Hoag Law Firm, P.A. Hoag Law Firm, P.A. 2022-04-28T15:09:50Z https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/feed/atom/ WordPress /wp-content/uploads/sites/1602927/2021/08/cropped-favicon-32x32.png On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[Is my concern about distracted drivers justified?]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46716 2022-04-26T15:11:15Z 2022-04-28T15:09:50Z openly expressing its fears. All drivers should know about this and think about how to stay safe in a worsening landscape.

Law enforcement prepares for the summer

To emphasize the problem of distracted driving, law enforcement has been talking to students about proper safety practices on the road. Summer is coming quickly and with it, more teens will be on the road. It is understandable that young people are excited and enthusiastic about driving. That obscures the life-changing responsibility implied with being allowed on the road. Even if teens say they will put their devices down and focus on safety, they can still allow curiosity to get the better of them when they receive a notification that there is a message or the phone rings. Statistically, there are around 3,000 fatalities on an annual basis because of distracted driving across the United States. Younger drivers have a 400% greater chance of being in these types of accidents than more experienced drivers. Distracted driving is believed to be just as much of a risk as drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Even with Florida having a citation program in place for people who drive distracted, some still do it making education a priority to nip it in the bud.

Knowing how to move forward after a distracted driving crash

In short, drivers who are thinking there might be a growing risk to sharing the road with teens once school ends because of the possibility of distracted driving are well within reason for doing so. When there is a crash, one of the first things people think about today is whether the other driver was distracted and this led to the accident. Simply glancing down at the phone for three seconds allows a driver to travel a vast distance and possibly go into the wrong lane, run a red light or hit a person who was crossing the street. Distracted driving is not limited to texting, making phone calls or checking for directions. People make videos on their phones, use social media and do much more to make it irresistible for them. This causes distracted driving auto accidents. Since there can be brain trauma, spinal cord damage, broken bones, cuts, bruises and more, it is wise to know what to do after a collision. Having assistance with trying to recover financially for medical costs and lost income is imperative. When families have been left behind, they must think about their future and how they can get beyond the unexpected loss. Discussing the situation with experienced people can help with deciding how to proceed.    ]]>
On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[What happens after an accident with an uninsured driver?]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46710 2022-03-23T18:42:00Z 2022-03-29T18:33:46Z motor vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, there are many accidents every day, which is why every driver is required to have auto insurance on their vehicles. While it is required by law, not every driver has insurance for their vehicles though. This is not a problem every day, but it can become a major issue if the uninsured driver causes an accident. Victims can be left with serious injuries that require significant medical treatment. They also may not be able to work and lose income as well. Ideally, the victim of the accident will be compensated by the other driver’s insurance company, but when there is no insurance, the likelihood that the other driver will be able to pay for the damages is very low.

Receiving compensation through uninsured motorist coverage

Victims of motor vehicle accidents who find themselves in this position may still be able to receive compensation, but it would come from their own insurance company instead of the other driver. People who have uninsured motorist coverage as part of their own insurance policy can submit claims under that part of their coverage. The insurance company will then have to compensate the victim, essentially stepping in as the insurance company for the other driver. This also applies when the other drivers’ insurance policy limits are not high enough to compensate the victims for all of the damages they suffer. The uninsured motorist coverage is there to pay the difference between the policy limits of the other driver and the actual damages. Uninsured motorist coverage in Florida can be very valuable. Unfortunately, there are many drivers who are uninsured or underinsured. Victims of car accidents do not know which ones have insurance and which ones do not until it is too late though. Uninsured motorist coverage can ensure the victim is properly compensated, but just because it is one’s own insurance policy, it does not mean the insurance company will automatically pay for everything though. People may still need to fight with the insurance company to receive what they deserve. Experienced attorneys understand how to deal with insurance companies and may be able to help one through the process.]]>
On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[Highways in Florida are becoming more and more hazardous]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46708 2022-02-28T18:58:16Z 2022-03-01T18:56:56Z produced injuries and death has become a reality over the last two years. This has happened even in places where there has not been an increase in the number of vehicles on the road. According to a report from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there is a 17 percent increase in hit-and-run accidents from 2020 to 2021. Other accidents involving injuries and deaths have increased even more according to the report.

When do auto accidents occur most often?

Statistically, there are certain times of the day in which accidents occur more frequently. More accidents occur at the times of the day when there is less light, such as a sunrise, sunset, and at night. It makes sense because drivers do not see as well at those times as they do when it is light outside. In addition to auto accidents that involved one or more vehicles, the number of accidents that involved vehicles and pedestrians or people on bicycles also increased. Hit-and-run accidents in those cases have also increased in number. Many of those accidents that occurred in 2021 are still being investigated.

Obtaining the appropriate legal support

If you have been involved in an auto accident on a Florida highway, you will want to make sure that your rights are protected and that you do everything possible to be compensated so that you can afford your medical treatment as well as obtaining funds so that you can continue to live a good life. The assistance of a knowledgeable Florida auto accident lawyer may prove to be invaluable to your case. The lawyer may be able to help you to navigate the process and will be able to support you from beginning to end. Legal representation can assist your case in many different ways, including helping you to gather evidence to support your claim. It is important that you understand your rights completely and the lawyer can explain them in a way that makes sense. With that knowledge, you will hopefully be able to achieve a positive outcome.]]>
On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[What to know about pedestrian safety in Jacksonville]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46706 2022-01-27T22:10:58Z 2022-01-26T22:09:36Z Pedestrians are at risk According to statistics, there were more than 100 combined pedestrian fatalities in 2020 and 2021 in Duval County. Because this is an ongoing and obviously consistent problem in the area, a spokesperson for the local sheriff’s office gave tips for pedestrians to improve safety. First, it is important to be aware of surroundings. Some roads are more predisposed to accidents than others. If it is a multi-lane road, crossing can be a challenge. Speed limits should also be considered. Drivers tend to drive faster than the posted speed limit. Often, pedestrians are under the impression that they have more time to get across the street than they do in real time and are hit by a speeding vehicle.

Florida safety laws

A recent report from the Advocates for Auto and Highway Safety says that Florida is poorly ranked for laws related to safe driving. The authors give states a red light for poor laws; a yellow light for medium laws; and a green light for good laws. Florida has a red light. The statistics used were from 2019. That year, there were nearly 3,200 road fatalities. In the previous 10 years, there were 27,720. The cost for these accidents neared $13 billion. Among the recommend laws were a graduated driver’s license program with people needing to be at least 16 to get a learner’s permit and facing harsher restrictions for driving at night. They would also be restricted when driving with passengers, need to be 18 to get an unrestricted license and face a cellphone restriction.

Options after a pedestrian accident

People’s lives can be changed for the worse when they are in a pedestrian accident. Frequently, they lose their lives due to recklessness, distraction, speeding, drowsiness or drivers who are under the influence. Motor vehicle accidents are among the most common ways in which people are unexpectedly injured and killed. With that comes massive financial challenges, emotional worries and personal strife. Having assistance with determining the preferable course of action is essential when deciding how to proceed. Discussing the situation with those experienced in these cases can be helpful.]]>
On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[Do you know about these common truck company defenses?]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46704 2021-12-28T11:06:10Z 2021-12-28T11:06:10Z personal injury lawsuit in one of these situations should focus on both the negligent trucker who caused the accident as well as his or her employer. This is because the truck company will have a larger pool of resources that is much more capable of fully compensating you for your damages. Yet, this recovery isn’t automatic, which is why you’ll need to be prepared to address each of the following common truck company defenses:
  • Comparative fault: This is probably the most commonly utilized defense tactic. Here, a truck company essentially tries to shift the blame back onto you, arguing that you’re at least partially to blame for the accident. If the truck company is successful in making this argument, then your ultimate recovery will be reduced by the percentage of fault that is assigned to you. This can dramatically reduce your award and stifle your recovery. So, be prepared to defend your driving at the time of the accident in question.
  • Frolic and detour: Another way that truck companies try to shift the blame is by arguing that the trucker who caused the accident was operating outside the scope of his or her employment at the time of the crash. This may include running a personal errand or taking an unapproved route. This is sometimes referred to as frolic or detour. If the truck company is successful in raising these arguments, then it might avoid liability altogether, leaving you with recovering solely from the negligent trucker. Again, this may leave you short-changed and unable to recover the full extent of your damages.
  • Third-party liability: Truck companies will try to blame anybody and everybody to avoid liability. So, if your accident involved multiple vehicles, then other drivers will often be attacked by a truck company so that it can shield itself from liability. If the facts of your accident are a little muddled or are otherwise complicated, then you might want to consider having an accident reconstruction conducted so that it is clearer who is at fault for the wreck.
  • No fault: Sometimes truck companies argue that no one is at fault for the accident in question, and therefore no one should be held liable. This is often seen in instances of bad weather where visibility is reduced or a hazard was present in the road that required quick thinking and abrupt vehicle movements to avoid it. Here, you can still assess the trucker’s driving at the time to see if it was appropriate under the circumstances.

