280 Posts

Forefront Capital has floated its initiative, Forefront Income Trust, in the market. The innovative investment fund caters for the non-accredited investors. For the longest time, Brad Reifler focused on accredited investors. Accredited investors are those that make over $200,000 in a year or have a net worth of more than $1 million. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also reflects this statistics. Brad Reifler pointed out that he was now shifting the focus to non-accredited investors with a specific plan developed for them.

Originally, the accredited investor standards were developed to protect shareholders from risky investments. Nevertheless, knowledge and oversight in the capital market has increased within the last 30 years. SEC has recommended important updates to the meaning of accredited investor. Additionally, an Investor Advisory Committee was created in 2010. The committee was mandated by the Dodd- Frank Act with the task of reviewing the definition after every four years. The recommendation of the committee was to do away with the present net worth and income tests developed 32 years ago. They were to change the measures in line with financial sophistication.

It’s pretty clear from CrunchBase that Reifler created Forefront Income Trust after careful analysis and due diligence. The trust offers non-credited investors an opportunity to invest a minimum of $2,500 that can be withdrawn or added every quarter. The Forefront Income Trust products allow room for potential growth and high risks since they are not correlated to the stock market. According to Reifler, they offer interesting distinctive programs that can provide clients with liquidity and a return of 8%.

Brad Reifler made his first investment in a 529-college plan many years back as referenced on Wikipedia. This investment was available to all regardless of their income or worth. When his girls were to join college, the fund was 40% lower making him incur losses. His attention to the middle class was drawn more after his father in-law gave him his savings to invest. However, his father in law’s investment strategies could not materialize because he was not a credited investor. Reifler realized how limited investment opportunities were available to many people.

Brad Reifler is the CEO of Forefront Capital Management and Forefront Advisory. He is a highly experienced and qualified individual with having over 30 years experience. Reifler established his first company, Reifler Trading Corporation, in 1982 after graduating with a degree in economics and political science from Bowdoin College. Refco bought the Company in 2000.

Later, Reifler established Pali Capital where he achieved even greater success. Serving as the chairman and CEO, Reifler led the company to profits surpassing over $200 million. He also established offices in the United States, Australia and United Kingdom. Reifler would like to be recognized as an individual that people can trust in offering investment alternatives. His goal is to demystify the investment complexity in a bid to elicit the public to invest and secure their futures through their savings.

While many people have seen the public school system is adequate over the years Betsy DeVos has seen a growing problem. Unfortunately, she’s not alone with this revelation, many parents have also noticed the same problems with the American public school system that she has. When she took office as Secretary of Education she knew that there is going to be a lot of work necessary to bring the system up to par. People all over the country assumed that she would start overhauling the public school system but she has a different plan in store for the system. She believes that parents should start looking for alternative forms of education for their children instead. The public school system is declining and she believes that the only way to save education in America is to look for private options.

Public schools are important but the things that children get there are also available to them in the private arena. In fact, Betsy DeVos talks to Philanthropy Roundtable about the work that she did in Michigan before she was appointed to this position. Her work in Michigan was specifically centered around the formation and funding of scholarship programs that would allow children of lower socioeconomic statuses to attend private schools. She wanted to make it possible for children in these lower financial brackets to go to these private schools. She pushed for greater funding for scholarship programs and tax breaks within her state. This vigor for education was sparked by one conversation with a family who had been struggling to send their child to the private school that Betsy DeVos sent her own children to. She saw the hard work that the parents were willing to put into allowing their children to attend that school and she fought hard to make it possible for other children to go as well.

One of the first things that she did throughout her campaign to change the way that Americans view the education process was learned about the decline of the public school system in America. She found that American children are not able to compete with international peers and that they are not performing well on standardized tests. She knew that there were other alternatives for these children but that many parents were not aware of those options. She began her campaign in the hopes that more parents would find ways to advocate for their own children in this situation.

Throughout much of her career, Betsy DeVos has shown that she is dedicated to one thing, conserving the value of education in America. In order to conserve this value, she needs to increase it. This means that students need to feel empowered by the education process and their parents need to feel as though their children are actually gleaning something from the material instead of simply attending a school day. She has pushed tirelessly to make it this goal a reality. She intends to continue her hard work into the future and hopefully make a meaningful change.

For updates, follow Betsy DeVos on Facebook.

The past few years weren’t easy for average Americans: housing market crash and recession have brought out numerous scams and crashed lots of dreams. Millions of people ended up losing everything that they had in their real estate and retirement accounts, and they became hopeless. However, it isn’t that real estate was essentially bad, it’s the decision that people made around the reals estate market that was erroneous and resulted in the downfall of a large amount of wealth.

That’s why Jim Toner is working every day to help individuals build better financial futures. Toner has been an entrepreneur and real estate investor for the past two decades and a half. He claims that we are entering a period of potentially astounding wealth accumulation. According to Jim Toner, people who are prepared will get the opportunity of capitalizing on the next five years.

Also, for people who are hoping to take full control of their lives in financial matters, and not let fear overcome them, Jim Toner has chosen to share his secrets of achieving this with them. Jim Toner states that your attitude is among the most essential aspects of growing wealth when it comes to real estate.

As per medium.com, while most people were blaming real estate for the 2008 financial crisis, Jim Toner is insisting that the bad decisions that people were making cause the crash, and not the market itself. Toner also suggests that there won’t be a better time of purchasing real estate because investors are capitalizing on a market with low prices.

Besides knowledge, Jim Toner also mentions attitude. When making life and business decisions, he cannot highlight the significance of attitude enough. For example, in the real estate market whatever side you are on depends on how you’ll see the economy. Are you seeing a new opportunity or just obstacles? Are the potential rewards that you might achieve hiding behind the risks binding you?

Additionally, Jim Toner says that surrounding yourself with people who are talented can help you grow and become better. Many successful entrepreneurs such as

Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie knew that they could not do it by themselves, hence they had to build a team of knowledge and experience of others.

Fantastic read: score.org/mentors/jim-toner

Activewear has become a major trend in fashion. It is a go to essential many wardrobes contain. Herbalife Nutrition, a leading nutritional supplement company, has noticed how this trend is not going away anytime soon. They have also realized that activewear would be the perfect attire for their three million member team of worldwide independent distributors. The health-conscious company wants their independent distributors to wear an attire that supports the company’s overall vision for living an active lifestyle. The company has always been a leader and trendsetting in the health and nutrition space. The company is run out of Los Angeles, California. But their presence is felt in ninety-five countries due to the immense amount of independent distributors that sell and promote their products. Ever since 1980, the company has been creating wealth management programs, sports nutrition and product to enable their customers to live a healthy lifestyle.

The health company would choose none other than FIDM to create an activewear collection for them. The school is home to a leading staff that prepares students for careers in fashion, product development, international manufacturing, and design. The students at this school are used to being sought after by big names like Nike. Now, they are getting sought after by Herbalife Nutrition. The nutrition company wants to give these young students a platform to turn their dreams and designs into a reality.

The competition involves fifteen students selected by FIDM staff. These students are going to be engaging with Herbalife Nutrition. They will have to undergo the complete process of creating a collection that involves going from concept to the actual collection. They will be responsible for sourcing their fabrics, creating designs, developing the product and presenting their collections. The winner’s collection will be turned into the official attire for the independent distributors.

This experience allows students to get hands-on with the global commerce of what goes into creating a clothing line, developing it and marketing the line. It exposes students to the marketplace. It allows them to work with a real-life client who is needing a collection for their business. Herbalife Nutrition is elated to be giving these students this opportunity to transform their fashion and design careers.

As one of the most influential entertainment figures of the present generation, Ryan Seacrest is a man known across the world. His claim to fame was hosting American Idol, the number one television show for during the last decade. He presently works on a variety of projects from a fashion and body brand called Distinction and Polish respectively, while helping children through the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. Consumers can find him on radio via On Air with Ryan, on TV through Live with Kelly and Ryan, in addition to the recent American Idol reboot. A recent article on the website Ask Reporter discusses Ryan Seacrest’s workout plan.

A little know fact about Ryan Seacrest is that he was overweight growing up. He would ultimately lose it all and found his self confidence boost immensely. The key to success is simply a balancing act. Ryan Seacrest finds that he can stick to a workout routine if he schedules it like a meeting. He is also known to adapt his routine as the daily schedule permits, such as doing push-ups during breaks. The one thing he personally does to ensure he wastes as little time as possible is to have lockers on both sides of LA.

