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orbemnews · 3 years

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In Quest for Herd Immunity, Giant Vaccination Sites Proliferate EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — With the nation’s coronavirus vaccine supply expected to swell over the next few months, states and cities are rushing to open mass vaccination sites capable of injecting thousands of shots a day into the arms of Americans, an approach the Biden administration has seized on as crucial for reaching herd immunity in a nation of 330 million. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has joined in too: It recently helped open seven mega-sites in California, New York and Texas, relying on active-duty troops to staff them and planning many more. Some mass sites, including at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and State Farm Stadium in suburban Phoenix, aim to inject at least 12,000 people a day once supply ramps up; the one in Phoenix already operates around the clock. The sites are one sign of growing momentum toward vaccinating every willing American adult. Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine won emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, and both Moderna and Pfizer have promised much larger weekly shipments of vaccines by early spring. In addition to using mass sites, President Biden wants pharmacies, community clinics that serve the poor and mobile vaccination units to play major roles in increasing the vaccination rate. With only about 9 percent of adults fully vaccinated to date, the kind of scale mass sites provide may be essential as more and more people become eligible for the vaccines and as more infectious variants of the virus proliferate in the United States. But while the sites are accelerating vaccination to help meet the current overwhelming demand, there are clear signs they won’t be able to address a different challenge lying ahead: the many Americans who are more difficult to reach and who may be reluctant to get the shots. The drive-through mass vaccination site on a defunct airstrip here in East Hartford, outside Connecticut’s capital, shows the promise and the drawbacks of the approach. Run by a nonprofit health clinic, the site has become one of the state’s largest distributors of shots since it opened six weeks ago, and its efficiency has helped Connecticut become a success story. Only Alaska, New Mexico, West Virginia and the Dakotas have administered more doses per 100,000 residents. Most of the people running mass sites are learning on the fly. Finding enough vaccinators, already challenging for some sites, could become a broader problem as they multiply. Local health care providers or faith-based groups rooted in communities will likely be far more effective at reaching people who are wary of the shots. And many of the huge sites don’t work for people who lack cars or easy access to public transportation. “Highly motivated people that have a vehicle — it works great for them,” said Dr. Rodney Hornbake, who serves as both a vaccinator and the East Hartford site’s medic, on call for adverse reactions. “You can’t get here on a city bus.” Before dawn on a recent raw morning, Susan Bissonnette, the nurse in charge, prepared enough vials of the Pfizer vaccine and diluent for the first few hundred shots of the day. At 7:45 a.m., her team surrounded her in a semicircle, stamping the snow off their boots and warming their fingers for the hours of injections that lay ahead. “We’re going to start with 40 vials, eight per trailer,” Ms. Bissonnette shouted to the group of 19 nurses, a doctor and an underemployed dentist who had volunteered to help. “OK, so remember it’s Pfizer, right? Point three milliliters, right?” The site vaccinates about 1,700 people on a good day, partly because Connecticut is small and gets fewer doses than many other states. It is a well-oiled machine, with a few dozen National Guard troops directing cars into 10 lanes, checking in people, who have to make appointments in advance, and making sure they have filled out a medical questionnaire before moving down the runway to their shots. Troops also supervise the area at the end of the runway where people wait after their shots for 15 minutes — or 30, if they have a history of allergies — in case of serious reactions. In between are the vaccinators, two per car lane, trading on and off between jabbing arms. When they need to warm up, they retreat inside heated trailers to draw up doses and fill out vaccination cards. “If you simply open up with 10 lanes, it will be chaos unless you have teams all along the way at checkpoints, executing on the plan you’ve laid out,” said Mark Masselli, the president and chief executive of Community Health Center, which opened the East Hartford site on Jan. 18 and has since opened two smaller versions, in Stamford and Middletown. “You’ve got to marry some groups together — folks with health care delivery sense and folks with logistics sense.” The site came together in six days, as Mr. Masselli’s staff worked frenetically with the state to install trailers, generators, lights, a wireless network, portable bathrooms, traffic signs and thousands of orange cones to mark the lanes. Every worker has two all-important pieces of equipment: a walkie-talkie to communicate with all the stations and supervisors, and an iPad to verify appointments or enter information about each patient into a database. Updated Feb. 28, 2021, 12:03 a.m. ET The vaccine they use is Pfizer’s, which adds complexity because it has to be stored at minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The supply is kept in an ultracold freezer that Community Health Center installed at the adjacent University of Connecticut football stadium. Ms. Bissonnette and other supervisors speed there in bumpy golf carts several times a day to grab more vials, which last for only two hours at room temperature. The first cars roll in at 8:30, often driven by the adult children or grandchildren of those getting shots. Drive-through clinics can be better for infection control, some experts say — people roll down their car windows only for the injection — and more comfortable than standing in line. But a month into the Connecticut site’s existence, its weaknesses are also clear. Traffic can get snarled on the busy road leading to the site, and bad weather can shut it down, requiring hundreds of appointments to be rescheduled on short notice. Spotty vaccine supply, which forced sites in California to close for a few days recently, can also wreak havoc. More significantly, you need a car, gas money and, for some elderly people, a driver to get to and from the site. At this point, white people comprise 82 percent of those seeking shots at the East Hartford site, down from 90 percent in early February; their overrepresentation is partly because the older population now eligible is less diverse than the state overall. To address problems of access and equity, FEMA is opening many of its new mass sites in low-income, heavily Black and Latino neighborhoods where fear of the vaccine is higher, vaccination rates have been lower and many people lack cars. In addition to its mass sites, Community Health Center, which serves large numbers of poor and uninsured people in clinics around the state, is also planning to send small mobile teams into neighborhoods to extend its vaccination reach. The East Hartford site has hired several dozen temporary nurses and trained its dentists and dental hygienists to help with the shots. Still, staffing the site with 22 vaccinators daily remains a challenge, one that will grow nationally as more people become eligible for the shots. Dr. Marcus Plescia, the chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the need for mass vaccination sites might wane as more and more of the low-hanging fruit — Americans who are highly motivated to get vaccinated as soon as possible — is picked. “I think they have worked well in the current setting of demand substantially exceeding supply, drawing on many people who are eager to be vaccinated,” Dr. Plescia said. “As supply increases, and we have vaccinated the eager, we may find that lower-volume settings are preferable.” Mobile vaccination clinics will reach some of the vaccine hesitant. But Dr. Plescia said people who are uncertain and fearful would be best served by doctors’ offices or community health centers where they can talk it through with health care providers they know. “They’re not there to counsel you,” he said of mass sites. “You go to get the shot, end of story.” Dr. Nicole Lurie, who was the assistant health secretary for preparedness and response under President Barack Obama, said that instead of just asking FEMA for help, state and local governments should seek input from private companies used to keeping large crowds moving — while keeping them safe and happy. In one such example, the company running Boston’s mass vaccination sites contracted with the event management firm that runs the Boston Marathon to handle day-to-day logistics. Several companies that ran large coronavirus testing operations are also involved in mass vaccination. “These sites need to be motivated to make this a good experience for the customer, especially since they’re working with a two-dose vaccine,” Dr. Lurie said. “If it’s really a pain in the neck, why would you go wait in line again a few weeks later?” Most sites say their main challenge is not having enough supply to meet demand. But with 315 million more Pfizer and Moderna doses promised by the end of May, and Johnson & Johnson pledging to provide the United States with 100 million doses of its newly authorized vaccine by the end of June, that complaint may fade before long. The biggest headache for the East Hartford site has been the system for booking appointments, a clunky online registry known as VAMS that is being used in about 10 states. Many people 65 and older have had such a hard time navigating it that most end up calling 211, the phone number for health and social services assistance, to make appointments instead. As the hours pass, the eternally smiling vaccinators in East Hartford get tired — and sometimes bone cold. But sometimes there are unexpected boosts, such as when John Rudy, 65, pulled up with his mother, Antoinette, in the back seat. “We’ve got a 100-year-old!” Jean Palin, a nurse practitioner, announced as she prepared Ms. Rudy’s shot. The site usually closes at 4 p.m., but there was a problem: There were more no-shows than usual that day, in the middle of a snowy week, and there were 30 unused doses. Word went out from nurses at the site, including to people working at a nearby big-box store, who were not all eligible but could qualify for a vaccine if the alternative was throwing it away. “It’s just a precision game toward the end of the day,” Ms. Bissonnette said. At 5:15, Greg Gaudet, 63, drove up, teary with excitement. He had learned from one of the nurses, a former high school classmate, that a shot was available. “I have a luckily dormant cancer, but my immunity is low,” said Mr. Gaudet, an architect whose form of leukemia was diagnosed six years ago. “I’m so grateful.” How much the site will cost over time remains “a question that we are eager to work through,” Mr. Masselli said. Community Health Center spent about $500,000 to set it up and is spending roughly $50,000 a week on labor and other costs. It receives a fee for each shot it can bill insurance for — the Medicare rate is $16.94 for the first dose and $28.39 for the second — but is also counting on reimbursement from the state and FEMA for start-up and other costs. Still, the expense has not stopped Mr. Masselli from imagining an expansion. “There’s another runway over there,” he said, gesturing behind him. “Between the two, with two shifts, we could do 10,000 a day. March 14 is Daylight Saving Time; we’re going to pick up warmer weather, more light. The timing is right.” Source link Orbem News #giant #herd #immunity #Proliferate #Quest #sites #Vaccination

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jam2289 · 5 years

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Making Speeches for the Harry Potter Festival - Part 5 of ?

Potter in the Park is tomorrow. I'm going to go over a number of logistical issues (the boring part), and then the presentations themselves (the exciting part).

The woman that manages the event seems way overwhelmed. She started this thing a number of years ago and I think it's probably surprised her how large it is getting now. She kept telling me that she would answer my questions later because she was busy. That went on for a few months. For about a week now she hasn't responded to, or even looked at, my messages. So, I don't know if I can get into the event early, which is kind of important because early admission is at noon and I give a speech at 12:15, which is before the general admission at 12:30. I don't know if there is an MC or if I will get introduced. I don't know if I will have a handheld microphone or a headset. Basically, I have none of the information that you would like to have if you were giving a presentation at an event. But, I do like to have my presentations half set and half created in the moment, apparently the whole event is like that.

Since Rebecca never found out if the real muzzleloaders could be used at the event, I ordered and am bringing cap guns, but they are ones that look like classic dueling pistols, they look good. Since she never got back to me about if anyone is introducing me, or if I just wander up on stage at my time and take over, I should probably go in with the plan that no one is introducing me. That's probably for the best anyway. I'll obviously have to figure out the microphone situation when I get there. Hopefully the tech people will be on it, hopefully there are tech people.

I did notice that the schedule was released a few days ago. Here are the times for my presentations.

- - - - - - -

12:15 - Muggle Studies: The Great Gnome Conspiracy of the 18th and 19th Centuries

3:30 - Muggle Studies: A Short History of Muggle Dueling

4:45 - Muggle studies: Muggle Encounters with Dragons Through the Ages

6:30 - Muggle Studies: Further Research on the Many Uses of the Rubber Duck

- - - - - - -

I don't know how much prep time I get, and I don't know if there's any way to keep track of my presentation time while on stage. Good things to know beforehand, but since I have a lack of communication coming my way, I'll have to figure these out on the fly. (I wonder if all of the presenters are completely in the dark on all of this stuff, or if there's a list I wasn't put on, or if I was blacklisted.)

The world is full of logistical issues, but I do have a lot of things going well.

I inked my own tattoos and they turned out pretty well. Better than I expected. I have the Dark Mark on the inside of my left forearm (from my impertinent youth as a gullible young wizard). I have the Deathly Hallows on the back of my right hand. (I also have 42 on my left hand. I find it odd that no one has asked why. It's not from Harry Potter, it's the answer the ultimate question of the meaning of life, the universe, and everything from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". I feel like someone will say something tomorrow.)

I carved my own wand, and it looks decent. It is definitely unique. I don't really need it for anything, but hey, I have it.

I have a bag of rubber ducks. They're for the presentation about rubber ducks. And, they're better than I expected. They just arrived today. There are six, and they are different sizes. The big one will be great for people to see from farther away, and they will all be good for throwing.

I picked up the LARP staffs and swords today from The Griffin's Rest in Muskegon. They will be used in the dueling demonstration, along with the pistols. I told Kiel to pick them out for me and just told him that I was doing a dueling demonstration at a Harry Potter festival. I assumed I would end up with normal looking staffs and crazy swords for some reason. I was completely backwards, I have crazy looking staffs and normal looking swords. I've been thinking about how to use that, and I think it'll work great.

