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5 Easy Christmas Crafts For Kids

The holiday season is a wonderful and magical time for kids. Getting them involved in decorating and activities can help them get even more excited about Christmas. Let their creativity shine by giving them festive art projects to do during the holidays! Here are 5 easy Christmas crafts for kids to make that can double as decorations.

Paper Plate Santa Claus & Friends

The paper plate Santa Claus and friends project is an easy and fun Christmas craft for young kids to make! These cute plates can be displayed on the fridge with magnets or leaned against the wall on your mantel. You can even turn them into ornaments if you use smaller plates and punch a hole towards the top for a ribbon.

While you can make Santa, Rudolph, a Snowman or a wreath, we have simply provided instructions for Santa and Rudolph to get you started!

Supplies Needed

Large White Paper Plates

Cotton Balls

Red Pom Pom Balls

Colored Construction Paper

Colored Pencils

How To Make Santa:

  • First make Santa’s hat. Take a sheet of red construction paper and cut out a triangle. Glue it to the top edge of the plate and then glue a cotton ball onto the tip of the triangle.
  • Time for Santa’s beard and hair! Take about 20 cotton balls and glue them around the edge of the plate, leaving a small circle in the middle
  • Finally, fill in Santa’s face. Color in the blank circle with a skin shade colored pencil. Draw in the eyes, two red circles for blushed cheeks, and glue on a red pom pom for his nose.

How To Make Rudolph:

  • Color in the entire plate with a brown colored pencil.
  • Give Rudolph some eyes, rosy cheeks, a big smile, and his iconic red pom pom nose.
  • Take some brown construction paper and cut out 2 antlers. Glue them to the top of the plate.
  • Glue red and white pom poms to his antlers for some extra festive cheer.

Popsicle Stick Ornaments

These popsicle ornaments are a fun and creative way to get your kids involved in Christmas decorating! This is a great Christmas craft for kids of all ages – younger kids can make more simple ornaments while older kids can take on more of a challenge. These ornaments are something you can keep and cherish for years to come.

While these instructions explain how to make a snowman and a Christmas tree, you can choose to make any other characters and shapes as well!

Supplies Needed

Various Sized Wood Craft Sticks

Colored Construction Paper

How To Make The Snowman:

  • Line up 6 wood craft sticks side by side. Glue a separate craft stick toward the top, diagonally.
  • Color in the diagonal stick and the top half of the 6 sticks with a black marker. This is the top hat.
  • Make the snowman’s face by drawing in the eyes and smile. Cut out a carrot nose using orange construction paper and glue it on.
  • Decorate the hat with construction paper cutouts – get as creative as you want!
  • Finally, glue a small loop of twine at the top so you can hang it from your tree.

How To Make The Tree:

  • Glue craft sticks together in a triangle tree pattern. Color them all in with a green marker.
  • Cut out various shapes from different colored construction paper to represent the ornaments. Glue them onto the craft stick tree in any way you want.
  • Glue the loop of twine at the top to hang from the tree!

Pasta Wreath

The pasta wreath is a craft that is easy for kids to make but may require adult supervision when it comes to the glue and spray paint. To make it even more fun, let your kid choose the color of spray paint that they want to use. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Christmas color.

Our instructions say to use bow-tie pasta; however you can choose to use any type of pasta you want or even combine a variety of pastas!

Supplies Needed

1 Box Uncooked Bow-tie Pasta

Large Paper Plate

Tacky Glue

Green, Red, or Gold Spray Paint

Holiday Ribbon

  • Cut out a circle in the center of the paper plate. Hole punch a small hole towards one of the edges.
  • Evenly distribute glue around the plate – make sure all the space is covered!
  • Carefully place each bow-tie pasta on top of the plate in a pattern of your choice.
  • Keep gluing pasta to the plate until you don’t see anymore white space.
  • Let the glue dry.
  • Using a color of your choice, spray paint the pasta wreath until it’s fully colored.
  • Once the paint dries, tie a festive ribbon through the hole you made on the plate.
  • Hang it up with the rest of your Christmas decorations!

Paper Bag Reindeer

The paper bag reindeer is a cute way for kids to get excited about Christmas and learn more about Rudolph. While you will have to help your kid cut out the different shapes, this craft is fairly easy for kids to make.

If you want to get even more creative, you can also craft other characters on the paper bag, whether they are Christmas characters or made up characters!

Supplies Needed

Brown Paper Bag

Brown, White, Black, and Yellow Construction Paper

Red Marker or Big Red Pom Pom

  • First, cut out all of the shapes that you will need: cut 2 antlers out of brown construction paper, 2 ovals out of white construction paper and 2 small black circles for the eyes, and a yellow circle for the face.
  • Start by gluing the yellow circle to the center of the paper bag. Then, glue the eyes to the top of the yellow circle.
  • Use a red marker to draw in a big red nose or glue on a red pom pom.
  • Finally, glue the 2 antlers to the sides of the bag towards the top.

Felt Tree Christmas Ornaments

The felt tree Christmas ornaments are a perfect craft for older kids to make, but younger kids can also make these with some help. They will get excited to make these and see them hanging on the Christmas tree during the holiday season.

Feel free to make other Christmas symbols and character out of the felt – use the same process but with a different stencil cut-out!

Supplies Needed

Felt Scraps (Multiple Colors)

Cotton Balls

Christmas Tree Stencil

Fabric Glue

  • First, cut out 2 Christmas tree shapes using green felt and a stencil.
  • Lay 7-10 cotton balls on top of one of the trees. Note: number of cotton balls may vary based on the size of the tree you cut out.
  • Outline the tree with fabric glue and glue the other felt tree on top. Make sure the cotton balls stay in between the 2 trees!
  • While the glue is drying, cut out various shapes with different colored felt pieces – these are the ornaments! The shapes can be circles, stars, or anything else that you want.
  • Glue the shapes on the tree on both sides and glue a star on the top.
  • Finally, glue a loop of twin on the top to hang from your tree!

Looking for more holiday inspiration? We’ve got you covered! Our Holiday Headquarters has everything you need from gift ideas, Christmas decorations galore, and even more to get you ready for the holiday season!

2 Responses

  1. Mary Muscato says:

    I sent for 2red trucks with a lighted tree , somehow I have been sent 2more. So all together I have received 4red trucks. I think someone wasn’t looking at my order very closely. I am going to keep all of them, I just do not want another truck. Be more careful . Could I get some gift or money for the mistake.

    • Elaine Lakeside says:

      Hi Mary – We apologize for the confusion and extra items. We are unable to provide any compensation for this shipping error, as they were not included in your billing. Happy Holidays

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A new adaptive controller for the Xbox was presented at this year’s EACD conference in Paris. What a blast! People all over the world is engaged in gaming and of course we want everyone to be able to participate, no matter the type of mobility limitation.

Bryce Johnson is an engaged developer at Microsoft and explained how they previously assumed that everyone was able to and had the endurance to hold on to an ordinary controller. But that was not the reality. They recognized that they had made an exclusive design and decided to change this exclusion into an opportunity to create a new and inclusive device.

Input from the community helped shape design and functionality

From the very beginning Microsoft included a community of people with disabilities, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation, and AbleGamers Charity among others into the process of design, testing and final product.

The newly developed adaptive controller have just two game play buttons, but at the back it is equipped with 19 jacks (3.5 mm) where you can connect a huge variety of external devices such as switches, buttons, joysticks and mounts. Each port is dedicated to a particular Xbox controller button. This makes the controller work as a unified hub, which is very flexible and possible to adapt to the individual person’s needs. Another option is “copilot”. You can link two controllers so they can be used as if they were one. It can be useful for parents when their kids are just getting the hang of using a controller but maybe aren't ready to jump in on their own quite yet.

Video games can be useful in dealing with disability

Gaming engages both children, youngsters and adults and it is not just for amusement, Bryce Johnson explains, it is a community, it connects people and people make new friends. He also points out that for some people participating in video games it allows them to be a gamer first. They can choose how to represent themselves. Behind the screen they can choose which of the characters they want to be - and play that role. At a very basic, fundamental level, the gaming is simply about providing a sense of control, and it often gives agency to those who have limited influence or control in their real lives!

You might have read the touching story about Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who was a skilled gamer. After he died, his parents understood what an important role gaming had been in his life and how many good friends he had made. When he died, people from all over Europe lit a candle in memory of Mats; they were his true friends. This story explains well that gaming can be important for people with disabilities by giving an opportunity to be a gamer first!

Read more: [Video] Niels Reduced His Contractures Significantly After Just a Year in the Innowalk.

It’s fantastic to see how Microsoft has engaged in making gaming more accessible to people with limited mobility and also to an affordable price. Maybe something to test out this summer?

Zach Anner who is an American comedian, actor and writer with cerebral palsy, has been testing the adaptive controller together with a friend. Have a look here on how it went.

For more information about the controller we encourage you to look into Microsoft's webpage and search other webpages for reviews to see if it fits your needs before purchasing a device.

Rikke Damkjær Moen - Physiotherapist and Medical Manager

Rikke Damkjær Moen - Physiotherapist and Medical Manager

Rikke Damkjær Moen brings many years of experience as clinical physiotherapist to the Made for Movement team. Her mission is to ensure that everybody, regardless of mobility problems, should be able to experience the joy and health benefits of physical activity. As our Medical Manager, Rikke is passionate about sharing knowledge so that individuals with special needs, families, and clinicians can discover the possibilities and solutions provided by Made for Movement.

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20 Things to Try During Lent

By admin March 7, 2014

Wednesday marked the start of Lent. Throughout the nation, people will be sacrificing their favourite vices such as smoking, booze, cakes, crisps and chocolate for a seemingly endless period of 40 days.

But, instead of giving something up for Lent, why not take the opportunity to try something new? To give you some inspiration, here are 20 (we thought 40 ideas might clog up the diary a bit too much!) of our very own suggestions…

Lent: Resisting the temptation of vices and cravings!