At the end of the day, Ryan Seacrest loves a good meal. He currently loves healthy snacks and vegetable juice. His exercise routine is fairly standard. He aims to hit the gym 5 hours a week, and loves to perform Cardio and Yoga. Biking is his favorite outdoor exercise activity, and swimming is an indoor activity he enjoys. The schedule can change week to week based on his schedule, but he always devotes time to working out.

Ryan Seacrest, a radio show anchor, is a man known by many far and wide, but few know his personal side. He works out to stay in fit, maintain a schedule, and entertain the masses. Over the years, Ryan Seacrest has mastered how to balance life. He is truly an entertainment figure worthy of respect, and is someone who takes great pride in the work he performs.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/profile/ryan-seacrest/

Ted Bauman is a leading expert in the financing market as he has spent a considerable amount of years working for nonprofit organizations as their fund manager. He is currently retired but loves to share his insights into the world economy with people. He found the perfect way to do that. He is the editorial director at the Banyan Hill Publishing. One of the articles that he recently wrote has made people think about where their economy is heading. For any country to flourish there has to be the right amount of jobs available for the people and their wages should increase with time. In spite of the American economy growing at a considerable rate in the past year, the amount of wages has been stagnant.

Ted Bauman discussed the different reasons that influence wages in a country and what do companies need to do to ensure that the economy is growing and the people are happy too. The first thing that needs to be done is to study the employment rate. Even though the reduced number of unemployment rate should lead to increased wages, it does not seem to happen. Small and mid-sized companies are not raising their fees to increase their profits, but it would hurt them in the long run. With the growth in the economy, the fees should rise, but some companies are trying to slow this growth rate so that they do not have to increase wages. But, in the long turn, it would decrease the number of customers who can buy their products and services.

As a senior editor at Banyan Hill Publishing, Ted aims to use his expertise and experience to educate the readers about how the financial markets work and what are the parameters that people to need to look at before investing. People need to look at various economic parameters before investing, and it is what Ted Bauman aims to help people understand. Knowing these economic parameters would help people understand whether it is worthy to invest in the certain product or not. He has become a seasoned investor himself by interviewing and meeting the successful businessmen and investors. Talking and learning from them has helped him understand certain tips and tricks of investments. These are the tips that he is telling people about in the newsletters published by Banyan Hill Publishing. The financial strategies by Ted Bauman can help you understand how to invest and when to pull out.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has been called on the carpet for potential campaign campaign finance violations by a political action committee known as End Citizens United.

The group charges that Scott is thwarting rules which prohibit collusion between a Super Pac and the formal campaign of the candidate. It appears that Scott’s campaign has been taking money directly from the New Republican PAC — a group for which Scott was once served as chairman.

Scott has already raked in tens of millions of dollars in his bid to win the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Bill Nelson. New Republican PAC is garnering millions more from dark sources, including giant corporations and fat cat billionaires.

It’s all part of a money-bloated system that End Citizens United wants to end. The PAC was formed in 2015 with the goal of enacting large-scale reforms to the current state of campaign finance law. Ever since the 2010 Supreme Court ruled in favor of a group called Citizens United, politicians have been allowed to accept as much money as they want from any source — even if the public has no idea about who, what or where that money comes from.

End Citizens United believes it is critical that Gov. Scott lose his bid to gain a seat in the U.S. Senate. He and other right wing politicians are perfectly happy with the status quo, a system in which Big Money calls all the shots in our elections.

End Citizens United raises money the old fashioned way — by accepting only small donations from individual, ordinary American citizens. The group has raised an impressive $35 million ahead of the 2018 midterm election cycle. End Citizens United is using that money to support candidates who have expressed a strong desire to change the system. The average donation to ECU is just $14.

Rick Scott has been able to ride waves of illicit cash to two terms as governor of Florida. Now he wants to bring his shady act to Washington D.C. — something the folks at End Citizens would eagerly like to prevent from happening.

Wealth management is essential for many people and requires an experienced team. HCR Wealth Advisors is an independent wealth management firm that is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm’s primary focus is to create meaningful relationships with the clients through tailor-made financial plans and viable goals.

Dedication to the client

Since HCR Wealth Advisors is an independent wealth advisor, serving the client is one of its primary objectives. Unlike other wealth management firms, HCR Wealth Advisors is not controlled or directed by other brokerage firms. Instead, the firm is purely dedicated to their clients in everything they do.

HCR Wealth Advisors is transparent about their fees and rates. The firm charges an agreed percentage on the client’s assets under management. The transparency helps to create trust with clients, eliminating questions about other unexpected charges. Apart from transparency in fees, the firm is also upfront with each interaction with the client to build a strong and lasting relationship.

Tailor-made solutions

According to Whale Wisdom, it is worth noting that HCR Wealth Advisors is not a manager of money but an advisor. There is a big difference between managing wealth and advising on wealth. In most cases, a money manager is involved with the allocation of assets and picking bonds and stocks with the aim of generating income in the market. However, most money managers set goals they cannot achieve or deliver, leaving the client unhappy. A wealth advisor, on the other hand, has a different approach. Unlike a money manager, a wealth advisor creates a close relationship with the client to know their financial portfolios, goals and other necessary information that has an impact on their financial situation. In this way, a wealth advisor provides solutions that cater to the needs of the client.

Plan and strategies

According to a Senior Managing Director at HCR Wealth Advisors, Steve Weinberger, it is impossible to manage or advise on wealth without an adequate plan. Nevertheless, some managers and advisors rely on an algorithm to advise their clients. In fact, nowadays, some wealth management firms are eliminating human element and entirely relying on robo-advisors. HCR Wealth Advisors provides advice through tailor-made plans and strategies which helps to enable the client to make better financial decisions.

Read this: https://blogwebpedia.com/hcr-wealth-advisors-clients-first.html

HCR Wealth Advisors is not affiliated with this website.

Recently, Inc.com released an article in regard to Papa Johns receiving negative press on a racial slur that was said during a public conference call. Steve Ritchie, Papa Johns new CEO, came up with a way to help mend the situation of a racial slur being broadcasted at a conference call that was made public. Steve Ritchie sent multiple letters to customers apologizing for the recent events and explained that these events; especially the racial slur, would not be tolerated by the company. Acknowledging that an apology may not turn people around, Steve Ritchie went on to describe what was being done to better the company as a whole. One of these actions involves bringing experts that don’t have an affiliation with Papa John’s to audit the company on their culture, diversity, and inclusion practices. There will also be senior management listening to employees directly and using that feedback to improve the company. Lastly, Steve Ritchie made a promise that transparency is key and that they want to be held accountable for what has transpired.

This letter that Steve Ritchie sent out to customers shows more compassion and is quite a bit clearer than the statement that was placed on the Papa Johns website. Leading the consumer to assume that Ritchie realized this error and tried to rectify the issue in a slightly more personal matter in the form of letters. The article goes on to explain that the vulnerability on wanting to be held accountable and the empathy helped show sincere regret and that while Ritchie was empathetic about the situation, made sure to state that his own views do not agree with the racial slur and that he would personally lead the effort to address the issues on diversity and inclusion that have come forth.

So, while the first letter on the website didn’t hold much in terms of sincerity or empathy, the second letter helps to overlook the slight due to the quick adjustments made and the effort itself dis hold an air of sincerity.

Related site: https://www.bloomberg.com/

The U.S. Money Reserve started out by helping their clients enjoy different opportunities. They also felt there were things their clients could do that other clients were unable to do because of the issues that came from the industry.

They felt comfortable offering different solutions other companies were unable to offer because they had the industry connections that allowed them to succeed on their own. It made sense for the company to keep giving people these options and keep making things easier for them. By the way they gave assistance to all their clients, they knew what they were doing. Read more: U.S. Money Reserve Wins Two ‘Best of Category’ Awards at 2018 AdSphere™ Awards and US Money Reserve | Facebook

It made sense no matter how hard they had to work or what they had to do to continue showing their clients things would get better. When their clients were able to invest money the right way, the U.S. Money Reserve made sure they were offering all these options to them.

They weren’t afraid to keep giving back even though it took some time from the way they did business. It also made things easier when they were working on new solutions. Between the hard work they put into their business and the things that came from it, the U.S. Money Reserve felt good about what they could give others. Learn more about US Money Reserve: https://www.ispot.tv/brands/Iyt/us-money-reserve and https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/cotm/detail/545/US_Money_Reserve

The time they spent coming up with new ideas for the company was not wasted. They felt they had to do things the right way to get more out of their own situations and that’s how they always ran the business.

The U.S. Money Reserve felt confident giving back and made it easier for people to try things that would help them while they were looking at all these opportunities. By the time the company started seeing major success, people could try new things with it.

