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"The Encounter" (season 5, episode 31; originally aired 5/1/1964)
In which George Takei gets a sword…
I really wanted "The Encounter" to work. The scenario, which has two characters with every reason to distrust one another trapped in a claustrophobic space on a hot day, is a gripping, tension filled situation ripe with dramatic possibility. Both actors (Neville Brand and George Takei) are excellent, and their subject—an increasingly heated conversation with its origins rooted in racial conflicts still lingering after the second World War—is a potentially powerful one. The Twilight Zone has done some great work investigating the darker currents of men's souls, and how prejudice and fear warp our ability to communicate. There was every reasaon to believe "The Encounter" could be like that.
Sometimes it is. As Fenton, Brand is charismatic and unsettling; as we learn over the course of the story, he's lost his job and his wife recently, and uses the arrival of Arthur Takamuri (Takei) at his house as an excuse to do some bullying under the guise of "just kidding around" chumminess. Arthur (the American son of Japanese immigrants) is looking for some regular yardwork to pick up extra cash, but Fenton browbeats him into sticking around for a beer. Fenton isn't openly villainous, and his behavior is just the right side of friendly; it's clear that Arthur is uncomfortable, and this his discomfort is a good indication that he should leave, but it's also clear why he stays. Fenton is the kind of guy who, intentionally or not, is very good at making someone feel like the bad feelings are all their problem.
This sets up a back and forth between the two men as we wait for the other shoe to drop. Fenton's casual racism grows increasingly more blatant, but he also has a knack for knowing just when to defuse the conversation and leave the other man feeling confused and ashamed. Scriptwriter Martin M. Goldsmith handles these rises and falls very well for the most part, and he has a clear grasp of what drives men like Fenton; a grasp, and also an empathy for the character that prevents him from being a caricature of white rage. Fenton is aggressive and petulant in imminently human ways, and his most monstrous act—shooting a Japanese soldier who had surrendered to him (that's where the sword comes from, and the sword is ostensbily responsible for the episode's supernatural element)—happened during the war. While that doesn't excuse his actions, it does make them more understandable. He's a creep, but there's enough of a person inside him that it's possible to not want him to die.
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Which is good! It's easy to care about Arthur, given the way the story begins, but it's important that Fenton never becomes too easy to dismiss. He's the heavy for most of the episode (in that he's the one making the most obvious threat, although Arthur keeps waving that sword around), but he's also lost and in over his head. That's something that happens a lot on this show, and, when done well, it helps us to find the pathos in an unlikeable character getting his just deserts. They've sinned, but they're also confused and more than a little stupid, and most of us can remember a time in our lives when we knew punishment was coming that we deserved, but couldn't figure out what we were supposed to have done differently.
So that's what works in this episode. Also, the production design is top-notch; Fenton's home is a creepy, seedy looking place that grows more and more nightmarish as the story progresses. But "The Encounter" isn't a great episode, and I'm not sure it's even a good one, for one big reason: it completely fails Arthur Takamuri.
George Takei gives a fine performance, but the character is all over the map. The best I can figure it, the sword Fenton keeps in his attic (which he can't seem to get rid of) is a cursed object; Arthur translates the inscription to read "This sword will avenge me," and that's pretty much what happens. Arthur is turned into a prop, at the mercy of some force greater than himself to carry out an act of beyond the grave vengeance and then sacrifice himself because of it.
Maybe there's some sort of point being made about the shadow prejudice casts over our lives; or the way cultural roles reduce people to machines acting out age old grudges. But it doesn't really work, in large part because Arthur never seems like a coherent character. Initially he's friendly and polite, and just a little bit nervous, and that makes sense—Fenton is a hardcase, and Arthur's just looking to get some work and leave. But then the sword starts doing something to his mind. There's this moment when he picks it up and says, "I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him. Why?" It's striking and bizarre, and the stunned regret in Takei's voice gives us a glimpse of a man who realizes something awful is about to happen, and he has no way of stopping it.
But that glimpse vanishes quickly, and from then on, it's hard to know what's going on in Arthur's head. Empathy for him should be much easier to build than it is for Fenton, and Takei, being a likeable actor, isn't a complete stone wall or anything. But his behavior vacillates between his regular self and some grim warrior figure, without much rhyme or reason as to why; every time he switches over and threatens Fenton with the sword, the very real drama of two men trying to feel each other out goes away, and we're left with some muddled ghost story with a contrived, if inevitable, conclusion.
Midway through the episode, Arthur gives a speech about how his father was at Pearl Harbor, working in a shipyard on the day of the attacks, and how his father watched the Japanese bombers swoop down. It's clearly meant to be an important speech, but since the character is talking about something that didn't happen to him, it's less than compelling. And there's something too generically perfect about the idea, too, as though Arthur is feels compelled to justify his patriotism in the face of Fenton's contempt.
It gets worse when the real truth comes out, though. The story is a lie, something Arthur concocted to cover for what really happened: his father was a traitor who helped to guide planes from the ground towards strategically valuable bombing targets. This is a big, complex idea, and, though Takei gives it his all, the episode just doesn't make it work. It plays as a clumsy attempt to present Fenton and Arthur as equally tormented souls, and the equivalency rings false. (At the very least, Fenton is the one responsible for his own behavior, while Arthur is suffering for the actions of someone else.) Goldsmith's script has a clear feel for the complex shades of self-aggrandizement, self-loathing, and chummy arrogance that make a bigot like Fenton, but there's no equivalent sense of understanding for Arthur. That character's torment remains conceptual more than felt, rendering him the Other in a story that's clearly trying to decry such an effect. The result is an episode that is frequently queasily unsettling and intermittently fascinating, but ultimately falls short of coherence.
What a twist: Fenton and Arthur finally come to physical blows, and Fenton ends up falling on the sword; Arthur holds the sword, screams "Banzai!" and throws himself out the attic window, presumably to his death.
Stray observations:
- The front door jamming shut is necessary for the story to progress, but Fenton's apathy about the situation is strange; it's never clear exactly how much either man is in the grip of the sword's spell. It is also unclear why Fenton's house appears to be a staircase, a front door, and an attic.
- Due to complaints from Japanese-Americans about the subject matter of this episode (specifically, Arthur's confession about what his father really did at Pearl Harbor), "The Encounter" was kept out of American syndication deals.
"Mr. Garrity And The Graves" (season 5, episode 32; originally aired 5/8/1964)
In which it's an application of scientific principles…
Oh hey, it's a comedy episode of The Twilight Zone. So this should be fun. There are a few whacky music cues, a lot of scenery chewing, some gags about spousal abuse that are actually more frightening than they are funny, and a story whose shape becomes clear almost immediately. But I loved it. I know, I'm just as surprised as anyone. While the show has bungled supposedly humorous episodes before, Serling can still knock one out of the park, and I'd mark down this entry as a solid triple. There's no particular emotional resonance, but it's clever, frequently amusing, and well-constructed. The gags have a certain amount of bite to them without ever becoming mean, and if the ending suggests something more horrible than the story seems prepared to deal with, well, that's not always a terrible thing for an ending to do.
There are a few reasons this one works. The setting, while familiar, is clearly defined and established with a decent amount of grace. Happiness, AZ is a town that's just starting to come into its own. After years of lawlessness and violence, the locals are finally managing to settle down and lead peaceful, upstanding lives. This comes at the cost of the 128 people in the town cemetery, 127 of which (we're informed) died of unnatural causes. (The 128th, a large abusive woman named Zelda, apparently just up and died without any help from anyone.) So while "Happiness" is basically just the same Old West set we've seen on the show several times before, it has a history and a personality to it. The people here are comfortable enough with their current lives that they can look back on recent history with a certain amount of undeserved nostalgia.
That's where Jared Garrity comes in. John Dehner is another of the episode's most important assets. The cast is stocked full of character actors making the most out of stock types (the cowardly sheriff, the sycophant, the town drunk), and the episode takes great pleasure in giving each of them a chance to show off their scenery chewing, in the best possible way; there's a cynicism running through the whole half hour, but it's a genial, almost friendly cynicism that invites us to like these idiots even as we laugh at them. Garrity helps to make this possible; the majority of the story is a long con designed to bilk gullible idiots out of their cash, and Dehner's showmanship makes that con delightful to watch even once you realize where it's headed. The character stands out even before the actor opens his mouth, with his magnificent plaid suit and debonair air, and Dehner makes sure his presence dominates throughout.
The other big reason this works where other comedic episodes have faltered is that the stakes are clear throughout; while the townsfolk may comical to us, their concerns are very real, and there's a hint of menace to Garrity that increases as the story goes on. The menace never precisely manifests (even at the end, when the dead actually do rise from their graves, Garrity has no idea what he's done), but it keeps the conversations from lapsing into genial blathering. Garrity's claim that he can raise the dead is a bit spooky from the start, in no small part due to the fact that this is an episode of The Twilight Zone, and not, say, Gunsmoke. On this show, we know that any suggestion of the supernatural has a very good chance of coming true.
But while Garrity's "abilities" create the sort of suspense necessary for a comedy tale like this one, it's the townsfolks' relationship with their dead that makes the episode really work. Serling's script (based on a story by Mike Korologos) isn't particularly subtle, but he does a fine job is first establishing the hypocrisy of the locals' (they spend most of their time on screen mourning the people up in the cemetery, when they aren't marveling over Garrity's strangeness), and stripping the lies away once Garrity's scheme becomes plausible. Interestingly, no one in Happiness ever suggests the possibility that Garrity might be lying; the con is such a well-constructed one that they don't really have time to. First he shows up, then he brings a dog back to life, and then he does his business at the cemetery, and waits for the money for role in.
The genius of all of this, I think, is that we're allowed to laugh at the scenes of Garrity strong-arming people into paying him huge sums of cash to make the dead stay dead, while at the same time having sympathy for those people and their fears. Pretty much everyone in this story isn't as sharp as they think they are, and that includes Garrity himself, who leaves town so proud to have tricked everyone so thoroughly, only for his "trick" to have real world repercussions. The whole thing has a feel of a good old-fashioned country fable, a sort of tall tale that wouldn't be out of place over a warm stove in the dead of winter. The implications are frankly terrifying if you worry about them too long (those risen corpses seem too intelligent to be zombies, but they aren't exactly fresh as daisies; and at least two of them are already planning to do serious harm to characters we met earlier on), but that works to the episode's benefit. It's a light-hearted romp about lying, theft, spousal abuse, and the living dead. It goes down easy—but it lingers.
What a twist: Garrity was running a con: the "dead" dog was a trained pet, and the ghostly man coming down the street was an actor on Garrity's payroll. But after he leaves, the dead in Boothill Cemetery dig themselves out of their graves.
Stray observations:
- I also love that Garrity himself doesn't suffer for his actions. It makes the whole thing more fun.
- That said, the shot of the bodies rising from the dead is impressively scary. If I'd seen this episode as a kid, it would've scared me for life.
Next week: We take a visit to "The Brain Center At Whipple's," and I hope you'll "Come Wander With Me."


