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IODPA understands that Chief Constables are having a hard time currently. They have had to reduce their spending and learn how to manage with reduced budgets.
Budget cuts since 2011 up to 2015 amounted to a reduction of 20% in the amount allocated by the Home Office to policing. From 2015 more cuts were imposed.
According to estimates compiled by the National Audit Office, police funding fell from 2010/11 to 2018/19. Overall, funding fell by 19%, taking inflation into account.
This varies a lot locally. That 19% average ranges from an 11% fall in Surrey police force to a 25% fall in Northumbria. This is mainly because some forces, like Northumbria, rely more heavily on government grants and don’t raise as much locally.
With that difficult financial background in mind, we turn our attention how one particular force, Northumbria, chose to deal with the situation by seeking to grab money from the pensions paid to disabled former officers who were forced to retire due to injury received in the execution of their duty.
For new readers, we need to explain that a ‘review’ is a term which has come into general use to identify processes taken by a Police Pension Authority (‘PPA’) to ensure the correct level of injury pension continues to be paid.
The report states there is a ‘legal obligation’ for ‘The Force’ to consider at suitable intervals whether there has been an alteration of the pensioner’s degree of disablement, by means of a medical assessment.
However, this statement is unfortunately misleading, despite its apparently factual delivery. It is mistaken.
The above Regulations actually allow not ‘The Force’ but a Police Pension Authority – which is an office vested in the sole personage of the Chief Constable – to use unfettered discretion over whether or when to take action under regulation 37 (1). There is no blanket ‘statutory obligation’ as claimed.
By failing to differentiate between ‘The Force’ and the Police Pension Authority, Ms. Lawson provides a revealing insight. The Chief Constable of Northumbria has allowed his concerns over his budget to influence detrimentally his duties as the Police Pension Authority.
37.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, where an injury pension is payable under these Regulations, the police [pension] authority shall, at such intervals as may be suitable, consider whether the degree of the pensioner’s disablement has altered; and if after such consideration the police authority find that the degree of the pensioner’s disablement has substantially altered, the pension shall be revised accordingly.
The regulation does not assist the PPA by defining what form the consideration might take. That is no oversight, as it is apparent the regulation intends that the PPA will use its discretion whilst promoting the scope and purposes of the Regulations as a whole. That does not extend to conducting medical reassessments of all recipients of an injury pension, in the hope of finding substantial alteration.
The very wording of regulation 37(1) indicates unmistakably that any consideration must be an individual undertaking. It is a singular thing, a reaction to a change in circumstances affecting an identified pensioner’s degree of disablement.
What Northumbria forgets, or perhaps chooses to ignore, is that the Regulations (specifically, regulation 30 which is rather too lengthy to reproduce here but which can be viewed via this link only permit the PPA to appoint a duly qualified medical practitioner to determine the extent of any alteration when the PPA is considering revising an individual’s injury pension.
An injury pension cannot be revised unless there has been a substantial alteration. Therefore, Northumbria is utterly out of order in thinking it can task a doctor with conducting ‘medical reassessments’ before it has gone through the required individual consideration of the likelihood of alteration in degree of disablement.
IODPA advises any injury on duty pensioner of Northumbria, or of any other force, to bear this in mind should they be asked to attend a medical interview and/or examination. We can offer sound practical advice on what to do, and what not to do. Advice which comes from the most expert and authoritative legal sources.
So, from 2010 to date, Northumbria was content to set aside what it now claims is a ‘legal duty’.
Even the most warped legal mind would know that Home Office advice is not law. It does not have to be obeyed. Northumbria could have continued to conduct reviews, and could have done so without falling foul of ‘case law’ if only it followed the Regulations. Moreover, Home Office advice ought not to be such that it tells a PPA to ignore a ‘legal obligation’.
Ms. Lawson’s report to the Executive Board effectively says that Northumbria, having blindly followed what turned out to be unlawful Home Office advice in 2008, and having once more blindly followed Home Office guidance by ceasing reviews in 2010 is now intent on intruding into the lives of its disabled former officers and their families by conducting a mass review of injury pensions.
It seems that Northumbria thinks it can have its cake and eat it. It thinks it can not review, or it can review as it wishes. It is mistaken.
There is a vast and dangerously dark difference between making a decision to review or not to review based on the wrong reasons, and making that decision properly based on only relevant and lawful reasons.
From 2010 to date, there may well have been pensioners who were entitled to have their degree of disablement reviewed, and to have their pension payment revised upwards due to a worsening of their condition. Northumbria was content to ignore them.
We can see from the report why Northumbria ceased reviews. We can see the misleading claim that it now needs to dust off what it thinks is a ‘legal obligation’ and recommence reviews. However, the report reveals the real reason why all injury on duty pensioners, whether elderly, vulnerable, in delicate balance of mental health, whether informed of their legal rights or kept in deep incognizance will now be put through a most distressing and intrusive process.
On reading Ms. Lawson’s report, it very obviously concentrates on the financial aspects of the planned mass review programme.
It also very obviously absent of any serious consideration of the human impact of reviews. The silence speaks loudly of the single-minded purpose of the review programme and dismisses any adverse human impact in a single sentence. Ms. Lawson models her thinking along the lines of the First World War generals who saw soldiers as mere units to be sacrificed for the gain of a few yards of ground.
The report attempts to illustrate various financial outcomes. Needless to say, they all confidently predict savings for the force. In that it is also mistaken.
IODPA believes that Chief Constables, and those who advise them, should take more care to understand the differing, and sometimes conflicting, requirements and duties of the office of Chief Constable and that of Police Pension Authority. The latter is supposed to focus on ensuring injured disabled officers receive the appropriate level of compensation as provided for by the Regulations. That focus should be divorced from any consideration of the financial outcome to the force.
Chief Constables quite properly need to manage their budgets prudently, but they should see injury pension payments as a debt of honour, as ring-fenced, kept entirely separate from their attempts to save money. Instead of turning on people who are generally among the least able to defend themselves, they should be lobbying the Government for direct assistance in meeting their obligations under the police injury benefit regulations.
Where, we ask, are the rehabilitation programmes designed to help injured disabled officers adapt to life outside the force? Where do we see HR providing support and care to the families of injured disabled officers? Where is there any assistance in helping injured disabled pensioners finding work?
It seems to be the case that in Northumbria the Chief Constable – Winton Keenen (pictured) has forgotten entirely about his duty of care towards former officers. We suggest that if he wishes to save money by reducing what is clearly seen by him as the burden of injury pension payments, he would do better to achieve that aim by helping disabled former officers rather than by hounding them.
The “November 2018 | Issue 96” edition of the monthly NARPO magazine contained this full page article by Mark Botham.
Mark is the Managing Director of Botham Solutions which provides training, a health and safety consultancy and advises on matters such as police pensions. He is an ex Yorkshire Police Federation rep of nineteen years and spent ten as chairman of the county branch. He holds a BA Hons, Post Graduate Diploma in Law, Post Graduate Certificate in Law, Post Diploma in Law and Master of Law and currently works for Haven Solicitors.
It is great to see some sound legal advice being published for all officers that have been injured on duty.
This article has been reproduced by kind permission of Mark Botham and the National Association of Retired Police Officers.
Following the recent announcement of Essex Police to start reviewing injury pensions, and after reviewing documentation sent out by Kevin Kirby, we were sufficiently disturbed to formally write to the Chief Constable, Mr Kavavagh. Here is a copy of the letter that we sent.
Here is the reply that Mr Kavanagh provided.
We are grateful to Mr Cananagh for taking the time to reply, but still feel as though there are lot of unanswered questions.
Here is the questionnaire as recently sent out by Essex Police following their decision to commence injury pension reviews. It is intrusive almost to the point of being offensive.
Whilst they have every right to send out such a document, the pensioner has every right to place it straight into the bin. There is no legal requirement to provide ANY information regarding these reviews.
Have a read and familiarise yourself with the document. We will be putting up a series of blogs regarding this and other paperwork that has been sent out by the force.
It seems there has been a rush of blood to the heads of certain people in the higher echelons of Essex Police. For reasons as yet unknown to the Police Pension Authority, which is an office vested in none other than the sole personage of the Chief Constable, Steven Kavanagh (pictured), has decided to commence a programme of reviews.
For anyone who has not kept up with ongoing events in the long drawn out and sorry saga of police injury pension maladministration which has blighted the lives of far too many disabled former officers, here is a brief recap.
A ‘review’ is shorthand for what happens when a Police Pension Authority (PPA) exercises a power of discretion conferred on it by Regulation 37 of The Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006. A PPA decides to check whether the degree of disablement of an officer, retired with an injury pension, has altered.
It sounds simple, and it is simple. All a PPA has to do is follow the Regulations and be familiar with the ample case law which provides clarity should explanation be needed. Or, if they fancy a lighter but no less helpful read, HR managers could do no better than study the blogs which IODPA has thoughtfully provided to help educate them.
Yet despite this ready access to information PPAs have consistently managed to muck things up. You would think they were doing it deliberately.
In Essex, it is almost as though everyone who has had a hand in setting up this programme of reviews has been secured in a bubble, kept separate from the rest of the world, so they have no idea whatsoever about recent events.
Events such as the disaster in Avon and Somerset, where much public money was wasted in attempting to hold a review programme, which in our opinion was unlawful.
Events such as the Information Commissioner’s advising that Avon and Somerset and Northumbria had no right to continue to hold excessive historical personal information about retired officers.
So, what is going on in Essex? What has prompted the idea to review batches of injured pensioners? And why has nobody – absolutely nobody – in management had the common sense and nous to look at the regulations and case law to see why their plan is likely to spectacularly fail.
It is indeed a failure to communicate on an epic scale.
More than a failure of communication, it is a failure of awareness, a failure of reason, a failure of professional competence, a failure of decency, a failure of knowledge and a total failure to treat disabled former officers with respect and consideration. There is so much wrong with what Essex is doing that in the space of this blog it won’t be possible to cover all aspects. We can, however, focus on a few elements which demand special attention due to their sheer crassness.
Let’s look at the letter and questionnaire which Kevin Kirby, Head of Pension Governance & Compliance has sent to the first of the injury pensioners who have been selected to undergo a ‘review’. Just who does he think he is, and just who does he think he is talking to?
No, you can’t do that Mr Kirby. A review must only determine if there has been any alteration in the specific disabling effect of the recorded duty injury or injuries. One’s ‘medical status’ does not come into it. And neither does the record of a pensioner’s health since retirement.
Wrong again Mr Kirby. What are you talking about? The PPA has ‘full powers’? What do you think the PPA is – the dictator of some backward country bogged down in the Middle Ages? The only, very limited, power a PPA has, under regulation 37, is to ‘consider whether the degree of the pensioner’s disablement has altered.’ Where is the individual consideration in your sending out of letters and questionnaires to multiple recipients, all of whom are in the highest bands and thus represent the best prospect for the PPA to make reductions?
You can’t have your SMP make any assessment until you have carefully considered, in each individual case, whether a suitable interval has passed which will give good reason for the PPA to think a review is appropriate. You have not done that. Instead, you have gone straight to a process which is obviously intended to allow an unspecified someone to decide whether there has been an alteration in degree of disablement, largely on evidence of employment and earnings.
We do not think you have an inkling what degree of disablement is, or how any alteration is to be determined. Here is a clue for you. It is a medical matter, not a financial matter.
IODPA suspects that pensioners will be all too familiar with the authoritarian tone of a man who thinks he is in a position to order people to do his bidding. Pensioners, however, will know that he has no such authority. He has no power whatsoever to require anything of any private citizen, which is what all former officers are. He can ‘draw attention’ to the police pension regulations as much as he likes but even the most detailed reading of the regulations will not reveal anything which confers on a PPA the power to ‘require’ a single thing from any injury pensioner.
The questionnaire runs to six pages. IODPA will return to this most ill-intentioned document in full later. But for now, be amazed at how misguided the man is who thinks it is his business, his right, to ask you for details of your earnings, and then, astoundingly, requires you to sign consent to let him have HM Revenue hand over all details of your tax position, earnings and employment – since the date you retired.
To bolster up his empty demands for information, Mr Kirby then sees fit to issue what is an all too familiar nasty, and equally empty threat. He provides an Appendix A with his letter in which he seeks to tie his demands for information with a blatant but totally erroneous indication that failure to comply with all of his requirements will result in your pension being dropped to band one.
So, let’s round this up. We know that we are wasting our breath in trying to shock Mr Kirby into realising that he is just so very wrong in so many respects. He will, like all his colleagues across the country who have trodden this rocky road, go automatically into full defensive intransigent position at the first signs of any questioning of his plans. The only thing which will move Mr Kirby is when the PPA and SMP are ‘required’ to attend as respondents in a judicial review. And as sure as eggs are eggs that’s where Mr Kirby is taking his PPA and SMP.
Instead of trying to educate those who are deaf to reason and blind to accurate information, let’s close this by advising all injury on duty pensioners in Essex to file away Mr Kirby’s letter, questionnaire, and Appendix A for future reference. On no account complete the questionnaire. On no account give signed permission for the PPA to obtain medical or financial information.


