When the 11th Commando Black Hackle came to Arran
Posted on 31st August 2020 1st September 2020
The 11th (Scottish) Commando Black Hackle
A history by Jim Henderson
In this new 6 part series, Arran local Jim Henderson, gives an account of the period during the 2nd World War when the 11th Commando were posted to Arran where they lived and trained, forging many relationships and connections with Arran that continue to this day.
Part 1 – 'Lest we forget'
Wednesday 6th September will be the 80th anniversary of when over 500 of the 11th (Scottish) Commando arrived in Lamlash to continue training. When the 11th Commando was formed it was decided that the headdress would be a glengarry with a black hackle supported by the badge of the Soldiers own regiment.
After the War ended in 1945, the surviving Commando returned to their units, homes and loved ones. A few returned to Ayrshire and Arran to renew friendships made, which often led to marriage. Many of the 11th Commando returned to Arran for holidays and a small number became members of Lamlash Golf Club, which led to the formation of the annual reunions.
The reunions were organised on the first weekend following the English bank holiday to coincide with the weekend nearest the 6th September. The first reunion in 1985 was organised by Lamlash locals, which included Harold (Spud) and Jessie Taylor, Isabel Allen and Ban Turner and around 50 former officers and men of the 11th Commando attended. The following year in 1986 over 70 of the men and their families gathered in the gardens of Brodick Castle. The 3rd reunion had around 40 of the men present plus their family members.
The first reunion of the 11th Commando held in 1985 in Arran. Left to right: JImmy Storie, George Dove, Tommy McPherson, Len Mitchell and Reg Hammer DCM
During the 50th anniversary, in 1990, the 5th reunion, there were around 120 men and family of all ages present when the grandson of Richard Pedder unveiled a plaque in Lamlash Church. This also marked the involvement of Lamlash Golf Club when the Commando were welcomed as part of their annual celebrations. An annual competition was organised and in 1993 the Commando presented the Commando Veterans Cup and the individual prizes. The first winner of the cup was Ronald McDowall who just popped the author by one stroke. In 1997 the winner was Blair McGunnigle the grandson of Walter Marshall.
As the years progressed nature began to take its toll and the number of the Commando making the journey to Arran began to decrease. At the 70th anniversary in 2010, only one of the Commando were able to attend the reunion, however relatives have kept the tradition alive. Peter Turfrey as the Commando secretary organised the reunions from 1997, assisted by David McNaughton who acted as the treasurer. In 2013 when, in the early stages of another Arran reunion, Peter and David passed on unexpectedly their widows, Maureen and Christine, have kept up the tradition attending the Arran weekend every year, Maureen travelling from near Birmingham and Christine from Kilmarnock. Maureen's step-father was Reginald Walters who was in 4 troop 11 Commando and latterly with the 204 Mission and Chindits. Christine's father was Matthew Wilson, a member of the Seaforth Highlanders and Cameroon. He joined the 11 Commando and was batman to Major David Blair who was in charge of 6 troop and was billeted in Kinniel House.
This year will be the 35th annual visit.
The reunion at Brodick Castle in 1986
The Commandos were formed in July 1940, following a command by Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom following the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk. The volunteers came from all parts of the United Kingdom.
By May of 1940 the Germans had invaded Norway, in the low countries the resistance from the French and Belgian armies collapsed and the British Expeditionary Forces had to make an orderly evacuation from Dunkirk on the 6th June 1940. Churchill directed Lord Ismay, head of the Military Wing of the War Cabinet Secretariat to prepare an Enterprise consisting of specially trained troops of the hunter class, who could develop a reign of terror first of all on a 'butcher and bolt policy'.
Churchill held a meeting with the Chiefs of Staff and instructed them to train a special force capable of developing a reign of terror by forming an offensive to defend Britain and keep the Germans at bay, who occupied the coastline of the North Sea and the English Channel.
Lt Colonel Dudley Clarke came up with an idea based on the guerrilla fighters of the Boer War and named these special forces 'Commando'. The object was to form a specially trained group of Commando, who were able to fight independently under the command of specially selected officers.
Despite opposition from regular army authorities, officers were selected and allocated a destination to train his group, normally a seaside location where the men would be billeted and trained, when not engaged in operations. The Commando organisation was intended to create a group of men capable of the following:
1. Operating independently for a 24-hour period.
2. Capable of very wide dispersion and individual action.
3. Not capable of resisting an attack or overcoming a defence of formed bodies of troops, specialising in quick hit and run tactics dependent for their survival and success upon speed, ingenuity and dispersion.
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Peddar
The Commandos came under the province of Combined Operations in July 1940. Churchill appointed Sir Roger Keyes Admiral of the Fleet as Director of Combined Operations, who was followed by Lord Louis Mountbatten from October 1941 for a duration of 100 weeks. A number of the new units were despatched to several parts of Britain – 3rd and 4th Commando were the Southern command, 5th and 6th the Western command, 7th the Eastern command, 8th the London district command and the 9th and 11th Commando the Scottish contingent.
Lt Colonel Richard R Pedder aged 36 was chosen to lead the 11th. He requested volunteers from the Scottish forces, who were joined by troops from England and Ireland, all of them associated with Scottish regiments like the Black Watch, Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, Royal Scots Greys and others, for an undefined hazardous nature and ruthlessly culled both officers and men he considered unsuitable for the task ahead.
The Scottish Commando became Individual, Different and Unique. History records their brief time as one of the most important in all of the services.
The men who formed the 11th (Scottish) Commando were the first group to reach operational strength. Among the volunteers was the son of Sir Roger Keyes – Captain Geoffrey Keyes who was part of the Royal Scots Greys stationed at Redford barracks in Edinburgh. Once selected, he brought with him several troops from the old regiment including Walter Marshall (who lived in Lamlash until his death in 2005).
Other volunteers included Robert Mayne (Paddy) of the Royal Ulster Rifles and Eoin McGonigal, who although was undisciplined, proved to be a tough Commando and developed a strong bond with Captain Keyes.
COMMANDO, a Portuguese word meaning command, which was adopted in the early 1900's by the 'Boers' in South Africa for military purposes and expeditions against the local populations. Commando units eventually were made up of the Special Air Service, Special boat service and Parachute regiments, over a period of time, which were disbanded and integrated with the S.A.S in 1941 [Special Air Service] and the L.R.D.G. [Long Range Desert Group] after the 11th Commando were disbanded.
After the war ended the Commando role was exclusively given to the Royal Marines. Their missions were the stuff of fiction, but it was in fact a reality. During the period of 1940 to 1943 the Commando units proved to be the toughest and the bravest of hand-picked members of the British military. Hundreds of them perished; many were engaged in what was more like suicide missions, in operations which were so daring and dangerous that even the officers planning the missions had on occasions, reason to question the tactics.
Next month, Jim's account continues with Churchill's orders, early combat and the start of the 11th Commando.
Featured image shows the 11th Commando Black Hackle in Cyprus
TAGS: History WW2
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Make Space for Nature
Help Fidra with a citizen science project testing food packaging
Eco Savvy events and ARG news
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An interview with the director James Kent
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Poem for September
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Recipe for September


Category Archives: Press Releases
CFF SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM
October 20, 2014 Candidate Forums, CFF, Events, Ferndale Schools, Press Releases, Voter ForumsCandidate Forum, Candidate Forums, events, Ferndale Schoolsadmin
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester St., Ferndale, MI 48220
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/20/14; Contact (248) 515-7803
Citizens For a Fair Ferndale to Hold Candidate Forum
On Saturday, October 25, 2014, Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) will hold a School Board Candidate Forum at the Ferndale Library at 1:30 pm. The event will also be recorded and submitted to WFRN for airing until Election Day. The public and the media are encouraged to attend.
CFF has invited all declared candidates: Nan Kerr-Mueller, Jennifer LaTosch, Karen Twomey, and Keith Warnick.
The format is simple:
1. All declared Candidates for School Board are invited to participate.
2. Candidates are at a table in the front of the room.
3. Each Candidate will have an opportunity to give a 3 minute introduction.
4. As people come in, they are given 3 x 5 cards. These are gathered periodically and brought to the moderator. The moderator then poses the questions to the candidates. Each Candidate has 2 minutes to answer each question. The order of response changes so each has a chance to be first.
5. There is a timer to help you pace answers.
6. Each Candidate will have an opportunity to give a closing statement.
Click here for CFF's complete Forum Guidelines
CFF's mission is to foster a community that is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental ability.
CFF48220@gmail.com or (248) 515-7803
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale Call for Good Neighbor Nominations
February 3, 2014 CFF, Events, Ferndale Good Neighbors, Good Neighbors = Strong Community Awards, Press ReleasesGood Neighbors = Strong Community Awardsadmin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 3, 2014
Contact: Kat Bruner James, Chair
248-515-7803,CFF48220@gmail.com
FERNDALE: Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) is seeking nominations for its Good Neighbor = Strong Community Awards. The public is invited to nominate individuals, organizations and businesses in our community who are outstanding examples of "good neighbors," and who are committed to building, preserving and improving the quality of life in their neighborhoods and community.