1. Try a new type of cuisine
2. Sign up for a charity event
3. Start learning a new language
4. Buy an item of clothing which is out of your comfort zone
5. Go glamping!
6. Visit a city that you’ve never been to before
7. Go on a short break to somewhere completely new
8. Organise a themed pub crawl
9. Throw a party to celebrate the arrival of spring
10. Take up a water sport

11. Get a brand new hairdo!
12. Pick up a musical instrument
13. Challenge yourself with a hiking weekend
14. Drive a sports car around a famous circuit
15. Grow a vegetable patch in your garden
16. Take a trip on the River Thames
17. Learn how to play poker
18. Try your hand at flying a light aircraft
19. Buy tickets to a big concert or sporting event
20. Face your biggest fear!

How many of these things have you tried? What will you be up to during Lent?

Images: Great Beyond, Karendesuyo and sheba_also via flickr

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Five Deliciously Different Pancake Recipes

By admin February 11, 2013

Everyone loves pancakes, right? They are easy to make, fun to flip and of course, delicious to eat. Luckily, tomorrow is Pancake Day (or Shrove Tuesday) so we all have an excuse to break some eggs, get flipping and tuck in to a massive stack with a variety of toppings! Sweet or savoury? It’s your choice.

Here is a great, classic recipe for cooking amateurs (like me!). It’s the only scenario where falling flat is a good thing!

Classic Pancakes:

Classic Pancake

225 grams (or 8 ounces) of plain or all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
2 large eggs
600 ml of milk
2 tsp of melted butter, plus melted butter for the pan

  • Begin by sieving the flour into a large baking bowl and adding the salt.
  • Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs. Then beat until smooth.
  • Add half the milk and the two teaspoons of butter and beat again. Add the rest of the milk and stir.
  • Grease the pan lightly using the extra butter and heat until very hot.
  • Add a ladle of batter to coat the base of the pan evenly and thinly.
  • Cook until set and small bubbles appear in the batter.
  • Flip the pancake and cook the other side for about half a minute.
  • When ready, remove the pancake, keep it warm, grease the pan again and get flipping until you have a delicious stack!

Once you’ve mastered the art of the classic pancake, it’s time to try spicing things up – here are five ways to have your pancake tasting even more perfect:

1. Chocolate chips: Got a sweet tooth? Just add chocolate and you’re on to a winner. Dark, milk, white, it’s all good, and easy to mix into the batter or sprinkle on top while they are in the pan. Delicious!

2. Vegan Pancakes: Not everyone eats eggs, but that’s no reason to miss out on all the pancakey goodness – there are loads of recipes out there for those of the vegan persuasion. Check out this amazing  apple spice vegan pancake recipe from

spiced apple vegan pancakes

3. Pan-shapes: Circles are the traditional pancake format, but why not try something different to shake things up? Try different pancake shapers (or free hand pouring!) to create stars, flowers and (especially great for upcoming Valentine’s Day) heart shaped pancakes – impressive.

4. Food Colouring: The simplest way to make the humble pancake infinitely more exciting is with the addition of food colouring. With food colouring, it’s possible to make a stack that’s all the colours of the rainbow, but with Valentine’s Day approaching, red is probably the best choice for a romantic breakfast.

red velvet pancake

5. Get Creative: Pancakes are so simple, it’s easy to create something that is greater than the sum of it’s parts. Combine interesting toppings, fun shapes and bright food colouring to make something truly amazing, like these lily pad spinach pancakes with a shapely cheese topping!

Happy Flipping Pancake Day.

How do you like yours?

Images:  smittenkittenorig, veganbaking.netBriskiii and hlkljgk via Flickr

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Flight Simulator in Lincolnshire

By admin August 12, 2015

Not long ago, my colleague Stephen and I went to Boston for a high-flying flight simulator experience at Flight Deck Reality. Read on to find out more….

Steve and Ian in the flight simulator

“We arrived at the flight simulator centre after a scenic drive through the Lincolnshire countryside and on arrival met owner and flying enthusiast Ian Hislop, who showed us the surrounding airfield as well as his very own light aircraft (something he uses to take casual trips to French markets from time to time).

Flight Deck reality - a state of the art flight simulator

After checking out the site, we entered the flight simulator centre’s comfy lounge where we had a pre-flight chat and a few refreshments; Ian was very friendly and keen to let us know all about the operation.

Then it was time to see the flight simulator itself. We entered the cabin which was equipped with an ultra-realistic cockpit (made from real passenger jet parts), a few passenger seats and a crystal clear wrap around screen with moving displays.

Steve and Dan enjoying a day out on the flight simulatorDue to its challenging take-off and landing sequence and varied scenery, we chose to fly from the new Hong Kong airport. After taking us through some official pre-flight checks, Ian started the engines and then we were off. We both took turns to guide the craft through the clouds; the cockpit simulated real in-flight movement and the scenery was so realistic, I almost forgot we weren’t in the air! And with a live weather feed in the simulator, we were even flying in the same conditions as the real pilots in Hong Kong were on that day – it was clear and cloudy.

To show off this simulators full capabilities, Ian took the reins for a while and recreated the famous emergency Hudson River landing, which offered a real insight into what it takes to guide an aircraft to the ground in a crisis – a dramatic way to round off the day!

Overall, I’d say it is a great location, Ian was an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable tutor and the flight simulator itself was very impressive. If anyone would like a taste of what it’s really like to fly a commercial plane, I’d certainly recommend this experience.

Flight simulator controls

If you would like to soar through the skies without leaving the ground, check out our full range of flight simulator experiences.

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Building Management

Building Hardware and the IoT

In my first post I gave an overview of the impact the IoT (or Internet of Things) in buildings. Spoiler alert: it’s more efficient and comfortable buildings that are easier to manage. That’s through changes to software (the subject of my second post), hardware and management services.

Here, let’s look at building hardware and the IoT.

The impact will show up in every sensor, actuator and system in a building. The IoT means things are building hardwareconnected to a building management system (a BMS) and ultimately to the wider world. That means networking systems and devices that may not have been connected before, like

  • Lighting
  • Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC)
  • Security and access control
  • Control devices – valves, actuators, sensors and meters

Let’s take something at the simplest level: an occupancy sensor. Maybe it checks CO2 levels to see if people are in a room. If so, a BMS turns on ventilation to bring in fresh air, turns more lights on, and adjusts the temperature out of an power conserving deep setback. When the people leave, everything goes back to an energy saving state.

One thing, then, is that the IoT demands sensors, a lot of them. To make the most of the Internet of Things, you need data: temperature, occupancy, machine and system health (is that compressor about to fail?), the status of doors and windows (are they open or closed?), and more.

As noted in the Navigant Research white paper “Data Integration for Intelligent Buildings,” the cost of sensors and the actuators is dropping. However, you can’t go by price alone. After all, the sensors and actuators are what everything else is built on. They have to do their job reliably and accurately for everything else to work.

Ok, let’s take a step up from control devices like sensors. The HVAC system in even small buildings is complex. It brings in outside air, chills it to wring out moisture, heats it up to the desired temperature and then pumps in enough humidity to make people comfortable. It does this whether it’s 0 or 100o F outside.

As mentioned, part of what the IoT can enable is system health and preventive or better yet predictive maintenance. That way your maintenance people get fewer calls in the middle of the night to repair something that has broken unexpectedly. Instead, fixes can be scheduled when there’s less disruption and also less expense.

Now, anticipating and correcting problems before they happen might require adding more sensors to the HVAC system and making it smarter, another hardware change. You probably won’t rip out an HVAC just to get these features and instead may opt for an add-on package to get the needed functionality. But it is something to keep in mind when upgrading.

Finally, at the top level sits the BMS. Here, the hardware needs to be scalable. Technology evolves and buildings are around a long time – decades according to an International Energy Agency report. So a BMS has to have a built-in ability to grow and adapt or it can become obsolete quickly.

Fortunately, as noted in the Navigant Research report, the cost of computing has fallen and continues to drop. Again, hardware with the right characteristics is increasingly affordable.

It’s important, though, to get IoT-capable hardware for a new build or when doing a retrofit. That applies to everything from the control devices that are on the lowest level on up to the BMS at the highest. Do that and you’ll be on the way to getting the most out of the Internet of Things.

For more information on IoT and building hardware, look here. And watch for the last post in this IoT series, the one on management services, coming up.

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There are plenty of hazards in a busy fast food restaurants. Spilled drinks, oily puddles and sharp utensils are just some of the factors that can cause an accident. That’s why you should wear proper fast food shoes. But not all footwear is suitable. Here are five features you need to look out for.

  1. Slip-Resistance

  2. Water-Resistant

  3. Cushioned Insoles

  4. Ventilation

  5. Durable Exterior Material

There’s a risk of slips, trips and falls in every restaurant environment, but it’s particularly prevalent in a fast food kitchen. With liquids like greasy oils and water making surfaces slippery, and bits of food falling onto the floor, you can easily fall and injure yourself if you’re not wearing slip-resistant shoes.

old school low rider iv

Old School Low Rider IV (for men and women) is designed like the classic low top sneaker but with a safe edge. The non-slip soles provide superior grip so you can walk safely and securely around your fast food restaurant kitchen. The additional TripGuard feature helps to reduce trip hazards when you’re moving between different floor types.

From fizzy drinks and spilt water to splashes of oil, liquids are always spilling in restaurants. This is particularly the case in fast food kitchens as it’s such a hectic, quick-paced environment. That’s why you need fast food shoes that are waterproof.

Pembroke is made from a durable, water-resistant material. Treated to repel liquids, this will protect your feet from spillages leaking into your shoes. The slip-resistant outsoles and TripGuard decrease slip and trip hazards so you can safely stay upright while you work.

Cushioned Insoles

Fast food workers are often on their feet for hours at a time. When this is combined with rushing around during peak times and lifting boxes during stockroom checks, your feet can be left extremely sore and tired. Having sore feet can make it harder to deliver customer service with a smile and you could be more susceptible to trips and slips too.

