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Opening Address to Faculty and Staff 2014
Welcome to our new colleagues, and welcome back to all of you.
As many of you know I have a strong fondness, ok some might call it an obsession with baseball. And as Elane often reminds me, it is because of this obsession, I mean fondness, that I will often use sports metaphors to make a point. So forgive me if I break into a sports comparison – but I really think this metaphor works well.
My favorite part of the baseball season doesn't even occur during the season itself – it takes place at the end of February. After a long cold winter, when we as fans believe the temperature will never get above freezing, players begin to report to spring training. New members of the team find quiet corners of the field and begin to get to know the veterans; in the press box there is always talk of a new player or two who has joined the club, and will make a big difference in the success of the year's campaign.
In February every team is in first place, every team has a chance to go to the World Series – this is no small order for my favorite team – the Chicago Cubs, I mean we haven't won a World Series since 1908. Yet in the spring every team is full of energy and looks forward to the 162 game season believing it will be the best they have ever played. Spring Training is a new beginning, a fresh start for every player – so what if you hit .230 last year, it's February and during Spring Training every player can be a member of the Hall of Fame.
I love the beginning of the school year – September is filled with anticipation, excitement and energy levels that could seriously reduce our need for fossil fuels, it is the time of the year when we are all refreshed, and hopeful. Every student is at the top of the class, every parent conference is filled with the promise of partnership, and the schedule is filled with endless days teeming with the opportunity to cover all the projects we dreamed of doing during the summer.
It's a new beginning; a fresh start for our students, a chance to work with new colleagues and an opportunity to try something new in our classrooms.
While it is autumn on the calendar, September for educators is a time of rebirth and renewal. Those of us who have spent our lives living the cycle of the school year enter September with hope and anticipation. Like our students, we have had one more year of growth, development and experience. We come to campus with an eagerness to connect with our students and to make this year our best year. There is idealism in this cycle that I hope we, as educators never lose. Built into this time of new beginnings is the extension of opportunity we give to every student. Like the baseball player who comes to spring training in February, our students come to us in September filled with potential and eager to succeed. Each of them is a candidate for the Hall of Fame and it is exciting to consider the season ahead.
Like most of you, I have a stack of summer reading that has collected over the months waiting for those magical weeks of vacation when I can fully engage in big picture thoughts, and ideas. I must confess that Sandra Boynton and Dr. Seuss have dominated my reading lists since my granddaughter arrived.
However, one of the books I read this summer ended up in my stack after I watched an inspiring TED Talk by author and educator Simon Sinek. In the book, Start with Why, Sinek asked – why are some people and organizations more innovative or influential than others?
Why do some companies and organizations build immense trust and command great loyalty? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their successes over and over?
As Sinek put it, "Any organization can explain what it does; some can explain how they do it; but very few can clearly articulate why." Why is not about raising money or meeting a budget – those are results. Why do we exist? Why do we do the things we do? Why do families choose us instead of another school?
Sinek argues that those who start with why never manipulate, they inspire. And people follow not because they have to, but because they want to.
Sinek suggests that the most successful people and institutions, those organizations that build trust and inspire people to support them start with why as their foundation. He concludes, "People don't buy into what you do, they buy into why you do it."
I found Sinek's argument compelling; it reminded me of the conversations we had during the construction of our Educational Statement of Purpose. After all the Statement truly is a document that sets out to explain why we do what we do – it is a statement of our beliefs as an educational institution.
The book also reminded me of a feature NPR ran a few years back called "This I believe" in which a person is given a chance to articulate his or her personal philosophy on a given topic or on life in general. It's a wonderful concept that allows people to put into words the feelings, hopes and aspirations that they possess; it's a chance for people to look at the world philosophically and to codify their values for others to hear, but more importantly it provides the individual speaker with the chance to articulate for him or herself ideas that have been long held and seldom stated aloud.
I was struck by how similar this process of, starting with why, is to the formulation our school must have undertaken as George and Annemarie first put to paper the School's Philosophy almost 75 years ago. I began to wonder what those brief statements of belief would sound like if we as educators had the chance to sit in that NPR booth and gave our own statement of "This I believe."
We have each come to Roeper with a philosophy of education, with a set of guiding principles and beliefs that direct our work with children and families. Some of us developed this philosophy through course work in schools of education on educational philosophy and pedagogy, some through years of hands-on teaching working with hundreds of children. Some of us have seen our philosophy shift as our understanding of teaching has developed in our practice. Wherever you are in the formulation of your personal philosophy of education we have each come to understand that the one thing we have in common is that our work at The Roeper School is guided by a common School philosophy. As we think about The Roeper School of 2014 let's begin with the ideas that have sustained us since 1941 and will be at the core of our school decades from now.
Our session in the NPR sound booth might sound something like this:
- I believe that all human beings have two central tasks: to come to understand themselves and to discover how they will contribute to the world.
- I believe our purpose as educators is to guide students on the journey to becoming discerning, humane, engaged adults.
- I believe that an educational approach that is highly individualized and focused on the social and emotional needs of students — is particularly appropriate for gifted children.
- I believe in an academic program that appreciates the dignity and emotional complexity of each student, one that fosters an authentic partnership with children in the learning process.
- I believe that when children are genuinely offered a voice from young ages, they grow to become adults who will do the same for others.
- I believe that curriculum should be purposefully structured around the needs and input of students.
- I believe that our goal as educators is to prepare students with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the unknowns on our collective horizon.
- I believe that diversity not only ensures multiple perspectives, but also enriches decision-making and the search for solutions.
- I believe that playfulness, exploration, and personal discovery are essential elements at all levels of school.
- I believe that when the intellectual, emotional, ethical and physical needs of gifted children are cared for they flourish and become compelling thinkers, compassionate agents, and fulfilled adults.
- I believe that schools must offer educational experiences that reach past the scope of college and vocational preparation and inspire individuals for life.
– This I believe
President John F. Kennedy said, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future."
In my conversations with alums I have witnessed the strength of our history – We have an amazing past! Our alums eagerly return to our campus to remember their PreK-12 days – they send their children here because they know the value of The Roeper School experience.
Walk through our classrooms, chat with your colleagues talk to our students – our present is rich and vibrant. We are a school where children eagerly arrive and yearn to return in the morning. Roeper is the only school I have been where I have seen a student genuinely sad to see the arrival of the weekend or a vacation.
Our future is bright because we are a community that is continually asking ourselves whether our actions are good for children. Our future is bright because we understand our obligation to sustain this incredible institution so our children's children can enjoy the benefits of a Roeper School education. We will not miss the future – it is not in our nature. We will, as educators before us, offer our wisdom and guidance as seeds of growth for this special school.
The rosters are set, and the field is full of dreams – it's time to take the field to start the new season. This is a glorious time of year to be a teacher! I wish you a year of fellowship, collegiality, fulfillment and most of all joy!
Play ball!


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Top Videos for Cruise Destination Olden, Norway– Created by BoostVacations.com Staff. Feel Free to add, vote or provide feedback to the list.
Scenic splendour sets the tone in this enchanting port of call, idyllically set at the top of the innermost arm of the Nordfjord, an almost 65 mile long inlet, cut deep into the coastline. Olden itself is a charming village and popular tourist resort, nestling in a valley beneath magnificent mountains whose towering peaks reflect in the deep green waters of the fjord.
See the awesome Briksdal Glacier near Olden in Nordfjord and relax with breathtaking scenery whilst you cruise the Norwegian Fjords. Olden is located at the mouth of the Oldeelva river at the northern end of the Oldedalen valley on the southern shore of the Nordfjorden.
A video showing what Olden in Norway looks like when you take a cruise ship to the area. This is part of our cruise to Norway.
Olden is a village and has a population 480 on January 2009 and is located at the month of the Oldedalen vally by the NordfjordOlden, In Olden Centre you will find shops, the post office a bank and a cafe, the village has two churches the one in the village was built in 1759 on the site of a stave church dating from around 1300, The doorposts and the doors were made from timbers from this stave church.
taken from MS Black Watch, September 2013
Celebrity Infinity leave Olden Norway 23.08.2013
An opportunity to come face to face with the crowning glory of this scenic landscape -- the beautiful Briksdal Glacier. visit www.cunard.co.uk for more on our cruises to the Fjords
Enjoy an ever changing panorama of mountains, lakes and valleys. visit www.cunard.co.uk for more on our cruises to the Fjords
A video of a cruise trip to Olden in Norway. For more travel information visit http://www.travelnouvelles.com If you like this video please thumbs up and subscribe to the Travel Nouvelles channel. Follow Travel Nouvelles on Twitter @TravelNouvelles
Slideshow from our visit with the MSC Poesia in Olden / Norway and our excursion to the Briksdal Glacier near Olden in August 2011.

subset: commoncrawl


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This morning I found myself having a conversation with a dear friend of mine whom I've known for over 10 years now. This conversation was prompted by a post I made: This prompted an impromptu dialogue between both of us. During that conversation she expressed her thoughts about her own struggle with depression. The things…Read More
All articles filed in stress
Let's Get Real About Weight
I think sometimes when you're fat, obese, overweight, plus size or however you identify; we find ourselves trying to be this image that is accepted by people. I find that this can take away from the honesty in one's journey.Read More
There's No Neat Way
I often separate my depression blog entries from my mommy blog. I mean, parenthood is supposed to be more about the growing pains of family life; how could depression possibly fit into that? Yea. Right. The more things change within my family dynamic I realize I can't really separate these two facets of my life.…Read More


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South Coast council's spending on councillor expenses double NSW average
South Coast councils spend almost double their group average on councillor expenditure according to data from the Office of Local Government.
