyptian pyramids were carefully aligned towards the pole star , and the temple of Amun-Re at Karnak was aligned on the rising of the midwinter sun. Astronomy played a considerable part in fixing the dates of religious festivals and determining the hours of the night, and temple astrologers were especially adept at watching the stars and observing the conjunctions, phases, and risings of the Sun , Moon and planets . The precise orientation of the Egyptian pyramids affords a lasting demonstration of the high degree of technical skill in watching the heavens attained in the 3rd millennium BCE . It has been shown the Pyramids were aligned towards the pole star , which, because of the precession of the equinoxes , was at that time Thuban , a faint star in the constellation of Draco . [ 3 ] Evaluation of the site of the temple of Amun-Re at Karnak , taking into account the change over time of the obliquity of the ecliptic , has shown that the Great Temple was aligned on the rising of the midwinter sun. [ 4 ] The length of the corridor down which sunlight would travel would have limited illumination at other times of the year. Astronomy played a considerable part in religious matters for fixing the dates of festivals and determining the hours of the night . The titles of several temple books are preserved recording the movements and phases of the sun , moon and stars . The rising of Sirius ( Egyptian : Sopdet , Greek : Sothis ) at the beginning of the inundation was a particularly important point to fix in the yearly calendar. From the tables of stars on the ceiling of the tombs of Rameses VI and Rameses IX it seems that for fixing the hours of the night a man seated on the ground faced the Astrologer in such a position that the line of observation of the pole star passed over the middle of his head. On the different days of the year each hour was determined by a fixed star culminating or nearly culminating in it, and the position of these stars at the time is given in the tables as in the centre, on the left eye, on the right shoulder, etc. According to the texts, in founding or rebuilding temples the north axis was determined by the same apparatus, and we may conclude that it was the usual one for astronomical observations. In careful hands, it might give results of a high degree of accuracy. Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius ( floruit AD 395–423) attributed the planetary theory where the Earth rotates on its axis and the interior planets Mercury and Venus revolve around the Sun which in turn revolves around the Earth, to the ancient Egyptians. He named it the "Egyptian System," and stated that "it did not escape the skill of the Egyptians ," though there is no other evidence it was known in ancient Egypt. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] And after the Singer advances the Astrologer (ὡροσκόπος), with a horologium (ὡρολόγιον) in his hand, and a palm (φοίνιξ), the symbols of astrology . He must know by heart the Hermetic astrological books, which are four in number. Of these, one is about the arrangement of the fixed stars that are visible; one on the positions of the sun and moon and five planets; one on the conjunctions and phases of the sun and moon; and one concerns their risings. [ 7 ] The astrologer's instruments ( horologium and palm ) are a plumb line and sighting instrument. They have been identified with two inscribed objects in the Berlin Museum ; a short handle from which a plumb line was hung, and a palm branch with a sight-slit in the broader end. The latter was held close to the eye, the former in the other hand, perhaps at arms length. The "Hermetic" books which Clement refers to are the Egyptian theological texts, which probably have nothing to do with Hellenistic Hermetism . [ 8 ] Following the Roman conquest of Egypt , the region once again became the centre of scientific activity throughout the Roman Empire . The greatest astronomer of this era was the Hellenized Egyptian, Ptolemy (90-168 CE). Originating from the Thebaid region of Upper Egypt , he worked at Alexandria and wrote works on astronomy including the Almagest , the Planetary Hypotheses , and the Tetrabiblos , as well as the Handy Tables , the Canobic Inscription , and other minor works. The Almagest is one of the most influential books in the history of Western astronomy. In this book, Ptolemy explained how to predict the behavior of the planets with the introduction of a new mathematical tool, the equant . Ibn Yunus (c. 950-1009) observed more than 10,000 entries for the sun's position for many years using a large astrolabe with a diameter of nearly 1.4 meters. His observations on eclipses were still used centuries later in Simon Newcomb 's investigations on the motion of the moon, while his other observations inspired Laplace 's Obliquity of the Ecliptic and Inequalities of Jupiter and Saturn . [ clarification needed (not the title of any work by Laplace) ] [ 9 ] In 1006, Ali ibn Ridwan observed the supernova of 1006 , regarded as the brightest stellar event in recorded history, and left the most detailed description of the temporary star. He says that the object was two to three times as large as the disc of Venus and about one-quarter the brightness of the Moon , and that the star was low on the southern horizon. [ 10 ] The astrolabic quadrant was invented in Egypt in the 11th century or 12th century, and later known in Europe as the "Quadrans Vetus" (Old Quadrant). [ 11 ] In 14th century Egypt , Najm al-Din al-Misri (c. 1325) wrote a treatise describing over 100 different types of scientific and astronomical instruments, many of which he invented himself. [ 12 ] In the 20th century, Farouk El-Baz from Egypt worked for NASA and was involved in the first Moon landings with the Apollo program , where he was secretary of the Landing Site Selection Committee , Principal Investigator of Visual Observations and Photography , chairman of the Astronaut Training Group , and assisted in the planning of scientific explorations of the Moon, including the selection of landing sites for the Apollo missions and the training of astronauts in lunar observations and photography. [ 2 ]