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2. Door knobs, handles, or locks are loose- Door knobs, handles, and locks are held together by a bunch of moving parts inside. Naturally over time and wear and tear those moving parts can become loose. If your knob, handle, or lock is loose it could be the result of a loose screw or could be because of something internal. This should be taken care of right away. It may not seem like something serious but a loose lock is very easy to force open and can make for a disastrous situation. A locksmith Sunrise should be able to diagnose the issue and fix it pretty quickly.
3. Spinning cylinder- If you put your key inside your lock and the lock cylinder just spins instead of locking or unlocking your door it is usually due to a loose or damaged screw inside the lock. Sometimes you can get the lock to work if you keeping spinning the lock. This however should be taken care of right away. It could stop working altogether at anytime and cause you to be locked out of your home or business or prevent you from being able to lock your door. In most cases a locksmith Sunrise is able to repair your lock in this situation but the lock may need to be changed depending on the damage caused.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to call a locksmith Sunrise if your lock isn’t working properly. If you are having a problem with one of your door locks call A Lenny Locksmith. Our knowledgeable and professional technicians are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week and they will be happy to assist you with any locksmith service that you may need.

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


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Airwave 5.8GHz Audio/Video wireless RF module contains one Transmitter and one Receiver. Using of the most popular 5.8GHz ISM band and being designed with high reliability, Airwave RF module is compliance with the criteria of FCC and R&TTE which can transmit/receive a wide band audio & video signals up to 300 feet in open area.
Worldwide 5.8GHz ISM band (5725 MHz～5875 MHz).
Conform to R&TTE & FCC stipulation.
Compatible with both NTSC and PAL video formats.
Compact size and low power consumption.
Highly efficient FM-FM modulation/demodulation scheme.
Integrating Audio/Video input and output into one module base band PCB.
Provide with 7 selectable channels.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


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Let’s Learn Japanese – Drinking Game!
Are you a Japanese Learner?
Have you seen the famously bad ‘Let’s Learn Japanese Basic I’ Video course?
It is so horrible, so violently terrible, so amazingly hilarious, that it’s also one of our favorite ways to learn Japanese.
One night we were sitting around and decided that the only thing thing that would make it even better… is alcohol!
Scroll down for the rules, as well as an episode to get you started.
Mary Althouse looks like she is frustrated/says something condescending.
Yan pretends to be excited and points at something.
They show stock footage that seems unrelated.
Follow these rules and you’ll be speaking Japanese in no time.
Previous Post How you can learn Chinese FAST, without taking classes.
Next Post How to use Story Cubes to learn Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin… ANY LANGUAGE!!!

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


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Bolinga Nation CEO, Nana Boroo has finally premiered the much anticipated music video for “Kotofa” featuring now missing Castro.
The animation of Castro can be seen appearing in various scenes including one with the missing award winning vocalist cruising a Bentley.
An insider close to the artists has revealed Castro’s family called Nana Boroo to allow the spirit of the star to rest because these images and songs bring back memories whenever they are shown.
Directed by Oskhari Pictures, the video features Castro who lays his signature voice around Nana Boroo’s verses.
“Kotofa” was produced by Kaywa.
Castro’s Family Blasts Nana Boroo For Featuring Castro In His New Video 0 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 0 user reviews.

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


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Green Laker: Go Madison bike commuters!
Number one in the US for bike commuting. Stick it to the smug residents of Portland.
BTW, 4" of fresh, dare I say, CHAMPAGNE powder last night. With another 7-11" predicted for Thursday night. And 1-3" on Friday. And 2-4" Saturday night. And 3-5" on Sunday. Yes, that is the actual forecast as of 6:37am Dec 17th, 2008.