Nominations will be accepted through March 14, 2014. About 10 honorees will be selected and celebrated at a special event in May. Past winners have represented a diverse group of individuals ranging from well-recognized community leaders to quiet, unsung heroes who all make a difference daily through caring for others, speaking out against injustices or making people feel included in the community.
"Good Neighbors are what make Ferndale such a special place to live and do business," said Kathryn Bruner James, CFF chair. "The Good Neighbors = Strong Community Awards are an opportunity to honor those who generously give so much to others through care, support and advocacy." Previous honorees have include a selection of diverse individuals, organizations and businesses celebrated for good works in the community. They include community leaders and local businesses as well as those "unsung heroes" deserving of recognition.
Nomination forms can be found at www.fairferndale.org/?page_id=152. Submissions can be made online or mailed to Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester, Ferndale, MI 48220.
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, established in 2003. CFF is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental disability. The group hosts forums and community workshops, encourages dialog to dissolve barriers and recognizes local residents who support its mission.
CFF meetings are held the second Thursday of every month at the Ferndale Public Library. For meeting information please contact Kat Bruner James at 248-515-7803. Everyone is welcome!
CFF TO HOST CANDIDATE FORUM
October 8, 2013 Ballot Question Forums, Candidate Forums, CFF, Events, Press Releases, Voter Forumsadmin
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale, 263 Vester St., Ferndale, MI 48220 www.fairferndale.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/8/13; Contact (248) 515-7803
On Saturday, October 26, 2013, Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) will hold a Candidate & Ballot Proposal Forum at the Ferndale Library (12:30-2:00 p.m. for the Mayoral Forum, 2:15-3:00 p.m. for the City Council Forum, 3:00-3:45 p.m. for the Proposal A Forum, and 3:45-4:00 p.m. Library Board Candidates). The event will also be recorded and submitted to WFRN for airing until Election Day. The public and the media are encouraged to attend.
CFF has invited all declared candidates, plus one participant presenting each side of the question presented to voters in Proposal A.
CFF's complete Forum Guidelines can be found at http://fairferndale.org/?p=248
CFF's mission is to foster a community that is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all residents and visitors regardless of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, gender, age, height, weight, familial status, national origin, physical or mental disability.
Learn more about CFF at www.fairferndale.org
CFF SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM PRESS RELEASE
April 12, 2010 Candidate Forums, CFF, Events, Press Releases, Voter Forumsadmin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/12/10; Contact (248) 515-7803
Citizens For a Fair Ferndale to Hold School Board Forum
Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) will hold a Candidate Forum for the upcoming Ferndale School Board election. The forum will take place at the Kulick Center (1201 Livernois, Ferndale) on Sunday, April 25 at 1pm.
The candidates will have the opportunity to fill out a questionnaire prior to the event, which will provide an overview of their experience and platform. CFF will post the candidates' answers on the group's website: www.fairferndale.org. Public attendees will also have the opportunity to submit questions to the candidates.
CFF48220@aol.com or (248) 515-7803


News:Nomura announces December trailer launch times, reveals three additional trailers
(Redirected from News:20181209A)
By KeybladeSpyMaster • 09:54, 9 December 2018 (MST)
Nomura announces December trailer launch times, reveals three additional trailers
Six trailers will launch in December, according to series director Tetsuya Nomura
During X018 last month, Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura revealed that there would be multiple trailers in December. At the end of November, he revealed via the official Kingdom Hearts Twitter account the days of those trailers. Now, Nomura has revealed the exact times those trailers are set to launch.
Just two days ago, Nomura again took to the official Kingdom Hearts Twitter account to reveal that the first trailer is set to launch on Monday, December 10 at midnight JST (Sun. December 9 at 10:00 AM EST/8:00 AM MST/7:00 AM PST/15:00 UTC). Another trailer will launch on the 16th at 6:00 PM JST, and seems to be the cinematic trailer originally set for the 21st from the November tweet. It's also likely the "Together" trailer from November, which at the time, Nomura had said they were working on a Japanese version for it.
December 18 will feature the ominously-labeled "Final" trailer, set to launch at 5:00 PM JST (3:00 AM EST/1:00 AM MST/12:00 AM PST/8:00 UTC). Finally, on December 21, three 15-second cinematic trailers will launch, though there's no set time for them yet.
As always, the times are subject to change. Notably, none of these seem to line up with Jump Festa later this month; the event has in the past been a major venue for Kingdom Hearts information. We'll keep you updated if more information on any additional trailers show up. Are you excited for the new trailers?
Retrieved from "https://www.khdatabase.com/index.php?title=News:Nomura_announces_December_trailer_launch_times,_reveals_three_additional_trailers&oldid=10210"
December 2018 news


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Dr. Joseph Serwadda's Story
Over the past decade, numerous pastors and leaders from all over the world have been crying out (and even begging us) for discipleship resources in their language. This may sound extreme, but in America we have an abundance of books and resources that are available to us that are often taken for granted. In many ways, we have access to excess.
In some developing nations, people have never seen a book in their language. When leaders from these nations are given a book, they treat it as sacred gift! They even hand-write books and Bibles word for word so that they can spread this message of hope to others in their sphere of influence.
Dr. Joseph Serwadda, a leader from Uganda who oversees a group of churches that number approximately 27,000, echoes this need among pastors and leaders all over the world: "Our biggest need is not money or bigger buildings, but solid teaching. We lack literature for people to read and study on their own. The more people we have in church who are less instructed in the Word of God, the less solidity we have. Come and help us preserve the harvest. This is a Macedonian call!"
Pastor Yassir's Story
Over the years, Cubans have long suffered under the oppression of a single message: communism. Despite this challenge, Yassir is committed to sharing a new message with his people, a message of transformation that can lead to national revival.
Cubans, in general, have been conditioned toward communistic consumption. That's why Yassir wants his people to embrace a new identity: a life defined by what they can give. This shift requires growth and maturity that can only come through a new perspective.
He explained, "The Cuban church is strong and filled with passion. But I believe it's important that we shift our mentality. We need to see how the Gospel goes beyond our own needs. Ultimately, we need to take responsibility for ourselves and our nation, and not just wait for outside intervention."
There aren't many Christian resources in Cuba. So, Pastor Yassir's church, along with many other churches throughout Cuba, have been profoundly impacted by the resources Messenger International has provided for them in their own language.
In our conversations with Pastor Yassir, he often cited an ancient proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you've fed him for a lifetime. He sees MessengerX as a tool both to feed his people and teach them to fish.
It's become evident that after many years in our ministry, the most effective way to transform a village or town is not to construct a church building. This just keeps the local leadership dependent on us.
We are much more effective if we give the indigenous leaders such as Pastor Yassir spiritual knowledge that will empower them to influence their village, town, or city. Such knowledge helps produce the faith needed to grow and sustain the work, which, if necessary, will include buildings and other resources.
Stories like Pastor Yassir's fuel our mission, because we believe that everyone deserves to know life-transforming truth!
Nura's Story
Before Nura became a follower of Christ, her life was a living hell.
After the death of her husband—from whom she endured many years of abuse and suffering—she became a widow with four children. In search of peace and inner healing, she sought solace in religious places and practices, which only led her deeper into depression and financial debt.
Her last resort was Jesus.
"I came to the Christian church and begged for help! I accepted Christ after I heard of the promise of peace and healing that is found in Him," Nura wrote. "I slowly began to recover, but there was one thing hindering my healing—unforgiveness."
Filled with regrets, Nura struggled to forgive her husband. But the grip of offense began to weaken when her pastor handed her a copy of The Bait of Satan.
"I forgave my husband after I learned how much I, too, needed forgiveness," shared Nura. "Now I am healed, and I have peace for the first time in my life. Some even say I look ten years younger!"
Pastor Raphael's Story
Pastor Raphael was raised in Kenya, immersed in a culture of darkness. As a child, he lacked affection because his father believed that strong men don't show love. He continually witnessed his father beat and belittle his mother. Everywhere he looked, insidious behavior was practiced toward women and infants—families were being destroyed and lives were ending before they had a chance to begin.
This was the destiny Raphael was headed toward.
But everything changed when truth entered the scene. The first area to be transformed was Raphael's heart—which, in turn, transformed his marriage and his family. And with a strong and healthy family, his whole outlook toward life has changed.
"Through the resources of Messenger International, a relentless passion was ignited in me to see the people of my country free from lies," shared Raphael. "I discovered my purpose to train up others and bring God's transforming truth to remote villages."
Raphael has trekked miles through mud and rain to reach people, often rising early and returning late. He would travel over 50 miles a day with his bicycle—but through the generosity of the MessengerX community, he was given a motorcycle, which has enabled him to double his efforts while easily transporting the resources and supplies he needs to facilitate his classes. Raphael has seen over 200 of his students graduate in the villages he serves.