Shoalhaven City Council spent more than double its group average (113 per cent higher) on councillor expenses, Eurobodalla Shire Council was 88 per cent higher and Bega Valley Shire Council 86 per cent higher.
The NSW government recently-launched the "your council" comparison site which measures the performance of council's across the state.
It compares councils by group and categorises councils by their size and geographical location.
Shoalhaven Council is grouped with areas such as Shellharbour, Tweed, Coffs Harbour, Port Stephens and Wollongong.
Read more:
Eurobodalla Council and Bega Valley Council are grouped together along with Wingecarribee, Albury, Byron, Dubbo and Lismore.
Figures compared by 'your council' include the average ordinary rate, number of code of conduct complaints, general manager remuneration, infrastructure spending and plenty more.
Across the South Coast councils, most of them paid their general manager around the same rate as their group average, with Eurobodalla's GM the only one paid higher at $315,000 compared to the group average of $303,225.
When it came to gender representation on council, the South Coast was doing well.
All of the South Coast councils had a higher per cent of female representation than the state average. In fact, over two-thirds of Bega Valley's councillors were female.
'Your council' data is updated annually and is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, council reports, state libraries, NSW Environmental Protection Agency and data from other state government bodies.
This story South Coast councils: councillor expenditure double state average first appeared on South Coast Register.
Discuss "South Coast councils: councillor expenditure double state average"
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Things are heating up South of the Equator! These fresh bikini picks are perfect for that spring time fever.
Some of our best selling styles from a seamless micro string triangle bikini top to the high waisted cheeky thong bikini bottom were begging to be created in a two-tone color combo paying homage to the 90's swimwear craze.
In a sexy neon two-tone coral and peach color combo, these playful pieces are perfect to wear together or mix and match with your other favorite Neon Coral and Sugary Peach bikini hues.
Neon Hibiscus and Souffle harmonize in these styles complementing your skin while holding you in just right. Enjoy your days of paddle boarding and volley ball in these valley girl-esque styles!
Happy Shopping!


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Non refereed
The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome quandary. Part II: Vaccines and vaccination strategy
William L. Mengeling, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVM
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Cite as: Mengeling WL. The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome quandary. Part II: Vaccines and vaccination strategy. J Swine Health Prod. 2005;13(3):152-156.
Also available as a PDF.
The first vaccine to aid in the prevention of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) was registered for use in Spain in 1994. It comprised an inactivated European strain of PRRS virus (PRRSV) that had been propagated in porcine alveolar macrophages. Later in the same year, the first attenuated-virus vaccine became commercially available in the United States.1 It comprised a North American strain of PRRSV that had been propagated in an established monkey kidney cell line. Since 1994, a number of additional vaccines (comprising either attenuated or inactivated PRRSV) have been developed in both the United States and Europe. Each includes a different strain of the virus of either the North American or European genotype (Table 1).
Although PRRS vaccines have been used extensively over the past decade, there have been recurring questions in regard to their efficacy, and, in the case of attenuated-virus vaccines, their safety. As a consequence, a great deal of time, effort, and financial resources have been directly or indirectly devoted to a better understanding of PRRS immunology and the development of what has sometimes been optimistically referred to as the next generation of PRRS vaccines. Just how this might be accomplished is as yet unclear, and other than the still controversial issue of genotype specificity,2,3 there is no definitive evidence that the origina;l vaccines are less effective than any of those developed more recently. But despite disappointments of the past, research on PRRS immunology, including vaccine development, is continuing, perhaps even being accelerated, largely because of the major economic impact of the disease4 and the recent increase in research funding.5 To provide some indication of the probability of soon developing better approaches for PRRS immunoprophylaxis, the following discussion briefly addresses some of the advantages and disadvantages of the types of vaccine that are most likely to be considered and a possible strategy to increase the immune response to vaccines currently available.
Virulent virus
Although virulent virus does not meet the definition of a vaccine, it is included here, because there seems to be a growing tendency in the United States to use virulent strains of PRRSV in an attempt to induce immunity for the reproductive facet of the syndrome.6 In general, the most common approach - often referred to as planned or controlled exposure - is as follows. Females are exposed, before conception and typically during the acclimatization phase of gilt development, to the predominant or only strain of field virus circulating in the herd at the time. Expectations are that any clinical reaction to the virus will be minimal, or at least manageable, and the associated immune response will be directed to the strain of PRRSV to which the females are most likely to be at risk during their subsequent gestation(s). With the exception of a possible untoward clinical reaction during the immunization process, it is difficult to imagine a more effective way of inducing protective immunity. However, the potentially negative consequences of purposely infecting females (destined to join the breeding herd) with fully virulent PRRSV are likely to deter most veterinarians and producers from considering this approach. Moreover, planned exposure may not always result in the theorized level of immunity. Notably in two herds that have come to my attention, reproductive failure was a consequence of purposeful exposure of pregnant females to the same strain of field virus previously used for immunization. Whether it was less severe than it might have been if a commercially available attenuated-virus vaccine had been used for immunization prior to exposure to virulent virus during gestation is impossible to evaluate. Additional details in regard to these two herds, as well as a herd that was naturally exposed to what was believed to be the same strain of virulent virus in each of two succeeding gestations, have been presented elsewhere.7 But regardless of the level of immunity provided by exposure to virulent virus before conception, a clear downside is the certainty of maintaining such virus in the herd in perpetuity.
Attenuated-virus (modified-live-virus) vaccine
Of all of the types of conventional vaccines available today, those prepared from attenuated virus are the most likely to provide the highest level of clinical protection. They have the potential to replicate extensively over a long period of time in the vaccinated pig (the degree of replication may depend on the level of attenuation) and thus repeatedly expose the pig's immune system to the entire spectrum of viral antigens. Because neutralizing antibody against PRRSV (ie, antibody that probably plays an important role in protective immunity as well as in clearing the virus from a pig) is slow to develop, this long interval of replication may be more important for PRRS immunity than it is for many other viruses. However, despite the fact that it is probably the best vaccine of the group in regard to protection, it still falls short of expectations in some instances. At one time the biggest criticism of attenuated virus was its potential to revert to some degree of virulence if it were used under conditions that allowed its sequential passage in naive pigs. This concern for safety is apparently of less concern today, in that even fully virulent virus is sometimes being administered to gilts in an attempt to induce immunity before conception. And keep in mind that while there are reasonable concerns about the efficacy of attenuated-virus vaccines under some field conditions, controlled studies have confirmed their appreciable protective value when they are administered well before exposure to virulent virus, especially in regard to the respiratory facet of the disease.8,9
Deletion-mutant-virus vaccine
Assuming that the immunogenic and replication properties of the virus are not markedly altered by deletion of some part(s) of the viral genome, deletion-mutant-virus vaccine should have the ability to stimulate a protective immune response similar to that of attenuated-virus vaccine. And on the plus side, the deletion(s) could result in either or both of two properties that would give deletion-mutant-live-virus vaccine an advantage over conventional live-virus vaccines. First, the deletion mutant might be unable to regain any degree of virulence by reverse mutation (although it might still do so as a consequence of recombination). In fact it might actually be attenuated by the deletion(s). Second, with the development of a companion diagnostic test (directed toward the antigen or epitope coded for by the deleted portion of the viral genome), it might be possible to identify pigs exposed to virulent virus regardless of vaccination history. Of course, the latter is what is most often thought of as the salient feature of deletion-mutant-virus vaccines. Because virulent PRRSV can persist in an infected pig for a long period of time, perhaps even in a previously vaccinated pig, this attribute might be particularly important should an eradication program be started (assuming that vaccination with live virus would still be allowed during the program). But also be aware that there is no reason to believe that a deletion-mutant-live-virus vaccine would be any more effective in regard to immunity than would a non-deleted virus, and it is conceivable that it would be less so.
The bad news is that it may not be possible, or it may be at the very least very difficult, to develop a suitable deletion-mutant-live-virus vaccine because of the nature of PRRSV genome. Namely, the genome is a relatively short, single strand of RNA, and, in addition, all of the genes that code for structural proteins may be essential for replication.10,11 To date (to my knowledge), most deletions have resulted in lethal mutants (ie, the altered genome will no longer replicate infectious virus). This is in stark contrast to the relative ease with which deletion mutants have been created with large double-stranded DNA viruses like pseudorabies (Aujeszky's disease) virus. And perhaps the notable success with pseudorabies virus in both the development of deletion-mutant-live-virus vaccines and the use of such vaccines in eradication programs has resulted in unrealistic expectations for PRRSV.
There is also a double challenge faced in the practical application of a deletion-mutant-virus vaccine in an eradication program. First, the deleted portion of the viral genome must be present in all virulent field strains of PRRSV. Otherwise, of course, some virulent strains would mimic the vaccine in regard to the missing "diagnostic antigen." Second, the immune response to the diagnostic antigen (which could be all or part of a distinct protein, or simply a single epitope) must always be detectible via the companion diagnostic test. For example, in the case of pseudorabies, it was shown - fortunately early in the eradication program - that one of the proposed differential diagnostic tests was not sufficiently sensitive.12 The reason was that not all infected pigs produced an adequate level of antibody to test positive, even though the antigen was present in all field strains. This observation, although seldom mentioned, was an important contribution to the success of the pseudorabies eradication program in the United States.