industry_corpus2: Transportation


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How can married couples get on the same page when it comes to money matters? This is becoming a huge problem in our marriage. I think my spouse spends too much. Meanwhile, I've been accused of being "stingy" and "unrealistic." How can we resolve these conflicts?
Financial disagreements can be a huge problem between a husband and wife, especially when one of them is convinced that the other is spending too much. But it's a problem the two of you can face and conquer together provided you keep some basic guidelines and principles in mind.
In the first place, make up your minds to be on the same team when it comes to finances. You can start by agreeing that you both want the same things concerning money – a certain amount of security and a certain amount of freedom. Those amounts may not be the same, but the general goals are. Above all, you will want to emphasize the health of your relationship over the details of accounting. Once you're on the same team, it will be easier to come up with creative solutions to your disagreements about spending.
Next, if you think your spouse is overspending, try to understand the deeper motivations behind this behavior. There can be a variety of reasons for overspending – deprived childhood, privileged childhood, depression, anxiety, the thrill of the hunt – but they all come down to one thing: the quest for security. The antidote is a healthy grasp of God's love, provision, and grace. It's the realization that things don't provide ultimate security – God does. Before making a purchase, husbands and wives need to ask themselves, "What am I trying to do?" If the answer has anything to do with finding fulfillment or escaping stress or pain, don't buy the item. Instead, take your search for security to the Lord and find it in Him.
On a more practical level, it's important that both of you understand exactly what things cost and how often they need to be purchased. Some people enter marriage with very different experiences of spending, saving, and tithing, and a number of preconceived notions (many of them highly inaccurate) about the price tags attached. For example, knowing that a certain computer program is purchased once with upgrades bought every year will help spouses agree on the real cost. So will the knowledge that $20.00 worth of powder could last three months for some women and six months for others.
Finally, understand that you must learn to live on less than you earn. Living from one paycheck to the next isn't comfortable for anyone. It can lead each of you to feel taken for granted, used, and insecure about the future. What's worse, in cases of crisis or unexpected expense, it can send you over the edge of financial solvency into a downward spiral of endlessly accumulating debt.
A budget establishes a spending plan. It helps you decide in advance what you will do when faced with the need to make a purchase. Having a plan gives you options, and having options means freedom.
A budget encourages saving. If you plan your budget properly and follow it faithfully, you'll end up with the beginnings of a savings account at the end of the month. Without a budget, that fund may never get off the ground.
A budget reduces stress. With a budget, you'll know exactly how much money is available each month. When you respect the system, finance will no longer be a primary focus of conflict – which it often is early in marriage.
A budget allows for the unexpected. Emergency expenses can be overwhelming, especially in a new marriage. Setting aside funds for surprise expenditures can help reduce pressure.
A budget encourages giving. Having a budget will allow room for generosity and help you honor God with the resources that already belong to Him.
A budget discourages debt. By adopting a reasonable plan and sticking with it, you'll prevent yourselves from sliding into financial over-commitment.
A budget can be flexible. Many couples fear that a budget will become a straitjacket, but in actuality it can be a liberating measure. Financial freedom can be expanded by constantly re-evaluating the budget. For example, you may want to take half the money from your "dining out" budget for next year and put it into your "vacation" account. It's entirely up to you.
A budget can encourage spouses to submit to the same authority – God. To set up a budget, you have to establish priorities. Discussing those priorities and seeking God's direction in the process can take you a long way in the direction of financial harmony.
We realize that we've given you a lot of food for thought here. For additional help and information on this topic, we'd encourage you to consult the resources and referrals highlighted below. Or if you have relationship concerns and challenges associated with this situation, please don't hesitate to give our Counseling department a call. It will be their privilege to serve you in any way they can.