Grayson Karina with flextread hoverlite and tripguard

Invest in work shoes with cushioned insoles to support your feet during your long shifts. Grayson and Karina are lightweight shoes with Hoverlite insole technology, and a foam compound which cushions your feet to help each step feel lighter than the last. Plus, the slip-resistant FlexTread outsole ensures the shoes have superior grip and mould to the shape of your feet, moving the way you do for long-lasting comfort.

It can get quite hot in a fast food restaurant, particularly in the kitchen due to the ovens and grills. Combine this with the rushing around after customers and you’ve not only got sore feet but you’ll probably have sweaty ones too. This is uncomfortable and can increase the risk of blisters forming, which will affect your productivity.

Condor shoes for crews europe  Falcon II Black Women

Look out for shoes that offer ventilation. Condor and Condor Women are CE and OB certified shoes with strategically placed mesh panels to help keep your feet cool throughout your shift. The wide heels offer additional traction and, when combined with TripGuard and slip-resistant soles, make these stylish work trainers even more suitable for the slippery fast food environment.

Durable Exterior Material

Long hours, extensive manual labour and a hazardous work environment are just some of the reasons why fast food workers’ shoes don’t usually last very long. When your shoes take that much of a beating every day, you can expect to have to replace them rather often - especially if you’re wearing trendy high street shoes rather than proper fast food shoes.

This is inconvenient and can be costly as the prices will add up in the long run. Proper work shoes are made from durable exterior material and they’re the ones you need to be investing in. You might have to pay a little more for them upfront, but they’ll last much longer so it’s actually more cost-effective in the long run.

Freestyle II alia

Freestyle II and Alia are both non-slip shoes with TripGuard technology, making them perfect for fast food workers. Both are made from high quality materials - Freestyle II in durable synthetic leather and Alia in genuine leather. These shoes are built to last the strenuous work of a fast food employee, so you won’t need to replace them very often.

These Features will Help But There’s More You Need to Know

These five features are what you need to look out for in fast food shoes, but they’re not the only things you need. Our shoe buying guide, the Ultimate Guide to Slip-Resistant Shoes, will show you how to buy work shoes for your job role based on the occupational hazards you face. Download it below.

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China’s Cybersecurity Strategy: 5 Updates You Need to Know

While Americans enjoyed BBQ and apple pie over the Independence Day holiday, China continued to release policy, rules and regulations surrounding its new China Cybersecurity Law (CSL).

China’s goal is to establish its Cyber Sovereignty, which includes cybersecurity and data information governance. As seen with the release of the Data Transfer Draft in April of 2017, China will continue to fill in gaps in the CSL framework over the next few months (some say years). Many of the CSL updates apply to all organizations while others will be more industry specific in scope.

Unlike the West, the legal system in China is such that regulations for laws can sometimes take months to fully materialize, a lengthy process that can create confusion, risk and obviously, uncertainty. In light of this, some good news was released in June: the government of the Republic of China has agreed to an 18-month grace period before the CSL is fully enforced. Now instead of June 1, 2017, the new enforcement start date is January 1, 2019. Although, be advised: it would be wise to strive to comply before that date.

It is anticipated the government will release updates regarding the CSL on a monthly basis for the next 12 months or so and it’s crucial to stay informed about these revisions.

Below is a summary of 5 events that have happened late in May up to July 4:

1. Provisions on Examination of Network Products and Services were established

On June 1, 2017, the Provisions on Examination of Network Products and Services (NPS Provisions) came into effect. These are a foundational set of CSL hardware standards that will ultimately consolidate various other rules and regulations into a unified set.

Article 23 of China’s Cybersecurity Law says “key network equipment and special security products should meet the mandated national standards and can be sold or supplied to the market upon receiving the relevant security certification or passing safety compliance inspections. The national cyberspace authority will formulate and make public key network equipment and special security product categories, and promote cross-recognition of certification and compliance check outcomes to avoid any repetition in certification or inspections”.

Essentially the NPS Provisions establishes the minimum hardware and software standards for network equipment that can be used by the Critical Information Infrastructure Operators. This includes items such as routers, firewalls, switches, intrusion detection systems and other backbone servers and hardware.

2. China CAC published National Cyber Threat Response Plan

On June 27th the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) published a new nationwide cyber-attack response plan on its website. The document requires provinces to upgrade networks and immediately implement expert response teams as part of a new centralized reporting system established specifically for the plan. The National Cyber Threat Response Plan includes a four-color warning system that ranks cyber-attacks as red, orange, yellow, or blue depending on severity, with red signaling the highest level of alert.

The plan also requires relevant departments to establish international channels of communication during the sudden onset of international security threats. The regulations also criminalize any failure by government departments or its employees to carry out the plan.

3. China decided to include media and online platforms as Critical Information Infrastructure operators

A consensus has been reached among government agencies to include key news outlets, search engines and major online platforms for shopping, payments and mapping as Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) under the Cybersecurity Law. China is set to announce new rules to bring more clarity to the Cybersecurity Law – especially with regard to the definition of Critical Information Infrastructure companies. While e-commerce leviathan Alibaba will undoubtedly qualify as CII, deciding which of its many units would be subject to the stricter reviews that are part and parcel of the CII designation remains undetermined.

4. Supplemental guidelines were released for Data Export and Transfer regulations

On May 27, 2017 the National Information Security Standardization Technical Committee of China (NISSTCC) published their set of guidelines for cross-border transfers pursuant to the new Cybersecurity Law, entitled Information Security Technology – Guidelines for Data Cross-Border Transfer Security Assessment (the “Draft Guidelines”). These guidelines supplement the Measures for the Security Assessment of Outbound Transmission of Personal Information and Critical Data (the “Draft Measures”) which were published May 1, 2017.

CII and Network Operators are to annually conduct “security assessments” when they propose to transfer personal information and “important information” to places outside of China. These “security assessments” are essentially audits of the cybersecurity circumstances surrounding the proposed transfer that are intended to provide an assessment of the risk involved. If the assessment indicates that the risk is too high, the transfer must be terminated.

The NISSTCC Draft Guidelines are intended to establish norms for working requirements, methodology, content and the determination of conclusions for these “security assessments.” They recommend particular content to consider during “security assessments,” such as the volume of information to be transferred, the political and legal environment in the place where the data recipient is located, and the security safeguard capabilities of both the transferor and the data recipient. At this time, the following observations regarding the draft guidelines and draft measure for data transfer can be made:

  • The draft guidelines provide some possible examples of what might constitute “important information”. The Draft Measures impose restrictions on the cross-border transfer of “important information”.
  • The draft guidelines introduce into the CSL framework the concept of “sensitive personal information,” as well as the possibility of desensitizing this information using processing that removes or reduces the sensitive elements in the data.
  • The draft guidelines appear to be a voluntary rather than compulsory document.
  • The draft guidelines appear to take a holistic risk-based rather than a compliance-based approach to determine whether a transfer should proceed.
  • The “security assessments” would focus on two overall inquiries:
    1. the legality and appropriateness of the proposed cross-border transfer, and
    2. the ability to control the risks involved

The Draft Guidelines were open to comment from the general public through June 26, 2017, and the content and approach could change by the time it is finalized.

5. CAC held briefing with AmCham Shanghai

On June 29, Zhao Zeliang, Head of Cybersecurity Liaison Office of Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), had a closed-door, round-table discussion with 30 US business representatives on China’s Cybersecurity Law. Mr. Zhao took questions from company representatives on the compliance and implementation aspects of the law. Questions raised during the discussion included the definition of critical information infrastructure (CII), data localization requirements, cross-border data transfer assessment measures and the definition of network operator.

According to Mr. Zhao the government is still working on how to define CII. The government is now accepting comments on assessment measures for cross-border data transfers and the measures will hopefully be finalized and published soon. He assured participants that there will be further implementing regulations for different industries and that the CAC welcomes input and constructive feedback from the business community.

Be sure to check back often for more updates as China forges ahead in its quest for complete Cyber Sovereignty and attempts to establish its Cyber Information Governance.

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SR Pod/Vod Series: Poet Jennifer MacBain-Stephens

Each Tuesday we feature audio or video of an SR Contributor reading their work. Today we’re proud to feature a podcast by Jennifer MacBain-Stephens.

jennifer macbain-stephensJennifer MacBain-Stephens is an emerging poet who has written three non-fiction books for young people: The Salem Witch Trials: A Primary Source History of the Witchcraft Trials in Salem, Massachusetts; Womens Suffrage; and Gertrude Elion: Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology and Medicine. She has also contributed to the Lake Arrowhead, CA poetry collection Pool of Seven. Jennifer graduated from NYU and after several moves around the United States, currently lives in Iowa City, IA and works at a science journal.

You can read along with her poems in issue 10 of Superstition Review.

To subscribe to our iTunes U channel, go to


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Microsoft Edge For Mac Browser Now Available in Preview: Check Out Here!

Bradley Cooper | Published: 2019-05-29T07:14:44+00:00 | News, Technology|
microsoft edge for mac browser now available

Here comes a piece of good news for all Mac OS users! Earlier, this month Microsoft excited its Edge Browser user for Mac OS. Now, the company has officially announced the availability of Microsoft Edge Canary channel for Mac OS. Users can easily install preview builds from the Microsoft Edge Insider site for Mac OS. The company is officially supporting the daily Canary builds of Edge for Mac for MacOS 10.12 and above. So, Microsoft Edge for Mac Browser now available in preview for users to understand and free download option is also provided.

Microsoft said, “Users can soon avail the benefits of Dev Channel builds and will be able to run both side by side.”

What’s New With Microsoft?