Even though there were times when the company struggled, the U.S. Reserve knew what they had to do. They weren’t afraid to give people other options and show them how things would work in their favor. They also felt they had the ability to make the most out of the situations they were in.

For the U.S. Money Reserve, things would keep changing while they came up with new opportunities. It made sense for them when they were working toward a goal to keep giving other people the right options for learning about how to do things on their own. They believed they could do all this successfully.

Connect with US Money Reserve on LinkedIn

Upwork is a freelance marketing platform. It was founded in 2015 and is based on the west coast of the United States. The CEO of the company is Stephane Kasriel. This e-commerce based company serves as a middle man that connects freelance workers with those who are looking to get work done. Upwork currently has over 11 million registered freelance workers and 5 million registered clients. They post millions of jobs every year and as a result, they generate over 1 billion dollars through their services. Upwork was formerly called Elance-oDesk. The company had a similar business model and was initially formed in 1989.

There are numerous ways to earn money on Upwork. As a freelance, you may sign up and provide almost any service that you have a skill for. Nerdwallet released an article on how to earn consistent money using the business platform. Their first piece of advice was to complete a full and honest profile. By doing so, you are allowing prospective clients to know what your specialities are. Most people want to know that they are getting their work completed by a verified freelancer. Another form of advice they gave is to submit proposals and contact people directly. The article states that waiting for clients to reach out to you isn’t the best method for Upwork freelancers. Setting your price is another key component. This will give potential clients the confidence that you believe in your work.

The Upwork blog did a post that touched on successful to-do list completion. The most important, and first tip was to write everything down. The blog post goes on to state that trying to remember everything simply doesn’t work. People may mentally cycle through what they should be doing; but often never get to the completion stage.

Another tip they gave was to keep all your tasks organized and in one location if possible. Doing this will assist in being punctual and not forgetting things you wrote down in other places. The last piece of advice was to prioritize. Knowing what tasks are more important will help you get certain jobs done with more enthusiasm.

In order to be productive, you must stay organized and think ahead. Preparation is the key.


Duterte keeping self warm, monitoring Metro Manila flooding over weekend – Roque

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President Rodrigo Duterte was keeping himself warm while monitoring the situation when many Filipinos were asking where he was during the height of monsoon rains that resulted to massive flooding in most parts of Luzon over the weekend, Malacanang said Tuesday.

Last Saturday, August 11, when monsoon rains started lashing Metro Manila and other regions in Luzon, the 73-year old President was in Davao City. He went back to Manila on the following day, Palace officials said.

“Like everyone, keeping warm, monitoring the situation. The President is a news junkie like everyone in this room. So he was very concerned. He talks about resilience. He talked about readiness of government agencies to provide assistance. He was in contact with individuals to make sure that delivery of assistance would be facilitated,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a press briefing when asked where the President was during the height of the heavy downpour over the weekend.

Some social media users were asking during the weekend where Duterte was while many parts of Metro Manila and other provinces in Luzon experienced flooding. A hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo trended on Twitter.

Duterte was supposed to conduct an aerial inspection in Metro Manila and nearby provinces Monday, August 13.

But according to Roque this was canceled due to bad weather.

He said if the President would visit the families displaced by flooding, he might not want it to be made public.

“I do not know actually if he wants that made public, because I know that when the President goes around and assist individuals, he really does not want media coverage,” Roque said.

According to the latest data of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), over 154,000 families or about 691,000 individuals were affected by the weather disturbances in Luzon, including the National Capital Region.

Of the affected residents, over 173,000 are being served inside and outside the evacuation centers.


Column, Politics, Turkey

The Weakness of the Turkish Opposition

There are three interrelated weaknesses of the Turkish opposition: the lack of ideological inclusiveness, the lack of leadership, and the lack of shared values.

As Turkey gets closer to the presidential election date – June 24 – the main historical dilemma of Turkish politics reemerges for the opposition politicians. The dilemma arises from three interrelated weaknesses of the Turkish opposition: the lack of ideological inclusiveness, the lack of leadership and the lack of shared values. The debates about who will be running as an opposition candidate against President Erdogan remains complicated. The strategy that the opposition blocks have embraced for the snap election is an important indicator of the weakness of the anti-Erdogan camp, which is composed of the secularist People’s Republican Party (CHP), the nationalist Good Party (IP, also known as Iyi Party), the Islamist Felicity Party (SP), and the Kurdish nationalist Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

The opposition strategy is based on three important dynamics, and each one of them, ironically, displays the weakness of the anti-Erdogan camp. The opposition bloc led by Kemal Kilicdaroglu who is the leader of CHP, first and foremost, noticed that the strategy based on only party politics cannot provide a strong leverage to defeat President Erdogan in the upcoming presidential election. Since the first democratic election held in 1950, the percentage of transitivity between different ideological parties has always been quite low in Turkey. On the other hand, the nature of transitivity between the parties located on similar ideological lines is relatively different, and the percentage compared to the first case is higher. Therefore, as the representative party of secular-nationalism in Turkey, the CHP cannot possibly gain any ideological and political ground in elections. For this presidential election, according to the new constitutional amendment, the presidential nominees should pass a 50 percent threshold to win. Thus, the best strategy for the anti-Erdogan camp is to find a presidential candidate who will be able to represent all sects of society.

Abdullah Gul, who was the last president of the parliamentary system before Erdogan, became one of the strongest alternatives for the anti-Erdogan block. However, at the same time, the ideological diversity among the opposition block became the main weakness of the anti-Erdogan camp and prevented them from supporting Gul as a nominee against Erdogan. While the CHP represents anti-Erdogan politics, which constructed itself around the assertive secularist discourse, the IP represents the nationalist right-wing, despite the fact that the party has a good percentage of Kemalist-secular representatives. The ideological position of the SP within Turkish politics can be located within the tradition of political Islam.

The pro-PKK Kurdish HDP in this picture illustrates a totally different ideological performance. To express the matter bluntly, the hybrid political and ideological nature of the anti-Erdogan block could not support Gul as a common candidate. The ideological diversity cannot be the only reason in analyzing the failure of the opposition block. The judgment of Gul among the opposition groups constitutes another determinant factor behind this failure. A potential candidate of CHP, Muharrem Ince, who also run as a candidate for leadership against Kemal Kilicdaroglu in CHP’s party congress, frames Gul as “an accomplice and brother of Erdogan.”

The weakness of the anti-Erdogan camp is not limited with the ideological divergence among the opposition block. The lack of leadership is another factor that shapes this vulnerability. From a historical perspective, the leadership has been an important factor in winning elections, sustaining power and transforming Turkish politics. Erdogan, as one of the strongest politicians and an influential actor, has been winning elections (12 times), maintaining power, and transforming Turkish politics since the AK Party came to power in 2002. The opposition bloc, on the other hand, never brought this kind of leadership into the political arena. The first attempt was in the 2014 presidential election, but it failed. This time, Abdullah Gul was constructed as the leader of the anti-Erdogan camp without the consideration that he could never win any single election as a leader of any political party in Turkey. More importantly, Abdullah Gul, as a political person has constructed his political personality along with Erdogan in Turkey. Other potential candidates on behalf of the anti-Erdogan camp do not also display strong leadership.

In addition to the leadership dilemma, the representation of societal values is another problem for the anti-Erdogan block. This, for sure, is a consequence of the historical and ideological trajectories of Turkish politics. The success of the AK Party is the ability to mobilize the basic values of Turkish society within daily politics. In this regard, AK Party and President Erdogan himself cannot be confronted by a hybrid nature of political discourses constructed by the anti-Erdogan block. For this anti-Erdogan block, there is no coherent political strategy regarding the question of how Turkey deals with current challenges emanating from domestic and regional issues, but an inadequate plan to defeat Erdogan in the upcoming election. At this stage, anti-Erdoganism is far from responding to the challenges of Turkey and has many weaknesses as an opposition strategy.


Photo Credit: Elisabeth Caren.

Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest, playwright, TV writer and author, Daria Polatin. Daria is currently a writer-producer for Amazon’s upcoming TV series Jack Ryan, starring John Krasinski, and has written for Hulu’s psychic drama Shut Eye.

As a playwright Daria’s work includes Palmyra, about a young woman who joins ISIS, In Tandem, Guidance, That First Fall, D.C. A Fair Affair and The Luxor Express, inspired by her father’s life growing up in Egypt.