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


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This is part 2 (the final part) of a series, be sure to read part 1 as well.
A key to research that can be used and repeated is the careful definition of the major concepts in the study. A hazy definition of a concept may enter into relationships with other variables, but since the concept was ill-defined the meaning of those relationships can be no better than ill-defined. The process by which concepts are defined for scientific purposes is called explication, that’s your ten-dollar-impress-your-grad-professor word of then day. Also in academia the word often substitutes for the word “explanation” becase it sounds much, much cooler. So, now that the intro is covered, let’s jump into part 2!
Author’s note: This post is based on a handout from my grad work and the monograph, “Fundamentals of Concept Formation in Empirical Science,” by Carl G. Hempel (1952) – citation at the end of the post.
A definition of “dissonance” as “any cognitive discrepancy” is less helpful than an extended definition that catalogs the various kinds of cognitions that can be discrepant with one another, the various means by which they might be that way, etc.
Some common reifications in communication research are terms “catharsis,” “dissonance,” “group cohesiveness,” “coorientation,” and “attitude.” So far, none of these things has ever been observed, yet they hold important positions in certain theoretical formulations. The danger is that they may not exist, except in the minds of the theoreticians.
By careful research, some hypothetical constructs that have gradually been converted into variables include “empathy,” “understanding,” “learning,” and “conformity.” However, these concepts are tied to very specific operational definitions, and when they are used to cover other kinds of situations they are simply reified terms.
Marshall McLuhan jumps from discussion of individual differences in perception to statements about national character, historical epochs, and other macroscopic concepts (no surprise there, McLuhan was a bit all over the place).
The term “generation” is a term used appropriately for analyzing families and other kinship systems. It can be is misapplied to differences between age groups in society as a whole in the notion of a generation gap.
Inter-observer invariance – the measure of scientific usage would be that everyone uses the concept to mean the same thing. This level of agreement is practically impossible to achieve. But it is a useful goal to strive for, and careful application of the concept criteria and explanation can move you toward that goal.
A study shows that the strength of an expressed opinion can be increased by reinforcing it through social approval. The author’s conclusion is that reinforcement is a necessary condition for opinion formation. A later study demonstrates that there are conditions under which opinions change without reinforcement. So the definition is watered-down, in that reinforcement becomes a sufficient condition, rather than a necessary one. Finally, it is found that in some instances opinions shift in a direct opposite to the pattern of reinforcement. So, the element of reinforcement is eliminated from the definition of opinion formation, because it is neither necessary or sufficient.
Tentatively define. Try to develop a satisfactory definition via empirical analysis. You may find that it is surprisingly brief and simplified. Simpler is better as long as you are satisfied that it covers what you want the concept to mean, and does not cover anything else. If an empirical definition eludes you, more research may be needed. So turn to meaning analysis and work on a list of lower concepts. Keep in mind, though, that this is an intermediary stage in the development of your concept.
Define operationally. For each element of each concept that you retain in your final definition, you must specify at least one operational definition. The more specific the better, and the more carefully each operation is linked to your conceptual definition by clear reduction statements the better. It is not necessary to attempt to list all operational definitions; indeed, if your concept is not trivial, it will be impossible to list them all. But it is necessary to demonstrate that each element of your definition is amenable to observation in real world experiences. Operational definition consists of stating the observable indicators of the attributes (properties or relations) involved, so that someone else can “know one when he sees one.” Operational definitions might be contrived in the form of interview questions, experimental manipulations, unobtrusive observations, content categories, etc. The key to this final stage of explication is that all your reasoning and linkages be spelled out explicitly, so that someone else reading your work will know what you have done, what you think it represents conceptually, and why.
In the early stages of planning a research project, it is unnecessary to reduce operational definitions to precise terms. What is needed is to demonstrate conclusively that you can do so when the time comes to design an empirical study.
This was Part 2 and the thrilling conclusion to: How to Define Your Concept a.k.a. Concept Explication, be sure to read Part 1.
Citation: Hempel, C. G. (1952). Fundamentals of concept formation in empirical science. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
A key to research that can be used and repeated is the careful definition of the major concepts in the study. A hazy definition of a concept may enter into relationships with other variables, but since the concept was ill-defined the meaning of those relationships can be no better than ill-defined. The process by which concepts are defined for scientific purposes is called explication, that’s your ten-dollar-impress-your-grad-professor word of then day. Also in academia the word often substitutes for the word “explanation” becase it sounds much, much cooler.
Selecting the Concept: You have to start with at least a basic idea of what you want to study, or a commonly used label that might be an interesting object of analysis (don’t know what that is? Check out the theory words & definitions post). In the beginning of your quest about the only thing you can choose is what you want to focus on. Your thinking about that concept or focal variable should change quite a bit as you study it. Keep in mind that you should try to select a concept that is amenable to empirical observation, and likely to fit into relationships that are important for mass comm and communication theory. Avoid using operational definitions from other people’s research. You can make your best contribution by a fresh start that might lead to innovative studies.
Literature Review: Once you have decided roughly what your focus is to be (focal variable!!), scour research journals, books, articles, etc. in search of studies that have dealt with it (DO NOT use Wikipedia, a Department Chair clubs a baby seal every time you do). Your goal is to locate the various definitions that have been used. Keep a running list of all the ways that the concept has been defined for research purposes and where. A spreadsheet or Google Doc can be very handy for this. You can ignore purely abstract definitions, those where the concept is given a meaning that doesn’t seem to relate to the real world or any place where your term is used and no definition is provided. There will undoubtedly be cases where your concept has been given some other name – keep track of those too. It is the empirical usage or main idea of the concept that is truly important, not the label that is put on it. However, be sure to note in your writing that the concept can go by different names.
Intelligence is what an I.Q. test measures. Ok, but this still tells me nothing about what intelligence actually is.
Communication development is a nation’s daily newspaper circulation per capita. What? I sort of get it, but still very unclear.
Consensus consists of a majority vote. Right, but what does it mean? 51%? More? Does it apply to other situations?
Mass media are newspapers, books, magazines, radio, television… (Note that this list is clearly able to go on and on, however depending on what you add, can change the meaning).
Legal controls on the press include laws against libel, sedition, obscenity, blasphemy… (There is actually a much longer list that sadly expands).
Communication requires that a symbol be transmitted by one person and received by a second person, and a signal (represented by the symbol) must be shared, at least in part, by the transmitter and the receiver.
Information seeking consists of a person undertaking some action to increase his [or her] input of a specific type of communication content; that he [she] be, to some extent, uncertain what content he [she] will receive; and that his [her] action is to some extent motivated by uncertainty.
In both these cases you can see how clearly we’ve defined the term. It’s not 100% there but we’re way past giving examples or listing things that are part of it.
Income is a property, but socioeconomic status is a relational term. So if you are interested in SES but have data only on income, you should be treating that data as relational. Easy cheesy.
Information seeing can be thought of as a property of an individual. But it may be relational to other forms of behavior. For instance, it preempts other forms of communication, in that a person can only do one thing at a time. So your explication might well lead you into defining a whole typology of forms of communication, which are mutually exclusive. This is very frequent in social research, and provides a rich source of hypotheses.
It should be clear that such concepts as obedience, power, I.Q., liberalism, relevance, and knowledge are relational for most purposes. It should be clear. It isn’t always that way.
Stay tuned for Part 2 and the thrilling conclusion to: How to Define Your Concept a.k.a. Concept Explication coming soon to a mass communication blog near you (this one, in case that was confusing).
There are a lot of terms that get thrown around in the academic lexicon, sometimes they align with those you’ll find in a dictionary, sometimes they don’t. So I thought I’d outline a good handful for you here that will be helpful as you wade through some sweet, delicious mass comm theories (Fig. 1). This article is based on Reynolds’s book: a primer in theory construction (a must have for aspiring theorists), citation at the end of the article, as well as from a grad class I took.
Fig. 1: Sweet, delicious mass comm theory… and a book.
Object of analysis: The system whose properties we are trying to explain. The research problem should determine what attributes of the system we are interested in. If the attributes are those of the individual person (e.g., a personality characteristic, attitude change), then it probably belongs to cognitive theory. If the attributes are those of a group of persons (e.g., community status, rate of diffusion), then it lies in the social systems realm. Societies, communities, large organizations, and primary groups are types of social systems.
Concepts: The most basic elements in theory, they are the attributes of the object that we are trying to explain and those that we are using to provide the explanation. They are abstractions from reality. We also use them in everyday life, of course, but research concepts are supposed to be more precise. Concepts are interesting to researchers only when they vary; we call a concept that can be observed to have different values a variable (as contrasted to a constant). Often called constructs because scientific concepts are carefully constructed from observation.
Conceptual definition: Each concept in a theoretical system (a collection of interrelated theoretical statements) should have a clear and unambiguous definition that is consistently used by the individual theorist and in agreement with the way other theorists define the concept. But that is seldom the case in social science. Careful definition of concepts is where we must begin with theory building (Normally I hate italics, but dammit, that sentence is important, write it down!).
Postulates: Ideas, biases, and strategies of a particular theorist that help to explain why his theory is constructed as it is and why he does the kind of research he does (nothing to do with posteriors). Theses statements are more abstract than assumptions or theoretical statements and not usually testable. They may represent statements about human nature, causation, the nature of data, and the broad type of causal forces in society – in short, what’s important to look at and how you should do it.
Assumptions: These are statements about the concepts used in the theory. Assumptions are taken for granted in the theory being tested. They are not investigated, but the falsification of that theoretical statement may result in the revision of the assumption in the future. Assumptions (or revised assumptions) may serve as hypotheses in subsequent research. Two or more assumptions provide the premises from which the theoretical statements (and hypotheses) are derived through logic.
Theoretical Statement: The statement specifying the relation between two or more concepts (variables). Reynolds calls these relational statements and distinguishes these from existence statements that include postulates, definitions and assumptions. Other people call theoretical statements axioms, theorems or propositions. Seriously, the label doesn’t matter, just so we know what we’re referring to.
Relations: (No not that kind, get your mind out of the gutter) The connection between concepts can be stated in a number of forms: that one variable causes another, that two variables are associated, and more complicated relations are possible.
Operational definitions: The set of procedures a researcher uses to measure (or manipulate as in experiments) a given concept. These should follow clearly and logically from the conceptual definition of the concept. These are less abstract than conceptual definitions. They tell us “how to measure it,” ideally using more than one method.
Reliability: The stability and precision of measurement of a variable. Stability overtime is called test-retest reliability (i.e., do those scoring high at one time also score high at a second point in time). A second form, equivalence, looks at the level of agreement across items (internal consistency) or forms, or between coders doing the measurement.
Validity: The degree to which you’re really measuring what you think you’re measuring. There are two different approaches: you find external independent evidence (e.g., a criterion group known to possess the characteristic) against which to compare your measurement (pragmatic validity), or you look at the extent to which the empirical relationships of the concept to other concepts fit your theory (construct validity).
Hypothesis: A statement of the relationship between two or more operational definitions. It should be capable of being stated in an “if, then” form, and is less abstract than theoretical statements, assumptions, and postulates. The type of research you are doing will largely dictate how to phrase your hypothesis.
Dependent Variables + Independent Variables: The dependent variable is the “effect” that we are seeking to explain; the independent variable is the presumed “cause” of that effect. We often say “x” is the independent variable that is the cause of the dependent variable “y,” (the effect). There are various names for third variables: extraneous variable, intervening variable, mediating variable, etc. that alter the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
Good. Good. Let the empirical testing flow through you.
Empirical testing: A good theory must be capable of being tested by observation in the “real world.” Most frequently, statistics are used to make this test. Note that we test theory indirectly through hypotheses and operational definitions. It is made even more indirect by the fact that we test the null hypothesis: the statistical hypothesis of no difference – that the relationship is not strong enough to reject chance. If the data is judged to be not strong enough to reject the null hypothesis, then we have falsified the theoretical statement. If the observations are judged sufficient to reject the null hypothesis, then theory merely remains viable or tenable.
Type I and Type II errors: One of the problems of doing research is that you can be wrong in the inferences you make from research evidence. You can be wrong if you decide to reject the null hypothesis and say that the result is consistent with your theory. That’s a type I error. If your results don’t look very supportive and you decide you can’t reject the null hypothesis, you can be wrong too. In that case you incorrectly gave up on your research hypothesis (indirectly falsifying your theory), but there really was support in the “real world” and your research wasn’t good enough to detect it. That is a type II error.
Causality: As you may know by now, this is a “can of worms.” It’s probably better to think of establishing causality between two variables as something that we move toward than to think of it as being capable of being “discovered” through an experiment. Realize that it is better to think in terms of various types of causes than to look for “the cause” of something. To work toward causality, three conditions have to be met: There has to be an association (correlation) between the two variables; a time order has to be established such that the presumed cause precedes the effect; and other explanations have to be ruled out, such as that some third variable causes both of the two variables of interest. If this last is the case, then we say the relationship we thought was causal was really spurious.
Necessary condition: A situation that must be present for some effect to take place. This is one type of cause. Sometimes a necessary condition describes the level of a third variable that is essential for the relationship between two other variables to hold. In this case the third variable can also be called a contingent condition. Third variables that make the relationship stronger or weaker but don’t totally limit its domain (are not necessary conditions) are called contributory conditions.
Sufficient condition: A situation that if present is enough to produce all effects. This implies that there are no contingent conditions. Experiments are probably more suited to finding sufficient conditions than are nonexperimental sample surveys and other methods. Social scientists would like to find necessary and sufficient conditions, but that is a goal, not an immediate reality.
Models and paradigms: Social scientists sometimes find it useful to employ simplified versions of reality to gain insight and to illustrate their theoretical ideas. A model is a conceptual structure borrowed from some field of study other than the one at hand; it needs not include causal statements, but it does specify structural relationships among variables. A paradigm is a conceptual structure designed specifically for the field of application; it also specifies structural relationships. When a model or paradigm incorporates causal statements, it is usually called a theory. Models and paradigms can be assessed on the basis of their usefulness in helping us construct valid theory.
Reynolds, P. D. (1971). A primer in theory construction. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill Educational Publishing.


