Saturday, 21 November 2015

Preparing Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency for Banking Jobs and Competitive Exams

Data Interpretation is one of the easy as well as scoring sections of IBPS Examinations. It is an extension of Mathematical skill and accuracy. In the IBPS scenario, it has become important because more often than not, the Bank officers have voluminous data in different forms, from which they are required to churn out information and help the concerned authorities in formulating policy decisions.
Data Interpretation tests your speed, decision making capability and analyzing data. It consists of a good number of graphs, charts and tables from which you will have to analyze data. The key to cracking this area is to quickly identify the key pieces of data that you will require to work on the questions asked. It is not unknown for question-setters to try and bewilder students with a large amount of data, most of it unnecessary. As a rule, the more the data presented, the easier the questions that follow, so don't lose heart if you see a table with 10 columns occupying one whole page. On the other hand, several seemingly innocuous questions may stump you.

Different Data Forms
The different data forms that usually confront the students are

Table Graphs
Tables are often used in reports, magazines and newspaper to present a set of numerical facts. They enable the reader to make comparisons and to draw quick conclusions. It is one of the easiest and most accurate ways of presenting data. They require much closer reading than graphs of other forms and hence are difficult and time consuming to interpret. One of the main purposes of tables is to make complicated information easier to understand. The advantage of presenting data in a table is that one can see the information at a glance.

Pie Charts

Bar Graphs
Bar graphs represent data in the form of columns or bars. Bar graphs can be horizontal or vertical. The length of the bar is proportional to the data value represented by it.

Line Graphs
Line graph represents data in the form of straight lines that connect various data values. Both line graphs and bar graphs are used to convey same things and hence can be used inter-changeably. For example, a line graph can be generated by joining the tip of the bar graph.

In caselets, the mathematical data is represented in the form of a paragraph. Hence extracting data and establishing relationships between different data values becomes difficult. However caselets are very popular with the examiners.

Combined Data Sets
Data is represented in two or more different types of data sets. It could be combination of a table and a graph or two or more similar graphs. You may have to correlate the data in different data sets to solve these questions. Thus interpreting data takes time. These type of sets are very commonly asked. However based on experience, we feel that that if such a set comes in IBPS Bank Jobs exam, then it would not be heavy on data and be an easy set to interpret with the focus on correlation of data.

Some tips to score well in Data Interpretation:

Careful Reading and Analyzing
The first and the most important step in solving any Data Interpretation question is to read the question carefully. Many a times, the data given below the graph turns out to be more important than most of the numbers in the graphs.

The next step should be to analyze the given graph/data carefully. Do not try to see the questions first and find out the answers accordingly. You will waste your time if you follow that method. Try to understand the graph. Instead do the reverse. What is the graph all about? Which years does it cover? Is the data in absolute terms or in percentage terms? What do the two axis signify? etc. Look at the statistics for each graph, chart, table or pie diagram. Look carefully at the labels. Make sure you understand the central theme of the data.

Worry less about data given

Understand the question, which might contain lots of data that is unrelated and not required for answering the questions. When you look at the question you may get discouraged by the lengthy tables or by the amount of information below the graphs. But, if you were to understand what the data is about and then look at the question, you may find that you only have to use part of the data. Don’t get disheartened by the amount of data and the only thing important is whether you can correlate the data between the graphs properly.

Skip Calculative Questions
Some questions require lots of calculation in order to be solved. These questions are known as the speed breakers. Such questions are best left alone, at least in the first round. Once you have solved all the easy questions then go to the difficult ones. If you try such questions in the first round, you will lose your precious time on them and may not be able to attempt some simple questions that may follow. Also there are many unnecessary calculations that we do, which might cost us a precious few seconds per question. Sometimes, there are many steps that can be skipped but we still do it as we are trained to solve in a step by step method. Learn to skip those steps.

Attention to the minor details
This is related to the first step which we discussed. Sometimes, the questions will use a different unit for the question and another unit for the data. For example, the data given may be about sales volume in Millions. However, the question may ask about sales volume in lakhs. Also you should have an idea about sales volume and sales value. If you do not pay close attention to the unit, you may chose the wrong answer.

Sometimes there are questions which will ask us to find out some data for which information may not be available. Always be alert enough to see whether the data given is enough to answer the question or not and do not go forward with answering the questions based on assumptions. We will look into this in our next part of discussion.

Lets attempt one set and try to apply those steps
The pie chart shows the distribution of Rs 6 lakhs spent by a construction contractor on different items.

1. The amount spent on cement is

a.    Rs.2,00,000
b.    Rs.1,60,000
c.    Rs.1,20,000
d.    Rs.1,00,000

Total is Rs. 6,00,000 (=360 degrees of the circle).Cement is 72 Degrees.
Apply the ratio principle. Hence 72/360= M/6 lakhs where M is the amount spent on cement. HenceM=(72*6)/360=1.2 lakhs.

2. The amount spent on labour exceeds the amount spent on steel by

A.    5% of the total cost
B.    66.66% of the total cost
C.    12% of the total cost
D.    15% of the total cost

There is no need to find absolute values. Just observe the degrees. The difference between Labour and Steel is 90-54 or 36 degrees. And total cost is (6 lakh=) 360 degrees.

So the percentage= 36/360 x 100 =10% of the total cost. But if the options would have omitted the word  “of the total cost”, then the answer would have been (90-54)/54 × 100= 66.66%.The base would have been the cost of steel, in that case.Notice the wrong option B to create confusion in the mind.

3. The amount spent on cement and steel is what percent of the cost on supervision?

A.    70%
B.    42.94%
C.    50%
D.    233.33%

Again no need to find absolute values. Just observe the degrees. The total degrees is 126 on cement and steel while it is 54 for supervision. It is asking, “what percent of the total cost on supervision?”

So cost of supervision is the “base”%.. Hence the required value=(126/54) x 100 =233.33%.

If we reverse the base(take the base as cement and steel) , it becomes 42.94%. If we take the total cost as the base the value becomes 126/180 x 100=70%.If we take the total cost of three items vis-à-vis the total cost as the base, then the value becomes 180/360 x 100=50%.These are the 4 options given in the question as observed here.

Data sufficiency tests your skill on the amount data you require to take a decision. Quite a number  of times, you may have to arrive at a decision on the amount of data available, which might be more /less than you actually require. If  you ask your block officer under you as to “ How many families have 2 or more girls in this area” and he/she starts reeling off figures of the population of the block according to last census, infant mortality rate, families having children, population growth etc..that will not serve your purpose. The focus should be only on girl child and not children. A family can have girls and boys, but the question asks” How many families have 2 or more girls in this area”. That family can have boys, but whether it has 2 or more girls  should be the aim that you should focus on.

Format of Data sufficiency question
The format of the question would be something like this.
1.    Is integer x positive?

1.    x > 9
2.    x2 > 81

(A) if one statement alone but not on other statement alone is sufficient to answer the question
(B) EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked

Data Sufficiency questions hinge on whether a statement is sufficient to answer a question. A statement is sufficient when it guarantees exactly one answer to that question. For example, in the question:

Is integer x positive?

The statement “x > 9” would be sufficient, as any number greater than 9 is also greater than 0 and therefore positive.

The statement “x2 > 81”, however, would not be sufficient, as there are two potential values of x: 9 (which gives the answer “yes, x is positive”) and -9 (which gives the answer “no, x is not positive”). The correct option is A.

Your job, then, is to determine when a statement is sufficient to provide exactly one answer to the overarching question.

Some tips to score well in Data Sufficiency:
Don’t solve the question.
Data Sufficiency questions simply ask whether you COULD solve the question given the information in the statements. Don’t waste valuable time actually solving unless you are uncertain of sufficiency! Data sufficiency questions are not supposed to involve long and drawn-out calculations. If you find yourself calculating, there is probably something you’re not seeing. Remember that variables can equal a variety of values: negatives, positives, integers, fractions, zero. Don’t simplify when you don’t know what a variable can equal, and don’t assume variables are positive integers!

For “yes/no” questions,  focus on whether you are getting a firm yes or no. There is no “correct” answer. Our task is merely to determine when we have enough information. It is possible for one statement to answer the question “yes” and the other to answer the question “no” and have BOTH statements be independently sufficient.

Focus on this question
2.    Is x=4?

1.X3= -64

Here from the 1st statement we get X=-4 which answers the question that X IS NOT 4.

The 2nd statement shows that X is either 3 or -3 and hence not 4.Hence X IS NOT 4.The correct option is B. Note that NO is also an answer to a question.