I'm hoping that some people will record the presentations and send me the videos. We'll see.

I may try to get a chiropractic adjustment tomorrow after teaching and before heading to Sparta. I'm not sure I can fit it in though. I should get there early because parking is usually an issue in Sparta, and I'll have to store stuff in my car and retrieve it for my presentations.

Since I'm a professor, I can carry a notebook on stage, so I'll probably do that. I don't usually use notes, and in general I really dislike it, but it makes sense in this situation. It will be more difficult if I have to use a handheld mic, so I'll be flexible on that tomorrow.

Since we're assuming I'll be introducing myself I'll probably do something similar at the beginning of each presentation. I don't want to dive right into the main part of my presentation unless someone else introduces me, or a lot of people will miss the first line. That's the main difference between being introduced and introducing yourself.

I'll probably do something like:

- - - - - - -

My name is Jeffrey Alexander Martin. I'm a writer at JeffThinks.com. I am a visiting lecturer here at the Sparta Institute for Muggle Studies, the current Assistant Professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the former Professor of Muggle Studies at Ilvernmorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is MUG 207 - Muggles in Real Life, and today we'll be going over...(depends on the speech).

Now, let me ask you this...(start speech).

- - - - - - -

Something like that. It will change in the moment, because that's how I like to do it.

Alright, let's tackle the speeches in order. Gnomes first.

- - - - - - -

Have you ever seen a muggle lawn gnome?

Just a few years ago - doing research door to door - saw a few of these weird little things and asked about them.

The real story - first used in muggle book in 1753.

1794 book "A Complete Edition of the Poets of Great Britain. Volume the Eighth. Containing Pope, Gay, Pattifon, Hammond, Savage, Hill, Tickell, Somervile, Broome, Pitt & Blair."

Canto IV of "The Rape of the Lock" by Alexander Pope

Swift on his footy pinions flits the gnome,

And in a vapour reach'd the difmal dome.

Seen as magical by muggles, who caught them for various reasons. Hotly debated, some saw it as good, others opposed. Political meeting where fight broke out.

Small group launched a conspiracy to get muggles to think that gnomes were fictional creatures and to replace them with different kinds of wooden and stone statues.

Problem still ongoing. Muggle encounter with a gnome that I saw.

The next time that you see a gnome on a muggles lawn, know that there is more to the story.

- - - - - - -

I reserve the right to change any of this at any moment. There is a balance here to being between a professor and a speaker.

Next, dueling.

- - - - - - -

Laura in crowd.

"Have you ever seen muggles fight?"

Story of seeing muggle fight.

Story of starting research, connecting with a history buff that's a reenactor.

Call up Laura - Professor Whitestone, who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts.

The Griffin's Rest of Muskegon lent us muggle training instruments.

Staff - trade blows in kneeling position, Jeff down. (Only one written record of such a type of duel. Look at notes to seem like I'm reading instructions.)

Sword - classic kid's style, Laura down.

Gun - get the crowd involved. Back to back 10 paces, turn and fire. Split crowd, one half says pow and one half says boom. Jeff down. Laura comes to check.

Ongoing research is important. The next time you see muggles in an argument, ask them if you can watch them duel.

- - - - - - -

And... dragons!

- - - - - - -

Have you ever heard muggles talking about dragons?

First time I saw a dragon, fly over at quidditch tournament as kid.

First time I heard muggles talking about dragons, at least that I noticed, doing research on dueling, of course. Seemed like they thought they were real.

Did door to door research to determine what muggles thought of dragons. (When I found out about muggle lawn gnomes.)

Most thought fake, some thought real as an archetype. Explain archetype psychology.

George and the Dragon, what people know and what's real.

Specific organizations handle these incidents. Plane, boat, and car accidents. Example.

The next time you hear muggles talking about dragons, ask them if they think they're real.

- - - - - - -

Finally, the rubber ducks.

- - - - - - -

My first accidental encounter with a rubber duck as a child.

Reading Arthur Weasley's paper on "The Many Uses of the Rubber Duck" while in school at Ilvermorny.

A teenage adventure to try to observe a rubber duck in action. (factory and/or family)

What the research has revealed: humor, entertainment, child training in animal interaction, water transportation, distraction, possible growth into hunting decoys, relation to the rubber chicken, play as life preparation.

Questions fielded from the class. (Possibly hundreds of people from a large crowd in front of the main stage.)

Homework assignments.

- - - - - - -

Somewhere in there I'm going to throw some rubber ducks into the crowd.

I may or may not do homework assignments and questions in any of the presentations. That will depend on how the situation is going. If I get hecklers I will probably just take points away from their house, which will never be from the best house, which is Ravenclaw.

Well, that's the basic idea anyway. I'll learn a lot about how the event is going to go in that first speech. That should allow me to work out a lot of the logistical details for the later speeches. It's going to be pretty crazy.

________________________________________________

You can find more of what I'm doing at http://www.JeffreyAlexanderMartin.com

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tsgneworleanslouisiana · 7 years

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Up Close & Personal with Constant Tourist Travel’s Lila Fox

If you don’t already know the founder of Constant Tourist Travel, a NOLA based leisure and adventure travel agency, then you must get to know her! Lila Fox is a travel guru with the best connections, taste and advice who can make all your vacation dreams come true. Ever since she gave my sister and me a picture-perfect Grecian holiday itinerary, I’ll never plan a trip without her help. Our recent conversation will give you a glimpse into what it’s like to travel with Lila as your guide.

TM: Where are the best destinations you’re sending clients in 2017? LF: Italy and Greece continue to be at the front of mind for travelers, but I’m also seeing an uptick in requests for casual wine + beach in Portugal (great value!) and chic city + safari in South Africa. Croatia is coming back around after a quiet spell, and Japan is gaining interest. Domestically, it’s all about Napa for special occasions and immersive tours through the Southwest for families. TM: I have a hard time condensing all the reasons that working with you is such a game-changer. Can you help me explain the advantages you provide your clients? LF: Primarily – time & money. I save clients time by handling the logistics of a trip – whether business or leisure – which frees them up to focus on the other important bits in their life. I also save folks money because of the value-added amenities that come along with the hotel reservations that have my agency’s name attached to them. Not to mention just knowing more efficient and effective ways to go about stringing a trip together. And then there’s also just the idea sharing. I’m constantly traveling and in communication with hoteliers across the world so I have my finger on what’s out there for even the most specific of needs.

TM: How are you able to offer preferred status and amenities to your clients? LF: My agency is affiliated with Virtuoso, a global consortia of the tip-top hotel brands (think: The Ritz Carlton, Rosewood, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental), privately owned hotels and resorts, tour operators and cruise lines in the world. My affiliation allows me the ability to pass along unpublished rates and property-specific complimentary amenities such as daily breakfast, Wi-Fi, spa & dining credits, airport transfers, and the like

TM: Does it cost more to get these add-ons? LF: No! My agency is not a “planning fee” based agency so for the majority of what I’m assisting folks with, I do not charge a fee. Most people are shocked to hear that, which is why I’m happily and completely transparent about how I’m compensated.

I’m compensated by hotels and suppliers on the back-end of all trips, which is a percentage of the total sale. There are instances where I do charge fees – airline tickets because we’re monitoring flights during travel, itineraries without hotel reservations, or time-consuming arrangements like Napa itineraries with winery appointments and dining reservations.

TM: How far in advance do you recommend clients contact you before their trip? LF: Ideally I’d like about six months advance planning, but sometimes we can get away with much less, depending on destination and time of year. I never shy away from the phone call or email about a trip “leaving tomorrow!” Those are some of the most rewarding, when I call in friends and hoteliers to make something happen in a pinch.

TM: What makes a vacation truly unique? LF: Right now I’m planning a trip involving a luxury overnight train from Verona Italy to London England aboard Belmond’s Orient Express. The couple could have flown between the two cities in a flash, but they purposefully allowed time for such a unique, elegant journey. Little switches like that are the things that will remain in minds decades from now. I love different vantage points, so I recommend injecting portions of an itinerary with a train, helicopter, or boat experience. I think it’s important to allow yourself the ability to really see what a place and culture are about once you step away from the more toured areas. That’s why I recommend unplanned time to explore. Three nights is generally my rule of thumb in any one spot – more in certain places, and if I can convince my clients!

TM: What’s the most unique trip you’ve ever planned? LF: Last year I had an adventurous New York City couple come to me for Asia and didn’t constrain me much with time or money. So I got out the map and strung together a lovely journey that had them starting out in Abu Dhabi with mosques and dinners in the desert, followed by some time in Laos before flying them to Phnom Penh in order to board the Aqua Expeditions vessel that would sail from Cambodia into Vietnam. I could have kept them at a nice hotel in Phnom Penh, but knowing their love for boating, I thought that the 3-night / 4-day experience by water would be right up their alley. Once they arrived in Vietnam I slowed them down a bit with a stay at the remote beach resort Amanoi. It was such a hit that they called me mid-stay to cancel the next leg of their journey (which would have been Bangkok) in order to spend more time relaxing together on the beach. I shuffled things on my end, and once they had their fill of the seaside, I flew them back to Cambodia in order to have them experience Angkor Wat by helicopter with a leading Archeologist as their guide!

TM: What’s the most memorable meal you’ve ever had on a vacation, and why was it so special? LF: While traveling through Japan with a girlfriend, we heard about a restaurant called Shoraian hidden in the forest on the outskirts of Kyoto. It took us some time and many wrong turns through parks and woods, but we eventually found it—tiny, picturesque, and high above a cyan colored river. We were the only Westerners in the place, which we took as a good sign. We had 11 small courses served over about 4 hours, each with one featuring tofu made by local Buddhist monks. We couldn’t communicate with words, just smiles and nods, connecting over food around a table thousands of miles from anything that was familiar to us. I still remember everything about that experience, and tell everyone going to Kyoto that they must dine there as well, because to me it was about as close to personifying ‘travel’ as it gets.

TM: Do you have a favorite hotel lobby on the planet? Why? LF: I’m really into the un-lobby if that’s a term. I love a hotel that is really unassuming from the outside, where you could almost walk past it if you didn’t know it was there. Then once you step inside it’s a complete surprise with killer style and sense of place. J.K. Place Roma in Rome and Soniat House in New Orleans are favorite arrival experiences for these reasons.

TM: Any new hotels we should be looking out for over the next few years? LF: I’m probably most excited about Amanyangyun in Shanghai slated to open end of 2017 just outside of the city in a forest. Ming- and Qing-dynasty structures are being reassembled using original materials to create the spaces. I love ‘town and country’ trips, so I’d recommend pairing a stay here with a stay in bustling downtown Shanghai in order to get a full flavor of a destination is what I love to give travelers.

Now that you know Lila, give her a call. August is just about six months away, the perfect month to leave town. Will you sample the monks’ tofu in Kyoto, sail from Cambodia to Vietnam, or have Lila plan something even more imaginative for you?

Lila Fox | [email protected] | 504-717-6144 | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TELL THEM SCOUT SENT YOU!

—TAYLOR

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newstfionline · 7 years

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America’s Forgotten History of Illegal Deportations

By Alex Wagner, The Atlantic, March 6, 2017

It was a time of economic struggle, racial resentment and increasing xenophobia. Installed in the White House was a president who had never before held elected office. A moderately successful businessman, he promised American jobs for Americans--and made good on that promise by slashing immigration by nearly 90 percent.

He wore his hair parted down the middle, rather than elaborately piled on top, and his name was Herbert Hoover, not Donald Trump. But in the late 1920s and early 1930s, under the president’s watch, a wave of illegal and unconstitutional raids and deportations would alter the lives of as many as 1.8 million men, women and children--a threat that would seem to loom just as large in 2017 as it did back in 1929.

What became colloquially known as the “Mexican repatriation” efforts of 1929 to 1936 are a shameful and profoundly illustrative chapter in American history, yet they remain largely unknown--despite their broad and devastating impact.

Back in Hoover’s era, as America hung on the precipice of economic calamity--the Great Depression--the president was under enormous pressure to offer a solution for increasing unemployment, and to devise an emergency plan for the strained social safety net. Though he understood the pressing need to aid a crashing economy, Hoover resisted federal intervention, instead preferring a patchwork of piecemeal solutions, including the targeting of outsiders.

According to former California State Senator Joseph Dunn, who in 2004 began an investigation into the Hoover-era deportations, “the Republicans decided the way they were going to create jobs was by getting rid of anyone with a Mexican-sounding name.”