Teen's Online Plea To Be Mainstreamed Strikes A Chord A 13-year-old with autism has taken to social media to persuade his school district that he ought to attend his local middle school rather than a segregated program for those with disabilities. Henry Frost, who communicates using an iPad, has garnered thousands of supporters on Facebook and more than 2,300 signatures through an online petition asking his Tampa, Fla.-area school district to allow him to be mainstreamed at his neighborhood school. According to the petition, Frost says that school officials told him he needs to prove that he can handle transitioning between classes and climbing the building's stairs. He was also told that he would need to take tests before he could attend his local school. Currently, Frost is taking online classes at home rather than enroll in the segregated class where he was assigned. While school district officials said they could not comment specifically on Frost's case, they said they work hard to provide for every student. "I would like the chance to try," Frost told NPR StateImpact Florida. To read more click here . Post a Comment Comments are moderated and will not appear until they are approved. All comments must be in compliance with the DisabilityScoop.com Terms and Conditions . Please stay on-topic, keep your comments brief and refrain from inserting links or using abusive language. Comments (5 Responses) First since I live in Hillsborough county all I can say is I am ashame to be in this town and see this happening. But thats florida these kids are to not to be seen or heard from.as a mother of a child with special needs they deserve to be treated like other kids and by law allowed to go to a public school in their district. If the IEP and parents are for him trying the school there should be no reason he should not be allowed. I would get an advocate for the disabled and fight this a 100%. I would do this for my kid and any kid like her that wants a chance to be with there peers who have no disabilities. [Disclaimer: KA101 is an autistic attorney in Pennsylvania who focuses on special-ed law. He claims absolutely no knowledge of Florida law nor bar membership there, but is speaking strictly from his experience with federal laws as applied in Pennsylvania. Florida tends to get territorial about out/state lawyers talking about it.] OK. Assuming that the school's concerns are genuine, there are ways around them. Transitioning: 1) Familiarization with the building beforehand. It's easier to get a handle on where things are without the crowds of noisy students. (Meeting the teachers might be helpful, too.) 2) How about a map on that iPad? Surely the school has fire evac plans posted; scan and photochop as needed. 3) Letting Mr. Frost leave classes a few minutes early as needed (still getting used to transition, longer commute, complex locker needs, etc) might help things go more smoothly. 4) Horrors -- we may need an aide. If he needs one to receive instruction in the LRE (also where he would receive education were he not disabled), Mr. Frost is entitled to one. This is fact-dependent and I don't have the facts to affirmatively make the call one way or another, but IDEA is pretty clear on that. Stairs: Not sure why these would be a problem, so it smells like ADA barrier-removal to me. If there's an elevator, Mr. Frost can be issued a key. If Mr. Frost's service dog somehow has difficulty with stairs, that may be a training issue but should not be grounds for removing him from the school he would attend were he not disabled. This child should not have to go to these lengths to be heard. The school district's Child study team should provide the student with the appropriate supports so that he may be educated in the least restrictive environment. If he has difficulty transitioning of using stairs, he should have the appropriate therapeutic interventions either by an occupational therapist, behavior specialist(BCBA), or physical therapist. What are the parent's doing? Sounds like the family needs an advocate or an attorney. Many states have free, non profit organizations that can help. Good luck. I predict that Henry Frost, with the help of major publicity, will prevail. It's distressing to hear how backward some states are with regard to accommodating students with disabilities. I'm shocked that a student with this much capacity to advocate for himself, would be placed in a special school. This is happening at all Florida schools. We moved from OH to Okaloosa County schools a year ago with military orders. My son is 8 years old. In Ohio he was mainstreamed with an aide and performing at just below Kindergarten levels. In Florida, he was placed in a behavioral classroom with 8 other children, one teacher, and one aide. My son went from starting to read to functioning at a 2 year old level. We had to pull him from the school, because it got to the point where he was becoming self-injurious (this behavior did not happen often when he was growing up, but it became a weekly thing at public school). The school district when approached about breaching the law would say, "he's not ready for mainstreaming" (even though they did no IEE or evaluation to prove he was not ready), "we don't do aides in Florida" (even though a qualified para professional aide was PUT in his IEP), and "the aide probably was doing the work for him." (even though he was reading on his own and can recognize over 100 site words, he could not possibly know how to do that). The schools here are ridiculous. The district we are in spends around $54K a year on attorneys to avoid litigation. I'm not the only family -- there are about 10-20 families who have the same issues with the school district. Oh and get this, I filed a state complaint and the school was investigated for systematic failure on ESE students. The school district called the base and complained to the military school liaison about my complaint. They wanted the liaison to "pass it up the chain of command" and get me to drop the complaint.