Microsoft Edge For Mac Browser Works For:

  • Making The Web A Better Place For Everyone – Creating better web compatibility for customers and less fragmentation on the web for all web developers.
  • Investing In Open Source – Making contributions back to Chromium in areas like accessibility, touch, ARM64, and others. Also, working directly with the teams at Google.
  • We are Listening – Wants Feedback from customers for improvements and new additions.

microsoft edge browser for mac os

Building a “Mac-like” user experience for Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge for Mac browser now available in preview offers the same new browsing experience that the users are previewing on Windows, with user experience optimizations to make it feel at home on a Mac. The company is tailoring the overall look and feel to match what macOS users expect from apps on this platform.

The company is committed to developing a world-class browser with Microsoft Edge through differentiated user experience features and connected services. Microsoft has made several alterations to the user interface to align with Microsoft design language while making it feel natural on Mac Operating system.

Examples include numerous tweaks to match Mac Operating system conventions for fonts, keyboard shortcuts, menus, title casing, and other areas. The users will continue to see the look and feel of the browser evolve in the future releases as we continue to experiment and listen to customer feedback. The company encourages the users to share feedback via Send Feedback smiley.

can you download Microsoft edge on mac

Moreover, the company is designing user experiences that are exclusive for Mac OS by influencing specific hardware features available on Mac. For instance, providing amazing and contextual action through the Touch Bard like website shortcuts, tab switching and video controls along with the navigation with trackpad gestures.

microsoft edge browser free download for mac

A Glimpse of Microsoft Edge Insider Channels For Mac OS

The fresh Microsoft Edge preview builds for Mac OS are available through preview channels which are known as ‘Microsoft Edge Insider Channels.’ The company has started by launching the Microsoft Edge Insider Canary Channel. The channel is available on macOS 10.12 and above. The Dev Channel will be released very soon. Once Dev Channels will be available, one can easily download and install it side-by-side the Canary Channel.

Microsoft Edge Browser for Mac OS Now Available – Want To Try It?

The user can access and use Microsoft Edge Insider Canary Channel by downloading it from the link (

Privacy Controls For Edge Chromium

Microsoft also declared new privacy control for Edge Chromium and a new Collections feature for collection of images, general notes, text from the web. These new functionalities are not available in the Mac or Windows versions of Edge. However, the company also said the testing will soon begin in the coming weeks.

Final Words

Microsoft always works for providing the best to the users. The company keeps on innovating and exploring new platforms to make it hassle-free for users to work. This time Microsoft has come up with Microsoft Edge preview builds. Recently, Microsoft has announced the availability of Microsoft Edge Canary channel for Mac OS users. So, this blog aids users to realise more about Microsoft Edge for Mac Browser now available with preview.

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RECIPE: Chocolate Blackberry Macarons | THE NIBBLE Blog - Adventures In The World Of Fine Food RECIPE: Chocolate Blackberry Macarons – THE NIBBLE Blog – Adventures In The World Of Fine Food
THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods
Also visit our main website, TheNibble.com.

RECIPE: Chocolate Blackberry Macarons

Here’s another delicious blackberry recipe: Chocolate Blackberry Macarons. Blackberry, a summer fruit, is a nice change from the chocolate or raspberry fillings often found in macarons.

The recipe was developed by blogger Naomi Robinson of Bakers Royal, and contributed to Driscoll’s recipes. Visit Naomi’s blog for more delicious recipes.

Prep time is 30 minutes, cook time is 15 to 17 minutes, plus cooling time.

Ingredients For 24-30 Macarons

For The Chocolate Macarons

  • 1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 eggs)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups plus 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups plus ¼ cup almond meal
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
    For The Blackberry Filling

  • 2 packages (6 ounces each) blackberries, puréed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 envelope plain gelatin

    A summer flavor for macaron lovers. Photo courtesy Driscoll’s.

    Sweet summer blackberries. Photo ©
    Pretoperola | Dreamstime.

    1. PREHEAT oven to 330°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

    2. TRACE out 1 inch circles on parchment and set this aside as a “master copy.” Reserve two extra sheets of parchment and set aside.

    3. PLACE egg whites and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and fit mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium low speed until egg whites start to form loose, translucent bubbles.

    4. INCREASE mixer speed to medium and beat until meringue turns foamy and white and starts to resemble well-lathered shampoo, about 2 minutes. Increase mixer to high and beat until meringue holds glossy stiff peaks, about another 2-3 minutes. Turn off mixer.

    5. PROCESS almond meal, powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a food processor and then sift. Add these dry ingredients to the meringue. Using a sturdy spatula fold and smash dry mixture into meringue against the bowl for about 20-25 folds.

    Don’t worry about being gentle; the idea is to knock the air out. The batter should hold its shape when spooned on itself and start to slowly flatten out after about 15-20 seconds. Start checking the batter after 20 folds for readiness. Transfer batter to pastry bag and let rest for 20 minutes before piping.

    6. PLACE the master copy of the drawn circles on a baking sheet and then place a sheet of parchment on top. Fill a pastry bag with batter and pipe until the batter reaches edge of circle. Remove the master copy from underneath the piped layer. Place it on a second baking sheet and pipe the remaining batter. Remove the master copy and save for future use.

    7. GIVE each pan a quick hard tap against the counter, turn the pan 90 degrees and give it another quick hard tap. This will deflate any bubbles and prevent cracked shells.

    8. BAKE for 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Leave meringue shells to cool completely on the pan. Shells will cleanly peel away from the parchment when ready.

    9. MAKE the blackberry filling. Place water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir until sugar is melted. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool, 15-20 minutes. Once cooled, sprinkle gelatin on top and leave untouched for 1-2 minutes for the gelatin to bloom.

    10. RETURN the pan to the stove top and over low heat stir the mixture until the gelatin bloom melts and mixture resembles the consistency of maple syrup. Remove from heat and stir the gelatin mixture into the blackberry purée. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 10-15 minutes or until the filling becomes thick and slightly sets.

    11. ASSEMBLE the meringues. Pipe the filling onto one shell, place a second shell on top and repeat.

    Comments are closed.

    © Copyright 2005-2020 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. All images are copyrighted to their respective owners.


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TMP WorldwideWritten by

Top Takeaways From #HRTechConf

Trends| Views: 1329

The HRE HR Technology Conference is consistently one of the biggest HR conferences of the year where forward-looking professionals rethink HR and leverage technology to exceed employee expectations and succeed in business. We loved having the opportunity again this year to be a sponsor with an interactive booth and Talent Bar. While meeting many of the attendees was the highlight of the conferences, we had a chance to scope out the HR Tech scene. Here are three lessons we learned:

1) Diversity and Inclusion matters to everyone

Though AI and automation continued to be top of mind for HR technology thought leaders at the annual HR Tech Conference and Expo, conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion, particularly the role of women in HR tech, took center stage.

2)  We are getting closer and closer to AI

The onset of automation and artificial intelligence is already shaking up a number of jobs, eliminating certain roles altogether and significantly altering others.

Still, even as automation grows, there will be a need for human employees, even though their skill sets will have to be different. Soft skills such as communication and leadership that can’t so easily be taught to robots will be increasingly important.

3)  Know your data

Another key theme that emerged at the conference is the continued importance of data when it comes to making hiring decisions. HR teams have access to more data than ever before. Knowing how to leverage the relevant data is vital, but preparing for the future is just as important.

No matter what you learn each year, HR Tech is THE place to get the whole picture of the HR technology market. As technology and innovation continues to grow and drive the HR and recruiting industry, we can’t wait to learn more and see what next year brings!

TMP Worldwide

About TMP Worldwide

TMP Worldwide is a global leader in talent acquisition technologies, committed to finding new ways to leverage software, strategy and creative to build talent and enhance our clients' employer brands – across every connection point.

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Tri-Paragon Inc.

Using SUNBIRD DCIM to Manage Data Center Power Utilization

Sunbird DCIM Software Proven Enterprise Class Monitoring that Won’t Break the Bank

Keep Usage in Control:

Can you tell your customers how much power they are using? What power capacity is available? Are you being asked to ensure power up-time and reliability?

Data centers and IT labs everywhere are approaching operational capacity limits. Power resources are increasingly constrained, and the cost of energy is spiraling out of control. You need to know how much power you are using, how much is available and where you can improve efficiency. As budgets are decreasing, having a tool to help answer these questions and keep your power usage in control is critical.

Battle-Tested and Customer Approved:

Sunbird’s Power IQ DCIM software for Power Management can clue you into how much power you’re using at a moment’s notice, down to individual servers when coupled with our PX® intelligent Rack PDUs with individual outlet metering. Our enterprise class power monitoring software has been battle-tested, monitoring some of the world’s largest data center in the industry.

Blog 12 image 01 Power Dashboard

This sample Power dashboard shows just a few of the metrics that can be tracked, including Actual and Planned Power vs. Capacity per Cabinet, Location's Actual Active Power, and Budget Power Capacity.

Improve Up time:

With an intuitive simple to configure dashboard, see power utilization trends and capacity across your power chain, find stranded power, and improve data center up time with thresholds and alerts.

Blog 12 image 02 Rack Health

This sample dashboard shows the health and capacity of racks and locations

Blog 12 image 03 Power Monitorng

Blog 12 image 04A Smarttrak ViewBlog 12 image 05 Complete Monitoring

Data Centers are often over-provisioned and excess capacity typically exists. With Sunbird DCIM tools, you can find that stranded capacity, use it with confidence, and delay spending millions to build your next data center.

Simplify Validation, Troubleshooting, and Maintenance

By Knowing your real time and trended power consumption at every point in your power chain

Blog 12 image 06 Power Chain

Blog 12 image 07 Remote Power Control

Blog 12 image 08A Power consumption gauge

Build your customized dashboard in less than 5 minutes:

  • Easy to use drag & drop
  • Create & share any report needed
  • Custom widgets
  • Integrate with other systems

Totally open and works with what you have:

Sunbird DCIM uses industry standard protocols and is compatible with many 3rd party meters, sensors, and software.