Her work has been produced at The Kennedy Center, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Naked Angels, Golden Thread, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Cape Cod Theater Project, Noor Theater, The Wilshire Ebell Theatre, in London and Hong Kong. Daria directed her play Laura & Sebastian (and Jordan & Bliss) in Los Angeles as part of Unscreened, and directed a new play written by and starring Game of Thrones Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, also starring Gwendoline Christie.

Daria wrote and directed the short film Till It Gets Weird.

She has recently authored a novel, Devil in Ohio that will be published in November 2017 by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of MacMillan.

Norm: Good day Daria and thanks for participating in our interview.

Daria: Hi Norm, thanks for inviting me!

Daria: I’ve been writing stories since I was three years old. I would write and illustrate my own books, and also compose musicals on the piano. Then I started writing plays in high school because I loved theater. I studied playwriting in college at Boston University, and in graduate school at Columbia University, then started writing for TV when I moved to Los Angeles a few years ago. I was drawn to writing a novel when I heard the true story of a young woman who escaped from a satanic cult and moved in with her psychiatrist’s family, and thought a book was an exciting format to tell that story. What keeps me going is wanting to keep telling stories, and explore the fascinating and endless complexities of human behavior.

Norm: What do you consider to be your greatest success (or successes) so far in your career and what has been your greatest challenge (professionally) that you’ve overcome in getting to where you’re at today?

Daria: I think my greatest success is that I get to tell stories for a living. By biggest challenge was that it took many years to get here. I worked all kinds of side jobs over the years I was building my writing career. Sometimes it seemed nearly impossible to get where I wanted to go, but I kept pushing myself forward, and I’m really grateful to be where I am now.

Norm: In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of the writing process as a playwright, TV script writer and as an author?

Daria: In all arenas, it often feels like the rewrite process is endless. There are so many rounds of notes to go through, and revisions to make, no matter what the format. It takes so much writing and rewriting to develop a piece, but in the end the story is always better for having been honed through a rigorous process.

Norm: What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had received, or that you wished you would have listened to?

Daria: Building a writing career takes a lot of patience. People told me that, but I didn’t really have an understanding of it early on. I was impatient, and would get upset by setbacks. But over time I learned that being a professional writer is a marathon, rather than a sprint.

Norm: How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?

Daria: Oh gosh, I experienced rejection tons of times, and still do. It’s just something you have to get used to. I’ve developed a thicker skin about it. But I’ve also learned that not everything is the right fit, and not everyone is going to like everything I do. As an artist you have to learn how to hear different points of view, but also believe in your work and not let it get to you. If you are entitled to your opinion, so is everyone else.

Norm: How did you become involved with the subject or theme of Devil In Ohio and what were your goals and intentions in this book? How well do you feel you achieved them?

Daria: I had written a TV pilot about a cult, so was interested in what happens within isolated communities. Then I heard the true story of a teenage girl who escaped from a satanic cult and moved in with her psychiatrist’s family. This became the inspiration for the story of Mae and the Mathis family. For my way in, I explored the story from Jules’s perspective. For me that point of view was more relatable, and I wanted to dig into Jules’s complicated feelings—the good the bad and the ugly— and how she struggles to deal with Mae’s arrival in her life. I also found it interesting to explore what happens from Suzanne’s point of view, because she deeply relates to Mae’s past and because of that, gets pulled into her own journey. I think I achieved those goals.

Norm: Could you tell us a little about the book?

Daria: When fifteen-year-old Jules Mathis comes home from school to discover a strange girl sitting in her kitchen, her psychiatrist mother reveals that Mae is one of her patients at the hospital and will be staying with their family for a few days. But soon Mae is wearing Jules’s clothes, sleeping in her bedroom, edging her out of her position on the school paper, and flirting with Jules’s crush. And Mae has no intention of leaving. Then things get weird…

Jules walks in on a half-dressed Mae, startled to see: a pentagram carved into Mae’s back. Jules pieces together clues and discovers that Mae is a survivor of the strange cult that’s embedded in a nearby town. And the cult will stop at nothing to get Mae back… Based on a true story, Devil in Ohio tells the tale of a young woman desperately trying to make a new life for herself—even if it means ruining someone else’s. As the cat-and-mouse thriller unfolds, Jules and Mae’s lives weave tangled webs of friendship, broken trust and crossed boundaries. But ultimately they must learn to work together—if they want to escape the wrath of the cult alive.

Norm: What do you think most characterizes your writing as an author, TV writer and as a playwright?

Daria: I like to tell stories about people overcoming adversity. I don’t like to shy away from experiences that are difficult or dark. Through telling stories of challenging experiences, I examine what gives someone the strength to come through the other side. Is it the support of another person? Deep, inner strength? The blind drive to do anything to get to something better? Devil in Ohio is a story about women who are going through challenging experiences, and working through them to make their lives better. And in the end, they end up working together in order to do that. We journey with them through the process of overcoming their pasts to create the futures they want. I also study a lot of psychology, and always try to bring that level of depth and complexity to my characters and stories, no matter what the medium.

Norm: How did you find the process of writing a novel different from that of a play or TV script?

Daria: There’s so much more description in a novel. I was very familiar with writing dialogue in plays and TV, but it was a new opportunity for me to write prose, which I really enjoyed. I also chose to write the Jules chapters in first person, which is similar to an interior monologue, where we get a direct link to the character’s inner thoughts— including the shameful, angry or envious feelings she might not share outwardly.

Norm: As a follow up, do you write more by logic or intuition, or some combination of the two?

Daria: Both. My intuition of what the characters are thinking and feeling leads to how they behave, and then my logic brain takes that and frames the plot.

Norm: How has your environment and upbringing influenced your writing. I notice that you father, who grew up in Egypt, had some influence on your writing. Just in passing, my wife likewise grew up in Egypt and I am curious to know what was his influence?

Daria: Oh neat! My father was born in Suez, and lived in Cairo. He moved to America later in his life. I grew up with a very international family—I had aunts, uncles and cousins in Egypt, the UK, and across Europe and Canada. I traveled a lot growing up, which I’m so grateful for. It gave me a deep appreciation for other cultures, and a worldly perspective, which encourages me to look at situations from all different angles.

Daria: Where is your wife from? Norm: My wife was born in Heliopolis.

Norm: What projects are you working on at the present?

Daria: I’m working on a new novel about the loss of a parent. My father died recently, and it was a deeply profound experience. I’m exploring the story of a young woman who loses her mother, and ends up escaping to Japan and landing herself in an emotional mystery-thriller-adventure. It’s a down-the-rabbit-hole Alice in Wonderland experience of loss and transformation. I’m also writing and producing the upcoming Amazon TV series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and doing rewrites on my new play, Palmyra, about a young woman who joins ISIS, which will be presented in New York City this winter.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and Devil In Ohio?

Norm: As this interview comes to an end, what question do you wish that someone would ask about your book, plays, and TV scripts but nobody has?

Daria: How do you make yourself write even when you don’t feel like it? I tell myself, “I’m going to write the bad version.” That frees me up to begin writing, and let my thoughts start flowing on the page. Then I have a draft to work with, even if it’s not Pulitzer-worthy, and can revise it later. It’s easier to work with anything over a blank page. And writing is a muscle, so the more I do it, the easier it gets.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavours.

Daria: Thank you!


Definition Of Mathematics In English

Definition Of Mathematics In English

One consequence of the Islamic prohibition on depicting the human kind was the in depth use of advanced geometric patterns to brighten their buildings, elevating mathematics to the type of an art. Al-Karaji was the primary to make use of the method of proof by mathematical induction to prove his outcomes, by proving that the first statement in an infinite sequence of statements is true, after which proving that, if any one statement in the sequence is true, then so is the subsequent one.

Evidence for more complicated mathematics does not seem until around 3000 BC , when the Babylonians and Egyptians began utilizing arithmetic , algebra and geometry for taxation and other financial calculations, for building and building, and for astronomy 20 The earliest uses of mathematics have been in trading , land measurement , portray and weaving patterns and the recording of time.

The individuals who fill these positions will probably be tasked with updating existing programs in these areas and implementing innovative instructing practices in quite a lot of formats, together with coordinated massive lecture, flipped lecture rooms, and on-line instruction.MathematicMathematic

There are three undergraduate programs that result in the diploma Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics: a General Mathematics Option, an Utilized Mathematics Option for individuals who want to specialise in that aspect of mathematics, and a Theoretical Mathematics Option for those who anticipate to pursue graduate work in pure mathematics.