"Thank you for investing in my people," expressed Raphael. "Each day tribal warriors are transformed into children of God, marriages are infused with love, and the innocent are protected. Your generosity has given us the tools we need to rewrite our story and reclaim our humanity."
Dahlia's Story
Formerly a Muslim, Dahlia fled to Turkey after she was expelled from her Iranian school and excommunicated by her family. Her crime? Becoming a Christian.
You can now find Dahlia in a refugee camp, far from what she once called home. But despite the upheaval, she has found purpose in her pain. On a daily basis, Dahlia walks through her makeshift town and prays over the people. They have become her people—the audience of her message.
Dahlia has become a messenger, and she is often spotted lovingly serving those around her and sharing her faith with them. Despite language barriers, people are drawn to her because they see something different in her. And what's amazing is that she's not only reaching the people in her refugee camp, she's also impacting those she left behind in Iran.
"I've had calls from Iran," writes Dahlia. "People who mocked me because of my faith now believe in Jesus and want to know more. So, I tell them about MessengerX, which has a lot of translated discipleship resources."
As we continue to provide people like Dahlia with life-transforming truth in their own language, we're helping them grow in their faith and discover their purpose—and we're equipping them to make a difference in their world.
"I am beyond thankful for all of the books that I've been able to read in my language, such as Driven by Eternity, translated in Farsi," shared Dahlia. "I read them again and again. The messages keep me company in this lonely season, and they inspire me to reveal Jesus to the hurting people all around me."


UPNG-ANU academics begin health and education research
by Tara Davda and Grant Walton
Denise Lokinap and Peter Kanaparo examine questionnaires during training.
Over the past two months a small team of academics from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) and The Australian National University (ANU) have been conducting research into the impacts of decentralization on the operational effectiveness of schools and health facilities.
UPNG staff Denise Lokinap and Peter Kanaparo, along with ANU staff Colin Wiltshire, Tara Davda, Grant Walton and Tatia Currie have been involved in training, a pilot and initial fieldwork in Gulf Province.
The research aims to better understand the performance of some of the current PNG Government's key policies: financing of the health and education sectors, and decentralisation. By analysing case studies, it will shed light on how recent reforms impact schools and health facilities; and the reasons that church-run and accessible schools/health facilities performed better than those run by the state and in remote locations (key findings of the A Lost Decade? report).
Tara Davda, Colin Wiltshire and Peter Kanaparo examine a map.
This collaborative research project seeks to strengthen links between ANU and UPNG, and build the capacity of UPNG academics by providing training and experience in research and analysis.
Training was conducted at UPNG in April and included a field trip to Central Province. The training and pilot allowed the team to test and subsequently improve their research instruments.
With an improved set of qualitative and quantitative research instruments, last month the research team made an initial visit to Gulf Province, focusing on Kerema district.
Respondents at health facilities included the Officer in Charge, and various community representatives. Education representatives included head-teachers, representatives from the Board of Management (such as the Women's Representative, Chairperson, and Treasurer), community representatives, and teachers. The team also spoke to numerous district and provincial officials.
Trekking back from a remote school in Gulf Province.
Respondents spoke about the challenges of delivering services in Gulf Province – one of PNG's most remote provinces. The team was told of the high costs of transportation, which impacted on government officers – for example, on the ability for education Standards Officers (inspectors) to visit schools. Emotions sometimes ran high as provincial and district officers, and school and health facility workers recalled the numerous hardships they endure to do their jobs. The province's remoteness had particularly dire consequences for implementing the Tuition Fee-Free Policy (TFF) and the government's more recently established policies on free health care provision.
Pushing a boat through shallow waters in Gulf Province.
Further trips are scheduled to Gulf (this time to the even more remote Kikori district) and East New Britain (a better performing province) in June. The team will be analysing the data later in the year.
Our first update on the progress of this research (looking at the impact of the TFF policy on schools in Central Province) was published this week. Look out for more updates on the findings from this research on the blog over the coming months.
This research is supported by the Australian Aid Program through the Pacific Governance and Leadership Precinct, as part of the ANU-UPNG Partnership.
Recruiting: Economics Lecturer
Papua New Guinea: government, economy and society
Farewell Maev O'Collins
Reflections after a decade at the University of Papua New Guinea
UPNG's economics graduates: finding work not easy, even for some of the nation's best
Education Global health Papua New Guinea Service delivery
Tara Davda
Tara Davda was a Research Officer at the Development Policy Centre from 2016 to 2018. She holds a Masters in International and Development Economics from Crawford School of Public Policy, and currently works at Abt Associates.
Grant Walton
Grant Walton is a fellow at the Development Policy Centre and the author of Anti-Corruption and its Discontents: Local, National and International Perspectives on Corruption in Papua New Guinea.
Thomas Kevaro says:
Hi Tara / Grant
I'd love to get a copy of your follow up visit (in June this year) after your data analysis later in the year is over and when you publish the research report.
I have a cousin brother who is a standards officer for the Baimuru sub-district (Primary School) and he does a wonderful job, but lacks resources to move around. Another cousin sister is a nursing officer in one of the functioning sub health centres.
Tara & Grant
Thank you so much for making the 2nd trip back to Gulf Province. Yes, I know the feeling when teachers express gut wrenching times/situations they experience in making sure they try their best in implementing the policies of the Government, especially in Education & Health. Over my 6 years (2011 – 2016) in working in the province as a Oil & Gas employee (exploration), I have come across many similar situations described here.
My company I work has been as part of its CSR Policies, assisted many remote schools and health centres. I once donated a pretty expensive Solar vaccine Fridge (K30,000.00) to a remote health centre after I assisted a nearby health centre nursing staff manage a measles outbreak in a number of villages near the exploration drilling site. And I have helped deliver school materials where the Govt was not able to.
Gulf Province by all means is not remote. It is one of only two provinces in this country that is connected to the Capital City by road, hence it should be taking advantage of this unique position. Yet it is not doing so. It is far cheaper to move things in bulk to Kerema the provincial capital by road from Port Moresby and then re-distributing by Sea, River and Air. The major issue is the proper use of funding to ensure this happens. Unfortunately, most often this is not the case. Contributing issues of good governance are also major concerns when development priorities are mis-placed by leaders (at the political & administrative level). This is also exacerbated by lack of proper planning by key bureaucrats & total negligence by political leaders to lead changes. The end result is lack of development all areas of the development in the province.
Gulf has the people at the provincial, district and local level to bring about changes in the people's lives in the key social indexes but need to have good leadership at all levels of the society (Province).
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Former top Justice Dept. official's notes say Trump asked him to call election "corrupt"
Updated on: July 31, 2021 / 12:03 PM / CBS News
Former President Trump in late December spoke with top Justice Department officials about the 2020 presidential election and told them to "just say the election was corrupt and to leave the rest to me" and Republicans in Congress, according to notes taken by then-acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue.
Donoghue's notes, released Friday by the Democratic-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, detail a December 27, 2020 phone conversation with Mr. Trump, former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and Donoghue. The former president has repeatedly insisted that the presidential election was rigged, but the documented phone conversation suggests that Rosen and Donoghue felt that they were being asked by the president to alter the election results.
Here is the relevant section of Donoghue's handwritten notes:
-DAG - we'll look at whether have more ballots in PA than registered voters - should be able to check on that quickly but understand that the DOJ can't and won't snap its fingers and change the outcome of the election, doesn't work that way.
-P: "Don't expect you to do that, just say that the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen."
The president also noted, "Not much time left."
That exchange took place during a broader discussion about the election results and possible steps forward, detailed across eight pages of handwritten notes.
According to the notes, Rosen and Donoghue told the president, "We are doing our job. Much of the info you're getting is false." They refuted his claims of fraud, citing a report that claimed a "68% error rate — but reality is it was .0063% error rate — less than 1 in 15K."
In light of the note detailing the December phone conversation, House Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said her committee is seeking more interviews.
"These handwritten notes show that President Trump directly instructed our nation's top law enforcement agency to take steps to overturn a free and fair election in the final days of his presidency," Maloney said in a statement. "The Committee has begun scheduling interviews with key witnesses to investigate the full extent of the former President's corruption, and I will exercise every tool at my disposal to ensure all witness testimony is secured without delay."
In a statement Saturday, Mr. Trump called the House Democrats who run the House Oversight Committee "corrupt and highly partisan," and said they "released documents—including court filings dealing with the rigged election of 2020—that they dishonestly described as attempting to overturn the election."
"In fact, it is just the opposite," Mr. Trump said in part. "The documents were meant to uphold the integrity and honesty of elections and the sanctity of our vote. The American People want, and demand, that the President of the United States, its chief law enforcement officer in the country, stand with them to fight for Election Integrity and to investigate attempts to undermine our nation."