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Feel sad or angry a lot.
Feel tense or anxious a lot.
Have caused other people to express concerns.
Have problems that are taking a toll on health and ability to cope.
Am having frequent problems in personal or work relationships.
Am being negatively affected by pressures and stress.
No longer sleep very well because of worries about so many things.
To speak with someone about if counseling is right for you or your family, please call 609-924-0060.
Is TCS connected to Trinity Church?
No, TCS began as an outreach ministry of Trinity Church to the local community in 1968, but became incorporated as a separate entity in 1977. While we maintain a neighborly relationship with Trinity Church, we operate independently.
Is TCS only for Christians?
No, TCS is open to people of ALL faiths and our staff and clinicians represent a diverse group of individuals who practice many different faiths and spiritualities.
Does TCS only provide counseling?
No, TCS provides general counseling for adults, children and families, as well as psychological testing for adults and children. TCS also hosts a range of community based programs that include workshops, seminars, and events on mental health topics.
Is TCS only for low-income individuals?
No, TCS clients represent every socio-economic group. We operate on a sliding scale, accept most major insurance plans, and have temporary financial assistance available for those who cannot afford to pay for counseling.
Is TCS only at one location?
Yes, TCS services are provided at 22 Stockton Street in downtown Princeton.
Is TCS comparable to a private practice setting?
Yes, the quality of service at TCS is the same as you would find in any private practice. In fact, many TCS clinicians also have private practices outside of their work with our organization.
No. While TCS accepts most major insurance plans, you are not required to have insurance to use our services. There is a sliding payment scale based on house hold income, available to those who qualify.
Does TCS have parking for clients?
Our apologies, we do not have reserved parking spaces for our clients. Please allow enough time before your session to find a legal parking spot. Two hour parking is available on Route 206 (Stockton Street) directly in front of Trinity Church’s campus except during rush hours, from 8-10 AM and 4-6 PM. There are metered spaces available on Mercer Street and in the municipal parking lot adjacent to Trinity Church (enter lot on Mercer Street).
Call us today to speak with our intake coordinator about whether TCS could be right for you: 609-924-0060.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


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Via Jennifer Rubin, I see this excellent WSJ editorial exposing what a catastrophe Romney’s universal health care reform has been for Massachusetts, which should be another lesson to all conservatives that supporting statist public policy initiatives and calling them “free market” does not change economic reality.
One lesson here is that while pledging “universal” coverage is easy, the harder problem is paying for it. This year’s appropriation for Commonwealth Care was $472 million, but officials have asked for an add-on that will bring it to $625 million. For 2009, Governor Deval Patrick requested $869 million but has already conceded that even that huge figure is too low. Over the coming decade, the expected overruns float in as much as $4 billion over budget. It’s too early to tell how much is new coverage or if state programs are displacing private insurance.
And people wonder why I’ve been so bearish on Romney as the leader of the conservative future, and why I think it would be a disaster for McCain to pick him as VP.


text: Religion, Material Culture and Archaeology 1st Edition by Julian Droogan and Publisher Bloomsbury Academic. Save up to 80% by choosing the eTextbook option for ISBN: 9781441163332, 1441163336. The print version of this textbook is ISBN: 9781472570871, 1472570871.


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Description : Discover the history with more useful stats and insights on the business name Uboco before purchasing the domain.
Product : Uboco is a brandable business domain name for sale for $1,995. It falls under the following categories: Feedback, General, Multimedia .
Uboco is in the .com extension. TLDs may be used for diffrent purpose. Example: .com extension inherited from "commercial" and used for generally commercial activities, .net extension inherited from "network" and used for generally internet activites etc.
Facebook social media handle www.facebook.com/uboco is not available.
Twitter social media handle www.twitter.com/uboco is not available.
Instagram social media handle www.instagram.com/uboco is not available.
Youtube social media handle www.youtube.com/uboco is not available.


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March 22nd marks World Water Day, so we are highlighting projects at Barton Springs Pool, one of our city’s favortie swimming holes! The most recent project at this beloved aquatic gem was partially funded by our grants program.
A 2016 community grant went toward the purchase of native aquatic plants. These native plants play a vital role in Barton Springs’ ecosystem, and the lives of the many species that call Barton Springs home, including the Barton Springs salamander.
Flooding that occurred in the fall of 2015 resulted in the native plant life being ripped from it’s roots. These plants are essential for holding down soil and controlling algae growth. Without native plant life, the endangered Barton Springs Salamander will not thrive. The salamander, which lives only in Barton Springs, needs clean and clear water in order to survive.
In addition to the 2016 community grant, Barton Springs Pool also received a neighborhood grant from APF in 2016. This grant helped purchase tools needed to clean the pool, which is also an essential part of maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Keeping Barton Springs’ water clean is helpful to all; the animals that call it home as well as the countless people that visit every year.
In addition to these 2016 grants, APF has invested significant funding in Barton Springs Pool, dating back to 2010 and earlier. From cleaning supplies to a significant gift to the upcoming bathhouse renovations, Austin Parks Foundation is committed to preserving Barton Springs Pool for every Austinite.
Donate to us to see more projects like this in parks around Austin!

industry_corpus2: Water Resources & Marine


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Frankenstein Tickets with a 100% Guarantee! InSeats.com specializes in providing some of the industry's largest inventory of Frankenstein tickets. If there are Frankenstein tickets available, we've got them. Frankenstein tickets can be tough to come by, but at InSeats.com we make the ticket buying experience safe, simple, and secure!
InSeats.com specializes in providing all kinds of Frankenstein tickets, from front row seats, to the cheap seats in the upper levels. Whatever your Frankenstein ticket need, we can provide it at a reasonable cost. Along with having a large selection of Frankenstein tickets, we carry tickets to lots of Concerts, Sports, and Theater events in the U.S. and around the world.
Most Frankenstein tickets sold through InSeats.com are shipped using Federal Express. Most Frankenstein tickets will be shipped within 24 hours of the order being placed. However there are some circumstances when the tickets cannot be printed or received until a later date. If you are purchasing Frankenstein tickets internationally, you must select an international shipping method.


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Laparoscopic surgery or Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is less invasive than open surgery used for the same purpose. MIS typically involves use of laparoscopic devices and remote-control manipulation of instruments with indirect observation of the surgical field through an endoscope or similar device, and is carried out through the skin or through a body cavity or anatomical opening. This may usually result in shorter hospital stays, or allow outpatient treatment.
Prominent Ears (or Bat Ears) creates psychological distress to children (or adults). MediConcepts is engaged in the design and manufacturing of an ear scaffolding device to rebuild the ear profile by inserting nitinol (NiTi) implants into children’s ears. The product, earFold™ has recently been successfully acquired by Allergan.
MediConcepts has since 2005 participated in a research program initiated by a group of leading orthopaedics surgeons from the University of Hong Kong on development a new spine implant using NiTi with its surface treated by plasma immersion technology which create a biocompatible surface for the implant for treating scoliosis patients.
MediConcepts has recently supported the Chinese University of Hong Kong in its research program aiming to develop robotic surgical platform for specific endoscopic surgical procedure.


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WHAT SHOULD THE PRIORITIES BE FOR A 21ST CENTURY ADVISOR?
1) The client comes first. A 21st Century advisor should ALWAYS put the client’s interest first. This sounds like an obvious thing to say, but far too often advisors are putting their own needs ahead of the client.
Far too often advisors are blindly taking the recommendation of IMOs (Insurance Marketing Organizations) which typically results in higher commissions and/or sub-standard products sold at the expense of the client.
Far too often advisors are following the overly restrictive and narrow recommendations put forth by their B/D (Broker/Dealer). The next B/D I find that puts the client’s interests first will be the first B/D I find that does so.
2) Professional competency. A 21st Century advisor will not be like many of his/her predecessors. Old school advisors didn’t always need to know what they were doing. They were selling or peddling products to clients who didn’t know if what they were buying was good or bad and bought mainly because they trusted the advisor.
With the advent of the internet and with clients being able to do their own research and get second opinions quickly and easily, it is imperative that agents are professionally competent so they know what they are offering or selling is always in the client’s best interest.
3) Comprehensive planning. A 21st Century advisor will provide comprehensive solutions to clients vs. just selling them products or sticking them in a typical investment platform. Advisors who provide comprehensive solutions will not only give better advice to clients, but they will also earn significantly more income and retain clients for a much longer period of time (not to mention referrals from existing clients will increase dramatically).
There is only one way to give comprehensive planning and that’s by not only being an insurance agent, but also having a securities license (preferably by passing the Series 65 exam as you’ll read about in various parts of the book).
4) Marketing expertise. 21st Century advisors will not only know how to market, but they will be armed with the “needed” tools that will allow them to market like they never imagined they could. A significant portion of this book will focus on marketing in the 21st Century.
Just to needle readers a little in this preface, I’ll ask the following simple but telling question. How many of the following marketing tools do you have and do you regularly use?
-CRM (Customer Relations Management system).
-Landing Page Creator (being able to quickly and easily create sign up pages for live use on the internet).
-Risk analyzer software (one that can determine a client’s investment risk tolerance).
-PFM (Personal Financial Management) software (a customer portal where clients can see “all” their financial information (bank accounts, mortgage, brokerage accounts, cash value life insurance, etc.)).
-Financial Planning Software (one that incorporates the use of Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIAs), cash value life, brokerage accounts, cash flow management, debt elimination, etc.).
While I know that 99.9% of those reading this book do not use or have access to all of the above marketing tools, 100% do not have access to a system that integrates all six programs into one cohesive system (you will learn about such a system later in the book).
Asset Protection Society – State Rep.