Inactivated-virus vaccine
In general, inactivated vaccines are used when the level of immunity they provide, which is typically less, often considerably less, than provided by live-virus vaccines, is judged to be "good enough." Notable examples are swine influenza virus and porcine parvovirus vaccines. Unfortunately, the efficacy of inactivated PRRS vaccines has been seriously questioned. Because the issue of inactivated PRRS vaccine and efficacy has been debated so many times, often passionately, in so many forums, I won't pursue it further in this context. Other real or potential disadvantages of inactivated-PRRSV vaccine are cost and the need in most cases for more than a single dose to stimulate a measurable antibody response.
The biggest advantage of an inactivated-PRRSV vaccine is that of almost unquestioned safety, both real and perceived. What I mean by the latter is that if there is any clinical problem, short of the ridiculous, after the administration of live-virus vaccine, it is logical to at least consider the vaccine as the possible culprit. The associated stress for the swine producer, the veterinarian, and the vaccine producer can largely be circumvented by using inactivated vaccine. That is, it is likely that an inactivated vaccine will be considered innocent until proven otherwise, whereas it is just as likely that an attenuated-virus vaccine will be considered guilty until proven otherwise. On the other hand, from an ethical perspective, it is important to be assured that a particular vaccine is efficacious or the issue of safety is a moot point.
Inactivated-virus vaccine can also be prepared from a deletion-mutant virus (either attenuated or virulent if available) or deleted in some other manner so that vaccination does not obscure detection of pigs exposed to virulent live virus. The principle and limitations would be the same as those described above for deletion-mutant-live-virus vaccines.
Naked DNA vaccine
Our very limited experience with a naked-DNA-PRRS vaccine (while I was still on the staff of the National Animal Disease Center) confirmed that it could be used to raise antibody against the virus. However, there was no evidence (among the few pigs tested) that it provided any clinical protection. I believe, although I am not sure, that the same result was obtained by a large biologics company. It is a safe vaccine from the standpoint that it can be constructed so that it does not replicate infectious virus. In fact, the DNA vaccine we tested coded for only a single PRRSV protein, namely, the envelope protein that is thought to be the most important PRRSV protein for raising neutralizing antibody. Proteins (antigens), by virtue of being produced within the DNA-transfected (infected) cell, are presented to the immune system in the same way as are those produced in live-virus-infected cells, which in turn is a route of presentation that is reported to effectively stimulate the cell-mediated arm as well as the humoral arm of the immune system (in contrast to inactivated virus vaccines and subunit vaccines that are thought to primarily stimulate the humoral arm of the immune system). One general concern that has been expressed relative to DNA vaccines, especially in regard to people, is the possibility that the DNA present in the vaccine might incorporate into the cell genome of the vaccine recipient, with some as yet undefined, but possibly undesirable, result.
Protein subunit vaccine
What was said above about inactivated-virus vaccines essentially applies to protein-subunit vaccines. In general, only the means by which they are prepared differ. That is, inactivated-virus vaccine is, as the name implies, whole virus that is disabled, usually by some chemical treatment, so that it no longer has the ability to replicate, whereas subunit-protein vaccine (as defined here) is produced in part through the miracle of genetic engineering. As an example, one or more genes (that code for the corresponding selected proteins) of the PRRSV genome might be inserted into the genome of another virus such as a baculovirus. The baculovirus might then be propagated in cell culture, whereby both baculovirus and PRRSV proteins would be produced. The next step might entail purification of the PRRSV proteins to rid the vaccine of at least most baculovirus and cell proteins.13
Vectored vaccine
In theory, this type of vaccine has a great deal of merit. The idea is that the gene or genes of the most important immunogenic protein or proteins of one or more pathogenic viruses (those for which we want to stimulate immunity) are genetically engineered into the genome of another virus (the vector). The vector does not have to be a virus, for example it could be a bacterium, but I will focus on a virus for this short discussion. When a person or a lower animal such as a pig is injected with the genetically altered vector, the vector replicates and not only codes for its own proteins but also for proteins corresponding to the inserted gene(s). Assuming that genetic engineering can be accomplished satisfactorily, the concept seems very promising. However, there are a few hurdles, some of which present a major problem and most of which involve the selection of suitable vector.
First, the vector must be large enough to accommodate the inserted gene(s). Prime candidates are large double-stranded DNA viruses such as the following that are listed in the order of their increasing capacity: adenoviruses, herpes viruses (eg, pseudorabies virus), and poxviruses (eg, vaccinia virus and swinepox virus).
Second, the vector should probably not be a natural pathogen of pigs, otherwise pigs might already have antibody to the vector, which in turn would have the potential to interfere with the necessary replication of the vector. Obviously, preexisting antibody to a vector would have nothing to do with preexisting antibody - and by inference preexisting immunity - to the virus or viruses for which the vaccine was intended. This is an important point that I will emphasize in yet another way. If we try to vaccinate for a particular pathogen using a conventional vaccine and the vaccine is ineffective because there is preexisting antibody, either passively or actively acquired, we can assume that the vaccine recipient is already protected, albeit only temporarily in the case of passively acquired antibody. On the other hand, if the vaccine is ineffective because of preexisting antibody against a vector, we may be left with a completely susceptible individual in regard to the pathogens for which the vaccine was intended. On the potentially positive side of all this is the possibility that if the vaccinated pig had antibody, eg, passively acquired antibody, against the virus or viruses to which immunity is desired, but no antibody against the vector, the vector, unscathed, plus its load of inserted genes, might reach cells of the immune system; and once inside such cells, nascent proteins would, at least in theory, be unaffected by circulating antibody.14 The vector would thus serve as a "Trojan horse." Unfortunately, the practice may not fully parallel the theory. The possible reasons will not be discussed here.
Third, if we identify a potential vector for which the pig will be unlikely to have preexisting antibody, we must be sure that the same vector will replicate extensively in the pig so that there will be adequate production of the coded proteins, ie, those corresponding to the vectored genes.
Fourth, the vector should be incapable of infecting another species that might come in contact with vaccinated pigs, especially if infection of another species results in clinical disease. This issue may be even more restrictive if the vector has the potential to infect people (eg, vaccinia virus), because then the definition of a potential problem is likely to be expanded to include those who might be immunocompromised by a disease such as AIDS, or a treatment such as chemotherapy. Imagine the complexities associated with trying to determine if there would ever be a problem under such conditions. So while the concept of a vectored vaccine for PRRSV is appealing, the practicalities are somewhat daunting.
Potential for the combined use of vaccines
There is a possibility that sequential administration of more than one type of PRRS vaccine will result in a level of protective immunity appreciably greater than that following the administration of a single type of vaccine or a single exposure to virulent virus. Moreover, the combination may be more effective regardless of how many times either virulent virus or a single type of vaccine is administered alone, ie, the same strain and virulence level administered repeatedly.
Such a combination strategy, referred to previously as the SWINE method of PRRS (or pathogen) control, was presented recently, along with supporting data, at the annual meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians in Toronto.7 Its purpose is to provide protection against maternal reproductive failure via actively acquired immunity, as well as clinical disease in young pigs via passively acquired immunity. In addition to the amelioration of clinical disease, it has the potential to markedly reduce shedding of virulent virus. Its identifying acronym, namely SWINE, is derived from the five discrete phases of the strategy (referred to here as steps for simplicity): "Sensitization," "Wait," "Immunization," "Neutralization," and "Eradication."
Step 1 is sensitization of the immune system with either inactivated virus or attenuated virus beginning when pigs (replacement gilts or boars) are only a few weeks of age. Step 2 is to wait at least several months for appreciable maturation of the immune system, particularly for the relevant protective antigens. Step 3 is to expose sensitized (primed) gilts (or boars) to virulent virus if previous sensitization was with either inactivated virus or attenuated virus, or with attenuated virus if previous sensitization was with inactivated virus. Assuming that the latter (ie, inactivated virus for sensitization and attenuated virus for immunization) would provide an acceptable level of protective immunity, this would clearly be the strategy of choice. It would avoid the periodic reintroduction of virulent virus into the herd as well as minimize the potential for shedding of attenuated virus. And please be aware that mention of virulent virus in this context is not to be construed as a recommendation for its use, but merely as a statement of likely immune responsiveness. Also notice in regard to the above that sensitization and immunization are defined as such relative to their roles in the SWINE method of PRRS (pathogen) control; immunization is always with a form of the virus that presumably has a greater propensity for immune stimulation than what was used for sensitization; and "(pathogen)" is added to the SWINE method of PRRS control because there is the likelihood that the sensitization-wait-immunization steps can be used simultaneously for any of several other pathogens that commonly plague the swine industry. An important point in considering the use of inactivated vaccine for sensitization (a possibility not yet adequately tested under controlled conditions) is that there must be a clear indication of sensitization. If after administering an inactivated product several times there is no obvious, measurable evidence of an immune response, it is unlikely that the immune system can be considered adequately sensitized. Step 4, neutralization, would logically follow success of Steps 1, 2, and 3. And the definition of neutralization is in the broad sense referring to prevention of infection regardless of the means by which it is accomplished by the immune response. Step 5, eradication, would be a realistic goal once the incidence of infection was markedly reduced.