On the House Oversight Committee's website, Maloney said the committee had written to the Justice Department in May to request documents related to Mr. Trump's "efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election." In June, it released 229 pages of documents provided by the Justice Department that it said show "the extent of President Trump and his allies' improper efforts to interfere with the 2020 election."
The committee has already requested transcribed interviews with Rosen, Donoghue, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark, and other Justice Department officials.
Maloney noted that the Justice Department had authorized officials to give "unrestricted testimony" before Congress because the committee has "'compelling legislative interests' in understanding the 'extraordinary events' surrounding President Trump's conduct." She also said that the Justice Department would not assert any claims of privilege in the officials' testimony.
Despite the January 6 assault on the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters that came shortly after Mr. Trump held a rally in Washington, the ex-president has not given up his groundless assertions that the election was rigged or stolen. In June, he released a statement referring to "the 2020 Presidential Election Scam."
"Whether it be voting machines, underaged people, dead people, illegal aliens, ballot drops, ballot cheating, absentee ballots, post office delivery (or lack thereof!), lock boxes, people being paid to vote, or other things, the 2020 Presidential Election is, in my mind, the Crime of the Century," he said.
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First published on July 30, 2021 / 3:32 PM


Students from NE boycott youth fest event over 'discrimination'https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/students-from-ne-boycott-youth-fest-event-over-discrimination-5027703/
Students from NE boycott youth fest event over 'discrimination'
"Volunteers of several events made comments such as 'pagal ho, pagal hi rahoge', 'chinki', etc. The kind of discrimination faced by Northeastern people is seen nowhere in the world," a student from Manipur said on condition of anonymity
Written by Aditi Vatsa | Noida | Published: January 17, 2018 1:32:29 am
On the last day of the three-day National Youth Festival 2018 at Gautam Buddha University, participants from some Northeastern states boycotted the closing ceremony, alleging discrimination by organisers and other participants.
Some of the allegations levelled by the students include questions on whether they understood Hindi or English, being asked to sign filled-in feedback forms, and comments about their eating habits.
"Volunteers of several events made comments such as 'pagal ho, pagal hi rahoge', 'chinki', etc. The kind of discrimination faced by Northeastern people is seen nowhere in the world," a student from Manipur said on condition of anonymity.
The organisers, on the other hand, acknowledged that complaints had reached the authorities but no action had been taken so far.
"The festival has been conducted in an excellent manner and 100% feedback has been received…," Major Dilawar Singh, DG of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, said.
A student from Assam also alleged they were asked if they ate "dogs and snakes". He said the alleged discrimination spilled onto the sports ground. "The volleyball winner and runners-up, who belong to Manipur and Assam, faced discrimination.
The Manipuris were given runners-up medals despite being the winners, while the Assamese were denied their prize."
"Feedback forms were to be filled in by each participant… but the organisers filled them for the Nagaland team and asked them to just sign. They also mocked cultural earring of Nagaland by comparing it with a jhaadu (broom). We had come with the hope of presenting ourselves as part of the 'new India'," the student alleged.
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Inspector Morse: The Complete Case Files
As Time Goes By: Remastered Complete Series
Inspector Lynley Mysteries Remastered: Complete Series
Inspector Lewis: The Complete Collection
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: The Complete Collection
Are You Being Served? The Complete Collection
Keeping Up Appearances: The Remastered Collector's Edition
Sherlock: The Complete Series
Wallander: The Complete Collection
Foyle's War: The Complete Saga
Absolutely Fabulous Remastered: Absolutely All of It
Wire in the Blood: The Complete Collection
George Gently: The Complete Collection
Murdoch Mysteries: Seasons 5-8 Collection
Downton Abbey: The Movie & TV Collection
Trial and Retribution: The Complete Collection
Doctor Who: Series 6 (Blu-ray)
George Gently: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray)
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: The Complete Collection
Murdoch Mysteries: Seasons 9-12 Collection
A Place to Call Home: The Complete Collection
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray)
Murdoch Mysteries: Seasons 5-8 Collection (Blu-ray)
Country Music A Film by Ken Burns


Brian Mullan Memorial Club
Dedicated to the memory of Brian Mullan
BMMC Collection
Welcome to the Brian Mullan Memorial Club; dedicated to the memory of Brian Mullan and his collection of hand built and restored vehicles.
New members are always welcome. Membership is free. If you're interested in joining the club just sign up to the forum using the link above.
You can get in touch with us using the Contact Us page if you have any questions. We attend several events each year where the cars are displayed.
1937 Ford Model Y Special
Hand built open top coachwork on a modified Model Y chassis. Steel bodywork frame with aluminium panels. Engine stripped and rebuilt complete with Aquaplane head and 1 ¼" SU carbs.
1972 Lotus Elan +2 S130
Complete restoration using original parts. Engine, gearbox, back end, suspension arms, etc. refurbished and refitted. Wolfrace spin on rims polished and fitted with 205/60 x 13's on the rear and 185/60 x13's on the front to clear arches.
Bought in 1978 and still used every day. It was dismantled, converted to diesel then rebuilt and refurbished – inside, outside and underneath. The only main original parts used were the bonnet, bulkhead, roof and chassis.
1977 Bedford CF Motorhome
Bought as a brand new CF shell in 1978 and built as a van with Recaro seats, roof lining, sunroofs, inner panels, carpet, etc. It was later split in two, lengthened by 8ft, fitted with a specially made high roof, and converted it into a motorhome.
Welcome to the Brian Mullan Memorial Club, a website dedicated to the memory of Brian Mullan and his collection of hand built and restored vehicles. New members are always welcome. Membership is free. If you're interested in joining the club just sign up to the forum using the link above. You can get in touch with us using the Contact Us page if you have any questions.
Brian Mullan – A Dedication Part 1
By brianmullanmemorialclub 8th June 2017 21st October 2019 Brian Mullan Dedication
I set up the Brian Mullan Memorial Club to honour my dad's memory, to get his work appreciated, to meet people interested in the type of vehicles he built and restored, to meet local enthusiasts and to keep a record of dad's cars at shows, etc. Firstly let me thank… Continue reading
My father, Brian Mullan, always loved to have a good car and thanks to his hard work, and the love and care of my mum Sadie, he was always able to achieve that… from MG Midgets to MGB's to Rover 2000′s to BMW's Opel Manta's to Landrovers to Range Rovers… Continue reading
It wasn't long after that that we all moved to the house which we still call home today that daddy bought the Range Rover in 1977, drove it a couple of years, then decided to rebuild it from the chassis up and convert it to diesel… a long, arduous process… Continue reading
In the last few years, daddy concentrated more on the Classic & Vintage side of things. His first car which he restored and attended shows with was 'The Byford'. I'll not go into all the details, however he was well known and easily recognizable when out in it, not only… Continue reading
Dad's Unfinished Project
BMMC Collection (6)
Brian Mullan Dedication (4)
1937 Ford Model Y Special (2) 1972 Lotus Elan +2 S130 (1) 1973 Range Rover (1) 1977 Bedford CF Motorhome (1) Bird of Prey (1) Irish Vintage Scene (2)
Selected Gallery
Copyright © 2021 Paul Mullan, Brian Mullan Memorial Club. All Rights Reserved | A Flivver Online Website


Rational choice theory
Philosophy Index: Aesthetics · Epistemology · Ethics · Logic · Metaphysics · Consciousness · Philosophy of Language · Philosophy of Mind · Philosophy of Science · Social and Political philosophy · Philosophies · Philosophers · List of lists
For Rational Choice Theory in criminology, see Rational choice theory (criminology)
In the most general sense, rational choice theory describes human behavior by specifying laws of human decision making. Its two implicit assumptions are that: i) decisions determine behavior and ii) decisions follow a set of general laws. Just as Newton's Laws describe the motion of particles, rational choice theory describes the behavior of individuals. And, just as particles minimize potential energy, humans maximize their expected utility.
Rational choice theory is a way of looking at deliberations between a number of potential courses of action, in which "rationality" of one form or another is used either to decide which course of action would be the best to take, or to predict which course of action actually will be taken. Such a perspective finds itself in models for both human behavior and behavior of non-human but nonetheless potentially rational entities, such as corporations or nation-states.
Obviously, what is taken as "rational" is of chief importance here. This varies with context:
The technical meaning in economics is about preferences: preferences are defined to be rational if they are complete and transitive. That is, that the decision-maker is able to compare all of the alternatives, and that these comparisons are consistent. See the preferences page for further explanation.
If uncertainty is involved, then the independence axiom is often assumed in addition to rational preferences.
If decision-making over time is involved, time consistency is generally assumed as well.
Rationality can also mean that the decision-maker always chooses the most preferred option, as in the Utility Maximization Problem.
Often, to simplify calculation and ease prediction, some rather unrealistic assumptions are made about the world. These can include:
An individual has precise information about exactly what will occur under any choice made. (Alternatively, an individual has a reliable probability distribution describing what will happen under any choice made.)
