What Does The Final Rule Change?

  • New minimum salary thresholds: As expected, the final rule, which becomes effective on December 1, 2016, more than doubles the minimum salary required to be exempt from overtime requirements under the FLSA’s executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employee exemptions. Specifically, the final rule establishes $47,476 (up from $23,360) as the new minimum salary required for these exemptions, which corresponds to the 40th percentile of weekly earnings for full-time salaried workers in the lowest income region in the United States. The $47,476 minimum salary threshold is a decrease of approximately $3,000 from the proposed $50,440 minimum salary contained in DOL’s proposed rule. However, even with this decrease, approximately 35 percent of current full-time salaried workers are expected to become automatically entitled to overtime absent changes to their existing salaries.

In addition to the increase in the standard salary threshold, the final rule also provides for a significant increase in the minimum salary required to satisfy the highly compensated employee (HCE) exemption. The new salary threshold for highly compensated employees will increase to $134,004 per year (up from $100,000 per year) and corresponds to the 90th percentile of full-time earnings nationwide.

  • Automatic increases to the minimum salary thresholds: For the first time ever, the final rule provides for the minimum salary thresholds to automatically be increased every three years to take into account increases in the costs of living and to ensure that the minimum salary thresholds stay at the 40th and 90th percentile levels for the lowest income region in the United States. While these periodic increases are better for employers than the annual increases referenced in DOL’s proposed rule, early estimates indicate that employers will be forced to pay salaries of more than $51,000 to maintain exempt status under the executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employee exemptions when the first salary increase takes effect in January 2020. For employees who are exempt under the highly compensated employee exemption, this threshold is likely to rise to more than $147,000 by the time of the first increase. The DOL will post the new salary thresholds at least 150 days in advance of their effective date, beginning in August 2019.
  • 10 percent rule for bonuses, incentive payments, and commissions: In response to numerous comments from the business community, the final rule allows up to 10 percent of the non-HCE salary to be satisfied by nondiscretionary bonuses, incentive payments, or commissions so long as those payments are made on at least a quarterly basis. However, the value of other fringe benefits, such as health insurance, still cannot be counted toward the salary threshold.

What Has Not Changed?

  • FLSA coverage: The final rule does not modify the requirements for coverage under the FLSA and continues to apply to (1) businesses or similar entities (enterprise coverage) and (2) individuals (individual coverage). With respect to enterprise coverage, the FLSA, including its overtime requirements, generally applies to businesses or similar entities that have sales or business of at least $500,000 per year, plus certain “named enterprises” which are covered regardless of their annual sales or business and regardless of their nonprofit status (e.g., hospitals, schools and preschools, government agencies, businesses providing medical, or nursing care for residents). In the case of other nonprofits which are not named enterprises, coverage is based only on activities they perform for a business purposes and does not include the organization’s charitable activities. Likewise, income from donations, membership fees, dues, and other contributions used for charitable activities are not counted toward the FLSA’s $500,000 enterprise threshold. Finally, certain employees may be entitled to FLSA protection under individual coverage, even if their nonprofit employer is not covered under enterprise coverage, if the employee is engaging in interstate commerce or the production of goods for interstate commerce. The DOL has issued specific guidance for nonprofit employers, which reiterates that there is no exemption for nonprofits under the FLSA and that any nonprofits that engage in significant commercial activities or that employ workers who engage in interstate commerce (by making out-of-state phone calls or sending or receiving mail, for example) must comply with minimum wage and overtime requirements.
  • Exempt duties tests: To the relief of many employers, the final rule also does not contain any changes to the duties tests for exempt status. Therefore, employers will continue to use the same duties tests to evaluate whether or not a position is exempt or nonexempt from overtime. Further, employees who are properly classified as exempt under the existing salary threshold will remain exempt after December 1 as long as they earn at least $47,476 (or $134,004 for HCE’s) per year.
  • Fluctuating workweek method still available: Under the final rule, the fluctuating workweek method of calculating hours of work is still available and employer are allowed to continue to pay a fixed salary that covers a fluctuating number of hours at straight time if there is a clear, mutual understanding between the employer and employee regarding the salary and certain other conditions are met.
  • Certain exemptions not affected: Finally, the rule does not change the exemption for commissioned sales employees in retail and service establishments who must continue to be paid one-and-a-half times the minimum wage for all hours worked and receive a majority of their earnings in commissions. Certain other exemptions also remain unchanged by the final rule.

Impact of the Final Rule

The final rule is expected to have an enormous impact on employers. According to the DOL’s fact sheet on the final rule, it will affect 4.2 million workers in the United States who are currently classified as exempt but earn less than $47,476 per year. The DOL estimates that employers will convert 4.1 million of these workers to hourly status, so they will be eligible for overtime pay, and that 100,000 of these workers will receive salary increases to satisfy the new minimum thresholds. The agency also estimates that, in the first year alone, the final rule will cost private sector employers $1.8 billion – $1.2 billion in payroll increases and $637.7 million in additional direct costs on employers, such as conducting audits on employees’ exempt status and changing management practices to better track the time employees spend working. These costs will be particularly significant for employers in the retail and restaurant industries, which are likely to employ more lower-paid managers.

Compliance Strategies for Employers

In order to assist employers with compliance, the DOL has published several technical guidance documents containing several options for private employers, nonprofits, and higher education. These options include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Raise salaries to $47,476 per year: For salaried employees who are at or near the new minimum threshold (and assuming employees are properly classified as exempt to begin with), employers can raise salaries for exempt workers to $47,476 per year and continue classifying them as exempt from overtime.
  2. Reclassification to nonexempt only: For salaried employees who work 40 hours or less per week and work no overtime, employers can reclassify employees who are below the minimum threshold as nonexempt and make no other changes to hours and pay.
  3. Reclassify and pay overtime above existing salary: For salaried employees who work more than 40 hours per week and do not earn at least $47,476 per year, employers may reclassify those employees as salaried nonexempt, have them track their hours worked, and then pay overtime (above and beyond base salary) for any hours worked over 40 hours per week.
  4. Reclassify and limit hours and/or divide workloads among multiple employees: Employers may also achieve compliance by reclassifying affected salaried employees as nonexempt and limiting employees’ hours to no more than 40 hours per week or dividing workloads among multiple full-time or even part-time employees so that employees do not work more than 40 hours per week.
  5. Reclassify and adjust wages to account for additional overtime to be paid: Another option is for employers to reclassify affected salaried employees as nonexempt and adjust base wages downward (keeping in mind minimum wage requirements) in order to account for the additional wages that will be paid for overtime. Alternatively, in certain situations, employers and employees may agree to a fixed salary amount to be paid for a fixed number of hours per week.
  6. Use of volunteers (nonprofits only): In addition to the above options, certain nonprofit organizations may consider expanding their use of volunteers. However, nothing in the final rule changes the requirements for volunteers, who are generally limited to performing voluntary services for religious, public service, or humanitarian purposes and who perform service without expectation or receipt of compensation.

Next Steps for Employers

In advance of the December 1 deadline, all employers with salaried workers should audit the exempt status and salaries for their employees to ensure compliance with the DOL’s final rule. Any audit should include a review of salaries to ensure that all exempt workers are paid at least the minimum salary required for exemption under the final rule. In addition, employers should use the final rule as an opportunity to closely analyze the job duties of positions about which there are classification concerns in order to ensure that the job duties for those positions satisfy the requirements of the existing duties tests. Employers will then need to work on raising salaries and/or reclassifying any employees who no longer qualify as exempt either due to the increased salary threshold or because they do not satisfy the applicable duties test. We recommend that employers promptly consult with their employment counsel for assistance complying with the DOL’s final rule.


Boat operators should be allowed to take passengers both ways

Dear Editor,

Here are a few quick reactions to the article `Corentyne ‘backtrack’ back in full swing – but with new rules’ by Shabna Ullah.

In my opinion, the rule that Guyanese operators are only allowed to transport passengers to Nickerie, but cannot solicit passengers coming to Guyana, will result in a waste of energy. Also, having the boats return empty, while there is business, will most likely leave the operators feeling rather dissatisfied. Furthermore, the contribution towards air and water pollution may not be significant, but it will still add to it unnecessarily.

Surinamese operators now transport passengers to Guy-ana, while Guyanese could do this on their return trip. That means “two” empty boat crossings each time, because the same rule applies to Surinamese, who can only take passengers to Guyana and none to Suriname. See what I mean? A waste of energy and unnecessary pollution to the environment.

On the positive side; I am totally in favour of the rule that the boats can only carry eight passengers, instead of 15 and that they must be equipped with life jackets. Safety first!

Yours faithfully,

Gerry Triesman


NWA Democrat-Gazette

It's called a "slippery slope" argument, an over-used form of reasoning that suggests one course of action will lead to others undesirable or perhaps calamitous. When an idea presented isn't necessarily easy to argue against, it's sometimes too tempting to imagine all sorts of unacceptable trajectories that will be irretrievably launched by the decision at hand.

People use the slippery slope all too often. We don't recommend it, because once it's employed, it leads to all sorts of negative consequences for ... wait a minute ... doh!

What’s the point?

Read more here.