Unfortunately, there appear to be at least two major challenges to any near-term, industry-wide implementation of the SWINE method of PRRS (pathogen) control. First is the question of whether genetic suppliers can provide the estimated 2,500,000 naive gilts (both antibody-free and virus-free) needed to annually repopulate commercial breeding herds - namely the candidates for Step 1. And except for the unlikely possibility of stimulating (sensitizing) the immune system in the presence of passively acquired antibody, Step 1 would therefore be limited to only some of the gilts needed each year. Second, assuming that inactivated vaccine is selected for sensitization, there may be a need to develop a commercial product that will adequately and consistently sensitize the immune system. It is as yet unclear whether currently available inactivated vaccines could fulfill this role. And although attenuated virus can be used for sensitization, perhaps even in the presence of a low level of passive acquired antibody, its use would not be a realistic possibility unless pigs (from a PRRSV-free herd) were moved to yet another isolated site for vaccination, with the assurance that they would not again be exposed to PRRSV until they were shipped months later to destination breeding herds for immunization, ie, Step 3. Moreover, managers of the destination herds would have to have acquiesced to the idea of using virulent virus for immunization, a procedure not likely to be widely accepted.
It is likely that use of conventional attenuated-virus vaccines will continue to be one of our best tools for the prevention and control of PRRS. Whether any new approaches as to how and when vaccines are administered can enhance their effectiveness, within the constraints of today's commercial swine production, remains to be determined. However, it is conceivable that at least the principles of the SWINE method of PRRS (pathogen) control will play an important role in future strategies to reduce the economic impact of PRRS and other infectious diseases that currently plague the swine industry.
I thank Drs Alex Eggen, Joan Plana Duran, John Kolb, Arlen Wonderlich, Eric Vaughn, Cinta Prieto, Nils Henke, and Paolo Martelli for their assistance in gathering information used in the development of Table 1.
Some of the information presented in this commentary was previously published in Polish,15 Spanish,16 or both.
*1. Gorcyca DE, Schlesinger KJ, Geeding PW, Chladek DW, Short JA. RespPRRS: A new tool for the prevention and control of PRRS in pigs. Proc AASV. Omaha, Nebraska. 1995:1-22.
2. Labarque G, Van Gucht S, Van Reeth K, Nauwynck H, Pensaert M. Respiratory tract protection upon challenge of pigs vaccinated with attenuated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus vaccines. Vet Microbiol. 2003;95:187-197.
*3. Kovacs F, Schagemann G. Efficacy of Ingelvac" PRRS MLV against European isolates. Proc Int Sym Emerg Re-emerg Pig Dis. 2003:111-112.
*4. Johnson C, Kliebenstein J, Mabry J, Neumann E. The impact of PRRS on the cost of pig production. Proc Allen D. Leman Swine Conf. 2004(suppl):11.
*5. Neumann E. The PRRS initiative: game, set, match. Proc AASV. Des Moines, Iowa. 2004: 381-385.
*6. Hill HT, Mulford JA, Kaisand JJ, Holtcamp A, Reyes C. PRRS control: To hell and back. Proc AASV. Des Moines, Iowa. 2004:369-375.
*7. Mengeling WL. PRRS vaccinology: Past, present, and future. Proc AASV. Toronto, Canada. 2005:289-304.
8. Mengeling WL, Lager KM, Vorwald AC, Clouser DF. Comparative safety and efficacy of attenuated single-strain and multi-strain vaccines for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. Vet Microbiol. 2003;93:25-38.
9. Opriessnig T, Pallares FJ, Nilubol D, Vincent AL, Thacker EL, Vaughn EM, Roof M, Halbur PG. Genomic homology of ORF 5 gene sequence between modified live vaccines and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus challenge isolates is not predictive of vaccine efficacy. J Swine Health Prod. In press.
10. Welch SK, Jolie R, Pearce DS, Koertje WD, Fuog E, Shields SL, Yoo D, Calvert JG. Construction and evaluation of genetically engineered replication-defective porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus vaccine candidates. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2004;102:277-290.
11. Yoo D, Welch SK, Lee C, Calvert JG. Infectious cDNA clones of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and their potential as vaccine vectors. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2004;102:143-154.
12. Schmitt BJ, Osorio FA, Stroup WW, Gibbs EP. A comparison of different tests to detect antibodies to pseudorabies glycoproteins gX, gI, and gIII in naturally infected feral pigs. J Vet Diagn Invest. 1991;3:344-345.
13. Kreutz LC, Mengeling WL. Baculovirus expression and immunological detection of the major structural proteins of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Vet Microbiol. 1997;59:1-13.
14. Brockmeier SL, Lager KM, Mengeling WL. Vaccination with recombinant vaccinia virus vaccines expressing glycoprotein genes of pseudorabies virus in the presence of maternal antibody. Vet Microbiol. 1997;58:93-103.
*15. Mengeling WL. The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) quandary: Fact versus speculation. Proc Kongress Polskiego Towarzystwa Nauk Weterynaryjnych. Warsaw, Poland. 2004:306-309.
*16. Mengeling WL. The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) quandary: Fact versus speculation. Proc SEPOR. 2004:7-19.
* Non-refereed references.


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Welcome to The Gathering 2020
This year's website is primarily in Norwegian. However, we wish all our international visitors welcome, and we have gathered the most important information here.
If you have any questions after reading this page, feel free to contact email@example.com
When and where?
The Gathering has become an Easter tradition for nerds from all over the world. We begin the party some time in the morning of Wednesday, 8th April, and wrap it all up in the morning of Sunday, 12th April, after several days filled to the brim with competitions, stage shows, new friendships and questionable sleep habits.
The Gathering 2020 take place in Vikingskipet, Hamar. Hamar is located 1h and 20 minutes outside of Oslo by train (a little less than one hour if you go directly from Oslo Airport Gardermoen). Vikingskipet (Hamar Olympic Hall) is a venue originally built for the 1994 Winter Olympics. It has housed The Gathering every Easter since 1996.
The ticket sales start on December 2nd. You have to register at the ticket lottery, starting Wednesday 27th November. When the ticket sales start you get an position in the queue and get the chance to buy tickets when it's your turn. You can register and buy tickets at Geekevents


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Community Collection: Blanche Garcia
This box was curated by Blanche Garcia, Montclair Based Interior Designer, Entrepreneur and owner of B. Garcia Designs. With over 22 years of experience in hospitality, residential and commercial design. Blanche Works to help her clients create a space that is all about them and is a reflection of who they are and how they feel about life.
This home and wellness based collection is a perfect testament to Blanche's commitment to creating spaces that inspire healthy and happy living.
Follow Blanche on Instagram: @blanchegarcia
What's Inside?
Gibson & Dehn White Tea & Cedar Reed Diffuser
This design forward company prides themselves on their classic and sleek designs, all brought together with luxurious fragrances that can warm up and elevate any home. Meant to bring forth images of mineral springs swallowed by the lush forests of Saratoga Springs — breath in the sophisticated smell of Ceylon white tea, Cyprian cedar, rounded out with sandalwood, amber, and hints of bright cilantro and lemon.
Skeem Poetry Apothecary Matches — Mini
This simple and sophisticated apothecary bottle is a fantastic and creative way to store your matches. With the quote, "A mighty flame follows a tiny spark," be reminded of your greatness every time you light a match.
She Believed She Could Jewelry Dish
This adorable jewelry dish is meant to inspire and empower all of the greatness you already are. Keep on your boudoir or at your desk for constant motivation.
Good Juju Kit
This vintaged styled glass jewelry box comes with all you need to ward off the bad, and bring in the good. Palo Santo is a type of tree native to Mexico, traditionally used to treat anything from the common cold to a bad day. Dried Sage, on the other hand, is the world's go to for cleansing the mind, body & soul of any negative energy you would rather do without. Uplift and empower with the help of this kit.
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Cleanser
This lightweight oil cleanser is formulated with Evening Primrose Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, and Omega-6 Fatty Acids to naturally cleanse and balance skin. Pump the product into your hand with the smallest amount of water to create a rich and creamy cleansing milk. This cleanser easily removes any and all makeup, leaving skin feeling soft, supple, and ready to recharge.
Kiehl's Intensive Care Hand Treatment
This thick and nourishing formula treats and replenishes try and cracked skin with the help of Avocado Oil and Shea Butter. Perfect for a hands-on worker who's hands need a bit of TLC, or for those who struggle with winter-time dryness.
Kiehl's Calendula & Aloe Face Mask
This smooth, lightweight gel mask is formulated with hand-picked Calendula Flower Petals and Aloe Vera to cool, hydrate, and brighten skin. Achieve a fresh and healthy complexion with the continued use of this mask.
Pre de Provence White Gardenia
These Pre De Provence Quad-Milled soaps are unbeatable in quality. The French milling process ensures that you're getting a quality soap from start to finish, with a luxurious and silky lather each and every use. This White Gardenia soap is light and floral, with just the right amount of woodsy musk, and sweet citrus to create a classic, clean, and delicate fragrance.
Bamboo Soap Dish
This bamboo soap dish is a handy and adorable way to accessorize any bathroom. Drainable and easy to clean, this soap dish keeps your soap dry while simultaneously maximizing it's milage.