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Did you ever actually learn how to properly bleach white clothing to get out stains and get them white again? I never did – in fact, the first time I ever even bought bleach was back in December when I wanted to clean my plastic cutting boards. So I'm really new at this.
So, does bleach actually make whites whiter? To my surprise, the answer is, only sometimes and to a certain degree. In my typical science-experiment-methods, it took a few tries to see the results that I wanted, and even then, it didn't make everything perfectly white.
I started by searching around the internet and found a few important tips that I had no idea about:
- Bleach your whites in a hot water cycle for better results (apparently chlorine bleach is most effective in hot water, who knew?)
- Add detergent to the washing machine, then bleach (in the dispenser if you have one), then let the machine run for awhile to mix the bleach and water before adding clothing. Sounds like a no-brainer, but I didn't know that!
- After the washing machine has finished the complete cycle, set it on another rinse and spin cycle until the clothes don't smell like bleach anymore.
- Measure the bleach and follow the directions on the bottle of bleach. My original attempt was with 3/4 cup bleach for a regular load, but I barely noticed a difference in the clothes so I had to use more.
Attempt #1:
- 3/4 cup of bleach for a large load
- Result: Barely noticeable change. Some stains lightened slightly, but that's it.
Attempt #2:
- 2-1/2 cups of bleach for a small load (which is less than the bleach bottle recommends!)
- Result: Whites definitely whiter. Stains gone. Except kids socks – even bleach couldn't tackle those stains!
- Problem: the whole house smelled like a public swimming pool so I had to open some windows and turn on some fans. Also I had to run the clothes through two extra rinse cycles to get rid of the chlorine smell.
It's really difficult to photograph white clothing, so some of these may not be as obvious in photos as they are in person.
Sweaters, before and after:
The slightly grayed and yellowed sweater returned to a fresher looking white.
Kids hoodie sweatshirt before and after:
All the stains came out and the grayed sweater returned to white.
Kids socks before and after:
You can see that the bleach couldn't combat all of the dirt from my toddler's socks but it's a definitely improvement. I'm sure I could have gotten the stains out if I had upped the concentration of bleach, but I already thought I was using a ton of bleach so I stopped there. At least they are just socks!
I would think that bleach is bleach, so I used bleach from the dollar store, because I just happened to be there when I needed to buy it. On the bottle, it says for large top loading washing machines to use 375mL per 4L of water (1.5 cups per gallon), which is tons of bleach! By comparison it says only 125mL of bleach per 4L of water (half a cup per gallon) for a front loading washer. Maybe dollar store bleach is more diluted? Or our large top loading washing machine just needs more bleach? Either way, next time I'll have to buy Clorox and compare the amounts.
If you have your own tips or recommendations for using bleach on clothing, I'd love to hear them. So please leave a comment below!

subset: commoncrawl


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A Perfect Day in L.A.Part of: LA
[Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.! You were in my thoughts all day long.]
I was wearing the best sweater in my dream last night. It was very modern/retro with large buttons on the side and had a cool neckline. The dream's tone, in general, was one of anxiety—at one point, some serial killer guy was chasing me or something. Sometimes I wish I could capitalize on these dreams. I've had dreams of really cool houses with amazing interior design. The thing that sucks, is that there is no way my real life interior design skills are comparable to my dream ones. That makes no sense. My fashion design skills could be equal.
Yesterday was a perfect Southern California day with temperatures between 70 and 74. I even wore a sleeveless shirt on my fast walk. I walked at lunchtime in Santa Monica, so I got to see all the people in their stuffy business clothes out and about. Sometimes I have nightmares about having a 9-5 office job again. The only wardrobe I've ever needed for a job was a business casual one, but then those clothes would be tainted. (No one wants to wear their work clothes for pleasure, no matter how cool they are.)
I did a few errands on my walk and walked through part of farmer's market. Some vendors were complaining in a nice manner about the lack of people, "Maybe they're all at the beach," one of the older women lazily said. The market looked pretty crowded to me. Earlier I had gone by my local coffeehouse and noticed that no one was there. Where do the usual writers go when it's nice out? That's what I want to know. I don't think they go to the beach or hiking. I can't really picture that.
After my walk, I went to one of my favorite French cafés, Le Marmiton on Montana Ave. People watching on Montana is always fun. I like to go there around 2 or 3 PM when people don't eat.
Ugh, there were many homeless people out yesterday. A woman came up and asked me for change. I get irritated after a certain amount of homeless folks ask me for money in one outing. Folks, I have no money, and that's not a lie. Then there's a woman (53ish) with her young daughter (10ish), and they were both wearing impossibly short miniskirts. The daughter had on Ugg boots. That fad is so played, that it's surpassed being annoying.
There was also a French couple, smoking while sipping espresso. I don't think it'll ever sink in that some people sit outside to smoke. I always frown at the smoke, like it's in the wrong.
I had the waiter who always loudly asked, "Do you want tap water with ice?" whenever I specified I'd like some *regular* water.
At the table across from me, there was a typical Montana Ave. divorcee. Well, she looked more Beverly Hills or Encino. She must have a good plastic surgeon and trainer, because she was in her late 40's/early 50's and looked amazing. I'm talking about the kind of amazing you only achieve by having a lot of money. (Think Demi Moore) I think she could compete with a twenty something. Her hair was super-long--that's the only thing I'd change. My first thought was: gross—another LA cliché. I'm always suspicious of women who are in this category. However, I overheard some of her conversation with her younger boyfriend or Boy toy, and she seemed really cool.
Malibu Barbie spoke sweetly to her nanny when she called. Oh, this woman sounded like she lived in Malibu, because she was talking about meeting someone at Granita.
It's cool that Malibu Barbie and Boy toy ordered a bottle of white wine in the middle of the day. It went well with their salads. I wished I could've had a glass, but didn't want to be sleepy midday.
At first, I couldn't figure out Malibu Barbie's relationship with Boy toy. I knew they were either friends or lovers. Boy toy was around ten years younger.
After lunch they hugged in the middle of the sidewalk and walked with their arms around each other. I admired Malibu Barbie's really cool smallish patent leather Prada bag and she was wearing a cool outfit. Malibu Barbie was wearing Miss Sixty jeans and a very light pink tank top, which showed off her prefect (fake?) breasts that were not obnoxiously big. She had a hot pink cast on her right arm, with evidence that she broke a finger. In fact, I thought she'd probably make a fun friend. I don't know why I found all of this charming, but I liked her vibe.
I was happy that the traffic had finally calmed down. The last couple of days, being around crowded places has really irritated me. I drove out of both Trader Joe's and Ralphs parking lots last night without going in, because there were too many cars. I don't remember the last time I did that. I didn't want to wait in line forever for the few items I needed. Then I didn't have the energy left to go to Whole Foods, which was probably busy, but there's always parking and a very short wait in line.
I watched part of "The Apprentice" last night. Those apprentice people were practically all tools. While *trying* to sell lemonade, one of the guys even chased a guy on a bicycle, blocking him with a sign for the lemonade. He almost made the guy wipe out. But, then again, anyone who gets an MD and a MBA has to be a little nuts. Another guy on the show should be selling used cars, because he is so over-the-top in his sales technique. The women weren't much better. The most annoying one so far is the black chic who used to work for the President in The White House. She seems to think she is way above everyone else and maybe she is—Miss Prissy.
For the second time yesterday, I was relieved I didn't have to be stuck in offices with boring people like that. It's so annoying when people get huge egos about where they work or what college they went to. I wanted to yell at some of those people: Get over yourself! There's always someone smarter and better educated than you are. I could never work for a man with one of the worst comb-overs ever. It would be way too distracting, and I'd be fighting off laughter each time I saw Mr. Trump. However, I do like Mr. Trump's directness.