Note down the variables needed for answering the question BEFORE looking at the statements.

Try to write down your own prediction first. It helps you to eliminate the statements more quickly if you have something to compare their information to, and forces you to spend more time thinking critically. Don’t rush this step!

Remove biasness in mind.
Once you determine the type of question and have analyzed the information given, analyze the first two statements independently of each other. If you have used Statement 1 to answer the question, try to “forget” statement 1 when you move on to statement 2. Don’t underestimate how challenging this can be – try not to mentally “carry over” any info from one statement to the next.
Use the process of elimination to narrow down the choices methodically.
If Statement 1 is sufficient, eliminate C and D. The only two options are A and B. Conversely if 1 is NOT sufficient, eliminate B. Simply by appropriately analyzing the first statement, you can eliminate two answer choices! If statement 1 is challenging for you, you can start by analyzing statement 2. If statement 2 is insufficient, then choices B can immediately be eliminated. It doesn’t matter which statement you analyze first, as long as you start by looking at them individually. Also in some , the question itself gives some of the information which you require. It might be possible that same information is rephrased and again given in one of the statements. You should reach this conclusion that “THE STATEMENT IS REDUNDANT”, and do not use that statement to answer the question.

Thank u for reading this article. Shared by : Pallavi Shringi Published by- Team Meritmock

Read more Numerical Ability Notes for Bank Jobs in this section

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Tumpi Flow

In 2012 I decided to be a weirdo. Therefor I created the alter ego “EzinomraH”, the negative version of the concept I believed in. My positive alter ego has been “EdKe” since 2004. Through the performance persona“Tumpi Flow” they started to cooperate from 2015. This experiment have led me to find my passion.

I embrace my true self as well.  Being possessed by several concepts is a matter of the “flow state”, a state of mind where space and time melt away. This has a powerful impact on an individual. It upgrades the brain capacity, creativity, and sharpens one’s focus. As an observant of  MISSION 21 I could witness it on others as well. Processing violence through the “flow state” provides victims a different point of view in their thinking.

This process has restarted. I am again where it once started. To conclude: expending the psychological box we are being categorized in, is just nutrition to my soul.


10-22-11 Beef Osso Bucco

Do you have a hearty appetite? If so, then Beef Osso Bucco is a dish for you.


Hyatt Culinary Administrative Assistant in NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana

Hyatt Regency New Orleans is a 4-Diamond, luxury hotel (1,200 rooms, 200,000 sq. ft. space). The Culinary Administrative Assistant must be a highly motivated individual who is eager and ready to accept additional responsibilities when needed. This position is responsible for providing administrative support to the Executive Chef and working closely with the culinary team. Duties of this position include but are not limited to maintaining meetings schedules, supporting the purchase process, maintaining an accurate inventory of all supplies and equipment within the department, managing scheduling systems, as well supporting the Executive Chef with food cost and expenses. The ideal candidate has a friendly demeanor, the ability to learn new computer programs, can multitask and complete projects in a timely manner. This person should demonstrate exceptional customer service and problem solving skills. Organizational skills, computer proficiency, and communication skills are a must.

* Candidates must be proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint * Previous restaurant, administrative and hotel experience * Must have a positive attitude and willing to go the extra mile to exceed the expectations of both internal and external guests * 4 year college degree from accredited university

Primary Location: US-LA-New Orleans
Organization: Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Pay Basis: Hourly
Job Level: Full-time
Job: Administrative
Req ID: NEW007820


US actor set to play autistic character on stage

Actor Mickey Rowe has autism and is all set to act in an important role in an upcoming play in the United States. The play is titled ‘Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ and will open this year in New York.

Rowe will play the role of a 15-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder named Christopher. This will be the first time that an actor with autism will play a character with autism on an important professional stage.

As per data, portrayal of characters with disabilities on TV shows is very limited even though one in five Americans have some form of disability. Mickey Rowe’s role is a positive step forward and will hopefully create more roles for characters with disabilities.


Rexaline beauty routines

Do you have very dry or weakened skin?

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If you are 20 to 40 years old,

HYDRA-EYEZONE Hyper-Hydrating Rejuvenating Eye Contour

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HYDRA-FORCE Hyper-hydrating Rejuvenating Serum

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HYDRA-DOSE NUTRI+Hyper-Hydrating Rejuvenating Cream

A creamy, comfortable and non-greasy texture that nourishes, softens and repairs skin that is suffering

Morning and evening, apply this smooth rich and silky cream on face and neck.
Rexaline Hydra Dose Nutri+, a complete anti-ageing, ultra-nourishing and moisturising balm, provides an immediate feeling of well-being.

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HYDRA-DIVINE Hyper-Hydrating Rejuvenatin Skin Veil

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Informative Speech

931 Words Feb 23rd, 2013 4 Pages

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about why gas prices are so high, and continue to rise.

Central Idea: Gas prices are on the rise in the US recently because of three major factors: the price of crude oil, the increase in internal regulations, and the increased demand for the gas.

Organizational pattern: Topical

Introduction I. Attention-getter: Back home, I used to spend 6 dollars to fill my car with gas. Unfortunately, today I spent 70 dollars, actually some times it goes up to 80 $ and it looks like there is a good chance for the price of gas to keep increasing. I was wondering why?

II. Establish credibility: I have done some research about gas prices and why they keep changing here in the
…show more content…
C. It looks like the increased demand for oil is only going to continue, which, in turn, will make gas prices go higher.

Transition signal: In conclusion, the next time you fill up your gas tank might not be cheaper, but at least you will know why you are paying more for gas.

Summery: Now you know that the rise in gas prices is because of three main factors, the price rising of crude oil, continues increase in internal regulations in the United States and the huge increased demand for the product in and out side the United States.

Before I end, it looks like the cost of gas will continue to rise, I am afraid that one day one of us we will come to class riding a camel.

Bonsor, Kevin and Ed Grabianowski. "How Gas Prices Work." How Stuff Works. 20 FEB 2013. .
“Brief History”. Organization Of The Petroleum Exporting Countries, n.d. Web. 20 FEB 2013. .
Lynne Kiesling. “ Why Are Gas Prices High and Rising.” 23 Mar 2004. Knowledge Problem. 20 FEB 2013. .
Reuters. “Focus on Demand as Gasoline Prices Rise.” 27 Aug 2005. FoxNews. 20 FEB 2013. .
Reuters. “Two-Thirds of E. Coast Refiners Shutting as Hurricane Sandy Nears.” 29 Oct 2012. FoxNews. 20 FEB 2013. .
"What 's Causing High Gas Prices?" WTMV. CNN, 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 20 FEB 2013. .
" WHAT DRIVES CRUDE OIL PRICES? " U.S Energy Information Administration. Gov Website. 20 FEB 2013. <

More about Informative Speech


The FLAT EYESHADOW BRUSH is designed to apply eyeshadows to the entire eyelid and adjust their degree of intensity.

How to use

TIPS FROM LUCIA PICA, Creative Makeup and Color Designer
. Take some eyeshadow with the tip of the brush, then tap off excess on the back of your hand.
. Then, apply the eyeshadow to the entire eyelid, using the wider side of the brush, and smooth from the lashes to the socket crease. For denser application, apply eyeshadow to the eyelid with the flat side of the brush.
. To blend eyeshadow below the eye, use the thinner side of the brush and buff the colour into the lower lash line.

Care instructions:


New Online Resources for Essay Writing Skills

Four online study skills resources for first year students have been created for the English Faculty by the Transkills Project. They address various aspects of essay writing and include:

How might I interpret an essay title?

How do I produce a well-structured essay?

How do I manage the process of producing an essay?

How do I write in an appropriate academic style?

They are also accessible through the English Faculty Website and the new Transkills website.

These online resources are intended to help new students make the transition between school and university. Recognizing the diversity of students’ approaches to learning and supervisors’ teaching preferences, the resources aim to avoid a single prescriptive approach, and instead offer a student-centred, flexible range of strategies to explore. The material was developed in conjunction with academic and library staff from the Faculty of English to reflect the requirements of the subject and the teaching context.

We hope that students will find the guidance helpful and approachable, and that Directors of Studies and Supervisors will find the resources a useful addition to their teaching.


For example, you would need at least ₨240,997 (€2,861) in Florence to maintain the same standard of living that you can have with ₨99,000 in Agra.

Do you live in Agra? We need your help!

What is the price of

Furnished accommodation in EXPENSIVE area

in Agra?

Make a different comparison:

Compare cost of living between cities:


North and South Korea agree to goal of 'complete denuclearization'

By Reuters

The two Koreas announced they would work with the United States and China this year to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War and seek an agreement to establish “permanent” and “solid” peace.