(T) I have a big bulge and one of my nuts is knackered :( Notice a tyre bulge today on OSF wheel. So I went to take the wheel off to replace it, and I couldn't get any purchase on the Locking wheel nut. Some numpty has drilled it on by the looks of things and rounded the prongs off. Called recovery who couldn't do anything. He tried to hammer a socket on it and take it off that way, but no luck. He said my options are to snap the bolt by pulling the wheel off, try and chisel it out, or drill through it. He reckons whichever option I go for the wheel (OZ Schumie) will be damaged beyond repair I've just limped along to a mate, who is gonna try his welding expertise. if you can weld to it you may be able to crack it off, seen this before, when i have new tyres now i take my wheels down to them and i re fit them instead saves the hassle of them jacking i in the wrong place and over doing it on the buzz gun, hope you get it sorted asap if you can weld to it you may be able to crack it off, seen this before, when i have new tyres now i take my wheels down to them and i re fit them instead saves the hassle of them jacking i in the wrong place and over doing it on the buzz gun, hope you get it sorted asap I managed to get it sorted! A mate mig-welded a nut on to it and it came out. I've invested in some decent locking nuts now, with an inner shape. Hate Fiat locking nuts.


Research The Bioinformatics group at Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre is developing computational approaches to analyse DNA sequence information, especially deriving from the next-generation DNA sequencing technology.  Studies are ongoing which will provide insights to the mutations and other DNA re-arrangements which occur and accrue within the oncogenic process which give rise to cancer. The group has a long established interest  in the understanding the mechanisms by which DNA sequence changes can give rise to altered gene expression. To this end, investigating computational approaches to detect regulatory elements within genomic sequences as well as methods to map transcription factor binding events such as described in Nat. Methods. 2007 Aug;4(8):613-4. Previously, Steven Jones was a researcher at the Sanger Institute , Cambridge, UK. , 1994-1998. During this time he participated in the computational analysis of the 45 MB of Caenorhabditis elegans sequence generated at the Sanger Centre as part of the C. elegans Genome Project [Science (1998) 282:2012-2018]. This project resulted in the derivation of the first complete genome of a multi-cellular organism. Another contribution also includes the invention of the web-based blast server, which currently is now the most common interface through which DNA and protein sequence searches are now performed. The original concept was developed to serve the needs of the C. elegans genome sequencing project but it was rapidly adopted by other groups, including both NCBI and EMBL, as a generic way of searching DNA and Protein databases. See here and here my original postings to the C. elegans newsgroup back in the heady days of 1995. In 2005 Steven Jones was identified as one of Canada's top 40 professionals under 40 by Caldwell Partners International as well as by Business in Vancouver.  He also received the Spencer Award for IT innovation as well as the 2007 Medical Genetics teaching award for UBC. Further contributions include his involvment as the founding director of the CIHR/MSFHR Bioinformatics Training Program as well as director of the University of British Columbia Bioinformatics Graduate Program. In 2011 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada for his contributions to Genomics and Bioinformatics. To learn about more events for Bioinformatics in the Vancouver area, check out VanBug .


