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As I cast back my mind over the last 12 months of internationals, quite aptly, the phrase “nobody is perfect” comes to mind. That phrase, of course, is synonymous with John Eales and for good reason. This then makes me think of the upcoming John Eales medal award.	
“It is particularly incumbent on those who never change their opinion, to be secure of judging properly at first.”	
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,	
One aspect of Super Rugby I am interested in this year are the players who will strengthen the Wallabies.	
Now that the Australian teams’ involvement in Super Rugby is complete the Wallabies Rugby World Cup 31-man squad is due to be named.	
Here are my player ratings from the semi-finals of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons of brevity and so that the focus is on the best and worst performers.	
I compared the Wallaby train-on squad to a squad that would be picked if you used the Roar form as the selection guide.	
Here are my player ratings from the quarter finals of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons of brevity and so that the focus is on the best and worst performers.	
Here are my player ratings from Round 18 of Super Rugby. These rankings are for players who are eligible to be Wallabies.	
Here are my player ratings from Round 15 of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons of brevity and so that the focus is on the best and worst performers.	
The only question mark is if kerevi is fit enough, depends on how of the field he has to cover form 12.
Very very obvious only someone associated with the squad this year and being familiar with the patterns will be selected at 13. It is that simple.
JP and English are not familiar with the patterns nor Cheikas way so won’t be selected to start against AB’s. Of course either could be added to the squad with a chance for the 23 or even start at 13 for the eoyt. Have the patterns changed so little that AAC could be considered?
Personally my selection would look at defence first considering it is a done deal 10 Foley 12 Beale.
IMO the best defenders at 13 would be English or AAC. AAC’s being a little bit slower at 35 won’t affect his defence anywhere near as much as his attack.
A major issue with Folau on the wing (and as I expected) is the very little ball or opportunities he gets on the wing. This would be exacerbated by picking no pass AAC. So I would select English disregarding that he would not be that familiar with the various patterns, it is up to the coaches to make it a bit simpler for him and adjust.
I would have Kerevi on the bench as a genuine impact player at either 12 or 13 and sub Beale if he is having another shocker.
Banks clearly should have been used more especially at times when Maddocks / DHP / Koroiebte were playing poorly.
On Folau I believe it is more a fault of the 1 3 3 1 system with Pocock and Hooper on the wing and Folau passing the ball to them in open space. Also the halves failed to kick well to him.
Agree and hence my comment, he really isn’t willing to give players a go who he is forced to select due to injury.
On Folau I believe it is a more a case of the backline (with forwards interspersed) rarely getting the ball to him and when they did he was heavily marked. More often the 1 3 3 1 had Hooper and Pocock on the wing in space and Folau inside them passing the ball to them.
Players who make the bench only due to injury i.e not his preferred selection very very often get no or minimal time. New players brought in as injury cover never get into the 23 i.e Cottrel.
This means one of 2 things , he doesn’t trust them at all, or doesn’t want his starter shown up and his selection proven wrong.
Timani, Gordon / Powell, Timu, Banks and many more are the players to get minimal time and only brought in due to injury.
It is obvious Cheika is world class in motivation and getting teams / players to believe in themselves initially.
However that can only last so long i.e it has diminishing returns with players getting used to him and desensitised.
Cheika is not a tactical or technical coach but he is a strategic coach with a big picture approach.
Have far better technical and tactical assistant coaches since Larkham and Grey and the new forwards coach leave a lot to be desired.
Also as Castle mooted add a selector to select players based on technical aspects rather than Cheikas feelgood / team harmony which suits his man management approach which is his strength.
Sadly despite so much evidence to the contrary i.e a steady decline after the initial rapid improvement , Cheika won’t accept he has the wrong assistants AND won’t change his selection method or allow an outside selector to be added.
The only hope is Castle and the board reject the plan Cheika puts forwards for improvement especially since it seems to be based on super rugby cooperation which has shifted the blame to outside areas of his control, i.e doesn’t accept any responsibility himself.
My main purpose was to provide clarity on why I have not been as much a prolific poster as was my wont and stillmissit asking how was I going , showing concern was touching.
thanks, I am not close to suffering depresssion (don’t think I have ever been) just feeling grief and feeling the losses as most people would.
Personally I am healthy but emotionally a bit dark and hence one of the reasons for my lack of visiting roar often.
Last year my mother died in July of a stroke. Then my father died last month of leukemia so I have struggled to find much interest in rugby.
If Foley or Beale or anyone had proven themselves a good game manager and playmaker for the Wallabies I agree QC should not be mentioned as a candidate.
However since no one has proven to be of sufficient quality and QC has even if he is now past his best of course fans should still consider QC.
I hope QC plays very well for the rebels and then forces his way as the starting 10 for the wallabies.
Why? Easy neither Foley or Beale are good enough as a playmaker or in game management and if QC gets selected he is better in both those areas and would be in form.
Sure I agree with him starting, it is overdue considering how strong his scrumaging is. I just hope Garces allows him to dominate, too often the ref has protected his opposite.
However why on earth select Hanigan? Yes his best year so far and he has finally shown he is up to super rugby standard, but thats all.
Additionally what is the point of Simmons on the bench. He is NOT an impact player , he is a grinder. OK if the lineout goes to shambles he can come in. However there is no reason to have both Simmons and Arnold on the bench, none! You don’t need 2 locks.
OK both Pocock and Hooper will play 80 mins , thats ok if Hooper is over his injury. However it means Hanigan will play 80 OR Simmons who is even worse as a 6 takes over. Is the point to make Hanigan look good in comparison?