Factors that determine the price of

factors that determine the price of Oil prices are controlled by commodities market trading the 3 factors that impact them are supply, demand, and reserves. factors that determine the price of Oil prices are controlled by commodities market trading the 3 factors that impact them are supply, demand, and reserves. factors that determine the price of Oil prices are controlled by commodities market trading the 3 factors that impact them are supply, demand, and reserves.

We defined demand as the amount of some product a consumer is willing and able to purchase at each price that suggests at least two factors in addition to price that affect demand. Finally, a change in the price of a joint product will affect supply the supply function is the mathematical expression of the relationship between supply and those factors that affect the willingness and ability of a supplier to offer goods for sale. Part guesswork, part experience, part number crunching - how ever you look at it, determining your price is a difficult task here are nine factors to take into consideration when pricing your. Oil prices are controlled by commodities market trading the 3 factors that impact them are supply, demand, and reserves. The main economic factors that determine the price of a good or service are demand and supply individual demand or individual supply doesn't. What affects commodities prices april 27, 2009 by joe ponzio print in general, there are four main factors that affect commodities prices: if supply and demand are in perfect balance (assuming no other factors affect the price), commodities prices would go nowhere.

Many blame speculators for the day-to-day volatility however, there are fundamental drivers of the price the general rule, according to the eia, is that about two-thirds of your cost of gas at the pump is determined by crude oil cost the rest is a combination of taxes, refining, distribution and. Airfare is a product, but it has far more pricing variables than most best buy may slap a price tag on a flat screen tv before the super bowl and lower it after the game, but airline ticket prices can -- and sometimes do -- change every day here are nine factors that determine what. Understanding the movements of gold and silver prices is a good way to measure the health of an economy and assess current market conditions here are three main factors that influence their prices. There are many factors which determine the price elasticity of demand: what are factors that affect the price elasticity of the demand for houses what are the factors affecting demand for a product what happens when price falls in perfectly elastic demand. What are the most important factors that impact real estate prices we look at the factors influencing home appreciation and depreciation.

Examine the factors that determine the price of computers in a free market 2819 words | 12 pages summary: in economics the market relations between the suppliers and consumers of a product are known as demand and supply. The current price of the underlying is obviously a very important factor that determines the price of an option also the strike price of the contract is a. Smart small business owners will weigh many marketplace factors before setting prices for their goods and services as the small you must keep abreast of the factors that affect pricing and be ready to adjust quickly cost factors and pricing there are. The top factors that move the price of copper by craig adeyanju on we'll look into the top factors that drive the price of copper supplies (more on that below) here is a simple way to know how this would affect the price of copper whenever, improved economic. 152 factors that affect pricing decisions learning objectives in addition to setting a pricing objective, a firm has to look at a number of factors before setting its prices these factors include the offering's costs. Before going into factors that affect property price, it is of utmost importance to understand that property value and property price are 2 very different things.

Factors that determine the price of

There are plenty of factors that determine scrap prices and metal market conditions from international markets all the way down to scrappers themselves. There are many factors that affect your car insurance rates, including your age, gender, where you live, your credit and driving history and the type of car you drive, among others. What's on a canadian plate eating well with canada's food guide is all fat unhealthy 3 ways to identify a canadian product 5 factors that affect food prices.

New york cornflakes won't necessarily be more expensive as a result of rising corn prices, but the milk you pour over them might be a drought covering two-thirds of the country has damaged much of the country's corn crops and pushed grain prices to record levels, triggering. Elizabeth wasserman is editor of inc's technology website, inctechnologycom based in the washington how to price your products: factors to consider there are many methods available to determine the 'right' price, willett says. The meaning of price elasticity of demand and the factors that influence it in this case, the product is said to have unitary elasticity small changes in price do not affect the total revenue factors affecting the price elasticity of demand. Seven things that determine the value of a business the value of the business consists of not just the lower the business value some of the factors increasing the buyer's roi expectation, and hence decreasing business value, are poor quality financials (includes the business price. Learning objectives understand the factors that affect a firm's pricing decisions understand why companies must conduct research before setting prices in international markets.

Let's take a look at factors that affect health insurance costs for premiums and cost sharing under obamacare drug prices and the cost of healthcare no other factors can affect the cost of a health plan.

Factors that determine the price of
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Calcium is a macro (major) mineral.
    Calcium is the most common mineral in the human body. About 99% of the calcium in the body is found in bones and teeth, while the other 1% is found in the blood. After age 30, the body gradually loses calcium, resulting in gradual depletion of bone minerals. The deficiency of vitamin D leads to absorption of calcium in less degree.

Why is Calcium important?

Calcium is a critical factor in maintaining a healthy skeleton. Low blood calcium levels lead to chronic kidney failure, vitamin D deficiency, and low blood magnesium levels. Calcium is essential for the formation of strong bones and teeth and for the maintenance of healthy gums. It increases the rate of bone growth and prevents against bone loss associated with osteoporosis. Vitamin D is required for optimal calcium absorption.

How much Calcium is enough?
Adults should have 1000 milligrams every day (ages 19-50 years).
    Older adults (50 years and older) should have 1200 mg/day of calcium every day.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Calcium
Babies 0 to 1 years 220 mg/day
Children 1 to 3 years 500 mg/day
Children 4 to 6 years 800 mg/day
Children 7 to 8 years 900 mg/day
Children 9 to 13 years 1300 mg/day
Teenagers 14 to 19 1200 mg/day
Adults ages 19-50 years 1000 mg/day
Adults 50 age and older 1200 mg/day
Pregnant women 1300 mg/day
Breast-feeding 1300 mg/day

Calcium plays a role relaxation of blood vessels, nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and the secretion of hormones like insulin. Binding of calcium to the protein, calmodulin, activates enzymes that breakdown muscle glycogen to provide energy for muscle contraction.
    Calcium is essential for the formation of strong bones and teeth.
    Calcium is important in the maintenance of a regular heartbeat and transmission of nerve impulses. Calcium helps lower cholesterol levels and helps prevent against cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer including colourectal cancer.
    It is involved in the activation of several enzymes including lipase, which breaks down fats for utilisation by the body.
Dairy products represent rich sources of calcium, but certain vegetables and grains also provide calcium. The kale, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, mustard, and turnip greens are rich of calcium.
Food Serving Calcium(mg) in serving
Milk 8 ounces 300
Yogurt 8 ounces 300
Cheddar cheese 1.5 ounces 303
Chinese cabbage, cooked 1/2 cup 239
Spinach, raw 1/2 cup 175
White beans, cooked 1/2 cup 113
Spinach, cooked 1/2 cup 115
Pinto beans, cooked 1/2 cup 45
Red beans 1/2 cup 41
Broccoli, cooked 1/2 cup 35
Rhubarb 1/2 cup 174

© Diets In Details, 2006-2013;


Distance from Dover, MO to Saint John, WA

Driving distance between Dover, MO and Saint John, WA is 1,726.44 miles (or 2,778.44 kilometers). If you drove an average car (using about 3.6 gallons of gas per mile), the gas would cost you around $, since you would need about gallons of fuel.

Leaving from Dover, MO you would reach Saint John, WA in about 1 days 0 hours if you keep an average speed of miles per hour, assuming you don’t make any breaks or get stuck in traffic.

Driving distance in miles

1,726 mi2,778 km

CO2 emissions icon

CO2 emissions: kg

Emission estimated with the eco2 norme
(185 CO2 grams/mile)

This is a map overview of the best driving route from Dover, MO to Saint John, WA in which you can see the origin and destination points marked with A (Dover) and B (Saint John) respectively as well as blue line along the road route you can take. You can zoom in to see more details, including road numbers and even street names both in Dover, MO and Saint John, WA as well as every other town you may pass by on your way.

Fuel consumption if you drive from Dover, MO to Saint John, WA

Cost of driving from Dover, MO to Saint John, WA

Depending on the fuel efficiency level of your car, driving from Dover to Saint John will cost you between and . An average car would make the trip for . We calculate the route cost using real time average gas prices for the US and other costs such as tolls are not included in this calculation.

Driving directions

To help you plan your trip from Dover to Saint John, we offer a detailed map together with full, turn by turn, driving directions from Dover, MO to Saint John, WA.

Flying or direct distance between Dover, MO and Saint John, WA

The flying distance represent the straight distance from Dover to Saint John, the length of an hypothetical flight trip between the geographic center of Dover, MO and the geographic center of Saint John, WA. We also offer nearby airports to both Dover to Saint John and a flight ticket price comparison form, in case you want to make that hypothetical flight real :).

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Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has taken some massive steps towards road safety in the state. After launching the Road Safety Cell the UP Government has come up with some reforms to ensure that the traffic rules are being adhered to. The young CM has always been strict about such things and this initiative only reiterates the fact. From now on, if someone is found honking their horns constantly during red signals or traffic jams in the state, the police will take strict action towards them.

This step is being taken by the Akhilesh government and UP Police to curb the rising noise pollution and constant complains received due to such inconvenience. If someone is caught honking incessantly, they will have to pay a hefty fine of Rs. 1100 or their vehicle will be seized. The traffic police officers have been asked to take immediate action. This rule will not just hold true for private vehicles, it will be extended to government cars as well. A circular has been sent to government officials to remove pressure horns, if they fail to do so, the vehicle will be seized.no honk

This is not it! According to UPPCB generated pollution report, silence zones will be established across the state. These will mostly be around schools, hospitals, and other public spots. First and foremost, it will be implemented in Lucknow as a pilot project. Any vehicle with a horn greater than 100 decibel will be fined.