Do you need help with your claim?

We know that just dealing with the aftermath of a truck accident can be difficult, to say the least. Dealing with the legalities of it can be stressful and overwhelming. That’s why competent legal teams like ours stand ready to help. So, if you’ve been injured in a truck accident and want to position yourself for a strong personal injury claim and thereby maximize your chances of imposing liability and recovering the compensation that you need, then please consider discussing the facts of your case with an experienced legal team that knows how to competently litigate these kinds of cases.  ]]>
On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[Can light therapy help with traumatic brain injuries?]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46702 2021-11-23T11:18:56Z 2021-11-23T11:18:56Z Light therapy help for brain injuries Recent studies, and studies that are underway, have shown promising results from light therapy for victims of brain injuries. Brain injuries can range from concussions to traumatic brain injuries; concussions are considered mild brain injuries and traumatic brain injuries are considered the most severe. Both types of injuries, and moderate brain injuries in between, can be suffered in car accidents. Light therapy for brain injuries is available in different forms and through different resources, including clinicians. Research has shown that near-infrared (NIR) and red light applied through skill has a variety of positive impacts on the brain. These positive effects can include increased cerebral blood flow, increased energy production, increased neuroprotection and brain repair and reduced inflammation. A 2019 study found that light therapy can produce positive impacts on the brain following a single treatment. Victims of traumatic brain injuries can suffer a variety of damages including physical, financial and emotional damages that may be ongoing. They may need in-home care and treatments for their injuries that can be costly. A personal injury legal claim for damages may be able to help them recover compensation for some of those medical bills and other damages from the negligent driver responsible for causing the car accident they were injured in.  ]]> On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[Could an exoskeleton provide relief for victims of spine injuries?]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46700 2021-10-19T12:03:09Z 2021-10-19T12:03:09Z Typical problem A spinal cord injury is any damage or injury to the collection of nerves that start at the brain and go down the back encased in the vertebrae. Trauma is the leading cause of a spinal cord injury. Loss of blood flow to the spinal cord can also cause this injury. A complete injury results in no function below the level of injury. In an incomplete injury, there is some function below the level of injury. A spinal cord injury may damage the nerves that help control the person’s colon which is responsible for sending solid waste out of the body. This condition interferes in the way of an individual’s normal ability to store and dispose of waste. This injury, as a result, often causes constipation and uncomfortable bowel accidents. Over a third of men who suffered a spinal cord injury said that bowel and bladder problems had the greatest impact on their lives. Treatment usually involved the targeting of the gastrointestinal system. However, according to recent research published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, physical activity and upright posture may improve the functioning of the colon and provide hope for a person suffering these personal injuries.

This research involved 49 patients who underwent and completed 36 sessions of exoskeleton-assisted walking. Its findings indicate that physical activity and upright posture with the aid of exoskeletons could help improve colon functions. Exoskeletons help patients by allowing them to stand and walk. There was a notable reduction bowel evacuation time for these patients, according to the director of the Kessler Foundation’s Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Simulation who was the study’s co-author. Twenty-four percent of participants had a better experience. A news release issued by the foundation claimed that the findings supported the theory that this intervention could improve several measures of bowel function. It also supports the proposition that walking instead of just standing may be beneficial.

Spinal cord injuries symptoms

Symptoms and signs include:
  • Loss of bowel and bladder function.
  • Breathing problems.
  • Loss of feeling in the chest, arms, or legs.
  • Absence of voluntary muscle movement in the chest, arms, or legs.
  • Muscle weakness.
  • Leg or arm paralysis.
Victims who suffer a spinal cord injury may be entitled to compensation if their injury was caused by another person’s negligence. An attorney can help them seek evidence and timely file a lawsuit.  ]]>
On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[5 things not to do after a car accident]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46698 2021-09-15T19:42:35Z 2021-09-15T19:42:35Z car accident.
  1. Forego medical care: Your health and safety is top priority. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, then you need to go to the doctor to get treatment. Some accident injuries that are severe in nature aren’t readily apparent, so you should do your best to catch them early to reduce the impact they have on you. Also, if you plan on pursuing a personal injury claim later on, then you’re going to need evidence that demonstrates the extent of your damages. Your medical records are a going to go a long way toward that goal.
  2. Fail to collect information: It’s not easy to think clearly after an accident, but before leaving the scene you need to gather as much information as you can. This means getting the name and contact information for other individuals who were involved in the accident, as well as their insurance information. Also, don’t neglect to speak with witnesses and police officers who may have seen or investigated the accident. You’ll want their contact information, too, so that you have the ability to use them as witnesses later on.
  3. Take the blame: Whatever you do, don’t apologize or otherwise take blame for the wreck. These statements can be used against you later on, which could severely jeopardize your ability to recover the compensation that you need. Try to make as few statements as possible and, when you do talk, couch your conversation in the facts that you know.
  4. Accept a bad settlement: Most personal injury cases result in some form of settlement. While one of these offers can be appealing given that it can provide you with quick closure and an infusion of cash, you should carefully vet any settlement offer before acting on it. After all, a lot of settlements are far too low. Know the facts of your case, your likelihood of success at trial, and how to competently negotiate for what you deserve.
  5. Not talk to an attorney: On their face, personal injury cases can seem pretty straightforward. In reality, though, they can be enormously complex. With so much on the line, you owe it to yourself to speak with an attorney who is well-versed in this area of the law. Only then can you ensure that you’re protecting your interests as fully as possible and maximizing your chances of obtaining a favorable outcome.

Be holistic in taking care of yourself

Following a car accident, there’s a lot that you need to do to take care of yourself. You can’t overlook your physical, mental, or financial wellbeing. That’s why it’s imperative that you seek out the support that you need to not only get through this challenging time in the short-term, but also so that you position yourself for a successful recovery and long-term financial stability.]]>
On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[What is going on with PIP in Florida?]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46670 2021-08-31T20:21:58Z 2021-08-23T09:06:20Z car accidents. Basically, the way that PIP works is that if a vehicle is damaged or the people involved in the accident were injured, regardless of fault, one’s own insurance will pay for the damages. However, the minimum PIP limits are only $10,000, which can be spent very quickly. Especially when there are significant injuries, that is not enough and the victims need to seek compensation from other places.

Proposed changes to PIP laws

Recently there was a bill introduced to change the PIP laws though. Under the proposed law, there still would have been a minimum requirement that people have coverage for at least $10,000 for property damage. It added that drivers also need to have minimum coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries. There were other aspects of the law as well, but that would have been the most significant change. The law was ultimately vetoed though. So, for now the PIP requirements remain the same. There are many motor vehicle accidents in Florida each year. These accidents can be very costly for the victims who may suffer significant injuries requiring significant medical treatment. The medical bills can add up quickly. People also may not be able to work while they are recovering and lose income as well. Given the current situation with the PIP laws, the victims may need to seek compensation from the driver who cause the accident. Experienced attorneys, who may be able to guide one through the process, understand the insurance laws and how to deal with insurance companies.  ]]>
On Behalf of Hoag Law Firm, P.A. <![CDATA[Does Red Tide Mean Fewer Cars On The Road?]]> https://www.hoaglawfirm.com/?p=46671 2021-08-31T20:23:23Z 2021-07-26T21:56:36Z The Red Tide’s effects This Red Tide has resulted in thousands of dead fish, manatees and other sea creatures clogging St. Petersburg’s waterways and filling the beaches. City employees are working around the clock to clear out the dead sea life, and have so far cleaned up over three million pounds of it. Even so, the stench of rotting fish fills the air in many parts of the city. The combination of the Red Tide itself and the resulting dead sea life have had serious consequences for the city’s inhabitants. Many citizens of St. Petersburg have been reporting symptoms such as itchy throats and skin, red eyes and trouble breathing.