Sisal Body Towel
This sisal towel is an all-natural cloth perfect for exfoliating the skin, and getting the best lather out of your soap. Use with your favorite soap to properly cleanse the skin, while maximizing your soaps milage and effectively filling your bathroom with your soap's fragrance.
Poopouri Deja Poo Travel Spray
This travel toilet spray is a light and floral lifesaver, perfect for those on the go who really gotta go.


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Facebook fiasco boosts bid to put California crackdown on ballot
The fallout over Facebook users having their personal information used to help Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign is adding fuel to a California ballot initiative directed at tightening privacy rules for social media platforms.
At the same time, it's turning the spotlight on the measure's unlikely architect, San Francisco housing developer Alastair Mactaggart.
"I'm not a tech person — I'm just a citizen," said the 51-year-old Mactaggart, who has spent $2.1 million of his own money to try to qualify the Californians for Consumer Privacy initiative for the November ballot.
Mactaggart is co-owner of the Emerald Fund, one of San Francisco's biggest developers of dense, transit-oriented housing — which hardly makes him the obvious pick to lead a fight for Internet privacy. He said the issue struck a chord with him a couple of years back when he ran into a Google engineer at a cocktail party who told him, "If people knew just how much we know about them, they'd be really worried."
He talked with two East Bay friends — Rick Arney, a former Harvard classmate and onetime executive at the financial outfit BlackRock, and Mary Stone Ross, a ex-CIA analyst and former counsel to the House Intelligence Committee — and they ended up teaming with him on the initiative.
It would impose new disclosure requirements on companies that collect or share personal information. Consumers would also be allowed to opt out of having their data shared without being charged higher prices or otherwise penalized.
The measure would also allow people to sue companies such as Facebook for damages without having to prove they had suffered actual harm from their data being shared.
Facebook and an additional four of the state's biggest businesses — Google, Comcast, Verizon and AT&T — have already anted up $200,000 apiece to fight the initiative. They have the support of the California Chamber of Commerce.
The proposed initiative is "unworkable," said Steve Maviglio, a veteran Democratic operative who is the spokesman for the tech-backed Committee to Protect California Jobs.
He said the measure would force tech firms to operate under different rules in California than elsewhere, "limiting our choices, hurting our businesses and cutting our connection to the global economy."
Mactaggart said he, Arney and Ross met with executives from the companies before starting their ballot drive, hoping to reach a deal. The talks went nowhere.
"Facebook can't have it both ways," Mactaggart said. "They can't say they're putting privacy first, when at the same time they're contributing to a million-dollar campaign opposing our ballot measure."
Mactaggart needs to collect 366,000 signatures of registered voters by April 30 to qualify the measure for the ballot.
He's confident his funding will hold out to reach that goal, but he knows he can't match the firepower of a $30 million campaign that Sacramento insiders are predicting that tech will spend to kill the measure.
His campaign, however, is already running ads — on Facebook, of all places. And it's collecting personal information on potential voters at the same time.
"But we give everybody the right to opt out," Mactaggart said, "and that's exactly what our bill does."
Sporting chance: Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's call for the city and Alameda County to negotiate exclusively with the A's on a possible new ballpark at the Coliseum would knock at least two other potential suitors for the site out of the batter's box.
One is Elon Musk's Tesla, which has sent a letter of interest to the city about the 130-acre Coliseum parcel. Exactly what the company would build there is a closely guarded secret.
The other is a proposal that arrived at City Hall just hours after Schaaf suggested talking with the A's alone. It came from Mark Hall, a real estate investor from Walnut Creek who has won the rights for a United Soccer League expansion franchise.
He's pitching a plan for a 44-acre mega sports and recreation center on the Coliseum site that would include a stadium for his team and sports fields. He would use Oracle Arena, which the Warriors are about to vacate, for concerts, pro lacrosse games and foosball competitions. (Yes, foosball, the arcade game in which little players on hand-manipulated metal rods kick a ball up and down the table.)
The rest of the property would go to the A's for their new ballpark.
Hall offered $85 million for his portion of the land — or, if the A's go elsewhere, he'd match the team's offer to pay off the city and county's $136 million in debt on the stadium and Oracle Arena in exchange for the property.
But for his deal to work, Hall tells us, it has to be sewn up by July. "We have hot money in our pocket right now," he said.
If the City Council and county Board of Supervisors go along with Schaaf's plan, that money will be cooling off quickly.
On tour: It wasn't quite the sellout that U2 or Bruce Springsteen would have drawn, but 9,000 adoring fans did fill Oracle Arena to hear Michelle Obama in conversation with TaskRabbit CEO Stacy Brown-Philpot.
Tickets for the 90-minute Q&A went for anywhere from $69 to $500. Not bad for an event that, according to our sources, was also meant as a warm-up promotion for the former first lady's memoir, "Becoming," which is due out this fall.
Among those in the house Wednesday night was Obama's 16-year-old daughter, Sasha, who had just visited UC Berkeley as part of her college-selection tour.
As for Michelle, we're told she let slip one tidbit about her future — that it doesn't include any plans to run for office.
San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Twitter: @matierandross


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Me! Glad you asked!
That's it.
Still here? Fine! I shall elaborate.
Quick dash over the people I got influenced by: Tim Ferriss, Josh Waitzkin, Hans Zimmer, Mark Manson, Tim Urban. I'm looking more into Ramin Djawadi, John Paesano, Sam Harris, Jordan Peterson. Now you know the which "tribes" I belong to currently.
I'm from Vietnam (hence the last name, silly). Full name: Thien The Nguyen. You can call me Thien, or "The Nguyen". The latter would give me a weird sense of pride for my Vietnamese heritage. And I'll be like "Oooh, staph it, you!"
I finished college in the U.S. a year ago with a pristine Math major and enough statistics knowledge to intimidate any Reddit comment sections. I'm currently doing a 9-5 in the Bay Area. The job is not that exciting. It is good for getting a roof on my head and some food in my stomach 3 times a day. My source of escapism is mostly music.
I had some interest in filming, music, acting, and the like since high school. But being in an Asian family, my parents expected me to have some stable career. And to be honest, I did expect this of myself at some point, too. Now working and able to support myself, I started to explore my interest more and slowly fell in love with music.
I adore how transcendent, emotionally packed music can be. It can be used as a tool of storytelling on its own, or combined with other medias. I want to write music for films, for story-driven video games. Hans Zimmer is my daddy. Currently, I'm taking some expedited music theory night classes, following dope music theory channels on Youtube. I played piano for about a year off and on when I was younger so this helps, too. Joined a choir, took (and continue to take) part in as many open mic event at my workplace and neighborhood as I can. Beside film-score, I enjoy classical, jazz, and selective pop songs as well. I plan to publish my original music on this blog.
My love of music spills toward dancing. I enjoy being indulged in music and move along with it. I know a bit of Rumba, Cha-cha, Swing, Tap. Totally inapt for performing, but I could show off among friends from time to time.
I like philosophy. I like to think about life. My main goal in life, as of current, is to discover knowledge and beauty (might make a post on that). I read Mark Manson blog and got a fair share of influence from his view of life. I take pleasure in self-improvement; and thus, a voracious listener of Tim Ferriss podcast.
I try to pick up reading and writing more recently. I mainly read non-fiction. Reading helps me surround myself with people I want to become and get influenced by them. When you ain't nobody and despise small talk, book is an expedited access to more experienced people. I find listening to audio books quite convenient since I can do it during work, while riding a bicycle, or do anything. I also listen to Made You Think podcast, which neatly summarizes and discusses in depth about interesting books.
Writing, as I've heard, helps thinking clearly as it straighten out the mumble jumble called thoughts in our heads. But what do I know!? This is my first blog post after all! I'm fascinated by Tim Urban's Wait But Why. I aspire to reach that level of curiosity and writing.
Here's a quick snapshot of all my beliefs at the moment. Each of them could warrant a blog post:
- Life: Constantly learning, appreciate beauty–have enough knowledge to appreciate beauty
- Career: Just be so good they can't ignore you
- Life priority: Do as much things I love as possible, brutally cut things I don't
- Relationship maintenance: Love people from afar. Follow-up just as often as I'm comfortable with. People who matter don't mind; people who mind don't matter
- Self acceptance: I am enough. Listen closely to and acknowledge all my inner insecurities, fears, but proceed anyway
- Romance: Be myself (first need to understand myself), love come from understanding
- Death: People can end their life. Just need to make sure they understood and explored all their options (discussions on point of views are welcome, angry discussions are not)
- I might follow Stoicism; reading more on that.
Again, this is only a snapshot of current me. I'll learn. I'll grow. I'll be different. I'll do different things, have different views. We all change so much in a short amount of time. Two years ago, I thought about things differently. Four years ago, I was a completely different moron.
Would you look at that!? A blog post! My first blog post! God damn!
On a more serious note, I'm glad I'm doing this.
The Nguyen out!