Earlier, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un became the first North Korean leader since the 1950-53 Korean War to set foot in South Korea after shaking hands with his counterpart over a concrete curb marking the border in the heavily fortified demilitarized zone.

Their meeting comes weeks before Kim is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in what would be the first-ever meeting between sitting leaders of the two countries.

Trump welcomed the Korean talks.

He later added: “KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States and all of its GREAT people should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!”

China welcomed the leaders’ statement and said it was willing to keep playing a proactive role in promoting political solutions on the peninsula.

Global markets were lifted by hopes the summit would pave the way for the end of conflict on the Korean peninsula. Shares in Seoul briefly rose more than 1 percent to a one-month high and Japan’s Nikkei share average also gained.

But there has been widespread skepticism about whether Kim is ready to abandon the nuclear arsenal his country has developed for decades, justifying it as a necessary deterrent against U.S. invasion.

“Everything will not be resolved in the blink of an eye,” said Kim Young-hee, a North Korean defector-turned-economist at the Korea Development Bank.

“Kim Jong Un has put the ball in the U.S. court. He declared denuclearization, and promised to halt nuclear tests,” she said. “That tells us he wants the United States to guarantee the safety of his regime ... in return for denuclearization.”

“We will make efforts to create good results by communicating closely, in order to make sure our agreement signed today before the entire world, will not end as just a beginning like previous agreements before today,” Kim said after the agreement was signed.

“I was excited to meet at this historic place and it is really moving that you came all the way to the demarcation line to greet me in person,” Kim said, wearing his customary black Mao suit.

Moon and Kim released their joint declaration before attending a dinner banquet.

The United States was hopeful talks would make progress on achieving peace and prosperity, the White House said in a statement as the two men began their summit.

The White House also said it looked forward to continuing discussions with South Korea in preparation for the planned meeting of Trump and Kim in coming weeks.

The United States stations 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The war pitted the South, U.N. and U.S. forces against the communist North, backed by China and Russia.


MAGNET Incubation Center

The Perks of Punting, Pivoting, and Persevering

We're here to help.

Now you have three options:

Punt - It's never fun to admit your idea won’t work, but the end of one entrepreneurial journey can be the start of another. Consider whether the circumstances are right to keep going. Do you have the cash? Are the rest of your assumptions still solid? Does your team have the energy to keep going? When you're at a crossroads, be honest with yourself. Giving way to the next thing isn't giving up.

Pivot - This term is used too often in business circles to describe a change of course. However, a pivot is actually a deliberate and dramatic adjustment to a business model. For example, shifting focus to businesses rather than individuals qualifies as a pivot. Selling online when you're already selling in brick-and-mortar retail is just an adjustment, not a pivot. The distinction matters because a pivot means you should reassess all of your key assumptions. Adjustments mean you're still mostly on track.

Persevere - Finally, you can (and should) keep going. You might try a new way to test your assumptions or talk with more customers. You might try new ways to market or slight adjustments to your product. But this path means you're willing to keep investing in your idea, at least until you assess your next critical assumption.

Whenever you learn something important about your businesses, you should honestly ask yourself whether it's time to punt, pivot, or persevere. It's a hard question, but ask it. Keep these three paths in mind and you’ll keep moving forward.

Need help turning your product idea into a growing business? Learn about our membership here.

Nicole Shedden


Menu Nutrition And home page Blog Sitemap

Food safety guidelines

It is very crucial for all of us to understand the food safety principles. Clean and safe food is what ultimately determines our health and wellness!

Present day chemicals and heavy metals rather pose a more serious threat to our health than insects, and microbes do. Just, for example, certain heavy metals in the food can enter and accumulate in our body in such a significant quantities that over the period, they might damage our immune system, can be the reason for cancers, impair nervous system function and can cause genetic abnormalities in the newborns.

food safety guidelines
Food safety guidelines logo. Photo courtesy:

Many types of hazardous chemicals and heavy metals we dispose of finally end up polluting nearby water bodies and contaminate the soil that is meant for crop cultivation. It is a typical scenario in some developing countries where water treatment facilities are in primitive conditions. Harmful chemicals such as DDT, pesticides/insecticides like Endosulfan, and heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, etc., can simply gain access and embed deep inside the tissues at cellular levels in vegetables, fruits, cereals and pulses that we consume in everyday foods.

Since human beings are standing mostly at the end of the food chain, much of these toxic compounds may ultimately enter our body, either directly or indirectly, in a gradual and increasing concentration (biomagnification), And, here is the catch! Larger insects/worms in the vegetable would be easily spotted and removed, while microorganisms like bacteria, virus, and ova/cysts can be destroyed by cooking at high temperatures. But, how do you rid off chemicals and toxins that reside permanently in the food we consume?

Food Selection

Food selection is certainly a challenging job; however, it is the most crucial initial step towards securing safe food. It demands the buyer to plan meticulously for a food item since many factors involved in this exercise. The customer needs to keep in mind concerning the ingredient's history; whether it is organic produce or chemicals-treated, methods employed while harvesting, mode of transportation, and marketing practices, the geography of procurement (locally grown or imported), etc. The purchasing power of the person or family, individual interest, etc., should also be worked out. All in all, a reasonable level of knowledge regarding the food item is essential since scores of food-borne diseases, ranging from minor food poisoning to serious cancers have been attributed to the kind of food we consume.

Here are some tips for better food selection:

  3. Buy cereals and pulses from the authentic organic farming sources.

Storage of food items

food storage guidelines
Food storage. Photo courtesy:

Next, it is also important to store food items as it should remain fresh and nourishing until we consume. Improper storage would deprive food items of their nutritive value, taste and may make it vulnerable to microbial and insects attack.

Here are some strategies for proper food storage:

Food processing

Food processing should be done meticulously although it demands time and patience; food safety is your priority. Right! Preparation of food should be planned beforehand regarding time, cost, variety, and the number of people to cook.

  1. Food items, especially fruits and vegetables should be washed in clean running water to remove surface dirt, chemicals, and microbes. Cut items should not cleaned again as it results in loss of nutrients.

  2. Soaking cereals, pulses, and beans in clean water for at least 30 minutes before cooking helps to initiate enzymatic activity, increases nutritive value, digestibility and decreases cooking time and saves energy. Germination (sprouting) of cereals and pulses enhance their nutritive value by enrichment of vitamins and enzymes.

  6. Here are some tips for safe frying;

<<-Back to Nutrition articles from Food safety.

Further reading and References:

U.S. Department of Agriculure-Food Safety guideline.

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There is perhaps nothing quite as exciting or important, as learning something about ourselves, be it positive or negative. How can we possibly hope to discover new and potentially interesting destinations if we have little or no real idea of who we are and why? How can we possibly ensure the productive evolution of our perception without a clearer vision of ourselves and a better understanding of the manner in which we choose to look at our environment and that of others?

This process requires profound and prolonged introspection and constant, sincere interaction with others. It is both painful and pleasurable. It requires integrity and a thick skin. It is the source of all real adventure and the beginning of an understanding of the human condition. It is, therefore, fundamental to all forms of progress.


St John's College, Woodlawn

"Tenete Traditiones" -"hold fast to the traditions"

Located by the Willson River, on the out-skirts of the thriving city of Limsore, St John's College Woodlawn is a school with values of catholic faith and living to your full potential. A school full of opportunities and support; of learning and of belonging. A school where you have the power to be yourself. Does this sound like the school for you (or your child)? If so, read on.

About Us-

A Brief History

The school you see today was founded in 1931, and owes that to the visions of Bishop John Carroll, who would later have a house named after him; the kindness of Magaret Buckley, who donated the land; and the commitment of the Marist Fathers, who made the move from New Zeland to get the school started, at the invitation of Bishop Carroll.

At first, it was an agricultural college, a boarding and day school for boys only, however it is no longer a boarding school and in 1996, it became a co-ed school.

Marist Charism

The word Marist comes from the name Mary, who is the mother of christ.

Marist charism is a sense of family, simplicity, presence and love of work.

The community that is St John's embraces these characteristics by giving support when it is needed; genuinely caring for each individual student; encouraging students to perform to the highest of their abilities; and sharing in Mary's work of bringing the life of Christ to it's students, and allowing it to grow and flourish in them.

The Symbols, Motto and Crest of Woodlawn

The college crest is an important symbol to the school, as speaks of Woodlawn's past and strength. The monogram, "A.M." represents the words, "Ave Maria", which is latin, and translates to "Hail Mary". The star, which is a symbol of Mary too, embodies our hope and comfort through life. Together, they show that we are a Marist school.