At the worst Timu should be on the bench for Hanigan. He at least is an impact player. If the wallabies are struggling with ball carries to get over the add line he could be brought on to provide that. Timu offers the opportunity to change the game , Simmons doesn’t.
To me it shows Timu has been placed in the same bracket as Timani and Higginbotham and others. Only select as a last resort and then give them minimal time.
So in a horses for course selection Pooper is actually good against them and so starting Samu makes sense in this case.
Hooper should be on the bench just because he has not recovered properly yet and is not as fast as he has been, Jantes easily caught up to him chasing that ball. Pumas lineout not great so Samu could start at 8 and Pocock moves to 7. However not much difference between Hooper and Samu so against Pumas not a big deal.
DHP did nothing much against Boks but Koroibete was poor. Banks should be starting on the wing instead of Koroibete. Koroibete would replace Maddocks on the bench.
TPN’s lineout is the best of the wallaby hookers by a long way. The question mark is he is not handling all the traveling well.
Gordon would be a better bench option with his speed and running game against a tiring Pumas in the last 20 mins. Cheika obviously doesn’t have much faith in Powell given he didn’t get any game time against Boks so use Gordon instead.
Of course he is past his best now at his age, however if he is better than who is available come rwc 2019 I have no issues if he gets selected.
Banks should be provided a genuine opportunity since none of the current back 3 are performing that well.
Attack wasn’t much to speak about, 9 runs 41 metres (less than half what Folau gets) 1 cb and 2 defenders beaten , made 3 tackles missed 2 so missed 40% of his tackles.
Also what about the much vaunted kicking for which Folau is unfairly criticised, did DHP even kick once?
Clearly TPN is the best lineout thrower in the wallabies squad. That could be be a major reason he is still included.
A lot of referees form an early opinion on the scrum and the scrum considered weaker cops a lot of unfair decisions, just like Jackson did. Tupou could be instrumental in having those early opinions on the wallabies side for once.
I honestly don’t care about Cheika’s antics in the coachs box, Meyer was emotional all the time as well. It seems only one type of personality is allowed.
What I do care about is Cheika’s serious flaws as a coach, in not fixing serious flaws in tactics in the team that have been there for a while, serious flaws in selection and seeming to only allow yes men.
That said I do give credit for finally dropping Foley which helps in fixing the issue with general play kicking and exit kicking.
Also he can hardly be blamed for a new lock combo when Coleman pulls out for family reasons. Just another axe to grind unfairly by Spiro.
Mark Hughes, Slaven Bilic, Martin O'Neill and Ronald Koeman are among names in the running for vacant role at St Mary's
The Saints chief was chopped on Monday after a poor run of form has seen the South Coast side from just one point above the Premier League’s relegation zone.
The 40-year-old has been out of work since he was sacked by the Hornets in January after their form slipped following interest in the Portuguese from Everton.
Silva also remains in the frame to dethrone current Toffees boss Sam Allardyce as well as under-pressure Alan Pardew at doomed West Brom.
The Saints, who only have eight games left, are looking for a coach to come in and save them from Premier League relegation.
Southampton dismissed Pellegrino after the 46-year-old managed just one win in 17 Premier League games.
A club statement read: “Southampton Football Club can confirm that it has parted company with First Team Manager Mauricio Pellegrino.
Sick of plain old pepperoni on your pizza? Tired of mushrooms and onions? Here are some creative, funky—but more importantly, delicious—topping ideas to spice up your next homemade pizza. And remember, you don’t always have to use a tomato-sauce base—experiment with pesto, cheese sauce, or plain crust with toppings.
In this extensive list, use mozzarella cheese unless otherwise specified, but feel free to experiment with other cheese choices and other suggestions. Other ways to spice up your pizza are to try making homemade pizza dough or use an alternative dough, such as cauliflower crust. These pizzas can be made in the oven or on the grill. Have fun with different pizza shapes and sizes like personal pies, rectangular sheet pan pies, or traditional round pizzas. Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to create your own inventive pizza with ingredients you might not have considered before.
The following list includes a wide variety of meat options. The meat is all cooked or cured prior to placing on the pizza.
These pizzas all feature pre-cooked seafood. Try to eliminate excess oil or water on the seafood to prevent soggy pizza.
New nightclub with 'celebrity artists' opening in Sheffield on August Bank Holiday weekend - The Star
South Yorkshire police officer to face no action over contact with Rotherham man and killer before murder - The Star
South Yorkshire police officer to face no action over contact with Rotherham man and killer before murder
A South Yorkshire police officer investigated over their contact with a Rotherham man and his killer before he died is to face no further action.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, carried out an investigation after it emerged that murder victim Craig Preston had been threatened by one of his killers before he was battered to death in August 2016.
Mr Preston, also known as Craig Nelson, was found dead near to the Woodhead Tunnels, close to the Woodhead Pass, Derbyshire.
The 34-year-old from Wath was killed by his ex, Leonie Mason, 24 and her partner Shiraz Bashir, 42, both of Holme Park Court, Huddersfield.
They were found guilty of murder, with Bashir jailed for 22 years and Mason sentenced to 19 years behind bars.
Detectives who investigated the death established that Bashir and Mr Preston had both reported each other for making threats shortly before the killing.
The police watchdog looked into how the threats were dealt with by a police constable and today announced that the police response at that time had been 'appropriate'.
In a report of its findings, the IOPC said Bashir contacted South Yorkshire Police on August 6, 7, 13 and 15 to report threats by Craig Preston and stating that he planned to 'take matters into his own hands if no action was taken'.
He was twice advised by a police constable and once by a detective sergeant not to contact Mr Preston.