“Getting rid of” America’s Mexican population was a random, brutal effort. “For participating cities and counties, they would go through public employee rolls and look for Mexican-sounding names and then go and arrest and deport those people,” said Dunn. “And then there was a job opening!”

“We weren’t rounding up people who were Canadian,” he added. “It was an absolutely racially-motivated program to create jobs by getting rid of people.”

Why, specifically, men and women of Mexican heritage? Professor Francisco Balderrama, whose book, A Decade of Betrayal: Mexican Repatriation in the 1930s is the most definitive chronicle of the period (and, not coincidentally, one of the only ones), explained: “Mexican immigration was very recent. It goes back to that saying: Last hired, first fired. The attitude of many industrialists and agriculturalists was reflected in larger cities: A Mexican is a Mexican.” And that included even those citizens of Mexicans descent who were born in the U.S.

The so-called repatriation effort was, in large part, a misnomer, given the fact that as many as sixty percent of those sent to “home” Mexico were U.S. citizens: American-born children of Mexican-descent who had never before traveled south of the border. (Dunn noted, “I don’t know how you can repatriate someone to a country they’ve not been born or raised in.”)

“Individuals who left at 5, 6 and 7 years old found themselves in Mexico dealing with process of socialization, of learning the language, but they maintained an American identity,” said Balderrama. “And still had the dream to come back to ‘my country.’”

The raids, as detailed in Balderrama’s chronicle, were vicious. With national concerns over the supposed burden that outsiders were putting on social welfare agencies, authorities targeted those Mexicans utilizing public resources. “In Los Angeles,” explained Balderrama, “they had orderlies who gathered people [in the hospitals] and put them in stretchers on trucks and left them at the border.”

The efforts were equally chaotic. “The first raid in Los Angeles was in 1931--they surrounded La Placita Park near downtown L.A.,” Dunn recalled. “It was a heavily Latino area. They, literally, on a Sunday afternoon, rounded everyone up in park that day, took them to train station and put them on a train that they had leased. These people were taken to Central Mexico to minimize their chances of crossing the border and coming back to the U.S.”

Dunn continued, “It was not like there was a master committee mapping out blocks. It was more fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants. As in, Here’s a park where Mexicans go, okay let’s go there.”

Mexicans in the United States--and Americans of Mexican descent--had little understanding of what was happening, and what their rights were. Elena Herrada, one of the founders of the oral history project, “Los Repatriados: Exiles from the Promised Land,” is the grandchild of Mexican-Americans who were targeted in the raids. Her grandparents, she recalled, lived in a “mostly Mexican neighborhood” in Detroit, known as Court Town.

“It was the welfare officials who were doing it. A worker came to the door,” Herrada said. “My father remembered his father being asked by the worker, Where are you from?”

The family, Herrada recounted, was “de-patriated” to Mexico.

“My grandfather didn’t have work at the time, and they were forcing them to leave. There was no gun put to his to head, but [they said he] wouldn’t be eligible to receive assistance--and he would starve.”

“Many people didn’t believe they had a choice,” Herrada explained, “so they didn’t resist. My family didn’t believe they had a choice.”

Herrada’s father and uncle would spend two years in Mexico before his parents were able to bring him back to the United States--after her grandfather, a veteran of the U.S. Army, returned to the country and once again found work.

If American deportees made it back to America, according to Dunn, it was often because a friend or family member back in the States managed to obtain a copy of their birth certificate, proof of citizenship. And if they weren’t U.S. citizens, by the onset of World War II and the departure of much of the able-bodied workforce to the front, Mexican labor was back in demand: bodies were needed for low-paying agricultural work, and the xenophobia subsided under the auspices of the Bracero Program (a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, the program brought Mexican workers to the states for short-term labor).

But some never made it back to America. “We are who we are because of what people did in that moment,” said Herrada.

Each state handled the raids differently--sometimes federal agents were involved, sometimes it was social workers and local law enforcement who targeted people for removal. Hoover’s precise role in directing the deportation efforts is unclear, but, according to Professor Kevin Johnson, Dean of the UC Davis School of Law, and a specialist in public interest law and Chicano studies, “There was a lot of correspondence between the different levels of government, and there was logistical support.” This support included reimbursing states for the chartering of busses and trains to transport people to Mexico.

Deportations took place across the country: Los Angeles had the largest concentration of Mexicans and Mexican-born Americans, but communities in Detroit were also targeted in large number. “America’s most industrial city was in many ways the promise of the age in terms of economic prosperity,” according to Balderrama, and because of this, its Mexicans and citizens of Mexicans-descent were not exempt from deportation. “The archival evidence points to a full map, across the nation,” said Balderrama. There were deportations in states as far flung as Alaska, Alabama and Mississippi.

And yet, confirming the precise number of people who were deported during this era is difficult, said Balderrama. “Both governments”--Mexico and the United States--”weren’t very interested in keeping records about what happened. It was a problem and they wanted to get rid of it. That’s why the numbers are very difficult.”

Dunn, however, spent nearly three years doing archival research, enlisting his state senate staff to comb through federal, state and local records in a bid to reconcile California’s tortured legacy. He feels confident in his citation of 1.8 million people deported. “That number came out of several documents we got from the federal government,” he told me.

Beyond the travesty inflicted upon hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens, the Mexican deportations of the 1920s and 1930s are also shocking--and at this moment, particularly enlightening--for the illegalities visited upon non-citizens. Trump is unlikely to willfully deport American citizens, but he appears perilously close to replicating many of the mistakes Hoover did as it concerned the undocumented. And given the number of mixed-status families in the U.S.--as of 2015, 16.6 million Americans lived in residences with at least one undocumented immigrant--these deportations will affect citizens and non-citizens alike.

Given the burden mass deportations would have placed on the federal bureaucracy, Hoover’s administration outsourced the raids, targeting and deportation to local and state officials--persons not particularly well versed in constitutional law, nor the sensitivities surrounding deportation.

Trump appears ready to do the same: while the administration has directed the hiring of 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to oversee the dramatic increase in deportations, the administration has also revived the controversial 287(g) program, which recruits local law enforcement and sheriff’s deputies to assist in deportations.

Only a limited number of Americans seem to even be aware of the gross mistakes their country made in the name of security. While still a state senator, Dunn successfully sponsored the Apology Act, an official mea culpa from the state of California to its Mexican residents--it passed in 2006. He also led efforts to have a memorial erected in La Placita park, the site of the first raids on L.A.’s Mexican community, where it now stands in memoriam.

And yet, when Dunn took his apology proposal to members of the U.S. Congress, no one was interested. “They would say, ‘Immigration is really volatile right now. We’re gonna look like we’re only fighting for Latinos.’ We couldn’t convince anyone to pick it up.”

As for all the records and material unearthed during his research? Dunn said, “Those documents are still sitting in my garage. Nobody really wanted them.”

Those whose families were affected by the deportations--in some cases forever changed--appear no more eager to delve into the sins of the past. “They never talked about it,” said Herrada, “there was a lot of shame associated with it … They didn’t know why they got deported. They didn’t know what they did to bring that on. The only thing they knew was that they were Mexicans--and this only happened to Mexicans.”

#Herbert Hoover #Mexican deportations #Mexican repatriation #Hoover-era deportations

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theonyxpath · 4 years

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Gag! Choke!

Yes, the They Came From Beyond the Grave! Kickstarter funded last week, and we’re all really thrilled that it will be over-printed to get copies in stores and that now it can start building some extra projects thanks to the generosity of our backers.

Thanks, folks!

With three weeks left to run, we figure that with good word of mouth we’ll be able to open up a good solid handful of monsters for the Monsters From the Crypt book we’re building with Stretch Goals, as well as more projects we haven’t yet revealed.

So, spreading the word if it looks cool to you is important – please do it if you get the chance!

But if support trickles in rather than gushes – that’s OK, too! What we want with our new games is enough support in terms of backers so that the Kickstarter lives up to its name. A little kick that gets the final book into stores and the hands of folks who will play it, or a great big kick into even more of both are both excellent outcomes. One is just more biggerer and means we’ve got a larger base group to start with.

Having had both in the forty-some KSs we’ve run, there are challenges to either situation. A lot of biggerer KSs, for us and for a lot of other TTRPG companies, wind up being logistically hard to handle because no one involved is truly ready for how problems multiply at 4,000+ backers.

But littler KSs can sometimes not make enough to cover the costs if printing or shipping suddenly goes up. We’ve been lucky in that we never had a KS that actually ran at a loss, but it has been close! So, challenges for both, like I said.

Finally, in talking about They Came From Beyond the Grave!, I just wanted to give you some first-hand thoughts about our game that was played at our Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Con a month-ish ago.

First, here’s the link to our Actual Play on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/qLEFXntIa3g

If you’re not into watching an hour-plus of a gang of gamers explore a creepy old house in the 1970s, or at least roleplay doing that as we sit in little windows, I’m told that the Onyx Pathcast on Friday, August 7th will contain an audio presentation of this gaming session.

I really was looking forward to playing this. It was my third game in three days, which is the most TTRPG playing in that amount of time that I’ve done for years. But, I went into it knowing I’d be playing a Professor, and one that had been a bit messed up by the secrets he had uncovered through his career. So, I figured he’d be a natural for shouting out lines and Quips, which would make diving into a new game much easier.

In fact, I’d just been in a game that weekend with Dixie, but I’d never had Matthew as a GM, and didn’t know Ian or B. Dave. Fortunately, once again the weird Professor role allowed me to do my thing while getting used to how they played their characters – and if you watch the Actual Play, you can see that Ian worked up to his character a bit, as he had a dark secret or two, while B. Dave went all-in from the start.

Which was a delight, and allowed Dixie and I to work out some banter and methodology for how our characters worked together: she was hip and driven, and I was weird. Our time partnered up even gave me a chance to come up with pseudo-scientific catch-phrases in addition to the Quips Matthew provided!

V5 Let the Streets Run Red art by Ken Meyer, Jr

Here’s Dixie, with some thoughts about the game:

“I love how it does camp along with actual horror, and the cinematics like costume change and dramatic meteorology make for amazing scene changes. I had so much fun watching B. Dave’s character and also getting lost in the red room and drenched in blood was a highlight.”

Speaking of costuming, I really think this game could be a fantastic opportunity to wear both 60s/70s and kinda Victorian clothes while playing. And the “costume change” cinematic card did come in handy for us after getting soaked in blood up to our waists, as Dixie and I used the card so that as we entered the room where the other characters waited, we were in two totally different, but non-blood soaked ensembles!

For myself, I did adopt one bit of costume: round tinted glasses. In the webcam, no one could easily see my eyes, which was really interesting and helped me keep a little mystery going along with the weird science stuff. In my mind, I was modeling myself on the dark glasses-wearing Quincy Harker from the old Tomb of Dracula comic by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. It must have worked too, because at one point Dixie wondered if the glasses were because I actually was a vampire or at least a ghoul.

Which was a great example of how just one bit of costuming or prop can create a whole different set of reactions while we’re playing.

System-wise, everything flowed really easily and intuitively and the added system elements like Quips and Cinematics made sense where they fit into the base Storypath System.

By the time we realized that we needed to head towards the episode’s denouement, it was obvious that the four of us could have played these characters locked in a broom closet and still have come up with tons of fun roleplay, so it was very smart of Matthew to move us towards the big reveal or we probably would still be playing and have only gotten through half the mansion (and plot).

And a satisfying ending it was, too. Everybody got to do their characterful things, and Matthew got to give us the big reveal (no, I’m not going to tell you. You gotta check it out!). Some fiery atmospherics, and we were out in the murder mansion’s driveway again, battered but maybe a tad wiser. Maybe. And with clues towards a larger menace to face in the future!

Here’s Matthew’s takeaway of the session:

“They Came From (in both its iterations) is always a joy to run, with players and audiences alike responding well to its combination of madcap laughs, hammy acting, and fun, gameplay and narrative altering mechanics. I really couldn’t have asked for a better group to show the game off at Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention, with Ian, Rich, and Dixie each adding their own creative flair to their characters, while B. Dave Walters stole the show with his smoooooth P.I., using the Raconteur Archetype.

One thing that stands out most to me from that session, is how differently it played to the session I ran for Red Moon Roleplaying (the third episode of which they’re uploading tomorrow!). Both games were great fun, but struck a different tone and style, and I think that speaks to the flexibility of the game and the characteristics the players brought to each game. Both are great fun and contain a lot of laughs, so please check them out!”

Nuff said! Please give it a look-see!

Titanomachy art by Felipe Gaona

What Did We Talk About At Today’s Meeting?