Back in the trenches Two days after the Canadiens called up Swedish forward Andreas Engqvist from Hamilton, the team went back to the well and gave Ryan White the phone call he's been waiting for all season. "This is great. I couldn't be happier," beamed White, who has 10 points in 28 games with the Bulldogs this year. "It's been a trying season for me a little bit so far, but I'm happy where I am right now and I just want to try and help this team win and contribute when I can." White celebrating one of his preseason goals. Despite having a stellar training camp with the big club this September, racking up three points in five preseason games -- and dropping the gloves four times in that span -- the 22-year-old still found himself on a bus headed for Hamilton when the season began. "Camp is camp; it's what you do here in the season that gets results and gets you back up here," offered the Brandon, MB native. "All of the guys who came up before me totally deserved it and they're playing great. I'm happy I'm still in the mix and it's good to get back up here." Having bounced back after missing 14 games with a knee injury earlier this season, White is more motivated than ever to carve out a niche full-time with the Canadiens. "It was tough," admitted the gritty forward. "I have a lot of respect for guys who have to go through that in a year. That was my first time going through something like that and it was tough sitting around not playing. It's tough on the mind, but I got through it and I'm back to 100%." White may be making his first appearance in a Habs jersey this season on Friday night, but his coach already has a pretty good idea of what he can expect from the versatile center. "Ryan's been playing well in Hamilton. He and Andreas Engqvist have both done a good job there and we expect the same here," explained Jacques Martin, who coached White for 16 games in Montreal last season. "He spent some time here last year for us and he's a good, smart player. He brings an extra physical presence and he's a good penalty killer." His head coach isn't the only one who had good things to say about him, either. Immediately after hearing that White had been recalled, one of his former Hamilton teammates couldn't wait to heap on the praise for the "warrior and best teammate he'd ever had". "Some of the guys told me Davey [Desharnais] was pumping my tires a little bit yesterday [to the media] so I read a few things before I came up," laughed White. "Hearing that kind of stuff is great, especially coming from your teammates and your peers. It's always a blessing."


Markon - A Stories A4 Markon was confused ; it was a symptom of the breakdown of ... reality ? He could feel it around him again - again ? Something was coming through . H stood and paced the deck of the ship . Down here in his cabin , his private world , he could forget the injustices of the world , the side-lining of his person by the powerful Grey Wolf clan ... though for some reason all this was seeming less vital today . What day was it , anyway? He stopped and shook his head - there was definitely something wrong . Running a hand through his short black hair Markon hurried for the stairway and bounded up to the top deck . Standing , hands on hips , surveying the surrounding vista of Wolfburg , he took a deep breath , and then another . There was still a fuzzy feeling in his head ; had he been poisoned ?! No , it was what his first instinct had told him - a reality ... shift ? And then there was that feeling that it was happening again . . . Oh , Gods ! Markon sighed - what was going on ? Maybe a Priest would help - he laughed ; more likely a mage could ... A10 Markon sat alone in the inn beside the roaring fire . He was aware of the life and bustle of the other customers but today they seemed more distant , less real than before . There was something stirring at the back of his mind , and he needed to be alone to grasp it . He took another swig from his pewter tankard , not tasting the dirty brown ale as it washed down his throat .He gazed into the flames and saw ... saw a park , a lush greenness , a lake , the sun shining , a magical world , and ... He sat up bolt straight - THAT was not possible surely ! The head of the Grey Wolf clan was surely that and that alone , but even as Markon tried to resume his previous take on reality he knew that it was not so - there was something there , and he was , for some reason , central to this mystery ... Barely able to comprehend the line of his own thoughts he wondered again at the possibility of consulting a mage , but just as before he really had little idea how to go about contacting one ... A21 Markon wandered the wilderness beyond the city limits , chain mail on and sword ready at his side - you could never tell out here , and a member of the Grey Wolf clan should never take unnecessary risks this close to the territory of their main rivals . Ofcourse , mused Markon , some would say that for him to be out here at all , never mind alone , was an unnecessary risk , but he knew the true situation regarding his usefulness and current standing in the clan hierarchy - it was a long time since the clan leader had sought his counsel for all his title of counsellor and stewardship of the ship upon the river - more of an old hulk than a warship though her captain would rather die than admit that . No , he would not be greatly missed if something befell him out here , but from his own personal point of view he was taking precautions to ensure nothing untoward occurred . The amulet and the scarab he wore on the cloak had been obtained at no small cost and what were reputed to be healing potions he had stowed in his belt had almost emptied his savings in their purchase . Why was he here ? He wondered that himself ; what if it had been only a dream ? It had felt real and vibrant and urgent , but that could have been the alcohol talking ... If it was just a dream he was out here for no reason , wandering over the hillocks and stream beds for no purpose . Yet , the voice had been strong , insistent - he had had to come to make sure - one way or the other ... He stopped dead in his tracks ; a warrior woman stood regarding him from the top of a rise just ahead of him . "Markon ?!" she demanded . It was the same voice ! "Yes !" he began to hurry towards her . Just then a rectangle of blinding white light seemed to open out of the sky to the left . The woman cursed and drew her sword . Markon made to do likewise but found himself mesmerised by the sight of a black-clad man , with a black helmet with a black visor emerging out of nowhere holding a glowing red stick in a black-gloved hand . The man waved the rod in the air . There was a terrific boom , sending Markon sprawling down into some bushes . When he was able to stager to his feet once more he found that the strange man and the woman had disappeared - both vanished completely , without trace . Still somewhat stunned by the after-effects of the sonic boom Markon turned and began to trudge back towards Wolfburg ...