An individual has time and ability to weigh every choice against every other choice.
An individual is fully aware of all possible choices.
Assumptions such as these have sparked criticism from a number of camps. Some people have tried to create models of bounded rationality, which try to be more psychologically plausible without completely abandoning the idea that some kind of reason underlies decision-making processes. For a long time, a popular strain of critique was a lack of empirical basis, but experimental economics and experimental game theory have largely changed that critique (although they have added other critiques, mainly by demonstrating some human behavior that consistently deviates from rational choice theory). Early critiques of the rational choice approach in political science for example, argued that the rational choice theorists could not explain why people voted, much less make more sophisticated arguments about political behavior.
Rodney Stark has been a mayor proponent of the Rational Choice Theory within the sociology of religion. Using the Rational Choice Theory he has provided strong theoretical frameworks for analytically understanding the development and eventual success of some new religious movements. Based on his findings, he has presented a theory on the development of early Christianity, based on Networks of Faith, rather than miraculous mass conversions. The Networks of Faith Theory in turn made possible the theoretical prediction of LDS growth in the period c.1970-2005; a feat Stark was originally scorned, but ultimately applauded for.
Why rational choice theory?[edit | edit source]
One question that can be asked is why people try to base their models on concepts such as "reason", "preferences", and what is implied by them, free will. Some potential reasons:
They see people as "rational" beings, and thus believe that a model in which they are represented as such should be reasonably accurate. This has been especially significant and relevant in the sociology of religion, where the Enlightenment ideas of religion and religiosity has re-constructed religious people as ultimatelly irrational agents. This has in its own turn made possible correspondence with expanding cognitivist approaches to the study of religion.
Assumptions of rationality have useful formal properties.
Rational choice is an individualistic methodology which looks on social situations as being results of individual actions, which, for many people, allows for an easier understanding.
Various researchers have found some limits to this theory, under the name of bounded rationality, an element used for example in behavioral economics.
Framing (economics)
Homo economicus
Organizational theory
Rational expectations
Rational ignorance
Rational pricing
Rational Choice Theory - Article by John Scott
da:Rational Choice-teorien de:Theorie der rationalen Entscheidung es:Acción racional fi:Rationaalisen valinnan teoria
Retrieved from "https://psychology.wikia.org/wiki/Rational_choice_theory?oldid=13168"


VAN LIVING & CONVERSION GUIDE
The Van Life
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What Van to Get
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Posts filed under: Stories
#spotthetrash, a Way for all Travelers to Help Our Planet
by The Numinous Project
About two years ago, we started talking about the "nomad" life. The life where you had a van and drove around the world, exploring. From the start, it was just talk and some googling to see what kind of vans...
Our 48 State Road Trip – 5 Lessons From The Road
by The Fites
Today is my thirtieth birthday. There is something about a birthday that makes you reflect on where you've been, where you are and where you want to be. When I entered my 20s, I wouldn't have expected the life I'm...
Starting a Clothing Brand out of a Van
by Meggie Nolan
To do what we love, with each other for as long as we can… that's the dream. It all came together through a love of the sun, ocean and open road. We didn't want to just 'do a lap' of...
Learning & Living: Two Students in a Van
by Tom & Lily
Road-trips are often imagined as completely spontaneous. No time schedules, no rules, no worries. It's a beautiful dream, but not quite our reality… We are Tom and Lily; two 20-year-old Aussies fighting to find the perfect balance between vanlife and...
Van Life Money Saving Tips
by Elise Taylor
Want to go on a road trip with no predetermined destination? Just pack the bare necessities and hit the road? Live simply and explore constantly? If you want to, you can – if there's a will, there's a way. And...
#Vadervan: The Force is Strong with this Star Wars Themed Van
by Brandye Conley
#Vadervan "For you…A Thousand Times Over" We will do anything for our kids, even travel to the end of the earth just to see them smile, which makes the crazy journey to get there worth all of the effort. For...
#VanLife as a Single Lady
by Outbound Living Contributor
I never set out to live in a van by myself. But on the last day of October 2017 that became my reality. All you fierce women out there, who love exploring but feel you need a partner to live...
Embracing the Great Unknown
by The Wild Drive
You can always make more money, but you can't make more time; time with yourself and those you love. Discovering those little moments of bliss that come out of nowhere and the new situations that inspire growth and progression, THAT...
How to be an Entrepreneur while Living on the Road
by Creatives in a Van
We are Ryan & Alex, two 26-year-old Art Directors who decided to take life in an unexpected direction. We are full-time professional digital nomads who live and work out of a converted sprinter van, and are co-founders of our branding...
How to Live in a Bus with Two Kids
by Mama Bird Bus
We live in our self-converted skoolie with our two young children ages 2 and 4. These tips will be most helpful for families with very young children who are interested in living in a bus or tiny mobile space. 1)...
Van Life Essentials
Best Campervan Fridges for Van Life
Slab City: A Day in California's Lawless Desert Town
Best Roof Vent Fans For Your Van Conversion
Van Life Statistics Report
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Hollywood Spider-man: Far From Home Trailer Release Date Confirmed
Spider-man: Far From Home Trailer Release Date Confirmed
Srujan December 14, 2018
Spider-Man: Far From Home is an upcoming superhero movie which is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man which is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures. It is going to be a sequel for Spider-Man Homecoming movie which was released in 2017.
The filming began in July 2018 in countries like England, Czech Republic, Venice, and New York city and the shooting was wrapped in October 2018 as stated by Tom Holland.
Last week was huge for Marvel fans, as they were given with the second trailer for Captain Marvel and first trailer for Avengers: Endgame and the trailer was set to release that week but it didn't for some reasons but an exclusive trailer for Spider-man: Far From Home debuted and premiered for the fans at CCXP in Brazil.
People are eagerly waiting for the trailer and it sounds like the trailer is about to release soon. According to Daniel Richtman, Sony is going to release the trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home next week maybe on 25th of December, he predicted the date for the Captain Marvel trailer and Avengers: Endgame trailer and the predictions and his news turned out to be true, It should be released within 28th December by latest.
There is a reason why Sony and Marvel didn't release the trailer the same week as the trailer of Captain Marvel trailer 2 and Avengers Endgame trailer, because Captain Marvel and Avengers Endgame are going to be huge success and turning point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially the hype for Avengers Endgame is insane and hence Marvel and Sony didn't want the trailer of the Spiderman Far From Home to be released the same week as that of the time when both superior movie trailer were released and they overshadow the trailer of Spiderman Far From Home and hence it is being delayed by Marvel and Sony.
The movie is said to be a sequel for Spider-Man: Homecoming and the events are said to be happening before the movie Avengers: Infinity War. Spider-Man: Far from Home is set to release July 5, 2019 starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jacob Batalon and many more.
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Mitchell Bernard
Mitch Bernard has successfully litigated water, air, toxics, and environmental justice cases against Texaco, Mallinckrodt, Duke Energy, and a variety of government agencies. He is recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 500 leading lawyers in the United States for 2019.
From 1995 to 1998, as a monitor appointed by U.S. District Judge John S. Martin, Jr., Bernard oversaw the creation and implementation of an environmental compliance program at Con Edison. He later served as a consultant to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He is a graduate of Princeton University and New York University School of Law, where he was a Hays Civil Liberties Fellow. He was a law clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Bernard is based in NRDC's New York office.
This Leader of the (Legal) Resistance Has Never Felt More Ready
NRDC Chief Counsel Mitch Bernard takes on big polluters, climate deniers, and their powerful allies—including those who sit in the West Wing.
An Uphill Battle, and Persistence, in Flint
These four NRDC lawyers would finish each other's thoughts—at any odd hour of the day or night—in their quest to help victims of the city's lead crisis.
State Autonomy Doesn't Operate at the Convenience of the President
By Mitchell Bernard
Hurricane Dorian Highlights the Need for Effective Home Buyouts
An Empty Chair and a Devil's Bargain
Confronting the President's Agenda of Hate
Advancing Bold Equitable and Just Climate Action
Josh Mogerman
312-651-7909 jmogerman@nrdc.org


Paul Senate Resolution on Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia Fails
WKMS | By Lisa Autry
J. Tyler Franklin/WFPL News
The U.S. Senate has blocked a measure that would have halted the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia. Kentucky Republican Rand Paul was one of four lawmakers who forced a vote on the issue.
On a 71-27 vote, U.S. Senators approved continuing to support Saudi Arabia, including the sale of more than a billion dollars in Abrams tanks and other military equipment. Senator Paul has called Saudi Arabia an uncertain ally with an abysmal human rights record.
While the resolution didn't pass, Paul acknowledged the debate was significant in and of itself.
"Today, a growing coalition of legislators refused to sit idly by while the President inserts America into another war and an escalating arms race in an unstable region without congressional authorization or debate," Sen. Paul said in a statement. "As violent jihadists attack the West, the Saudis continue to fund madrassas that preach hatred and violence against the West. The Founders did not entrust the power to initiate war to the legislature lightly. Today does not mark an end, but an important next step in reclaiming Congress' rightful constitutional role in foreign policy."