Thanks for asking!

For World of Darkness fans, it’s the return of the Dog Days of Summer Sale at IPR. From July 30th to August 31st, all Vampire 20th Anniversary deluxe books, screens, and dice are 50% off! And so are select Werewolf 20th and Wraith 20th deluxe books and screens! Exclusively at Indie Press Revolution!

In our ongoing efforts to try and connect gaming with helping out our communities during this tough period, a good number of the Twitch games running on our channel this week will donate proceeds to various charities including RAINN, the US’s largest anti-sexual violence organization; The Trevor Project, the national 24-hour, toll free confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth; the Transgender Law Center, the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people; and The Bail Project, a national nonprofit organization that provides free bail assistance and pretrial support to thousands of low-income people every year.

If you have a chance, you can enjoy watching some great gaming and elect to contribute to some worthwhile causes.

Yugman‘s art by Shen Fei

As a reminder, as I think I mentioned this last week, we’re doing our annual Gen Con “What’s Up With the Onyx Path?” panel virtually this year at Gen Con Online. Join Dixie, Eddy, Danielle Lauzon, maybe Matthew if the trans-Atlantic timing works out, and myself as we discuss just what we’re doin’ these days, dontcha know!

Finally, as I’ve gone on about pretty much since the pandemic started, we’re looking at more and more ways to enable folks to play our games virtually. This week we have a Virtual Table Top “encounter pack” going on sale at DTRPG that is usable for your VTT playing: Hunt for the Red Widow, a short encounter designed starting Talents in the Trinity Continuum Core setting.

It has the storyline written up, character tokens for the antagonists, maps, and some new powers, all the pieces needed to play through chasing down the Red Widow and her minions after their theft of a valuable artifact hidden by the Aeon Society. It’s designed to be easily fit into your virtual gaming, and just as easily into face-to-face gaming, too!

Give it a run through and let us know what you think! After all, we need to hear from you as to which of the many projects we’re getting out there work for you, so that we can create more ways to explore our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

Blurbs!

Kickstarter!

The They Came From Beyond the Grave! Kickstarter funded last week, and as it finishes its first full week we have opened up (like a crypt!) the Screen and the first section of Monsters from the Crypt: a book containing More Monsters! Next up in Stretch Goals are the T-Shirt and even More Monsters!

Thanks to all of you who have pledged to enable this fantastic project and its Stretch Goals!

Here’s a specially-made special trailer by the brilliant Larry Blamire:

And keep your eyes open for:

Onyx Path Media!

This week: Scion Status Update Roundtable featuring the affable Neall Raemonn Price!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

With They Came from Beyond the Grave! haunting Kickstarter, let’s take a look at some of the media related to that game!

Over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath, Vorpal Tales are running their first campaign of They Came from Beyond the Grave! This follows their fantastic They Came from Beneath the Sea! campaign, and I really think you should check it out! Their YouTube channel has episode one right here: https://youtu.be/Q6na0WHTfjo

Meanwhile, over on YouTube, our friends at Red Moon Roleplaying have started their own They Came from Beyond the Grave! story, with their usual excellent editing, quality, and in this case, a lovely cast of players led by Director, Matthew Dawkins! Come join in and listen to the Cult of Abaddon at play: https://youtu.be/RDYzNbk7VkQ

Also on YouTube, Larry Blamire’s hilarious trailer for They Came from Beyond the Grave! has dropped and is there for your viewing pleasure. It’s a testament to the kinds of stories you can tell using this game: https://youtu.be/NP65PlAw7mI

And finally, also on YouTube, in case you missed it we have the actual play of They Came from Beyond the Grave! that Matthew ran for Rich Thomas, Ian Muller, Dixie Cochran, and B. Dave Walters. Dare you enter Karnstein Manor? https://youtu.be/qLEFXntIa3g

This week on Twitch, expect to see a whole heap of games, including a lot of games we’re running for charity!:

Scarred Lands – RAINN

RPG Chaos, with Danielle Lauzon – Transgender Law Center

Cavaliers of Mars, with Vorpal Tales – The Trevor Project

They Came from Beneath the Sea!, with Ravyn Evermore – The Trevor Project

V5, with Gehenna Gaming – RAINN

They Came from Beyond the Grave! – The Bail Project

They Came from Beneath the Sea!, with PolishedCryptid – The Trevor Project

Changeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie Tale

Mage: The Awakening – Occultists Anonymous

Exalted Essence, with Monica Speca – Transgender Law Center

Scarred Lands – Purge of the Serpentholds

Chronicles of Darkness – Tooth & Claw

Get watching for some fantastic insight into how to run these wonderful games and subscribe to us on Twitch, over at twitch.tv/theonyxpath

Come take a look at our YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/theonyxpath, where you can find a whole load of videos of actual plays, dissections of our games, and more, including:

Storytellers with Coffee: Technocracy Reloaded – https://youtu.be/hb44inqafmE

Changeling: The Lost – Littlebrook Reunion Episode 23 – https://youtu.be/-O-74ePyQC4

(Matthew’s favourite) Scarred Lands – Purge of the Serpentholds Episode 8 – https://youtu.be/PFBYHw5TqoM

Deviant: The Renegades – A Cautionary Tale – Session Zero – https://youtu.be/5u9haYcXHa8

Storytellers with Coffee – Changeling: The Lost and Other Games – https://youtu.be/K7STCgIi8RY

Storytellers with Coffee – The Games of Onyx Path – https://youtu.be/QxRRq-WQytg

Subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon if you want to be notified whenever new news videos and uploads come online!

The ExaltCast continues with its superb breakdown of Exalted, hosted by Monica Speca and Exalted Writer Chazz Kellner. Check out their array of episodes (the show’s only just started!) over at http://www.exaltcast.com/

Our very own Chris Allen continues his chronicle of Werewolf: The Forsaken here and on Twitch: https://youtu.be/FyghldnRGPM

Please check these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games! We’d love to feature you!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

We’re told that the App Dev is currently creating an updated version for the latest devices, so keep an eye open for those!

Virtual TableTop!

This Weds, we are releasing a Virtual Tabletop encounter pack for the Trinity Continuum Core: Hunt for the Red Widow on DTRPG!

Hunt for the Red Widow is a short encounter designed starting Talents in the Trinity Continuum Core setting. When a renowned but mysterious thief known as The Red Widow steals an ancient artifact from the Æon Society’s vaults, it is up to the party to track her down and recover the device. She is heading to an old ruin said to unlock the artifact’s true power. Can the heroes reach her in time?

Inside you’ll find:

A short encounter for use with the Trinity Continuum Corebook

Two new antagonists: The Red Widow, and her minions, known simply as “Ghosts.” Virtual tabletop tokens are included to represent the antagonists

Two maps, ready to be uploaded into your virtual tabletop platform of choice

New Anomaly Powers.

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these latest fiction books:

Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost Second Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And now Scion Origin and Scion Hero and Trinity Continuum Core and Trinity Continuum: Aeon are available to order

It’s the return of the DOG DAYS OF SUMMER SALE!

As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, part the fourth of Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad, a multi-part PDF for Scarred Lands will be adventuring on DTRPG!

This section of Yugman’s includes:

6 new Backgrounds detailing Devotional and Political societies

Two new subclasses

Nine new spells

New equipment and magic items

Plus, as mentioned above, also this Weds, we are releasing a Virtual Tabletop encounter pack for the Trinity Continuum Core: Hunt for the Red Widow on DTRPG!

Inside you’ll find:

A short encounter for use with the Trinity Continuum Corebook

Two new antagonists: The Red Widow, and her minions, known simply as “Ghosts.” Virtual tabletop tokens are included to represent the antagonists

Two maps, ready to be uploaded into your virtual tabletop platform of choice

New Anomaly Powers.

Conventions!

Though dates for physical conventions are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, here’s what’s left of our current list of upcoming conventions (and really, we’re just waiting for this last one to be cancelled even though it’s Nov/Dec). Instead, keep an eye out here for more virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with:

PAX Unplugged: https://unplugged.paxsite.com/

Keep an eye out for our games being run at the online version of GenCon at the end of the month, as well as our What’s Up With the Onyx Path? panel currently slated for 1pm, Thursday July 30th!

https://www.gencon.com/online/

And now, the new project status updates!

Development Status from Eddy Webb! (Projects in bold have changed status since last week.):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep.)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)

Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)

M20 Technocracy Operative’s Dossier (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)

Prometheus Unbound (was Psi Orders) (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

No Gods, No Masters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Redlines

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)

CtL 2e Novella Collection: Hollow Courts (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Squeaks In The Deep (Realms of Pugmire)

Trinity Continuum: Anima

Second Draft

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)

Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)

The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)

M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)

Dystopia Rising: Evolution Fiction Anthology (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Development

TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

V5 Children of the Blood (was The Faithful Undead) (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Manuscript Approval

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Post-Approval Development

Under Alien Skies (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Editing

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum)

LARP Rules (Scion 2nd Edition)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)

They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)

N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Post-Editing Development

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Indexing

Lunars: Fangs At The Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

Tales of Aquatic Terror

WoD Ghost Hunters (KS)

Aberrant

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Mummy 2

Deviant – Sam doing fulls for this next. Contracting out all the rest.

Legendlore

Technocracy Reloaded

Cults of the Blood God – Rolling along.

Scion: Dragon (KS) – Splats contracted.

Masks of the Mythos (KS) – KS art contracted, a couple of finals already in.

Scion: Demigod (KS) – KS art in progress.

They Came From Beyond the Grave! (KS) – KS running.

TC: Adventure! (KS) – Cover is in.

Geist: One Foot In the Grave

In Layout

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad

Vigil Watch

TC Aeon Terra Firma

V5 Let the Streets Run Red – Almost wrapped up, still working on Loresheets.

Pugmire Adventure

Scion Titanomachy

Trinity Core Jumpstart

Proofing

Trinity Aeon Jumpstart – PoD files updated.

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate – Indexing.

Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs

Magic Item Decks (Scarred Lands)

Yugman’s Guide Support Decks (Scarred Lands)

At Press

TCFBTS Heroic Land Dwellers – PoD proof on the way.

TCFBTS Screen and Booklet – Files at press.

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Shipping from printer to KS fulfiller, PoD proofs on the way.

Pirates of Pugmire – Shipping from printer to KS fulfiller.

Pirates of Pugmire Screen – Files at press.

Dark Eras 2 – Files at press.

Dark Eras 2 Screen and booklet – Files at press.

Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition Dark Eras Compilation – PoD proof on the way.

Contagion Chronicle – Press prep.

Contagion Chronicle Screen and Booklet – Files at press.

Lunars Wall Scroll Map – Files at press.

Lunars Screen and Booklet – Files at press.

Scarred Lands Creature Collection – Printing.

Scion Companion – PoD proofs ordered.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Today marks 80 years since the first named appearance of Bugs Bunny on screen. A Wild Hare in 1940 was his first appearance as Bugs. He did appear earlier as a Bugs-like rabbit in Porky’s Hare Hunt, but he was unnamed in the episode. Guess they liked the reaction to his character enough to give him a name. For several generations that grew up with the cartoons, especially run in blocks on TV, Bugs was an anarchic, rebellious, and sarcastic role model – very often the first that young minds were exposed to.

You can tell because even to this day we quote certain lines, like my old WW buddy Ken Cliffe who often replied to questions about whether the text for game books would hit deadlines with “Could be, rabbit. Could be.”

#Onyx Path Publishing

0 notes

myallywynn · 4 years

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COVID-19 – How to manage working from home

“This is nothing new” maybe a phrase that you may have heard many times in the course of normal conversation and usually refers to something that we have seen, heard and are used to..

Well, here is something new to many many many people, companies, countries and industries around the world.. Something that has been suddenly thrust on all of us taking everyone by surprise..

“WORKING FROM HOME or REMOTE WORKING”

To many, this working from home is not by choice but due to the Coronavirus – COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown in many countries around the world..

Firstly, why is it sensible to work from home right now

Lauren Ancel Meyers, a professor of integrative biology at UT Austin and her team of researchers have been studying more than 450 COVID-19 infection cases from 93 cities in China..

The team have identified that the time between cases in a chain of transmission is less than a week..!!

The team also found strong evidence that people without symptoms must be transmitting the virus, known as pre-symptomatic transmission..

According to the research, more than 1 in 10 infections were from people who had the virus but did not yet feel sick..

“This provides evidence that extensive control measures including isolation, quarantine, school closures, travel restrictions and cancellation of mass gatherings may be warranted,” Meyers said. “Asymptomatic transmission definitely makes containment more difficult.”