The eagle is a symbol of St John the evangelist.

The motto, "Tenete Traditiones", is taken from St Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, which reads: "God called you to this through the Good News we preached to you; He called you to posses your share of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, our brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions which we taught you, both in our preaching and our writing". (2 Thess. 2:14-15).

The Colours and Houses of Woodlawn

Woodlawn has three main colours, with Kennedy's blue, only being a house colour.

Green- symbolises hope for eternal life. Green is the colour of Carroll House.

Carroll House- is named after Bishop Carroll, founder of the college. It was his decision to establish a college at Woodlawn.

Red- symbolises love for Christ. Red is the colour of Segrief House.

Segrief House- is named after Father Thomas Segrief, S.M., Woodlawn's first rector.

Gold- symbolises loyalty to christ, the king. Gold is the colour of Bell House.

Bell House- is named after Father James Bell, Woodlawn's second rector.

Kennedy House- whose colour is blue. Kennedy is named after Father John Kennedy, S.M., Woodlawn's third rector.

Important Events

Some of our very important events include; The opening mass, which is a very spiritual event that marks the beginning of the new school year; The not-to-be-missed swimming carnival, in which the four houses battle it out for the title of "Swimming Carnival Champions"; The exciting cross country, which stretches up to 5km into the nearby hills; And St John's Youth Day, when year 12 takes over the school.

Events that have taken place in the past include formals, opening masses, swimming carnivals and other sporting events. As you can see, many of these events we continue to honour today.

What We Have to Offer

Woodlawn is absolutely sport mad. If you're not into rugby, you're into netball, and if you're not into netball, you're into soccer, and if you're not into soccer, you're into tennis, and really, it goes on just like that.

Woodlawn has a very wide range of sports, including: water polo, gymnastics, tennis, dance, yoga, ten pin bowling, striking and throwing skills and golf, just to name a few.

You also have the opportunity to represent the school in sports such as soccer, basketball, football, netball and cricket.

Through Woodlawn, students are able to participate in TOM, a problem solving programme teams of students from years 5-10; Duke of Edinburgh, a non-competitive program of self-development for 14-25 year olds; Our media and journalism unit, called SNAZZI; Even chess, and while at Woodlawn, many more opportunities open up.

Woodlawn Open Night

Wednesday, May 7th, 6:30pm

203 Woodlawn Rd

Woodlawn, NSW

A night to view our school and it's facilities.

For more on the schools enrolment procedure, click here.


Got Questions?

We figured you might.

We have spooled a few popular questions about StrongKey and the Tellaroâ„¢ and listed them below, but if you don’t see your question here, please don’t hesitate for a second to drop us a line.

Why do you call it the Tellaro?

As the story goes, on a stormy night in 1660, the town of Tellaro slept peacefully.Â The sea was so rough that no one expected danger to be fast-approaching on the horizon. Though the seas raged, a band of pirates led by Rooster Arenzano forged through the storm in an all-out, surprise attempt to attack and loot the town of Tellaro that very night. The pirates, however, couldn’t account for all the things fate had in store for them on that stormy night. To their dismay, the seas were not the biggest adversary, but instead, something else lurking beneath its waters. As theyÂ neared the shore of the sleepy town, an enormous octopus climbed out of the water and up a church belfry to escape the turbulent seas. In its ascent, the great creature began to ring the bells.Â The citizens of Tellaro, recognizing the alarm, took to the streets to defend the village and drove off the pirate attack.Â After their victory, they looked upward at the church tower, eager to rally around their hero, expecting to find a fellow citizen or guard who had rung the bells. Instead, their gaze landed on a the massive octopus, the unexpected protector of all they held dear.

What happens if I lose my FIDO security key?

A neat thing about FIDO technology is that it enables the use of multiple security keys to access your account. You can have multiple keys registered to your account on the Tellaro, put one on your keychain and the second in a locked drawer at home, the third in the office, etc., as backups. Even if you lose one, you can always use a backup key to access your account, delete the key associated with the lost security key and continue working with the backup key as your primary key. You can then replace the lost security key with a new one and register it to your account.

Even if you lost all your security keys to your account, StrongKey has built in Two-step Verification to send a PIN to your mobile phone or registered e-mail address on the account. Using this PIN, you can register a new security key to your account.

Finally, the Tellaro Kit contains tamper evident envelopes where your Tellaro Administrator’s security key  is stored; using this key, you can delete registered keys associated with your account and have the Tellaro Administrator send you a new registration link for use with a new security key.

Can this protect against ransomware?

The StrongKey Tellaro leverages multiple technologies to protect you from ransomware. Firstly, FIDO strong-authentication requires the use of a hardware token (that cannot be accessed by remote attackers).

Secondly, the FIDO protocol requires that the human attempting to authenticate to a web-application be physically present in front of computer to satisfy FIDO’s “test of user presence” requirement in the protocol.

Third, StrongKey has integrated with the popular open-source MediaWiki software (which runs websites like with our FIDO Sign-On (FSO) web-application to enable the use of FIDO strong-authentication to access the wiki. If you were to install and use MediaWiki on one of your computers to store your content and files, ransomware will be unable to access, modify and delete files on the wiki without the FIDO Security Key and the test-of-human-presence as mandated by FIDO protocols. This transactional security ensures that ransomware will be unable to harm StrongKeyâ€™s customers.

Why do I need to have a physical box?

StrongKey has learned – and believes – that your security must be anchored to something within your control. In the real world, the security of our safe-deposit locker is anchored in the bank’s security infrastructure and policies, while your control is established through contract and the physical possession of one of the two keys that can open the locker. Similarly, access to your bank account at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is established through the physical possession of an ATM bank-card in your wallet.

Similarly, the security of Tellaro relies upon the the cryptographic hardware module on the box, combined with your possession of multiple Security Keys to active the Tellaro’s security features (even upon every reboot of the Tellaro. This security feature protects your data even if a Tellaro box is stolen from your premises – we do recommend keeping it out of sight in a safe location at the office).

StrongKey believes the Cloud offers many benefits; but trusting the Cloud with all your security would be similar to trusting the Bank with both keys to your safe-deposit locker. This is the reason why the Tellaro was designed as an “on-premises” solution.

Okay, then what happens if my box dies?

We plan on selling our solution in a â€œhighly available kit.â€ This is a package of two duplicate boxes, such that if one goes down, the second is running a duplicate mirror of the first. Service is not lost, and StrongKey will replace the downed box within 24-48 business hours.Â Â

Okay, but what if both of those boxes die? Say, my office catches on fire.

For the vast majority of our users, a highly-available kit will suffice. For those who want the ultimate in backup, we recommend buying an additional node as part of the cluster and storing it in a place separate from a main office. This can be in a fireproof locker, or at a home office.Â  The encrypted keys as well as encrypted data from the Mini will be replicated to the StrongKey Cloud continuously and can be restored to the third, off-line node within hours of a disaster.Â  Such Business Continuity capability has been available only to enterprises in the past, but is now available to SMBs through StrongKey.Â

How is this different from Dropbox?

Consider this analogy: Suppose you are working with a real estate agent to buy a new house. Upon closing on your house, your agent brings you a bottle of Champagne to celebrate, as well as copies of your keys to let you into your place. But as she hands you them, she tells you that sheâ€™s also going to keep a copy of those keys. â€œDonâ€™t worry â€” you can trust me,â€ she insists. But you know that someone out there has a duplicate of your keys, and could let herself in should she wish, let the police in if they pressured her, or lose those keys and have a criminal pick them up.

This is a rough approximation of what Dropbox does with your data. Yes, it may be encrypted, but the keys to unlock that encryption exist with Dropbox! If subpoenaed, they can turn over your data. Theoretically, their employees could look at your data. Or, Dropbox themselves could be hacked.

StrongKey is different because you, and only you, have control of your keys.

What kind of encryption does StrongKey use?

We encrypt data and documents with an AES 256-bit (this is a NIST-approved standard) symmetric key – which the industry calls a “Data Encryption Key” or â€œDEK.â€

We encrypt the DEK with a RSA 2048-bit (this is also a NIST-approved standard) asymmetric key – this key is generally called a “Key Encrypting Key” or “KEK”;

We then protect the KEK with a RSA 2048-bit Master Key, which is generated and stored in a cryptographic hardware module â€“ the TPM (or â€œTrusted Platform Moduleâ€). Currently, we are working with a Common Criteria (CC – a security standard agreed to by many OECD countries including the US) certified TPM, but in 2018, we expect to start shipping units that are not only Common Criteria certified, but are also US Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) certified TPMs.