Do you have what it takes to be a charge nurse? You may be an ASN nurse for now but you can think about the future. Nurses are born leaders; they have the innate capacity to lead and to be great people that can influence others. You might think you would just want to stay being an ASN but if you have the experiences of being a leader, why waste it?

It is not as hard as you might think to be a charge nurse. Of course, it does not happen overnight. You may have the raw talent but you also need to hone it. Here are some of the things you need to do to become one.

Prepare to Continue Your Education

If you will be a nurse supervisor someday you might need to think about going to school. Your four year nursing course would not be enough. You need to supplement it with a master's study. Most company will promote their employees if they take up their continuing education. This is also the same with nursing.

Balance Between Administration and Bedside Duties

You have to familiarize yourself with the administrative side of things. You have to shift your perspective from someone who is concerned with the day to day task to someone who has to be also responsible for a whole department or even several nurses who will be under your supervision.

Study Different Leadership Styles and Choose

As a leader, you also should learn about the different leadership styles. This is necessary because you will be the person that will be looked up to. So you need to find out what leadership style will be most effective in dealing with other people.

Think Like a Supervisor

One of the most difficult tasks that you might be faced with is being the boss. Of course, there will be colleleges that are with you since you started and now you have to be their boss. You just have to realize that you need to separate personal feeling to professional ones. If you are there to be the supervisor then think and act like one. Your colleagues will understand that it is not personal. You just need to do your job.

Being a charge nurse may be a difficult role at first if you are used to being the one following your leader. There will be mistakes along the way but these are necessary for you to learn and become a great leader for others.


Test 192  (Ocular pharmacology)
1. The side effects of pilocarpine include:
a. dry eye

b. increased sweating

c. bronchiolar spasm

d. increased salivation

e. constipation

2. The following are true about pilocarpine:

a. it increases the concentration of acetylcholine in the
    synaptic cleft

b. it increases trabeulcar meshwork outflow but
    decreases uveoscleral outflow

c. patients with dark iris are more sensitive to the miotic
    effect of pilocarpine

d. it increases the depth of focus

e. it induces myopia by increasing the axial length of the

3. Pilocarpine is contraindicated in the following conditions:
a. malignant glaucoma

b. pseudoexfoliation glaucoma

c. hypertensive uveitis

d. aphakic glaucoma

e. subacute angle closure glaucoma

. 4. With regard to the effect of atropine:
a. mydriasis is the result of paralysis of the constrictor
    muscle of the pupil

b. mydriasis occurs more rapidly than cycloplegia

c. cycloplegia persists longer than mydriasis

d. it causes forward movement of the lens

e. it causes a breakdown in the blood aqueous barrier

5. The following are true with regard to acetazolamide:

a. 99% of carbonic anhydrase must be inhibited before
    there is an effect on the intraocular pressure

b. it increases rate of subretinal fluid absorption between
    retina and retinal pigment epithelium

c. it reduces the rate of aqueous production by up to 50%

d. a solution of acetazolamide has an alkaline pH

e. it is excreted unchanged by the kidneys

More MCQs


Why does globalisation strengthen nationalism?

opinion August 10, 2018 01:00

By Park Sang-seek
The Korea Herald
Asia News Network

4,158 Viewed

When globalistion began to accelerate in the 1990s, globalists rejoiced and predicted that globalism would eventually weaken nationalism, and international organistions, particularly the UN, would become more powerful. However, such optimism has turned out to be a naive dream.

Nation-states have become more vital and powerful, while within nation-states ethnic or religious minority groups have become more assertive of their identity and have often sought to establish a separate state. In the contemporary world, the nation-state system is the foundation of the global political order. Nation-states are the main actors in the world and all the other actors such as the UN and other international organistions are their clubs.

Immediately after World War II, global leaders and scholars believed that nation-states would become gradually subordinate to international organisations, particularly the UN. But even after more than 70 years since the establishment of the UN, member states have become more numerous and more self-assertive than ever before.

Moreover, no country – big and small or rich and poor – wishes to subordinate its sovereign power not only to other member states but also to the UN. They still hold that national sovereignty is the most important principle of international relations and the UN.

Globalists and the UN hold that national sovereignty has two faces: right and duty. No country can intervene in the internal affairs of other states, but its sovereignty can be limited by the UN and multilateral or bilateral treaties, because it has given consent to them. Globalists believe that interactions between and among states accelerate centripetal force and eventually integrate them into one bigger entity. But this theory has proven to be wrong. In reality, since WWII no existing state has merged into another state and no newly established states have merged with other states, new or old. A few newly established states have attempted a merger but have failed.

Globalists believed that globalisation takes place in all fields of human life – political, economic, social, cultural, knowledge and information – and forces nation-states to promote mutual exchanges, cultural homogenisation, all kinds of international organisations, and private and public networks.

But exactly the opposite is happening. The existing nation-states are making all-out efforts to consolidate their national unity, while minority ethnic or religious groups within a state are desperately fighting for separation or autonomy. No country is seeking for a pan-national state or regional integration. The only exception is the European Union. Primordial ties are the most powerful glue for unity for them. Under the circumstances, people are more concerned about the loss of primordial ties than the loss of all kinds of gains globalisation can bring about. This is the reason why most peoples in the non-West are willing to preserve the primordial ties rather than to gain economic and other benefits of globalisation at the sacrifice of ethnic unity.

Globalisation is taking place in all fields of human life: political, economic, social, cultural and knowledge and information. As a result, the forces that promote internationalism and the forces that promote nationalism come into conflict in these fields.

In the above six fields, the forces of nationalism, regionalism and internationalism in the political field; the forces of mercantilism and free trade in the economic field; the forces of xenophobia and xenophilia in the social field; and the forces of Western and Non-Western civilisations in the cultural, knowledge and information fields are now going through a period of conflict and accommodation. In this period of globalisation, conflicts between the West and the non-West on the global, regional and national levels are inevitable.

Globalisation of economic, social and cultural life actually means the westernisation of the non-West. This is the main reason why most non-Western countries have become anti-Western. They try to protect their national identity through cultural or religious chauvinism. But the reality shows that some non-Western countries such as Japan, Singapore and South Korea, which have sacrificed their traditional cultures for westernisation, have succeeded in achieving political stability and economic prosperity.

In Africa and the Middle East, religious and ethnic ties are so strong that any aspects of globalisation that they consider harmful to these primordial ties are rejected strongly. They consider the West as the prime mover of globalisation because the West uses globalisation as the weapon for global domination. The non-West uses nationalism as a counter weapon against globalisation.

The stronger the forces of globalisation become the stronger nationalism becomes in non-Western states, while ethnic and religious groups that live as minority groups in those states are eager to establish their own states because they believe that they can protect their cultural identity better if they have their own states. Eventually, primary groups have to fight against two enemies: westernisation and globalisation. Big ethnic and religious groups have mostly succeeded in establishing an independent state but small ones can hardly succeed.

The result is not what globalists have predicted: globalisation weakens nationalism.

On the contrary, the result is what nationalists have predicted: globalisation strengthens nationalism. Nationalism taking various forms of independence movements – separatism, irredentism, pan-nationalism and Zionism – is reasserting itself in the midst of globalisation.

It is ironical that in the midst of globalisation, nationalism becomes stronger. As long as humans completely abandon their primordial instinct, the nation-state will remain the basic unit in international relations and nationalism will prevail over internationalism regardless of how strong globalisation becomes. Humanity has to live with nationalism for a long time and war will remain a way of life in the nation-state system.

Park Sang-seek is a former chancellor of the National Diplomatic Academy, Korean Foreign Ministry.


Concept_DC_Capitol Building

Updated Appropriations 101

Aug 10, 2017 | Budget Process

Note: We have updated this paper, please see the latest Appropriations 101.

What are appropriations?

How does Congress determine the total level of appropriations?

In the absence of a budget resolution, each chamber may enact a deeming resolution that sets the 302(a) allocation for that chamber. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 gave the Chairman of the Budget Committee authority to set the 302(a) allocation for the Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2017 at the statutory discretionary spending cap established by the Bipartisan Budget Act.

In addition, discretionary spending is currently subject to statutory spending caps. The Budget Control Act of 2011 set discretionary caps through 2021, which were modified for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, and Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Beyond 2017, the statutory caps set by the Budget Control Act are reduced by about $90 billion annually through an enforcement mechanism known as “sequestration” (see Understanding the Sequester) implemented after the failure of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to produce legislation to reduce the deficit.

How does Congress allocate appropriations?

Once they receive 302(a) allocations, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees set 302(b) allocations to divide total appropriations among 12 subcommittees, each dealing with a different part of the budget. Those subcommittees must then decide how to distribute funds within their 302(b) allocations. These 302(b) allocations are voted on by the respective Appropriations Committees but are not subject to review or vote by the full House or Senate. The table below lists the FY 2017 regular (non-war, non-disaster) appropriations, along with the House FY 2018 spending distributions put forward by the House Appropriations Committee.1 The House levels are above discretionary spending caps (see next question for more).