He was eventually arrested on August 13 and was released without charge after an interview in which he said Bashir had assaulted him a few days earlier and made threats.
There was no further contact between South Yorkshire Police and the men before Mr Preston was murdered.
In a written statement, the PC explained that they had not perceived Bashir’s comments as a threat. The officer had felt they were born out of frustration at the speed of the police investigation into Mr Preston's behaviour
The assessment was supported by a detective sergeant who had also spoken to Bashir and decided his threats to harm Mr Preston were not sincere.
The IOPC concluded that the 'police response was appropriate' and that there is 'insufficient evidence upon which a misconduct meeting could find that the PC’s actions and decisions in responding to the apparent threats towards Mr Preston’s life amounted to misconduct'.
IOPC Regional Director Miranda Biddle said: "Our thoughts remain with Craig Preston’s family following his death.
"We have a very clear role in this case, to establish the facts - that there was evidence to suggest threats were made by both men and to assess the police response.
"In this case we found the South Yorkshire Police’s actions, in general, were appropriate and the officers involved had no case to answer."
The Hallé Orchestra has been told it can no longer promote itself as Britain's longest-established permanent professional orchestra. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) delivered the ruling after investigating a claim that the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO) was older. The Hallé, which was ...
What is 100 Thieves, why did Drake invest in it and is Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun involved?
In 2017 the company received a multi-million dollar investment from Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans owner Dan Gilbert.
100 Thieves has already collaborated with Drake on the custom gaming stations that travel with his Scorpion tour.
In a statement on the 100 Thieves website Scooter said: "With Matt's experience, talent and vision as a professional gamer he and his team have built one of the most authentic brands in the ever-evolving gaming space."
"We are honoured to join the 100 Thieves family during this exciting phase of their professional journey. I personally could not be more thrilled for 100 Theives. This is just the beginning."
Dennis Hof, unfortunately, won’t be able to serve the people of Nevada — ’cause he’s dead and all — so the Silver State’s running good old-fashioned want ads to find a replacement … TMZ has learned.
A Nye County spokesperson tells us officials there plan to advertise the vacancy on their site, and in local newspapers. Nye is one of 3 counties that make up Nevada’s 36th district, which Dennis would’ve repped if he was alive. Lincoln and Clark counties are the others.
We’re told potential candidates will have until the end of November to submit applications, and then members of the Board of County Commissioners in the 3 counties will get together and pick whomever they deem fit. There are some requirements, though.
The replacement for the late brothel owner — who was posthumously elected Tuesday night — must be Republican, and must live within the district.
While all 3 counties get a say in who ends up being picked, we’re told Nye County will get slightly more votes because it has more residents. We’re told board members will likely meet in the first week of December to make their official pick.
The Times Coin has been providing website services since 2006. We are passionate about your website to create and execute a winning business plan for you.
New business line taps Glenn Barber as chief institutional officer in preparation for product rollout at the end of 2018.
The institutional business arm of crypto-asset broker Voyager Digital has appointed a former Deutsche Bank managing director in the run-up to its product launch in Q4.
Glenn Barber has joined Voyager Institutional as the firm’s chief institutional officer (CIO) as it prepares to commence the rollout of its product offering for traditional buy-side firms, hedge funds, brokerages and market makers, among other professional investors.
The hire of Barber as Voyager Institutional CIO has been timed to coincide with the launch of the new arm of the business and to capitalise on his previous experience in the investment banking space as demand grows for new crypto-asset trading tools.
He was most recently managing director of equities and co-head of the New York-based global program sales desk at Deutsche Bank, and held previous positions as managing director, equities at Barclays Capital and a managing director at Lehman Brothers.
Voyager Digital is currently focused on the launch of its retail offering, which will comprise a commission-free mobile trading application for retail investors which includes delivery of best execution via smart order routing technology.
Stephen Ehrlich, CEO of Voyager, commented that the firm has always planned to launch a crypto trading product for the institutional buy-side market based on its existing technology infrastructure as part of its long-term strategy.
“Based on the sheer number of conversations since we announced our retail offering, it’s clear that there is a void in the marketplace and an immediate desire by institutions to participate in and offer their clients access to this emerging asset class without the significant resources, costs and time that would be required to develop an in-house solution,” Ehrlich said.
A brief summary of the day to day activities undertaken on our recent escorted tour of Argentina & Patagonia. This trip had been in the planning stages for a number of years, and combined the natural wonders of Iguazu Falls, and Southern Patagonia with the best golf in Argentina, and all manner of Argentinina experiences from viewing and learning the tango, sampling the local food and wine and seeing the sights..
We flew from Melbourne to Sydney, and then to Santiago without any hiccups- Donna had once again chosen us a couple of seats on our own up the back end of the plane, and we were pretty comfortable.
We were welcomed by warm weather in Chile (Chilly?), and caught up with Doc and Eileen who were on the same flight. We were all staying at the same hotel- Castillo Rojo- a lovely well located hotel with real character.
We spent the afternoon wandering around the CBD visiting museums and getting the lay of the land. Unfortunately a recent grand prix in the city centre meant that many streets were fenced off- making our explorations just a little more difficult…
Our first stop was a top end organic winery where we sampled the wares, befriended the llamas, and relaxed in the gardens for a much needed break.
We then drove to the oceanside metropolis of Vina del Mar where we a delightful lunch that was very Chilean…
Valparaiso has a large commercial port, and is a big bustling city. Our tour took us to some amazing areas where housing density could not go much higher- with extremely hilly terrain and every square inch built on, the city has real character. There is colour everywhere- from bougainvillea to painted walls and graffiti and murals. And traffic everywhere!