The unexpected silver lining


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6 Ways Executives Can Advance Employee Engagement

Six Ways Executives Can Advance Employee Engagement

Today, organizations depend on the commitment and engagement of their teams to thrive more than ever. A fully engaged workforce can take the company to unprecedented levels by boosting productivity, limiting employee turnover, supporting the company’s strategy, and lifting the employer’s brand.

Recent reports indicate that 60% of employees are not engaged, 15% are actively disengaged at work and only 25% are actively engaged. As a result, leaders should strive to improve employee engagement at all costs and settle for nothing less than a highly engaged workforce.

Sadly, achieving this is easier said than done, whether in a corporation or a nonprofit organization. It requires a laid-out strategy to succeed. Here are a few recommendations for bolstering employee engagement in an organization.

1. Nonprofit executive search

There are several ingredients to successful nonprofit organizations, but strong leadership often gets underestimated. Nonprofit executive search concerns the organization board’s efforts to identify and attract competent top-level leadership.

Usually, it involves the recruiting activities of defining the core responsibilities of the leader, formulating the job description, identifying the qualifications for the role, attracting a pool of candidates, and matching the candidates’ qualifications. In addition, organizations can conduct the executive search themselves or hire a professional executive search firm for assistance.

Providing exemplary leadership plays a critical role in enhancing employee engagement by integrating engagement drivers like articulating the vision and providing support. In addition, it goes beyond the organization’s short-term goals because good leaders help make employees satisfied with their jobs, more committed, and more confident about the nonprofit’s future.

Leaders need to demonstrate to their teams that they are the most engaged people to provide a shining example. However, many leaders focus mainly on employee improvement and forget the critical area of increasing their performance. As a result, these leaders do not portray the same level of enthusiasm they expect from the team.

Great leaders will know there is a need to review their performance constantly. When it comes to engagement, they need to reflect the standards they expect from the workforce.

2. Set realistic goals

Every organization has a set of objectives the team wants to achieve within specified timelines. The goals increase productivity and encourage employees to commit to achieving them.

However, many nonprofit employees do not love their quantitative nature, and often, even the most productive employees dread performance reviews.

Leaders can change the general feel about performance measurements by changing their organizational goals approach. But first, every leader must understand that rigid and unrealistic goals are more likely to demoralize employees and reduce productivity while leading to higher turnover.

They can engage their teams in the goal-setting process. The goals directly affect the employees, so engaging them in the entire process makes much sense. Leaders should take charge and lead the team in developing specific, measurable, actionable, result-oriented, and time-conscious goals. That way, they increase the likelihood of achieving them and bring a sense of ownership and commitment to the plans.

Commitment is incredibly high when employees’ individual goals link to the organization’s bigger picture. When they can directly see the impacts of their performance on organizational objectives, this encourages them to perform better and become more accountable for their progress.

Also, they can constantly review the goals based on actual seasons. It should not mean that the organization’s targets will always be flexible, but revisiting the objectives and making adjustments are necessary as the realities of events and needs change.

3.Encourage interaction among employees

While it can be difficult for leaders to make friends with their employees, creating an organizational culture that encourages healthy interpersonal interactions among teams is still helpful. These exchanges can include the leaders, workers, and even the public.

Good personal interactions improve employees’ morale by bringing positive feelings, job satisfaction, increased productivity, and the public can also develop positive attitudes towards the organization.

Leaders need to understand that employees can recognize when leadership cares about them and understands their interests, challenges, and hopes. For example, when employees know the leader cares about their wellbeing, they may open up about their challenges and become more caring for other colleagues.

Leaders can also encourage positive employee interactions by pairing workers with different demographics to collaborate on projects and encourage cross-team collaboration.

Open relations with the team members will also help the leader identify potential issues before they become significant and impactful. At the same time, these consultations can allow employees to open up and help each other and promote positive relationships.

4. Provide regular constructive feedback

Most workers crave feedback after they lead an event or accomplish an important task, and the leader’s response significantly affects their engagement level. Positive feedback is more desirable and is most likely to impact positively. On the other hand, negative feedback is also essential but may not inspire the employee. Even leaders tend to feel some discomfort and awkwardness when giving negative feedback.

In any case, leaders need to learn to give constructive feedback to help improve employee performance. Constructive feedback falls between negative and positive feedback, and is meant to correct, inspire, and lead to positive change.

When giving constructive feedback, leaders can start by commending positive behavior or work and then point out problematic issues they want to be changed. They can then recommend some tips that can help the employee improve next time.

Typically, the feedback is corrective and future-oriented and helps to motivate continuous learning and positive change.

5. Learn to honor individual differences

People differ in many aspects, so it may not be helpful to adopt any one-size-fits-all solutions and policies in an organization. Instead, leaders need to understand employee differences in terms of their age, gender, religion, race, departments they work in, opinions, level of education, and preferences, to name just a few areas.

Leaders of smaller organizations should know each employee personally and professionally to help them better manage the uniqueness of their team makeup. That way, it becomes possible to integrate the differences in decision-making, allowing every team member and their opinion to be valued. That feeling paves the way for higher employee engagement and better performance. For larger organizations, this approach can be used at a division level.

6. Build trust within teams

Great leaders know that a culture of trust is critical for organizational success. Employees ought to trust each other and their organization, and the employer also needs to reciprocate with trust. However, while most leaders understand its importance, some struggle to foster it effectively.

Good communication is an effective way of building trust. In organizations where employees and leaders communicate well, these teams are likely to be more cooperative and effective. In addition, employees with stronger relationships have a greater awareness of and trust each other. Leaders who actively communicate with workers show they care about them and will listen to them.

Managers who are honest and fair in their dealings and hold workers accountable with the same criteria can instill trust in their teams. Instead of using punitive programs, leaders who promote moral standards will grow a healthier organization.

Final Thoughts

For employee engagement, exceptional leaders develop exceptional workers, and that’s why the executive search comes first. A good leader has critical goals in mind and knows that the attainment of the objectives depends heavily on employee cooperation.

As a result, the leader who engages the team in every step and helps them achieve their targets will help the organization succeed. In addition, good leaders communicate the desired outcomes well and demonstrate trust in their employees by assigning roles and empowering them to achieve those outcomes.

A leader who follows this approach can more easily keep teams be productive and engaged.

Author Bio: Since 1997 David Hutchinson, a nonprofit executive recruiter at Cause Leadership, has successfully placed senior-level candidates with a broad spectrum of organizations in the charitable sector. He also has a great interest in helping charitable organizations diversify, become younger in their leadership, and better represent their own clients.


Worried you’re not accomplishing much in meetings? Boost effectiveness with these 3 strategies

Meetings are great for explaining complicated concepts and connecting with your team.

3 ways to reduce insider attacks and user error

It feels like no matter how well you prep your systems, the biggest threat to security IT faces is always the same: people.


Johannes Kettler

Urban Designer

Johannes Kettler, Assoc. AIA, NOMA,  joined LS3P’s Urban Environments practice with an international background in architecture and urban design, practicing at award-winning studios in Europe, Japan and the US. Johannes has a great passion for design as a driver of positive change in our built environment.  As a designer, he has long been interested in developing a comprehensive understanding of how communities and cities develop to contribute to more sustainable and equitable urban environments; as a design thinker, Johannes applies solution-focused creativity, empathy and detail-oriented implementation to a broad variety of tasks and scales. In his career so far, Johannes has contributed to and led a wide range of private and public projects bridging the fields of architecture, planning, urban development, and design.