Out-of-the-Box Centralized Management for your Raritan® and Server Technology® Intelligent Rack PDUs

Blog 12 image 09 PDU Management

Why Sunbird?

We’re a leader in what is known as Second-Generation DCIM Software, and we focus on solving real customer problems…instead of charging for every module or user.

Blog 12 image 10 Second-Generation DCIM

Blog 12 image 11 to 13 Solve Problems

Some other well-known users of Sunbird DCIM Software

Blog 12 image 14 Users

In Canada contact Tri-Paragon at 416 865-3392 or email us at info@triparagon.com for more information and to request a demo of the Sunbird DCIM Software and see how it provides the information and control of your data center you've been looking for.

Click button below to request Case Study of "Sunbird’s DCIM Power Solution Helps British Cloud and Networking Provider enhance its SLAs and Gain a Competitive Edge" to learn more and see how Sunbird DCIM Software can give you a competitive edge.

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Cocoa beans laid out to dry in an indigenous community of Ecuador. Photo credit: S. Lampman USAID/EGAT

Near Ecuador’s border with Colombia, a young boy in a Cofán Indigenous community shares his front yard with drying cocoa beans. His parents have put into practice improved cocoa production techniques such as the grafting of higher yield cocoa varieties onto hardy local stock. As a result, they receive increased yields and incomes, all the while reducing pressure to convert neighboring forests to agricultural lands. Such efforts to support sustainable livelihoods are but one of many tools in the conservation strategy of USAID’s Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon.

From the massive forests of the Congo and Amazon River basins to one of the world’s smallest remnant cloud forests in El Salvador, forest conservation and forest management are inextricably intertwined with development.  Forests cover more than 30 percent of the world’s total land area, and provide significant opportunities to remove and store carbon from the atmosphere.  However, widespread deforestation contributes up to 17 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually.  Threats to forests include unsustainable management practices, conversion of forested lands to agriculture, illegal logging, fire, disease, and degradation.

Forests provide vital benefits for human well-being, including “provisioning” services (for example, providing food, pollinators, fresh water, wood and fiber, and fuel), “regulating” services (assisting in climate change mitigation, flood control, and disease reduction) and “cultural” services (offering aesthetic, spiritual, and educational benefits, as well as recreational opportunities).

Forests are therefore a critical component of USAID’s approach to development, and our experience over the years has enabled our agency to become one of the global leaders in supporting conservation. Over the last several decades, USAID has been at the forefront of developing and demonstrating new ideas and tools for forest conservation and management. Programs include debt for nature swaps, forest certification, agroforestry, controlling illegal logging, payments for ecosystems services, and promoting community-based forest management.

USAID invested about $110 million annually in forest conservation and sustainable forestry activities implemented in 2009 and 2010, and will continue making strategic investments in forestry going forward. These conservation efforts represent a wide range of activities, such as protection of natural forests, community management of forests for non-timber forest products, agroforestry and reforestation of degraded lands, and research and capacity building activities which help communities and governments benefit from markets for ecosystem services and certified forest products.

We partner with the communities most dependent on natural resources and engage community groups, local governments, and private enterprises to manage protected areas and share revenue. Workers find new ways to provide for their families that help protect biodiversity, such as sustainable fishing and forestry, ecotourism, harvesting of non-timber forest products, and direct payments for avoiding deforestation and maintaining ecosystem services such as carbon storage, water and air filtration, and recreational opportunities.

For example, in Kenya, we support a program which encourages small farmers to plant trees on their land. They then receive a few cents for each year the trees are in place. These trees reduce soil erosion, provide fodder for livestock, and during stand thinnings, generate income from the sale of poles and timber. Additionally, the farmers have a contract with a U.S.-based carbon broker, which will allow them to receive 70 percent of the profits generated by any sale of carbon credits in the future.

As we look to the future, new global trends will create both challenges and opportunities. For example, USAID is committed to addressing global climate change by conserving and restoring the world’s forests. The application of innovative economic approaches, new science and satellite data, and lessons learned on effective community management can lead to better use of forests and related lands that can help improve livelihoods, and reduce emissions and impacts from climate change.

Internationally, this new global forest initiative is referred to as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) (PDF).  At the Copenhagen climate summit in December of 2009, the Obama Administration committed to help countries slow down and eventually reverse emissions from deforestation and degradation, and maintain and increase carbon stocks. USAID is one of the lead agencies responsible for designing and implementing programs to support this new U.S. government global commitment.

Whether saving species from the brink of extinction, combating climate change, preserving livelihoods, or proactively planning for sustainable development, forest conservation requires collaborative stewardship and good governance at all levels – from government institutions to community organizations.

Working together, we hope to achieve a healthy and sustainable future.


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VarSome Clinical version 8 released

Posted by Tomas Kucera on Nov 11, 2019 4:36:00 PM

VarSome Clinical Version 8

We are proud to present the latest version of VarSome Clinical with the following new features and improvements.

Introduction to VarSome Clinical

Updates & Improvements

  • Third-party software versions:
    • BCFtools 1.9
    • Bedtools 2.29.0
    • Delly 0.8.1
    • ExomeDepth 1.1.2
    • Fastqc 0.11.5
    • Picard Tools 2.20.6
    • Samtools 1.9
    • Sentieon Genomics suite 201808.08
    • VCFtools 0.1.15
  • We have modified our version of hg19 to map reads to the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS, NC_012920, [1]) for mitochondrial variants. This is the standard human mtDNA sequence [2] used in the field and is already included as the mitochondrial genome in hg38. Analysis from user-provided VCF files containing the original hg19 version will also be annotated.
  • We significantly enhanced the VarSome Clinical API endpoints and documentation.
  • ACMG Classification. Improvements for clinical users who have gene-specific overrides, such as preferred transcript.
  • Recently updated databases: ClinVar, AACT, GHR, PanelApp, GWAS catalog, CGD and more. gnomAD v3.0 for hg38 to follow soon.
  • For hg19, we now map mitochondrial variants and transcripts both to chrM (the mitochondrial chromosome in the default hg19) and MT (the rCRS mentioned above). Please read here for more information. We are working on providing support for MitoMap soon.

In conclusion

As ever, we hope that you find VarSome useful, and we are continually striving to improve the platform. Do please contact us if you notice any issues or have suggestions on how to improve the platform.

Learn about VarSome Clinical

Topics: Platform Updates


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Category Archives: Muscat

The Muscat grape is one of the oldest grape varieties known to the wine world. Instead of being just one grape, Muscat encompasses a family of grapes, found in a range of hues – from white to brown to near black. The two best-known clones are Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains (Muscat blanc for short) and Muscat of Alexandria. The Muscat blanc grape is the oldest variety and creates the most concentrated grape flavors. Small in size, Muscat blanc is not always white and it can produce both dry and sweet wines. Muscat of Alexandria is larger and often darker than the Muscat Blanc, and creates wines of intense sweetness.

Notable Facts
Muscat Blanc is the Moscato used in Italy for Moscato d’Asti and Spumante, both light and fizzy wines. It also creates the Muscat d’Alsace of France, which is often made in the dry style. Muscat Blanc can also be found in the deliciously sweet wines of Beaumes-de-Venise in the south of France. The Muscat of Alexandria is responsible for the “stickies” of Australia, as well as the Muscats of Portugal and South Africa. California also has a hold on producing sweet dessert wines from Muscat.

Successful Wine Region:
France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Portugal, United States

Common Descriptors:
grapey, musky, orange peel

Happy Moscato Day!

When I was a little kid, everyone got a glass of sparkling wine for celebrations. All the adults would get a glass of champagne, and the kids got tiny cordial glasses filled with moscato d’asti. Fast forward to today, when a liquor delivery truck covered in a giant ad for pink moscato tried to run me right off the Bay Bridge! Moscato has come a long way from those fun family occasions to mega buck in the wine business. What has happened to moscato in all this time? It’s flavored and colored and sweetened beyond what I remember. Let’s take a look at some of the traditional styles of muscat and moscato and the foods that pair with them.

Continue reading Happy Moscato Day!


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Email Marketing: An Introduction for Photographers

You might ask what a photographer needs from email marketing. After all, you get in, get the shot, get out, and get paid. Boom.

Here’s the thing though. That’s just sales. Sales ain’t nothing.

The big money’s in loyalty. The big money’s in the three R’s of email marketing:

Learn how to get more leads with Wishpond’s all-in-one email marketing tools and automation. Click here to get started.

  • Retention
  • Referrals
  • References

This article will give you a breakdown of how your photography business can benefit by integrating email into your online marketing efforts. It’ll also give you three email templates you can use to implement these strategies for yourself.

Email Marketing for Retention

It is somewhere near 700% more efficient to sell to a previous customer than start from scratch. If you’ve already proven your ability to take a good picture (alongside your prices, personable nature and everything else that makes you competitive in your market and awesome at what you do), then re-engaging those customers is likely the best way for you to make money.

How to Retain Clients with Email: email marketing for photographers

Be aware that you don’t have to only contact your clients a few times a year (though the emails in this article might make it sound like that). I'd recommend testing your email volume to determine how often your previous clients are comfortable communicating and engaging with you. If you have a list of 250 previous clients, reach out to 100 of them 6 times a year, 100 of them 12 times a year, and rest only 3 times a year. Is it worth the drop in subscribers for the increase in sales if you email more?

Email Marketing for Referrals

Let’s say that last year you did a wedding for Jennifer and David. Lovely couple, late twenties. If you remember rightly they had a large reception (about 200 people) and a huge number of friends in attendance. How many of those friends were also in their late twenties? How many of them were in relationships, and how many likely to get married in the next couple summers?

And all those couples are seeing Jennifer and David’s photos on Facebook, Instagram and in that massive photo album they paid for. Your talent is obvious - that ability to get the candid shot as well as the posed. And that thing you did with the sparklers! Awesome.

Each and every one of your clients is the gateway to a dozen more. Photographers are in a unique position, marketing-wise, and you need to be taking advantage of it.