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What is the Importance of SEO Experts?
For development of the good business we need website. But what if there is problem with your website visibility in Search Engine (Google, Bing and Yahoo)?
You are investing lot of money and time to create your new website and you will expect that someone will visit your website and buy your product but what if your website is not visible, ofcource you will not get traffic.
Yes, it is common problem for all. Need not to worry, there is solution to overcome your problem.
One of the best way to get rid of all above problem is to hire a good SEO expert. Yes! the SEO services will help you to promote your website and make more traffic.
We are well known SEO experts predicted out in Bangalore. We provide best services, which help to grow your business and increase its online visibility. Our main goal is to provide the best result to our clients and we are consistently growing business of every client.
Hi every one myself Akash Tonasalli and I’m one of the Best SEO expert in Bangalore with 7+ years of experience.
Now somewhat you have understood importance of SEO experts, let me explain you in detail.
SEO is the best method to pull traffic towards your business.
Search engine is used to provide one of the best traffic. Why? because almost everyone is using search engine to solve their problem or they are searching products online if they want.
SEO services not only provide traffic to your website but also improve raking on google and try to sustain it.as ranking improves your business also improves.
This is well known to all that billions of customers are using search engine to find their product online. There are thousands of searches every seconds.
So, do you want to miss this chance, do you want to lose your customer.
Ofcource “No”. As your customers are using search engine daily, you should not miss this opportunity of using SEO services.
If I will ask you about how you will promote your business?
Well, you might be thinking of many strategies, let me tell you one of the cost effective strategy to promote your business is SEO.
Because it is far less expensive than other advertising methods. Hence this is the best way to get your customers by reducing cost, which you were planning to invest in other marketing strategies.
And the plus point here is once you acquire the top position or you will be ranking at the top then you don’t have to pay for the clicks, its free of cost.
if you have your product on website and you want people to come and buy it, do you really think so it’s that easy? Not at all, because to get your customer to your website and make them buy your product is only possible if customers are aware of your brand on the website.
Now the question in our mind how to do that?
Ofcource you can by SEO services. SEO will help you to make your customer aware of products or brands which you are offering on your websites and hence increasing the traffic.
Hence it’s very important that customers should be aware of your products.
I think you got a clear idea about how SEO is trending field.
Millions of people are attracted towards it and they are using it to grow their business.
Ofcource your competitors know this and start to take the advantage of SEO services, and hence try to achieve better position than you.
Even if you have good quality brand it’s of no use if your website is not visible.
Hence it advisable to you that hire good SEO services and make your website rank above your competitors in google rank.


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This week Campbell River’s Discovery Passage Aquarium will be hosting guest speakers Dave Ewart and Mel Sheng, both retired from DFO Salmon Enhancement Program. The event takes place on Wednesday March 15th, 2017 at the Maritime Heritage Centre, Campbell River. This month's topic is Salmon Enhancement on Vancouver Island. Dave and Mel will be talking about a variety of salmon enhancement projects carried out on Vancouver Island, highlighting local examples and perspectives. They will also talk about the combined efforts in the watershed to restore Chinook populations and habitat in the Campbell, while increasingly being challenged by climate change and very unpredictable weather events.
Admission by donation, doors open 6:30 pm. Talk starts at 7 pm.

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


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With advancing technologies, increasingly savvy consumers, and an ever-changing policy landscape, health communications in Asia Pacific may at times seem both complex and confusing.
However, we recently spoke with Stephanie Yu, regional senior vice president of Weber Shandwick’s health practice, for her take on the latest trends in the industry, and what it takes to practice effective health communications in a region as diverse and exciting as Asia Pacific.
Asia Pacific is a dynamic region comprised of many unique countries and cultures. How do companies in the health sector adapt to these unique cultural, social, and economic environs?
It’s important to remember that due to Asia’s unique diversity, cultural sensitivity is crucial – for both Asian companies and global multi-nationals. What works in one market may not work in another, meaning a “one-size-fits-all” approach isn’t going to cut it.
Companies have to do the research to truly understand the landscape and needs of each particular market; not just covering the particular geography or cultural specifics. This is important of course, but you also want to engage in the kind of in-depth data analysis that can support the formation of a strong, smart communications strategy. Sales figures, market research, competitor analysis, media and social media share of voice – all of these data points can really help inform a robust strategy.
This is especially true for the health industry, where you need to keep the local health landscape in mind as they approach localisation and the use of new technologies. What health issues does this particular population currently face? How will these needs change in the future? Are there cultural taboos surrounding certain issues? These are all questions to consider when crafting your narrative and targeting your audience. And in today’s world of social media and instantaneous communication, this has never been more important – one slip and you could be a trending topic within the hour – and not in a good way!
It’s clear that technology has come to play an ever-increasing role in the healthcare industry. How have brands sought to use technology to help people live healthier lives?Speaking truthfully, innovative approaches to stakeholder engagement – the use of mobile apps for consumer engagement for example – are not yet as prominent in APAC as they are in the West. But they continue to grow in importance, and represent a new area of opportunity for healthcare companies and their partner agencies to make an impact.
Here at Weber Shandwick, we’ve already begun leveraging an innovative approach to help clients connect with patients and customers. This includes the use of data visualisation to aid in the interpretation of science, disease landscape and gap identification. For example, we have our recent work in data visualisation from our Australia team, here at Gaucher Stolen Time. It is a highly targeted campaign, focusing on haematologists through advertising in specialist online titles.
Growing focus on prevention: Consumers will become even more proactive in managing their health, thanks to the rapid development of user-friendly personal health technologies, a growing array of wellness apps, and increased education on nutrition.
Consumer and patient empowerment: Armed with this knowledge and information, patients and caregivers have gained an unprecedented understanding of treatment options. This trend will only continue, meaning that physicians will no longer be the be-all-end-all source for health management.
Increasingly engaged physicians: Although traditionally stricter in their approach to issues of compliance in their industry, medical practitioners also want to engage in new dynamic approaches now. We’ve seen companies move away from more traditional conferences and summits, heavily text-based product brochures and in-depth PowerPoint presentations, and instead use new technologies to provide doctors with the data they need to provide consultation and simulate the patient experience. Doctors are consumers too after all, and we need to keep on top of the best, most interesting ways to reach them – within the relevant compliance and regulatory guidelines of course.


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PERIOD COTTAGE * TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS * PRIVATE PARKING * CLOSE PROXIMITY TO TOWN CENTRE * CELLAR * VIEWS TO THE GREEN Located at the heart of Devizes next to The Green this charming Grade II Listed terrace cottage offers delightfully presented and well proportioned accommodation arranged over three floors, comprising two double bedrooms, fitted kitchen / dining room, and family bathroom. The property also benefits from a full width cellar, attractive front garden and a rear courtyard which provides access to private parking for two vehicles. No onward chain.
The Island is a popular location adjacent to The Green within walking distance of the town and canal. Historic Devizes is bisected by the Kennet & Avon canal, part of a waterway joining London to Bristol and famed for its flight of twenty-nine locks, an engineering and aesthetic marvel walking distance from the town, and a paradise for canoeists, barges and anglers. Featuring a wealth of listed buildings and a weekly market, the bustling town enjoys a beautiful setting amidst Wiltshire's chalk downlands criss-crossed by ancient byways and prehistoric earthworks providing a scenic playground for walkers and cyclists. Cultural facilities include a museum, active theatre, cinema and vibrant live-music scene. The major centres of Bath, Salisbury, Swindon, Marlborough and Chippenham are all within a 30-mile radius.
EPC exempt as Grade II Listed. In a Conservation Area.
Services = Mains drainage, electric heating.

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


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The ultimate in phone fetish conversation. Have you been dreaming of what it would be like to be back in mommy’s arms?
ABies come up with the best role play ideas and mommy has a few of her own too. We can explore the world of fantasy role play and come up with something of our very own to share.

industry_corpus2: Literature & Emotions


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The film has received special mentions from film festivals around the world and has won several international awards including Best Picture at the 3D Korea International Animated Festival and Best Animation at the Zanzibar International Film Festival.
twofour54 intaj provided sound design, engineering, recording and mixing through its pro-tools audio suite.
As a partner of twofour54’s content creation community in Abu Dhabi, Blink Studios were the perfect partner to twofour54 creative lab to bring the story of Ostora to life.


text: At Clickinks, we have great deals on Brother PT-1280BT Toner cartridges. We offer our customers bulk order discounts and excellent customer service. All our PT-1280BT Toner cartridges below come with a 100% money back guarantee. So whether you're printing for business, the home, or school, we make sure you get supplies you need for a price you'll love exclusively.


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Helen Troy started a Teabucks teashop in Troy, Michigan a few years ago. She formed a corporation, and owned all the shares of this corporation.
How many shares would you issue and at what price would you offer Teabuck s?