Paul, a Bowling Green Republican, introduced unsuccessful resolutions in the past that tried to block foreign aid to Egypt and the sale of military aircraft to Pakistan. Paul is seeking a second term in the U.S. Senate and is facing Democratic nominee Jim Gray in the November election.
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Chapter 4.5. Division of Workers' Compensation
Subchapter 1.5. Injuries on or After January 1, 1990
Article 3. Auditing
§10107. Notice of Audit; Claim File Selection; Production of Claim Files; Auditing Procedure.
(a) Once a subject has been selected for an audit, the Audit Unit shall serve a Notice of Audit on the claims administrator. The Notice shall inform the administrator of its selection for audit, and shall include a request to provide the Audit Unit with a claim log or logs. The audit subject shall provide two copies of the specified claim log(s) within fourteen days of the date of the receipt of the Notice. The Audit Unit may select any or all claim files for audit.
(b) The Audit Unit shall send the audit subject a Notice of Audit Commencement identifying the files to be audited, except that no notice need be given to audit claim files which are the subject of inquiries or complaints. The audit shall commence no less than fourteen days from the date the Notice was sent, unless the audit subject agrees to earlier commencement.(c) The Audit Unit shall randomly select separate samples of indemnity, denied, and medical-only files from two years' of the audit subject's claim logs, except that if the earliest of the last two completed years has already been the subject of an audit, claims will be randomly selected from only the last completed year.
(1) The total number of indemnity files randomly selected for audit will be determined based on the following table:
1 less than total
23,994 +
(2) In conducting the audit, the Audit Unit shall calculate the frequency of files with violations as percentages of the files with exposure for violations after the following number of randomly selected indemnity files are audited:
Population Sample Size
5 or less all
11 - 13 2 less than total
96 - 102 37
1,273 - 2,091 57
5,531 + 59
If any of the following criteria are met after auditing the sample size as set forth in this subsection (c)(2), the Audit Unit will proceed to audit the remaining number of randomly selected indemnity files selected for audit pursuant to subsection (c)(1):
(i) The number of randomly selected audited files with violations involving the failure to pay indemnity exceeds 20% of those files in which indemnity is accrued and payable and the average amount of unpaid indemnity exceeds $200.00 per file in which indemnity is accrued and payable;
(ii) The numbers of randomly selected files with violations involving the late first payments of temporary disability indemnity, permanent disability indemnity, vocational rehabilitation maintenance allowance, late subsequent indemnity payments, and late payments of death benefits, as mitigated for frequency under Section 10111.1(e)(3)(i) through (v), exceeds 30% of the files in which those indemnity payments have been made;
(iii) The number of randomly selected audited files with violations involving the failure to issue benefit notices, as assessed under Section 10111.1(a)(7)(ii) of these regulations, exceeds 30% of those files in which there is a requirement to issue those notices.
The determination of whether or not to audit the number of files selected pursuant to subsection (c)(1) of this section shall not be the subject of appeal, and no preliminary report of findings will be issued to the audit subject before the determination is made.
(d) The total numbers of denied files and medical-only files randomly selected for audit will be determined based on the following table:
7 - 10 1 less than total
223- 242 52
(e) In addition to randomly selected indemnity, denied, and medical-only files, the Audit Unit may also select for audit any or all files for which the Division of Workers' Compensation has received complaints within the past three years.
(f) The audit subject shall pay all expenses of an audit of an adjusting location outside the State of California, including per diem, travel expense, and compensated overtime of audit personnel.
(g) The audit subject shall make each of the files selected for audit available at the audit site at the time of audit commencement. If files are maintained in an electronic or other non-paper storage medium, the claims administrator shall, upon request, produce legible printed paper copies of the claim files, including all records of compensation payments.
(h) The Audit Unit shall have discretion to audit files in addition to those identified with the Notice of Audit Commencement. The audit subject shall make each of the additional files selected for audit available at the audit site within 14 days of receipt of written notice identifying the additional files.
(i) The audit subject shall provide the auditor(s) an adequate, safe, and healthful work space during the audit, which allows the auditors a reasonable degree of privacy. If this work space is not provided, the Audit Unit may require the audit subject to deliver the files to the nearest Audit Unit office for completion of the audit.
(j) The Audit Unit may obtain and retain copies of documentation or information from claim files to support the assessment of penalties.
(k) The audit subject shall have the opportunity to discuss preliminary findings and provide additional information at a post-audit conference.
(l) The Audit Unit may at any time request additional information or documentation in order to complete its audit. Such information may include documentation that, as specified by Labor Code Sections 3751(a) and 3752, compensation has not been reduced or affected by any insurance, contribution, or other benefit due to or received by or from the employee. The audit subject shall provide any requested documentation or other information within thirty days from the Audit Unit's request, unless the Audit Unit extends the time for good cause.
(m) The Audit Unit shall issue a report of audit findings which may include, but is not limited to, the following: one or more requests for additional documentation or compliance, Notices of Intention to Issue Notice of Compensation Due, Preliminary Notices of Penalty Assessments, Notices of Compensation Due, or Notices of Penalty Assessments. If any additional requested documentation is not provided within thirty days of receipt of the report, additional audit penalties may be assessed under Section 10111.1(d)(2) of these Regulations.
NOTE: Authority cited: Sections 59, 129.5, 133 and 5307.3, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 11180, 11180.5, and 11182, Goverment Code. Sections 111, 124, 129, 129.5, 3751 and 3752, Labor Code.
1. Repealer and new section filed 1-28-94; operative 1-28-94. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Government Code section 11351 (Register 94, No. 4). For prior history, see Register 90, No. 4.
2. New subsections (c)-(e), subsection relettering, amendment of newly designated subsection (g) and amendment of Note filed 10-26-98; operative 11-25-98 (Register 98, No. 44).
Go Back to Article 3 Table of Contents


NEW CONTRACT: STECHY SIGNS ON FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS!
Marek pens a one year extension to current deal keeping him at the Kenny until 2020
Goalkeeper Marek Stech has agreed a one-year contract extension with the Hatters, keeping him at Kenilworth Road until 2020.
The 28-year-old Czech Republic stopper joined the Town from Sparta Prague last summer, penning an initial two-year deal, and went onto keep 15 clean sheets in his 42 appearances as he played a crucial role in Nathan Jones' side's promotion to League One.
Manager Jones told lutontown.co.uk: "We are delighted to secure Marek for another two years. He was an integral part of what we did last season.
"It was the first time Marek had played regular football for a few years, obviously being at Sparta Prague as number two for a couple of years, so we knew he'd have a dip at some stage, and that's why we brought in an excellent keeper in James Shea.
"But we love having him here and we think there is plenty more to come. We think he'll be even better this year for having the season that he did. We brought him in to get promoted and he was a massive part in us getting promoted.
"There is plenty of scope for him to continue to learn. He's a really good age, he's a great character around the place, the players love him, we love him and it's just about giving him the guidance so that he continues to get better and continues to go forward with us."
The former West Ham and Yeovil keeper became a real fans' favourite at the Kenny after making early-season penalty saves against the Glovers and Mansfield, and pulling off a string of top drawer stops as the Hatters gained promotion.
Speaking after signing his new contract at The Brache, he said: "I'm over the moon to sign, really happy to be fully committed for another two years to this football club – especially with what we achieved last season.
"I love to come in here to work, improving every day. We achieved something special last season and hopefully if we can do that this year as well, it will be incredible.
"I love this football club and the fans play a big part. What we just experienced last season, every home game was packed and every away game they sold the stand out, so they have been incredible all the way through my time here so far and I really appreciate it.
"I want to put as much work as I can into this year and hopefully we can achieve the same together."
Well done, Stechy!


← Essay: The Importance of Positive Communications Around Sustainability
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The #Manchester Climate Change Action Plan "refresh" insultation; MCFly's contribution
Attention Conservation Notice: This is an open letter to the Steering Group about their "refresh" of the Manchester Climate Change Action Plan. We know it will be ignored, but silence in the face of such disastrous inadequacy is complicity. And the stakes are too high to be so complicit…. Meanwhile, the deadline for responses has been extended by five days, presumably because an embarrassingly low number of replies had come in.
you do know that you are running a zombie process, right? Nobody really cares about it. In the last three years nobody beyond the very usual suspects (actually, a subset of the usual suspects) has been engaged in it. That's not their fault, it's the Council's fault for showing so little political or cultural leadership (partial exceptions being Richard Leese and Sue Murphy), and the Steering Group's fault for sitting around and not using the vast human resources (30 members!!) and the potential goodwill of the wider community. This potential goodwill was largely pissed away by the worse-than-useless half day "conference" at the beginning of the year, and ongoing irrelevance, evasion and silence since then. The zombie will stagger on – too much face would be lost if it folded altogether, but it is basically irrelevant to the actions we need to take to prepare for the worst (and the worst is what we are going to get, as you sort of acknowledge in places in your document.)