Jeff Hamada Jeff Hamada Interview by: Reid Stewart Photographs by: Jennilee Marigomen I dont' get to see Jeff much these days but I sure love the guy. I first got to know him through a show we worked on a few years ago called "Tangents". It was a group show that revolved around artists he had worked with and featured on Booooooom and artists we have worked with for Lifetime. It was a real pleasure to work alongside him and really see how creative and collaborative he was. I get to work with a lot of different people with Lifetime but it's folks like him that really get me excited to keep creating. Keep up the great work Hamada! How old were you and where were you when art/creativity started to become an interest for you? Was it even something that you consciously realized was even happening? My mom still has all my old drawings from when I was like 5 or 6, but I don't think I was conscious of it back then. It was maybe a year or two later that I realized making pictures was something I liked to do. I would invite friends over to draw on our kitchen table and I didn't really think it was that strange to spend an afternoon doing that. Thinking about it now, it's funny to know how many of my friends I subjected to that. How did art become important for you? I don't know if I've ever thought of art as something important or unimportant. Creating something has always felt like the normal thing to do. If my day to day life was a pie chart and one slice was eating, and another was working, I wouldn't make a slice for art. Art would be a smaller circle in the middle that is intersected by all the other slices. It's somehow a part of everything. I don't really know if that makes any sense. When did the creative process start to enter into the equation for you and what did that look like? I have always loved brain teasers and things like that. My uncle had all these puzzles in his house and I remember one of them was this small smooth wooden box that wouldn't open. That was it, that was the puzzle. I remember staring at the box for a long time and trying a million different things until finally I spun it around really fast and the box slid into two halves. Inside I could see that there were these little bullet shaped wood pieces that were loose, and the only way for the box to be unlocked was for each of the pieces to be at the outer edge of the box. So essentially it was an elegant way of illustrating centrifugal force. I still think a lot about that puzzle, how perfectly designed it is. I guess the creative process for me started as a designer, problem solving, and just inventing dumb things. I remember Marble Madness was a popular thing at the time (I'm talking about the plastic building set, not the video game), and my friends had all these sets we could join together. So we would make huge "booby traps" and Rube Goldberg type machines using parts of the Marble Madness sets, cut-up cereal boxes, lego, anything we could find. Someone's mom would open a door and a bucket might fall on her head and start a chain reaction across the house. What style of work are you currently working on and why? I like to play with words, I like hand drawing letters and text. Sometimes they are conversations I've overheard or just things I think about. I took creative writing in college and really enjoyed it. When I transferred to Emily Carr I took film and I thought I wanted to be a director but I realized after a while that I just liked the story-telling part. Some of my ideas are a lot funnier as text and don't translate to an actual image. Lately I've been reading lots of comics and trying to effectively turn some of my written ideas into drawings and text. What sorts of influences do you draw upon? Generally are these influences always changing or do they remain constant through out your process of making art? It's always changing. I love Tauba Auerbach's text works, I think she probably grew up interested in puzzles too. There is a sort of math in all her work. I am terrible at math but I think have an analytical mind. I had a magic set as a kid and one of the tricks involved these 5 cards with a whole bunch of random numbers on them. In the trick I think the person had to point out which cards had their number on it and the magician would secretly add together numbers from one of the corners of each card (I forget how the actual trick worked exactly) and instantly knew which number the person had chosen. Anyways, I lost one of the cards and I remember spending a whole afternoon staring at the cards until I was able to figure out which numbers had to