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Halloween is coming, pumpkins are everywhere to be seen. Is it the same in all countries? I love seeing pumpkins, not only that I wish to know how to carve them and put candles inside them, they also remind me very much of Cinderella. You know, when the fairy flicked her magic wand and turned a pumpkin into a beautiful, glamorous carriage, and then Cinderella went to the castle with that and met her Prince Charming. And as you know eventually they live happily ever after. I know It sounds childish which I admit, but this story always make me feel like: Awww… I want that too. I know that it is never going to happen to me unless you are Kate Middleton, well literally. And in real life, it's simply impossible to have a little tiny fairy to turn a pumpkin into a carriage. Very disappointing. I would really like to blame Disney for lying to all the innocent children out there, for letting them to believe in stories and things that do not exist. Sadly but truly this world is not as wonderful as we were told, and animals are not friends, most of us eat them. I'm thinking that it might be a bad attempt to over protectively keep children inside the 'wonderful world' bubble and away from the reality. They will then face too many bad surprises when they grow up.
Well, we all grew up just fine. Maybe it is just best to let them enjoy the perfect childhood when good people and heroes always win and bad people will always be punished. At least the believe itself is beautiful. 🙂
Back to the pumpkins. They are not just for decoration and their seeds. See? You can make a super delicious meal like this one, which my mom taught me. Translated directly from Chinese, it is called Golden Pumpkin Rice. My mom used to make this dish back then. I remember many times a row she did not succeed and accidentally turned the pumpkin rice into a pumpkin porridge. But, it tasted still really good. Pumpkin itself is sweet and has a unique fragrance, together with the flavor of sauté shallot and the sweetness from juicy paprika. Man! I'm in heaven! Guess what, this time I managed to make it perfect! My god, it tasted so good, the texture is there, the flavor is there and the nutrients are there. I kept telling my sister and my mom so proudly and kept explaining how great it was when the flavor lingered in my mouth. You have no idea. You simply cannot describe. It was so good that I must squeeze out time from my busy life and share this recipe with you!!
I'm gonna take it a bit slower now with my blog, as some of you might probably be wondering already. If you are here only for the recipe, scroll down please. 🙂
I started this blog as a thesis project for my bachelor degree, and I'm about to graduate at the end of this year. The thing is, my full-time job is getting busier now, at the same time with my band we are making new materials for our next album, my blog is also taking a bit too much energy from me… On top of that I just moved to a new home, my mom came to visit to Finland for 2 months, my sister is delivering a baby next week. I'm so out of myself. In fact, (if you are still reading) I had some sort of panic/ stress disorder last week and needed to go to the doctor. Well as expected, too much is too much. So I'm going to slow down my pace a little and try to prioritize what I do. I thank my followers and WordPress.com for bringing me such great attention every now and then. It makes me so excited and I don't wanna stop! So I promise you, whoever are still reading this, I will write for you. 😉
400g Diced pumpkins
200g Shrimps ( omit for vegetarian& vegan)
6 Shallots, thinly sliced
6 Shiitake, diced
1 Red Paprika, diced
2 Spring Onion, diced
2 cups/ 320g Raw rice
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Black soy sauce
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp White pepper
4 cups/ 640 ml Broth/ Vegetable stock
1) Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in wok and fry shallots until brown and fragrant. Add in diced pumpkins, shrimps, shiitake and stir fry until the pumpkins are cooked/ soften.
2) Add in rice, paprika, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well.
3) IF YOU HAVE A RICE COOKER: Add in 1 cup/160ml of broth or vegetable stock and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Turn off heat and put everything into the rice cooker. Add the remaining 3 cups/ 480ml of stock and cook it through. Stir once when the rice is done and keep warm for 5 minutes.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A RICE COOKER: Add in all the broth or vegetable stock and bring to boil. Keep stirring to prevent sticking from the bottom. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover with lid and let it steam for 20 minutes.
4) Serve with chopped spring onion/ fried onion.
I will be back!
Wish me luck for my thesis.
Oh yes, Happy Halloween to you! 🙂


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Reconquista update v2.2
Man, a devlog feature on itch.io, that's new. I guess this is a good time to take it for a spin, as I just posted an update for Reconquista!
I wasn't planning on doing any more work on this game, but recently I started using the Unity cross-platform gamepad plugin Rewired , and to familiarize myself with it I decided to implement in in Reconquista. It was very easy to set up, and it means you can finally use a controller to control the UI too.
And while I was in there, I couldn't resist making some more changes. Unity 5.6 offered some performance enhancements in the form of Instanced Materials, and I rebaked the occlusion and adjusted the terrain foliage settings to hopefully optimize the game a little further. Then of course I had to swap out the Cinematic Image Effects Unity released in beta last year with their all-new Post Processing Stack. Getting the color grading to look the same was quite a challenge, but in the end I think it looks a lot better than v2.1. And yesterday I saw a PCSS soft shadows plugin on the Asset Store that could finally solve the aliased shadows problem that has plagued the game since release. So all in all, the game has never looked or performed better (although there is always room for improvement).
To everyone that has checked out the game so far: thank you! The comments have been great to read, and I hope you'll revisit the island of Huaca again sometime to see these latest updates.
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|Not just dogs! This cockatiel was left unattended
and without cooling in a local car park (fear not:
it was fine in the end).
Many people still believe that it's fine to leave a dog, cat, or other pet, in a car on a warm day, as long as the windows are open, and the vehicle is parked in the shade. But don't be fooled: it's a highly dangerous situation for a dog, and other small animals, even in 'normal' temperatures.
Modern automotive glass acts like greenhouse glass, trapping heat, and causing a rapid rise in temperature. With an external temperature of 22ºC, inside a car it can be 47ºC within the hour. On a hot day, opening the windows simply won't make enough of a difference. Dogs pant to cool down, but the hotter and more humid it is, the less effective this becomes, and eventually, a dog simply cannot cool himself.
DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) warns that distress and suffering occurs for pets when temperatures go above 25ºC for more than a few minutes.
I'll just be 10 minutes …Think you can wind down the window a crack, and pop into the shop for a few moments? Ten minutes is long enough for heat to cause soft tissue and brain damage in a dog … 10 minutes.
With temperatures here in Dorset recently nearing 30ºC, you probably need to think about that for a moment. In this sort of heat, even less than ten minutes in a hot car could be enough to cause permanent brain damage in your dog, and eventual death. How would that make you feel?
And it's not just cars. Caravans, campers, and mobile homes are prevalent on our roads at this time of year, and the temperature here can rise just as quickly.
Here's Sergeant Harry Tangye, from Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, with some advice for the hotter days …
He looks happy enoughHeatstroke in dogs is particularly serious, but there are early warning signs to look for. One of the first, is heavy panting, barking, whining, and excessive salivation. Some dogs bark and whine more than others, of course, but even if you don't know the dog, you'll probably spot the signs of distress, even if he or she appears 'happy' to see you.
In warmer temperatures, such symptoms may only show for a few minutes: glassy eyes, and unresponsiveness soon follow. By this time, cells have started to die, and seizures, coma, and death are likely to follow. There is no time to waste.
There's a dog in there … smash the window!What if you do find a dog trapped in a hot car, and they are clearly distressed? Do you just smash the window? Force the door open?
Well, the first thing to be aware of, is that only a Local Authority inspector or Police Constable have legal powers to enter a premises (including a vehicle) for the purpose of assisting an animal that is, or is likely to be, suffering.
Any member of the public who breaks into a vehicle to assist an animal would be subject to an investigation for the offence of Criminal Damage. Of course, it's possible that such an action could be classed as 'reasonable,' depending on the condition of the animal. UK law states that you have a 'lawful excuse to commit damage if you believe that the owner of the property that you damage would consent to the damage if they knew the circumstances.'
But, if Fido is fine, you'd best get a lawyer!
Who ya gonna call?Whilst the RSPCA may seem like the first organisation to contact, it may not be able to attend quickly enough to help. Plus, the RSPCA does not have powers of entry, so cannot get into a vehicle without the owner's permission … it be would committing a criminal offence.
If you're in a public carpark, such as a supermarket or store, ask the Manager to make a call on the store's tannoy, and request the owner immediately attends and removes or checks on the dog.
If the dog is already showing signs of distress, then the best thing to do is to dial 999 and report it to the local police. Calmly give as much information as you can: where you are, how long you've been aware of the pet in the car, whether the animal is responsive, showing signs of stress, etc, and the car details, along with any efforts you may have already made to contact the owner, or otherwise help.
Once you've alerted the Police, call the RSPCA. Tell them that you've called the Police, and give them the same info. Let them know what the outcome of your 999 call was – what the Police are planning to do, or when they're likely to arrive at the scene.
But it's going to be too late!
With the best will in the world, sometimes the Police just won't be able to get to you in time. If you think that it'll be too late by the time the Police arrive, and there is no other option than to smash the window, make sure to do the following, if there's time:
- Tell the Police of your intentions
- Take photos or a note of the car and licence plate
- Take photos or videos of the dog
- Take names and numbers of any witnesses
Even if you, personally, aren't directly taking action, it's worth doing the above if you find yourself in such a situation, and remember …
BE HYPER-CAUTIOUS and HYPER-VIGILANT: DISTRESSED DOGS CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE AND AGGRESSIVE
If you can, try to ensure that a crowd doesn't gather around the car, and that voices – and tempers – are kept low and calm.
If the owner returns, and they become agitated, try to stay calm: being argumentative only results in more stress for everyone … including the dog. Express your concern, engage them, and be as civil as you can. The Police will be able to handle everything when they arrive.
If an animal has been removed from a vehicle, move him to a shaded area, and give him some water if you can. Soaking a chamois or t-shirt in water, and rubbing this over them can help to cool them, as can fanning them, or spraying a fine water mist over their coat. DO NOT GIVE ICE CUBES IN THIS SITUATION; this can cool them too quickly, leading to complications.
This (ever so slightly) tongue-in-cheek video from PETA offers some sound advice …
Why are people allowed to do this?!
They're not. Yes, it's true that there is no law that prohibits someone leaving a dog in a car, but there is a law against animal cruelty. In the UK, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, if an animal becomes ill or dies from being left in a hot car, the person responsible could face six months in custody, and a fine of up to £20,000.
And if you're wondering what it would feel like to be stuck in a hot car on a hot day … why don't you try it? Park-up, and leave the car with the windows open a crack, and see how long you last. Don't forget, you can sweat to cool down – your dog can't, so he'll be feeling it 10 times worse than you. Just look how NFL Arizona Cardinals' player Tyrann Mathieu got on, when he tried to sit-out the heat for PETA …
We hope you never need the above advice, but, should you come across an animal in distress in a vehicle, you know what to.
DON'T do anything rash.
DO keep calm.
Call the Police.
You can keep up with Sgt Tangye on Twitter – @DC_ARVSgt – or on his blog at https://dcarvsgt.wordpress.com
You can head over to the PETA UK website http://www.peta.org.uk