As per WorldoMeter, all countries in the world are currently affected by COVID-19 some worse than others..

As per BBC reports “The WHO said it took more than three months to reach the first 100,000 confirmed cases worldwide, but only 12 days to reach 200,000, four days to reach 300,000 and three days to reach 400,000.”

BBC has reflected this very nicely below..

While preventive measures are essential, the concept of having to work from home, social distancing and isolation brings with it new challenges for both the employees and employers on how this must all be handled..

No one in the world seemed prepared for such a separation..

Even in the businesses of shipping, freight, maritime, logistics and supply chain which are considered as essential services around the world, many people are working from home due to this pandemic..

If you are one of the millions of people working from home, here are some pointers on how to manage it effectively..

Challenges of remote working from home

Some of the challenges that face both employers and employees are

Structure

Distraction

Supervision

Trust

Isolation

Communication

Structure is defined as “construct or arrange according to a plan; give a pattern or organization to“.. For me, not just when working from home, but in general, this is one of the most important pillars of working..

At the office, you work within a certain “structure” wherein you have guidelines of what you can cannot do and where you have to draw the line before you get into trouble..

This is absent at home because at home you are the boss.. This is your kingdom and no one tells you what to do..

Well, not entirely true..

You need to remember that you are not leave and that you are still working, irrespective of where you are working from.. You as the employee have to take cognisance of this fact and remember it always – at least within your typical working hours..

While working from home could be fun, if you don’t have structure, you will end up with more emails and other work than you can handle and end up working more than what you would have at your office..

So be structured in your approach to work and follow the same structure you would as you are at work.. For example if you are used to tacking certain functions at work at certain times like a daily report or updates etc..

Or if you are used to taking a coffee break, smoke break or lunch breaks at certain times of the day at work, follow same at home..

Easier said than done you may say, considering the various distractions at home – kids, pets, husband all of whom are also on lockdown with you..

While it may not be easy, it need not be difficult..

Set up a dedicated workspace in a specific area which you can use for the duration of the lockdown.. Educate everyone in your home that this is your “office” and no one is allowed entry in that area..

At the same time, employers should expect that not all employees may have the ideal workspace set up and also that distractions will happen especially with out of school/daycare kids around with no one to watch them..

And not forgetting to set “rules of engagement” which is an integral part of the structure..

By rules of engagement I mean that there has to be a set of guidelines that needs to be set by the employers communicating to the employees what is expected of them during this period when they are working from home..

Once this expectation has been conveyed, the employees need to ensure that they do everything in their power to fulfill these expectations..

Which brings the question of Supervision and Trust to the fore.. This could be an issue for both parties because managers or supervisors may find it difficult managing employees that don’t work very well without supervision..

From an employee perspective, some of them won’t have access to their supervisors or managers to assist and for support.. This could put them under pressure as well..

In certain jobs there may not be any way of measuring whether someone worked the number of hours they say they worked from home.. There is no way a manager can verify this..

So they have to trust it when the employee is saying they were working.. Employees on the other hand must do everything possible to ensure that they don’t break this trust..

Communication between team members including management is an essential factor especially people are not available within walking distance..

Some of the fears of lack of supervision or lack of trust can be overcome through “structured” communication channels or methods..

For example, one can structure daily or weekly video chat/conference calls between management and staff..

Today, there are many opportunities for video/audio conferences which can assist with this particular aspect..

Employees must get the feeling that the supervisor/manager is available as they normally are, but only that the mode of communication is now online than personal..

Organisations and individuals can have their pick.. BlueJeans, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Zoom are great for professional and business video and audio conferencing while Whatsapp, WeChat, Skype, Telegram etc are great for quick, short, informal chats..

There are many ways of communicating and staying in touch, so neither the managers nor the staff need to feel anxious to be out of touch or isolated..

Psychology experts suggest taking breaks and in fact, the State of Remote Report 2019 by Buffer reports that “unplugging after work” was the biggest struggle that people working remotely claim to have..

Security Issues

This is an important aspect that can make or break this concept of remote working..

The World Economic Forum is warning employers and employees on the perils of cyber attacks when working from home.. As per the WEF, “Many cybercriminals are seeking to exploit our thirst for information as a vector for attack.

Most commonly, as with other high-profile events, attackers are using COVID-19-themed phishing e-mails, which purport to deliver official information on the virus, to lure individuals to click malicious links that download Remote Administration Tools (RATs) on their devices.”

The WEF is encouraging employers to understand the threats to the organisation and provide employees with clear guidance and equip their systems with the right security capabilities..

Equally, employees are also cautioned to be careful when using their work equipment at home and ensure a secure password protection and not click on any suspicious emails or files and also to be wary about scams..

One of the other main things that employees must do is not to use their work equipment for their personal matters and an attack could also jeopardise their personal information..

Conclusion

Basically remote working is a style of work that allows people to work outside of their traditional office environment which could be a home, a hotel, a ship or anywhere..

But of course it is not for anyone as a lot of the office based staff may not be used to working from home at all or do not have the facilities as opposed to some of the others in the office who may be travelling often for work or are on the road most of the time for sales etc..

At the end of the day keep these few simple points to keep in mind when you are working from home and you will be fine :

Don’t do at home what you won’t do at work ;

Create your own structure and routine replicating your workspace/habits as closely as possible ;

Produce an honest day’s work either equal to or more than you would have done in the office ;

Engage with your peers and managers regularly so that you stay in touch ;

Communicate as often but as effectively as possible ;

Don’t over-indulge and stay working, know when to break off ;

Be compassionate to those who may not be handling working from home too well

The post COVID-19 – How to manage working from home appeared first on Shipping and Freight Resource.

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marymosley · 4 years

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In conversation with ChannikaDeSilva Gonzalez, Research Attorney at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C.

ChannikaDeSilva Gonzalez specializes in environmental toxic tort law at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. She helps asbestos exposure victims and their families by representing them and recovering compensation from bankruptcy trusts. She has represented clients throughout the State of Alabama in Social Security Disability Law. Channika has been a member of the Alabama Association for Justice and Birmingham Bar Association.

We had a pleasure interviewing Channika. Here’s the candid conversation with her:

In your view, what are the major problems faced by the environmental tort law industry?

Well, I believe logistically proving Causation can drag out and delay toxic tort cases because the Plaintiff must show that the injury was caused by the substance at issue. The environmental tort law industry has to face unique litigation challenges, especially when litigating disputes such as direct personal injuries or challenging authenticity of public policies. Jurisdictional hurdles are commonly faced by environmental litigators and do not have standing because courts often conclude that environmental plaintiffs frequently claim the defendant’s action as harmful and against the public interest.

Environmental tort cases often need to prove their legal significance so that court actions can prevent any future violations from the defendant. Sometimes, environmental cases get dismissed if the court believes that the plaintiff has not sustained any provable damage or harm. Environmental lawyers have to deal with serious ethical questions and also need to manage a balance between economic development and environmental protection.

As an attorney, how much preparation do you do on files that are going for trial?

I assist with Discovery and going over questions with the clients. I handle all the paperwork that is required to get our clients in the bankruptcy trust system. A great amount of research is necessary to collect all the required information. I also do the fine legal part before we obtain the results. Apart from this, I listen carefully to my clients and try to consider all options while considering a client’s case. Above all, I always treat our client as a person and not as just another “case”.

So, please share some of the highlights of your career so far?

One of the main highlights of my career that I would like to share is the sense of satisfaction and pleasure I derive while assisting Asbestos bankruptcy proceedings and Asbestos litigation. The field of legal research gives us amazing responsibility and the ability to help people where they have been injured and are hence liable to receive compensation. I believe that my career enables helping people that are injured or that need a voice, which is, in fact, an invaluable gift to me.

According to you, what are the three main attributes that define success for an environmental lawyer?

As with all law practitioners, fundamental skills such as research and writing, negotiation, and oral advocacy are the three main attributes that are important to be successful as an environmental lawyer.

We need to be risk-takers with creative thinking skills and we need to think out of the box, something like a detective. Effective communication both oral and written is a must for a successful environmental lawyer. In order to win trials in court, the ability to persuade others towards a specific viewpoint is important. Also, the attorney must prepare and collate a lot of details to build an effective case. Currently, there is not much infrastructure in place for us to follow, and thus we need to be creators in order to be successful as environmental lawyers. Lastly, as this field is a crossover between science and law, we need to be interested in science and apply the same to law, just like an investigator!

What challenges do you think law firms and environmental lawyers will have to adapt to in the coming years?

We, as environmental lawyers play a big role because environmental law is one such area that has a very minimal infrastructure in place to protect the people. While there is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that puts forward great intentions but, it has not been funded in a proper way. Therefore, the responsibility of making a true difference falls on the attorneys. Possibly, the challenges will include handling large volumes of cases and still treating clients as individuals.

What advice would you like to give the students who are aspiring to take up the profession as an environmental lawyer?

I would like to advise the students that are aspiring to become an environmental lawyer that it is very important to be focused, diligent, organized and make a clear-cut plan. Environmental law is not everyone’s cup of tea; in fact, it is perfect for the energetic and creative individual who really wants to make a difference. You will not have a “life” for a few years while you are at law school. Do not let this deter you – you will achieve something remarkable with just some perseverance and grit.

It is not just easy to go against the chemical giants but it is one of the best and rewarding careers. Prospective students can find information regarding degree programs, examination preparation, professional networking, and career opportunities in this emerging field online.

What would you like to advise the current law students?

There will be many times where you will want to quit. But, do not give up. At the end of your journey, your struggles will be worth it. As a student of law, you need to begin building your network as soon as possible. A good network helps by providing the most important professional support, acting as a resource for potential jobs, and a system for continuing education, which helps to stay updated in your field of law. Make sure you make the connections with care and nurture good friendship as this is quite important both professionally and personally.

Thus, through this interview with Channika, we can infer that in a domain like environmental litigation, attorneys face a lot of complex challenges. Three major attributes namely- hard work, knowledge, and experience are invaluable to achieve justice.

The post In conversation with ChannikaDeSilva Gonzalez, Research Attorney at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. appeared first on Legal Desire.

In conversation with ChannikaDeSilva Gonzalez, Research Attorney at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

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blockheadbrands · 4 years

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The Last Prisoner Project: Until All of Us Are Free

Caitlin Donohue of High Times Reports:

The women of the Last Prisoner Project fight for Drug War justice in the legalization era.

In the United States, legal cannabis pulled in a smooth $10.4 billion in 2018, making it a banner year for pot profits. And the industry is on track to smash that record in 2019. All that prosperity is cause for good cheer—unless you or someone you love is one of the 40,000 people sitting in US jails for the same cannabis-related actions that are now making others rich. Over the past 10 years, as the recreational- and medicinal-marijuana industries have grown, 15 million people have been arrested on cannabis-related charges. Not all of them have been able to erase the negative marks that this encounter with the justice system had on their lives.

Cannabis entrepreneurs (and even consumers) benefiting from now-legal marijuana should feel some responsibility to help those who were penalized for growing and selling the same plant prior to legalization. That’s the reasoning behind groups like Cage-Free Cannabis and, more recently, the Last Prisoner Project (LPP), a retroactive-justice advocacy organization that launched in September.

“This is something we reiterate to cannabis companies constantly when we’re trying to fundraise for these programs,” the initiative’s executive director, Sarah Gersten, explains. “We believe that every cannabis company—and really, every individual who is able to profit off this industry—has a moral imperative to give back in some way to those who suffered from prohibition.”

The LPP’s creators are the noted marijuana activists and co-founders of California’s Harborside dispensary chain, Andrew and Steve DeAngelo. However, day-to-day operations are handled by two women who, like the DeAngelos, boast years of experience in the marijuana game.

Harvard-educated Gersten went from working in a federal congressional agency to becoming a full-time cannabis lawyer, collaborating with the Marijuana Policy Project and NORML on national campaigns. She started her law firm, Gersten Saltman, to take on the cannabis industry’s legal issues, but she knew it was key that the group also do its part when it came to ensuring the rights of those whom cannabis legalization has largely left behind. She established a pro bono initiative for the firm, which she led herself. When she met Steve DeAngelo at a cannabis conference, the two became convinced that she would be an excellent choice to help lead the LPP.