Not every mathematician possesses in a specifically high degree that important faculty which finds its employment in the perfection of form, in conformity with the ideal of logical completeness; however each nice mathematician possesses the rarer college of constructive imagination.Mathematic


Historic Cases

People vs. Levisen

Currently there are two kinds of schools in Illinois. The first kind, the one the vast majority of children experience, is the publicly run and funded schools the state and local government can tinker with as they see fit. The second kind of school is the private or non-public school. The Illinois State School Code (Ch. 122, Schools) contains one section that impinges on private or non-public schools. This is the section of the School Code 26-1, Exception 1 that states:

    Compulsory school age -- Exemptions
    Whoever has custody or control of any child between the ages of 7 and 16 years shall cause such child to attend some public school in the district wherein the child resides the entire time it is in session during the regular school term, except as provided in Section 10-19.1; Provided that the following children shall not be required to attend the public schools:

As it stands now, Illinois home schools are private schools as long as they comply with 26.1. This was established by the Illinois Supreme Court case People vs. Levisen. In People vs. Levisen, (1950), The Supreme Court of Illinois reversed the conviction of homeschool parents. The appellants were Seventh Day Adventists and, according to Justice Crampton who delivered the opinion of the Court, "believed that the child should not be educated in competition with other children because it would produce a pugnacious character, that the necessary atmosphere of faith in the Bible cannot be obtained in the public school, and that for the first eight or ten years of life, in the field or garden is the best schoolroom, the mother the best teacher, and nature the best lesson book."

The Supreme Court did not agree that the homeschool parents had violated the compulsory attendance law. The Court clarified the purpose of compulsory education laws as follows:

    Compulsory education laws are enacted to enforce the natural obligation of parents to provide an education for their young, an obligation which corresponds to the parents' right of control over the child, and the object of Section 26-1 of the School Code, requiring children to attend school, is that all children shall be educated, not that they shall be educated in any particular manner or place.

These findings indicate that the parents' right to control their children includes the right to provide an education for them at home. In Levisen, the child's school was in the home and there was only one student. However, the Court ruled that this had no bearing on the legality of the home school situation. Further, according to Levisen, in Illinois, a home school can legally be considered a private school: ... the law is not made to punish those who provide their children with instruction equal or superior to that obtainable in the public schools. It is made for the parent who fails or refuses to properly educate his child (Levisen, at 215).

Since the Levisen ruling, no state agency has questioned the right of parents to establish a home school. As such, home schools must not be made accountable to any regulation, law, guideline or enforcement separate or different that that applied to other private schools.

Scoma v. Chicago Board of Education

391 F. Supp. 452 (N.D. Ill. 1974)
Link to court case

You will hear of this case in some conversations of homeschooling law in Illinois. As such, here is a brief description:

The Scoma family, after being contacted repeatedly by their school district after the transfer of their children to their private (home) school, filed a complaint that said they felt "the Illinois Compulsory Attendance Act, Ill.Rev.Stat. ch. 122, § § 26-1 to 26-11, is unconstitutional" in regards to them. In effect, they were challenging the compulsory attendance law that had been granted homeschools in People v. Levisen, 404 Ill. 574, 578, 90 N.E.2d 213, 215 (1950).

The court agreed with People v. Levisen, reaffirmed the homechoolers must comply with the compulsory attendance law as stated in article 26.1 of IL educational law, and emphasized that the burden of proof rests with the parents to "establish that the plan of home instruction which they are providing to their children meets the state requirements." In fact, they found Levisen to be 'reasonable and constitutional.'

The court did not add or take away any requirements. They simply reaffirmed what we already had.

Some regional superintendents have interpreted this case to mean, however, that they have the right to investigate if a family is under compliance with or without cause. While only the courts can interpret law, we do not feel this is a correct interpretation.

Please visit What To Do if a Truant Officer Comes to Your Door for more information.


Salonicco – Olympic Complex

The main structural systems of the complex are:

- The roofing system of the main Sport Hall

- The roofing system of the Training Hall

- The mobile flooring

The main structure is formed by a system of steel cables, which divide the construction in two symmetrical parts, giving a uniform and dynamic style to the whole building. The two sub-structures are formed by large concrete anchorage blocks and a group of reticular cable beams. The transversal beams are supported externally by cement structures, while on the inside they hang from the central tension structure by a special pendulum. The structural system of the roof is formed by a longitudinal pre-tensioned cable frame system; a system of pre-tensioned beams and a system of longitudinal system of sheet roofing.

The roofing system of the Training Hall is formed by a double layer steel structure supported by a cable system.

The flooring, made mobile by hydraulic jacks, can assume a double vertical displacement, to meet the different needs of the public of the various disciplines.

 Pdf Document


The following image was made by this program.

divide large by small

Divide Fractions and Simplify is similar to the previous program DIVIDE FRACTIONS except that the divisor may be larger than the dividend and the quotient may be a mixed number.

You can see from the image that 2 2/9 of the divisor will fit into the dividend. Notice in the quotient that two (2) complete divisors and 2/9 of a divisor will fit into the dividend.The image changes in shades of blue when a complete divisor fits in.

Divide small by large

The above  image was made from Divide Fractions With Circles Designer:

The divisor is larger than the dividend in the above image so only part of the divisor will fit into the dividend. The quotient shows that 5/14 of the divisor fits into the dividend.

To calculate the quotient first write the dividend and the divisor in fraction form as shown in the example above. Then multiply 5/4 by the reciprocal of the divisor. The reciprocal of the divisor is found by  replacing the numerator with the denominator and replacing the denominator with the numerator. In short to divide by 7/2, multiply by the reciprocal 2/7.

Another important idea: When the divisor is smaller than the dividend, the quotient is larger than 1. When the divisor is equal to the dividend, the quotient is equal to 1. When divisor is larger than the dividend, the quotient is smaller than 1.

See the program RENAME IN LOWEST TERMS for information on writing fractions in lowest terms.

See MULTIPLY FRACTIONS  for instructions on how to multiply fractions.

See MULTIPLICATIVE INVERSE for more information on how to find the inverse or reciprocal.

The quotient must be written in simplest form as a mixed number and in lowest terms, if necessary.


There are numerous elements that needs to be considered, for example, if you’re considering taking a visit to the Caribbean, then realizing when hurricane season strikes is an especially necessary element. Nicely, let’s focus on these areas where these software program for travel brokers actually helps firms. The original order barred travelers from the seven nations from coming into for ninety days and all refugees for 120 days.

Within the recent years we’ve got seen an enormous increase within the travel and tourism industry. One advantage of traveling is that we are able to choose the sort of trip we want to have. A traveling bag such as the Samsonite Model is a a lot wanted and guess what you must put in your mind that the vertical travel bags a locking deal with system is supplied because it will be important as it prevents the deal with from injury in case you decide to verify it. Assess the wheels if your bag.

Travel trailers are more frequent source of traveling in nations like North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand and less standard in different elements of the world. Ideally, the company is not going to solely prepare airfare and hotel accommodations, but in addition maintain little particulars equivalent to reserving a rental car, securing tickets to local amusement parks and other factors of curiosity.


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Atheism and secularism

by Carl Walrond

In the early 21st century, two out of five New Zealanders described themselves as having no religion, and many churches had been sold and converted to other uses. Atheism and secularism have a long history in New Zealand, with freethinkers, rationalists and humanists all forming their own organisations.

A Christian legacy

A Christian history

In the early 21st century in New Zealand, church attendance numbers were low. Many churches had been sold, congregations amalgamated, and church buildings converted into cafés, bars, theatres and homes. Yet for most of the country’s history of European settlement, most people were religious – and that religion was almost exclusively Christianity.

While fewer than 20% of New Zealanders identified themselves as regular churchgoers in the 1881 census, fewer than 1% said that they had no religion. There has never been an official or state religion, and the church and state have always been separate, but churches have been politically and socially influential on issues such as temperance, censorship, gambling and religious education.

In the mid- to late 1800s churches set up many schools and looked after the poor and destitute. Those without belief (or with other beliefs) lived in a country where their lifestyle was influenced by Christianity. Prayers were said in many public meetings, and God was invoked in speeches. Sundays were for rest, not recreation. In some places children’s swings were padlocked on Sundays. During the First World War some religious conscientious objectors could be granted exemption from fighting, but non-believers could not. Christianity and its values influenced the world view of most New Zealanders until the 1960s.

Questioning religion

In 18th-century Europe, Enlightenment thinkers challenged the dogma and superstition of established Christianity and questioned religious orthodoxies. This set the scene for enthusiasm about science and rational thought in the 19th century. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, On the origin of species by means of natural selection, published in 1859, added to debate regarding God’s existence and the literal truth of Bible stories. However, Darwin’s theory did not cause much uproar in New Zealand. Many people accepted science as valid and still held religious beliefs. Debates about the relationship between science, reason and religion continued in the 21st century.