How to Get Referrals with Email:

email marketing for photographers

Of course you can also hand out cards at the reception, and that usually works okay. But getting an existing Fan (or previous customer) to promote you on your behalf is significantly easier and better for your business. In the marketing biz we call this word-of-mouth marketing, and it works pretty simply: According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising or marketing. Makes sense, to be honest.

Email Marketing for References

You’re not the most trustworthy source of information when it comes to… well, you.

You’re a bit biased, you’ll have to agree.

But recent studies are showing that, when it comes to a brand or business, the most trustworthy person to communicate isn’t the CEO (in this situation, that’d be you) - but is, increasingly, a person like your prospective clients.

Makes sense, right?

How to Get a Reference with Email: email marketing for photographers

These references can be placed anywhere you like. Most photographers already have a couple on the About Me page of their website, but what about featuring three or four glowing reviews on your homepage, right next to a link which reads “Check out why Janice was so pleased!” which sends visitors to Janice’s picture in your portfolio?

Automating your Email Marketing Campaigns

You might notice that all of the templates I’ve shown here look pretty damn personalized - everything from first name, month of wedding, and when the email is sent makes them look like I did them by hand.

Nope. All automated. All this stuff can actually be planned ahead (provided you’re using a good email marketing platform pretty easily.

You can schedule your email marketing automation software to send a referral or retention email exactly six months after a certain date (like a client’s wedding or photoshoot). You can use merge tags to put first and last names in the salutation of an email, make it sound like you remember the exact date of a client’s wedding, even (and this is where you’ll have to do a little work) plug in customized stuff, like the name of the fun Aunt, parents, color of flowers, and more to add some serious personalization.

Here’s what the retention email would look like with all the merge tags highlighted.

email marketing for photographers

Imagine being able to change your pricing and discounts automatically, alongside personalizations which have proven to improve clickthrough rates by at least 14% and conversion rates by 10%.

Top Tip with Automating Emails:

  • Don’t be too good. One of the primary indicators of email marketing automation is when an email comes through exactly six months after a certain date (so make it six months plus three days or something). Or (and this is the worst) when a merge tag comes through with the name uncapitalized or poorly matched. When in doubt, go generic.

I hope this quick guide has given you a bit of inspiration for implementing email marketing for your photography business. The templates here would work just as well (with a little tweaking) for all the other facets of your business, whether family, portrait, graduation, anniversary or boudoir.

Have any questions about implementing merge tags, automating or how to set it all up (and which platform to do it on?) Ask away in the comment section below!

Related Reading:

Written by James Scherer

James Scherer is the content editor at Wishpond. When he's not writing or designing for Wishpond he's risking his life biking around the city. Reach out to him on Twitter @JDScherer.


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Tuesday , February 25 2020
The 26-episode fantasy anime series provides a good intro to those viewers only familiar with younger Japanimation fare.

DVD Review: ‘Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit – The Complete Series’

Based on the first volume in a series of fantasy novels by Nahoko Uehashi, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit – Complete Series is a 26 episode televised anime seeing its full release as a DVD set through Viz Media. Set in an alternate historical Japan, the series centers on Balsa, a tough spear-wielding bodyguard, and her charge, a young boy prince from New Yogo who has assassins pursuing him. Suspected of being possessed by a demonic water spirit whose birth will lead to a devastating drought, Prince Chagum is considered a threat to the realm by the Mikado, who has dispatched this group of secret soldiers.

Fortunately for Chagum, Balsa proves to be one tough cookie. Seeking to atone for the deaths of eight souls for whom she feels responsible, the bodyguard strives to protect the young prince without taking any lives. Doesn’t hurt that she’s a kick-ass fighter, of course, or that the Mikado can’t openly admit to ordering the death of an heir to the throne. Aiding Balsa are a pair of scrappy orphans, a sorceress named Madame Torogai and an herbalist named Tanda, who we quickly realize has a thing for Balsa though neither character openly acknowledges it. (Perhaps in a later volume in the books?) Straddling both sides of this conflict is a long-haired Star Reader named Shuga, who strives to determine if the prophecy surround Chagum’s water spirit has been properly deciphered.

Deliberately paced, with moments of strong character development interspersed with well realized (rather bloodless) fight sequences, Moribito has long held a reputation as one of the better anime adaptations out there, in large part due to its strong heroine and a plot that ultimately respects each of its characters. If a few of the secondaries (most notably Madame Torogai and the buck-toothed orphan Toya) appear at first to be a bit more cartoonish than the rest, they’re never made the victim of a cheesy punchline. Even Balsa’s adversaries, the squad of secret soldiers sent out after Prince Chagum, aren’t cardboard villains. Too, the subplot following Star Reader Shuga’s investigation into the labyrinthine history of Chagum’s water spirit, all the while trying to keep his head down in the palace, is particularly engaging.

If Moribito shares the same flaw that a lot of televised series have – occasional side track episodes obviously designed to fill out the full season – it doesn’t detract from the series as a whole. Beautifully visualized by Kenji Kamiyama and the Production I.G. team, the series possesses a variety of gorgeously realized settings, both in the “real” world and the underwater spirit world, which we first see through Madame Torogai’s travels. Watching the series, I switched back and forth between English dubbed and Japanese subtitled versions and found both to be suited to the material. The four-disc DVD set contains a few special features (trailers, pilot film, a discussion panel and press conference), but none of these really added to my appreciation of the series – nor did it need to. As a well-wrought anime teleseries, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit stands on its own.

A good introduction to those viewers only familiar with more kid-directed television anime.

[amazon template=iframe image&asin=B00KH57TNE]

About Bill Sherman

Bill Sherman is a Books editor for Blogcritics. With his lovely wife Rebecca Fox, he has co-authored a light-hearted fat acceptance romance entitled Measure By Measure.

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Tuesday , February 25 2020

Tag Archives: Tom Baker

TV Review: ‘Doctor Who’ – ‘The Day of the Doctor’

In the end, "The Day of the Doctor" provides a satisfying adventure incorporating elements and Doctors both old and new, really delivering something new, exciting, fun, and special to honor five decades on the air.

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DVD Review: ‘Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited – First to Fourth’

In honor of Doctor Who's 50th anniversary this year, the BBC is releasing a special on each of the eleven Doctors. Recently, the "First through the Fourth" of these were released in a four-disc DVD set.

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MP3: Da Giant – Koleyewon (Freestyle) @am_dagiant

Smashing New Naija Hit : Da GIANT Koleyewon (freestyle) produced by Pablo the signed producer to his record label W.M.C {Waves Music Castle} . Koleyewon is as the title implies is a club banger From wave of the moment young artist Da GIANT of Waves Music Castle{W.M.C} Da GIANT  is notable for winning the award read more »

Video: 2Face Feat. T-Pain – Rainbow

The single Rainbow  by 2face Idibia was released in April 2012. This remix features T-Pain who flavours the remix version with his auto tune voice. Download the video below. Download Rainbow Remix Here read more »

You Think Your Bedroom Is Cool? Check Out The B...

Some superstars live in mansion while others too live in mansions but there are mansions with cool bedrooms. Check out the latest photos of Wizkids bedroom with his girlfriend Omatayo. read more »

Music: StarBoy Feat. Wizkid & Shaydee – Number ...

Number One Lover is the title given to the new song by Wizkid and Shaydee. Enjoy the track below. Download Number One Lover ft Wizkid Shaydee wiznazi.net read more »

Video: D’Prince Feat. Don Jazzy & Davido – Gent...

The Marvins keep getting bigger. DPrince drops another video this week and it features his elder brother Don Jazzy and Davido of the HKN. Download the video below. Download Gentlemen Video here Download Gentlemen Audio here read more »

Video: Dr. Sid Feat. Don Jazzy – Surulere

Watch the video for Dr Sids Surulere featuring Don Jazzy. read more »

Music: Silver Soon Brun – “Cuff Ya Hoe”

Rap music has gotten even better with Silver Spoon Brun. The lyrics in this song will blow your mind while the beat will keep you nodding. Listen to Cuff Ya Hoe by Silver Spoon Brun below. Download DJ Pack  East Coast Digital Radio read more »

Video: Kcee Feat. D’Banj – Emmah

Watch your super stars in the new video titled Emmah. Kcee teams up with the Koko master DBanj, download and watch the video below. Download EMMAH here read more »

Music: Silver Spoon Brun – “Cuff Ya Hoe” @SILVE...

This is a special one for you just  incase you missed it. Download this new joint and share. Download DJ Pack  East Coast Digital Radio read more »

New Music: Efdee – “Gbagbe Oshi” & “Wagba” @efd...

The talented rapper and singer from Ibeeat Records drops two hot singles for the new year. These tracks will get you on the dance floor. He is no doubt the only artiste to look out for the very year. His name is EFDEE. Efdee is well equipped with lyrics as well as rhymes . A [] read more »

Check Out The Big Life Style Of Tonto Dikeh’s B...

He is reported to be the guy behind most of the gold plated accessories we see with celebrities. He is the current boy friend of Tonto Dikeh. Born Michael Awujola, he goes by the popular name Malivelihood. From the pictures you are about to see, you can tell how rich this guy is. Check him [] read more »

Mixtape: DoDi – High Notes – Mixed By @TheRealD...

This is the mixtape of the week by Dodi and mixed The Real DJ Spins. Download content available after the cut. Plus check out the track list below. Wanna know why he calls this one High Notes? Hit the download button. Stream Download read more »

Music: Conceptz Feat. Rick Ross & Gucci Mane – ...

New music form Conceptz and its blazing hot! All you need do is download this track and listen to it, as a matter of fact click on any of the links below to listen now! Here comes Conceptz featuring Rick Ross and Gucci Mane. East Coast Digital Radio  Sound Cloud Link read more »

Music: Timberland Feat. Drake & Jay Z – Know Bo...