The table excludes funding not subject to the spending caps, such as Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 exceeded the President’s request for OCO spending by about $16 billion in 2016, creating the opportunity to spend around the caps (see more on that in our blog).

Each subcommittee must propose a bill that ultimately must pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by the President in order to take effect. Although the budget process calls for 12 individual bills, many of them are often combined into what is known as an omnibus appropriations bill and sometimes a few are combined into what has been termed a minibus appropriations bill.

How are appropriations levels enforced?

If any appropriations bill or amendment in either house exceeds the 302(b) allocation for that bill, causes total spending to exceed the 302(a) allocation, or causes total spending to exceed statutory spending caps, then any Member of Congress can raise a budget “point of order” against consideration of the bill. The point of order can be waived by a simple majority in the House as part of the rule for floor consideration of the bill and overridden by a 60-vote majority in the Senate. If, despite these points of order, Congress enacts legislation increasing spending beyond the defense or non-defense caps, then the President must issue a sequestration order to reduce discretionary spending across the board in the category in which the caps were exceeded, effective 15 days after Congress adjourns for the year. Importantly, certain types of discretionary spending – including for OCO and for designated emergencies – do not count against the statutory caps.

What happens if funds are needed outside of the appropriations process?

What role does the President play in the appropriations process?

What is the timeline for appropriations?

The 1974 Budget Act calls for the President to submit his budget request by the first Monday in February and for Congress to agree to a concurrent budget resolution by April 15. The House may begin consideration of appropriations bills on May 15 even if a budget resolution has not been adopted, and is supposed to complete action on appropriations bills by June 30. However, none of these deadlines are enforceable and they are regularly missed. The practical deadline for passage of appropriations is October 1, when the next fiscal year begins and the previous appropriation bills expire. For a full timeline of the budget process, click here.

What happens if appropriations bills do not pass by October 1?

What is a continuing resolution?

What happens during a government shutdown?

Executive branch agencies must spend funds provided by Congress in the manner directed by Congress in the text of the appropriations bills. Appropriations bills often contain accompanying report language with additional directions, which are not legally binding but are generally followed by agencies. And in some instances, Congress will provide for very narrow authority or can use funding limitation clauses to tell agencies what they cannot spend the money on. That said, Congress often provides broad authority, which gives agencies more control in allocating spending. Agencies also have some authority to reprogram funds between accounts after notifying (and in some cases getting approval from) the Appropriations Committees.

What is the difference between appropriations and authorizations?

Where are the House and Senate in the current appropriations process?

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 expires at the end of FY 2017, meaning that the “sequester” on discretionary spending will return in full and caps on non-exempt discretionary spending will be set at $1.065 trillion, a $5 billion decrease from FY 2017.

As of August 7, 2017, the House Budget Committee has approved a budget resolution which provides the 302(a) spending allocation and the House Appropriations Committee has released all of its subcommittee appropriations bills, but not put out official 302(b) numbers. The House has passed a security “minibus” containing the Defense, Military Construction and VA, Energy and Water, and Legislative Branch appropriations as well as portions of the Homeland Security bill. While the House approved the minibus on July 27th, the Senate will not take up the legislation until both chambers reconvene in September. The Senate has not released 302(a) or 302(b) allocations; however, Senate Appropriations subcommittees have begun work on appropriations bills.

1As of August 9, 2017, the House has not passed a budget resolution or deeming resoultion setting a 302(a) allocation for FY 2018. Therefore, the Appropriations Committee has not established 302(b) allocations.


A Student’s Guide to Surviving HSC Society & Culture

By Olivia Widjaja in HSC
16th of May 2018
HSC Society & Culture

Olivia is a current Year 12 student. For all things HSC Society & Culture, check this out!

HSC Society & Culture is sometimes dismissed as an ‘easy’ subject, considering how the essays are worth 15 marks, in comparison to the 20-mark and 25-mark essays you have to write in other subjects. However, don’t underestimate the difficulty of Society & Culture, considering how you have to flesh out the definitions of the SAC concepts and work on your PIP throughout the year. So how do you survive in HSC Society & Culture?

Using the Syllabus to Your Advantage

Just like the other subjects, the syllabus is extremely important to help you understand what content you will be going through and any important ideas and definitions you need to know. The syllabus for other subjects usually tells you what content you’ll need to know, but the HSC Society & Culture syllabus gives you more than that. Not only do they tell you what content you’re expected to know, they give you the glossary of key terms that you should know for each depth study and overall, and a thorough list on how to be a more socially and culturally literate person. Take advantage of these key terms and definitions because they’re important when you have to apply them in real-life situations in multiple choice and short answer.

Furthermore, they tell you the two types of research methods and give you a list of what methods belong in qualitative or quantitative. The types of research methods may seem easy but don’t underestimate the difficulty of these types of questions because the multiple choice can easily offer options that can arguably be correct but you must choose the ‘most correct’ answer.

Know these key terms and definitions really well. Personally, I find the hardest past of HSC Society & Culture is to be able to flesh out these key terms into paragraphs and finding the perfect example. Plus, these SAC concepts need to be applied to your PIP as well.

Short Answer Responses

When approaching short answer responses, it’s best to divide your response into two paragraphs: an ‘introduction’ and a discussion. It’s difficult to describe what you need to do in the first paragraph because it’s a combination of an explanation of the key idea in the question and a bit of a discussion on how this idea relates to the depth study. This approach is generally applicable to questions where it addresses two key ideas.

HSC Society & Culture

An example of this is Question 11 from the 2017 HSC Paper, where it states: ‘For a country you have studied, apply a social change theory to explain change in one of the following aspects: beliefs, values and lifestyles; education; family and population; gender roles and the status of men and women; and the legal system and political processes.’ Considering how this question requires you to apply a social change theory, the way you could approach this question is:

Paragraph 1: Explain your chosen social change theory in three or four sentences.

Paragraph 2: Apply the theory to one of the listed aspects in at least five sentences.

However, questions that ask you to relate a concept to a situation will most likely require you to have two paragraphs:

Question: How do traditions and culture influence gender roles in ONE belief system or ideology?

Paragraph 1: Small explanation of how the concept relates to one aspect in real life.

Example: Gender roles in Buddhism are heavily influenced by tradition and culture due to its adaptable nature. Since most of Buddhist values and beliefs and left open to interpretation due to their belief that individuals are responsible for their own actions, Buddhism is capable of adapting to different cultures, thus resulting in slight variations in different countries. An example of this is the differing role of women. Traditionally, the Buddha stated that women are capable of reaching enlightenment. However, cultural values alter this value. In Theravada Buddhism, women are not allowed to be ordained. Instead, men are able to take their vows and be ordained as monks to reach enlightenment for women and the laity. Nevertheless, due to the varying Buddhist traditions, the enforcement of gender roles differ; my experiences in Nan Tien Temple indicates the importance of women as the nuns are responsible for maintaining the temple, thus emphasising the significant role of women in Buddhism due to the combination of the Buddha’s teachings in relation to women and the influence of western society.

Paragraph 2: Discussion of how the concept relates a different real life situation.

Example: Globalisation is also used to propagate its culture, influencing gender roles within Buddhism. Due to the increasing fascination towards Buddhism in the west, women are starting to become more involved in the monastic life due to their desire to follow the Buddha’s footsteps. As a result, there is an increase in the number of women achieving more significant roles. An example of this is Abbess Blanche Hartman, the first woman to achieve a position of high authority in San Francisco Zen Centre. Since the west are conscious over the role of women in all aspects of society, Abbess Hartman encountered an issue whether her title would be ‘abbot’ or ‘abbess’; on one side, the title ‘abbot’ would allow her to achieve equality with other abbots. However, her title as ‘Abbot Hartman’ would be misleading due to the ambiguity of her gender, thus her decision to use her ‘abbess’ title. This debate illustrates the complex role of women in Buddhism due to the conflicting nature between the Buddha’s teachings and the traditional idea of women being unable to achieve positions of higher authority, hence emphasising the idea of western values influencing gender roles in Buddhism.

Disclaimer: This response is typed and not completed in exam conditions. The length of this response may be cut down in exam conditions. However, my teacher gave me full marks for this response.

Notice how I showed the relationship between gender roles and traditions and culture in the first paragraph and did a more extended discussion on the relationship between the two aspects in the second paragraph. It really depends on how you want to approach the different types of questions.

HSC Society & Culture

Essay Writing

Writing essays in HSC Society & Culture, just like in other Humanities subjects, follows the PEEL structure. The difference is that your thesis varies slightly. The difficult thing about SAC essays is that the verbs differ from ‘assess’, ‘evaluate’ and ‘examine.’ Take note of the differences between these verbs because you can easily get off-track. For example, a lot of students generally use ‘assess’ and ‘evaluate’ interchangeably but the main difference between these terms is that ‘evaluate’ requires you to make a judgement based on a criterion. Your first sentence should be answering the question – in the ‘assess’ or ‘evaluate’ instance, your judgement should be in your first sentence. Put simply, remember when you were in primary school and the teachers asked you to write in full sentences by including key terms from the question? This is how you should write the first sentence – of course, be a bit more sophisticated with your wording and include terminology if applicable. As for the rest of the introduction, I generally follow the ‘one sentence per paragraph’ structure and reinforce my thesis.