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Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
Dr. Holly Ordway has published a book titled Not God's Type, telling her personal story. She begins "I had never in my life said a prayer, never been to a church service. Christmas meant presents and Easter meant chocolate bunnies–nothing more." But her views get hardened: "In college, I absorbed the idea that Christianity was historical curiosity, or a blemish on modern civilization, or perhaps both. My college science classes presented Christians as illiterate anti-intellectuals who, because they didn't embrace Darwinism, threatened the advancement of knowledge. My history classes omitted or downplayed references to historical figures' faith." Still later, "At thirty-one years old, I was an atheist college professor–and I delighted in thinking of myself that way. I got a kick out of being an unbeliever; it was fun to consider myself superior to the unenlightened, superstitious masses, and to make snide comments about Christians." (p.15-16)
Ordway was a trained…
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Dan Carter stars for the Crusaders in crucial victory in Canberra.
All Black ace Dan Carter pulled the strings as the Canterbury Crusaders mastered Super 15 leaders ACT Brumbies for a crucial 30-23 win in Canberra.
It was the seven-time Super Rugby champions of old as the Crusaders won the tactical battle over Jake White's Brumbies for their first win in Australia's national capital since 2003.
Carter was at the heart of the Crusaders' attack as the benchmark Super Rugby team scored three tries to two in what skipper George Whitelock termed a "season-defining" win to keep his team in the running for the playoffs.
Carter kicked immaculately with three conversions and three penalties from his six goal attempts and was the difference in a precision performance by the Crusaders.
"It's never an easy place to come and play and we really needed this win to keep our chances alive and I'm really proud of the way the boys performed tonight," Carter said.
"We've been going a bit sideways (in attack) this year so we wanted to be a lot more direct and I thought we did that. We ran hard up against a tough and structured opposition defence."
It was the Crusaders' sixth win in 10 games and puts them six points behind New Zealand conference leaders Waikato Chiefs and just two behind the Auckland Blues.
The Brumbies had early fortune when Matt Toomua intercepted Carter's pass and raced 70 metres to score unopposed in the seventh minute and a conversion and penalty by Christian Lealiifano pushed the home side out to a 10-0 lead.
But the composed Crusaders got into their rhythm to draw level following a try by scrum-half Andy Ellis after sustained pressure in the 21st minute.
The Brumbies began the second half in the Crusaders' quarter but the New Zealanders comfortably held them at bay and struck through a try by winger Zac Guildford in the corner off a great Ryan Crotty pass.
Carter tightened the screw with the conversion and two more penalties to give the Crusaders a 23-10 lead before Lealiifano kicked the Brumbies' first points in almost an hour with a penalty.
The Crusaders sealed victory eight minutes from time when replacement Israel Dagg began and finished a sweeping 90-metre counter-attack for the team's third try and a 30-13 lead.
The Brumbies finished well to score a converted try by skipper Ben Mowen and a Lealiifano penalty to take away a losing bonus point from the match and lead the overall tournament by one point.
"It's disappointing in terms of not getting a result but at the end of the day to get a point out of that game when we were dead and buried with 15 minutes to go is probably something to count for us going into the playoffs," Brumbies coach White said.
"It wasn't a great performance by us, maybe nine weeks has taken its toll, but that's a quality team and Dan Carter controlled things as he can and there is a reason why they have been the benchmark team of Super Rugby."
It was a disappointing outcome for George Smith, who was playing his record 137th Super Rugby game for the Brumbies to eclipse the number played by former Wallaby skipper George Gregan.
Both teams have byes next weekend.


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Since Jean-Marc showed me these plants, lots of ideas have started flowing through my mind. The mimosa pudica grow on the ComPeung ground and they are very impressive. Watch the video to get the idea... As thus, I've started looking at touch sensing electronic devices.
I've put my attention at very simple circuits at first. Here are a few links I found, I put them here for later reference:
On Monday, I went to meet Dr Nipon at the Computational Intelligence Laboratory at University of Chiang Mai. I had made contact with Dr Nipon in Spring 2008 in order to get some technical support during my residency in ComPeung.
Dr Nipon prove to be a very nice person and showed much interest in the project. He put me under the safe care of one of his PhD students, Wirot Ponglangka, nicknamed "Joe", who is a specialist in electronics. Joe seems to be very excited about the project as well and is more than happy to help me.
All the insects being driven out of here by winter, I stopped working on insect-attracting light sources and tried to find new research ideas. I was much impressed by all of the little plastic bags that are used here to carry pretty much any kind of food, including sauces, soups and milk!
J'ai effectué quelques tests pour attirer les insectes avec de la lumière. Ça marche, mais je me demande bien quoi faire avec ça. Il n'y en a pas assez à mon goût, des insectes. Faut dire que c'est la saison fraîche.
After a long day at the internet cafe Doi Saket, I joined the group in ComPeung and we went to see the dam in the mountains. Fascinating landscape that strangely reminds me of the Quebec forest with its large areas of fresh water surrounded by old, green mountains. From what Ong told us, ancient temples are sunk below the surface of the artificial reservoir, forgotten by modernism. My friend Federico Bonnelli, a big fan of futurism, would be delighted.
Since I arrived in Thailand, I was really impressed by the electrical and communication network. In every city or town, wires run in all directions, loosely attached to electric posts, in a rather chaotic fashion. It has become usual for me to see electric wires entertwined with tree branches, often at the reach of one's hand. People don't seem to bother about this, even when the rain is heavy! In Ton Sai, one of these wires hanging between the jungle and the village had become the preferred highway for a colony of ants to go get some food.
After two weeks of travel in Thailand, I arrived yesterday at my final destination: ComPeung. The head of the organization, Ong, showed me around the rather impressive project.
Suite à mes recherches de ce week-end, j'ai travaillé aujourd'hui sur un modèle en arbre. Un tel modèle est un graphe où chaque noeud (sommet) est le parent d'un ou plusieurs noeuds et où noeud objet possède un parent (excepté celui qui se situe au sommet de tous les autres).
Ce qui me plaît avec cette idée c'est que (1) ça reproduit certaines structures empruntées par des animaux sociaux tels que les fourmis et les abeilles et (2) en cas de rupture d'un lien, on se retrouve simplement avec deux réseaux hiérarchiques distincts (voir image).
Following a comment expressed in a post in the Arduino forum I wrote a patch on the source code of AFSoftSerial by Ladyada. This patch adds a distinct buffer for each serial input (instead of a static, shared buffer). It thus allows to have several inputs/outputs (rx/tx).
This is an important proof-of-concept I wanted to implement with respect to circular serial communication. For nodes in the circular network to be able to send messages to other nodes, they need to be able to send and receive addressed packets. Those packets are relayed through the network until they reach their final destination.
The first kind of packet that I wished to implement is very simple: it allows the node to be aware of the number of nodes in the network. Here is the general algorithm that is run:
generate a unique key


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How to Get Dreads with the Backcombing Method
The backcombing method, getting dreads using the backcombing method, you definitely need a little bit of length. It's recommended that you have between 6 to 12 inches and it's best used on textures that are a little bit smoother, a little bit softer. You may want to try doing the backcombing method with a tighter curl or a coarser texture, but it's mainly used by those that have a softer texture of hair,the hair that doesn't lock as quickly.
And so the process is one that you take small sections, preferably about one to an inch and a half sectioning, and each section you take, you backcomb it. Mostly with a brush because you definitely want to get your backcombing stiff, tight, and a little bit frizzy. The frizziness and the loose hairs will kind of help mold it and allow you to do your palm rolling, to get that shape that you want.
You use your brush and do your backcombing method, nice and tight, small strokes. And then once you get your backcombing in, your hair will probably be about, in terms of the look of the length it'll look a little shorter, because you just backcombed a lot of your length into the dread. And then you take your dread wax at that point and use just a little bit from the root all the way to the ends and then you start palm rolling.
And you palm roll and you palm roll that whole backcombed dread, until it gets nice and smooth, and gets a nice shape that you want and it sticks and it stays. Once you get your full head done, you have just done a full head of the backcombing method to get your instant dreadlocks.


text: Rise & Shine is an iPhone app that encourages communitiy connectivity through photos and experiences from the most important meal of the day. It is a social photo sharing app that allows users to create and manage a breakfast themed image collection. The collection acts as a record of the users food experiences and as a way to archive restaurants and recipes.