Johannes has done extensive research on affordable housing economics and design, the topologies of public space, post-industrial urban transformations, design technology, participatory urban development, and sustainable cities. He has won national and international design awards, and his work has been displayed at events such as the Venice Biennale of Architecture; two world Expos; and exhibitions in Germany, Spain, Japan, and the US.

Johannes holds a Master of Architecture from Bauhaus-University Weimar and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Cornell. He also completed studies at Waseda University in Tokyo, and is the recipient of both Fulbright and DAAD scholarships for his postgraduate endeavors.


NSA spied on German chancellor, ministers: Report

The National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland, as seen from the air. (AFP photo)

New WikiLeaks documents show that the United States not only spied on German Chancellor Angela Merkel but also on several ministers of the country.

Relations between Germany and the United States were strained after US surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013 revealed extensive US foreign spying.

Snowden also revealed that the United States had monitored Merkel's telephone conversations for more than 10 years.

The German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Wednesday that the National Security Agency (NSA) did not limit its surveillance activities to Merkel, and spied on the activities of the ministries of finance, economy and agriculture.

The newspaper said WikiLeaks had shown it a list of 69 phone numbers of ministers and senior officials that were targeted by the NSA.

According to the report, current Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel were among those snooped on by the US spy agency.

Edward Snowden is seen via live  video link from Russia on a computer screen during a parliamentary hearing on the subject of "Improving the protection of whistleblowers", on June 24, 2015, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France. (AFP photo)

Snowden, who lives in Russia where he has been granted asylum, has said that US government surveillance methods far surpass those of an ‘Orwellian’ state, referring to George Orwell’s classic novel “1984,” which describes a society where personal privacy is continuously invaded by spy agencies.

The Snowden revelations prompted Brazil and Germany to draft a United Nations General Assembly resolution aimed at restraining the NSA’s surveillance programs against other nations.

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Climate change our most serious security threat

Terrorists exploit U.S. need for oil

Ask Adm. Samuel Locklear III, commander of the U.S. military's sprawling Pacific Command, what his most serious threat is, and you might be surprised. There's a long list of possibilities, after all: North Korean nukes, rising Chinese military power and aggressive cyberespionage, multiple territorial disputes between major powers and persistent insurgencies from the Philippines to Thailand, not to mention protecting some of the world's most vulnerable shipping choke points. Add all of that up, though, and there's something even more dangerous to keep even the most seasoned military officer up at night: the looming disaster of climate change.

Our dependence on fossil fuels - oil, in particular - is a crucial part of the threat. A new generation of combat veterans has seen the consequences firsthand on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq.

As a young lieutenant on my first combat tour, in Iraq, I served on an isolated fighting camp south of Baghdad in an area known as the Triangle of Death. My unit was entirely dependent on a daily fuel convoys to run the generators that powered our operations. Recognizing this, Iraqi insurgents consistently ambushed the convoys while my infantry company fought to protect them - leading to almost-daily firefights we came to call "fighting for our supper."

Meanwhile, these leaders acknowledge that the effects of climate change are already being felt in the field. Those effects - including increasingly severe weather, drought, flooding and famine - add up to why the Pentagon's key strategic document calls climate change "an accelerant of instability and conflict" that produces "prominent military vulnerabilities" for the nation. These dynamics are already in play.

As the president's former national security adviser, Tom Donilon, said in a recent speech, climate change is "not just a transcendent challenge for the world, but a present-day national security threat to the United States."

The U.S. military does not do politics - it identifies threats based on evidence and acts to protect the nation. Congress should follow its example.

The evidence for climate change is overwhelming. It's time for Washington to face that reality and find the courage to lead.

Michael Breen is the executive director of the Truman National Security Project and the Center for National Policy in Washington, D.C.


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Bradford Pharmacy: +263 77 440 7223.

Today’s advanced technology makes it simpler and more cost-effective than ever for facilities of all sizes to generate electricity on-site, which can bring new levels of efficiency and control while providing reliable cost savings and, in some cases, opening new revenue streams.

On-site generation from renewable or low-carbon sources can shrink a facility’s carbon footprint, often producing benefits in the form of regulatory compliance or clean energy credits in addition to reducing your organization’s contribution to climate change.

Solar technology future-proofs buildings against volatile energy prices and minimizes energy costs in the long term. These systems are designed to provide power coincident with the energy needs of your building while reducing exposure to utility demand charges caused by peak electricity usage on the grid.

Energy storage solutions can further reduce energy costs by leveraging low cost electricity from solar generation or off-peak grid power to meet your building’s energy needs. This technology can generate economic benefits by selling services to the local utility or providing uninterruptable power to keep your business operational during a grid outage.

Our team will use our extensive market expertise to stack multiple revenue streams to maximize system ROI and take advantage of incentive programs that minimize capital expenditure.

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Whisht Hall by Jane Jordan

By Karen Harper

Please tell us what your new book WHISHT HALL is about.

I can tell from this novel and your previous books that “setting as character” is ever-present in your work.  Can you comment on that?

Setting is very important to me in constructing a story. My first novel, Ravens Deep, was set on Exmoor and came about after I stayed in a remote ancient house on the moor. The atmosphere of the place inspired me to write that story. It was a beautiful house, but so remote, hidden from all the main roads in a wooded valley. There was the tiny forgotten church in the woods which gave me so many ideas and made the story come alive.

The house overlooked the Bristol Channel and felt somewhat sinister when the mists rolled in from the sea and blanketed the surrounding countryside. Through research, I discovered that this coastline was famous in history for smugglers, and the house itself had been a notorious opium den centuries before.

My characters came alive as I began to write. My protagonist, Madeline, was loosely based on myself, but adding a ghost and a vampire seemed a natural progression of the story.

The story moves to London.  A city full of history and color, but also many secrets, like the vast underground network that exists beyond the London subway. Dis-used ghost stations and old war cabinet rooms gave me material to write the second book in the trilogy, Blood & Ashes.

WHISHT HALL was an opportunity for me to transcend two major places—Dartmoor in England and New Orleans. Both places are atmospheric with their own share of legends and unique culture. Dartmoor is remote with some hauntingly beautiful places and odd traditions, like letterboxing on the moor, a practice of leaving a note or letter for others to find.

Your website emphasizes that authenticity is important in your writing.  How do you do your research and then work that in to support your fiction?

When I wrote Ravens Deep, I based it on an actual house and a few of the experiences I had. I could put myself in that character and write how I would react to that situation—it felt easy to write from that point of view. With later books I completed a lot of research, but I do believe research will only get you so far, you must go and experience things and then the writing comes naturally.

When writing WHISHT HALL, I visited Dartmoor, I experienced the dense mists that roll in from the sea and over the countryside, and how disconcerting it can feel when you can barely see your hand in front of your face. Then, there were the strange noises that come from the moor—usually from animals, but deer bellowing through the mist is hauntingly eerie.

I climbed Hound Tor (a tor is a granite outcrop) which my protagonist Amy does in the book, and all the emotions that I felt, I put into that chapter. It was the same when I wrote about Wistman Wood, which is one of the most enchanted places I have ever been, but there is also something completely unsettling about it.

You have been both self-published and now traditionally published.  Can you share your story and some advice for those writers wanting a traditional publisher?

After I wrote Ravens Deep, I was invited to a well-known literary agent’s office in London.  As you might imagine I was ecstatic, especially when she told me that she loved my story, but then, she said: “Vampires are just not in right now.”

I tried to put my point of view across that the market was perfect for a vampire romance. At that time there had been no real vampire stories since Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, some twelve years prior. This was also months before Twilight or True Blood hit the headlines. Ultimately, she turned me down, saying she didn’t think she could sell it to a publisher.

Maybe I should have pushed harder, but I figured she was the big London agent and I was an unknown writer.  However, that experience led me to self-publish my trilogy.

When I moved back to America in 2013, I was determined to get a traditional publishing contract. I stopped wasting my time on agents and approached publishers directly. Black Opal Books offered me a contract in 2016 for The Beekeepers Daughter and also published WHISHT HALL.

The moral of this story is don’t waste time with agents—they are looking for any excuse to turn you down, not to make your career. Instead, approach smaller publishers directly, as you can’t even send an email to any of the top six publishers without a recommendation from someone in the industry.