To activate the TPM upon a restart of the appliance, it requires digital signatures from multiple key-custodians.Â The digital signatures are created by RSA 2048-bit keys held in the custody of the Key Custodians.Â  Without these keys that create the “activation digital signatures”, the box is useless (to a thief or attacker) – the TPM will not function; if it does not function, the Master Key cannot be used to decrypt the KEK; which in turn cannot be used to decrypt the DEK, which in turn cannot be used to decrypt the data or document;

Every document that is encrypted is also digitally signed using a “Document Signing Key” or “DSK”.Â  The digital signature on the document ensures that its integrity is preserved and attacks cannot be carried out by modifying the meta-data on the document to have the box decrypt a document for an unauthorized person.

So, while this scheme sounds complex and horrible, this is what allows our appliances to scale up to 50M keys for StubHub, while ensuring extremely high levels of security that satisfy Central Banks Security Officers and their Auditors. This identical security – which has been in the enterprise appliance for the last 7-8 years – will be available to the SMB, in the Mini, at 1/10th the price of the enterprise appliance.Â  That’s what makes it unprecedented.


Tech Mahindra to Develop AI and Blockchain Solutions in Canada

To invest CAD 100 mn in Canada over the next five years

Tech Mahindra has announced a strategic investment in Canada. An investment of CAD 100 million dollars is planned over next 5 years to establish a new ‘Center of Excellence’ (COE) in Canada.

The announcement comes as the Prime Minister of Canada, The Right Honorable Justin Trudeau visits India to promote enhanced bilateral collaboration between Canada and India.

This strategic initiative will focus on major technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, which are driving innovation across industries and will cater to the exponentially growing need for AI and Blockchain application especially in the ‘Fintech’ and ‘Smart Cities’ spaces. It will pave the way for Canadians and Indians to access cutting-edge technology, while creating a niche talent pool and job opportunities in next-gen technology areas.

Tech Mahindra’s expanded Canadian presence will help foster stronger connections with the Canadian innovation ecosystem, both in the business community and in academia. Canada is a natural choice for the COEs given its innovation culture, ready and skilled talent pool and vision of the connected future. Digital and AI technologies are also strategic to the Govt. of Canada and form key superclusters in the overall all economic landscape.

Center of Excellence – ‘AI and Blockchain’ – Toronto
This COE based out of Toronto will work on major technologies such as AI and Blockchain to lead the innovation curve globally with focus on areas like ‘Fintech’ and ‘Smart Cities’

Partnership with academia and start-ups
The COE will focus on jointly developing cutting-edge business solutions in Digital Technologies in close collaboration with the leading academic institutes, innovators and accelerators in the start-up ecosystem like the Vector Institute.

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tech mahindra ai Blockchain Solutions canada

Around The World


Law in Contemporary Society

Using Law and Social Control to Improve Islam's Image in America

-- By KhurramDara - 15 Feb 2012

When the Park51 project, commonly referred to as the "Ground Zero Mosque" was being protested just a couple of years ago, there was a sign that I saw a protestor holding. Initially, it had caught my eye because of how many words had been scrunched onto this little piece of cardboard. The sign said "All I Need to Know About Islam I Learned on 9/11."

For that man holding the sign, and for the many others, 9/11 was a natural consequence of Muslims carrying out Islam. For them, Islam is inherently promotes violence. While the rhetoric may appear extreme to some, the combination of organization and money, in conjunction with the fact that there are terrorists carrying out heinous acts supposedly in the name of Islam, can have an actual impact on our politics. It could explain why Congress held hearings on Muslims in America, why 22 state legislatures considered passing anti-Sharia legislation, or why the NYPD has been surveilling college students across the country.

American Muslims have employed two primary ways of combating this anti-Muslim sentiment. First, we want to educate other Americans about Islam; a cooperative approach. The second is organized protest and litigation; an adversarial approach.

Education is one form of coalition building. The use of inter-faith panels, for example, can bring your allies together so that an organized support structure is in place. But what about the gentleman holding the sign in the streets? Education will not touch him. It's effectiveness hinges, in part, on one's willingness to learn. The protestor with the sign is not going to the local community center for the next inter-faith meeting. In fact, he told us where he learned--it was what he saw on 9/11. And what about the average American? If they have no real interest in Islam or religion generally, it will probably be a tough sell to get them to join in the educational process.

What about the second approach? A protest or a counter-protest can be a sign of strength. But again, there is a targeting issue. Typically, you aren't protesting with the expectation of persuading the opposition; your target is the independent and uncommitted. So here you lose the man with sign again. Similarly, it's unclear how we would convince an average American to be interested in the subject.

And the law? We are entitled to practice our faith freely in the United States. A lawsuit to enjoin a local government from preventing the building of a place of worship could work at achieving the short-term objective: building a mosque. But a court order, for example, is unlikely to persuade naysayers that the result is the right one.

For those who have negative perceptions of Muslims, Islam is an abstract ideology, to be discussed in generality. It is not specific, never a person. For social control to succeed, it must be able to appeal to the non-rational, unconscious motives of humans.

This is not to say that our existing approaches are not important (litigation can be necessary, especially in the scope of hate crimes or discrimination). The approach needs to be one that combines, not replaces existing approaches with other forms of social control. In fact, our need for the legal system may actually be indicative of the sparse use of other forms of social control by American Muslims. Professor Donald Black proposes that there is an inverse relationship between law (government social control) and other forms of social control. With this model, if we increase our use of other forms of social control, it follows that we should have less of a need for litigation, as an example).

This is plausible. Consider human relationships, whether they are personal or professional. They build a level of comfort and connection between people. Having a Muslim coworker or a Muslim neighbor, can make Islam more than some "ideology," or some abstract thing. It can make it a person. A Jewish or Christian American's perception of Islam, can be shaped by his relationship with an individual Muslim. A person who is friends with a Muslim won't come to understand Islam by reading a book or taking a class about it. And if someone is attacking or discriminating their friend because of his faith, their defense won't be rooted in a technical understanding of Islam and won't include a rhetorical assault on the discriminating parties misguided or poorly constructed argument for why Islam is evil. The defense won't be rational, it will be emotional--"he's my friend," or "he's my coworker," or "he's my neighbor." The more known and engaged American Muslims are in a particular community, the less likely it is that there will be issues of discrimination or protest regarding Muslims. Subsequently, the need for litigation in this context would go down.

Of course, there is the point to be made that Muslims make up only a small portion of the United States population, and therefore, this approach is limited in its scope. While this is true, we aren't limited to merely using personal connections as a form of social control. We can also use popular culture. The likes of Muhammed Ali, Fareed Zakaria, and Lupe Fiasco have certainly humanized Islam for many. An attitude that embraces, rather than blindly rejects, American culture will increase the likelihood that more American Muslims grow up to become highly successful in a number of fields.

This is a successful rewrite. It required substantial effort, but you now have a clear, coherent, balanced, useful statement of your position in 992 words. You could make it tighter, bringing it down to 750 words by careful editing, which would be something useful as a newspaper Op-Ed. But you have made your point, and it's a valuable exercise whatever you do with it.

Substantively, I think you've crafted your pitch much more effectively than at the outset. I think you've explained why this isn't hostile to existing approaches, I think you've explained why it isn't some sort of objectionable "assimilationism," and I think therefore you have made your approach both a real instrument in coalition building, and a shield against certain forms of extremist rhetoric. You show a few too many figure lines, with your comments on how social control works. Those are meant to prove you know what you're doing, but in this form of lawyering, showing you know what you're doing can interfere with getting it done.

I tried cutting what I thought I could. Could maybe chuck the last paragraph, but it seems important to have as a preemptive defense to an obvious criticism.

Webs Webs

r17 - 22 Jan 2013 - 20:10:37 - IanSullivan
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Uber threatens to fire self-driving car engineer in trade secrets case

Earlier on Thursday, a US District Judge ruled last week that Levandowski's use of the Fifth Amendment does not prevent Uber from firing him and that the company should not hold anything back in requiring him to reveal more details on the subject of the suspected stolen files.

Levandowski was a key cog in Uber's autonomous vehicle program until demotion last month. "The ruling said Waymo has "shown compelling evidence" that its former star engineer, Anthony Levandowski downloaded more than 14,000 confidential files" before leaving Alphabet's self-driving auto unit.

Levandowski left Waymo in January 2016 and started Otto, a self-driving truck startup that Uber bought for $680 million (524.9 million pounds) in August. Uber General Counsel Salle Yoo made the demand in a May 15 letter to Anthony Levandowski, citing a court order.