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I have not been able to come up to collect my orders the past few years. I hope you, Jimmy and the rest of the team are doing well.
Can you believe that this was my 9th Year buying fireworks for the annual display that I do for some friends?!
Anyway, I am more than happy for you to use the video. Unfortunately, it was out of focus for a moment at the start, but it worked out in the end. It was the first time for my daughter to film it.
As always they were outstanding fireworks which went off without a hitch (except when I was distracted watching them and let more portfire burnout), and the variety and effects were excellent. I always spend a long time designing the display to have variety, and this year worked out brilliantly.


text: Definition: The progression of the mammillary axonal complex over time, from its formation to the mature structure. The mammillary axonal complex is formed by the axons from the lateral, medial mammillary and the dorsal premammillary nuclei which share a branching pattern. Every neuron gives off one axonal stem that bifurcates into 2 branches. One of the branches is directed dorsally to the thalamus and another caudally to the midbrain.


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A pnz file extension is related to the Panorama program and used for its database sets.
What is pnz file? How to open pnz files?
The pnz file extension is associated with the Panorama, a database and spreadsheet software for Microsoft Windows, developed by ProVUE.
The pnz file contains database settings used by the Panorama program.
Panorama combines the best elements of database and spreadsheet technology into a single package, making it an unparalleled tool for working with and analyzing any kind of information. Like a spreadsheet, Panorama is RAM based for speed and flexibility, but with all of the data processing power of a full blown database application.
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open pnz file, edit pnz file, convert pnz file, view pnz file, play pnz file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).
Programs supporting the exension pnz on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about Panorama for settings pnz file action.


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H&P architects has completed S space, a cultural community project located in a new, emerging urban area with dense construction activity in dong van town, ha nam province, vietnam. the building makes use of waste materials in reference to the national landscape of kem tron, which is situated between the two provinces of ha nam and ninh binh where illegal rock mining is gradually turning the place into ruins. by reusing scaffolding steel pipes, collecting rock debris from kem trong, discarded rocks from trade villages and other construction sites, the architects express a certain nostalgia, or regret, over the transformation of the landscape.
named S space, where the S stands for ‘save the stone & scaffolding’, H&P architects‘ project helps raise awareness on unplanned exploitation of natural resources in vietnam today, which have wiped out many rocks of historical and cultural value, resulting in an imbalance between the natural ecosystem and the human one. enclosed by repurposed waste materials, the building’s program offers an open space for the community which focuses on cultural and artistic activities, while offering a coffee area for daily use.
the design concept is described by the architects as ‘the gap between two rocky mountains created by day river’, where the two mountains translate into stone walls 0,4 m thick and 3,4 m high, which stand alone, zigzag intermittently, and connect randomly to one another through doors and openings. the exterior is surrounded by water and green trees that alternate in various positions to regulate a micro-climate, create a scenery, and blur the outer-inner boundaries, bringing people closer to nature. a big ‘cloud’ is suspended above the interior consisting of lightweight roofs and mezzanines created by steel pipes, which, together with the bamboo sticks on the roof and upper floors compose a fragile but solid, elastic structure. on top of the transparent polycarbonate roof are sprinklers & mist sprayers to wash the roof and keep the spaces underneath cool during hot summer days.
I sure wish there was some ‘rock debris’ like that near me …and, perhaps more so – I the mason skills. Well done.
This is one of my favorite buildings ever. I the mix of materials is beautiful and the versatility of the space seems like it could suit the needs of all kinds of community activities. I would love to spend an afternoon there reading and people watching.