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Magistrates Commission on suspension of J van Schalkwyk, UN Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Departmental briefing, Correction of reference in Protection of Personal Information Bill
Justice and Correctional Services
20 August 2013
Chairperson: Mr L Landers (ANC)
Meeting Summary
The Magistrates' Commission (MC) presented a report to the Committee on the provisional suspension of Magistrate J van Schalkwyk. She was suspended by the Minister on 4 June 2013, pending a full inquiry into her fitness to hold office as a magistrate. Numerous allegations had been made against her, including refusal to cooperate with lawful directives, her abusive and inappropriate attitude to the Chief Justice and MC, and the reports that she severely abused her powers by cajoling or threatening colleagues, especially those on contract appointments, to assist her with personal matters during and outside office hours, sometimes taking them out of their courts. She apparently gambled during office hours, had run up substantial debt and had borrowed money from colleagues and attorneys. She had shown conflicts of interest, and requested other magistrates to write her judgments. Her response as to why she should not be provisionally suspended was considered by the MC on 11 May 2013. A full inquiry was now pending. Despite being told that she should not communicate with any staff at the court, she was continuing to do so. Members noted that the allegations were serious and supported the MC's viewpoint, although there was not a quorum to take a final resolution. They asked that copies of annexures be sent to the Committee, and requested more clarity on some points. They also were concerned whether there were part-heard matters, and urged the MC to finalise the inquiry as speedily as possible.
The Chairperson noted that a Motion would be brought in the House that day for a textual amendment, to correct an incorrect reference that had been included in the Protection of Personal Information Bill.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development briefed the Committee on the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. South Africa had signed it in 1994, but it had not been ratified until now because several departments had been unwilling to deal with ratification; it finally ended up with this Department. The Covenant essentially dealt with protection and promotion of second-generation rights, including education and employment, as already contained in the South African Constitution. The State Law Advisers were satisfied that there was no conflict with domestic law, and believed that no special legislation was needed to give effect to the Covenant. However, there had been questions raised by the Departments of Education about interpretation of the wording, particularly whether they would be required to do more than ensure progressive realisation of access, within budgetary limitations. The consensus was that they would not, but a Declaration would be lodged, if the Covenant was approved, confirming this interpretation. Members sought further clarity on the interpretation aspect, asked if departments would be able and willing to implement, cautioned that there were always financial implications to ratifying, but agreed in principle that it would be desirable as this was a very important instrument. They questioned why the Optional Protocol was not being ratified as well, asked who would lead the process, asked whether it had been discussed with the South African Human Rights Commission, and what implications it may cast on this body. One Member asked if it would have a substantial impact on those who were dissatisfied with service delivery at present. The Committee would take the necessary steps to recommend ratification when it had a quorum.
Meeting report
Magistrates Commission: Proposed suspension of Magistrate J van Schalkwyk
Mr Johannes Meijer, Member of Magistrates' Commission, presented a report to the Committee on the provisional suspension of Magistrate J van Schalkwyk, in terms of section 33(b) of the Magistrates Act, pending a final inquiry into her fitness to hold office as a magistrate.
The allegations against Ms van Schalkwyk first emanated from a complaint by the Chief Magistrate of Johannesburg that she had refused to cooperate with a request. She had responded in a tone that was inappropriate. She had distributed the correspondence between the two to other people. She had also made insulting remarks about the Chief Justice.
Her colleagues had also lodged complaints. It was alleged that she severely abused her powers, and used magistrates under her control to perform other work for her personally, such as completing forms for micro-lenders' applications, driving her to appointments or to her home, and instructed some to attend to personal matters of hers during and after office hours, such as doing her hair for her. There were allegations that she gambled during office hours. She borrowed money from other magistrates, and also from an attorney who dealt with cases in her court. It was also alleged that she had, in return for an arrangement to extend the Sheriff's jurisdiction, also obtained money from the Sheriff. She presided over cases in which there was conflict and she should not have sat, and then denied having done so, although the Magistrates Commission had evidence of this. She had appointed a magistrate from her own office to preside in a matter where she was the applicant. She handed down judgments not written by herself, but that she had instructed other magistrates under her control, or even an attorney, to write, and some of these had been written before the evidence was presented. She also ordered other magistrates to attend to matters of hers during their court hours, hindering the proper running of the courts. She was in substantial debt, to the tune of around R1.9 million. It was alleged that she had abused court processes. The tone that she had used to the Judge President of Gauteng, and also to the Magistrates Commission itself, was inappropriate and had brought the Magistrates forum into disrepute.
Based upon all these allegations, which were submitted in the form of sworn statements, the Magistrates Commission (MC) had asked her to show cause why she should not be suspended provisionally, pending a formal investigation into the allegations. Mr Meijer said that he had served the letter on her personally. She had been requested not to discuss any of the matters contained in the letter with any other officials, in an attempt to avoid them being victimized or unduly influenced. Despite the request that she should not communicate with any support staff and prosecuting authority, and not interfere directly or indirectly she was still doing so, putting pressure on, or victimizing other magistrates, and trying to ensure that the contract magistrates' contracts were not renewed.
On 11 May the Executive Committee of the MC had considered Ms van Schalkwyk's lengthy response, and resolved to recommend that she be suspended. She was suspended on 4 June 2013. The Commission was of the view that the allegations were so serious that it was inappropriate that she continue to perform as a magistrate. The severity and nature of the continuing abuse, and her instructions to other magistrates, were serious. The fact that she was removing other personnel from their offices to attend to her matters was detrimental to the course of justice. The preliminary investigation had been completed and concluded, and the charge sheet for the final enquiry was signed and served on her on 1 August 2013. Senior magistrates, including a Regional Court Magistrate, were to be appointed to run the investigations.
Ms D Schäfer (DA) asked if this report was merely to inform the Committee of the Minister's action, and whether it was necessary for this Committee to take a decision. She thought the suspension was justified. For the sake of completeness she would like to have the annexures.
The Chairperson asked Mr Meijer to provide the annexures, but he responded to Ms Schäfer that this Committee actually did need to refer the matter to the House, having adopted a report.
Adv L Adams (COPE) asked what the refusal to execute a lawful order related to.
Mr Meijer said that the Chief Justice had requested the MC to assist in sending out a circular to all chief magistrates, asking that all judicial heads of courts must be informed by them whether the courts were fully functioning, and whether magistrates in their courts were or were not striking. The Commission had sent out the circular conveying the request of the Chief Justice. Ms van Schalkwyk, however, simply refused to submit any returns as required, and merely responded that she had nothing to say.
Ms C Pilane-Majake (ANC) said that due process would take place, with proof of the allegations provided. She supported the actions taken so far. She asked if there were any part-heard matters that were the responsibility of Ms van Schalkwyk, pointing out that there had been a problem a few months ago with a similar situation, when one suspended magistrate had to be recalled to conclude part-heard matters.
Mr Meijer responded that Ms van Schalkwyk had not sat in court so there was not a problem there.
Ms S Shope-Sithole (ANC) was worried about this report. It seemed that Ms van Schalkwyk had deliberately taken steps to act incorrectly. She wondered how prevalent this type of behaviour was, and asked whether it could not have been prevented sooner, given the litany of misdeeds now presented to the Committee.
Mr Meijer responded that he was not sure whether Ms van Schalkwyk was the only individual behaving in this way. This was only reported at the beginning of year, although it seemed that her behaviour and her threats to terminate contracts had been ongoing for some time. She had been threatening those who refused to do her bidding, and they were clearly frightened of her. The complainants would testify, but they were still fearful of victimisation. Some had even requested that they be allowed to come to the MC offices to speak to the Commission. It was unfortunate that the MC was only in a position to act when matters were brought to its attention.
The Chairperson said that the Committee would adopt the necessary resolution to confirm the suspension, when there was a quorum, and would then take the matter to the House for its confirmation.
Ms Schäfer urged the Commission to finalise the inquiry as soon as possible.
Mr Meijer said that the MC was waiting for a response to the charge sheet from Ms van Schalkwyk, in order to limit the issues in dispute. She had requested further particulars. A presiding officer would be appointed who was not part of the Judicial Officers Association, and it would try to expedite the matter.
Correction of reference in Protection of Personal Information Bill
The Chairperson said that it was unfortunate that the Committee may miss things from time to time, and said that it had been brought to his attention, by Mr Henk du Preez of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, that an incorrect cross-reference had slipped into the Protection of Personal Information Bill. He urged that in future, Members themselves must try to check all the cross-referencing and not leave it to the drafters.
The Parliamentary Legal Advisers believed that this was a "textual amendment" which could be remedied by a motion moved by the Chief Whip of the majority part, and this would be done today. The motion would relate to clause 40(1)(b)(ix)(bb) of the Bill, which should have referred to section 44(2). Assuming that the motion would be adopted, the Chairperson would then be required to give a short report.
Members agreed.
The Chairperson asked to be excused at this point, as he had to attend another meeting.
Ms Pilane-Majake proposed that Mr J Sibanyoni (ANC) take the position as Acting Chair, which was confirmed by other Members.
UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development briefing
Mr John Makhubele, Deputy Chief State Law Adviser, and Ms Pearl Nhlapo, State Law Adviser: International Legal Relations Unit, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, thanked the Committee for the opportunity to brief the Committee. Mr Makhubele tabled an apology for the Director General of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (the Department), who was unable to be present.
Mr Makhubele said that a long road had been followed since the Chapter 9 institutions and NGOs first called upon South Africa to accede to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the Covenant). The Covenant was created on 3 January 1996, and South Africa had signed it in 1994.