Anyhows, before addressing the "substance" of the document, I have a few questions about the nature of your "consultation." (I personally think it should be called an "insultation", but maybe that's just me.)
Where is your social media strategy for this, beyond a linked-in group that barely gets used?
Does the Steering Group have a facebook page? A twitter account? Your hashtag?
Have you made any videos explaining what the action plan is, why it matters?
Have you explained to anyone what the refresh is, and how they can be involved without a) attending a bunch of meetings in August or b) downloading a 32 page document and sending in an email.
Did you think to post the document as a scribd document, so people can read it without the hassle of downloading and opening as a pdf?
Did you think to post it as a series of blog posts, so people can leave comments, and – crucially – see what other comments have been made?
Did you think to get Richard Leese to blog about it on the Leader's Blog? Did you think to get articles in the MEN, or a letter to the editor signed by the Steering Group? Or a story on the BBC (television, radio).
Did you think that you could use the fact that three significant environmental groups were having big meetings in the first week of December – FoE, AfSL, MERCi? Did you think to ask for a short slot in each meetings to make the pitch that people should respond? ( There were, for a fact, members of the Steering Group at the FoE and AfSL meetings. Do they have any obligation to help with these "consultations?")
I think the answer to all of these questions – and others – is short, simple and irritating; "No."
I could go on, but you are just dismissing this as more venom from Marc Hudson, and I really can't be bothered; if you are that crushingly inept at communication, then there is no hope.
Right, onto the "substance." (Or bits of it anyhow- refer to the previous paragraph. A fisking would be a waste of time.)
1.1 (Page 2)
"many agree that a 4 degree rise in global temperature may now be unavoidable – and that radical strategies for both emissions reduction and adaptation are
now more urgent than they were in 2009."
Show me the credible scientist who thinks that we can adapt to a rise of 4 degrees global average above pre-Industrial levels. We can't adapt.
"Alongside the strategy document a targeted Implementation Plan for 2012-2015 has also been produced".
Really?? At the last meeting of the Environment Commission, before it was mercifully axed by Richard Leese, the GM Climate Strategy Implementation Plan was stuck in development hell. Or perhaps the clue is in the weasel adjective "targeted"? Has a bite-sized chunk of the overall strategy been taken and an "implementation plan" been bodged together at last? Where is this "targeted Implementation plan"? Is there a hyperlink to it? Please consider this a FOIA request if there isn't indeed a hyperlink.
[UPDATE 28/12/12 – According to the first meeting of the Low Carbon Hub (Dec 2012) the implementation plan is now ready and will be approved at the GMCA Exec Meeting on 25th January 2013. Seeing is believing.]
You don't admit that you held no conference in 2011, because you simply couldn't get around to organising one. You don't admit that you failed to hold elections in 2012, as per your original terms of reference. You don't admit your website is dead.
"While there are some signs of this rate slowing in Manchester and in the UK, this progress is not substantial. It is not yet proportionate to the scale of change required for us to play our part in averting potentially catastrophic levels of future climate change nor in preparing Manchester for the direct and indirect local impacts that a changed climate will have on our city in the decades beyond 2020."
If I had kids, I would be panicking about now. And hanging my head in shame.
"Against this background, the process of growing low carbon opportunities and generating the momentum for change set out in the plan has not been straightforward. While there may not yet have been significant progress in delivering substantial reductions in Manchester's emissions, the process of developing programmes, plans and strategies has begun to create a framework for action and there are early signs that 'low carbon thinking' is becoming more widespread and more embedded in the city's culture."
I think this means "we have done nowt, except write more reports like this one."
2.3 Embedding 'low carbon thinking' in the lifestyles and operations of the city
Nowhere do you say how many organisations have actually endorsed the climate change action plan. And how many you aimed for. And how many groups that have endorsed the plan have gone ahead and written their own implementation plans.
And what you intend to do about it.
Why not? Could it be that the numbers are just crushingly embarrassing?
2.4 A PLANNED APPROACH (page 8)
"The involvement of Government as a partner in delivery through the GM Low Carbon Hub, secured through GM's City Deal, has created the opportunity for the national contributions to emissions reduction in the city to be captured in our plans."
Ooh, Low Carbon Hub. That sounds exciting!! Didn't there used to be a commission about Environmental matters? What was it called again? Best to pretend that it never existed, isn't it, since in its three years it only ever produced more reports promising more action…
In no part of this draft consultation do you ask the obvious questions
What hasn't gone well?
Why? (beyond whining about things beyond your control)
What. Are. You. Going. To. Do. DIFFERENTLY?
Why should people believe the next round of shiny promises??
3.5 Role of the Steering Group
"The MACF Steering Group was established in 2010, set up to represent the views of the city's stakeholders, engage them to undertake their own climate change action, and to oversee and steer the plan's delivery. This role has evolved over the last three years, much as the plan itself has. In tandem with the drafting of this Refresh, the Steering Group has undertaken a review of its role, to ensure that it can add most value to the plan's delivery and continue to engage ever-wider groups of stakeholders to play their part.
From 2013 the Steering Group will be focussed on a refreshed headline aim; 'to ensure that the climate change action plan for Manchester thrives'.
Fulfilling this challenging role, for a plan which contains such a breadth and depth of activity, will be achieved through a range of Steering Group activities.
Among them, one of the biggest developments since 2010 is the establishment of sub-groups for each of the five themes in the plan, enabling focus and momentum on each area to be maintained at all times. And allowing the Steering Group to maintain oversight of the whole, driving and communicating our collective progress to stakeholders across the city and beyond."
Who do you think is paying attention to this guff? Who have you engaged? Who do you represent, how? That you can write "one of the biggest developments since 2010 is the establishment of sub-groups for each of the five themes in the plan" without any apparent sense of irony is perhaps the saddest thing I will read all year.
Section 4 (page 19)
"Thus our headline actions will be implemented so that they reflect other priorities in the city and respond to the pressures and opportunities presented by government initiatives and policy and the state of the national and global economy."
Wiggle Room. That's all that paragraph means. Wiggle Room.
"The Universities, NHS Hospitals and the Council all have plans to reduce emissions from their estates – mostly in line with the MACF objective – by 2020. All will need to make significant progress against these targets by 2015."
"mostly". Well, that's alright then, isn't it? Extraordinary.
ACTIONS BY LOCATION: LOCAL ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (page 31)
"The South Manchester Environment Forum will be helping to run and promote a number of schemes to engage local residents in climate change action."
That would be the same SMEF whose funding runs out at the end of 2013? And seriously, SMEF is a lot better than it was, but the fact that it is one of only four "priorities for action" in South Manchester tells you everything you need to know about the city's response to climate change.
The silences in your document are, of course, more revealing than the "content." You are basically silent on aviation. You are silent on the likelihood of disruptive events in the coming years, and the need for genuine community-level and led "resilience." You are silent on the need to increase the amount of food grown locally at mind-boggling speed. You are silent on the shameful silence of elected leaders and officials in promoting genuine dialogue and open-ness about the core challenge of the coming decades. You are silent on the failures of the process to date, choosing instead to blame national and international factors. You are silent on the problem of growth. You are silent on everything that matters, and hopelessly verbose on everything that doesn't.
Marc Hudson
mcmonthly@gmail.com
This entry was posted in Climate Change Action Plan, Democratic deficit and tagged Steering Group. Bookmark the permalink.
1 Response to The #Manchester Climate Change Action Plan "refresh" insultation; MCFly's contribution
Dave Bishop says:
I've lost all faith in "Action Plans" (That's such an inadequate statement. It's hard to adequately express my lack of faith!). If the 'Climate Change Action Plan' is anything like the 'Biodiversity Action Plan' then it expresses nothing more than a vague aspiration, i.e. in an 'ideal world' (a world in which we are neither in a phase of frantic economic growth nor in a recession) a healthy environment would be nice to have … possibly? Let's face it, in the 'real world' – the world of (unsustainable) 'economic growth, 'development' and mad, resource devouring greed – the environment has NO priority. I suspect that when the big eco-catastrophe hits us, in the near future, the powers-that-be are hoping to use paper 'Action Plans' as a fig leaves to protect themselves from the massive 'kick-in-the-cods' they richly deserve (look, we did our bit, we wrote an Action Plan)! But don't worry lads – you can stop wasting our money on these worthless bits of paper – in the long run, it's never people like you who suffer.


HomeSportGAANewtown hold out to seal Junior title
Ryan Mayse in action for Newtownstewart.
Newtown hold out to seal Junior title
Posted: 1:39 pm October 8, 2018
A DOMINANT first half performance provided Newtownstewart with the cushion that they needed to withstand a determined Beragh comeback during the closing stages of this Junior Championship final at Healy Park last night (Sunday) as they sealed a 1-10 to 1-12 victory.