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The most advanced and intuitive Speedometer and Automobile Dashboard utility that helps you force safely.
• Pace Aspect GPS Speedometer.
Excessive-accuracy* GPS-primarily based speedometer that presentations the actual pace of your automobile in mph, km/h or knots. And for every pace unit which you can outline a person gauge vary.
• Most indicated pace is 1900 km/h / 1160 mph / a thousand knots.
• More than one Profiles.
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• Speedometer overlay.
Small speedometer stays on the highest of any lively software. That you can additionally setup overlay position for personally for explicit utility.
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Gives quick switching for velocity gadgets, spark off HUD and extra. Faucet the Speedometer scale to spark off it.
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Assign any 3 utility to begin on GPS indicator faucet. Name your favorit Navigation or participant simply in two faucets!
• Three shortcut pages: Utility, Communique, Navigation for complete 36 person-outlined software shortcuts
• Moderate Speedometer.
Faucet Compass for change to Moderate Speedometer, lengthy press resets Moderate Speedometer for brand new size
• Velocity warnings
That you can outline as much as 10 pace limits and software will notify you visually and with an alert sound whilst you go over any of them.
• GPS Compass.
Insensitive to electromagnetic fields and the iron of your automobile.
• GPS Altitude.
Studies altitude, measured with the aid of your telephones GPS.


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We got our little onesie in the mail today to show our support for sweet baby Finn. Please keep him in your prayers! At Finn's 9 month doctor's visit, the pediatrician was concerned about rapid head growth and sent them to Primray Children's for a CT scan. They found tumours. Less than 48 hours later, he had a craniotomy to remove as much as they could of the two biggest tumours. Baby Finn has brain cancer. He just finished his second round of chemotherapy and continues to make progress. He just turned one.
We are so hopeful for baby Finn and this sweet family. They call him their magical unicorn. They deserve all the miracles in the world. Keep them in your prayers!
If you can, donate to their GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/SweetBabyFinn
And you can purchase magical unicorn shirts/buttons/etc. here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TinyGeekShop…


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martyr(redirected from martyring)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.
make a martyr of (one)
To make one on the opposing side of an issue suffer for their position, only for that suffering to cause other people to sympathize with the victim, thus strengthening their cause. The British government's biggest mistake in dealing with the Irish revolutionaries was to execute the leaders of the 1916 uprising. By making martyrs of them, the government unified the Irish people in a position of revolt.
make a martyr of (oneself)
To go out of one's way to do difficult or unpleasant things, especially to engender pity or sympathy in others. My mother always made a martyr of herself at Christmas time, slaving away in the kitchen and then complaining about how tired she was.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.


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Meryl Streep has defended her portrayal of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a frail old woman suffering from dementia in The Iron Lady, says BBC News.
The film has drawn criticism from Baroness Thatcher's former colleagues, including former Conservative party chairman Norman Tebbit who called the performance "half-hysterical, over-emotional". Streep told the BBC,
I felt that if we did it in the right way, it would be OK. There is a feeling that the walls are just more permeable between the present and the past and one intrudes on the other. It's something that I don't think there should be a stigma about, it's life, it's the truth. We've all had that moment where you can't remember why you went upstairs and so it was extrapolating that feeling of disorientation, momentary as it is."
Iron Lady tells Thatcher's story in a series of flashbacks, the elderly Thatcher struggling with dementia, and her rise and fall from power.
Former Conservative politician Michael Portillo praised Streep but told the BBC that he "felt uncomfortable" about the scenes of her infirmity,
I wouldn't want to see my own mother portrayed in that way. I recognise it is a tremendous piece of art, but that will be a controversial feature of the film."
But Streep, referring Carol Thatcher's book about her mother's illness, said,
Carol caught a lot of flak for speaking about this, but other people who have dementia in their family are grateful."
Photo: Streep as Thatcher in Iron Lady


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Altered Tickets
0 · Fringe Theatre
A comedic production exploring memory and its effects.
Altered explores false memory and its detrimental effects with elements of comedic relief. Could you be lead into remembering an event so honestly, so vividly; when really it didn't happen at all? The story of ALTERED focuses on a young girl Beth's battle with her own brain, as she discovers her past reality may not be as it seems.
Date & time
Show ended
Mon 8 Aug at 9pm.
58-60 Hampstead Road NW1 2PY London, UK · Get Directions


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Case Types We Handle
Our office works with individuals facing the following:
- Contract negotiation issues;
- FMLA violations;
- Hostile work environments;
- Whistleblower rights violations;
- Wage and hour disputes;
- Workplace discrimination;
- Retaliation;
- Sexual harassment; and
- Severance review challenges.
Taking Action When Your Rights Are Violated
If you feel your employee rights were violated in some way, it is your job to speak up and take action. Document every incident you face where you feel you have faced a violation, such as instances where you are asked to continue working after you have clocked out or interactions where you feel you have faced harassment. The documentation you keep is the evidence you will use to support your violation claim, should you choose to file one. Before discussing your case with an employment lawyer, discuss it with your company's Human Resources department. If you cannot resolve it internally at this point, consider taking legal action.
New Jersey Employment Law vs Federal Employment Law
There are certain federal laws that nearly every employer in the United States must comply with, like the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. In addition to these federal laws, many states have additional laws in place to provide greater protection for employees. In New Jersey, these laws include the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) and the New Jersey Equal Pay Act (NJEPA), a 2018 law that amended NJLAD.
In New Jersey, employment discrimination and other violation claims are handled by the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR). Federal violation claims are filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). After filing a claim with either agency, the agency investigates the claim to determine whether a violation has actually occurred. If so, the government agency may facilitate a settlement between the employee and the employer or it may file a lawsuit to pursue compensation for the employee's related damages.
Work With An Experienced Garfield Employment Law Attorney
As an employee working in New Jersey, you have certain rights. And when your rights are violated, you can suffer a variety of damages ranging from missed paychecks to substantial psychological distress. If you feel you are facing a workplace rights violation, discuss your case with an experienced Garfield employment law attorney now. Contact the Law Offices of Usmaan Sleemi today at 973-453-4060 to schedule your initial legal consultation.
Contact Us
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The need for such education was highlighted for me some years ago by one of my patients, and I have never forgotten his rather pointed message. It seems that this patient, let's call him John, had been sitting in the clinic reception area waiting to see me for his regular chiropractic check-up and happened to see a family with children going into one of the treatment rooms. When it came time for me to see John, I arrived in the treatment room with the traditional Aussie greeting, "G'day," to which John replied, "Hey Doc, I want to ask you something. I saw some kids come in here before; don't tell me you treat kids in this clinic too!" I replied, "Of course we do, kids need chiropractic care just as much as adults do."
John's statement had a concerned yet inquiring tone, and the question he asked really floored me: "What could kids possibly have wrong with them, that they would need to see a chiropractor?" How could one of my patients not know that kids need chiropractic too? The truth of the matter was that in my busy practice, I had not regularly taken the time to educate my patients about the need to bring their children in for regular spinal check-ups. On recollection, most of the children that I was seeing had just seemed to arrive, without any concerted effort or influence on my part. John's question had all of a sudden made me feel rather badly. I was letting the kids down by not getting the message out to parents that chiropractic was for kids too. How many more of my patients had children who had not had their spines checked, I wondered.
It wasn't as if I did not know the benefits that chiropractic had to offer for children. After all, I had three little "ankle-biters" of my own whose health problems had responded dramatically to chiropractic care. Jacqueline's growing pains, Patrick's asthma, and Rebecca's tonsillitis had all rapidly responded to care by our first chiropractor, a fine mentor whose work inspired me to attend chiropractic college. Now here I was letting the team down. After John's challenge, I decided from that day onward not to let the kids miss out any longer.
Thereafter, I would consistently ask my patients as they were leaving the treatment room after their adjustments, "How long is it since your children have had an adjustment?" Now most of the time, I already knew the answer to this question. "Adjustment?" they would say, "Our kids have never had an adjustment!" Well, that was all the encouragement I needed to launch straight into a mini lecture on chiropractic care for kids. "You don't mean to tell me that you have never had their spine checked? Do you take them to the dentist?", I would ask. "Well, of course, we don't want their teeth to drop out," the parents would reply. "Then how about bringing them into the clinic so that I can check to see if they have any spinal subluxations, which may be producing early spinal problems?", I would suggest. Usually these patients got the message right away.
My practical education in chiropractic pediatrics has been significantly influenced by the parents of the children that I have treated. From my experience, kids who have regular chiropractic care really just don't get sick very often, and if they do it is usually only a minor problem. Parents frequently tell me that since their children have been having regular chiropractic care, they keep significantly better health and don't lose nearly as much time off school. As chiropractic doctors, we hear this type of response from parents all the time. We know the great results that we get with kids, but we are usually too busy to stop and educate even our patients, let alone the public about what we have to offer. This must all change, if we want to continue bringing the benefits of chiropractic to the kids of the world. It is only by letting the public know that we really do have something to offer for kids, that pediatric chiropractic care will be accepted as an important part of a child's health care program, just as necessary as the dental check-up and sometimes a way to dramatically improve a child's health.
What better time to focus our clinic efforts more on children's health care than in our Centennial year!
Peter Fysh, DC
San Jose, California
Editor's Note: Dr. Fysh is currently conducting pediatric seminars. He may be contacted at 1-800-999-7337.
Click here for more information about Peter Fysh, DC.