There had been a substantial delay in bringing the matter to Parliament. Mr Makhubele explained that in 1998, South Africa ratified a number of other treaties that had all been signed in 1994, but the ratification of this Covenant was purposely left out of that process. He noted that there had been unwillingness on the part of several departments to pilot the ratification. The Department of Labour was initially supposed to deal with the matter, but had not, and the matter was then passed over to the Department of Social Development. In 2009 it was moved to the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation. However, because the Presidency was an oversight department, it was recognised that it would be more appropriate that a line department deal with it, and in 2011 the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development was asked to take the lead.
The Covenant essentially looked at protection and promotion of second-generation rights, including education and employment. These rights were already set out in the Constitution. The question was therefore asked whether special legislation was needed to give effect to the Covenant. The Department looked at the implications of the Convention. The State Law Advisers were of the view that the Covenant was in alignment with domestic law and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation was also satisfied. However, there were some questions raised about the demands that the Covenant would place on other departments. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) had been worried about the requirement that could be interpreted as requiring compulsory free education, and pointed out that this would not be possible for South Africa, given its current budget. At the time that South Africa became a signatory, it was already giving progressive effect to increasing access to education, within available resources, but when the matter came to Cabinet, a question was raised whether, in the light of the Grootboom Constitutional Court decisions, more would have to be done.
Mr Makhubele noted that the phrasing used in the Covenant referred to "maximum available resources" (which was not reflected in the Constitution) and "progressive realisation". The legal advisers were satisfied that South Africa would not have to do more than maintain progressive realisation within budgetary limitations. The Bill of Rights was interpreted by them as essentially stating the same as the Covenant.
The Department therefore requested that this Committee recommend ratification to the NA. However, Mr Makhubele noted that although it was not strictly speaking necessary, there was a strong view that a Declaration must be prepared, stressing the fact that progressive realisation would be the approach adopted when implementing. The Declaration would be deposited with any instrument of ratification.
Ms Schäfer asked what exactly the Declaration would say. To her mind, there was no conflict, as she believed that there could only be progressive realisation within the available resources. She said that one of the reasons given earlier for the delay in ratifying was the apparent conflict between the Covenant and the Constitution, but presumed that this was the point that Mr Makhubele had just addressed.
Mr Makhubele explained that the Declaration would essentially say that progressive realisation would be followed.
Ms Schäfer asked why the Optional Protocol was not being ratified as well, so that complaints could be laid as international level.
Mr Makhubele said that the question of ratification of the Protocol had been raised by the NGOs. Government had felt it important that South Africa first become party to the main Covenant, and only later look at the Protocol.
When Ms Schäfer requested more information on the reasons for this view, Mr Makhubele expanded that it was really a question of sequencing. The State Law Advisers thought that the two could not be done at the same time. No other legal argument was advanced.
Ms Schäfer asked whether the line departments were likely to implement, given their reluctance to deal with the matters in the past.
Ms C Pilane-Majake had similar concerns. She thanked the Department for its efforts, saying that this was a milestone for South Africa. She agreed that it was important to stress that all efforts would be made, with the resources available. South Africa had rushed to ratify a number of international instruments, but it must be remembered that implementation cost money. She wondered why only the DBE and DHET appeared to have interrogated the implications properly, since, for instance, the Department of Human Settlements could be called upon to ensure access to housing. Given the number of informal settlements, it was clear that there were problems in that, but it was also clear that attempts must be made to improve, which was why reference to progressive realisation was important. The intention was good, and it was clearly aimed at redressing the past repression of rights. However, South Africa should not over-commit itself, because there was not an unending source of money. South Africa would also be monitored on what it was doing and its progress could be challenged in the future.
The Acting Chairperson added that South Africa was regarded as a role model by many other countries.
Mr Makhubele confirmed that it was not only the DBE who had raised a concern because a number of departments had held joint discussions on the implications. This went again to the reasons why it was considered prudent to make the Declaration to make it clear that the terminology in the Constitution and the Covenant should be interpreted in the same way. This was quite a difficult matter. He agreed that there were challenges around the financial principles. However, he also pointed out that once states had signed an international instrument, they had a moral obligation (even if that instrument had not yet been ratified) not to do anything that would go against the principles of the instruments.
Ms Schäfer asked if, effectively, Cabinet had now bought into the concept of free basic and higher education or vocational training.
Mr Makhubele said that the progressive realisation of the right to education would include both basic and higher education. However, this right must be seen within the framework of its education policy and available resources.
Ms Schäfer asked if it was acceptable, in the international field, to accede but change the terms of a covenant.
Mr Makhubele said that South Africa was not intending to make a reservation, but a declaration.
Ms Schäfer asked if the Department would now be the lead department.
Mr Makhubele responded that in 2012 government had made a commitment that South Africa must adhere strictly to all treaty obligations. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development had done an audit of all these international obligations, including outstanding reports, and in future instruments would be dealt with in this way. The monitoring was done by the Ministers of Justice, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, and International Relations and Cooperation. The Forum of Directors-General, chaired by the Director General in the Presidency, was another structure. There were also three clusters that would monitor. He had prepared a proposal, that would go to all clusters, that there be a national committee, so the structures would be in place to deal with the Covenant.
Adv Adams asked what substantive difference the ratification of this would make to South Africans who were taking part in service delivery protests.
Mr Makhubele responded that the landscape and therefore the protests would not change immediately. However, this Covenant's ratification would highlight what government must do and, at an international level, the fact that questions could be asked was bound to create an increase in service delivery.
Ms Pilane-Majake said she was not entirely happy with the response on whether all government departments would be able to deal with the obligations. All departments had a challenge. She was also concerned about the country reports, saying that in the past, South Africa had ratified instrument after instrument, with the result that a backlog of reports had built up.
Ms Nhlapo said that there had been calls made to and discussions with all government departments. They mostly held the view that the Covenant in fact did not require them to do more than they were already doing to promote these rights. Only the DHET had asked that it not be placed under too onerous an obligation and had raised a concern whether it could be interpreted as forcing that department to make free education available now.
Ms Schäfer asked if ratification would cast any implications on the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) who were currently monitoring socio-economic rights.
Mr Makhubele confirmed that the SAHRC would still exercise oversight. However, as the landscape changed, it could be called upon to do more, although he felt it likely that the treaty bodies would probably adopt the same approach as they did at present. A balancing act was necessary.
Ms Pilane-Majake asked how the SAHRC had been engaged in the process. It would obviously be a watchdog, but she wanted to know whether it would be doing shadow reports, or reporting directly. She pointed out that South Africa had a vibrant civil society and it was necessary to ensure that matters were done correctly to avoid criticism.
Mr Makhubele answered that there was a Forum of Chapter 9 institutions, and in 2012 there had been specific meetings held with the Chairperson of the SAHRC. The Premiers would have to report to the Chairperson of the SAHRC, and the Directors General would have to report to the Chief Executive Officer of the SAHRC. He had attended three meetings of the Forum of Chapter 9 institutions (which also included National Treasury), and this Forum had been pressing for ratification. There had been consultation with the Chapter 9 institutions and NGOs. He said that there was closer dialogue with NGOs, and no country report would now be submitted without tabling it to the NGOs. They would do shadow reports.
Ms Nhlapo stressed again that this Convention did not place any more onerous obligations on South Africa than were contained in other covenants of the United Nations and African Union.
The Acting Chairperson noted that the Convention on Torture had at last been ratified. He confirmed that the Committee would take the process forward, once a quorum was established, and recommend ratification to the National Assembly.
The meeting was adjourned.
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Dr. Srinidhi Varadarajan
CTO & Founder
Srinidhi has over 15 years of experience in architecting and building advanced networks, high-performance computing environments, scalable file systems, and storage subsystems. His invention of System X in collaboration with Steve Jobs and Phil Schiller forms the foundation of modern supercomputing architecture.
He was previously founder and CTO of AppAssure, founder and CTO of Librato (acquired by Solarwinds), and founder and architect of SilverDraft Supercomputing. Srinidhi started his career as an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, where he was the Director of the Center for High-End Computing Systems.
Srinidhi received the NSF CAREER Award for Internet scale network modeling, and was honored by MIT Technology Review as one of the top 100 (TR100) young innovators transforming technology, and was named by HPCWire as one of the top researchers in the field of supercomputing.
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The opera Carmen is filling the room as I sit in a comfortable chair documenting these past few days. I feel uplifted by the music and hospitality that permeates the Hostal Hispano here in Najera, the welcoming atmosphere distinctly put in place by Anna who runs it. I can testify to her warm-heartedness, and she carries this quality readily on her Spanish face.
This wayward pilgrim is in a very different place today than on Day 11, specifically due to the kindness of strangers. If you track on the graffiti map below, you'll see I haven't made it very far in distance miles since I left Logrono after two days of resting my resistant foot. It's hard to tell what the map is tracking since there are 20 possible villages or towns to lodge between Logrono and the city of Burgos, not one-fifth that's shown. I'm likely at point 18 shown on the map now.
Unless a pilgrim wants to sleep in a field, the amount of foot travel each day is gauged by the distances to be undertaken between places where there's lodging. On Day 11 I left Logrono and walked 20 km to Ventos, my right foot speaking ever more loudly as the miles went by. I'd been fooled by its silence when I'd embarked that morning. I arrived at the only Ventos albergue in early afternoon run by an Austrian woman with lockstep efficiency. I pled for a lower bunk. It was evident I was having trouble. Her partner showed me to the 3rd floor (American). No elevators in these places. The women's bathroom and showers were on the 2nd. But I was happy to have a ground bunk. I was also happy when another woman was shown a bunk later. Otherwise, I would have been the only female bunking with 8 men. No problem really. I just would have felt under-represented.