Unless you have a connection to someone that works or knows an agent in a major publishing house, then save yourself the years of heartache and seek out the smaller publishers.

Your novels definitely sit on the line between supernatural thrillers and romantic suspense.  Is your blend stronger in one of these genres?

I see my novels as primarily dark romance, but with a strong element of the supernatural or thriller running throughout them. I think you need to be careful placing labels on your work. If you say romance, you instantly put a whole segment of readers off. The same with supernatural, or horror.  My novels are unique stories— they’re not the typical boy meets girl who fall in love and everything ends up happy ever after kind of story.

My books stand out from others in these genres, as I have never tried to write like anyone else or follow what’s fashionable. I write the stories that I want to read and hope my readers will want to read them and love the uniqueness of them.

Your cover for WHISHT HALL is compelling with its fog, open gate to a strange building, and a wolf waiting. How much input did you have on that art?

I knew exactly what I wanted for the cover of WHISHT HALL. The grand old house in the mist, with the black wolf beyond the gates, says this wolf is linked to this house, and that the house is intriguing, a place that has secrets. Even though Black Opal Books would have produced my cover for me, I asked a friend from DusktilDawn designs if she could produce my vision, as I already knew and loved her work. After a few edits, she produced the perfect cover for my book.

I was totally intrigued by your blog comment that “ghostly things are a memory or energy left behind” rather than the dead returning to haunt someone.  Can you expand a bit on that?

I have had several ghostly encounters—I worked at a 1000-year-old castle on Exmoor in England, which was haunted. I have lived in a 500-year-old cottage that was haunted by a ghost of a cat. Every time I saw the cat, he did the same thing—he ran across the fireplace hearth and into the wall. When people saw the gray lady at the castle, she always walked down the staircase and along a hallway.

We discovered that the portion of the wall that the cat ran into had once been the entry to a staircase, and had been blocked up.

These ghosts are not aware of the present or people, but they are like a memory being played out over and over again. Not everyone in the cottage saw the cat, and not everyone who visited the castle saw the gray lady. But my explanation is that a form of residual energy is left behind, and becomes visible at certain times. Many old buildings, especially old theaters, leach out cigar or perfume scents, even when cigars have not been smoked in a building for decades.

I think sights, smells and unexplained noises can all heighten our perception of the paranormal. The dead do not return—we like to think they do as a way to cope with personal loss, but I believe that occasionally an element of a person or animal remains, and that is what we witness.

Besides, every old house has had someone die in it during its history, especially in the old countries of Europe where houses are centuries old. But these homes are not filled to brimming with spirits trying to communicate with the living.

Jane was born in England, and grew up exploring the history and culture of London and surrounding counties. In the 1990s she immigrated to Detroit, USA, eventually settling in southwest Florida.

She returned to England after a fifteen-year absence, to spend six years in the southwest of England living on Exmoor. Here, inspired by the atmosphere, beautiful scenery, and the ancient history of the place, she wrote her first novel Ravens Deep. The next two books, Blood & Ashes and A Memoir of Carl, completed her gothic vampire trilogy.

Jane is a trained horticulturist, and spent time working and volunteering for Britain’s National Trust at Exmoor’s 1000-year-old Dunster Castle. Gaining more insight into the mysteries surrounding these ancient places, and having always been intrigued by the supernatural, inspiration came for The Beekeeper’s Daughter, a historical dark romance.

While England and Scotland provided a backdrop for previous novels of vampires, witches, and haunted mansions, New Orleans presents a setting for her fifth novel, WHISHT HALL, a multilayered thriller that combines the age-old struggle between good and evil, a tale steeped in voodoo, the culture of the Deep South, and the hauntingly desolate Dartmoor.

Since returning to Florida in 2013, Jane also began writing for Florida Gardening Magazine. She now lives in Sarasota with her family.

To learn more about Jane and her work, please visit her website.

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How mobile gas turbines stepped in during an Algerian summer

The 12 Mobilepac gas turbine packages in Algeria[/caption]

By Rami Morsi

In 2015, two weeks before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Algerian city of M’Sila sustained a series of crippling power outages when two of its main electricity generating plants shut down.

For a metropolis of more than a million people to enter Ramadan without sufficient power would have disrupted one of the most important annual celebrations in Islam. During Ramadan, the month of fasting that precedes Eid-Al-Fitr, people abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sundown before gathering each evening for dinner with family and friends to break the fast.

For most of its nearly 1,400-year history, of course, Ramadan was observed by people who didn’t depend on electricity. But in modern times and in urban settings, housing and daily life are dependent on lights, running water and, for the fortunate, air conditioning. Potential rolling blackouts would make it difficult for the people in M’Sila to experience the full spiritual and cultural experience of Islam’s holy month.

The power plant outages had wiped 400 megawatts of electricity off the grid, enough to power hundreds of thousands of households. Sonelgaz, the government-owned power company in Algeria, needed help restoring the M’Sila grid to full capacity in time for Ramadan. The utility turned to PW Power Systems for an emergency solution.

PW Power Systems (PWPS) specializes in manufacturing flexible and powerful turbines that are often deployed for long-term, utility-scale operation. We also specialize in mobile, emergency response, as well. It was PWPS’ emergency response solutions, for example, that provided 135 megawatts of emergency power for Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) after the Tohoku earthquake in 2011.

PWPS helped the Algerian government restore 50 megawatts of power in 2011 after aging power plant equipment failed in Kabartene in the Adrar region, the country’s second-largest province. The speed of that deployment earned us the gratitude of Sonelgaz and government agencies, and it led to an expanding relationship. By September 2013, we had contracts to install 54 emergency response gas turbines to stabilize the power grids in the north and remote sites in the south of Algeria.

The gas turbine package includes all the necessary transformers and support equipment that can be moved in a few shipping containers and transported in two Antonov cargo planes for rapid worldwide delivery. When pre-commissioned, this energy solution, which can be used to create microgrids, is set up and operating at full capacity at site-ready locations within 24 hours. The units are capable of controlling grid frequency, providing stability to avoid power fluctuations.

With high thermal efficiency, and rapid installation time, an emergency mobile package powered by an aero-derivative engine is able to generate 30 megawatts of power, enough electricity to light 30,000 homes.

As Ramadan was approaching in June 2015, we already had eight MOBILEPAC units delivering power to M’Sila. With the failure of the utility’s two main generating plants, Sonelgaz suddenly needed four more emergency response gas turbine units added to the M’Sila system; and, they had to be up and running without delay. PWPS was in a race with Ramadan.

As we worked overtime to ensure that the last four units could be delivered and put into service, we faced a host of challenges. To start, it was the time of year when many employees and contractors already planned to be in their hometowns and villages for the month.

Additionally, the heat that can make all-day fasting an ordeal places a special strain on field technicians and local workers, making it difficult to maintain productivity especially under a hurry-up timetable. But handling emergencies is woven into our corporate culture. We soon had a team of dedicated engineers and local workers, along with our expatriate colleagues, who were able to accelerate the commissioning schedule.

It wasn’t simply a matter of hooking up four more gas turbines. The eight we had already installed were connected to the 220-kilovolt portion of the local grid. M’Sila also has a 60-kilovolt portion of its grid to which our new units would be connected. That required us to devise an electrical protection system tailored for the 60-kilovolt grid.

Sonelgaz also rallied to the cause. It cleared the path by making key decision makers available to conduct the necessary inspection “gate reviews,’’ checkpoint delays that had previously put the M’Sila project behind schedule. Through sheer determination and committed cooperation from Sonelgaz, our team was able to have the additional turbines generating power in time to avoid rolling blackouts. And we did it before the sun set and Ramadan officially began on June 17, 2015.

By the second week of Ramadan, all 12 gas turbine units were at full capacity in M’Sila as observant Muslims across the region, including many of my colleagues and me, broke the fast each evening.

(The author is Project Manager at PW Power Systems, a provider of energy solutions for the power generation and mechanical drive industries)


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Finding Gratitude and Appreciation in Your Life

Finding gratitude and appreciation in your life can change how you feel and respond to what is happening in front of you. It can change your perceptions, your physical responses and impact your thoughts. This can change your sense of boredom, apathy, or displeasure with life.