Some days on the road are more difficult than others, and today was one of those days. We rose at 4am after a relatively sleepless night and caught a shuttle at 4.40am to the airport for a 7.25am international flight to Iguazu Falls via Buenos Aires. We arrived at the airport before 7, but took well over an hour to get checked in, and in the end had to scramble to get a bite of brekkie before boarding.
We had a two hour layover in Buenos Aires, but the combination of airport construction, slow customs and slow baggage retrieval and recheck in (we were already ticketed) meant that we were initially told our on flight was closed. But after a quick and stressful discussion we were allowed to board.
It was all worthwhile however because by early afternoon we arrived at our lovely hotel (Loi Suites) at Iguazu where we greeted our fellow travellers, settled in for a swim, drinks, etc.
The hotel is set deep in the jungle near the river, and is a classy establishment with a bit of local character. I liked the ‘swing bridges’ between room blocks.
We all had a lazy morning around the resort as we waited for Barb & Geoff to join us. Sleep ins were popular, as was reading by the pool and some walking around the resort.
And just when Helen & Terri were half way down it ceased to work leaving them stranded for some time…
After lunch we boarded the bus and crossed the border into Brazil to explore the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. We started with a helicopter trip over the falls, and it was awesome…
The weather was hot but kind and the river was perfect- giving us ideal viewing conditions. With around 250 different falls, this has to be THE most spectacular falls site in the world!
As evening came in we dropped in to Landmark- where the 3 countries all meet- (Paraquay, Brazil & Argentina), and took a pic.
Today we explored the Argentinian side of Iguazu, and after the brilliance of the Brazilian side our expectations were muted.
These concerns were immediately put to bed as we walked the boardwalks right into and along the falls.
We encountered monkeys, vultures, rocky racoon lookalikes, and the most magnificent waterfall experience one could imagine.
Next up we took the grand adventure- a 4 wheel drive though the jungle, followed by the most outrageous jet boat ride up to the base of the falls and then into them. We all got completely drenched. The group could not stop laughing.
In the afternoon we covered another boardwalk- all agreeing that the Iguazu experience over the 2 days was one of THE great life experiences.
Buenos Aires is known as the ‘Paris of the south’, and the group was impressed with it’s size and grandeur. Although only 3 million people reside in the inner city, a further 20 million live in the suburbs. Everything is big- the city is sited on the shore of the river Plate ( Rio de la Plata ) which is the world’s widest river reaching 220 miles wide at one point!
To start with we embarked on a 4 hour guided tour of the city, the highlights being the amazing cemetery containing thousands of elaborate mausoleums- a virtual city for the dead. And I love the way the city embraces it’s heroes- Eva Peron, Maradonna & of course the tango…
Sadly Helen had left us overnight to fly home to be with her ailing mum.Helen was a driving force in getting this trip away, so it was disappointing very everyone to see her go so soon..
After an early pick up, we teed off today at the prestigious Buenos Aires Golf Club, regarded as the no 2 course in Argentina. With blue skies and 32 degrees it was a perfect day for golf on a very nice course.
The club has hosted many championships including The Argentinian Open and The World Cup, and of course they can now add that they have hosted a The Travelling Golfer tour…
No one begrudged the early pick up today as it was hot on the course and we were walking. Our host course was the famous Jockey Club designed by the doyen of golf course architects Dr Alister McKenzie ( Augusta, Cypress Point, Royal Melbourne).
The Jockey Club is one of THE great clubs in the world with a horse racing track akin to the biggest in the USA, plus polo, swimming, a dining club in the city- oh, and 36 holes of golf designed by Dr McKenzie.
It’s pretty exclusive, with a who’s who of memberships- and difficult to gain access for a game- so our group was blessed to walk the fairways today.
The clubhouse is amazing, and the course is a giant jigsaw puzzle waiting for the golfer to put their strategy together. It is a flat treed piece of land, and pretty enough- but the dead flat terrain gave the designer nothing at all to work with. All the way around I felt I was battling the good doctor himself working out how to get the angles right. Miss in the wrong spot and par was only a forlorn hope...
The course played firm and thus short, but the the angles of the greens, and fairway bunkering challenged all from scoring like they felt they should!
Olivos GC- is a private club with 27 holes of world class parkland golf. The course has hosted many championships, and is regarded as the best course in Argentina.
The course is beautifully groomed and doglegs it’s way through a giant botanical garden. The standout hole is the short par 5 15th hole with a dogleg and then a pond in front of the green. 'Louie the fly' made an appearance and we took some nice footage of this, the most famous hole at the club.
The par 3’s are consistently strong, and with so many holes framed by mature trees driving straight was a priority…
At a leisurely lunch afterward the general consensus amongst the group was that Olivos was indeed the best course in Buenos Aires, but it was a close call as each course had it’s own character and merits. Personally I preferred Buenos Aires GC by a narrow margin.
After the heatwave conditions in Buenos Aires the last few days, it was a relief to wake to pouring rain. It didn’t worry us at all- we flew out mid morning to Northern Patagonia where the top temperature for the day was mid teens. It was a bit of a shock to the system!
By mid afternoon we had checked into our accommodation for the next few nights- the Rio Hermoso lodge- a lovely rustic lodge with all mod cons, and beautifully located in the Patagonian wilderness.
We all tramped along the walks around the lodge which followed a rocky creek- all with a magnificent mountain backdrop. Dinner was pretty good too, so we were all happy campers.
Sometimes on these trips we have to make decisions on the run to change the itinerary for one reason or another, and in this case when we realised that a relatively small distance to travel was going to take longer than expected we decided to combine the golf from days 11 & 12 into 27 holes on day 11.