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1. I was able to get all the books I needed within the first week of classes!
2. My last class of the day ended early today.
3. My 11:00 class is canceled for Thursday.
4. Steven was able to call me today.
5. A new Nicholas Sparks movie is coming out soon!!!! Nights in Rodanthe (which is one of my favorite N.S. books) will be in theaters on September 26!!! It is a Friday night, and I have already made plans to go see it with Lauren.
6. The Jonesboro Library has section on their site where you can recheck your books online. I love this feature! It is definitely a gas saver for me. You can also look online to see what books they have on the shelves.
7. Because of the construction going on at the library, I get to keep the two books I checked out last month until October! I love to read, but with classes starting back, sometimes it is hard to find time.
8. I get to sleep a little later in the morning. Well, as late as my dogs will let me. That is usually not more than 30 minutes.
9. My toe nails are painted! I finally got a chance to redo them this past weekend. Having painted toes always makes me feel a little prettier.
10. I have something fun in the works with my new friend, Kendy…..


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Colorado small businesses seek help with labor shortage, tariffs
About 30 Fort Collins-area business complained about onerous federal and state regulations that impact their operations Wednesday in a rare meeting with the Office of Advocacy from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The meeting at La Quinta Inn on East Mulberry Street drew representatives from energy, manufacturing, trucking, recreation, real estate and agriculture. They raised concerns about the cost of doing business in Colorado and regulations that harm small business.
The Washington, D.C.-based Office of Advocacy is responsible for reviewing the impact that federal rules and regulations have on small business. The Trump administration has made regulatory reform a priority and signed two executive orders addressing the regulatory burden faced by the private sector.
MORE:History: A look back at businesses that once enriched our city
Business representatives cited a labor shortage that has reached "crisis" proportions; a trade war with China, Mexico and Canada; and immigration policy that has limited workers in the pork and agriculture industries.
Joyce Kelly, executive director of the Colorado Pork Producers Council in Greeley, said the industry needs a guest worker program "sooner rather than later."
"It is paramount to the success of agriculture and the ag industry," especially rural areas where unemployment is low. "Trying to find people who will work on a hog farm and are dependable and reliable is very, very difficult," Kelly said. "It has to be addressed."
Ag workers can come into the country on an H-1A professional visa, but most come through the H-2A temporary agriculture visa program, Kelly said. "It's a willing heart and unskilled labor that we need."
The Trump administration has increased visas for some, including hotel and hospitality workers, but has left alone the H-2A program for seasonal farm workers even though ag industries have lobbied for increases.
Kelly also said President Donald Trump's trade wars with China, Mexico and Canada and subsequent tariffs on pork imports "were of great concern."
The three countries are among the top four importers of pork across the country, and tariffs are hampering the amount of pork leaving the country, Kelly said.
MORE:Poll: What businesses are we missing in Fort Collins?
"It's had a huge impact on our industry as a whole," she said. "I understand issues have to be resolved with China," she said. But she asked the SBA to promote bilateral trade agreements with other countries to "make up the shortfall."
It's not just agriculture suffering from a lack of workers.
Although out of the purview of the SBA, business representatives cited a labor shortage that has reached "crisis" proportions.
Some blamed Colorado's low unemployment rate of 2.7 percent, a decrease in the number of teenagers working summer jobs and Colorado's rising minimum wage — now $10.20 an hour, on its way to $12 an hour by 2020.
The shortage is pushing wages up to the point that even McDonald's is paying more than $12 an hour, said a representative from Next Generation Energy in Lafayette.
The labor shortage is "probably the single biggest issue from our clients: how do you get a person; how do you find them," said Mike O'Donnell, director of the Larimer Small Business Development Center.
"Businesses everywhere are are looking for people," he said. Several participants encouraged community colleges to create more programs to train more tradespeople who may not be seeking a four-year degree.
MORE:NFL's first female assistant coach to share her story, skills at Loveland girls football camp
Daniel Nordberg, Mountain states regional administrator for the SBA, said the shortage in the trades is "really crazy," especially when you look at the starting pay for some of these positions. "It's a crisis."
Other participants, like Nikki Schultz of Green Jeep Tours in Estes Park, had more specific concerns.
She said she pays $40,000 a year for the ability to bring tours into Rocky Mountain National Park but said proposed increases in park admission would quadruple her costs. Schultz said those entering the park before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m., or those taking a free shuttle, pay nothing to use the park. Fee increases "should target them before they target commercial businesses when we are advising people to 'leave no trace,' and not to walk on the tundra," she said.
The Fort Collins meeting was one of two in Colorado. Another meeting will be held Thursday in Colorado Springs.
MORE:High and dry: Thornton water pipeline spells doubt for 2 Colorado towns


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- Get Help From a Specialist
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I'm at Brookdale Arlington. It's located near a lot of other shopping, movie theaters, and restaurants, so it's very convenient if you stay here. The care is good, and the food is OK. It's very nice inside a room. You can either get a furnished apartment or have your own furniture depending on what you want. The staff ...Read more Vitality Living Arlington reviews
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Brookdale Arlington was very nice, but it's in a very crowded area. The facility was very nice. Everything was set up very nice and they had a nice little outdoor area, but the whole area is like in the middle of Arlington. It's a very congested, very built-up area, and we prefer it to be in som- place a little further...Read more Vitality Living Arlington reviews
It was a very nice community, but they didn't have any Medicaid beds at that time. It was very beautiful, clean, and I loved the layout. They have a library, a café, and a barbershop, which is nice. They also have a postal service and a chapel, which are very cute. The courtyard and the garden are very nice. They have ...Read more Vitality Living Arlington reviews
It was a nice place. I was a little concerned about my relative being in a high-rise. They had parking issues. The staff seemed to be very nice. I saw their physical therapy area and art studio. They also had other very nice amenities.Read more Vitality Living Arlington reviews
It was farther along the line in terms of being an assisted living facility. There were a couple of hundred units and they did not have full kitchens in them. Everybody comes to meals in the general space. It was absolutely lovely. The staff was incredibly helpful. We were given homemade peanut butter fudge before we l...Read more Vitality Living Arlington reviews
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Hario V60 Glass Brewing Kit
This product is currently sold out.
Want to find a tasteful, quality gift for a beginner coffee enthusiast? The Hario V60 Glass Starter Set is made from Hario's award-winning, borosilicate heatproof glass. The V60 is an approachable brew method that favours a clean body and crisp mouthfeel, with spiraling ridged sides to encourage agitation and extraction. The glass V60 dripper comes with a detachable funnel for easy and thorough cleaning. The Hario V60 Glass Brewing Kit comes with a scoop for measuring, but we suggest using a scale (we recommend either Felicita Incline or Acaia) to make sure your coffee is consistent time after time.
What's Included
- 1 x Hario V60 2 Cup borosilicate heatproof glass dripper
- 1 x Hario V60 600ml glass server
- 40 Hario 02 filter papers
- Includes Scoop for Measuring


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4/12: Stars auction themselves at Celebrity Fight Night 2014
Let's be real. You probably don't earn enough to afford the $1,500 to $10,000 tickets for Celebrity Fight Night 2014 at the Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix.
But hey, you can dream, right?
This year marks Celebrity Fight Night's 20th anniversary of bringing together famous actors, musicians, athletes and philanthropists to support local and national charities. Together, these stars have raised $87 million over the past 19 years for such charities as the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, the Phoenix Symphony, Phoenix Children's Hospital and more than a dozen others.
In 2014, those lucky enough to afford the ducats can bid in an exclusive celebrity-date auction the that include so many bright stars, you might go blind. Here's a look at a few of the auction items up for grabs Saturday, April 12.
Dine with Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro
Visit Greenwich Village for a private backroom dinner with Crystal and De Niro. We imagine it'll go something like this scene from "Analyze This." The package includes airfare, two rooms and two nights' stay in a New York City hotel.
Dine with Reba McEntire
Pretend the country-music star and actress is part of your entourage while dining with her, four of your friends and "some of her closest friends." The package includes airfare, two rooms and one nights' stay at a luxury hotel in Beverly Hills.
Dine backstage with Michael Bublé
Join the crooner, one of Canada's best imports, at one of his concerts for a backstage dinner prepared by gourmet chef Grant McPherson.
Dine with Lionel Richie, David Foster and Wolfgang Puck
You might have to move aside a handful Grammys to find room at the table next to Foster and Richie. One auction winner and three friends will have the opportunity to dine with the Grammy-award winning artists in Richie's Beverly Hill's Home. Oh yeah, we almost forgot, Puck is making dinner.
Weekend with the Kennedys
One lucky family of five is invited to live like a president and spend a summer weekend with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at his family's famous compound in Cape Cod, Mass.; the very place where Jack, Jackie, Carolyn and John-John vacationed.
Talk about the future with Sir Richard Branson
Maybe some of his wealth will rub off; if not, you could still probably stand to learn a thing or two while taking part in the "ultra-exclusive gathering that explores solutions to 21st-century challenges." Or you could just play hooky and relax on the four-night stay at Branson's private isle among the British Virgin Islands.