The St Eugene's led throughout the game, but they had to endure some anxious moments towards the finish as the Red Knights battled back to within two points. Ultimately, though, the composure of Kevin Gallagher and the attacking prowess of Ryan Mayse proved decisive.
Newtown can now look forward to Intermediate football in 2019 following a fourth Junior success. For Beragh, there is the consolation of attempting to retrieve their season through the league play-offs during the coming weeks.
Elsewhere, Killyclogher and Coalisland both sealed their places in the Senior decider after seeing off the challenges of Ardboe and Edendork respectively.
Killyclogher's championship hopes were on life support but they staged a miraculous recovery against Ardboe on Sunday to advance from an slow-burning semi-final encounter at Carrickmore.
Lazarus has nothing on this bunch of players. Killyclogher were a distinct second best for much of the second-half while Kyle Coney sauntered around like he owned the joint, but Dominic Corrigan's men (almost) never looked back after an opportunist goal from Conall McCann as the clock ticked into injury time.
Killyclogher still required extra-time to seal the deal but they did so in jaw-dropping fashion, fashioning some sublime team scores when they really should have been reaching for the oxygen tank.
Their achievement is all the more noteworthy considering they effectively did it without Mark Bradley, who was forced off with injury with a quarter of the game remaining.
Coalisland also encountered choppy waters in their semi-final as battling Edendork made light of their underdogs tag to hand the Fianna an almighty
scare.
Trailing by three points as the match headed into the final ten minutes, the Blues sent out the distress signals and belatedly their SOS request was answered, a late scoring spree ensuring that they fended off St Malachy's right at the death.
With captain Stephen McNally spearheading the charge, assisted by Padriag Hampsey and Plunkett Kane, Coalisland recaptured their dynamic form of recent weeks in the final ten minutes, reeling off five points on the spin.
It was harsh on Edendork and they will probably be left pondering what the outcome might have been if county goalie Niall Morgan, who was having an immense game out the field, hadn't been black carded in the 50th minute.
Meanwhile, in the Intermediate semi-finals, reigning Junior champions Tattyreagh booked their place in the decider after seeing off Gortin by 0-11 to 1-7 and Augher defeated Stewartstown 3-15 to 2-8.
FULL COVERAGE IN TODAY'S TYRONE HERALD


Health and Wellness | Health News
CA Leaders Issue Dire Warnings if ACA is Struck Down
Iowa Lawmakers Push for Drivers' Hands-Free Cellphone Use
California is leading a coalition of dozens of states in defending the Affordable Care Act at the U.S. Supreme Court next month. (MachineHeadz/iStockphoto)
According to research from the American Federation of Teachers, there were 55,000 fewer registered nurses employed in the U.S. in 2021 than in 2020. This was the first decrease in five years. (Adobe Stock)
About 400 fatal crashes happen each year as a direct result of texting and driving nationally, according to Sensiblemotive. (Adobe Stock)
Suzanne Potter, Producer
Mark Moran, Producer-Editor
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Almost four million Californians gained health coverage when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded Medi-Cal, and that goes away if the Supreme Court strikes down the law without a replacement.
That's just one jaw-dropping warning at a hearing held Wednesday by the state Senate Committee on Health.
Deborah Reidy Kelch, an independent health policy consultant, said the Golden State would pay dearly if the court kills the ACA.
"The U.C. Berkeley Labor Center estimates that California could annually lose 27 billion and potentially 299,000 jobs if the ACA was struck down," Kelch outlined.
President Donald Trump said he will protect people with pre-existing conditions, but his Justice Department argues the entire law must go, now that Congress has repealed the individual mandate.
Melanie Fontes Rainer, special assistant attorney general, said in any case the rest of the law should remain in force even without a mandate that everyone buy coverage or pay a fine.
"This president, in his own words, wants to explode the ACA," Rainer asserted. "We don't think that health care should just be for those who are healthy or rich. And we've done everything in our power to fight his sabotage of the Affordable Care Act."
Without the ACA, insurance companies could once again kick young adults 18 to 26 off their parents' health plans.
They could reimpose annual and lifetime spending limits on coverage, and would no longer be required to cover mental-health or addiction services.
Before the ACA, people with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or even pregnancy could be denied coverage or charged sky-high premiums.
State Sen. Dr. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, said COVID would likely be considered a pre-existing condition going forward.
"The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said that 19% to 50% have a pre-existing condition when it came to health-care coverage," Pan stated. "When we're talking about overturning the ACA, we're talking about something that could affect half of all Americans."
Trump Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who has been critical of the ACA, is expected to be confirmed before opening statements begin on November 10.
Health-care professionals say low pay and a worker shortage have led a dramatic number of nursing homes in rural Iowa to close their doors. They hope increased government funding and more focus on rural health care this year will help.
Looking at a graph that shows the number of nursing-home employees between January 2019 and January 2020, the bright red line goes almost straight down. The pandemic was a big reason for that, but Iowa Health Care Association President and CEO Brent Willet said there are other economic factors at work, and the staffing shortages have already resulted in double-digit closures.
"It is alarming," he said. "The latest figures are, we've had 17 nursing homes in Iowa close in the last 12 months. Fifteen of those 17 have been in rural parts of the state."
Willet said nursing homes can't offer competitive wages to people who are willing to take these demanding jobs, especially in rural areas where the population is declining. He said he remains optimistic, though, adding that the Iowa Legislature will reconsider those wages this year, since more than half of nursing-home funding comes from state and federal governments.
Willet said it's also becoming harder for people in rural nursing homes to get the support they need from other medical-service providers in town. He said this adds to the problems already caused by staffing shortages, simply because those services dwindle along with the population.
"Like dialysis, like their primary-care doctor," he said. "As those services become harder and harder to come by, it creates additional challenges pertaining to costs and logistics to care for people in their home community."
The national long-term care facility numbers are also alarming. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported recently that 129 nursing homes closed in 2022 - although this year, the numbers are starting to improve.
Statistics in photo caption Bureau of Labor Statistics 1/26/2023
Health-care professionals and advocates in Connecticut have said it will take sweeping reforms to bolster the state's flailing public health system.
At the labor union 1199 SEIU's Health-Care Policy Symposium, experts spoke of the system's long-time underfunding and staffing shortages. A union-related group, called Expand Services to Save Lives, wants to see part of the state's multi-billion-dollar surplus used to address the issues - including $30 million to recruit and retain public-health workers.
Rebecca Simonsen, vice president and director of the public division at 1199 SEIU, said the state needs to revitalize this system of critical services.
"State health-care services generally serve the most at-risk, highest need, complex residents," she said. "Often folks without insurance, often folks that have been turned away from the private sector. And we created these services because, as a state, we believe that every resident's life should be valued."
In 2022, the state received a $32 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for public-health workforce development. She added that even if the group gets everything it's seeking from this legislative agenda, it wouldn't be the entire solution.
One area of the staffing crisis to be addressed is retention of nurses, more of whom are leaving the field due to burnout and higher patient limits. The union wants to see a pipeline created for nursing students to prepare them for public-sector jobs.
Brian Williams, an organizer for 1199 SEIU and a certified addiction counselor with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said it's time to commit to action instead of acknowledging the problem.
"We cannot continue to say, 'Hey, you know, we have a nursing crisis, we have a nursing crisis.' We have to create incentives to actually expand the pool of nurses," he said. "And this is one of the proposals that we have that we believe will have an impact."
The group also proposed a $12 million investment to add workers to the department to address what was described at the conference as an ongoing mental-health crisis.
Iowa lawmakers are considering a bill which would dramatically reduce the use of cellphones in vehicles.
Right now, it is illegal in Iowa to send or read text messages while driving, but drivers can use a cellphone for navigation, which often takes more attention than texting. Senate Bill 60 would tighten the rules further, prohibiting drivers from operating a phone if it takes more than a single touch to activate or deactivate it.
Sen. Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, said she is personally motivated by the measure after attending the wake of a constituent's 12-year-old child who was killed by a distracted driver.
"It really affected me," Celsi recounted. "The dad just said, 'Please, please, please make this illegal. Please help people like us never to have to go through a loss like this.' So, that's what really spurred me to join onto the bill this year. It's a Republican bill, but I completely support it."
The Iowa Department of Public Safety said drivers who use handheld devices are four times more likely to be in a collision causing injuries than those who are not using their phones. The bill is headed to a Senate committee.
Celsi acknowledged she used to oppose hands-free cell phone measures, because she felt the costs were prohibitive, but she said technology has caught up, and prices have come down.
"You can buy something at Walmart for $20 that can help you go hands free in your car," Celsi pointed out. "I think it really demands now that we reexamine the issue and do something about distracted driving in our state."
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said about half of states prohibit the handheld use of cellphones when driving, and all but Montana prohibit text-messaging while driving.
Senate File 60 2023
Cellphone laws Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Jan. 2023
Accident data SensibleMotive 01/05/2023
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