Our first stop was a 9.30am tee time at the Nicklaus designed Chapelco GC, a delightful resort style course routed through forests, pampas grass, and lakes. Due to a corporate day the course was busy and our rounds were very slow- but everyone loved the course. With undulating terrain, and great variety of holes Chapelco is a class act, and generally regarded by the group as the best course we played in Argentina.
At 3.45 we had travelled the 10 minutes from Chapelco to El Desafio GC, a 2015 Greg Norman creation built high on a mountainside. Only 9 holes have been constructed, and there is no clubhouse, made roads etc- but the 9 holes are very dramatic with significant elevation changes, wide fairways, and dominant sand belt type bunkering. We were all very impressed.
So after a big day, we enjoyed winding down in the comfort of Rio Hermoso lodge and enjoyed another lovely meal in good company
As golf at El Desafio had been moved forward a day we now had all day to travel through the famous 7 Lakes to Bariloche.
We made a number of stops as we progressed past the lakes, all taking pictures of each other with the beautiful backgrounds.
Our destination for a 2 night stay was the legendary Llao Lloa Hotel ( pronounced Zhow Zhow ). The hotel and it’s setting are stunning, surrounded by lakes, mountains & a golf course. We got very, very comfortable..
The next day our tee time at Llao Llao Golf Club was for 9am. It was our last game of golf for the tour, and we had a seeded draw knowing that someone was going to win the Prestigious Pullis McNutley trophy that day.
I had no great expectations of the course, but was very pleasantly surprised. It’s a simple course and quite short and tight. But there are some stunning holes- 10 & 18 are world class. The group all enjoyed their day, and thought the course was great fun.
David ‘Ace’ Burns won the big event with another solid 35 points and was a most deserved winner, although TTG virgin Geoff Howlett came awfully close..
That afternoon some of us endured massages and then challenged ourselves with an hour long Tango Lesson.
We didn’t want to leave, but it was to time to say goodbye to Llao Llao after a stay that was way too short. Most of the group boarded a plane to El Califate, but Barb and Geoff started the long trip home. We were all sorry to see them go- we had all got on so well.
In El Calafate we checked in to our hotel and checked out the town for some retail therapy, and then learned a little about the National Parks we were about to explore. Late in the day Doc & H (with moi as caddy) crossed the street to play El Pinar GC- a par 3 course on perhaps 7 acres- with 18 holes using only 5 greens, 18 different tees, and a lot of imagination. Most holes were routed over mature trees or around them. It was the most bizarre golf course I have seen, but we had great fun anyway..
Dinner was the best Argentinian lamb restaurant in town (la Tablita) with a nice local Malbec to boot….
We woke to blue skies, and remarkably little wind and were all bright eyed and bushy tailed for the 8am pick up. Our destination for the day was Perito Moreno Glacier, one of 300 glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park- the largest national park in Argentina.
Perito Moreno is one of only two glaciers in the park which hold their size each year, and at the moment every couple of years it advances across the lake blocking the water flow. Because the water cannot get away the lake rises until the pressure on the glacier forces worm holes through, and within 24 hours that entire section of the glacier over the lake calves and then disintegrates…
We had a wonderful day viewing both sides of the glacier- first by launch on the lake, and then via the extensive boardwalks. Our timing was such that the spectacular glacier break up was becoming likely in the weeks ahead, and more and more chunks of ice are calving off. It is addictive waiting for the next piece to fall- the crack of ice, and the boom as it hits the water, and then the spray and ensuing waves.
With rain forecast we boarded the bus for our longest day of the tour so far. The 7.15am start was deemed a little early for most, but gave us a few minutes leeway for our next connection- the cruise out to on the Argentina Lake to our destination- Estancia Cristina. With the wind whipping off the lake and light rain falling we stayed inside for much of the 3 hour trip to the Estancia- however we never got serious rain, and had periods where we could escape out on to the deck to view the most amazing blue icebergs we were travelling through…
On landing at the ranch, we boarded large 4 wheel drive vehicles and bounced and bumped our way up a rudimentary track to a fantastic viewing point for the famous Upsala Glacier- all in all a 3 hour round trip.
The trip down the mountain was equally dramatic with one vehicle unable to negotiate a muddy hill, and last seen heading off through the edge of the lake…
After a 3 course meal we undertook the guided historical tour of Estancia Cristina before heading back to our hotel at El Calafate by cruise & bus. We were all tired little vegemites when we got back after 8pm..
It was goodbye to El Calafate and Argentina as we boarded the little bus and started out for our next destination at Puerto Natale.
Although it was only 250kms it took 6 1/2 hours. The asphalt road from El Calafate to the border was riddled with large potholes, but as we neared the border it became a very rudimentary gravel roadddddd….
When we started designing this trip years ago we soon found out that flying from an Argentinian airport to a Chilean airport was not an option. You have to fly hours back to Buenos Aires and then catch an international flight- so we opted to drive across the border and then catch a direct flight. The customs departing Argentina took only a few minutes, but 5 minutes down the road the Chilean arrival took over an hour and was an absolute shambles!
It was interesting to see that the roads on the Chilean side were in very good shape, the Argentinian roads not so much...
The rooms were wonderful, the meals sublime, and most thought it the most unique and possibly best hotel that they had ever come across…
Melbourne is known to have four seasons in one day, but here in southern Patagonia they talk about having four seasons in one hour!
So we were all prepared for the 8am pickup and dressed in layers for our big day in Torres del Paine National Park.
Our first stop was at Milodon Cave, a vast cavern formed as the glaciers receded and lakes eroded the softer rocks. Many fossils are still being found in the floor of the cave, and many fossils are coming to view them!