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For the past four days, I went with our Boy Scouts troop to Yosemite Valley. It's hard to believe that this was only my second time here; I have lived less than four hours away for 25 years. Not only is it spectacular, but compared to most campgrounds, the facilities are worth ten times the price.
The drive to the park, once you get past Merced, is beautiful in the spring. Much of it is along the river, with lush glades and meadows and dramatic rapids. When you finally get to the park, you're treated to a deep green and granite wonderland. We lucked out with the weather--although it was hard to get out of a cozy sleeping bag into a chilly 25 degree (Fahrenheit) morning, by 10 a.m. it was in the 50s and hovered around 60 most of each day, with only a few wisps of cloud above.
Maria stayed only the first night, but the rest of us were there three nights. The campsite was pleasant--open and spacious, with a stream gurgling directly behind.
The campsite also had spectacular views of Half Dome and other peaks, if you found the right spots to look up between the trees.
Three nights camping in Bear Country taught us a lot about bear safety. In fact, we got an extensive lecture and Q&A from a pleasant but stern ranger who gave us the ins & outs of bear safety. "A fed bear is a dead bear," they say. That is because if a bear gets any human food, over time they lose their natural inhibitions and invade campsites more frequently, eventually moving on to aggressive actions that are dangerous to people. At that point, the bears get put down. We learned the lessons well, but still we had one bear encounter and two raccoon ("little bear") encounters in the night.
I went on three separate hikes. The first was a pleasant walk along the Merced River past Yosemite Village (wonderful mini downtown of Yosemite), up to the Lower Yosemite Falls. We walked 2 or 3 miles and took the shuttle bus back to camp (the buses are quite nice and convenient), and it was a good introduction to the valley at 4,000 feet elevation.
The second day we went on a hike to Vernal Falls, up the Mist Trail. It was recently opened for the season. The first mile or so is a good effort up a paved path to a wooden footbridge. Leaves you a little breathless at this altitude, but not terribly challenging. At the footbridge, most of our contingent turned back because they weren't sure they could make it to the falls and back in time to cook dinner. Eight of us, however, pushed on with the intention of going that last 0.3 miles and double-timing it back to camp.
And it was misty.
Mostly the trek was like this, so that third of a mile took a bit longer than we expected. But we powered through and made it pretty quickly, up to the final section, then took five minutes to enjoy the view.
On the way down, we caught a few rainbows.
We made it back to camp about 20 minutes later than we'd hoped, but it was well worth the extra effort.
On Friday we made an assault on the trail to the top of Yosemite Falls. About 3.5 miles each way, with a 2,500 foot vertical ascent (roughly). It's a trail with so many switchbacks that it looks like the cartographers used a seismograph to draw the map. We first took the shuttle bus to the trailhead, where we had a good view of our destination:
Oh, sorry. Some clarification:
Halfway up we stopped for lunch, in a shady place with a slight descent. A good resting point before the second set of switchbacks. And pretty much the last good look at the falls along the trail; the trail curves up and to the left, so you lose sight of (but not sound of) the falls the rest of the way.
... and more rainbows! Unfortunately, my photography skills can't possibly show how glorious these rainbows were. They are huge, and so close you feel you can touch them, and brilliant and unwavering.
At the top, there is an overlook that is essentially insane. To reach it, you inch down a sand-covered, treacherous, 24-inch-wide Ledge o' Death. Two of the scouts ran down there before I could stop them. Here's the view from the last part of the Ledge o' Death. Doesn't look too bad from here, but Mr. Scaredy-cat Adult-In-Charge (me) made those two leave and did not let any of the other scouts go down to the overlook. I feel bad about not letting them go there, but to be honest I found it terrifying. Not "thrilling and terrifying." Just terrifying. It is really quite dangerous, and you essentially have to be out of your mind to go there. Or a kid because kids have no sense of their own mortality.
The climb was still quite an accomplishment. The view from the platform is not as spectacular as you might imagine, and looking down on the water as it curves over the lip of the granite is not as dramatic as you might think. But making it to the top and reaching that physical goal... that was cool. Plus, at the top there was quite a bit of snow, and the boys had a great time with an epic snowball fight.
We double-timed it back to the bottom. The climb took nearly 3 and a half hours, but the descent took a little less than two hours. As we reached the bottom of the trail, I noticed a sign I failed to see on our ascent.
All in all, it was a phenomenal three days in one of the most gorgeous places on Earth. The visitors center museum is engaging and simple, with history and nature laid out clearly and colorfully. The ranger programs were interesting each night. The campsites were in great condition, the bathrooms were heated and clean, and the free, hot showers at the Curry Village camp were a welcome relief at the day's end. I can't wait until we go back. Maybe Nevada Falls or one of the peaks next time--El Capitan, North Dome, or Half Dome.


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A message about COVID-19. We're here to help. Read More
At Mr. Rooter of Western Pennsylvania, your family's health is, and will always be our top priority. We are taking steps to keep our team healthy and your family safe as usual. To ensure our team can safely continue to fulfill your home service needs, we are taking every measure we can to prevent the spread of illness. We are always here to serve you and your family with your plumbing and drain needs. Mr. Rooter is ready to help. We'll fix it fast, and we'll fix it right.
Sump Pump Repair & Installation
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Protect Your Basement from Flooding
If you've experienced a flooded basement, you know the amount of damage flooding can cause. Even small amounts of water leaking into your basement can lead to thousands of dollars in water damage in addition to hazardous mold and mildew growth.
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From our customer service representatives to our plumbing experts, we're dedicated to customer relationships, quality workmanship, honesty, and integrity. Available 24/7, we're your go-to source for all your plumbing needs.


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Six Places That You Didn't Know Have Halal Options
The halal food industry is a fast-growing market worldwide. According to a September article on Bloomberg, it is estimated to be at a value of $20 billion in the United States. As time progresses, the availability of halal food is increasing in many restaurants across the world, including in the United States.
So, what exactly is halal? The word "halal" means "permissible" in Arabic, and is not another name for New York-style cart food, despite what Halal Guys might lead you to believe. Therefore, halal meat is basically meat that is permissible for Muslims to eat. Any meat except for pork, alligator, and any predatory animal or bird can be considered halal if it is processed in the correct manner. In the halal process, a prayer is said before the animal is slaughtered in a humane way.
Houston is home to one of the largest and most diverse halal food scenes in the country. According to zabihah.com (a directory for halal restaurants around the globe), there are about 300 restaurants in the Greater Houston Area that have halal options. They vary from being fully halal to serving a few halal options. As more chefs become aware of halal meat, partially halal restaurants are gaining in popularity. In partially halal restaurants, if the meat is cooked separately from the non-halal meat and no alcohol or non-halal products are added to the cooking (the consumption of alcohol is forbidden in Islam), it is still halal. Below are six places that you likely didn't know have halal options.
Euro Bakery & Café
When it comes to Greek food, you often go for either Niko Niko's or Helen's Greek. At the junction of Louetta and Kuykendahl lies the only halal Greek restaurant in the Houston area. Many halal places only have gyros for Greek options, but this one serves up various Greek dishes such as souvlaki, pastitsio and spanakopita. This is also one of the few halal restaurants that has breakfast menu items. Not only is everything made from scratch, every vegetable in the restaurant is home-grown. And chances are, you'll meet a YouTube celebrity when you're there—co-owner Dimitra Khan's Greek focused channel, Dimitra's Dishes, has quite a following.
Stanton's City Bites
This popular burger place near the downtown courthouse has been in business for more than 50 years, but it has only had halal options for three. When they started using halal meat, it was only the beef burgers that were adhered to dietary restrictions. They started using halal chicken, hot dogs, and chicken tenders back in 2014, proof of the success that they have been enjoyed since they started using halal meat. Today, it is a favorite among halal meat eaters and many people in the Houston area. They do serve bacon, but if you mention halal and no bacon, they will cook your burger on a separate grill for you!
Nyam Nyam Café
This is not only one of Houstonia's top 100 restaurants of 2016, it's the only place in the entire state that has halal savory crepe and pirozhki options. Only the chicken and the lamb are halal, but everything is cooked in separate pans. You can see your food being made while you wait to eat it. It's a favorite among the residents of Cypress as well as the Muslims that live well beyond the Cypress area.
Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet
Would you believe that one of the best-known Mediterranean restaurant chains in the state uses halal meat? Every location uses halal meat. Enjoy kebabs, hummus and pita, and do not take too much food—they charge you for what you don't eat!
D'Caribbean Curry Spot
How about a halal restaurant that is as unique as it gets? This restaurant in Pearland is the only Caribbean restaurant in the state that uses halal meat. D'Caribbean has authentic options such as roti wraps, doubles, oxtail and jerk chicken. The people who own the place are Muslims from Trinidad and Tobago, so they know how to make the food as authentic as it gets.
Thai Gourmet
A very popular lunch spot, Thai Gourmet is one of only four Thai restaurants in the entire Houston metropolitan area that use halal meat. Only the chicken is halal, but you can request them to cook it on a separate pan when ordering. Be careful which spice level you order, though, because the food can literally burn your mouth.