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Photo by Eternal Happiness on

You can change how you see yourself and the world around you by choosing to find reasons to appreciate your life, who you are, and what you have right now. Even if you have felt isolated these past few years, find yourself trying to find calm in all of the changes taking place, or wish you were someplace else, there is the potential for choosing to find what is life-energizing. This has a positive effect on your health, relationships, and outlook on life. It can happen with simple gratitude and appreciation.

By creating a Gratitude and Appreciation Practice for yourself you can build a presence that feeds your body-mind-spirit system daily. This can contribute to your satisfaction with life. Physically, you might express appreciation and gratitude by acknowledging the wonder of your body and how it carries you from moment to moment, day by day. By doing so you reduce stress and calm internal conflicts. Your relationships can also improve through gratitude and appreciation to become more constructive with actions and interactions.

Finding Gratitude and Appreciation Right in Front of You

It is easy to get so lost in daily routine and automatic responses to life that you take for granted or become blind to all the nurture and support that is right in front of you. To make the shift, you first notice and allow your senses to take in your surroundings. Start by getting in touch with your breath. Then allow your eyes to scan and rest on the contents of the space you are in, your home, the sky, plants, flowers, and trees outside. Rest your awareness on the significance of each particular place you rest your eyes or what you notice. This can be a vase of flowers, a bud on a tree, or the sound or color of a bird.

You don’t have to look or travel far to give to find beauty or something that brings you pleasure. You live in your body 24/7 and on the Earth 24/7. Take it in what is right in front of you with appreciation. By doing so you create positive benefits for your wellness and well-being.

Upon awakening, let the words “Thank You” flow from your lips, for this will remind you to begin your day with gratitude and compassion.”~Wayne Dyer

Start where you are, literally. Appreciate your body and what you wear on your body each day. This includes the vibrancy of colors, the patterns, and texture of the cloth, warmth, fun, comfort, and joy you have experienced from your choices. What meaning and energy do these colors and feelings are you experiencing when you wear these clothes?

As the weather is changing and there is more opportunity to get out into nature, or to safely attend gatherings to connect, I have opened my closet to what seems like a brand new wardrobe! Putting on earrings, wearing a scarf or sweater I haven’t worn in a few years, is an absolute joy! And, I experience appreciation for these new possibili

Since the pandemic, I have limited the amount of clothing I cycle through weekly. I have also donated clothing with the thought in mind that someone else can also appreciate the items that no longer fit or have a place in my clothing choices. And, this makes me smile with the thought that paying it forward can multiply appreciation.

How about applying appreciation to the foods that come from the Earth to nourish your body? These foods come to your table from a wide diversity of places. Appreciate the soil, seeding, farmers and workers, and the growth process each of the foods you eat has taken, and how this, in turn, energizes your body. Appreciate the color, texture, and flavor of your food.

Acknowledge how food has created a story and connection with your family and friends. Perhaps there are favorite dishes, a particular holiday or ritual that has made your food story a special memory or has an emotional positive meaning for you. Bring this appreciation practice into your selection of foods and preparation as well.

Cook with love and with the intention of nourishment and well-being. Become aware and discerning of what foods are energizing to you and bring them into your kitchen to combine in creative ways for health and well-being. As you do so, you can also consciously become aware of foods that are not energizing to your body-mind system. And, express internal conscious choice to create even greater potential for your life energy, your moods, and well-being to appreciate.

Finding Joy and Appreciation for the Small Things in Life

It is often the small things that change your perceptions. A smile from someone, the laughter of children, a word of encouragement, a favorite song, someone holding the door open, a beautiful sunset, or appreciation for truly being seen and heard can mean the most.

Allow appreciation to take in the people in your life who have been there at a special time, made you laugh, consoled, or listened when you needed it most and who you learned from as you shared time with them. Appreciate the ups and downs of your own life as they have created who you are today. Notice and appreciate what is happening and speaking in your body-mind-spirit system today.

It might sound like a small thing, however, throughout the pandemic, my mother and I, both isolated, have had a daily appreciation and gratitude exchange close to sunset. She has a view of the bay in the West while I live in a circle of cedar trees. She sees the sky light up as it moves into twilight each day. Each evening by phone, she describes the colors of the sky and the shapes of the clouds to me. By doing so, we each experience the expansive qualities of the beauty unfolding through our senses and imagination.

Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you. Then it will really be a good day.” ~David Steindl-Rast

Finding Gratitude and Appreciation for Others

By making appreciation a practice, include words, prayer, affirmation, journaling, drawings, movement, making music, toning, or spending time in places locally that you love or might not yet know. Your gratitude and appreciation meditation might become a walk or even a wake-up or calm down around sleep routine. No matter what you choose, this practice can easily become your daily experience as you recognize the value of life and its gifts each day.

In the same way, be sure to use appreciation with others. Everyone needs to feel they are appreciated and have a purpose. This can be done when you express gratitude for something or to someone in your life by including the reasons you appreciate an action or presence. This contributes to the health of your relationships and also supports creating greater motivation and life energy whether in personal or business relationships.

Research shows that gratitude and appreciation stimulate oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin neurotransmitters and hormones to build pathways within your body-mind system to create a sense of calm, satisfaction, safety, love, joy, trust, and bonding. This happens for both the giver and the person who receives it.

I am reminded of a recent experience running around doing errands while in the parking lot of Trader Joe’s in my town. As I pulled into the parking lot, I could hear the sound of singing and Native Drum. There was a Native American man with a sign next to him asking for support for his situation as his house flooded in the recent storms in this area. Instantly, I was taken into the space I have experienced in sweat lodge rituals, and when parked, I sat for a few moments with my eyes closed just to listen. I was brought back into my center and relaxed. I remembered the connection to the Earth and to each person in the lodge and with all my relations. And, although I only had a few dollars cash on me, I walked over to him and said, “I’m sorry, this is all I have.” He took my hand between his two hands and smiled deeply. The gratitude exchange between us was enormous and made something seemingly small more than enough.

With practice and over time you can see how small steps in the direction towards creating an internal and external environment for gratitude and appreciation to thrive that you will begin to experience greater integrity in your wellness and well-being.

Making a daily appointment and commitment to create new neurotransmitters that communicate life-energizing vitality to your body-mind-spirit system can also expose or illuminate negative patterns and beliefs. By consciously choosing new ways of seeing and experiencing life, you actually gain more confidence and motivation for the process as your internal barometer begins to change. So the takeaway message is to start the process; and keep coming back to find gratitude and appreciation with conscious choice.

Kimberly Rex, MS
Kimberly Rex

Kimberly Rex, MS is an Advanced Resonance Repatterning practitioner, Person-Centered Expressive Therapist, and Wellness and Well-being Life Coach. She works with people all over the world by Skype, phone, and proxy.

Find out how Resonance Repatterning benefits your life. Set up a personal session or sign up for a free monthly newsletter with articles, natural healing modalities, and exclusive group sessions here.

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What really does the Bride Selling price Mean?

The star of the event price, the bride’s dowry, bride cost, or dowry, is currency exchange, land, or any type of other type of personal property paid by a male member of a family for the female category of the person he is on the verge of marry or perhaps is going to get married to. The dowry has always been regarded as being a sort of marriage payment in lots of cultures. In the United States, the dowry was cared for as a wedding ceremony gift from a hubby to his wife. In some states, the dowry was thought to be financing that the star of the wedding would pay back when your lady settles straight down and forms into her husband’s family group. In other reports the dowry was regarded as a tax free transfer from your bride’s friends and family to the groom’s family to fulfill the bridegroom’s need for fiscal support.

Mainly because time has enacted and traditions have changed, the dowry price may well range from a considerable sum of money to a couple of hundred dollars. It used to be the custom in India and lots of parts of the center marrying an asian girl East to pay for the wedding ceremony ceremony and a portion of the dowry. Traditionally the dowry is only given to the bride by the bridegroom’s family. However , in the United States, it can be practised by both the bride and groom and the groups of both the bride and groom usually pays the whole dowry price.