Our next stop was Grey Lake, where our proposed walk was replaced with coffees and hot chocolates in the Grey Lake hotel due to persistent rain. We got to see the lake vistas, and had a welcome refreshment.
Lunch was a 3 course meal with local wine from a restaurant in the park. After more photo stops to view condors, and guanacos ( related to the Llama) we arrived back at The Singular Hotel for a very special dinner..
Our last day on tour, and the good news was that we had managed to push back the pick up time by 15 minutes allowing a little more sleep time. The bad news was that we rose at 5.45am and had brekkie and were picked up at 6.35am. By 7am our cruise was headed off to explore. It was over 10 hours out on the cruiser, but for me the walk to see the Serrano Glacier made it all worth while. It was only an hour or so of our day but it was memorable.
Back on the cruiser we stopped to take pics of the Balmaceda Glacier, and a nearby waterfall, and then headed to Estancia Puerto Consuelo for a 2 hour lunch with local lamb and wine. Everyone was asleep as we arrived back in Puerto Natales.
Our closing dinner in the super Singular hotel was a joy- the 7 remaining travelling golfers sat around a round table, and reminisced on what had been a momentous trip.
Most agreed that the Iguaza experience was the star of the show, but the local food and wine, seeing and learning the tango, playing the best golf courses, experiencing the lakes, mountains and glaciers of Patagonia, and of course the Singular hotel all contributed to a remarkable trip.
Construction has begun on the future home of the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, the nation’s first autism center focused on public health science. The autism-friendly space will be located at 3020 Market St., across from the Goodwin College of Professional Studies, and is expected to open this summer.
It is the first institution of its kind to bring a public-health research approach to autism spectrum disorders. The center’s researchers consist of epidemiologists, community psychologists, environmental health scientists, and health and education policy research specialists from both Drexel University and abroad. Jennifer Plumb, director of the Community Outreach Core, was thrilled with the progress.
“We are very excited to be moving into our new LEED-certified space at 3020 Market St. and especially excited about the location being in the 30th Street hub that Drexel is building,” she said.
The Institute’s philosophy is based around the prevention of physical and mental impediments that autistic patients experience. Autism spectrum disorders are a set of neurodevelopmental disabilities that fundamentally alter a person’s ability to interact and communicate with others. The disorder is now believed to affect nearly 900,000, or one in 88, U.S. children and as many 5 million U.S. adults.
“Our space is going to have state-of-the-art assessment rooms, and with the development and implementation of our mobile assessment unit, we are going to be providing outreach into underserved communities,” Plumb said.
The new space will be a physical commitment to the Institute’s innovative public-health structure. No problem is too small to be overlooked. The shiny metallic panels, which come standard with any elevator, are being addressed because visitors with autism might find them distracting, or even troubling, if they have heightened sensitivities to visual sensations.
A specially-designed, quick-entry bathroom will allow ASD children to spend less time performing necessary functions, and more time in the classroom. A special waiting area will be designed for family members who want to remain with patients without interrupting the researchers. Each issue will address the Institute’s overall goal to prevent disability by making ease and comfort its top priority.
“Plumb said that the Institute hopes to offer research and co-op opportunities to Drexel students in the future. One of the studies that will be conducted by researchers at the Institute will be to determine if chemical exposure while in the prenatal environment causes pathologic changes in the developing brain. Another study will work to construct new training approaches for community-based early intervention specialists in order to manage the challenging behaviors of persons with ASD. Each test will strive to have the broadest possible impact and not become limited to a select group of participants. Persons with ASD from the surrounding communities, including Mantua and West Philadelphia, will be welcome to come in for a clinical evaluation.
Questions regarding research, patient evaluation strategy or employment opportunities at the Institute can be directed to [email protected] or 215-255-7373.
Calling all farmers! — Sierra Harvest is looking for interested applicants to be a part of their Farm Crew | TheUnion.com
Calling all farmers! — Sierra Harvest is looking for interested applicants to be a part of their Farm Crew
Sierra Harvest's Farm Crew will be working and learning on farms and ranches throughout the area while gathering bi-monthly for community events and production skills courses.
The 2012 USDA Census of Agriculture reported the average age of farmers in the United States to be 58. Over the next 10 years, our country will need 10,000 new farmers just to replace the ones who will retire. The Sierra Harvest Farm has a program to support farmers and ranchers to be prosperous, successful and vibrant.
Hone your skills with Sierra Harvest's 2018 Farm Crew. Those who are interested in joining the Farm Crew are encouraged to apply now to join a cohort of early-career farmers working and learning on sustainable farms throughout Nevada County. Whether it is learning to repair a tractor, tending a hive of bees, planting a native plant hedgerow, learning to manage a farm office, or mastering the art of bouquet making, we will support you to follow your passion.
Farm Crew members will be learning and working on farms and ranches throughout the region and also gathering bi-monthly for community events and advanced production skills courses. This series of workshops will be taught in the field by local experts.
Qualified Farm Crew member applicants will be passed on to host-farms for hiring for the 2018 season. Host farms offer a wide range of paid job opportunities; from five hours per week all the way up to full time employment.
In addition to a connection to a job and mentor, Farm Crew will support and maximize your on-farm experience with advanced production skills classes, field trips, one-on-one advising and community building providing Farm Crew members with a positive and successful start in market farming.
Members will spend three hours every other week from May through November attending production skills classes (total of 15 classes — 45 hours of instruction). Production skill courses will include: soil analysis, cover crops and soil building, soil tillage and cultivation, row crop irrigation, pasture management, pest management, animal health and husbandry, tractor technology, greenhouse management, seeding and transplanting, food safety, composting, and more.