Secular means not religious, sacred, spiritual or superstitious. Since the 19th century many people have questioned religious belief systems. They include atheists, agnostics, rationalists and humanists.

Atheists believe that God does not exist, while agnostics believe that nothing can be known about the existence of God. Rationalists base their world view on reason and knowledge rather than faith or spirituality. Similarly, humanists focus on human rather than divine or supernatural matters.

Organised secular groups

Small groups of non-believers disagreed with religious values (and laws) being imposed on those who had no belief. Some organised themselves into groups.

The freethinkers

‘Freethinker’ was a common 19th-century term for people who based their opinions on science, logic and reason. The first freethought organisation, the Auckland Secular Society, appeared in 1854 but lasted just two years. Atheist Charles Southwell established an anti-Māori, anti-missionary and pro-settler newspaper in Auckland in 1856, alarming the government. The Auckland Secular Society re-emerged in 1866 as the Auckland Secular Association, but that too faded away. By 1884 there was an Auckland Rationalist Association, and a Freethought Conference was held in Dunedin that year. Freethinkers were not fringe radicals but included influential men such as Robert Stout (premier from 1884 to 1887) and John Ballance (premier from 1891 to 1893). In Christchurch William Collins, MP and president of the local freethought association, published a monthly journal, the Examiner, from 1907 to 1917.

The rationalists

In 1923 a Rationalist Association formed in Auckland in preparation for the visit of outspoken English author and rationalist Joseph McCabe. It had about 150 members, but only lasted a year. Rationalists attacked religion where it impinged on the lives of people without belief. Many rationalists had rejected religious upbringings.

Plumb hears McCabe

Plumb, the central character of Maurice Gee’s novel Plumb (1978), hears rationalist Joseph McCabe (a real historical figure) speak: ‘I knew all about McCabe: his Catholic upbringing, his twelve years in a Franciscan monastery – Father Anthony – his struggle to shake superstition off: and then the books, the pamphlets, the lectures, the life lived with a purpose; the crusade, if you like, against the forces of religious obscurantism.’ 1

The association, which re-formed in 1927, published a list of objectives which included promoting a system of education based on science and getting rid of all laws that interfered with the free use of Sunday. By the end of 1929 hundreds, and sometimes thousands, attended its weekly Sunday meetings (the major attraction was that a film was shown at the end of the lecture). From 1927 the association produced the journal The Truth Seeker – still published by the New Zealand Rationalist Society in the early 21st century as The Open Society.

From their inception the rationalists strove to be non-partisan. However, many were politically left-leaning, and rationalism was closely associated with socialism. Michael Joseph Savage, a socialist and later prime minister, was a rationalist during the 1920s. From the 1940s the organisation was troubled by internal politics and declining membership, but a high point came in 1960 when it purchased a property in Symonds Street, Auckland, naming it Rationalist House. A major issue for the rationalists in the 21st century was that a movement attacking religion seemed less relevant in a period when fewer people went to church.

The humanists

In the late 1950s younger rationalists were interested in issues such as nuclear proliferation, racial and sexual equality, peace and social justice. They termed themselves humanists and broke away from the older rationalists, who were still focused on attacking religion. In 1967 the humanists formed their own organisation, the Humanist Society of New Zealand. They focused on developing a world with better human rights, gender equality and social justice.

Watch out, zealot

Some rationalists and freethinkers of the 19th century were devout believers in evolution. John Macmillan Brown warned fellow freethinker John Ballance that he was in danger of turning his anti-religion into a religion.

The New Zealand Skeptics

The New Zealand Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal formed in April 1986. They became the NZ Skeptics in 2007. They focused on exposing the lack of objective scientific evidence to support claims for things such as psychic abilities, alternative health practices and creationism. They had no official position on religion – in their view belief did not require proof and could not be investigated scientifically.

    • Maurice Gee, Plumb. London: Faber & Faber, 1978, p. 102. Back

Who is secular?

Who, and how many, have no belief?

In New Zealand’s 1956 census only 0.5% of the population stated that they had no religion. This figure has grown steadily since then, and in the 2013 census 42% of the population (1,635,345 people) said they had no religion. The growth rate of those with no religion was around 50,000 per year, with highest rates in younger people. Fewer men than women were religious.

In 2013, 47% of people who identified themselves as Europeans or New Zealanders said they had no religion – as did 46% of Māori and 30% of Asians. Only 18% of Pacific peoples, and 17% of people in the Middle Eastern, Latin American and African ethnic groups, said they had no religion.

Faithful Jedi

1985 values survey

2008 International Social Survey on religion

In 2008 Massey University conducted a study of belief in New Zealand as part of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). They found that just over a third of respondents described themselves as religious – about 50% said they believed in God (but half of these also expressed doubts), 19% believed in some higher power and around one-third did not believe or did not know. Most New Zealanders were not superstitious, although 39% believed that fortune tellers could foresee the future.

The number of non-believers

In the early 21st century the number of non-religious people world-wide was estimated to be between 500 and 750 million. The nations with the highest numbers of non-believers were in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, New Zealand and Australia, followed by Europe and North America.

An increasingly secular country

New Zealand is no longer ‘God’s own country’ – a phrase popularised in the late 1800s by Premier Richard Seddon. (In the 20th century this was often spelt ‘Godzone’). Unlike leaders in the United States, contemporary New Zealand politicians rarely mention God, and to do so might not be advantageous. John Key, the prime minister in 2009, said that he did not believe in life after death yet he occasionally attended church. From 1999 to 2008 the agnostic Helen Clark was prime minister. Politicians can suffer, rather than gain, from religious association. During the lead-up to the 2005 general election, support for the National Party waned after leader Don Brash met secretly with the Exclusive Brethren.

Realists, hedonists, fatalists, Tūhoe …

In the 1971 census a ‘supplementary list of minor religious professions with 5 or more adherents’ was published. These responses fell outside the standard definitions. Of these the ones that appeared to be secular were: communist (9 adherents), community (10), cosmopolitan (5), eclectic (8), esoteric (11), evolutionist (18), fatalist (5), Golden Rule (5), hedonist (17), life (7), naturalist (12), pacifist (8), philosopher (12), realist (14), scientific humanist (5), secular (6) and Tūhoe (15). In addition there were 385 facetious responses.

Art and popular culture

New Zealand’s secularism can also be seen in the authorities’ lack of interest in prosecuting sacreligious art or religious satire. In 1998 MP John Banks attempted – unsuccessfully – to prosecute Te Papa after it exhibited an artwork featuring a statuette of the Virgin Mary in a condom. In 2007 Catholic bishops appealed against the Broadcasting Standards Authority’s decision to allow screening of an episode of the American cartoon show South Park, in which a Virgin Mary statue sprayed menstrual blood on a cardinal, the Pope and a character named Randy. The authority found there was no breach of standards simply because the programme was offensive to Catholic religious values, and upholding the complaint would have been contrary to the ‘freedom of expression’ enshrined in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. The High Court agreed.

Religion and public life

While there is no official or state religion, New Zealand’s Christian history ensures that some traditions and conventions remain, especially in public life. A prayer is said before the opening of each day's sitting of Parliament. The national anthem invokes God to defend the country. Of the two-and-a-half days that most shops are forced to close during the year, two (Good Friday and Christmas Day) are Christian holy days; the other is the war-remembrance holiday Anzac Day (when shops must be closed till 1 p.m.).

In a predominantly secular society, which includes more non-believers and more diverse religious beliefs, aspects of public life that reflect New Zealand’s Christian heritage are increasingly likely to be challenged.

External links and sources

More suggestions and sources

More links and websites

How to cite this page: Carl Walrond, 'Atheism and secularism', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, (accessed 20 September 2018)


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Chicken Korma For Kids

Chicken Korma For Kids
2 Adults, 2 kids portions Easy
Total: Active:
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Ingredients (1)

  • * 2 carrots medium * 1 onion large * 1 corguette small * 1 celery stick * 2 garlic cloves * 3 Â½ oz sweetcorn * 2 korma spice mix , Can Use Any variation including paste * 2 ground almonds * 1 tsp thyme , fresh or dried * 2 soft herbs , coriander works best * 5 fl oz water * 17 fl oz coconut milk or cream * 1 tsp honey * 4 chicken breast large

This is a homemade chicken korma style dish. It’s not an authentic Chicken Korma curry per se.