I knew by nightfall that I was in real trouble. I could put no weight on my foot without significant pain. Some of these albergues have stringent rules about leaving your walking sticks at the door, along with hiking boots. (The latter I understand.) Consequently, I had no support in getting around. Still no swelling on the foot and no injury done. A sign was clearly posted that pilgrims must leave by 8 AM and the albergue would close. The next morning I waited in the lobby, other pilgrims departing. A few I'd met in earlier days expressed empathy at my predicament. I intended to prevail upon the Austrian manager to help get me to a doc, unlikely there was one in this tiny village.
She finally showed up. I placed my petition before her. She confirmed I'd have to travel to Najera via taxi to the health clinic, gave me a map and called a taxi which would arrive in 20 minutes. Then she told me I'd have to wait at the bar down the street because she was closing. I said nothing, but perhaps I looked resigned because she relented. When the taxi came she told the driver where to take me even though I told her I could handle it. As I settled myself in the back seat, she reached out and laid a hand on my shoulder and told me all would be okay. That light touch of acknowledgment finally filled my eyes with tears when nothing else had.
No one at the health clinic admissions spoke English. French was rolling easily off my tongue but no one spoke that either. My Spanish was hiding. Times of stress, I suppose. Finally, the admissions tech sat down in front of a computer and accessed Google translate or similar. He typed out questions. I circled the answers. He set me up for an appointment with a doctor within the hour, never exploring how I would pay.
The doc opened his door to me 30 minutes early. How often does that happen? Gentle demeanor. He had no English, no French. But by then my Spanish wasn't quite so shy. I was able to tell him it was all a mystery. He pushed around on the foot, not finding much either. He sent me to x-ray. No stress fracture. Thanks to the gods…nothing. He asked did I want to continue the Camino to which I said, "Of course." He replied that there was nothing to be done but take the high dosage ibuprofen I already had…and stay off my feet for 3 days. I thanked him and asked how I pay for services. He waved me down to admissions. To which, I asked the admissions tech the same question. He asked if the doc gave me a paper. He didn't. "Then there's no charge," the tech said.
Really? Anyone reading this from the U.S. knows that would never–repeat never–happen at home. And I would have had to fill out multi-paged forms with medical history and insurance. Not 3 strips of paper each holding 1 question with a circled answer. I felt like a person in need…not a commodity.
Then I found Anna. She somehow pulled a room out of her hat when they were full, apologizing it was on the 3rd floor, toted my pack up for me and gave me ice for my foot. I like it up here under the eaves. It's quiet. The window opens to the sky and pigeons cooing.
I'm one to find metaphors in what presents itself externally. It's the way my mind works and has served me well as learnings for my inner life. I can't ignore the mystery issue is with my right foot–the one that represents moving out in the world. I also find it interesting that there's an empty, derelict apartment building immediately next door that looks like it's been that way for years. Quite an unusual thing here, I'd say. It got my immediate attention. I spent some time shooting images of it last night when I ventured out for food.
Sometimes there are things we need to leave behind, that we've grown beyond. And we may not even know they're still hanging out in the psyche until we're presented with such…or slow down to consider.
This morning I went out to get some info at the tourist office. Afterward, I passed by the Santa Maria la Real Monastery and stopped to read the sign by the door. A man appeared out of nowhere, opened the heavy door to the church and motioned for me to go inside. He didn't do so himself.
I was the only one there and sat down in a pew to gaze around. No sooner had I done so than silent tears began to stream, going on for awhile. This used to happen to me off and on in my early days of meditation 30 years ago. I never knew why then. Nor was it revealed to me today.
I can thank my foot for this slower walk that brought me to this unexpected place specifically…and receiving the kindness of strangers. I also have a further recognition of whatever surrounds me and keeps me protected.


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Can't believe it is Wednesday already and even that is almost over. After racing this weekend at 1:50 A.M. (Details here) a week after my first race (details here) I have been feeling tired and out of it so far. I missed running Monday and yesterday and should be getting my first run in tonight. I should not feel that tired, just had a recovery week two weeks ago and I kept my training hours last week below 8 hours so I should feel rested and ready to tackle training for my first triathlon and next 5k race.
It has to be the weather and/or the elections. Here in Georgia it has been dreary the last couple of days, not very conducive to running. Think wet and cold and windy and that is the weather where I live. I should just suck it up and go run and that is exactly what I plan to do tonight.
So besides missing a few running workouts, I had a good pilates class last night and I have had two solid swim workouts so far. I can feel the endurance capabilities increasing a little bit more everyday. March here I come!
Speaking of March, when I set up my training schedule I had to base my race selection and dates on the historical placement of races. For the last four years the Early Bird Triathlon has started the first week of March and the Lagrange Triathlon starts at the end of March. Well the company hosting both triathlons moved things around this year and now the early bird triathlon is starting in the beginning of April and the Lagrange Triathlon is starting in the middle of March. So, my first triathlon will start 2 weeks later than I planned for. I had to adjust my schedule to match. Luckily the training schedule only needed a little modification later in the program. So I get two extra weeks to train. I guess a good thing is that the Early Bird I w as looking to do first initially had a 400 meter pool swim where as the one that I replaced it with only has a 300 meter pool swim. So this should be good for my first triathlon. Otherwise, all the rest of my planned races fall when I expected them, so it looks like I am on for next summer.
One cool thing, the race I did this weekend continues to impress me. I recieved nice little thank you letter with links to the photographer, facebook pages and additional links to race times. The note had a hint of things to come, but really focused on summing up the race and thanking the participants. To me this is an amazing class act, amazingly it is not done more often when it just takes a little time to compose and send. I am very impressed by the organizers of this race.,
So a mediocre wednesday. Time to put my head down and pull the rest of this week out of the slumps and finish it strong. Til next time.


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1 County Road
Building B-12
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KM Productions is an industry-leading event production services and equipment company. We provide turnkey and individual services, as well as rentals, lighting, audio, video, staging, special effects, and event logistics. The KM team has years of experience producing concerts, festivals, private parties, weddings, corporate functions, and international events.


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Our little one finally decided to show up. After 26 hours of labor, Baby girl aka Jellybean graced us with her presence. After a week off of meal planning and sorting back through our lives (aka getting used to having a newborn around), I feel the urge to come back here and blog about meal prep. Some may think I am crazy but I am only making lunch this week. We have been blessed by different people in our church who have brought us meals after Jellybean was born. I also wasn't sure when she would come so our freezer is completely stocked with crockpot meals and easy to go meals.
Freezer go to:
- Trader Joes: Brown rice, veggie and/or steak burritos, veggie stir fry
- Crock pot meals: chicken Fajitas, Lemon pepper chicken, orange ginger chicken, honey lime chicken, Hawaiian chicken
- remember when I bought all that chicken at Aldi's for super cheap, well that was the chicken I used to make all these freezer meals. Each bag has 4-6 portioned controlled servings to feed us for 2-3 days.
- you take a bag out of the freezer the night before, place it in your crock pot and cook it on high for 4-6 hours.
- Schnucks or any grocery store: Freezer veggies
Anyways, this weeks lunch is about Chili. Chili is something I make on the regular (seems like an oxymoron, its 94 degrees out today), but my chili isn't thick and heavy. Its pretty light since it is a vegetable broth base.
Here's the recipe, remember you can modify it however you would please to.
Making chili (serves 8 at 1 cup each):
- 1 lb ground beef
- low sodium black beans
- dark red kidney beans
- chili beans
- light red kidney beans
- petite diced tomatoes with green chilies
- vegetable broth
- spices: sea salt, chili powder, paprika, ground pepper
- garlic, 2 tbsp
I added 1 tbsp of sour cream and 1/8 cup of shredded cheese.
- brown meat and add spices
- strain out fat (important!!)
- add garlic
- next in a strainer/colander, strain your beans and tomatoes. The chili beans I add straight into my pot without straining. make sure you rinse your tomatoes and beans.
- add vegetable broth
- cook on low for 10 minutes
Next, grab your measuring cup and measure about 1 cup of chili into bowls or mason jars. Then add your toppings, I added 1 tbsp of sour cream and 1/8 cup of shredded cheese. For a side, mixed fruit in its own container!
YUM!! below you will find the nutritional information! Enjoy your week everyone and to all the Fathers and Father figures, Happy Father's Day!


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Susan Caplan – Founder member & Senior Partner of St. James's Place Wealth Management
I am a Founder Member and Senior Partner of St. James's Place Wealth Management. I delight in delivering a personal, professional service while helping you manage, protect and grow your wealth.
The essence of my business is to help make it easier for you to manage your financial affairs. I work on the principle that everyone needs help to resolve their financial requirements and basing my service on this principle, I have built exceptionally strong, trusted and long lasting relationships with my Clients.
How to contact Susan
Tel -20 7744 0237
Mob: 07956 375 454
Email – firstname.lastname@example.com
The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount invested.
The Partner represents only St. James's Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group's wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group's website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The St.James's Place Partnership and the title 'Partner' are marketing terms used to describe St. James's Place representatives.
Full Address
Susan Caplan
St. James's Place Wealth Management
11 Hamilton Place