Another difficulty in writing essays in using the most appropriate example. Your examples can be a variety of things: your case study, a scene from a film (preferably one you studied), contemporary issues or even your experiences. As long as you can apply a SAC concept to these examples, you should be able to link your evidence to your topic sentence and answer the question. My teacher tends to look favourably on the students who use personal experience since HSC Society & Culture is all about combining personal experience and public knowledge. However, this does not mean you should be writing a biography – only use your personal experience when appropriate. For example, my school visited Nan Tien Temple for our Belief Systems and Ideologies camp and we used that as an example in our essays. It’s appropriate and fits with the social and cultural literacy.

Personal Interest Project

A lot of students dread the PIP – it’s long, requires a lot of effort and it’s something you can’t do in one night. It’s also easy to fall behind and get extremely overwhelming. Organisation is key when starting your PIP. A timeline is really important to keep you on track. Use this as a way to set weekly goals and make sure you complete them. Make sure your goals are small and achievable – the project is already large so don’t stress yourself even more by setting yourself unrealistic goals. Set something simple such as annotating five secondary sources. Doable and helps you get the job done.

When researching, don’t forget to take notes and date and title them! This is extremely important when you’re writing your annotated bibliography since it helps you reflect on how useful the source is or how valid the information is in comparison with your other sources. Furthermore, when you’re writing your PIP chapters, it makes things easier when you have your information in dot points so you can easily put it into your own sentences. Plus, quoting makes it easier since you don’t have to dig through your list of sources since your notes are dated and titled.

HSC Society & Culture

Writing PIP chapters can sound overwhelming to many. Personally, it took me three weeks to start drafting my first PIP. Start off your PIP chapters by planning out what you want to discuss in all of your chapters; for the sake of simplicity, I will be dividing my PIP into three chapters to show the past, present and future component. The easiest way to satisfy these three components is to come up with a focus question that fits under the three chapters. For example, in my first chapter, I discussed how interracial marriage was viewed in the past and explained the issues interracial couples experienced and the reasons as to why intermarriage rates increased. After you’ve come up with a focus question, flick through your research notes to find what ideas answer your question. These ideas will become the basis for your paragraphs. Make sure your paragraphs are set out in a logical order to make your chapter flow better.

The difficult part in writing PIP chapters is that there’s no specific structure – it’s a combination of a report and an essay. Taking your focus question into consideration, your first paragraph should be like your introduction for an essay – state your stance and support this with the ideas you have found through your research. As for writing the remainder of your chapter, I found it helpful to have my chapter structure and research notes open while I ‘free-write.’ I use the word ‘free-write’ loosely because you have a plan. Set around 30 minutes and just write – don’t bother going back and re-reading to see if something doesn’t flow as well as you like to. The main point of this exercise is to get all your research into a report/essay format so you can go back and polish it. I found this extremely helpful during my PIP lessons since I tend to overthink. Make sure you’re in an environment where you won’t get distracted; essentially, it’s like writing a personal reflection except the style of writing is formal.

Study Tips

Just like other Humanities subjects, notes are extremely important. My layout for my HSC Society & Culture notes is the exact same as my other Humanities notes: syllabus dot points and have my information in dot point form underneath the syllabus. Considering how key terms is really important, make sure you have the definitions in your notes. You can have them in a glossary format at the beginning of your notes. Another way is to make flash cards, either typed or written. I would suggest colour-coding flash cards so you know what key terms are applicable to which depth study.

Another thing you should include in your study notes is examples. You need strong evidence for your essay so include quotes, statistics or even a summary of a situation in your notes and highlight how a SAC concept relates to your example. Also, keep up to date with contemporary issues and see how SAC concepts and theories apply to these issues – this makes essay planning easier.

Here are some ways you can do to survive HSC Society & Culture. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of this subject. Even though the syllabus basically tells you all the definitions and key terms you need to know for exams, these terms can get very overwhelming. If I had to summarise Society & Culture, key terms is what helps you survive this subject. Not only is it useful for exams, you also need to apply it to your PIP, especially your five main SAC concepts.

For study motivation, hear more from Olivia at @studywithlivia.


Migraine ReliefMany people do not associate headaches as being a major condition that needs to be treated by a professional healthcare. As most people retreat to taking a painkiller, this only masks the issue rather than solve the problem. Headaches can be an indication of other more serious health problems and should not be taken lightly. Caron Chiropractic clinics can help you with Migraine Relief in Saint Paul, Minnesota.


What is the Inbox?

Focus:  The focus of this self-help article is to provide information about the PandaDoc Inbox.

What is the Inbox?: The inbox is used to keep track of documents that require your signature or that were sent to you for review by another PandaDoc account. We provide information on who created the document, when it was created and the document name. Please note you can move your mouse cursor over the date and pop up will show the full date and time. The time is based upon your computer settings.

Step 1:  Accessing the inbox and reviewing items. To access Inbox, you can click the Inbox icon on the left panel or find it in the dropdown by clicking on your profile picture.

Here you will see a list of your documents. You can also delete inbox notifications or download a document. Documents are listed from the newest to the oldest , separated by time, “Today” “Last 30 days” and “Older”.

Step 2: Opening a document. If you would like to open and review the document, click on the document name.

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Barrie’s Lake – a wetland worth saving

This past weekend (September 24-25th, 2016) I was part of a BioBlitz at Barrie’s Lake. A BioBlitz is a gathering of scientific professional and hobbyists to inventory the flora and fauna of a natural area.

Barrie’s Lake is an 88-acre wetland in North Dumfries bordering on the city of Cambridge. Bernice Beal who is better know as “the turtle lady’ owns 83 of the 88 acres of wetland. Bernice bought the wetland some 15 years ago and that is pretty much when the battle to protect this wetland and its inhabitants began. A battle that among other things caused Bernice to purchase and additional 10 acres of land to prevent a gravel company from blasting for gravel too close to the lake.

As an Authorized Wildlife Custodian I became aware of Barrie’s Lake last year after questioning the large number of injured turtles coming to me from the Roseville Road area. Bernice, her daughter Sue and a group of like-minded locals have been doing their best to prevent turtle road casualties for years. Some of the not so lucky ones end up as ‘guests’ at Hobbitstee. Despite everyone’s best efforts, hundreds of turtles get killed each year on Roseville Road.

I finally made it out to Barrie’s Lake in person not long ago. I was traveling around returning turtles back to their habitats after they had recovered from injuries sustained as a result of above mentioned collisions with cars and I was very taken by what I saw.

me getting ready to release a Snapping Turtle at Barrie’s Lake

Barrie’s Lake was officially surveyed and designated a provincially significant wetland in 2004, but has not been resurveyed since. After speaking with several scientists I also learned that the wetland surveying is not intended as a full species survey like I had previously assumed making me think that a BioBlitz would be a great idea.

Over the years however scientists have visited Barrie’s Lake and particularly the migratory birds have been well documented. A recent survey of Shorebirds found a variety of 9 shorebirds and that list included Least Bitterns. Least Bitterns are listed as Threatened on the Species at Risk Ontario List, giving them and their habitat extra protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Over the years many other birds that are listed on the Species at Risk list have been spotted at Barrie’s Lake. Among them are the Bank Swallow (threatened), Bald Eagle (at risk), Barn Swallow (threatened), Chimney Swift (threatened) and after this weekends BioBlitz we can add the Rusty Blackbird (threatened) to the list.

The wetland also has been found a hunting ground for Bald Eagles, Osprey, Merlins and a variety of other birds of prey.

During the BioBlitz I had the pleasure of watching a large flock of wood ducks land, while the Sandhill Cranes took flight. It was amazing to watch the Belted Kingfishers dive for fish and the multitude of turtles bask. There was still a variety of butterflies busy visiting some wildflowers while many dragon flies practices their air-acrobatics.

One of the other great features of Barrie’s Lake is the presence of an Oak Savanna. Oak Savanna’s are not common in this part of Ontario. An Oak Savanna differs from an Oak Woodland by the openness of the trees. A lack of density allows for the trees to spread out in width and this creates a very unique landscape.

The presences of Wild Cranberries and Tamaracks are good indicators that Barrie’s Lake is a Fen. Fens are rare in Southern Ontario. They are very sensitive to slight alterations in pH and dependent on a certain nutrient consistency.

During the BioBlitz it was noted by experts that there is very little to no buffer zone  between the adjoining farmland and Barrie’s lake. The subsequent leaching of nutrients into the wetland will cause a change in the nature of the wetland, which in turn will effect the water, vegetation, and inhabitants of Barrie’s Lake. To permanently protect Barrie’s Lake this should be rectified.

Realistically Barrie’s Lake and its inhabitants are constantly threatened by human encroachment from all directions and with each small victory another threat materializes. No amount of laws, designations or mitigation seems to be able to protect this sensitive wetland and its inhabitants from further harm. Our laws intended to protect amazing natural gems such as Barrie’s Lake appear to be full of loopholes allowing for circumvention of protection for the sheer purpose of profit.

After a recent win to prevent the building of a cell tower Bernice and her family are now faced with the threat of a proposed development of the Cambridge side of Barrie’s Lake, which will negatively impact this very sensitive wetland.