I wanted it to be an introduction to flavour for my kids. As it happens it was a complete 100% success. Both kids ate all with some rice, result! I always find milder dishes like Chicken Korma are a great starting point when trying to expand my kids palette If you feel it’s not complex enough by all means add more spices and flavours. The next time I make this I will be adding fresh ginger and maybe some fenugreek (Maithray) into the mix.

  1. 11. Dice your vegetables (carrot, onion, celery, corguette) to around 1cm square and mince or grate your garlic.

There is also nothing wrong with grating or blending in a blender if you prefer.
2. Dice your chicken to bite size pieces and set aside with your vegetables.
3. Grab a large pan like a wok and on a high heat with some oil begin to cook your vegetables and garlic. Turn down your heat to medium and cook for 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally until your veggies soften.
4. Next add your chicken and turn over with your spoon until thoroughly mixed through your pan.
5. Now, take your korma spice mix, ground almonds, thyme and add to the pan stirring rapidly. Immediately after add the cold water and stir in making a liquor.
6. Nearly done now! All that is left remaining with regards cooking is just to add your 500ml coconut milk. Once added, bring to the boil. Once you reach boiling point turn down the heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
7. Finally garnish with a teaspoon of honey, herbs and sweetcorn. You can if you wish season with salt and pepper.
NOTE: If, after tasting you feel the sauce is a little heavy try a little lemon juice. This will add lightness and ‘cut through’ the sauce.

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Postemergence herbicides in corn

The 2017 Illinois corn crop currently is at various stages of development. Applications of postemergence corn herbicides continue to be made across areas of Illinois, although the recent precipitation has delayed applications in some areas. Even though applications may be delayed, adequate soil moisture coupled with warm temperatures will certainly promote rapid growth of emerged weeds.

Properly timing the application of the postemergence herbicide is critical toward achieving the goal of removing weed interference from the corn crop before the weeds adversely impact (i.e., reduce) corn grain yield. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to accurately predict the specific day after planting or emergence when weed interference begins to reduce corn yield. This interval is influenced by many factors and can vary based upon the weed spectrum, the density of certain species, available soil moisture, etc. Weed scientists generally suggest an interval, based either on weed size (in inches) or days after crop/weed emergence, during which postemergence herbicides should be applied to avoid crop yield loss via weed interference. In corn, it is often recommended to remove weeds before they exceed 2 inches tall. The longer weeds are allowed to remain with the crop the greater the likelihood of crop yield loss.

As mentioned, corn plant height is commonly used on many herbicide labels but plant height may not always provide an accurate indication of the plant’s true physiological maturity. Determining plant height may seem relatively straightforward, but using different benchmarks for measurement can lead to different plant heights. Generally, corn plant height is determined by measuring from the soil surface to the arch of the uppermost leaf that is at least 50% emerged from the whorl. Be sure to measure several plants in a given field and average the numbers. Plant height is obviously influenced by many factors, including genetics and the growing environment. Adverse environmental conditions, such as cool air/soil temperatures, hail, etc., can greatly retard plant height and result in corn plants that are physiologically older than their height suggests.

Corn plants under stress conditions may be more prone to injury from postemergence herbicides. Stress can arise from a number of factors, including cool temperatures and wet soils. Be sure to consult the product label when selecting spray additives to include with postemergence herbicides. Many labels suggest changing from one type of additive to another type when the corn crop is under stressful growing conditions. Attempting to save a trip across the field by applying a postemergence corn herbicide with a liquid nitrogen fertilizer solution (such as 28% UAN) as the carrier is not advisable. While applying high rates of UAN by itself can cause corn injury, adding a postemergence herbicide can greatly increase corn injury.

Labels of several postemergence corn herbicides (most commonly ALS-inhibiting herbicides but also some HPPD-inhibiting herbicides) include restrictions with respect to applying the product to corn previously treated with certain soil insecticides. Be sure to consult the respective herbicide label for other restrictions and limitations.

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Why do Babies Cry

  • Date : 2013-02-19
  • FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
  • Synopsis : Crying is a principal means of communicating its negative emotions and in the majority of cases the only way babies have to express them.

Main Document

Spanish researchers have studied adults' accuracy in the recognition of the emotion causing babies to cry. Eye movement and the dynamic of the cry play a key role in recognition.

It is not easy to know why a newborn cries, especially amongst first-time parents. Although the main reasons are hunger, pain, anger and fear, adults cannot easily recognize which emotion is the cause of the tears.

"Crying is a baby's principal means of communicating its negative emotions and in the majority of cases the only way they have to express them," as explained to SINC by Mariano Choliz, researcher at the University of Valencia.

Choliz participates in a study along with experts from the University of Murcia and the National University of Distance Education (UNED) which describes the differences in the weeping pattern in a sample of 20 babies between 3 and 18 months caused by the three characteristic emotions: fear, anger and pain.

In addition, the team observed the accuracy of adults in recognizing the emotion that causes the babies to cry, analyzing the affective reaction of observers before the sobbing.

According to the results published recently in the 'Spanish Journal of Psychology', the main differences manifest in eye activity and the dynamics of the cry.

"When babies cry because of anger or fear, they keep their eyes open but keep them closed when crying in pain," states the researcher.

As for the dynamic of the cry, both the gestures and the intensity of the cry gradually increase if the baby is angry. On the contrary, the cry is as intense as can be in the case of pain and fear.

The adults do not properly identify which emotion is causing the cry, especially in the case of anger and fear.

Nonetheless, "although the observers cannot recognize the cause properly, when babies cry because they are in pain, this causes a more intense affective reaction than when they cry because of angry or fear," outlines Choliz.

For the experts, the fact that pain is the most easily recognizable emotion can have an adaptive explanation, since crying is a warning of a potentially serious threat to health or survival and thus requires the carer to respond urgently.

Anger, fear and pain:

Crying babyAbout This Image: Crying baby When a baby cries, facial muscle activity is characterized by lots of tension in the forehead, eyebrows or lips, opening of the mouth and raised cheeks. The researchers observed different patterns between the three negative emotions.

Reference: Mariano Choliz, Enrique G. Fernandez-Abascal y Francisco Martinez-Sanchez. "Infant Crying: Pattern of Weeping, Recognition of Emotion and Affective Reactions in Observers" . The Spanish Journal of Psychology 2012, Vol. 15, No. 3, 978-988 ISSN 1138-7416. dx.doi.org/10.5209/rev_SJOP.2012.v15.n3.39389

© 2004 - 2018 Disabled World™


Ireland is waking up to another chilly morning after a freezing cold night.

A Status Yellow weather warning for low temperatures is in place from 2am on Wednesday until 10am on Wednesday.

The mercury plunged around the country with temperatures of -4C recorded in Mullingar and -3.7C in Gurteen, Co. Sligo in the early hours of this morning.

Frost and any lingering mist and fog patches will clear this morning and it will be another dry day for most with sunny spells, Met Eireann said.

There is a chance of a light shower later this afternoon and top temperatures will reach 7C to 9C in a light to moderate south to southeast breeze.

But after dark, the cold will creep back and temperatures could drop to freezing point.

Met Eireann said: "Cloudy periods tonight will produce a few spots of light rain or drizzle, mainly in coastal counties of the east and south, with the risk extending elsewhere towards morning.

"Clear intervals will occur also, allowing frost to form".

The national forecaster added that "a gradual drift towards colder conditions will place as we head through the rest of this week".

Thursday is set to be a "cloudy day with a few patches of light rain, drizzle and mist.

"The cloud will break at times to allow a few bright or short sunny spells through".


Film Noir
Project info

Film Noir
Film Noir revisits the themes of the classic black-and-white films of the 1940s and 50s, but with the lush saturated colors for which I am known. The solitary figures contemplating the unknown reference the ethical and philosophical dilemmas laid bare in those stories. While the traditional Film Noir hero’s code of honor is clear, my images remain blurred and unresolved, hinting at the increased uncertainties of the contemporary viewpoint.

Film Noir is made using my unique process of collaging appropriated images, then re-photographing them out of focus with the lens set to infinity. The images are taken from a variety of sources: advertising; stock material; iconic street photographs and landscape painting. An astute observer might recognize a figure from Winogrand or Cartier Bresson, for example, or a background from a Hudson River School landscape.

As I subvert the photographic norm, shooting close up with a setting normally used for distance and detail, the edges within the collages disappear and the blurred photographs appear to be seamless, integrated images. This sleight of hand allows me to conjure a mysterious tromp l'oeil world that hovers between the real and the fantastic. The nature of visual perception intrigues me: how the eye continually tries to resolve these images, but is unable to do so, and how that is unsettling. I am drawn to the idea that we can believe something is real, while at the same time knowing it is illusory; that the experience of visual confusion, when the psyche is momentarily derailed, is what frees us to respond emotionally.