Levandowski's lawyers stated that he was ordered by the company to meet the terms of the order to return Waymo materials or deal with likely dismissal.

More news: Donald Trump says he fired James Comey because he was 'unpopular'

The lawyers asked the judge to modify his order so that Uber is not required to fire Levandowski if the engineer asserts his constitutional rights against self-incrimination and refuses to produce documents. "Almost fifty years of Supreme Court precedent forbid the government from putting an individual to such an unconstitutionally coercive choice", they wrote.

The case revolves around Waymo's charges that Uber has acquired an advantage from the information Levandowski took.

Judge William Alsup, who is overseeing the trial, has also previously referred the case to the USA attorney's office for a potential criminal investigation.

The arbitration would benefit Uber above all by keeping the case out of the public's eye and by containing the span of information sharing or discovery. A preliminary injunction to hinder Uber's self-driving technology development during the case has been imposed, but it's unclear to what extent.

For Uber, the bad news is far from over.


Cornell - Columbia STEM Workshop

We are partnering with Cornell University to provide a STEM workshop for Elementary and Middle School teachers.

Location: The Schapiro Center for Engineering and Physical Science Research (Schapiro CEPSR)

The STEM workshop is a collaborative effort to provide teacher professional development in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.

Attendees Receive: Certificate for 4-Hours of Professional Development, $20 Stipend, Breakfast and Lunch.

Registration For Spring 2017 Session

Schedule for March 11, 2017 Event

9:45am – 10:15am Registration and Breakfast
10:20am – 10:30am Welcome and Opening Remarks
10:30am – 11:00am Keynote Address:

Professor Michal Lipson,  – Electrical Engineering, Columbia University

“Nanophotonics: How Light will Change Computing.”

11:15am – 12:15pm Morning Workshop
12:15pm  –  1:00pm Lunch
  1:15pm – 2:15pm Afternoon Workshop
  2:15pm Collect Stipend and PD Certificate

Workshops Offered for Spring 2017:

Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions

How does a chemical reaction affect temperature? Students will experiment with salts to look at Exothermic and Endothermic reactions. They will also learn about the difference between temperature and thermal energy.

Exploring Rocks and Minerals

What is the difference between a rock and a mineral? Introduce your students to rocks and minerals by having them handle and observing commonly found samples. They perform different tests (color, streak, hardness) to learn about simple observable characteristics/properties used to identify rocks and minerals.

Forensics: The Case of the Missing Diamond Maker

How can Science help solve a murder? Have your students learn about techniques of forensic science including: fingerprint identification, chromatography, and chemistry, while also trying to solve a murder mystery.

Glued Into Science: Classifying Polymers

What is a polymer? How can we give them different properties? Get your students to design and conduct an experiment in order to classify the different forms of matter that they create through the cross-linking of polymers.

Waves and Communication

What causes a wave? Use a wave machine to engage your students in understanding the parts of a wave. Students will also build an instrument that uses sound waves to communicate information.

Way, way, way down at the nanoscale

What is nano? Get your students to better grasp the world of nano and how materials behave very differently on this scale with a few, simple hands-on activities. We will introduce a great resource for nanoscale education and present a set of related activities from the National Informal STEM Education Network ( Presented by Cornell Nanoscale Science and Technology Facility.

Collaborating Outreach Offices:
Past Keynote Presentations:


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Annual variations in hepatic antioxidant defenses and lipid peroxidation in a temperate fish, common bream Abramis brama (L.)

Alternation of physiological states during the annual cycle (pre-spawning mobilization, spawning energy loss, post-spawning accumulation of energy reserve, declined metabolic activity during the wintering) occurring in the wide temperature range requires high plasticity of fish defense systems. The article presents a 2-year study of hepatic antioxidant defenses and lipid...


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What is personal coaching?

What does personal coaching actually do?

4 Enable someone to recognise their potential
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How do I know if personal coaching is right for me?

How does personal coaching work at PDP?

  • Over the phone
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  • Skype

5 steps to running a successful parents’ support group

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5 steps to running a successful parents’ support group

How do you engage parents in discussing their child’s inappropriate behaviour?

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STEP 3 – What’s in it for them?

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STEP 5 – Gaining trust and building relationships

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 Contact Paula at PDP to  plan a successful parent’s support group.

Motivation Part 2

Building on the previous blog which looked at Maslow’s study in determining why people go to work. In this article, I’m going to reflect on what makes people work hard willingly and well. In my experience it isn’t money!

In the 1960’s Frederick Hertzberg undertook a study into workplace motivation, and his findings were published under the title ‘One More Time, How Do You Motivate Employees?’ which still hold true today.

Hertzberg identified the following “True Motivators”

1) Achievement

2) Recognition

3) The work itself

4) Responsibility

5) Advancement

6) Personal Growth

In the previous article, we discussed the door to motivation being “locked from the inside”, and that the best managers can have the keys to unlock motivation in others.  As managers and leaders we need to be aware of these keys so that we can empower our colleagues to work hard willingly and well. In practice, what sort of things can we do in addition to communicating effectively with our colleagues?

1) Achievement

A successful manager will ensure staff have the resources and skills necessary to meet or exceed their objectives. It is offering support and monitoring progress towards set goals. A good manager will remove roadblocks, resourcing issues and other trivia to allow their team member to achieve.

2) Recognition

The manager recognises the staff member’s hard work, and acknowledges this privately or sometimes publicly. Teams should be encouraged to celebrate the successful work undertaken by one of their members. This positive environment allows individuals to feel pride and confidence in their work, and will motivate them to continue producing similar results. Manager need to factor time into their diaries to actively do this. Telling someone “that’s what you’re paid for…” is a massive wasted opportunity.

3) The Work Itself

Many of us just love doing the job.   We receive enormous satisfaction from a job done well, (see link below to Dan Pink). There are plenty of people that feel this way about their role, despite the fact that managers may try to interfere in the work process, by controlling or stifling staff efforts. What might happen if managers positively challenged people to really excel? To really do the best they could?

4) Responsibility

A manager’s role to let staff get on with their tasks in a supported and resourced way. Why do some managers keep hold of particular tasks that should or could be delegated to others? Fear? The thought that they might be seen as lazy? Concern the other person might do a better job? Get the keys to motivation out! Delegate appropriate work formally with a clear explanation as to why, and ensure it’s not seen as dumping! If transferred correctly, this level of responsibility could be motivating.

5) Advancement

In the previous blog we examined the idea that status and being seen as an expert were important reasons why some people went to work. Herzberg highlighted the possibility of advancement as a key motivating factor. For many people the challenge of progressing in a team or company, with the chance of promotion, not matter how slim or distant, encourages them to work harder and to engage more fully with tasks. Managers should make staff aware of these possibilities and how individuals can attain them.

6) Personal Growth

It is hugely motivating to be able to do something one week that seemed impossible the week before. Personally, having learnt to plaster a piece of wall a couple of weeks ago, together with having the recognition of this achievement from others inspired me to continue developing my DIY skills. I also felt personal pride in my work. Managers need to recognise individual’s areas of personal or professional development, and offer their praise.

Hertzberg’s True Motivators are as important today as they were in 1968. The best managers and leaders know this and keep the keys close to hand. Everyone’s motivation to engage in work related tasks is slightly different, but an excellent leader can influence by using the six top True Motivators.

Dan Pink develops this further at the link below. My next blog will be about what dissatisfies us most at work and how the good manager can influence them.


Science research news Return to previous page
Article Released Mon-5th-March-2018 11:19 GMT
Contact: Motoko Kakubayashi Institution: Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
 Tiny particles hint at universe's puzzling imbalance [Asia Research News 2018 feature]

New data has provided further evidence that could explain an imbalance between the two main types of matter in the universe.

Image Name
Copyright : T2K Collaboration/KEK
Scientists from the T2K Collaboration in Japan have even stronger indication that tiny, almost massless particles called neutrinos and their counterparts, called antineutrinos, do not always mirror each other. Their work provides hints that could help explain an imbalance in the universe between matter and antimatter.

Neutrinos and their antimatter partners, antineutrinos, are born from natural sources such as fusion at the centers of stars and exploding stars, or man-made sources such as nuclear power plants and high energy collisions produced at particle accelerators. They are some of the smallest and most abundant particles in the universe. They have no electric charge, nearly zero mass, and rarely interact with anything else, making them extremely difficult to detect and study. Neutrinos, like other particles that cannot be broken down into smaller components, come in three ‘flavours’: electron, muon and tau.