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Quality Fuel & Lubricants
Whether your business is located onshore or off, we can deliver right to your door. Our fleet of trucks can easily fulfill fuel orders of any amount, from small package shipments to large bulk fuel distribution requirements. We also have marine capabilities equally able to supply offshore clients with quick, reliable deliveries. Much of our equipment is also available for rent, giving our customers an extremely convenient one-stop option.
Because of our relationships with many Louisiana refineries, we're able to have a readily available supply of fuels, lubricants, and chemicals to meet your needs. We understand that containing costs is an essential part of staying competitive, so we consistently work with our suppliers to be able to provide you with the product you need at the price you can afford.


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PBC on Spike Barthelemy vs. Bey early results
The PBC on Spike made it's South Florida debut at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino with a packed card headlined by Rances Barthelemy vs. Mickey Bey. Check out the results from the bouts that didn't make the televised portion of the card.
- Hot prospect Gervonta Davis improved to 15-0 (14 KO) with a 1st round KO of Mexican journeyman Mario Macias Rorozco (28-19). Three punches is all Davis needed to get the win, a right hook, right jab to the body and the fight finishing right hook to the head. The ref waved it off 41 seconds into the fight.
- Miami product Steve Geffard improved to the 14-2 (12 KO) with vicious body shots which resulted in two knockdowns of Samuel Miller (31-15) who didn't make the 10 count at 2:15 of the 1st round.
- South Florida prospect Courtney Jackson went the distance in a 4 rounder against Bahamian Anthony Woods to improve to 10-0.
- Dat Nguyen improved to 19-3 with a unanimous decision over journeyman Jesus Lule.
- Antonio Williams of Fort. Lauderdale stayed undefeated in his young careers improving to 3-0 (3 KO) with a 2nd round TKO of Hector Fernandez of Puerto Rico.
- In the only female fight of the night LaTondria Jones defeated Latoya Burton by unanimous decision to improve to 4-0.


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I was looking for virtual classes for kids. As summer was approaching, I needed to find something to help keep my children occupied. I worked from home, and when the kids are home with me and don't have anything to do, they require a lot of my attention. A friend who worked from home like me told me that she had signed up her children for virtual classes for the summer. She said she had done this before and that the kids enjoyed the online activities. With the kids occupied, I knew that I would get my work done while they were home.
To find the best virtual classes for kids, I started by thinking about their needs and interests. My youngest son liked math and space, so I wanted to find online classes geared towards his interests. My daughter liked arts and crafts and anything creative. I wanted to find classes that allowed her to explore different arts. I knew that if my kids were interested in the classes they were taking, they would be engaged and enjoy the learning.
Another thing that I wanted to look at with the online classes for kids was the company's reputation that provided the classes. The classes needed to be high quality, teach my kids what they wanted to know, and keep them engaged. I researched different places with good reputations for providing lessons that were engaging to children. I found a few different companies that interested me, and I knew it would work great for my kids.
After giving it some thought, I signed my children up for virtual classes for the summer. I shared the classes they were signed up for with them, and they were excited, as was I.


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AZRE Red Awards 2015
Every February for the last 10 years, AZRE magazine has shone a spotlight on the commercial real estate industry through its annual Real Estate Development (RED) Awards. This year, a record number of projects and brokerage teams were nominated for a chance to be recognized at this year's RED Awards.
RED Award trophies were handed out in 10 project categories, to six brokerage teams and safety, subcontractor, architect, general contractor and developer of the year awards were also presented. AZRE also recognized Sunbelt Holdings President and CEO John Graham with a lifetime achievement award.
Education, Higher Ed.: College Avenue Commons
Education, K-12: Sunset Heights Elementary School
Healthcare: Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center Phase II Clinic Expansion
Industrial: Ocotillo Brine Reduction Facility
Mixed Use: SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center — SkySong 3
Multifamily: Broadstone Lincoln
Office: GoDaddy Global Technology Center
Public: Phoenix Sky Train, Stage 1A
Redevelopment: Mesa Community College Performing Arts Center
Retail: Marketplace at Lincoln & Scottsdale
Brokerage Teams
Industrial, Sale: Pat Feeney, Dan Calihan and Rusty Kennedy, CBRE
Industrial, Lease: Mike Haenel, Andy Markham and Will Strong, DTZ
Office, Sale: Chris Toci and Chad Littel, Cushman & Wakefield
Office, Lease: Pat Williams, Steve Corney, Vicki Robinson and Andrew Medley, JLL
Retail, Sale: Darren Pitts and Dave Cheatham, Velocity Retail
Retail, Lease: Andy Kroot, Velocity Retail
Of the Year
Safety Award: McCarthy Building Companies
Subcontractor of the Year: Iconic Design Studio
Architect of the Year: Gensler
General Contractor of the Year: DPR Construction
Developer of the Year: Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Lifetime Achievement Award: John Graham


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On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff
YESTERDAY, CLARENCE STRATTON shared thoughts on theater, especially of Little Theater as it existed in 1928. Today in Part 2, Stratton describes two theatrical innovations, one with a definite shortcoming.
A Peculiar Shape. "One of the most peculiarly shaped auditoriums," Stratton described, "is that at Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh. It is a perfect ellipse."
"The seats," Stratton wrote, "are curved in parallel with the rear wall. The rows near the stage cut sharply across the narrowing curves of the sides as they sweep round to form the proscenium. Here the stage front, instead of curving into the auditorium, or stretching in a straight line across it, recedes from it. Seats at the extreme ends of the first few rows are closer to the stage line than those in the middle."
On Trodding the Boards. Merriam-Webster cites "tread the boards" as an old-fashioned term "to perform on a stage as an actor // It's been many years since he first trod the boards on Broadway."
Stratton offered a tale justifying the advisability of the boards: "I have been told of one large city theater in which as an advance over old-fashioned materials the new stage floor was made of concrete. Only too late was it discovered that stage brace screws could not be fastened to the floor."
"Then," the tale continued, "at needless expense troughs were excavated in the solid materials, and in these grooves wide planks were laid to which the braces could be attached. But even this change did not remedy all the defects on such an innovation. Actors off stage, walking about on the concrete floor made such squeaking noises with their leather soled shoes that several temperamental managers and stars almost lost their minds."
"The brilliant ideas," Stratton said, "that have sparkled on blue prints but sputtered out in reality are numerous enough to fill a book."
Indeed, numerous too are the theatrical successes he records.
As Stratton asked rhetorically, "If the acting and the lighting are right, may the setting be anything this designer pleases?" His book Theatron describes the genre in a dense and weighty (2.3 lbs) 303 pages. ds
© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2020


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ILO African Regional Meeting to accelerate the implementation pace of the Decent Work Agenda in the continent
African leaders, labour ministers, social partners, experts and development partners from 54 countries will discuss ways to accelerate the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda for Africa 2007-15 and respond efficiently to a jobless economic recovery, at a meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) which opens here on 11 October.
Johannesburg (ILO news) - African leaders, labour ministers, social partners, experts and development partners from 54 countries will discuss ways to accelerate the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda for Africa 2007-15 and respond efficiently to a jobless economic recovery, at a meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) which opens here on 11 October.
The 12th African Regional Meeting which takes place for the first time in South Africa will be attended by President Jacob Zuma of the Republic of South Africa and Minister Mildred Oliphant, South African Minister of Labour as well as President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and current Chairperson of the African Union, Mr. Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, Prime Minister of the Republic of Togo and Mr. Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Office.
The recent political and social uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have brought to the fore the daunting problem of youth unemployment in a number of African countries – many of which are battling with youth unemployment rates among the highest in the world.
The regional platform - hosted by South Africa - is being held at a critical time when African economies have been resilient to the global financial and economic crisis. However, the rebound of economic growth across the region has still not managed to reduce poverty, unemployment and underemployment.
A major challenge to Africa's development strategy is the pace of recovery in the continent's trading and development partners. Sustainable recovery in Africa will continue to be threatened unless there is recovery in the European Union and North America economies. One of the policy challenges for Africa in the global post-crisis economic recovery is the adoption of a framework that allows coherence between the objectives of growth and the generation of employment and decent work.
This African Regional Meeting will further review and discuss – with key participants from the UN Economic Commission for Africa, African Union, UN agencies, European Union, African Development Bank, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), donor countries, trade unions, the private sector, civil society organizations - a variety of policy recommendations, including:
- The Report of the ILO Director-General, Mr. Juan Somavia and how best to empower Africa's peoples with Decent Work
- A Special Debate moderated on Efficient Growth, Employment and Decent Work in Africa: Time for a new vision
- A Special Focus on a newly joint initiative of the African Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development for Africa and the ILO on Promoting Employment and Decent Work for Youth
- A Special Focus on Achieving Women's Economic and Social Empowerment and Gender Equality in the presence of Ms Christine Mwelwa Kaseba-Sata, First Lady of the Republic of Zambia
- The new role of the Social Economy in moving out of informality in Africa
- Rural Employment, Industrial Development, Social Transformation – a path to Decent Work
- Social Dialogue: A key Governance Mechanism for Decent Work in Africa
- Building Social Protection Floor in Africa: Follow-up to the Yaounde Tripartite Declaration
Note for the media:
For further Information, interview requests and photo ops, please contact:
- Mr. Guebray Berhane, ILO Regional Office for Africa: firstname.lastname@example.com, Tel: + 27847031263 – www.ilo.org/africa
- Ms Boshigo Matlou, ILO Pretoria Office, firstname.lastname@example.com, Tel: +2778/970-0962