However, we need to continue to strive for and celebrate each small victory. This weekend was a success. We cataloged many species of Flora and Fauna for future use while we enjoyed the beauty and peace at Barrie’s lake.

The myth surrounding baby songbirds

House Finch Hatchling
Cedar Wax Wing Fledgling

The reasson why you should not feed injured/orphaned wildlife

Animals and Volunteering

Volunteer Opportunities

Wildlife Orphans

It is the time of year when wildlife mothers start having their babies. Raccoon kits and the first litters of baby squirrels have already been born

Every year we receive thousands of calls in regards to wildlife orphans. We try to assist in as many ways as possible, but we are limited by funds and space. This is one of the reasons why we try to ensure the babies we care for a truly orphaned and we might ask you to return the babies back to the nest.

However, the main reason we want to ensure babies are truly orphaned that no matter how hard we try humans make a poor substitute for actual species appropriate parents. Try as we might it is near impossible to replicate the care wildlife mothers bestow on their offspring.

Wildlife mothers really just want their babies back and that they are unlikely to reject their babies because a human handled them. I don’t advocate for the random handling of wildlife and this should be reserved for cases where it is absolutely necessary.

This year it is especially important to keep wildlife handling at a minimum because there have been rabies positive raccoons and skunks found in our area. All mammals can contract rabies, so use caution.

Please don’t try to raise the babies yourself. This is not only a violation under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, but it is also not in the animal’s best interest and it could potentially put your and your family’s health at risk.

And please DO NOT FEED THE BABIES…no matter what Google says. The wrong food at the wrong time will cause death.

We can be reached at: 519-587-2980

Our website has more detailed information on what to do when you find wildlife in need of care:

For a full list of wildlife rehabbers visit: Wildlife Custodian Map

If you find (what you think is a) wildlife orphan please use the following steps:

  1. Contact wildlife custodian near you prior to doing anything. Each situation/species requires a different approach. Please follow the instructions…we know what we are talking about.

  1. If you can’t reach a rehabber right away leave a message and they will get back to you asap. You can also choose to contact you local SPCA, veterinarian or the MNRF.

  1. Please ensure that the babies in question are truly orphaned or injured and in need of help. Please observe den/nest sites from a safe distance so that you are not the cause of a parent not returning.

  1. Never handle any type of wildlife with without gloves.

  1. If the babies in question are in immediate danger (in the middle of a busy highway or something) put gloves on, and put them in a secure container (with vent holes), lined with a blanket/towel. Keep this container in a dark, quiet and warm place.

  1. Do not under any circumstances try to feed the babies. Wait for instructions from a rehabber. The wrong type of food at the wrong time can be detrimental to the animal’s health. Hypothermic/Dehydrated babies will die if given food of any type.

To help us help more wildlife, please make a tax deductible donation

Click here to donate

The great Blanding’s Turtle migration…

I have to get this of my chest. I can’t stop forming images in my head of Blanding’s Turtles walking down the road carrying all their worldly belongings in a suitcase as they make the epic journey down to the newly created wetland.

But wait a minute…it is not going to happen this way because we lack the skills to properly ‘notify’ the Blanding’s Turtles and other wildlife of the impending threat to their existence.

Blanding’s Turtle we helped recover after getting hit by a car in a protected area

All silliness aside, I am referring to the recent proposal made to the provincial government by a major developer.

link to the proposal

This developer would like to build a subdivision on a protected wetland area near Ottawa. This area is protected because it has Butternut trees (listed SARO endangered), Least Bitterns frequent it (listed SARO threatened)  and Blanding’s Turtle’s live there(listed SARO Threatened).

Least Bittern we had in our care after it sustained a head injury from the slipstream of a truck

In the proposal it states that the developer will create a wetland at an alternate location to ‘make up’ for the one that will be destroyed. That is great, but turtles are not exactly the serious migratory type…So despite the romanticized fairy tale I used earlier, in reality this means putting a subdivision on top of the Blanding’s Turtles…and destroying their habitat which will mean the majority (if not all) of the Blanding’s Turtles currently present in that wetland will die and it will also greatly effect the other herptiles who live in that wetland.

Granted female turtle’s will travel to lay eggs in a location that meets their criteria, but I can’t see how they can be motivated to move at mass to a newly created wetland within a time frame designated by a developer.

Turtle’s do everything slow…Look at them, they are modern day dinosaurs. Evolution can’t even make them hurry.

The proposal also request permission to remove 120 Butternut trees, but the remaining trees that are there will be fenced in so that they are protected…and they will collect seeds and replant seedlings…but 120 mature butternut trees will be destroyed…

The developer makes many suggestions in the proposal in an attempt to appear to minimize interference with the current SARO listed species present in this wetland,  but a lot of those measures seem unrealistic and far fetched to me.

I can’t help but think…if a new wetland can be created in an alternate location…would it not be much simpler to build the subdivision in this alternate location and leave the existing wetland and the species it harbors alone?

Rabies in Ontario

Recently several raccoons tested positive for the raccoon strain of rabies in our area. Until December of 2015 we had not seen a documented positive case since 2005 of this type of rabies.

In the past fox strain and raccoon strain of rabies was brought under control through strategic dropping of vaccine-laced bait by the MNRF who developed and administers this program.

With the recent resurfacing of raccoon strain of rabies, bait dropping will be increased for the effected areas and hopefully this will work as well as it has in the past and bring raccoon rabies back under control.

Ontario has however never been rabies free. Bats do not eat vaccine laced bait, so we have always had positive cases of bat strain rabies in Ontario.

Just because this type of rabies is called raccoon strain it does not mean that only raccoons can get it. Realistically any mammal can contract any strain of rabies. Raccoons are simply more susceptible to the raccoon strain.

Early January of this year a cow in Perth County (Stratford area) tested positive for the arctic-fox strain of rabies. The how’s and why’s are a whole different story, but it proves my point about rabies strains being non-discriminatory and a health concern to all mammals.

Symptoms of rabies can vary and can basically be summarized as an animal behaving oddly (no fear of people, being overly aggressive, biting at thing, super excited behavior etc). Unfortunately these symptoms closely mimic the symptoms of Canine Distemper. Our raccoon population has been plagues by canine distemper for some time and visually the symptoms look pretty much identical to rabies. Both these diseases are usually lethal and testing for either disease is done post-mortem.

Rabies is considered a human health concern and Canine Distemper is a dog health concern (as the name indicates). It is important that you ensure your pets are up to date on their vaccines. It is actually mandatory to vaccinate your dogs and cats for rabies. Canine Distemper is also included in a basic vaccination protocol for dogs as are other commonly occurring diseases such as Parvo. Both the rabies and distemper vaccine for dogs has been proven to be effective in most cases.

Transmission of the rabies usually occurs through contact with saliva of an infected animal and is lethal in most cases. For humans we have post-exposure shots available. If you think you have been in contact with a rabid animal it is important that you contact your local health unit immediately.

If you see a mammal behaving oddly contact MNRF rabies hot line: 1-888-574-6656

If you suspect a domestic animal has been in contact with a rabid animal please contact OMAFRA: 1-877-424-1300

In all cases please err on the side of caution and don’t take any unnecessary risk.

Feeding bread to ducks…why you shouldn’t

With the weather finally turning colder many people feel compelled to ‘help out’ waterfowl by bringing them left over bread, chips and other such ‘treats’.

In larger quantities bread can actually be very harmful to waterfowl. Bread (particularly white bread) is high in carbohydrates, but devoid of any other useful nutrient required by ducks and geese.

Ducks and geese naturally have a varied diet including food sources such as aquatic plants, seeds, grasses and insects, but if large quantities of bread are available they will soon succumb and become obese junk food-junkies.

They will also start to suffer from the effects of malnourishment. In both ducks and geese a condition called Angel Wings can be caused by too much bread consumption.  Angel Wings will usually render the sufferer flightless for the rest of its life and long-term malnourishment will cause death.

Often people will go to roughly the same area to feed bread to ducks and geese. This will attract large numbers of ducks and geese to these areas causing them to become over populated and in turn causing large deposit of feces both in the water and on land. These feces combined with left over bread (not consumed by the ducks) can cause excessive algae growth in the water as well as bad smell (particularly in the summer).  Poor water quality will have an impact on the overall health of the waterfowl as well as the availability of their natural food sources.

Habituation and altered natural behaviors have been observed in some wild waterfowl as a result of habitually being fed by humans. Habituation of wildlife to humans is never a good thing and should never be encouraged.

Ducks and geese rarely need our assistance by way of food. During lengthy extreme cold spells it might be helpful to supplement dabbling ducks such as mallards and also maybe geese or swans with some extra food in the form of cracked corn or duck pellets, but that is not a common occurrence or necessity.

As an alternative to duck feeding I would highly recommend taking your children to a variety of areas where you might sight waterfowl. Pack a bird identification book and binoculars and try to identify the waterfowl you see. This is a great way to enjoy time with your children while learning something.

We are so lucky to have such an abundance of amazing waterfowl migrating through this area and if you look a little closer you will be amazed too.

Bats and Hibernation

We have 8 species of bats in Ontario. Some are migratory and some are true hibernators. The hibernators slow down their metabolism and heart rate as they huddle together as a colony to survive the colder months.