Classes will be taught by local farmers, ranchers and agriculture industry experts. Most will be held in the field.
Hard working people seriously considering a career in agriculture can apply for Farm Crew. One season of previous farming experience is strongly encouraged. People already working on farms and ranches in the Nevada County region can also apply to attend Farm Crew Production Skills classes.
To learn more and apply, visit the Sierra Harvest website at sierraharvest.org. Applications due March 30, with placements beginning April/May through November.
Customers at Nevada City's future medical cannabis dispensary could pay a 15 percent excise tax to the state on all purchases and could bear the burden of additional local and state taxes.
Nevada City's council members approved a local tax structure for cannabis businesses Wednesday, which will need further approval from voters.
The city proposes charging a 4 percent tax on gross receipts for dispensaries and a 2 percent tax on gross receipts for manufacturing, processing and distribution businesses and testing laboratories.
Growers will also be taxed by the state and the city, but Nevada City's council members say they don't expect many cultivation businesses to operate in city limits.
The state will charge growers $9.25 per ounce of cannabis flowers and $2.75 per ounce of leaves that enter the commercial market, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
The city proposes an additional tax of $4 annually per square foot of canopy space for growers using artificial lighting, $3 per square foot for growers using both natural and artificial lighting, $1 per square foot for only natural lighting and 50 cents per square foot for nurseries.
Jonathan Collier, with the Nevada County Cannabis Alliance, said taxes on cannabis down the supply chain could likely be passed on to consumers, which means a patient purchasing from Nevada City's future medical dispensary could be paying a high price for medicine.
On top of a 15 percent state excise tax, a patient could bear the burden of taxes on growing, testing, processing and manufacturing, as well as the local dispensary tax.
"What we're seeing from other states is that when you charge too much, it disincentivizes consumers to buy from dispensaries," Collier said.
If consumers are able to purchase cannabis on the black market for far lower prices, he said, they are more likely to avoid purchasing from legal businesses. But, Collier said, Nevada City's proposed taxes are reasonable compared to other municipalities around the state.
Many community members agreed during Wednesday night's city council meeting, thanking city officials for proposing fair rates.
Council members opted to lower the proposed taxes for some businesses. The local rate for dispensaries was lowered to 4 percent from city staff's initial proposal of 5 percent. The rate for manufacturing businesses was lowered to 2 percent from 3 percent.
If approved by voters, the proposed taxes would set a maximum rate the city could charge cannabis businesses. City officials could lower the rates at any time, but raising them would require another ballot initiative.
"I just don't want to burden them," said Council member Evans Phelps, who pushed for lower rates Wednesday. "I want this to be successful."
"I have never seen a business so overly regulated and taxed in my life," she said. "I'm sorry it's so regulated. To be honest, I think it's a bit too much, but that's the game you have to play. They don't do that with beer and wine — or cough medicine."
"As we move into regulated industry, this is part of what comes from having legitimate businesses," he said. "It's no surprise. It's something that will actually be welcomed as we move out of the shadows and into the light."
Participants at a previous “A Day for Women” check out classes offered before the day begins. This year's event is scheduled for April 14 at Sierra College in Grass Valley.
Sierra College Foundation and the Soroptimist International of Grass Valley have joined together again this year to sponsor "A Day for Women" from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on April 14 on the Grass Valley campus of Sierra College. The event is the return of a conference for women with workshops, shopping, networking and lunch presented by the Soroptimist for more than 28 years. The larger venue will enable the event to offer 18 workshops at six per hour.
Topics for this year's classes include home and garden; personal growth; food; body focus and technology. Well-known speakers will present again this year, some of them new, all of whom are experts in their fields. Workshops will be lead by Nevada County business leaders, said Judy East, chairman of the Sierra College Foundation Coordinating Committee, NCC and co-president of Soroptimist Club who chairs this year's conference.
"We are so please to bring area women a variety of topics from domestic skills to interpersonal and technology skills," added East. "Everyone will go away with an enhanced understanding of the topics from the workshops they attended. Networking with new and active women in the community is one of the goals of the event." Lunch will provide an opportunity for those in attendance to both befriend new people and to shop with vendors.
The $45 ticket admits one woman for any of the 18 classes, a box lunch, shopping, networking and "fun." All profits from the event go to support Soroptimist International of Grass Valley service projects for women and children and the Sierra College Foundation's programs for students.
The event is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, Yubanet.com, Dignity Health Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, Gateway Real Estate, KNCO Radio, Betty Stiving at Verger Mortgage, Ben Franklin Crafts, Beautiful, The Pilates Place, Jenni Johnston of Edward Jones, Len Stevens Construction and many other local businesses. Registration is available at http://www.sierracollege.edu/dayforwomen.
Introducing the NEW Sequence 4000. The new expansive design will meet today's increased market demand for performance on all levels. Peak performance of 6800 gph while only requiring 376 Watts! Every Sequence 4000 Model is supplied with 2" FNPT and Buttress thread ports and unions for ease of use.
Jim Milano discussed reverse mortgage advertising and the CFPB’s recent enforcement actions in the area of marketing services agreements and other RESPA issues in the opening session of ReverseVision’s 2016 User Conference on January 21 – 22 in San Diego, CA. He also participated on a vendor management panel.
We are delighted to bring to you the second issue, Vol 2 No 1, of our peer-reviewed Global Comparative Education: Journal of the WCCES. The Journal publishes articles submitted in any of the six official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Following the first issue in 2017, it will henceforth appear twice annually, in March and September as initially planned.