The massive T2K Collaboration involves more than 500 researchers from 63 institutes in 12 countries. Together, they are studying neutrinos in hopes of understanding both the mysterious particles and a major unsolved issue in physics: the imbalance between matter and antimatter, which are the corresponding partner particles to matter but with opposite charges. For most physics processes, the laws governing matter and antimatter obey a symmetry that implies the universe should contain equal amounts of matter and antimatter. However, the universe is full of objects made of matter, such as the planets and stars, and hardly any antimatter. While it is clear that this asymmetry developed very early in the history of the universe, scientists are still unsure what caused the imbalance.

[Image (left)] When an electron antineutrino interacts in the Super-Kamiokande detector, it produces a positron. Since the positron is traveling faster than the speed of light in water, it produces light called Cherenkov radiation in a cone as it propagates. The detector is a cylinder with photo-sensors (light detectors) on the walls, floor and ceiling. The Cherenkov light is detected at the photo-sensors and produces a "ring" where it intersects with the wall. The figure shows the amount of light detected at each photosensor in the detector for this particular event.

Physicists are trying to understand why this is by looking at chargeparity (CP) violation in neutrinos and antineutrinos. Particles and antiparticles are supposed to mirror each other, behaving the same way with the exception of having opposite charges or another opposite feature such as spin direction. Since the 1960s, experiments have found that partner particles do not always mirror each other, which is called CP violation. If scientists can determine how often CP violation occurs and understand what causes it, they might be able to explain matter-antimatter asymmetry.

To probe these questions, T2K scientists use an accelerator facility on the east coast of Japan to create a powerful beam of muon neutrinos and antineutrinos. That beam travels 295 kilometres (185 miles) underground to a detector in the west of Japan. The Super-Kamiokande detector is located in a mine 1,000 meters under a mountain to minimize interference from cosmic muons streaming through the atmosphere from outer space.

The T2K team has evidence that some of the neutrinos and antineutrinos changed their flavours, or ‘oscillated’ en route, from muon to electron. The data hint that neutrinos undergo this oscillation at a higher rate than antineutrinos, indicating possible CP violation. The findings support previous studies, but the scientists have more confidence in the results because they doubled the amount of neutrino data collected and improved the event reconstruction algorithm for data analysis.

While there is strong indication of neutrinos oscillating, the amount of antineutrino data is still too small to draw definitive conclusions about CP violation. However, with planned upgrades to the experiment facilities over the next ten years, the team hopes to make more observations that gets them closer to an answer.

“If the CP violation effect is large, we may expect to find evidence of CP violation at a confidence level greater than 99% during the lifetime of the T2K experiment,” says Mark Hartz, of the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, a member of the collaboration.

Further information
Project Assistant Professor Mark Hartz | E-mail:
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe
University of Tokyo

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"Poverty is not for the Poor"

By Karen Nodalo

Poverty means lack of food, shelter, clothing and opportunities for work and education. It is the lack of supply for the needs of the community. Poverty has grown abruptly and we are left clinging in the hands of time waiting to be fed and nourished. It is doing and having what you wanted to do but doing nothing at all for the reason you remain incapable.

In a different perception, poverty is a result for having a poor management. In order to have a good government, it should be run by good public officials. If they perform their tasks defectively, our resources are affected, the poor becomes poorer and our economy declines. Since poverty is on the mount, we need to have a good government to heal all the economic deficiencies and political operations. If we lack resources, investing would be impossible.

Poverty in countries is being measured by the amount or value of the goods and resources they produce. So, the lesser resources and productions we have, the lesser opportunity is at stake for us. The lesser chances, the more probability we will sink in debt.

With poverty on the rush, how do we set alternatives to increase our livelihood? How do we invest and compete in a global world? How do provide ourselves with good valuable resources? We start by improving and enhancing our skills in order to bring forth more income to our families at the same time uplifting our nation’s economy. That is, focusing in the rural communities. Watching and maintaining our natural resources would bring investments and exports which makes way to manpower or employment in rural communities. Rural places are mainly our source of natural resources such as fisheries and vegetation so these must be taken good care of.

The government should get rid of those political people who are after ranks, money and fame. Corruption eats the country’s investments. The poor are to be given much attention because no matter how high investments the rich may obtain, the percentage of the unemployed is a mere affecting factor. While the poor strives hard to impart their service and strength, they generously corrupt and spend the blood and perspiration for luxury. Instead of having our resources acquired by the poor, they continue to exploit the money for their own personal pleasures.

It is important that we give the poor equal rights. Being poor or being born poor is not a sin. They are not bound for discriminations or grievances because they have the right to being protected from corruption. If possible, to lessen their burden of paying taxes because they are unable to benefit from it if there are. Appointing political positions to families and friends should be prevented because it is the root of corruption. They are neglected the chance to be acquainted to forums and programs of the government for what appear to be unfair.

Eventually, the poor will play a pertinent role to the success of our community because they know ho to strive and persevere and value work and money. If we want to overcome the effect of poverty, equal rights should be practiced and not set the standard of living as the basis of comparing life status.

Karen Nodalo

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What to consider when Chub Fishing

Chub fishing advice, hints and tips when looking to find chub, different techniques and baits for catching chub, fishing tackle used to catch chub.

Chub fishing usually takes place in rivers, however they can also be found in still waters. Three main techniques used to catch chub include float fishing, fly fishing and ledger fishing. Chub fishing can also include fishing with a lure or a spinner.

Like all fish, chub prefer highly oxygenated waters, therefore they can be found near (or in) weir pools. Also look out for areas that would allow the chub to hide, as they prefer to surprise their victims from weeds or objects in the water (e.g. tree branches).

Chub sizes vary greatly, the average chub is between 2lb and 3lb, however you will often see chub caught well above 5lb.

The chub's enormous mouth sees it eating just about anything, from maggots and casters, to worms, through to cheese, luncheon meat and even beef. Realistically, if it moves, (or even if it doesn't move!), and it fits in the chubs mouth, it will have a go at eating it.

When fishing for chub , remember that another reason the chub likes weed beds and underwater obstructions, is that it gives the chub an ideal opportunity to break or snag the fishing line if it gets hooked. Therefore heavy lines and big, strong hooks can offer the fisherman some protection against the chubs tactics. However don't always go for the safest option as it is possible (and much more satisfying to catch chub on a light line with a much smaller hook.

Our website aims to bring you all aspects of catching chub, including tips and techniques, fishing tackle to catch chub, and places to catch chub.

Please bookmark our site and call back once our site has gone fully live.

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Home>China Travel News

Pit 2 of Terracotta Warriors begins second excavation

Date： 2015.05.11 Editor： Evelyn Shi

Archaeologists launched a new excavation on the No. 2 pit of the Museum of Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xi'an, Northwest of China, on April 30, 2015. The first stage of excavation started in 1994 and uncovered eight well-preserved, colored terracotta figures. Archaeologists plan to unearth an area of 200 square meters in the second stage.

The plane of the pit is of L-shape, totaling about 6000 square meters. Pit 2, facing east, is a large underground army of mixed organization. It has a low-key presence but preserved the best among the three pits. It has not suffered large-scale man-made destruction except partially burnt in a degree.

Based on the structure and layout discovering at the first stage, the project aims to decode the secrets of different terracotta figurines. Experts suggest that the chariots in Pit 2 are more practical. The project may enable to expose the mystery ancient chariots to the public.

Another highlight of the excavation is whether or not there are foreign warriors in the Terracotta Army.


World heritage site destroyed for US Navy Base

Kang Dong Kyun, the Mayor of Ganjeong Village on Jeju Island, South Korea, has been touring Europe, visiting Dublin, London and various other English cities and Paris to draw attention to the destruction that is being wrought to an area UNESCO has declared to be one of the world’s most important sites of natural beauty, as well as to the wellbeing of the people who live in the area. Comrades from the CPGB-ML attended the meeting held in London on 15 October at the School of Oriental and African Studies where they leant that the position of the island to the south of the Korean peninsula makes it particularly suitable as a military base, and construction work is already well advanced. As Mayor Kang points out, the base is being established not for reasons of security but for the purpose of encircling China. It is to become part of Obama’s ‘Asia Pivot’ and will house nuclear submarines, Aegis missile warships and aircraft carriers. Its operations will require the presence not only of the US Navy but also of its airforce and army. The US has built a string of military bases round the world for the purpose of maintaining its military domination, invariably in small, weak countries whose people’s future is being heartlessly endangered as they will become a target should the war for which the US is preparing ultimately break out. Mayor Kang is convinced that there is a real danger that all these war preparations are for a war that could endanger the whole future of the planet and render it uninhabitable.