Each winter we get many calls from people who have bats flying around their home during the colder months. This is of great concern to us.

There is a variety of issues that can cause a bat to awaken from hibernation to early. It could simply be a matter of a serious temperature change or often home renovations will disturb a colony, but rabies will also awaken a bat.

Most commonly we find Big Brown Bats in people’s homes and occasionally Little Brown Bats. The Little Brown Bat is listed as ‘endangered’ on the Species at Risk Ontario list. This means that it is protected both under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act as well as the Endangered Species Act.

It also means that we need to try and protect and save as many as we can. Our general bat population is rapidly declining mostly due to habitat loss, a fungal disease called White Nose Bat Syndrome  and some man made challenges we have put in their way.

The problem with bats flying free in a house during hibernation time is that we don’t always know why they are awake and so rabies is always on our mind. Rabies is rare in Ontario, but it is still an option.

Rabies is most often transmitted through saliva and because of that we consider a bat bite a serious incident. Rabies is almost always lethal once contracted, but we do have both pre and post exposure shots available for humans. I and some people like me have been vaccinated for rabies and this reduces the risk of me contracting it.

You should also make sure that your pets are up to date on their vaccines. Rabies is a disease all cats and dogs should be vaccinated for.

A bat bite itself  is barely noticeable in a human. It is the equivalent of getting pricked with a needle. Something you will notice when you are awake, but you might not notice it when you are sleeping.

This Big Brown Bat is eating a meal worm. Look at the diminutive size of it’s teeth compared to the meal worm

The rule of thumb is that all bats found flying in a room where people sleep should be send for rabies testing. To test for rabies the bats brain needs to be examined, so this can only be done after the bat has been euthanized.

If you feel you have been potentially exposed to a bat with rabies please contact your local health unit.

When there has been no humans sleeping in the room the bat is found and no human exposure to saliva (make sure to check your small children for potential bites) we ask that you contact us or a wildlife center near you.

Every winter at Hobbitstee as well as other rehab facilities throughout Ontario hundreds of bats get safely over wintered and released back to their colonies in the spring.

Bats are very small, but should never be handled without gloves. Better yet, don’t touch them at all. They can usually easily be captured by placing a tupperware type container over top of them and sliding the lid (with small air holes) underneath. If possible give them a piece of paper towel in the tupperware container for them to hide in.

If the bat is in flight and needs to be captured you can do this by way of holding a towel up and have the bat fly into it (make sure you are wearing gloves). You can than pop the towel in a container with air holes.

Bats can fit through tiny cracks, so keep that in  mind when you are trying to contain one.

If you capture a bat in your house during the winter months, please contact a wildlife center near you and don’t throw it outdoors where it will surely die from exposure and dehydration.

If you are in doubt about what to do feel free to contact us anytime.

If you want to help and are handy, we are always in need of more bat houses. All of our bats are released back where they where found with a bat house.

Wildlife in captivity

During the fall and early winter of each year I receive countless call from people who ask me to ‘wild up’ wildlife.

Usually when I get this request it involves wildlife that was kept as a pet or pet-like conditions. Wildlife that might have been found orphaned or perceived orphaned in the spring and kept/raised by the finder for the summer, but as it get’s colder and the orphans grow bigger people often are at a loss about what to do next.

I understand people’s need to help and nurture, but there is a huge difference between keeping baby wildlife alive and raising them. Most species of baby wildlife require specie specific care and nutrition to grow up healthy and wild. This you cannot find on Google or learn from a YouTube video.

I just had a young raccoon brought out by animal services. This raccoon was found in a residential neighborhood, approaching people for attention/food. He was clearly hand raised and released. He has no idea how to fend for himself. Human hands have always provided him with food…Luckily in the case of raccoons they usually revert to being wild enough for release after some time in a controlled environment where they can learn to find their own food without having to rely on people etc.

However, many species of wildlife imprint or habituate to humans permanently and will be rendered un-releasable as a result.  It is very sad to see waterfowl who are afraid of water, or fawns who freak out when they see another fawn or deer to name a couple of examples.

Every year I get confronted with countless animals that need to be ‘re-programmed’ so that they can maybe someday be released back into the wild. We try to help when we can and educate the people involved to prevent future issues.

It is a violation under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act to keep wildlife in your possession for more than 48 hours without a special permit and it is not in the best interest of the wildlife.

Do the right thing and contact your local wildlife custodian or local humane society as soon as possible when you find wildlife in need of help, and not after the novelty of having a wild animal has worn off.

Wildlife belongs in the wild and not in a cage …


VINNOVA - Sweden

The Government has assigned VINNOVA to

* make Sweden a leading research nation in which research of high scientific quality is conducted.

* promote sustainable growth and increased employment by acting to increase competitiveness and the emergence and expansion of successful companies.

* support research and development work of the highest quality in areas such as engineering, transport, communications and working life in order to promote renewal and sustainable growth.

* stimulate Swedish participation in European and international R&D collaboration and in the exchange of experience in the field of innovation.

269 MEuro

VINNOVA’s vision is that:

140 persons.

Main activities
In terms of technology and sectors VINNOVA runs activities in the following fields: Information and Communications Technology, Services and IT Implementation, Biotechnology; Working Life, Product Realisation and Materials and Transportation. Most of the activities are based on programmes and we also very much collaborates with other national R&D financers

Figure 1. Technological fields of VINNOVA´s investments

Programmes financed by VINNOVA also spans across sectors and disciplines in Thematic areas that involves people from different parts of VINNOVAs organisation such as Security and The Elderly.

Figure 2. Objects for VINNOVA´s investments

For small and internationally dependent countries like Sweden, the need to focus its efforts on a number of strong, internationally distinguished Research and Innovation milieus is a critical factor in the effort to promote growth. With a long term perspective and co-financing with groups of industries and other actors, VINNOVA has a focus on creating a number of globally-recognised spearheads so that Sweden can become an attractive partner for both companies and R&D investments

Small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) play a decisive role in promoting national competitiveness and employment. By investing in R&D programmes that focus on SMEs, VINNOVA aims to help these companies increase the knowledge content of their products and processes and thus increase their competitiveness.

VINNOVA's activities with regard to the commercialisation of R&D results are conducted in collaboration with other players in order to achieve the greatest possible impact for the entire system. VINNOVA focuses its efforts on the closely research-related phases of the innovation and commercialisation process.

VINNOVA regards international competitiveness and international co-operation as integral parts of its objectives and strategies. VINNOVA is also the focal point in Sweden for  EU’s framework programme, EUREKA and COST, participates in the multinational activities like JETIs, §169 and ERA-NETs and runs bilateral programmes for R&D- collaboration with countries outside Europe e.g. Japan, China and India.

Sylvia Schwaag Serger
SE-101 58 Stockholm


Hotels and Resorts

Hotels and Resorts

Protecting Guest Experience and Your Hotel Reputation

Proactive pest control is important for hotels not only because of their vulnerability to pest threats, but also because of the impact they can have on the reputation of your hotel. It is essential to create a pleasant and safe hotel environment for your hotel guests by ensuring it is free from pest infestation. If left untreated, your hotel business may experience some detrimental impacts such as complaints from hotel guests, guest dissatisfaction, potential spread of diseases and food contamination and occupancy rates reduction.

Rentokil partners with various hoteliers to ensure outstanding guest experiences will not be compromised by pest activity or problems. Education and training can be provided to help value add the housekeeping team in maintaining good sanitation and hygiene standards.

Why Choose Rentokil?


Product life cycle!

Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline.

the goals of introduction: to increase product awareness, get the customers attention through promotion, and lots of special promotion. During the introduction stage, product is introduced to the market, costs are high, profits low, and much time and money is spent on promotion.

During the Growth stage success grows, sales and profits increase, emphasis is on customer satisfaction, and competition becomes a factor. Sales rise rapidly. Customers are aware of product, sales increase, companies focus on customer satisfaction and competition starts from other companies.

During Maturity stage product performance peaks, competition is high, cost for promotion is high, and emphasis is on advertising. Also, the product's sales level, more money is spent on competition during this stage. The product life cycle stage in which sales peak and then increase at a slower rate or even start to decline. An example of a matured product, microwave.

During the Decline stage sales fall off, profits are slow, very little is spent on promotion, and strategies such as altering, discounting, selling, are considered. Sales start to decline, a company must decide to alter the product, discount, or discontinue the product. The product life cycle stage in which sales and profits fall rapidly.


FOR MORE than 10 years, federal criminal law reform has been a bipartisan concern in both houses of Congress. A major bill was introduced in the Senate in 1973 by Sens. Roman Hruska and John McClellan, and it has been reintroduced in one form or another in every Congress since. The Senate has passed comprehensive legislation four times, but until last week, the House had acted only once, in 1982, and the president vetoed that bill because of a disagreement over the creation of a drug czar. This year, the bill was passed by the Senate on a vote of 91-1, but in the House it was broken up into a series of individual bills and referred to a half-dozen subcommittees. There was little hope that a major bill would be passed, but the impasse was broken last Thursday night when House and Senate conferees agreed to add the bill to the continuing resolution.