Gersten’s joined by LPP managing director Mary Bailey, who was previously the organizer behind the Maui Cannabis Conference and has been a longtime electronic music booker in Hawaii. Bailey became involved when, saddened by media reports on the continued incarceration of many individuals for cannabis-related offenses, she asked Andrew DeAngelo to put her in touch with a nonprofit working on retroactive-justice issues. Her unique background has given the LPP a distinctly melodic character; Bailey has been able to utilize her vast recording-industry Rolodex to find partners who are able to amplify the LPP’s message. The group’s board of advisors features Damian and Stephen Marley, Rebelution’s Eric Rachmany and a roster of high-powered industry professionals.

“I’ve been in and around the cannabis industry for most of my adult life,” Bailey says. “Personally, I don’t feel that anybody should be in prison for an amazing plant medicine such as cannabis.”

The Last Prisoner Project

With these women at its helm, the LPP is targeting issues with retroactive-justice laws. Even in states where cannabis has been decriminalized or legalized, and even in states with the political will to pass so-called automatic-expungement laws, the logistics of how to facilitate clemency and expunge records for people with cannabis-related offenses are tricky. Many jurisdictions have paper-based backlogs of criminal records that are nearly impossible to search in batches, which means there are people still sitting in prison on charges that no longer warrant their incarceration.

Groups like Code for America are doing their part to set up algorithms for government agencies that aid in the sorting of such criminal records. The LPP is working with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to replicate the clemency program that the group developed for New York State. “Rather than having to go on an individual-by-individual basis and file clemency petitions, we’d be able to file bulk petitions to release all the individuals that were deemed eligible,” Gersten explains of the developing strategy.

And it’s not just about people currently serving time. A past marijuana-related offense can adversely affect someone’s ability to find housing and employment, making it essential that in states where it’s legally possible, individuals have the tools they need to erase such marks from their criminal history. To help those looking to clean their record of past cannabis offenses, Gersten facilitated an expungement workshop in her home state of Massachusetts during National Expungement Week’s 2019 launch (National Expungement Week co-founder Torie Wallace sits on the LPP’s board of advisors). In Hawaii, Bailey pulled together a historic coalition of legal-rights organizations to host the first such workshop in the state—a much different proposition given that, unlike in Massachusetts, few social-equity programs exist in Hawaii to help those with cannabis-related marks on their record to move forward.

“Now that we know we have a working group of people that can focus on the problem and go to our legislators, we can work together to create change,” says Bailey.

Nobody knows what so-called “justice-involved individuals” (as LPP leadership refers to people who have faced criminal charges related to cannabis) need to repair the damage done to their lives by the War on Drugs as much as they do themselves. To that end, the LPP has filled its board of advisors with not only musicians, managers and industry professionals, but also people who know firsthand about the adverse effects of marijuana policing.

One of the group’s advisors is Evelyn LaChapelle, an Oakland mother who was sent to prison for 87 months for a minor role in an illegal marijuana operation. She was released in February 2019 after serving her time, but when a co-worker discovered that she had been incarcerated on cannabis charges, LaChapelle was fired from her job as a hotel sales and catering coordinator. Now the owner of a car-wash business, LaChapelle was tapped by LPP to serve as an advisor. Other LPP advisors include Corvain Cooper, who is currently serving a life sentence in California on marijuana charges, and Dennis Hunter, who went from spending six years in a federal prison for a cultivation offense to running his own legal marijuana company, the manufacturing corporation CannaCraft. Their expertise was essential in planning a key LPP pilot partnership with the cannabis company Harvest Health & Recreation.

In the United States, the Department of Justice has found that two-thirds of individuals go back to prison within three years of being released. If you take into account the stats after six years, 79 percent of people will be incarcerated again. “We know that recidivism rates in the country are incredibly high because we don’t put in those resources to support people coming out of prison,” says Gersten.

To that end, Harvest and the LPP’s “Prison to Prosperity” re-entry program aims to connect 15 former marijuana prisoners with cannabis- and hemp-industry job training, as well as financial planning skills, physical- and mental-health services, immigration assistance and voting-rights restoration by early 2020. The program will take place in Los Angeles, which Gersten says was chosen because it has a much more progressive take when it comes to making sure that those negatively impacted by the War on Drugs have a place in the legalized marijuana industry.

“In a lot of jurisdictions, having a criminal record, and particularly having a cannabis offense, will in fact bar you from entering the cannabis industry,” she says.

The LPP’s plan is to gauge how much re-entry help people can reasonably take on when they are getting out of prison, with the aim of applying those lessons on a larger scale. “The goal is absolutely that by doing it on a very small scale and taking the time to develop a well-thought-out program that we’ll create something that will be scalable, not just to all of California, but to all the country as laws continue to change and greater access is afforded to justice-involved individuals,” says Gersten.

Fighting Back Against The War on Drugs

Real-life experience with the War on Drugs is not the only valuable perspective the LPP’s advisors lend to the organization; they’ve also compelled the group’s leadership to look at retroactive justice as an international issue. Gersten credits that policy emphasis to lobbying done by the Marleys, who made her and Bailey aware of the situation in Jamaica. There, the government has chosen to decriminalize cannabis instead of legalizing the plant. That distinction has not entirely served to neutralize the animosity that police have for the island’s Rastafarian community, for whom use of marijuana is an essential religious sacrament.

As such, Jamaica has become the site of the LPP’s first acts of international activism. In September, Steve DeAngelo was a keynote speaker at the Montego Bay marijuana conference CanEx, where Gersten also led a panel on retroactive justice. She was joined by Niambe McIntosh, who is active in various Drug War justice organizations and is the daughter of beloved Wailers singer Peter Tosh. On the same trip, Gersten met with the staff of Jamaica’s public defender, Arlene Harrison Henry, to talk about prison reform and cannabis decriminalization. “It was great to take the first steps toward making this a global project,” says Gersten, who adds that the LPP is also staying in close contact with members of the growing Canadian retroactive-justice movement.

With emails pouring in from places like Latin America and Africa inquiring about Drug War justice strategies in those regions, the women of the LPP know they have a lot of work ahead of them. You can help by amplifying the LPP’s content on social media. “We want the masses to understand that there are still people behind bars for cannabis, and some of them are serving mandatory life sentences,” says Bailey. “That’s how people can get involved, by helping us share the message.”

As more jurisdictions legalize and regulate cannabis, the urgency of retroactive justice deepens. Programs like the LPP, led by people with the power to convince their industry peers of their responsibility to help those still incarcerated for cannabis, are key. Its leadership team knows that what they’re doing could make a huge difference in people’s lives. “There’s this deep disparity and injustice in that you are able to now profit and make millions of dollars off of this plant while others are still sitting behind bars,” says Gersten. Fortunately, the Last Prisoner Project is on the case. m

You can contribute to LPP’s clemency initiative. Visit lastprisonerproject.org to donate.

This article was originally published in the November 2019 issue of High Times. Subscribe here!

TO READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE ON HIGH TIMES, CLICK HERE.

https://hightimes.com/activism/until-all-of-us-are-free/

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flauntpage · 6 years

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Jim Calhoun Wants To Build Something From Scratch

Jim Calhoun will be the first to tell you that, contrary to what you may have heard, he did not “build” the men’s basketball program at the University of Connecticut. Sure, he lifted UConn from a regional success into a national power, winning three national titles along the way, but that was possible only thanks to the sturdy foundation he inherited from generations of predecessors.

No, true “building” is what Calhoun, 75, is now attempting at the University of St. Joseph, a tiny Division III school in West Hartford, Connecticut that currently has no men’s basketball players—and in fact no male students at all. In September, St. Joseph announced it had hired Calhoun to launch its new hoops program. Now, he’s the face of a university that will go coed next fall after 86 years as an all-women’s institution.

Calhoun sits at his desk one morning in January, gripping a foam coffee cup in a hand decorated by a bulky ring. Over his left shoulder hangs a framed letter from Barack Obama, alongside photos of UConn’s championship teams visiting three different presidents. To his right stands a mock-up of the new arena St. Joseph plans to erect. Calhoun’s contract as a special adviser at UConn doesn’t expire until March, so for now his official position here is “consultant,” but unofficially he is the program’s head coach. Come fall, he will stand on the sidelines and direct a yet-unassembled Blue Jays roster against Great Northeast Athletic Conference competition.

Compared to UConn, this might as well be in basketball Siberia. Calhoun shares a modest white-walled office with associate head coach Glen Miller, in a cramped athletic-department building attached to a musty, 500-person gym. He meets people who mistake St. Joseph for St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia or even St. Joseph’s College in Maine. He has far less support staff than any major-conference Division-I coach. And no matter how much success he enjoys at his new home, his games will never be broadcast on ESPN or bantered about on national radio.

Calhoun, a 2005 National Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, is not here for the glamor, and he quickly makes clear he is not in it for the money either. “The Catholics have this great thing about the fact that they take a vow of poverty and expect you to do the same,” he cracks. Instead, he’s here because he wanted a program to call his own and because a school with no men’s basketball history to speak of offered the perfect chance to construct something he can be proud of.

Calhoun’s return to coaching began last summer with a text message from St. Joseph athletic director Bill Cardarelli, who had briefly worked as an assistant under Calhoun at UConn back in 1986-87. With St. Joseph having decided to go coed, Cardarelli needed someone to lead his new men’s basketball program, and he figured he’d solicit recommendations from the Hall of Famer. The athletic director’s goals were modest. Cardarelli simply hoped to find a coach with experience who could handle recruiting a team from scratch.

But Cardarelli asked Calhoun whether he missed coaching and was somewhat surprised to hear his former boss answer affirmatively. So Cardarelli tossed out what seemed like a far-fetched idea. “I said, ‘Jim, we’ve got a job open for you,’” Cardarelli recalls. “I was kind of expecting, ‘Come on Bill, take a hike.’”

After retiring from UConn in 2012, in part due to health issues, Calhoun had spent three seasons calling college games for ESPN. The gig had allowed him to remain close to the sport he loves but left him longing for the feeling of ownership and accomplishment that came with running his own program. “I found that the more I went to practice of other teams, the more I missed it,” he says now. “Because it wasn’t our team. It wasn’t a group of us trying to get together to do something uncommon.”

Of course, just because Calhoun wanted to coach again didn’t mean he had to take a gig at a D-III school with zero male players. Surely a man with 877 career wins could have landed somewhere with a higher profile and more resources. In fact, Calhoun claims he was courted by USC, Cal and other high-level programs in the years after his retirement. But whereas those schools were far away from his Connecticut residence, St. Joseph was smack in the middle of a state Calhoun had learned to call home. His daughter-in-law had graduated from St. Joseph, he was friendly with the school’s Board of Trustees chairman, and he had known Cardarelli for years. The opportunity felt comfortable in a way others wouldn’t be. Plus, there was something alluring about the basketball program’s completely blank slate. When Calhoun’s longtime UConn consigliere George Blaney suggested he was crazy for accepting the job, the coach replied, “Well you knew that a long time ago.” Calhoun told Cardarelli he was in, and after sorting through some logistics, St. Joseph announced the hire on September 27.

In the four months since, Calhoun has been busy. He convinced Miller, released from the UConn staff last spring, to join him at St. Joseph, and the duo quickly hit the recruiting trail with less than a year to assemble an entire roster. Unlike in his previous job, where he could chase the top high schoolers in the country, Calhoun has been forced to seek players who are overlooked or disregarded by major schools, then figure out how to get them admitted and enrolled without the benefit of athletic scholarships. That means sweating players’ academic qualifications and navigating the maze of financial aid paperwork in a way he never had to before. Calhoun and Miller say they have “four or five” committed recruits so far, but without letters of intent, the coaches won’t count their chickens until they’re lined up on the baseline.

On the surface, Calhoun says, his new gig is “worlds apart,” from his old one. But as he sees it, the essence of his work hasn’t really changed. “When you get on the phone with a kid or a kid comes here to meet us, it’s the same thing,” he says. “We had a kid come in today, a 6-7 kid, and I was as excited about him as I would be about Emeka Okafor coming to visit.”

Calhoun has plenty of plans for St. Joseph, and not all of them involve pick-and-roll offense and defensive rotations. He wants to schedule home games for Mohegan Sun Arena downstate or at the XL Center in downtown Hartford—maybe even as an opening act before a UConn game. And that building whose mock-up he keeps next to his desk? He says it will feature several thousand seats, along with new offices and weight rooms. “Things are happening here, and it’s fun being a part of it,” he says.