be on the missing card and I remade it with an old recipe card. Do you travel well while creating or do you need to be in a certain space? I know this can be different foreveryone. I like to be in one place. I need to not have anything else on my mind, I have a hard time juggling different projects and then also creating. I can do it but I don't enjoy it. It's probably why I've quit doing any freelance design work. It's just my personality, it's the same if I go out for lunch and I have something else to do in the evening. I don't like going straight from one thing to the next. I like a buffer, even just to sit and do nothing for a little bit in between. How do you document daily inspirations for future work? Or do you? That's kinda what Booooooom is, a personal document of work I find inspiring for later reference. I don't even really have to keep looking back at the archives, I can recall most things I've ever posted on there so the ritual of posting about something kinda locks it into my memory. How did the idea for Booooooom come about? Why? It really just started as an archive of work, but now it's become a way for me to encourage people. It's as much about inspiring people as it is about encouraging artists to keep going. I think sometimes the assumption is that really talented people know they're talented and don't need encouragement. It must be an amazing network of people you've come to know and meet over the years? Meeting new people has really been the best part for sure. I've made some friends that I'll have for the rest of my life because of Booooooom. I've probably had lunch with at least one new person every week for the past 2 years. It's kinda wild. Has this process helped your own art work and process? I'm sure you've been able to learn from other people's ways and experiences. It certainly has. In order to make great work you have to see and experience great work. Aside from Booooooom what have you been working on? What future projects are you looking forward to working on? Is it tough to get time for your own work? I don't know if there's anything I do now that isn't at least partially related to Booooooom. It is my life! Right now I'm working on collaborations with a couple companies to develop some actual Booooooom products. I'm still slowly working on my own drawings but it has been tough to find time for it lately. I am trying to block out most of July and August for my own work - trying.


Breakthrough in bid to create first quantum computer UNSW Newswire 20 September 2012 A research team led by Australian engineers has created the first working quantum bit based on a single atom in silicon, opening the way to ultra-powerful quantum computers of the future. Dr Andrea Morello and Professor Dzurak from the UNSW School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications led the team, which includes researchers from the University of Melbourne and University College, London. In a landmark paper published in the journal Nature , the team describes how it was able to both read and write information using the spin, or magnetic orientation, of an electron bound to a single phosphorus atom embedded in a silicon chip.  Dzurak described it as ... a remarkable scientific achievement -- governing nature at its most fundamental level -- and has profound implications for quantum computing. In current computing, information is represented as 'bits', a code made up of zeros and ones stored in transistors on a silicon chip. A quantum computer needs an equivalent 'quantum bit', or 'qubit'. The Australian team has coded data on a qubit comprising a single phosphorus atom, implanted next to a specially designed silicon transistor. As qubits are added to a quantum computer its ability to perform calculations increases, opening the way to solving problems that are currently impossible for even the world's largest supercomputers. These include the development of new medicines, which would be sped up greatly by the computer-aided design of pharmaceutical compounds, reducing the timescale for medical trials and finding cures faster. The team used the facilities at the Australian National Fabrication Facility, which receives $91 million from the Australian Government to support 21 research institutions across Australia. The ARC Centre of Excellence involves six participating universities including UNSW and the University of Melbourne, and will receive $24.5 million in funding over seven years to support the work of high-quality multi-disciplinary researchers in the field of Quantum Computation and Communication Technology.