The two most important reforms contained in the legislation involve bail procedures and sentencing guidelines. Judges will be able to refuse to release defendants before trial if they pose a danger to the community, but will not be able to detain a person simply because he could not meet a high money bail. Sentencing guidelines are to be devised by a bipartisan commission charged with reducing sentence disparity in the federal courts. Parole will be abolished, but it is expected that realistic, shorter but certain sentences would be imposed.

The bill also provides changes in the insanity defense, shifting the burden of proof to the defendant and limiting the use of the defense to those who are unable to understand the nature and wrongfulness of their acts. Penalties for drug offenses and labor racketeering are raised, and the government's authority to seize the profits of organized crime operations is increased. A program of federal grants to localities for justice assistance programs is created; armed career criminals can be prosecuted expeditiously in federal courts, and victims' assistance programs are improved. Lawyers representing indigent criminal defendants in federal court will get a raise, and the attorney general will be given new powers to coordinate federal drug enforcement programs. The bill does not contain controversial provisions on the death penalty, the exclusionary rule or habeas corpus petitions.

It is true that the administration has sought this major legislation and has given it high priority. But the victory does not belong to one party. Not a single Democrat voted against the bill in the Senate, and members of both parties were in the forefront of efforts to get it passed. Special credit goes to Sens. Thurmond, Biden, Kennedy and Laxalt, who shepherded the bill through the Judiciary Committee more than once and studied, shaped and compromised it to win bipartisan support. The bill that is about to be approved is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching pieces of legislation in a decade. It is especially important, therefore, that both parties share the responsibility and the credit for its passage.


Dropbox Wins Summary Judgment in Trademark Dispute

On November 15, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted a motion by firm client Dropbox, Inc. for summary judgment in a trademark dispute over the "Dropbox" name. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen rejected trademark infringement claims asserted against Dropbox by a company called Thru Inc. that claimed to have been using the term "dropbox" as the name for a function in its file-transfer software since 2004. Judge Chen ruled that whether or not Thru had any rights in the term, Thru was guilty of laches, having intentionally delayed filing suit against Dropbox for years, hoping to increase the value of a claim as Dropbox added hundreds of millions of users.


Step 3 of my 7 Days to Happilicious challenge talks about the importance of learning to ditch the inner bitch. We all have one don’t we?! She’s the horrible voice inside our head that pipes up at the most inopportune times. Whenever we’re feeling even remotely vulnerable, she senses the chink in our armour and nips in there as quick as a flash to make sure she tells us exactly how fat/ugly/useless we are. She’s a spiteful, calculating bully and we have to work really, REALLY hard to shut her up.

The first step in conquering her is to notice when she starts to rear her head, and then as soon as you’ve noticed her, the trick is to jump straight in and tell her to STFU! But then what next? What do you do to replace the gap that she leaves in your consciousness? Well, you need to turn it on its head and rather than allowing yourself to believe the heinous lies she feeds you, you have to affirm, with confidence, the qualities that a perfect future you would have.

Look, there is a certain element of fake it ‘til you make it about this idea, but just think about what happens when people start repeating the same lies over and over again….. that’s right, everyone starts to believe it. You keep telling yourself that you’re fat, ugly and useless and you’ll get nowhere fast, but change the record and repeat to yourself how confident and comfortable you are in your own skin and slowly but surely, you’ll start to feel the difference! Hell what have you got to lose? If you’re going to be telling yourself one of those stories anyway, then why not put the effort into making it the positive one?

Now, at first you might think this is mumbo jumbo BS, but I promise you there is proven method in the madness. Studies have shown that 80% of our thoughts are negative, and given that we have approximately 45,000 to 51,000 thoughts per day, that’s a whole lot of negative thinking we got going on!!! So how do we counteract that? By regularly using positive affirmations, that’s how.

While they work primarily on the subconscious mind, studies have also shown that positive affirmations can also have an amazing affect on muscle strength and energy levels (true story!) and more obviously, our emotional well-being. I am a huge fan of starting the day with a gratitude list to lift the spirits and shift your focus to all things positive, and likewise, reaffirming positive statements to yourself has a positive affect on your attitude, behaviour and actions.

Ever heard the statement, “the body achieves what the mind believes”? Well it’s not wrong! Our mind is a hugely powerful tool and we often underestimate the influence that it can have over our bodies. Scientific research has shown that positive self talk releases endorphins and serotonin in our brain which then flow throughout our body, making us feel fabulous! And I’m sure we’ve all heard how top Olympic athletes are encouraged to visualise themselves crossing the finishing line in a blaze of glory, right? Sports psychologists have found that this action actually triggers neural actions within the brain that can then be used to enhance future, “real life” performance. Pretty powerful stuff!

So back to our affirmations! To get the best results, your affirmations need to be in the present tense, so as if they are already true, right here, right now. For example: “I love and repsect my body” rather than “One day I will love and respect my body.”  You also need to repeat them often so that they get embedded in your brain and become second nature. I love using mine as soon as my inner bitch pipes up – almost like psychological armour, but it is also a great idea to find concrete ways of weaving them into your day so they become associated with certain daily habits. For example, repeating them every morning when you stand in the bathroom brushing your teeth; every time you switch the kettle on to make a cuppa; on the drive to school to pick up the kids. Say them in your head, say them out loud, say them while looking at yourself in the mirror, write them down, keep them on your phone as a screen saver and repeat them every time you pick your phone up…… Any which way that suits you is grand!

Experts suggest that the most powerful results come when you create your own very personal affirmation, but I think that when you are starting out, it can really help to read the affirmations that other people have used and adopt and adapt any that particularly resonate with you. So in that spirit, here are some that I have found particularly helpful! Please feel free to use them in whatever way suits you best:

I love my body as it is today

I am comfortable in my own skin

I am grateful for everything my body allows me to do

My flaws are unique and beautiful

I am enough

I make healthy choices. I have respect for my body

I am active and full of energy. I am healthy, vibrant and I look great!

So there you have it. A quick, free and easy way of boosting your self esteem that doesn’t take 12 weeks of food restriction or a daily hour of beasting yourself at the gym!!! I’d really love to hear from you if you have a go at using any of these affirmations  so feel free to leave a comment below. Or why not head over to Facebook and join the Happilicious living closed group where you can share your experiences with a group of like minded women?


[63] Tom Owen

I would regard myself as a perfectionist. This means I need to understand the brief, develop ideas and in turn care for the project. I am a creative thinker who works through rigorous research for personal understanding, and by deconstruction to investigate how a subject works. I believe versatility is essential for any contemporary designer, my work illustrates this through editorial publications, film, and even garment design.


Artists2Artists - Elders4Youth - Opportunities2Shine

This year’s festival again with international co-op among V4 countries, thanks to IVF

1. Engagement of young artists in the production of an international festival in all its – artists relevant – phases, followed by production of multi-genre performances, preferably done by nationality mixed teams.

2. Production of light and interactive performances with artistic depth focusing on temporal and spatial specifics and societal issues in the V4 region with strong emphasis on historical heritage and shared values.

First and foremost we aim to cooperate with both formal and informal platforms of artists that are still in their studies. Not all “squad” members are under 32 years of age due to our effort to not only ensure multinational team cooperation and knowledge sharing, but also generational knowledge exchange. Since the festival itself is designed as multi-genre event, we are able to link together artists from different fields of art.

Their joint performances often reflect current state of society and societal issues in indirect connotations with space for individual imagination… meaning, each spectator perceives the performed narrative according to their personality, which leaves opening for, partly, self-interpretaion, but most important, individual self-reflection, which in the end boosts the impact of morals told. The emphasis is put on youth in terms of young artists from V4 region in order to help them gain necessary experience in promoting of their own work, emphasising team effort in multinational environment, skills acqusition, knowledge sharing, inclusion and networking during relatively big festival production and prepare them to for art market entry after their studies.

Thank you very much! We received support from the International Visegrad Fund.


Again we see the snow-dozer blasting through the drifts at Scenic. The dozer is not too different from a Jordan Spreader, so often associated with winter snowfighting on the Southern Pacific lines to the south. The dozer has moveable wings to push snow to the side far from the tracks.


Taino Travel - The Canoe

The canoe was the only method of transportation that the natives used to travel up and down rivers as well as oceans. They utilized both small and large canoes. The large canoes were mainly used to travel long distances, such as voyaging to another island. The small canoes where reserved for rivers since they were easier to maneuver on narrow stretches. Experts believe that the large canoes could carry 30-50 people at once, while other historians claim even a larger number, from 60 to 100 passengers!

These canoes were constructed out of trees the Tainos called tsayee-baa, generally known as the ceiba or silk cotton elsewhere. The ceiba reaches heights of 80 feet or more. The wood is remarkably lightweight and can be easily shaped. It is interesting to note that the ceiba tree was sacred to both the Mayans and the Tainos.

When the natives of a village decided to construct a canoe, they headed for the forest. Once a convenient tree was selected, they used stone axes to cut it down. According to myth, the tree would speak to the Tainos and disapprove or approve if it could be chopped down or not. The ceiba tree would also indicate how it should be shaped and decorated in order to honor its spirit.

Once the tree was chopped to the ground, they carved and shaped the outer part of the trunk. To hollow out the tree, fire was used to soften the core. Once cooled, stone and shell tools were used to dig-out the inside. If the canoes were constructed for a cacique, the vessel was carefully painted and decorated.

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