More than you might expect from a 75-year-old legend, Calhoun seems to embrace a role as ambassador for St. Joseph. While some coaches run their programs with single-minded intensity, Calhoun says he looks forward to engaging the communities in Hartford and West Hartford to generate awareness of and enthusiasm for his new school. When he started at Connecticut, he recalls, people on the other side of the state from Storrs didn’t identify much with the university, and he worried that the world heard “UConn” and thought only of the territory in Canada. As his teams found success, however, the whole state rallied behind the school and the entire nation learned its name. On a much smaller scale, he hopes to accomplish something similar at St. Joseph. “We have to get out and tell people our story. That’s a major, major part,” he says. “The biggest thing is that people start associating St. Joe’s with being a terrific, small academic school.”

President Rhona Free says Calhoun impressed upon her early on that he was interested in more than just winning basketball games. “In the very first conversation,” she says, “he made it clear that while celebrity and big-time sports was good to him and he enjoyed it, what he really loves is being apart of developing a program, working with young student athletes, and he loves working in a community.”

Calhoun’s presence has benefited St. Joseph in ways both subtle and obvious. He appears at community events, shaking hands and snapping pictures. He offers tips to other coaches in the school’s athletic department. He meets with soccer and field hockey recruits in addition to basketball ones. Free says sports were always going to be a key part of St. Joseph’s transition to co-ed, a way to raise awareness for the school and get male students in the door, but hiring Calhoun turned the basketball program into more than that. With a single announcement, the team became the most visible and talked-about aspect of the university, with local papers flocking to write about it and even national publications like ESPN and USA Today taking note.

Calhoun knows building up St. Joseph basketball won’t be easy—that “it doesn’t always end with parades in the spring”—but he does have a few things going for him. His celebrity and pedigree will almost surely attract some recruits St. Joseph would not otherwise land, as will his proximity to the NBA, where even Division-III players dream of winding up one day. Calhoun says he’s already floating to prospects the possibility of working out alongside Kemba Walker or Ray Allen during the summer. It also helps that Calhoun brings with him a deep Rolodex of high-school coaches and that Miller has recruiting experience as well, both at UConn and as a head coach at D-III Connecticut College.

As for expectations, Calhoun says his goal is to simply “be the best we can be,” and although that sounds uselessly vague, it might be the only possible target, given the uncharted territory he finds himself in. There’s simply no precedent for one of the greatest coaches ever starting a program from scratch at the D-III level.

Calhoun is coy about how long he’ll last at St. Joseph, but from what Miller can tell, the Hall of Famer hasn’t lost any of the enthusiasm that helped him turn UConn into a powerhouse. “He’s out every single night recruiting,” Miller says. “The passion, effort, determination to build something special, not just something average, that hasn’t changed one bit.”

By all obvious measures, Calhoun and St. Joseph seem like an odd marriage. A big name with a long men’s basketball resume meets a small school with no men’s basketball history. A 75-year-old reaching the end of his career meets a program just beginning its story. But in hearing Calhoun speak about his new job, extolling the joys of recruiting and brightly praising St. Joseph’s soccer and lacrosse squads, the fit begins to make sense on the simplest of levels. The university wanted a splash and the coach wanted a team, a home, a community. The fact his roster comes with a “some assembly required” label merely offers one more challenge in a remarkable career. Calhoun has proven he can elevate a program. Now he’ll show whether he can truly build one.

Jim Calhoun Wants To Build Something From Scratch published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 6 years

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Jim Calhoun Wants To Build Something From Scratch

Jim Calhoun Wants To Build Something From Scratch syndicated from https://australiahoverboards.wordpress.com

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goosevpn-blog · 7 years

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GOOSE VPN

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The Very Pleasing Network - VPN Services

Choosing a right VPN provider could be uneasy for an inexperienced consumer. On this article we describe the principle causes for utilizing a VPN connection trying to decide on a VPN provider that suits your needs.

VPN or Digital Private Networks are broadly used by massive companies and small businesses for higher security and offering access to community resources (shared information, databases, units). As VPN useful reference establishes encrypted connection, all visitors between a consumer and a VPN server is protected and can't be tracked or intercepted. This makes VPN enticing for people searching for privacy safety.

As person connected to VPN seems for the complete world as if he was searching from the VPN server on his own with the tip IP address modified, this technology will be actually useful for unblocking web sites or using geographically locked content, such as regional on-line TELEVISION.

There are various VPN providers everywhere in the globe offering VPN accounts. Nonetheless, choosing the proper one will be a difficulty vpn service free for an unprepared consumer. There is basically only one query it's best to ask to decide on the VPN supplier that fits you.

What's the main reason for utilizing a VPN?

Let us first discuss safety. Usually 128-bit encryption is a standard security degree. It means that all traffic between you and your VPN server is encoded with a 128-bit key, and even when a hacker captures, will probably be hardly unimaginable windows 10 home vpn client to decode it with out the correct key. If your answer is security, and you're on the lookout for encrypting your visitors the best possible method, search for these providing 256-bit AES encryption, it offers even higher safety stage.

If you could change your IP handle into the one among a specific area, make sure that your VPN provider affords such service. There are companies dedicated read more on wikipedia here to providing, let's say UK or German IP handle, which can will let you work with specific regional providers closed to different parts of the world.

You should also think about connection methods. The commonest one is PPTP, it's supported by Windows and is easy to arrange. Nevertheless, it could be unavailable as a result of some causes, or could be prohibited to use in your company community. Must you require VPN for sites unblocking, for better flexibility think about using Open VPN protocol. It will likely be vital to install a 3rd get together software program which allows to connect even from those network devoted for pure net-surfing.

Virtual Private Network, usually called VPN, is a breakthrough in tunneling expertise. By way of this non-public network, packets of goosevpn knowledge pass through a digital tunnel the place it turns into encrypted, due to this fact inconceivable to decrypt when obtained.

Due to pc technology, a lot of the things folks do are related somehow to the computer. Some folks cannot go through the day with out accessing vpn client app their computer systems, primarily to make use of the web. Different even hook up with the online by using their mobile phones.

Web uses are so different now from what they have been earlier than. Initially, the public make use of a public network referred to as the web primarily for analysis, or to e mail somebody. Now there's already on-line banking, online shopping, reserving flights online, connecting with buddies by way of social networking sites, calling individuals by way of VoIP applications, and much more different things.

Due to this habitual use of the computer and the web that we developed, it turned essential to safeguard our pc system. As a result of we ship non-public information on-line, corresponding to bank card data, and addresses, it has turn out to be a necessity to make use of a safe connection over a public network (the web), which VPN can do.

The large query is how to start, proper? Before you get started on purchasing the primary VPN plan you see, you have to be aware of the components you must think about when selecting a VPN provider. First, you have to verify the reliability of the connection - are there many downtimes? Do previous and present users say they rarely or at all times get disconnected? These are the things you need to search for when it comes to checking reliability.

After all the worth is an important factor. You may only choose one that you could afford, and believe me, with all of the VPN suppliers around, there are masses to choose from. Nonetheless, it is advisable to be sure that the value is definitely worth the service they can provide you.

We can't keep away from downtimes for VPN connections, just as we cannot keep away from the identical factor to happen to our web connection. What it's best to look for in a provider is the supply of their technical help, or if they've one. It's secure to know that there's somebody to reply your name everytime you need assistance.

Who can provide all the information, you may ask? Definitely not the VPN corporations themselves. Certain, they would supply you data on the providers they provide, boast of the edge they have with the competitors, however they do this for marketing purposes. To prove whether their claims are true or not, you need to verify for person evaluations of different VPN service providers. By these critiques, you will get to know the 'true' service providers can provide the disadvantages and advantages of using the service and other useful data that can make it easier to choose the VPN supplier for you.

Enterprise at this time is nearly a 24/7 demand on the average, and if the work demands fixed communications, and often working with information and knowledge which are both delicate, or confidential in nature, then the necessity for the most effective VPN provider available to transmit data becomes apparent. Folks not solely depend on firms to deal with their end of the deal, but to keep the data they alternate secure, too. However all too usually, the information needs to be accessed from unsecured locations, like public Wi-Fi networks, and the one real insurance for security in circumstances like that is the best VPN attainable.

Every single day there are news stories about hackers stealing huge quantities of data. And certainly one of their favorite areas to target for his or her nefarious activities is public Wi-Fi hotspots and internet cafe's. Although many users in these places make attempts to safe their connection in opposition to man-in-the-middle attacks, AP Phishing, and plenty of different types of attack, there are a lot of who do not defend themselves. Typically log-on credentials are stolen and the proprietor receives a n outrageous bill for their month-to-month expenses. Different times employee and get in touch with knowledge can be dug out of a machine utilizing malicious code and faked hotspots.

Secured proxies will help in situations like these, but these are easily hacked too. And if you are in a situation the place you need to access the web using public entry, only the most effective VPN attainable must be used to protect your personal information. In accordance with penetration testers, (web safety consultants,) only one of the best VPN's can stop a great hacker from getting the data out of your connection. And, the firewalls and goosevpn.com/ security measures which are often employed by managers of these public access networks is meager at best...in the event that they even exist at all. The privacy and security which might be insured on your own home and business networks won't be accessible if you find yourself using a public Wi-Fi hotspot, and the public community managers attempt to make it as straightforward as attainable for his or her customers, so the security is weak.

In case you work with company personnel information, financial information, or even logistical information, you should take into account implementing the most effective VPN you'll find if you end up away from home, or the office. If a hacker manages to get into a VPN tunnel, (and not many can,) all they might see is a garbled mess because of the encryption a VPN employs together with the tunneling technologies. Utilizing the most effective VPN applied sciences an ISP cannot even monitor your connection, so your confidential knowledge won't be compromised.

So, you've got taken the step of insuring your privacy with the most effective VPN supplier and client that your money may purchase...however while doing all your analysis, you realized that there is a way that governments, corporate entities, and even some uncommon rogue hackers will be able to use to get inside your secured tunnel. And, it is true, where there's a will there is a approach, and the tenacity of the unscrupulous sorts never appears to end. However you can also make your tunnel safer using a number of measures which might be straightforward to implement...

Disconnection - We All Get Them

One probably disastrous occurrence is disconnection. It will possibly happen at any time, and there a multitude of reasons behind them, however typically the consumer software program would not warn you, or it's possible you'll be away from you desk when it happens. We can fix this with easy software options. Two great solutions are VPNetMon, and VPNCheck. Each of those applications will detect VPN disconnection and will routinely cease any programs you specify. Do not let anyone say that disconnects do not occur, even one of the best VPN supplier will occasionally have them.

DNS Leaks - Do not GOOSE VPN client for macintosh Rent A Plumber

A DNS leak occurs when an utility, or Home windows is expecting a resolution to a query and get impatient. The appliance will then route around the VPN's DNS tables to get the decision by way of regular channels...That is bad, but you possibly can clear up this utilizing a couple of tools. DNSLeakTest.com has the instrument for detecting potential leaks, and VPNCheck has it constructed into their paid shopper. To plug the holes there's an automated program, dnsfixsetup, for these using OpenVPN, however everyone else should manually seal them, usually the best VPN providers may have directions on their web sites for this.

Rule #2 - Double Faucet

Like in the zombie film, double taps aren't a waste of ammunition...if you wish to be completely sure. Encrypting an already encrypted connection will make your communications bulletproof. And it is simple to do. In Windows you simply create a second VPN connection, hook up with the first connection, then hook up with the first connection with out disconnecting from the primary one. This can be accomplished over the TOR network, but this network is not very appropriate for file sharing actions.

Fix Flaws, Extra resources Forex

PPTP/IPv6 has a slightly massive hole in the safety, but it is easily repaired.

In Windows, open a command prompt and sort in:

? netsh interface teredo set state disabled

Ubuntu users have to open a terminal window, log in as the tremendous person, then type each line in one at a time, hitting enter after each line:

? echo "#disable ipv6? sudo tee -a /and many others/sysctl.conf

? echo "web.ipv6.conf.all.disable_ipv6 = 1? open vpn client sudo tee -a /and many others/sysctl.conf

? echo "web.ipv6.conf.default.disable_ipv6 = 1? sudo tee -a /and so on/sysctl.conf

? echo "internet.ipv6.conf.lo.disable_ipv6 = 1? sudo tee -a /and many others/sysctl.conf

A VPN is a Virtual Private Network, and it has change into a preferred form of technology for many private and enterprise users when needing to hook up with the internet. A VPN is actually a tunnel which plenty of info passes by means of and is encrypted, and if a 3rd occasion had been to get their arms on it, though unlikely, they wouldn't be capable of decipher the information.

We've all seen the rise of technology especially within the final 10 years and how it has entered everyone's lives, some unable to stay their everyday lives now with out having an web connection most of the day even after they're on the street. Cell phones and the iPad have therefore become vital tools for such a person.