In the interests of steaming ahead unhindered in building this monstrosity, the propaganda machine has been going full blast trying to convince people that the presence of the base will improve their lives, but only a minority of people are taken in by this. Jeju is only a very small island (an oval shape 46×26 miles), and the presence of the base will severely disrupt people’s way of life. After assuring people some years ago that there would be no compulsory purchase of farmland, the South Korean regime has gone back on its promise and is forcing people to sell their land – and at a price well below market value. This is only one example of prevarication aimed at undermining people’s resistance. They have also been told that the naval base will not be out of bounds to local people – but it is obvious that once it is built nobody is going to be allowed on the base other than authorised military personnel.

Mayor Kang points out that the South Korean government has a long history of oppression of the Jeju islanders. They have always valued their freedom and independence and following the US occupation of South Korea after the Second World War they rose up in rebellion against the Syngman Rhee puppet government on 3 April 1948. The South Korean troops sent in to quell the rebellion succeeded in slaughtering 20% of the population in a period of little more than a year. Although subsequently there have been apologies for this massacre, still the South Korean government will not let the people live in peace but have entangled them in the US war machine.

Local people, including farmers, artists, monks and nuns, have been protesting every day for the last seven years, but their peaceful protests are regularly broken up by massive police contingents, often violently, and criminal proceedings are taken against participants who are made to pay enormous fines.

In the discussion following Mayor Kang’s presentation, we made the point that subservience to the interests of US imperialism has always been the policy of the South Korean regime. It did not suddenly take to subservience 7 years ago, but has always subjected the people to humiliation and hardship to serve the US. Most importantly Korea remains divided more than 60 years after the end of the Second World War, against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of its people. Although the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has consistently put forward proposals for the formation of a united Korea with two systems (as China has done in incorporating Hong Kong), the United States has instructed South Korea’s puppet government to keep away from reunification negotiations simply because when Korea is reunited there will be no basis for US imperialism maintaining its hold on the country as an arsenal for its 1,000 nuclear warheads supposedly to ‘protect’ South Korea from the North.

Mayor Kang said that it was his simple ambition to pass his farm on to his children to farm peacefully in beautiful surroundings as his family has done for generations.

Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes


Dear Jeanne,

Dear Jeanne,

Can you please tell me how to convert the enclosed recipe into a more healthful vegetable dish? I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you for your time.

Susan Hathon,

Chula Vista, Calif.

2½ cups cauliflower florets

2½ cups broccoli florets

2 (6-ounce) bags baby spinach leaves

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole milk

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook cauliflower and broccoli in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of the cooking liquid. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Cool. Rinse spinach, then toss in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just wilted. Drain and cool. Squeeze spinach dry; finely chop. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and reserved 2/3 cup vegetable cooking liquid. Whisk constantly over medium heat until sauce thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. Stir in spinach and cheese. Using fingers, coarsely crumble cauliflower and broccoli in bowl. Add spinach bechamel sauce; stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Butter 1½-quart baking dish. Spread vegetable mixture in prepared dish (can be made 6 hours ahead). Cover and chill. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake flan until puffed and heated through, about 25 minutes if at room temperature and 35 minutes if chilled. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Dear Susan,

This is a delicious dish, and so easy to revise. I've tried to make it even easier to prepare by using frozen vegetables, since if cooked in this way, there's very little, if any, difference from using fresh vegetables. It is convenient and easy, as they are already cut into florets for you. Don't worry about the exact amount — a little more is fine, as the vegetables measure differently when raw or cooked. I find that frozen spinach is so easy that whenever it is well-cooked like this, I use frozen. If you don't want to use dairy, you may use all vegetable broth; I used all milk to add richness.

2½ cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)

2½ cups cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed (about 1 cup)

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1½ cups 1 percent low-fat milk

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 1½-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Thaw the broccoli and cauliflower if frozen, or steam if fresh for about 5 minutes (very easily done in the microwave). Place cooked vegetables in a large bowl to cool.

Thaw the spinach and squeeze out the excess moisture. Chop a little bit more to make sure it is finely chopped. Set aside.

Dissolve the flour in the milk in a medium-size saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and, whisking constantly, bring to a boil. (It will be very thick.) Boil for a minute, then add the Parmesan cheese and mix. Add the spinach, nutmeg and pepper, and stir. Combine the cauliflower, broccoli and spinach sauce, and stir to thoroughly coat everything.

Spread evenly in the prepared pan and bake until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 25 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains approximately: Original recipe: 227 calories; 16 gm fat; 42 mg cholesterol; 542 mg sodium; 14 gm carbohydrates; 9 gm protein; 4 gm fiber. Revised recipe: 107 calories; 3 gm fat; 9 mg cholesterol; 214 mg sodium; 12 gm carbohydrates; 9 gm protein; 4 gm fiber.

For more information, go to JeanneJones.com. Send your recipe for revision to: Cook It Light (Pocono Record), P.O. Box 1212, La Jolla, CA 92038. Please include a stamped (58 cents), self-addressed envelope.


The dark extremes of the Dark Web

The dark extremes of the Dark Web

Recently the BBC broke a news story on how a “warped and sadistic” paedophile who blackmailed victims and shared abuse tips and images on the dark web was caught. Matthew Falder admitted 137 charges, including rape, against 46 victims. He evaded capture for four years by using encrypted email addresses. This horrific case focused a lot of attention on the dark web as a forum infamous for welcoming and protecting the identity of some of the most notorious criminals today. But the Dark Web wasn’t created as a way to facilitate crime. The Gryphon explores how ‘dark’ the Dark Web really is.

First, what is the dark web and is it the same as the deep web? Well, the dark web is a subdivision of the deep web. The deep web is everything you cannot reach with a typical search engine such as Google. This includes the Dark web but much more than that: our emails for example.  When replying to emails, you still have a link in your browser, but people cannot search on Google for it and nobody has access without logging in with your credentials first. This is the case with admin panels of webpages, cloud services or even Leeds’ Minerva. Thus, the bulk of the internet is on the Deep Web.

The deep web and dark web are often used interchangeably in media but they are different. It is like equating a shell to the ocean it is in – the shell is in the ocean however it does not constitute the ocean. Same with the dark and deep web – the dark web is a part of the deep web, but a small one. So there’s no need to be frightened when you hear statistics claiming more than 90% of the web is in the deep web.

The dark web is a collection of websites which exist on a highly encrypted network. This means they cannot be accessed from your typical browser, say Chrome or Firefox, but require the use of other tools for encryption. Perhaps the most popular one is Tor. Tor protects the user by hiding their identity, activity and location, changing the IP address and all. But it does the same for the website visited. Thus, it is very difficult to find who is behind a website on the Dark Web.

As anonymous as it is, be careful if you decide to check out Tor and do your research prior to it. There are other encryption tools similar to Tor and use will depend on what tool the site visited is using– if they use Tor, you can’t visit their website unless you do the same; if they use Silk Road Reloaded, you can’t visit their website unless you do the same.

Most of us have heard of the dark web in relation to criminal activities. After all, the dark web is anonymous enough to allow people to share controversial content and unregulated enough to allow for this content to remain on there. Child pornography, illegal drugs, personal data, blackmailing – we’ve all heard the crimes associated with the dark web. However, the dark web was not developed for these purposes and the content on it is not just illicit.

A study published in 2016 established that of all identified websites on the dark web (5205) only 30% had illicit content. Of these quite a few had no content but even of all the active websites (2723),  60% were for criminal purposes. The rest (about 40%) were in the ‘Other’ category. So, the dark net is not completely dark.

And the ‘Other’ is what services like Tor actually propagate for. On Tor’s website it is emphasised that the tool was developed to help people protect their privacy and resist state or corporate surveillance. It was developed to allow people in totalitarian regimes with high-censorship get access to more information or share their opinions and to protect whistleblowers such as Edward Snowden for example.

With more and more commercialisation of the clear net (the one we know and use regularly) and online surveillance increasing even in democracies like the UK, Tor might have more and more ‘Other’ users in the future. If the public feel like they are unable to access information securely on the clear net, we might start to see an increase in non-illicit content on the Dark Web in future.

Antonia Panayotova

[Image: Shuttershock]


Begun in the Bible (6 instances)

6 occurrences in 13 translations

'Begun' in the Bible

Meanwhile, the sailors had begun trying to escape from the ship. They lowered the lifeboat into the sea and pretended that they were going to lay out the anchors from the bow.

Bible Theasaurus