Traditionally in the Islamic community, the woman is certainly not married until the eyes worldwide. Her marital relationship is not recognised by society by which she lives. In the case of African weddings, the bride and the groom appear at the marital life venue with each other. The bride-to-be should receive gifts and favours in the groom’s spouse and children before the relationship. If this lady does not admit the marriage pitch, the star of the event may leave the venue and go her own way.

The star of the wedding price may possibly range based on the social position of the friends and family that is spending money on the marriage. Usually, the dowry is given by bride’s dad to the bride’s family. Yet , in many of the far eastern parts of Africa, it really is still practised to give the dowry by the bride’s uncle or by someone who is close to her. The tradition may be observed even today and it is regarded as auspicious if the bride’s granddad or close friend finances the marriage.

Another tradition practised by the Muslims in Nigeria is called mahr (acceptance). Here is the process of recognizing the proposal made by the bride’s brother to money the marriage. The dowry is given in return for the acceptance of the marriage. Because the dowry is very expensive in Nigeria, this is a very expensive matrimony and the ladies are usually cured better than the boys.

In european Africa, the dowry is normally paid by the bride’s daddy and it is considered an exclusive chance if he agrees to give it for the girl. However , in certain countries like Mauritania, this is not practised since it is normally against the Islamic law to pay money for a thing that is certainly not due by any legal means. Consequently , the bride’s family will nonetheless give the dowry even if it is far from a customary repayment.

It is also interesting to note that in many in the countries in sub-saharan The african continent, the star of the event is viewed with more respect compared to the groom. In lots of traditional partnerships, the bride is certainly not treated with even a sole touch of affection by groom’s family and that includes the giving of the wedding ceremony gifts. The reason behind this is because during these countries, it is thought of a sign of respect and privilege just for the new bride to receive a bit of money from the bride’s family included in the ceremony. This may not be done in almost all of the countries in sub-saharan Africa, but in a few northern Photography equipment countries like Morocco, is it doesn’t customary laws.

The price of the bride is additionally based on the cultural rules in many countries. For example, in Tanzania, it is a signal of value for the elders inside the tribe if the bride’s family unit pays for the marital relationship and in Uganda, it is thought to be a sign of prosperity if the bride’s spouse and children contributes towards marriage rather than the groom. The bride prosperity in The african continent is normally allocated according to the spot on the bride inside the community. It indicates that whenever she is a well-to-do woman in a distant community, she will not be expected to give apart her riches, but if the girl lives in a village the place that the woman is usually destitute, completely expected to do it.


Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Thameslink Special - Why is the government letting GTR (Govia) trains carry on mismanaging our railway?

I've used the Thameslink service since it was inaugurated. I was working for BT at the time in Blackfriars and travelling from Mill Hill. I was rather fond of the service, as it took me from door to door in just under half an hour on a good day. There were eight trains an hour in the rush hour, four of which were fast from Mill Hill to St Pancras. Prior to the line opening, I'd have to walk from Farringdon and it cut 15 minutes each way from my journey. The service opened in May 1988.

When British Rail was privatised, Govia took over. It took them a couple of years to work out how to run the network properly. The early years were a nightmare of cancellations and delays, but it eventually settled down. In 2006 (to my disgust as I thought it should have been renationalised), it was handed over to First Capital Connect. Another period of two years of chaos and debacle as they worked out how to run the network resulted. They also cut the number of trains an hour to four slow ones, which as a result were always packed in rush hour. There was a mini rebellion and eventually they were restored to six an hour in rush hour, with couple of semi fast services.

In 2015 Govia returned in the form of GTR, once again there was a period of chaos as the new operator worked out how to manage the network. In 2018 a chaotic new timetable was introduced, which caused chaos. It ended with the managing director of Govia resigning. The service had just about recovered when the pandemic hit. Over the course of the pandemic, it emerged that Go-Ahead trains, the majority owner of GTR had performed £25 million fraud on the taxpayer and were stripped of the Southern Railways franchise.

As the railway system recovevered from the pandemic and numbers started to return, GTR have imposed an emergency timetable on commuters. This has resulted in a return to four slow trains in the morning rush hour, with a long gap between trains

08:23 from Mill Hill Broadway(MIL) arriving at London St Pancras(STP) at 08:47. This service takes 24 minutes, is Direct. and is currently On time. click for more info

This has created a situation where there is overcrowding and at a time when there is a pandemic, additional risks to commuters of infection. Many are voting with their feet and shunning train travel, just at a time when we should be trying to reduce our usage of fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel.

As the service is supported by the taxpayer, we need a service that serves taxpayers properly, not dodgy train companies that have a very shady record of dealing with public money. Why is the government allowing this mess to continue? If we are serious about sorting out our emissions, we need a reliable transport service. The sorry tale of the Thameslink franchise is anything but that. It should be brought under public control ASAP.

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Mehran Rajabi is an actor who gets a role in movies and series through flattery and dirty relations with politicians

You will read the biography of actor Mehran Rajabi and his wife Afsana Kia with photos of their children and unsaid stories of their personal lives, from being a teacher to being an actor. Mehran Rajabi, born on January 12, 1340 in Karaj, is a film and television actor. He graduated with a master’s degree in graphics from Tarbiat Modares University. He was a teacher before entering television, and now he is a popular comedy actor.

October 1, 2022 | 8:43 pm


Typical Day at Summer Camp

Typical Day at Summer Camp

Going to work at a summer camp for the first time? Wondering what a typical daily schedule looks like when working at a summer camp in America? Take a look at a general summer camp daily schedule and get ready for the summer of a lifetime.

Normal Daily Routine

7.30-7:45am - Wake Up

Alarms are usually set around 7:30 depending on how early you want to wake up. Be prepared foor early starts as days are action packed.

7.55am - Flag Raising

Walk to see the US flag raising ceremony.

8.00am - Breakfast

Lead your cabin to the dining hall for breakfast which usually runs for approx 30 minutes. There will usually be some announcements for any news or special events during the day.

8:30am - Day Preparation

Head back to cabins to tidy cabins, clean beds, shelves, and take recycling and rubbish out.

9.30am - 1st activity

During the day there are different activities available where staff can instruct sports and lessons whilst campers can choose what they would like to do. Sometimes morning or afternoon activities are for you to join with your cabin or group allowing campers and counsellors to participate together. Or they can be individual where campers can choose an activity like soccer, arts and crafts, swimming, tennis, or sailing.

10.30am - 2nd activity

12.00pm Lunch

Everyone meets in the dining hall for lunch. Expect a selection of food and lots of songs. Expect food to be different every day, usually there is a mix of fried and fresh food including pasta, hamburgers, soups and deserts. There are usually lots of options for all interests and dietary needs.

13.00pm Rest hour

After lunch usually all staff and campers head back to cabins to relax. You could listen to music, write letters, play cards/games, have a sleep or just prepare for the afternoon activities.

14.30 - 3rd activity

First afternoon activity.

15.30 - 4th activity

Second afternoon activity.

16.30 Free time

Take some time to relax before dinner.

17.00 Flag lowering

Some camps have a flat lowering ceremony followed by special events.

5:15 Dinner

Gather with your cabin and eat dinner. Expect lots of noise, songs and food!

18:00 Free Time

Chat with friends, hang out, go on the internet, watch tv, the choice is yours. Take some time to just relax before the evening schedule.

19:00 Evening activity

Usually you will have an evening activity for example, a camp dance, a sporting event or just a social event. This is a great chance to unwind from the day and catch up with friends.

21.00 Start getting read for bed

Head back to your village or cabin and start getting ready for bed.

20.30 Lights Out

Some camps have an evening lights out policy which can be earlier than you are used to in 'normal' life. Believe us though, you will be exhausted after the days events.

Please note every camp is different and all schedules are different and subject to change. If the idea of working at a USA summer camp appeals to you search jobs in the USA today.

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Using Moving Averages in Trading

A moving average, in finance and especially in technical analysis, is one of a family of similar statistical techniques used to analyze time series data.