Went to the Gun Show Today.... This is a discussion on Went to the Gun Show Today.... within the MP Full Size Pistols forums, part of the Smith & Wesson MP Forum category; With the wife, She's fed up with the ever Jamming Glock 26 and was determined to get a full sized gun. She checked out CZ's, ... With the wife, She's fed up with the ever Jamming Glock 26 and was determined to get a full sized gun. She checked out CZ's, Sig's & Hk's and came home with a full size M&P 9mm . She actually shoots better with it at 25' than she could with the baby glock at 10'. So she's happy, and so am I cause now I have another M&P to mess with With the wife, She's fed up with the ever Jamming Glock 26 and was determined to get a full sized gun. She checked out CZ's, Sig's & Hk's and came home with a full size M&P 9mm . She actually shoots better with it at 25' than she could with the baby glock at 10'. So she's happy, and so am I cause now I have another M&P to mess with Congrats on the new addition to the family. I have a FS 9mm and like mine alot! Glad to hear that she likes it too. Its nice to see more females becoming involved in shooting sports and CCW! With the way the world is now days unfotunately its good to know our spouses and loved ones have the means to take care of themselves when we arent around! Love hearing about the Glock converts!!! I'm the wife of FastDonzi and very proud new owner of the M&P 9mm full size. Awesome gun, love it!!! Took the Glock26 back to the gun show today and sold it!!! Even got what I wanted for it It's going to be my carry weapon too as I find that it feels great in my IWB holster. Can't wait to go shoot again today, but the Hubby has to get a reloader soon or we're going to go broke!!! I'm the wife of FastDonzi and very proud new owner of the M&P 9mm full size. Awesome gun, love it!!! Took the Glock26 back to the gun show today and sold it!!! Even got what I wanted for it It's going to be my carry weapon too as I find that it feels great in my IWB holster. Can't wait to go shoot again today, but the Hubby has to get a reloader soon or we're going to go broke!!! I'm the wife of FastDonzi and very proud new owner of the M&P 9mm full size. Awesome gun, love it!!! Took the Glock26 back to the gun show today and sold it!!! Even got what I wanted for it It's going to be my carry weapon too as I find that it feels great in my IWB holster. Can't wait to go shoot again today, but the Hubby has to get a reloader soon or we're going to go broke!!! It'll take a lot of 9mm reloads to break even. I'm so tempted to do it myself. Lots of Vols on the forum today. I'm in exile right now. It'll take a lot of 9mm reloads to break even. I'm so tempted to do it myself. Lots of Vols on the forum today. I'm in exile right now. I mainly shoot .40's (she shoots 9's) We have accumulated a huge box of spent 9 & 40 cases. at some point reloading will pay off. We have been spending $200.00 + a month at wally world, I figure it'll pay off in a few months...or a year...


Romney's Sick Joke OK, so Obama did a terrible job in the debate, and Romney did well. But in the end, this isn't or shouldn't be about theater criticism, it should be about substance. And the fact is that everything Obama said was basically true, while much of what Romney said was either outright false or so misleading as to be the moral equivalent of a lie. I guess you could say that Romney's claim wasn't exactly a lie, since some people with preexisting conditions would retain coverage. But as I said, it's the moral equivalent of a lie; if you think he promised something real, you're the butt of a sick joke. And we're talking about a lot of people left out in the cold -- 89 million , to be precise. Furthermore, all of this should be taken in the context of Romney's plan not just to repeal Obamacare but to drastically cut Medicaid. So enough with the theater criticism; Romney needs to be held accountable for dishonesty on a huge scale.


Drew Olanoff has over 10 years of marketing, PR, customer service and support, relationship building and management, product management, and technical support experience in multiple verticals. Online, including mobile. He prides himself on being a connector. Connecting people, stories, information. He has worked under some amazingly talented and gifted PR pros while working for startups as a "Director of Community",... ? Learn More Tumblr, the micro-blogging service that allows everyone to be a creative publisher, has updated its iOS app to become faster and more engaging. Tumblr says it's "completely native." By "native," the company means that the app feels faster and more integrated into your iOS experience because it's no longer just a web view. After a few minutes of playing with it, I can tell you that the company has backed up its claims in every sense of the word. Recently, the company built a standalone photo-sharing app that was lovelier than its own app, so I knew that something was up. Mobile is really important for Tumblr, as it has helped propel the company to an impressive 20 billion pageviews a month . Sadly, it doesn't look like there's a native iPad version of Tumblr as of yet, even though this version will work on the device. We're so thrilled to tell you that our app is now completely native! Get ready for a faster, smoother, and more responsive Tumblr Dashboard. - Completely redesigned Dashboard -- bigger photos and faster post loading. - Spiffy new notification previews -- see exactly which posts were liked, reblogged, or replied to! - New blog screens with blog portraits and descriptions. - GIFs play automatically on your Dashboard! Slide your finger across to view frame by frame. - New gestures -- swipe right on any screen to go back to the previous view; long tap photos, links, tags, and post headers for more options. When you log in, you'll see the differences immediately. Everything is prettier, it's easier to browse content and obviously easier to publish content of your own. This is a much-needed update for an app that hasn't always had the best experience for sharing. In addition to new gestures, animated GIFs, a hallmark of the service, play right in your dashboard, or stream if you will. Following people and blogs on the service actually make sense now, as you can easily keep up to date on things when you're mobile, without hassle or annoyance. It feels a lot like Google+ for iOS and Android in the sense that it's really a joy to scroll for days and days. The key for the company is to take publishing to the next level by letting people engage with content in a way that other services, like WordPress or Blogger, don't let you do. By re-blogging, liking and following, Tumblr is truly a hybrid of a few different experiences, including Twitter. With a better notification system, that means you'll spend way more time hanging out in the app, much like you do right now with Facebook's iOS app. When someone comments or mentions you on Facebook, it's very very hard not to jump in and see what's up. Tumblr noticed. Smart move. Do you like gestures? Then check this out . Simply grab a photo from your stream and move it around: Recently, Tumblr's CEO, David Karp, said this about why he started Tumblr: "I wanted an ease of expression where I could up put a video or photo and I wanted it to have my own domain name. I wanted it to be something that I was really proud of." Tumblr is "blogging" for the masses, and that's not a bad niche to be in. Tumblr is a re-envisioning of tumblelogging, a subset of blogging that uses quick, mixed-media posts. The service hopes to do for the tumblelog what services like LiveJournal and Blogger did for the blog. The difference is that its extreme simplicity will make luring users a far easier task than acquiring users for traditional weblogging. Anytime a user sees something interesting online, they can click a quick "Share on Tumblr" bookmarklet that then tumbles the snippet directly. The result is...