Listen to new music from Timberland featuring Drake and Jay Z. Timberland revealed his collaboration with Jay Z during his Magna Carter show. Jay Z is currently in Europe for the Magna Carter World Tour, while Drake is in the USA organising for his tour. read more »

DJ Alamo (@djalamonj) – Queens Feat. Ali Vegas,...

DJ Alamo premieres his first record bringing together Queens, NY natives Capone, Young Pretty, Ali Vegas.  The record is produced by J.Brown. Listen on East Coast Digital Radio Here Download DJ Pack read more »

New Music: Wizjay – Bami Dele @wizjayade @ibisah

This song is no doubt the most awaited song of the year, a song that will move you to your feet. Wizjay is the name, young and talented he is. Wizjay is under the care of Ibeeat Records and has a new single titled Bami Dele. According to Wizjay in a short interview on one [] read more »

Music: Keda Face “Why You Mad” (Produced By Air...

East Coast Digital Radio http://www.eastcoastdigitalradio.com/keda-face-kedaface-why-you-mad-produced-by-airplaneb/ Keda Face Why You Mad (Produced By AirplaneB) read more »

Music: JSONG (@jsong_c) Presents JIKERE & TELEMI

Introducing Julius effiong Charles popularly called JSONG. JSONG is an Afro hip hop artist in fact a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry and signed TREBLE CLEF RECORDS. Jsong is gifted, vibrant and versatile artiste. With the magical strength in his voice which he has built over time. JSONG is poised to making [] read more »

Music: Wizkid Feat. Wale – Nobody But You

Download new music from Wale and @Wizkidayo, they call this one Nobody But You. Enjoy. Download Nobody But You wiznazi.net read more »

In an era where the presence and relevance of female rappers is under threat, here comes 21 yr old, Sandie (a doctor in training) who employs the use of punchlines, wordplays and witty bars, displaying her readiness to take over. Sandie who fully kicked off her career due to the asuu strike introduces herself on the music scene with #Lecturer, [] read more »

Debi J Lights Up The Screen In U Dey Kill Video

Sizzling Debi J makes a spectacular entrance with the stunning new video for his equally burning single titled U  Dey Kill’. Directed by talentedAdasa Cookey, U Dey Kill is a visual feast of sorts; Debi J leads the charge with a performance in the video commensurate with his delivery in the actual song. Showing promise of things to come, [] read more »

After dropping his Emujojo track with a musical video to support it and also his hit track Sexy ladies, which is still receiving much attention online via downloads. Seyi Oyetade AKA Chiwizy is out with another feels good jam Tinkeke which has a groovy rhythm that can uplift fans soul and make them sing along. Also watch out [] read more »

Video: R&B Superstar Bobby V BTS in Europe

RB superstar Bobby V has been busy recording his anticipated new EP Peach Moon, which has been led by the soulful single Back To Love. The forthcoming project will showcase the RB star in a new way, and shine a light on his progressing artistry. The concept of Peach Moon came from me playing the [] read more »

Mixtape: Keda Face – Money & Music Preview Host...

Track Listing 1.Intro Ft Dikilisten 2.FaceTime (Produced by AirplaneB) 3.Why You Mad (Produced by AirplaneB) 4.What You Know About It (Produced by Kronik) 5.Come Out And Play Ft Shea Doll 6.Filling It Up Ft Sacia (Produced by AirplaneB) 7.Killing Em 8.20/20 Ft Enzo Globe read more »

New Video: @Mekxo – Komole

After the successful release of MEKXO s audio Hit single kOMOLE few weeks  ago which went viral on net, blogs and web sites, Mekman-Gold Records G29Music production humbly present to you MEkXO KOMOLE [OFFICIAL VIDEO] directed by Joe Chad. Real names Emeka Peter Udea, popularly known as MEkXO aka Judi Master, a  German/Nigerian [] read more »

Do You Know What Dillish Is Buying With Her $30...

Beating 27 other contestants from different African countries, Dillish the winner of the concluded Big Brother Africa The Chase is now spending her money. Spending the money is not the issue or our concern, but spending the money on unnecessary things as some put it is the issue. The reigning BBA winner is now [] read more »

Photo Speak: Karen Igho, Thde Village Girl

Could the ex-BBA winner Karen Igho be the next most talked about in the next movie to hit the Nollywood movie industry or this is some sort of picture? Well, take a look at your ex-BBA winner Karen Igho in the village carrying water. read more »

Video: Timaya – Ukwu

What a funny video to behold, Timaya drops video for Ukwu. Just hit the play and enjoy. read more »

Photo Speak: What Is Wizkid Doing?

Check out our photo speak, full picture below. What is the Star Boi doing? read more »

Music: Silver Spoon Brun – 20 Up (@SILVERSPOONB...

28 year old rapper and platinum songwriter Silver Spoon Brun, formerly known as Young Bruno started off on a very different career path than most up-and-coming hip-hop MCs. Nephew to Grammy Award winning producer Corey Rooney, Brun started his music career behind the scenes working with some of the biggest artists in the history of [] read more »

New Music: Iyanya – Le Kwa Ukwu

This single has not been heard yet, but you need to listen to it first. Hit the download button and share with friends, its a brand new one from Iyanya called Le Kwa Ukwu. Download Le Kwa Ukwu Here read more »

Music: Sugar Boy – The Boy Soft @jehmoni

SUGARBOY born Ehimare jeffrey is a Singer, songwriter and dancer who hails from Edo state.  The young artiste is blessed with a sensational voice coupled with graceful personality and a humble confidence that has informed comments about him. He started writing musical lyrics on wide range of topics, in his Junior Secondary school days. And He [] read more »

Music: Maxamillion – Rise Up

Maxamillion Rise Up [Download DJ Pack Mediafire] Links http://www.maxonwax.com http://www.twitter.com/_maxamillion__ http://www.facebook.com/maxamillionsmusic read more »

Wizkid Shoots Video For “Jaiye Jaiye”

The video for Jaiye Jaiye has been shot, Wizkid was on set for the video shoot as he also prepares for the release of his album The Chosen. Take a look of some of the pictures from the video shoot. read more »

New Video: Rihanna – Pour It Up

Sexy Rihanna drops video for Pour It Up, a must watch video this is. You must not blink while watching because the sexy goddess is at work. read more »

Video: D’Banj – Finally

Heres the official video from DBanj, the title of the video is Finally. Download the video below. Download DBanj Finally read more »

Video: Behold!!! Market Where Human Parts Are S...

Even wondered a world where there are no surprises or wonders? Well, in this video, you get to see for yourself a market place where human parts are sold. This video is real, there is no doubt about what you are about to see. Human hands, legs, human eyes, manhood, and more. But be warned, [] read more »

Video: Terry G – Chop Chicken & Die

Terry G will never stop, here he goes again with the video of Chop Chicken Die. You can expect the unexpected from Terry G. Enjoy the video. Download Chop Chicken Die Here read more »

Music: @ChingyJackpot Feat. @2faceidibia & @May...

African music! African music!! For those who donot like the African music, the world also recognises African sounds. One of the new collabos in the world is in the remixof Falling by American rapper Chingy and Nigerian singers 2face Idibia and May7ven. The tune is hot! Download and listen. Download Falling wiznazi.net read more »

New Banger: Kenny Kingpin ( LAUNCH )Feat. Will ...

New banger making waves from Kenny Kingpin (Launch) featuring Will Fury in #Trap remix. Press play. Download here read more »

Video: Wizkid Thrills Fans In Amsterdam

The C.E.O of StarBoi Entertainment, Wizkid is in Amsterdam. During his performance there, he thrilled his fans as usual, Wizkid has never let down his fans. Watch below. read more »

Music: Vain Feat Dj Jazzy Joyce – I Love It

Download and listen to the rave of the moment, Vain features Dj Jazzy Joyce on I love it. Refer a friend to dowload and listen too. Download DJ Pack Vain ‘I Love It’ ft DJ Jazzy Joyce read more »

Video: D’Black Feat. Davido – Carry Go (Behind ...

The video for Carry Go will be out soon, the song is by Ghananian artiste DBack and he features Nigerian artiste Davido. Watch the behind the scenes before the official version drops. read more »

Dillish, Winner Of BBA #Chase Gets Brand New Ca...

Dillish, the current winner of the just ended Big Brother Africa Season 8 turned twenty three (23) on 16th September. She got a brand new Volks Wajen from her boy friend named Stephen. The car is a navy sleek car, and she got it during her black and white themed party. Dillish is from Namibia. Check [] read more »

Mixtape: @deejayneptune Feat. D’Banj – #MyBirth...

After the successful release of #MyBirthdayMixOne featuring TIMAYA, #DJNeptune gives us a higher dose from his #MyBirthdayMix folder featuring one of Nigeria’s biggest export in the entertainment music industry, Ladies and Gentlemen It’s D’BANJ aka EJA NLA aka BANGA LEE in the Mixxx. #MyBirthdayMixTwo by #DJNeptune is a blend of all your D’Banj’s favorite music from the days of Mohits Records to Kanye West’s Good Music Label and D’Banj’s DB [] read more »

Pepe Records delivers a sizzling video to the catchy tune, Blow my mind performed by her frontrunner act, Sun X. The visual is directed by Amazing video maker, Gambit sees the vision-er , merged crisp clear visual, with colours and sizzle. With a lead co-star that is total eye candy and can move. The clip sees Sun X plays [] read more »

Afro hiphop Rapper DREADGEDED has a track titled CRY. Which is a song to tell the listeners thats the only way to over come any circumstances it is to overcome all difficulties  by facing the whole challenges . The song is very inspiring and it has a sample of Wyclef - Sweetest Girl beat. DOWNLOAD HULKSAHRE AUDIO read more »

Music: MC Terry – Very Beautiful (Limpopo Cover)

MC Terry Real names are Nyam Terkimbi Terry, A Comedian, Video Director and Singer, host LAFFTA COMMUNION, Mc Terry’s Love for music supersedes every other aspect of entertainment, Professionally he started music in the year 2000 and since then has dropped various singles which include Chop I Chop. And now his back with (Limpopo cover) with comic lines, club beats [] read more »

The Man With The Longest Nipple

God is wonderful as he creates humans in different forms and colors. Here is a picture of a man with the longest nipples so far seen on photo. We all need to be thankful to God for our looks and appreciate what others look like. read more »

MAKING MONEY featuring T Code is another seasoned, well composed and country shaking single from Adeyoola Olumide popularly called Holumide who hails from Abeokuta the rock city which no doubt made him start his music career in 2005 with the stage name Hard rock meaning Apatalile as a duo singer with his partner. Holumide the [] read more »

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« Primer on "Lesson Study" | Main | Is the Nation Making Progress in Meeting Its Foreign-Language Needs? »

Classroom Discussion: Independent Science?