The first issue was released during the 52nd Executive Committee meeting that was hosted by l’Université de Corse et l’Association Francophone d’Éducation Comparée –AFEC on the occasion of their joint colloquium on “Diversité culturelle et citoyenneté : Enjeux éducatifs à l'heure de la globalisation” held at the University of Corsica, Corte (Corsica, France) in October 2017. It is significant that the first part of the second issue is released in June 2018 on the occasion of three main WCCES events that are held in Johannesburg (South Africa) and hosted by the Ali Mazrui Center for Higher Education at the University of Johannesburg jointly with Indian Ocean Comparative Education Society (IOCES) and Southern African Comparative and History of Education Society (SACHES): the first ever retreat of the WCCES since its inception, the 53rd Executive Committee of WCCES, and the first between-congresses
symposium entitled “Comparative Education for Global Citizenship, Peace and Harmony through Ubuntu” along with the 5th IOCES international conference on “Rethinking Epistemologies and Innovating Pedagogies to Foster Global Peace.”
We continue to make every effort to establish and sustain a stellar reputation with quality assurance, diverse perspectives and regular periodicity for the Journal. Vol. 2 No. 1 includes four regular articles (two in English and two in French), two articles on profiles of comparative educators, and two book reviews. The next issue (Vol. 2 No. 2) of the journal is already lined up to appear in September 2018.
It is very important to acknowledge, on behalf of WCCES, the contributions of so many colleagues along the way, whose continued enthusiasm and unfailing support have steered us to the production of this second volume about a year after the project was formulated and planned. I would like to thank a few among a larger group of supporters and well-wishers, who made invaluable contributions on so many critical fronts at different stages in the process of producing this issue: Eve Coxon, Kanishka Bedi, James Jacob, and Aïcha Maherzi. I thank Greg Misiaszek for his role in editorial management and coordination of the translation of the
abstracts. I would like to express our gratitude to the members of the Advisory Board and the Editorial Committee. I wish to thank also many other colleagues who, even if they are not on the editorial committee, enthusiastically served as reviewers, often on very short notice. A few articles could not be revised satisfactorily in time to be included in this volume. However, we thank those reviewers as well for their recommendations in compliance with our rigorous standards and those authors who submitted such papers and hope they will be revised to satisfaction for publication in future volumes. I would also like to express a special word of
gratitude to the team that took on the translation and proofreading of the different versions of the papers and abstracts in the different languages.
I wish to express special thanks to James Jacob as the WCCES Historian who worked tirelessly to author, with colleagues, articles on profiles of Erwin Epstein and Vandra Masemann, two comparative education scholars who have played significant roles in member societies, namely Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), the Comparative and International Education Society of Canada (CIESC) and in WCCES. As Associate Editor, James has also shared his expertise and experience in copyediting. I would also like to thank Erwin Epstein and Vandra Masemann for their collaboration and generous sharing of information that, albeit only a glimpse into their prolific intellectual journeys, have enriched the profiles produced for this volume. We will work with the History Team, under the able leadership of James Jacob, to continue to bring more profiles to light for lessons, inspiration and just fun reading.
Many colleagues volunteered for other tasks that made a difference. Please, receive our deep expression of gratitude.
As indicated last year, the advisory board and the editorial committee will expand to increase inclusiveness so that we may have at any time a larger pool of scholars with vast disciplinary, local, national, regional and global expertise and ensure that with the bountiful language proficiency of members of the WCCES constituent societies we sustain quality contributions in different languages. Even if you are not formally on the editorial committee, you will be contacted, as we have already done, to assist with the review of the submissions and/or translations in the different languages.
I would like to reiterate that the vitality, sustained quality and regular periodicity of this journal will be a reflection of the continued support and commitment of each and all of us in the comparative education community.
“Use it only when quoting someone or when describing what the movement says about itself,” AP vice president of standards says
The Associated Press will avoid using the term “alt-right” following the violence in Charlottesville because the news organization feels the term “is meant as a euphemism to disguise racist aims.”
“So use it only when quoting someone or when describing what the movement says about itself. Enclose the term ‘alt-right’ in quotation marks or use phrasing such as the so-called alt-right (no quote marks when using the term so-called) or the self-described ‘alt-right,'” AP vice president of standards John Daniszewski wrote.
The Associated Press’ style guidelines, typically referred to as “AP Style,” are the used by most mainstream news organizations in America. “AP Style” is one of the first things taught in most journalism schools, so the decision will have a major impact on the use of the “alt-right” term.
The AP describes the term “alt-right” as “A political grouping or tendency mixing racism, white nationalism, anti-Semitism and populism; a name currently embraced by some white supremacists and white nationalists to refer to themselves and their ideology, which emphasizes preserving and protecting the white race in the United States.”
Daniszewski said the same rules should apply for the term “alt-left,” which President Trump and Fox News star Sean Hannity have used to counter the “alt-right” term.
The AP also noted that there is often confusion between the terms “white nationalist” and “white supremacist.”
“For many people the terms can be used almost interchangeably. Both terms describe groups that favor whites and support discrimination by race. There is however a subtle difference, at least in the views of the groups involved,” Daniszewski wrote.
“White nationalists say that white people are a distinct nation deserving of protection, and therefore they demand special political, legal and territorial guarantees for whites. White supremacists believe that whites are superior and therefore should dominate other races. Depending on the group and the context, AP writers are free to determine which description most aptly applies to a group or an individual in a particular situation,” Daniszewski wrote.
What is your home worth? The market value might depend based on the real estate market, condition of your home, amount of land associated with the property, amenities to your property and comparable properties’ market value. Learn more here about how to calculate the market value of your home and what it means for you.
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