Can fake views be removed? Hi, I have another channel that I won't name here, but I'll be honest in saying that I got about 500 fake views recently via ytpros. I regret this decision and not because it cost $10, but because it doesn't seem right. I read that the way they do fake views doesn't violate youtube rules, which turns out to be technically true. However, the views are not by real people so there are no comments or likes. I'm not a fan of this, so I'm looking for a way to remove the views. Maybe I just have to contact Youtube and tell them what I did. I suppose they would remove it, and maybe I should do it first. Help is much appreciated. Hi, I have another channel that I won't name here, but I'll be honest in saying that I got about 500 fake views recently via ytpros. I regret this decision and not because it cost $10, but because it doesn't seem right. I read that the way they do fake views doesn't violate youtube rules, which turns out to be technically true. However, the views are not by real people so there are no comments or likes. I'm not a fan of this, so I'm looking for a way to remove the views. Maybe I just have to contact Youtube and tell them what I did. I suppose they would remove it, and maybe I should do it first. Help is much appreciated. No way to remove it yourself and I think youtube will remove your channel because it's against the rules. this is inreversable your stats stay with you forever and the only way for it to be remove is to get rid of the channel, for now you cant do anything about my suggestion is dont do it again and just continue to legitimately grow your channel Hi, I have another channel that I won't name here, but I'll be honest in saying that I got about 500 fake views recently via ytpros. I regret this decision and not because it cost $10, but because it doesn't seem right. I read that the way they do fake views doesn't violate youtube rules, which turns out to be technically true. However, the views are not by real people so there are no comments or likes. I'm not a fan of this, so I'm looking for a way to remove the views. Maybe I just have to contact Youtube and tell them what I did. I suppose they would remove it, and maybe I should do it first. Help is much appreciated. No you cannot remove views. No one can. Also if you tell them that you used a bot, then they will definitely take down your account. Best just to take down the video..


Pages Friday, 6 July 2012 4 ways with a teapot Got an old teapot sitting around doing nothing? Here are some easy ways to add a beautiful injection to your home and garden. /// Make up brush holder I store my dirty brushes in a mini teapot and just take it into the bathroom for a spot of brush laundry when I've collected a few dirty ones together. The handle makes it perfect to pick up and move from place to place or easy to wipe under when I doubtlessly spill messy make up. /// Herb pot or window box Often you can pick up a cracked tea or coffee pot for mere pence. Sure they're not great for drinks but they're perfect for a mini herb garden because they have inbuilt drainage. Maybe even use them instead of traditional window boxes, you could secure them with pretty twine if you're high up or if your window ledge is slanted. /// Watering can Exactly what it says on the tin can. Easy, pretty and functional. /// Vase Simple and easy. Just fill your teapot with water and fresh flowers to fill your home with beautiful scents and cheery floral-ness. For my makeup brushes I use the glass jars from small pots of nutella, rinse out the last of the chocolate spread and take off the label. They have a rubbery lid too so you could use them for a ton of things. I do this :) Well, not what teapots. I have a huge collection of mugs. And the more special ones which I don't want to use to risk cracking or breaking, I use to store things in such as some of my make up brushes :) xo