Bill Armstrong


It may not be the fastest, but train travel is arguably the most inspiring way to get from Point A to Point B. The imagery associated with the train is in itself capable of inciting magical thinking: a conductor standing alongside a monstrous exterior in a uniform that, no matter how contemporary, always seems emblematic of the past. Inside, windows stretch vastly and you, or someone just like you, sits and peers outside, in awe of a mountainous view she could not have imagined.

It’s the backdrop of countless works of literature, a source of inspiration for poets, and the iconic backdrop embellishing our most-loved films–if you’ve seen Before Sunrise starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, for example, you, like me, have probably spent the past 20 years preparing to fall in love with a stranger onboard. In other words, artistic representations of train travel have always led us to believe that our ticket aboard has the capacity to take us straight to our next life-altering moment.

But it’s not all about romantic love—the platonic bonds formed amongst passengers is a whole other story worth telling.

Whether it is the knowledge of a long journey ahead, the close proximity of strangers, or the gentle, comforting, and consistent sway, train travel incites even the most introverted to extend past their comfort zone. At least that is what Brittany Spencer and I found when we travelled out west with VIA Rail.

In June, Brittany and I boarded The Canadian in Vancouver with the goal of capturing great conversations amongst passengers for Challenge for Change. There, we met Linda Baca and Janice Harvey, two women journeying back east to Toronto. When we met them, Linda and Janice were enjoying a glass of wine each, swapping stories as they looked out the window in one of the train’s observation decks.

They had been travelling separately, one on her way to a wedding, the other heading home. After being seated in the dining car together on their first day aboard, two women who were perfect strangers just days prior were suddenly fast friends, waking each other up in the morning and spending breakfast, lunch, and dinner time together.

Facilitator Catherine listens to Linda and Janice aboard the train.

It was a familiar scenario for me and Brittany. Although we went to journalism school together, we had been set on different tracks early on, her pursuing documentary film while I took on feature writing. We hardly knew each other before we started working at Challenge for Change, but after months at a job that has taken us from coast-to-coast together with little space apart, it is safe to say we found friendship aboard the train like so many others.

Newfound friendships are almost synonymous with train travel, as passengers prepare for long journeys with people they have never met but are sure to grow fond of. You’re likely to strike up a conversation sometime in the hours or days-long commute. You may even share a reading nook with someone, or start jamming on the guitar to pass the time. You’ll likely be dining with a new group of people each day, sharing stories in between sightings of wildlife that, for a brief moment, will unexpectedly appear just outside your window.

Connections like this is what Challenge for Change is all about. Everyday, we miss opportunities to relate to one another, but aboard the train, nobody stays a stranger for long. It may be that the connection that we so desperately need is best found there. Afterall, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey, and you never know where a great conversation can take you.


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date: 20 September 2018

Summary and Keywords

As the global imperative for sustainable energy builds and with hydroelectricity proposed as one aspect of a sustainable energy profile, public discourse reflects the complex and competing discourses and social-ecological trade-offs surrounding hydropower and dams. Is hydropower “green”? Is it “sustainable”? Is it “renewable”? Does hydropower provide a necessary alternative to fossil fuel dependence? Can the ecological consequences of hydropower be mitigated? Is this the end of the hydropower era, or is it simply the beginning of a new chapter? These pressing questions circulate through discussions about hydropower in a time of changing climate, globally declining fisheries, and aging infrastructure, lending a sense of urgency to the many decisions to be made about the future of dams.

The United States and European Union (EU) saw an enduring trend of dam building from the Industrial Revolution through the mid-1970s. In these countries, contemporary media discussions about hydropower are largely focused on removing existing hydropower dams and retrofitting existing dams that offer hydropower potential. Outside of these contexts, increasing numbers of countries are debating the merits of building new large-scale hydropower dams that, in many developing countries, may have disproportionate impacts on indigenous communities that hold little political or economic power. As a result, news and social media attention to hydropower outside the United States/EU often focus on activist efforts to oppose hydropower and on its complex consequences for ecosystems and communities alike.

Despite hydropower’s wide range of ecological, economic, and social trade-offs, and the increasing urgency of global conversations about hydropower, relatively little work in communication studies explores news media, social media, or public debate in the context of hydropower and dam removal. In an effort to expand the scope of communication studies, after reviewing existing work the attention here shifts to research focused more broadly on human dimensions of hydropower. These dual bodies of work focus on small and large dams from Europe to the Americas to Asia and have applied a range of methods for analyzing media coverage of the hydropower debate. Those studies are reviewed here, with an emphasis on the key themes that emerge across studies—including trust, communication, local engagement, and a call to action for interdisciplinary approaches, intertwined with conflict, conflict resolution, and social and ecological resistance. The conclusion offers an original case brief that elucidates emerging themes from our ongoing research about hydropower and dam removal in the United States, and suggests future directions for research.

Keywords: communication, conflict, dams, frames, hydroelectric, hydropower, media, New England, rhetoric, trade-offs

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When the going gets tough, the tough get resilient!

Some days are just darker.

Everything you want to achieve still seems too far away, even though you’ve been trying for so long. You feel like you are punching brick walls, fighting unwinnable battles. You are drained of energy, your brain is mush and your heart is joyless.

This last couple of days have been like that for me. So, I retreated into myself  for a bit and ‘nested’.

If like us, you are pursuing and unconventional lifestyle, an alternative way to earn your money, different from mainstream expectations, you know you have additional challenges, like finding financial stability or constantly have to defend your choices when faced with other people’s ignorance and prejudice. So, when your efforts don’t amount to any results or you have to deal with negative people all the time, it does get to you, right?

So, what can you do? Do you quit? Do you give in to sadness?NOOOO!!!!!!!

Continue reading “When the going gets tough, the tough get resilient!”


19 all water soluble fertilizer(300 Ml)

Rs 275

19all - An all-purpose, 19-19-19 fertilizer will provide the nutrients all plants need for healthy growth. 19all contains completely water soluble nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium The three elements promote plant growth in three different ways. In simple terms, these are: N - Nitrogen: promotes the growth of leaves and vegetation, P - Phosphorus: promotes root and shoot growth, K –- potassium: regulation of water and nutrient movement in plant cells, purportedly promoting flowering and fruiting.

N- Nitrogen helps plants make the proteins they need to produce new tissues.

P - Phosphorous stimulates root growth, helps the plant set buds and flowers, improves vitality and increases seed size

K- Potassium improves overall vigor of the plant. It helps the plants make carbohydrates and provides disease resistance. It also helps regulate metabolic activities.

application - 2- 4 Gms per lit of water as per growth stage. Irrigate the plants with nutrient water can also be sprayed for quick action on the plant, to be sprayed in cool hours

150 Ml X 2 bottle = 300 Ml bottle consumer pack of 19all NPK fertilizers are water-soluble and can be taken up by the plant almost immediately

Dispatch: 1-2 Days.


3 Advantages Of Renting A Car In Chania

Chania is a breath-taking coastal city Crete, Greece. It is one of the most visited cities in Greece and considered the most beautiful area in Crete. To explore and experience this magnificent city, the best thing to do is rent a car from Flisvos. Here are some of the advantages in renting a car while in the island.

Utmost convenience

One of the advantages of renting a car while in Chania is its convenience. When you rent a car, it would seem like you have your own car while in the island so you tour around the city at any time you want without the need to hail for cabs or take public transport. You also do not have to worry about missing the bus or leave the bar earlier afraid that you will miss the last train back to your hotel. If you have a rented car from Flisvos, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want.

Car of your choice

Look for a car for rent supplier that offers a wide range of vehicles for you to choose from. Choose a vehicle that suits your travel needs and lifestyle. Consider what you intend to do in the area to help you determine the type of vehicle that you will rent. If you intend to just tour around the city, a nice and comfortable SUV would be an excellent choice. You can also choose cheaper cars to rent or luxury ones depending on your activity. There are also cars for a group of 7 to 9 or for the entire family. You can also rent off-road vehicles, manual, automatic and many others.

Worry-free urban travelling

Taking a trip to a beautiful city like Chania do not happen every day so while you are in the city, make the most of the time and tour around with a rented car from Flisvos.  With a rented car, there’s no need to worry about maintenance, insurance or carwash.You just have to place your reservation and have the car delivered to your chosen spot and enjoy your vacation.