Barack Obama is expected today to announce a new policy lifting restrictions on funding for human embryonic stem cell research. He will also issue a presidential memorandum meant to protect federal scientists and scientific research from political influence, according to reports.

I would argue that it's the second action has the most potential for creating intriguing discussions in science classrooms. Bush administration officials were accused repeatedly of attempting to disregard or squash scientific findings and views that did not mesh with their political ideology, especially on issues such as climate change and environmental regulation. A recent series by the Philadelphia Inquirer delved into some of those issues.

Regardless of whether they agree with the Obama administration's new policy, the topic offers teachers of science and other subjects with a springboard. What constitutes political interference into scientific research and science policy? Critics of the Bush administration clearly believe the former president's staff ignored science that didn't support their political points of view and policies. Yet some conservatives have argued that the evidence supporting climate change is not as strong as the mainstream scientific community claims and that too little attention is paid to how controlling carbon emissions could hurt the economy. (A prominent expert panel has concluded that it's clear that global warming is occurring and there's a "very high confidence" that humans are contributing to it.)

These topics could merit discussion in science or social studies classes. Why do federal scientists need to be guarded against political interference, or do they? Would such a policy in any way make it more difficult for a political leader—Democrat, Republican, Independent—more difficult to govern? What if a federal scientist puts forward a conclusion that is later called into question, not only by policymakers, but other scientists?

Many scientists were disappointed when President Bush, when battles over evolution in the states were running hot, appeared to say that he supported having both evolution and intelligent design taught in classrooms. The vast majority of scientists do not regard intelligent design as science. Neither did the president's own science adviser, as the above story notes. During debates over the teaching of evolution, many scientists often voice frustration that the public not only fails to grasp the tenets of Darwin's theory, but also seems confused about the rules and principles of science, and how scientists go about their work.

I haven't yet seen any comments from Obama today on his new policy, but it's safe to assume that his goals are broader than the policy itself. He seems to want to change the public's perception of the role and status of scientists. A teacher might ask: To what extent do presidents, through the bully pulpit, have the power to shape the public's, and student's understanding of what science is, and what the rules of science are?

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ICT for Learning & Teaching in Falkirk Schools

Digital technology to support learning & teaching

February 8, 2011
by Malcolm Wilson

Walking Safely Along the Digital Highway – resources to help teach Digital Literacy and e-Safety

There are many resources available to help support schools to teach pupils to be responsible users of the Internet and to educate pupils to be as safe as possible when using online tools.  Helping learners learn in a global, connected classroom … Continue reading

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UK Five-year Spending Plan: Good News for the Old, Tax Credits and NHS Survive, but Local Government Hammered.

by Prof. Peter Taylor-Gooby (University of Kent, WelfSOC project leader)

Prof. Peter Taylor-Gooby, WelfSOC project leader, looks at the winners and losers in George Osborne’s spending review

The UK Treasury’s Autumn Statement and Spending Review sets out the plans for state spending for the next five years, up to the next general election. This review was widely trailed as touch: the Chancellor demanded that all departments (except those protected: the NHS, International Development, schooling from 5 to 16 years and old age pensions) prepare plans for cuts of between 25 and 40 per cent, on top of the steady diet of austerity since 2010. In the event the review headlined much lower cuts than those anticipated and largely shielded the tax credits that top-up the wages of the very low paid. It also halted the downward trend in defence spending and gave £2bn extra to intelligence (or spying). The NHS received an extra £8bn over the period on condition that it achieved further ‘efficiency savings’ of £22bn (see the chart below). A new higher state pension will be introduced from next year, at a cost of some £5bn.

The most noteworthy cuts were to transport (37 per cent), the communities budget which deals with planning, housebuilding, support for troubled families, ethnic minorities and other issues (32%), the tax authorities (24%), business and innovation (18%), environment (16%) and work and pensions (14%) mainly in cuts to administration and short-term benefits. These cuts may not be obvious to most people in the short-term but spell real problems for infrastructure, climate change policy, innovation and the tax-raising essential to sustain spending.

The Chancellor made scant mention of the biggest cut of all, a 56% cut in what central government transfers to local councils.

How was the Chancellor able to avoid steep cuts for high-profile departments? First the independent Office of Budgetary Responsibility produced highly optimistic forecasts of growth, employment and inflation which underpin everything. The Chancellor was able to claim that he could impose fewer cuts than planned and still keep to his target of a current account surplus by 2020/21. These forecasts exceed those of independent forecasters from 2017/18 onwards (see HM Treasury, Forecasts for the UK Economy) so the Chancellor’s plans may rest on shaky ground.

Second, the future plans do not mention the continuing cuts in programmes like short term social security benefits (frozen for four years) or social housing (with housing associations, now the main providers, forced to sell off housing and major cuts to means-tested rent benefits). Why should they? They’re plans for the futures starting from now – but the cuts already in place will still affect those on low incomes.

Thirdly, the Chancellor made scant mention of the biggest cut of all, a 56% cut in what central government transfers to local councils for services like local roads, cultural provision, community care for frail adults and social work with vulnerable children. These services have already experienced a 28% cut since 2010.

The justification of this omission is that local government will be able to make up the shortfall by increasing charges, imposing new local taxes and selling off assets, such as land and housing. Some councils will – mainly those in the richer areas of the South and South-East and the more prosperous big cities, with buoyant local industries tax-payers affluent enough to pay more. In the areas with the greatest needs, mainly in the North, West and Midlands, it is not possible to raise the money because it simply isn’t there.

The UK spending plans follow some of the themes of recent years: continued austerity, continuing favouring of the old at the expense of the young, continuing concentration of government spending in the rich South-East and little attention to infrastructure investment or the research and innovation necessary for stable growth.

Main changes in the Spending Review, 2015-16 to 2019-2020 (click to enlarge)

Main changes in the UK Spending Review, 2015-16 to 2019-2020

Source: Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 Cm 9162 Table 1.5, 2.1 and 2.17

(Another version of this post has been published on The Conversation)


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Coffee House

David Cameron opens up shared ownership scheme

7 December 2015

9:05 AM

7 December 2015

9:05 AM

David Cameron is marking his tenth anniversary as Conservative party leader with a speech in the West Midlands today on one of the party’s core issues: home ownership. The Prime Minister will announce an expansion of the shared ownership scheme — which allows people to part-buy and part-rent a property — by scrapping existing rules:

‘But, because it’s been heavily restricted, many of those people have missed out. We’ve had local councils dictating who is eligible, based on everything from salary to profession to where the buyer comes from.

‘From April next year, that will make 175,000 more people eligible for home ownership. It means some people will be able to buy a house, for example, in Yorkshire, with a deposit of just £1,400.

‘It will be opened up to people of any occupation, the only restriction being that you have to earn under £80,000, and £90,000 in London.’

Cameron will also call for the quicker delivery of new Starter Homes, with an £8 million fund for councils to buy up unused land. Housing aside, the PM will also announce an expansion of free childcare for working families, a plan for more apprenticeships as well as a crackdown on underperforming schools. Altogether, Cameron will say, these announcements demonstrate this is a government than can deliver:

‘A manifesto shouldn’t be a wish-list; it should be a checklist. And that’s why, since the election, we haven’t been tacking off in in a new direction, but marking off the commitments we made.

‘Today, I want to set out the progress we’re making. I want to go back to that opening page and show that this is a Government that delivers and is accountable as it endeavours to do so’.

Increasing home ownership is a key part of Cameron’s second term vision. Conservatives are keen to do this because they believe by expanding home ownership, they can also expand their voter base. After a focus on economic and international matters, today’s speech is clearly about returning the focus to retail offers. But given the flooding in Cumbria and the accusations that cuts to flood defences have made the situation worse, Cameron may struggle to get a hearing for his housing plans.

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September 2019

White suprematism in the US: A Comprehensive History

I have just added to my ever longer reading list the book by Gene Bétit “Collective Amnesia: American Apartheid — African American’s 400 Years in North America, 1619-2019.”

Collective Amnesia: American Apartheid is a comprehensive study of the treatment African Americans have encountered since their arrival in Virginia in 1619, a saga of racism and white supremacy. It is actual history, not the popular mythology about the Civil War and its aftermath taught in our schools. Numerous tables, photographs, maps, and charts make the study easy to read. The topic is extremely pertinent due to the four hundredth anniversary of African Americans’ presence in North America in 2019 and encouragement of racism from the White House.

Chapters cover white supremacy and racism, slavery, the service of US Colored Troops in the Civil War, devastation of the South, evolution of emancipation, and Reconstruction and the Freedman’s Bureau. Other chapters address “redemption” and the “lost cause,” Jim Crow, blacks’ significant military contributions in the two world wars, the Great Migration, the civil rights movement, and the backlash that continues today.

The book also addresses contemporary issues, including white supremacy, Confederate statuary, and evaluates the status of blacks compared to other groups in society. Note is taken of Professor James Whitman’s observation that Hitler admired Jim Crow and antimiscegenation laws, as well as Richard Rothstein’s study of federal and local housing law, documenting whites’ responsibility for creating inner-city ghettos.