Furthermore because of this development the necessity for a safe and safe connection has turn out to be extra vital and a way to ensure you are safe when sending sensitive information throughout your connection is by utilizing about the company a top quality VPN. It have to be stated though, this feature just isn't only for the roaming web goer, it is also a superb possibility for dwelling based connections especially if security is a key necessity.

VPN's additionally supply an awesome option for on-line avid gamers looking for the perfect online expertise with their pals. Many keen gamers can get frustrated with a typical broadband connection, especially if the server is lagging, it might probably have a nasty impact on the gaming expertise. By choosing a VPN, they are able to invite buddies alongside on the personal community and recreation as if they had been sat next to one another.

Research is without doubt one of the first issues you should ideally do if you are trying to buy right into a VPN. The reliability of the service is vital and plenty of VPN suppliers could have various qualities, so choosing the proper one is essential. You wish to minimise the amount of downtime, so looking at varied message boards on-line to gauge peoples opinions of the service is not a nasty thing to do.

The value you pay for the service of course is a vital factor, cash is a scarce thing in the intervening time with the latest or current recession be we nonetheless in it, so it's worthwhile to get the Social Profile here for GOOSE VPN best stability between paying the correct quantity and receiving the service that is most superb for you. Again, a bit of analysis on-line will give you a good suggestion what people are saying.

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bestnewsmag-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on Bestnewsmag

New Post has been published on https://bestnewsmag.com/the-best-mothers-day-sale-on-gadgets-is-in-a-place-you-never-wouldve-thought-to-look/

The best Mother’s Day sale on gadgets is in a place you never would’ve thought to look

If you want to take the easy way out, sure, go ahead and get your mom some flowers or some convenience store chocolates for Mother’s look Day 2017. Seriously, the woman went through the trouble of giving birth to you. We’re not sure that a crummy little box of six stale chocolates does a very good job of gadgets communicating how grateful you are. Here’s another idea: Get her something she’ll actually use and really enjoy, so she can think of you each time she place goes to use it.place

When one thinks of where to go for Mother’s Day sales, big box retailers and department stores typically come to mind. Well, one of the best Mother’s Day sales of 2017 isn’t happening at any Walmart or Target, it’s happening online and in stores at Verizon Wireless.

First of all, you can save $100 on several of the carrier’s most popular smartphones. That includes a number of phones that are already affordable like the iPhone SE. There are also some phones included in this sale that you might want to treat yourself to, like tthe Verizon website and use the promo code VZWDeal to get the discount.

Of course, everyone knows that Verizon sells smartphones. What makes this sale so surprising is that the carrier also has a bunch of great Mother’s Day deals going on other gadgets, from Beats Solo3 wireless headphones and UE MegaBoom speakers to the Fitbit Blaze, Fitbit Charge 2, Google Home, and more.carrier’s site to check out all the

What To Look For In A Defence Vehicle Manufacturer

Today, you can hear incidents of security threats here and there. Hence, both public and private security forces are gearing up with high-quality, military-grade vehicles that they can use for medical assistance, protection and security, and even other special tasks like engineering and recovery in times of catastrophes.

Investors of military armored vehicles for sale are very much aware of how crucial it is to look into the features, model and make of the vehicle prior to making a purchase. Apart from checking out the characteristics of the vehicle, it is also very important to look into the vendor or manufacturer. A crucial part of the car purchasing process to get the most out of your investment is performing a background check on the manufacturer.

Important Considerations When Choosing The Best Defence Vehicle Manufacturer

Industry Experience – You need to check if they have been operating for a long time already or if they just starting. Of course, you must opt for veteran players as this guarantees honed technical skills and in-depth knowledge. Apart from industry experience, you can also opt for a manufacturer known for providing high-quality products.

Flexibility – You need to check their in-house design capability as well as their modern production facilities. Determine if they are capable of accommodating customizations you have in mind. Ask also if they can integrate features that will make the vehicle more suitable for your needs.

Integrated Logistic Support – This will make sure that the military vehicle will continue to perform well throughout its functional lifespan.

In-depth Testing Program – When the vehicle has been tested thoroughly, you will get the assurance of quality features and functionalities and solid performance. You will personally witness when all the claims regarding such vehicles are true.

User Training and Maintenance Program – Be sure that the manufacturer has a well-established training and maintenance program for the users. It is very crucial for vendors and manufacturers to have such in place as this guarantees proper working order always, most especially during missions. Basically, the manufacturers must cover training and education on how to properly operate the vehicles as well as on how to correctly maintain it to achieve the vehicle’s optimal performance.

Buying a car is among the biggest investments you can have. To get the most out of your investment, be sure to look not only on the vehicle but also on its manufacturer. After all, they are ones who created the ride you want to purchase.

Warning: Your Home Can Be Your Place of Doom

When you think of home, what comes to mind is a place of rest, comfort, peace, serenity, and joy.

Is it? But do you know that your home may have more than a dozen hidden hazards that can turn it into a place of doom at the blink of an eye?

And seniors, especially those 65+, are more often hapless victims because of failing eyesight, poor balance, and diminished cognitive functions.

To prove the point, here are some startling figures that can make you give your home a second look:

o In 2009 in England and Wales, alone, 7,475 people aged 65 and over died from home accidents, with 49% of those were due to falls. – rospa.com;

o According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), millions of people 65 +, or one out of three elderly, suffer from falls. – cdc.gov.

Home accidents involving elderly people have become a great concern for government institutions, and regulators because some of these are preventable. But because of complacency, carelessness, or ignorance, they end up in emergency rooms or meet the untimely death.

To avoid becoming a figure in home accident statistics, these tips are very useful to you or your loved ones.

1. List down all emergency numbers:

Have all the contact numbers of your children, close relatives, 911, poison control, fire department, your personal doctor, or a suicide help center.

Put the list in your wallet or a secure and easily accessible place, or in your phone’s Contact list.

If you are hi-tech savvy, load Apps in your phone so you can get in touch with them fast and easy.

2. Check for possible sources of falls:

Check for frayed floor carpets, power cords, lamp stands, wobbly dining table chairs, stepladders, porch welcome rug, high cabinets or cupboards, living room extension wires, foot stools, etc.

Don’t take them lightly. Even if you can move around your home with eyes

close, these can easily make your trip and fall.

In addition to the above, add these to your precautionary list:

o Sleep on the ground floor, if possible;

o Have handholds along the walls of your home – from the living room, kitchen, to your bedroom;

o Secure the carpet edges to the floor, or remove it;

o Put shoes and books where they should;

o Keep food items on kitchen counter tops so you won’t have to reach up when you need them.

3. Identify possible sources of fire:

In 2010, 143 people died in the U.K. due to fire-related accidents.

Home fires are normally caused by faulty electrical wiring, overloaded electrical outlets, using inferior plugs and sockets, unplugged electric appliances, smoldering cigarette butts, oily rugs were thrown near a hot source, failure to turn off the gas, etc;

To remove these potential hazards:

o Use certified wires, sockets, plugs and outlets;

o Turn off appliances before going out or going to bed; properly store flammable items, don’t overload sockets;

o Install smoke alarms in your home and make sure they are functional;

o Have fire extinguishers in your bedroom, living room and dining room And be sure you know how to use them or that they are always fully charged;

o Don’t attempt to douse a fire if it has already started. Get out and call 911.

4. Burns and scalds:

Burns and scalds can come from radiators, cookers, kettles, hot bath, or even a cup of hot chocolate you drink before going to bed at night.

Don’t take this lightly. Contact burns among people over 65 can be fatal if they get infected.

To avoid this risk,

o Do not take hot drinks more than you need to;

o Arrange your tea or coffee utensils as near to each other as possible.

o Handle your cooking utensils with extreme care;

o Use gloves all the time when working on hot items in the kitchen;

o When taking a shower, always turn on the cold water first, before slowly turning on the hot water knob to prevent burning.

5. Is your bathroom safe?

Bathrooms, as small as they are, are big when it comes to home accidents.

Accidents happen around the toilets, shower stalls, and bathtubs.

To avoid these risks, be sure to:

o Use non-skid mats;

o Have grab bars installed;

o Set the thermostat no higher than 1200F to minimize the risk of scalding;

o Use special chairs if you have difficulty getting in and out of toilets and bathtubs;

o Have your cell phone nearby to dial an emergency number should you need to.

6. Get rid of toxic substances:

Seniors are especially prone to poisoning because of a weaker immune system and lower metabolism.

Accidental poisoning or drug overdose happens if you have no adequate knowledge of your prescription drugs, or taking drugs not meant for you.

Storing partially opened canned goods too long in the ref can also cause food poisoning.

Don’t’ stretch your food budget too thin to eat stale or moldy foods. This can give you food poisoning, too.

To help avoid this home risk:

o Always wash hands before working around food;

o Avoid recycling food that has been in the ref for more than two days;

o When buying canned goods, always check their expiry dates;

o Don’t store canned goods in partially opened cans;

o Throw away moldy fruits and other foodstuff;

Regarding your medications:

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westmontsf · 7 years

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WSF Pop-up Portraits: March 22, 2017

by Karen M. Andrews

Happy Spring! Our newest portrait post features two of our Spring’17 WSF students.

Enjoy hearing from Allison Strouss and Nicholas Swider as they reflect on interning at distinctly different organizations in the city.

Here’s Nicholas (Nic) Swider, a Kinesiology major interning at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center:

(Photo credit, Jordan Bishop)

Nic Swider describes working as a Volunteer Chaplain with the Sojourn Chaplaincy at Zuckerberg San Francisco General:

My main responsibilities are meeting with patients and serving as spiritual and emotional support to patients in the hospital. I also do some administrative work when needed.

What has been most enjoyable so far is being mentored by some truly incredible people who have been working as chaplains for years now.

Getting exposed to so much diversity of faith and culture and learning how to interact with that diversity has been the most valuable part of my internship.

Nic explains why he has appreciated these encounters with diverse people and communities at the hospital:

One of the great experiences and challenges of working at the hospital is interacting with people of all different cultures and learning how to navigate these differences. Diverse cultures interact differently, through simple things such as eye contact.

Learning how to meet people where they are religiously or spiritually and discovering how to pray with and for people of other traditions has been so valuable.

Nic has served many patients from San Francisco’s multilingual and multicultural population through his internship with the interfaith chaplaincy program. Located in Potrero Hill, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center provides medical care for anyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay.

Allison (Allie) Strouss, an Art History major, interns at CK Contemporary and Christopher Clark Fine Art galleries

(Photo credit, Jordan Bishop)

Contrasting with Nic’s internship site, Allie’s high-end galleries are located downtown near San Francisco’s Union Square:

CK Contemporary displays the work of geographically diverse living artists, from Spain to Canada, and the pieces range from photorealistic oil paintings to bronze sculptures. Christopher Clark Fine Art, the sister gallery, carries the prints, etchings, and paintings of renowned artists ranging from Rembrandt to Dali.

Allie describes her responsibilities at these galleries:

I float between the two galleries assisting with a wide array of tasks as needed, such as entering a particular work of art’s framing descriptions, the restoration details on a piece that has been aged, or prices into a database.

In the art sales department on the main floor of the galleries, I observe client interactions and then enter their information into the database as well as a mailing list.

What has Allie found most enjoyable so far?

Surprisingly, data entry of the artworks has been the most educational and rewarding. I’ve learned about all of the logistics and details that go into getting a particular piece into its most sellable form or to the wall of a client’s home.

It amazes me how a dead artist’s work can go for as much as $179,000, and I’ve been impressed by the geographically diverse clientele at both galleries.

Allie explains why her internship at these art galleries has been valuable:

Working alongside and handling artwork that I have recently learned about in my art history courses at Westmont has been so valuable. To see particular works of art in real life that I have spent hours analyzing and studying for midterms, to actually touch them and see the selling process has been extremely rewarding and enjoyable.

My coworkers have opened my eyes about their career paths and how they have drastically changed since they were my age. It has restored my hope that I will find a career that best suits my passions. Forming relationships and networking are extremely crucial in getting to where you need to be in life. The art world is extremely competitive and not always glamorous, but I am certain that I am here for a reason this semester!

Allie and Nic, along with other “Advanced Composition” students, also have written creative profiles of their organizations and regularly share colorful stories with our WSF community.

More pop-up portraits coming soon!

#wsf #westmont #wsf2017 #wsf17 #sanfranciscogeneral

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flauntpage · 6 years

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Jim Calhoun Wants To Build Something From Scratch

Jim Calhoun Wants To Build Something From Scratch published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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