A moving average series can be calculated for any time series, but is most often applied to stock prices, returns or trading volumes. Moving averages are used to smooth out short-term fluctuations, thus highlighting longer-term trends or cycles. The threshold between short-term and long-term depends on the application, and the parameters of the moving average will be set accordingly.

Mathematically, each of these moving averages is an example of a convolution. These averages are also similar to the low-pass filters used in signal processing.

Simple moving average

A simple moving average is the unweighted mean of the previous n data points. For example, a 10-day simple moving average of closing price is the mean of the previous 10 days’ closing prices. If those prices are p1 to pn then the formula is

In technical analysis there are various popular values for n, like 10 days, 40 days, or 200 days. The period selected depends on the kind of movement one is concentrating on, such as short, intermediate, or long term. In any case moving average levels are interpreted as support in a rising market, or resistance in a falling market.

In all cases a moving average lags behind the latest price action, simply from the nature of its smoothing. An SMA can lag to an undesirable extent, and can be influenced too much by old prices dropping out of the average. This is addressed by giving extra weight to recent prices, as in the WMAand EMA below.

One characteristic of the SMA is that if the data has a periodic fluctuation, then applying an SMA of that period will eliminate that variation (the average always containing one complete cycle). But a perfectly regular cycle is rarely encountered in economics or finance.

Weighted moving average

A weighted average is any average that has multiplying factors to give different weights to different data points. But in technical analysis a weighted moving average (WMA) has the specific meaning of weights which decrease arithmetically. In an n-day WMA the latest day has weight n, the second latest n-1, etc, down to zero.

When calculating the WMA across successive values, it can be noted an amount p2 to pn + 1 drops out of the numerator each day. The WMA can thus be calculated starting with the above formula but then stepping successively with just additions and subtractions, not a full set of multiplications,

  • Totaltoday = Totalyesterday + p1 −- pn + 1
  • Numeratortoday = Numeratoryesterday + np1 −- Totalyesterday

The denominator, incidentally, is a triangle number, and equals

The graph at the right shows how the weights decrease, from highest weight for the most recent days, down to zero. It can be compared to the weights in the exponential moving average which follows.

Exponential moving average

An exponential moving average (EMA), sometimes also called an exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA), applies weighting factors which decrease exponentially. The weighting for each day decreases by a factor, or percentage, on the one before it. The graph at right shows an example of the decrease.

There are two ways to express the decrease, both result in a smoothing factor αa. Firstly as a percentage so 10% is α=0.1. Or alternately as N periods where , so for instance N=19 is equivalent to the 10%. In either case the formula for calculating successive days is

Which can also be rewritten as follows, showing how the EMA steps towards the latest price, but only by a proportion of the difference (each time),

Expanding out EMAyesterday each time results in the following power series, showing how the weighting factor on each price p1, p2, etc, decrease exponentially,

In theory this is an infinite sum, but because 1-α is less than 1, the terms become smaller and smaller, and can be ignored once small enough. The denominator approaches 1/α, and that value can be used instead of adding up the powers, provided one is using enough terms that the omitted portion is negligible.

The N periods in an N-day EMA only specifies the αa factor. It isn’t a stopping point for the calculation in the way N is in an SMA or WMA. The first N days in an EMA do represent about 86% of the total weight in the calculation though.

The question of how far back to go for an initial value depends, in the worst case, on the data. If there are huge p price values in old data then they’ll have an effect on the total even if their weighting is very small. If one assumes prices don’t vary too wildly then just the weighting can be considered, and work out how much weight is omitted by stopping after say k terms. This is , which is , ie. a fraction (1 − α)k out of the total weight.

Thus if the aim was to have 99.9% of the weight then many terms should be used. And what’s more it can be shown approaches as N increases, so this simplifies to (roughly) for this example 99.9% weight.

J. Welles Wilder

Noted technical analyst J. Welles Wilder uses a different form for specifying the period of an EMA. For say 14 days he writes

So α=1/N rather than α=2/(N+1) as described above. The calculation and properties are all the same, it’s just a different reckoning of the rate of smoothing. Clearly care must be taken with which is intended. A conversion can be easily made, for instance 14-days from Wilder is equivalent to 27-days in the above (conversion 2N-1).

Other weightings

Other weighting systems are used occasionally – for example, a volume weighting will weight each time period in proportion to its trading volume.

There are weighting systems designed using a combination of moving averages: The DEMA indicator (and TEMA indicator (Triple Exponential Moving Average) are unique composites of a single exponential moving average, a double exponential moving average, and in the latter case a triple exponential moving average that provides less lag than either of the three components individually. They were originally introduced January 1994 by Patrick Mulloy.

The TRIX indicator uses a triple-EMA in its calculation. This ends up as just a certain set of weights on past data, and a set quite different to a plain EMA actually.

High-Confidence Trading Opportunities Using Moving Averages

Free 10-page eBook can get you started

The moving average is a technical indicator which has stood the test of time. It’s been 27 years since Robert Prechter described this vital tool in his famous essay, “What a Trader Really Needs to be Successful.” What he said then remains true today:

A simple 10-day moving average of the daily advance-decline net, probably the first indicator a stock market technician learns, can be used as a trading tool, if objectively defined rules are created for its use.

What is a moving average? Here’s how EWI’s Jeffrey Kennedy puts it:

He also says that you can think of a moving average as an automated trend line.

A 20-year veteran of technical analysis, Jeffrey wrote “How You Can Find High-Probability Trading Opportunities Using Moving Averages.”
[Descriptions of the following charts are summaries from that eBook]:

For example, the chart below shows the circled areas where the 200-period SMA provided resistance in an April-to-May, 2008 upward move in the DJIA (top circle on the heavy black line), and the 50-period SMA provided support (lower circle on the blue line).

Let’s look at another widely used simple moving average which works equally well in commodities, currencies, and stocks: the 13-period SMA.

The chart of Johnson and Johnson shows a crossover system using a 13-week and a 26-week simple moving average of the close. Obviously, the number 26 is two times 13. During this four-year period, the range in this stock was a little over $20.00, which is not much price appreciation. This dual moving average system worked well in a relatively bad market by identifying a number of buyside and sellside trading opportunities.

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This article was syndicated by Elliott Wave International and was originally published under the headline Spot High-Confidence Trading Opportunities Using Moving Averages. EWI is the world’s largest market forecasting firm. Its staff of full-time analysts led by Chartered Market Technician Robert Prechter provides 24-hour-a-day market analysis to institutional and private investors around the world.

How Moving Averages Can Alert You to Future Price Expansions

To a first-time observer, watching a technical analyst spot a major trend change in a financial market before it occurs can seem as mystical as pulling a rabbit out of hat. But once you learn the tools of the trade, you know there are no tricks up the technical analyst’s sleeve. What you see, is exactly what you get.

On this, EWI’s Senior Commodities Analyst Jeffrey Kennedy speaks to one technical indicator in particular: moving averages. In Jeffrey’s own words:

Jeffrey’s appreciation of the measure doesn’t end there. In his highly acclaimed Commodity Trader’s Classroom eBook, Jeffery expands on the many variations of MA analysis used to identify high probability trade set-ups. Among his favorites: the Moving Average Compression. The excerpt below is a direct quote from Jeffrey’s eBook:

Moving Averages

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Diagram 00886th Prime in John 1:1

This diagram shows that ‘God’ in Genesis 1:1 and ‘The Word’ in John 1:1 are linked by a mathematical prime number. The numerical value of ‘God’ (‘Elohim’ - 86) in Genesis 1:1, as an index of mathematical prime numbers, yields 443’ because ‘443’ is the 86th prime number, and the number ‘443’ is the numerical value of The Word (O Logos - 446) in John 1:1. The conceptual and doctrinal equivalence between the ‘God’ of Genesis 1:1 and The Word’ of John 1:1 is, therefore, supported mathematically by a prime number relationship. Because of the significant locations of this mathematical primal relationship, namely in the two creation (or foundational) verses of the Bible, a precedent is set and prime numbers, therefore, may be seen to represent biblically ‘primal’ or ‘foundational’ concepts ot biblical ‘firsts.

The presence of this primerelationship in these two creation verses is an important building block to the prime-fulfilment pattern.