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When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from Oriole Birding Ltd ATOL 6839 you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate [or a suitable alternative]. In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative [at no extra cost to you]. You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme. If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed [or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise] for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to [or confer a benefit on] you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent. You also agree that any such claims maybe re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.
If desired, and where possible, we will arrange your holiday flight from your local airport. There is usually a supplement to pay in addition to the quoted holiday price and this service can only be offered if it does not interfere with the holiday schedule. We may also take advantage of the ever growing number of budget airlines to ensure that small groups can travel rather than cancel tours owing to lack of numbers and also if the schedule involves a return from an airport other than that by which you arrived. Participants must reconfirm their flights with the given airline 72 hours in advance of departure at the end of the tour. This does not apply to Easy Jet which is a ticket less airline. Oriole Birding can not be held responsible for any missed departures by way of failure to comply with this clause.
When you receive your confirmation invoice you will be issued with a payment deadline for the remaining balance. This is normally 10 weeks prior to departure for overseas tours and 4 weeks prior to departure for UK tours. Please note we do not send balance payment reminders, and your pre-tour information pack will not be sent until the balance has been received. We accept BACS payments, cheque or debit/credit card payments. Failure to pay the balance by the due date may result in cancellation of your tour arrangements and we reserve the right to levy any cancellation charges as set out below. If the minimum number of participants has not been reached by the balance due date for your tour, we will contact you to advise of a new payment deadline in order to allow time for sufficient numbers to be reached.
When you make your booking, you must pay the required deposit as set out in our literature unless agreed otherwise. The balance of the cost of your tour arrangements must be paid at a specified date before your departure and no reminder will be sent. If the deposit or balance is not paid in time, we reserve the right to cancel your tour arrangements.
The cost of your tour arrangements is subject to surcharges. Surcharges will be levied only to allow for price increases which are a direct consequence of; the price of transport resulting from the cost of fuel or power; charges, taxes or fees made by third parties, such as airport fees or tourist taxes; or changes to exchange rates.
We will absorb small increases, but if a decision is made by us to impose a surcharge we will provide an explanation of the increase and a calculation of it at least twenty days before the start of the tour. The surcharge will be calculated on any increase in costs from the point when the tour was first advertised to the point when the surcharge is levied. Only amounts up to 8% of your total tour costs will be surcharged.
If we decide that you have to pay more than 8% of your tour costs, you may cancel your tour and receive a full refund of all monies paid. Within fourteen days you must either accept the proposed surcharge or terminate the contract without paying a termination fee. If you do not confirm within fourteen days then we may terminate the contract and refund all payments made.
You have a right to a price reduction corresponding to any reduction in costs referred to in this section above before the start of the tour but after the contract is concluded. Any price reduction will be net of any administrative expenses.
If, after our confirmation invoice has been issued, you wish to change your tour arrangements, we will do our utmost to make these changes, but it may not always be possible. Any request for changes to be made must be made in writing from the person who made the booking at least 21 days prior to departure. You will be asked to pay an administration charge to cover any cost we incur in making this alteration.
You should be aware that these costs will increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and therefore you should contact us as soon as possible. Note: Certain travel arrangements [e.g. Apex Tickets] cannot be changed after a reservation has been made and any alteration request will incur a 100% cancellation.
Deposits are non refundable, but are transferable to another specified tour but are subject to deductions for any expenses incurred by us. Balance payments are also non-refundable except at our sole discretion, but are transferable in accordance with Transfer of Bookings. Please note that we are unable to refund any cancelled boat trips on any of our tours. Travel Insurance is therefore essential. See below for more details regarding refunds on deposits and balances due to cancellations.
Tour participants may transfer their booking to another person if they are prevented from proceeding with the tour due to sickness or accidents suffered by them or their close family or for other unavoidable reasons such as jury service. However, if there is a waiting list for the tour the place must first be offered to the people on that waiting list. If there is no waiting list and the participant can find another person to take up the place, any additional costs incurred by Oriole Birding Ltd relating to the transfer have to be paid for by the transferee. Reasonable notice must be given to us about such a transfer and cannot be made within 90 days of departure [42 days for Norfolk tours].
90 days or more deposit and any additional services incurred on your behalf will be forfeited.
Please note that if you have paid by card, then any refund owed to you under these terms due to a cancellation made by you will be made by bank transfer or cheque.
Appropriate travel insurance is essential on all tours outside the UK [and we strongly recommend you take travel insurance for UK tours too]. It must include insurance against force majeure and repatriation from potentially remote locations, in order to protect yourself against potentially costly overseas medical expenses should you fall ill on tour. It is your responsibility to ensure that the cover you purchase is adequate for your particular needs. Oriole Birding Ltd must be supplied with a copy of your insurance details at the point of balance payment, to show cover extending beyond the time of travel. Please note that travel insurance policies seldom cover optical/photographic equipment, and you should add this to your home insurance contents policy instead as a specified item.
If flights are delayed, we will make every effort to assist you in making alternative travel, accommodation and meal arrangements, should these be necessary. Such arrangements are sometimes not covered by the airline, so please make sure your travel insurance covers any possible extra costs involved. Any necessary arrangements that are required as a result of such delays would be payable locally by the client, though we will do our best to assisst in arranging these where possible, either through your tour leader or direct from our office. You may be able to claim against the airline for these costs under EU or UK law. Again, we will assist you with any claim but please note current rules state that it is the passenger and NOT the tour operator who has to claim.
It is unlikely that we will have to make changes to your tour, but we do plan the arrangements many months in advance. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you at the earliest opportunity. We also reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your tour. For example, if the minimum number of clients required for a particular tour is not reached, we may have to cancel it. However, we will not cancel your tour [assuming that it is already a guaranteed departure] less than ten weeks before departure date, [four weeks within UK and not applicable to pelagic boat trips where cancellation may be advised by the boat skipper on the day due to adverse weather conditions] except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance. The deadline for cancellation of the tour by us due to insufficient numbers being reached [i.e not already a guaranteed departure] will be your balance due date. We may, however, contact you prior to this date in order to extend this deadline, in which case your balance due date would also be extended to the same date. The minimum number of participants required for each trip is detailed in the brochure and on our website. Should major changes to the itinerary occur, participants will be advised and may withdraw without penalty. Any changes that are beyond our control whilst the tour is in progress and incur additional costs, such as weather delays, strikes, acts of war, natural disasters, acts of god, terrorism, financial failure of airlines, or any other causes beyond our control, are the responsibility of the participants. Please note that carriers such as airlines used in our tours may be subject to change. Such a change is deemed to be a minor change. Other examples of minor changes include alteration of your outward/return flights by less than twelve hours, changes to aircraft type, change to accommodation to another of the same standard, changes in the order of sites to be visited, changes advised by our tour leaders. We reserve the right to send home at their own expense, anyone that will not conduct themselves in an acceptable manner or who show scant regard for any wildlife that we may be watching.
If you have paid for your tour arrangements by card, and we have cancelled your tour due to any reason stated above, we will refund any monies due back to you either onto your card or by bank transfer.
If you have a problem during your tour, please inform the tour leader immediately so that they can endeavour to put things right. If you fail to follow this simple procedure, we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint whilst you were on the tour and this may affect your rights under this contract. If your complaint is not rectified locally, please follow this up within 28 days of your return by writing direct to our Customer Service Department at The Manor House, Great Ryburgh, Norfolk NR21 0DX, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us in quickly identifying your concerns and speed up our response to you.
Oriole Birding Ltd will take all reasonable steps to ensure that all services provided are supplied as described in our marketing literature. We cannot, however, accept liability for physical injury, loss, damage or expense resulting from any event whatsoever beyond our control. Whilst every care is taken in the preparation of our brochure, mistakes can and sometimes do occur. Unless the published error or omission has a major effect on the tour arrangements to the extent that the number of species seen is materially affected then there are no grounds for claims for compensation. Birding tours by their nature involve an element of danger, with walking on often steep/rocky/slippery/icy trails or across otherwise difficult terrain. We can supply information regarding each idividual tour on request and will highlight any particularly dangerous elements in the tour details, but participants must ensure they are physically fit enough to undertake these activities and we cannot accept responsibility for any injuries sustained as a result.
The contractual terms of the companies that provide the transportation for your tour will apply to this contract. These may contain terms, which affect your right to compensation. You may request a copy of the relevant conditions of carriage from our office. The brochure is our responsibility, as your tour operator. It is not issued on behalf of, does not commit any airlines mentioned therein or any airline whose services are used in the course of your tour arrangements.
It is the sole responsibility of all participants to ensure that they possess a passport that is valid for up to six months after completion of their tour. It is the participants responsibility to ensure they have the correct visas for the destination and while we may offer guidance to this end on individual tour pages, this could become out of date and we will supply more detail in our pre-tour information pack. In addition, health requirements and any inoculation certificates are also the participants’ responsibility. We cannot advise on these matters and any information given either verbally or in our literature must be taken as a guide only as we are not medical porfessionals. Well in advance of your trip, you should visit the website www.masta-travel-health.com and download a free health brief, which should be taken to your local medical centre for further advice. A reasonable level of physical fitness is required, as all tours will include some walking, possibly on uneven or slippery surfaces. Any limitations on your ability to participate must be advised prior to booking. Participants are requested not to smoke whilst in tour vehicles, hides and when in close proximity to other group members.
The birds and other wildlife listed in the itineraries are meant as a guide only and are not guaranteed to be present. Some birds not listed may also occur. When watching wildlife, we ask all our guests to be courteous to other members of the party and to put the welfare of the bird or animal first. We cannot tolerate ‘flushing’ of wildlife in order to obtain photographs. Please also note that while we may use playback on some of our tours, particularly in the neotropics, the law and common sense prevents us from using playback for sensitive species in the UK during the breeding season. Please ask us when booking if you would like to know more.
We prefer to leave this aspect of our tours purely to your personal discretion. Tips in North American restaurants are included in your tour price.
Tour participants spend a long time in each other's company during a tour. Inevitably a wide variety of political, religious and cultural beliefs will be held by participants. Relaxed exchanges and the ability to speak freely are the hallmark of a good trip. However, tour participants are asked to be considerate to the beliefs and sensitivities of others. If in the opinion of the tour leader a particular conversation becomes too controversial, divisive or otherwise upsetting to one or more participants, he or she will request that the conversation is terminated. There are no circumstances in which we shall tolerate racist or discriminatory comments.
If any tour participant is concerned about the behaviour or comments of another then to allow us the opportunity to resolve or tackle the issue we ask that they speak in confidence with the tour leader, to share those concerns.The tour leader will discuss the concerns and seek to agree steps to resolve the issue.
1. This notice sets out the way we gather, use, disclose and manage our customer’s personal information.
2. Oriole Birding is a Limited Company with our registered office at The Manor House, 9 Station Road, Great Ryborough, Norfolk, NR21 0DX. We are committed to maintaining high standards of confidentiality in relation to the information provided to us in the course of our business. Please read this notice carefully and contact us if you have any queries by emailing us at: info@oriolebirding.com.
b. People who are involved in contracts and transactions we are working on, such as other businesses or individuals our clients are contracting with.
c. Our regulators, insurers, auditors and professional advisors.
4. In the course of our business, we will collect and process certain types of personal information. We cannot list all of these. However, we will only process and collect personal information where necessary for the provision of our services. Most commonly, we collect and process contact information for people (such as full name, date of birth, address, email address and telephone number) and passport details for the booking of flights on your behalf.
iv. Processing required in connection with any actual or proposed sale, merger, joint venture, assignment, transfer or other transaction relating to our business.
6. We may transfer personal data outside the European Union if a tour takes place there. We shall only do this where it is necessary to arrange and deliver a tour.
7. We keep personal data in accordance with our retention and destruction policy for no longer than 4 years after the personal data was provided to us.
8. We are strongly committed to data security and we take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or corruption.
iii. Where necessary, for our legitimate purposes in providing tours and birdwatching services and/or for the legitimate purposes of our customers in receiving those services. For example we shall send the occasional email, newsletter and annually our brochure for those clients who have agreed to receive these.
10. If we process your personal data, you have a number of rights. You may request a copy of your data that we hold about you and you may object to our processing of it, ask us to rectify if, restrict the way we can process it, or erase it from our records. If you have a complaint about the way in which we process your personal data, then please contact Nick Parsons at the address given at paragraph 2 above. If you remain dissatisfied you may wish to consider approaching the Information Commissioners Office (www.ico.gov.uk).
1] This website ("this site") is owned by Oriole Birding Ltd. It is intended to provide information about our birding and wildlife tours and holidays.
2] You may download and print certain content from this site at your leisure and for your own personal use. However, you may not copy or reproduce any of the design elements and to do so would require written permission of Oriole Birding Ltd. Do not link to this website from another site without our written permission. Where we use trademarks of third party suppliers or partner companies, we have express permission to do so - do not copy them for your own use.
3] Viewing our site does not enter you into any sort of agreement by us unless or until it is confirmed in writing by a member of our company. While we take precautions to ensure our site is free from viruses or malicious content, we cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or damage to your own computer or its software directly as a result of using our site, nor can we accept responsibility for the site safety of websites for which we provide links. Sometimes websites crash - we cannot guarantee that ours will not, and that your browsing experience will be uninterrupted.
6] We reserve the right to make changes to these terms at any time, and it is your responsibility to read and understand them before using our website.

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


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The international dimension of German trade fairs is one of the reasons why Germany is the world’s number one venue for exhibitions and why two thirds of the world’s leading events take place here. Trade fairs are events held over a short period of time and in Germany in particular their customers are very loyal. For this reason it is especially important that visa issuing procedures operate smoothly, to enable exhibitors and visitors to attend events on time.
The German trade fair industry depends to a large degree on its customers receiving visas. Every year, an average of more than 100,000 visitors and over 20,000 exhibitors from countries requiring entry visas attend approximately 140 international trade fairs which take place in Germany.
With the help of the representatives abroad of trade fair companies AUMA regularly carries out local surveys to determine what action is necessary in the countries in question.
AUMA maintains close contact with the German Foreign Office, German embassies and consulates, as well as with the foreign representatives of trade fair companies in an effort to facilitate and improve visa issuing procedures, in particular in order to help visitors to trade fairs.
Since summer 2013 invitation letters from the trade fair companies are no longer required, when applying for a trade fair visa. Moreover visa fees are waived for exhibitors at German trade fairs.
Additional information regarding the visa application procedure, requirements for the issue and application forms in different languages are available at the website "visa regulations" of the German Foreign Office.

industry_corpus2: Others