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HDIM Reviews: Line of Duty (2012 – 2019)

I chanced upon Line of Duty while looking for my next binge run. All I knew before I started on this series is that it’s British and, at a glance, has a police procedural storyline. What I found was a new appreciation for the genius of Jed Mercurio, who is also the name behind Bodyguard, featuring Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes.

There are four seasons completed at the time of this writing – and a fifth one is rolling out its episodes (it’s at S05-E02 now). The great thing about this show is that the stories don’t completely conclude once we reach the end of a season.

Old characters from Season 1 may pop up in Season 2, 3 and 4. Characters that have died can still add to a new storyline. Thus, if you are going to dive into this show, you should start at the beginning.

AC-12 Officers

In season 1, we follow DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) in his misadventure in Counter Terror which resulted in a transfer into Anti-Corruption. The gist of it was that the team he was a part of messed up and word came from above to band together and cover up their mistake. Arnott refuses to comply and as a result became a pariah of sorts.

Steve Arnott transfers from Counter-Terror to Anti-Corruption

Pending investigations, he is assigned to AC-12, the anti-corruption branch led by Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar). Hastings comes across as a dogged investigator who pushes his team hard to cross t’s, dot i’s, and catch “bent cops”. He has some of the best lines in the whole show be it when introducing himself on the phone (he refers to himself as Hastings – like the battle) or when he is giving an officer who had been caught red-handed a dressing down.

Ted Hastings, the voice of integrity in AC-12

Also part of the team is DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure). Brave, focused, extremely intelligent, she is usually the one who goes undercover in the department where the subject of their investigation operates in. As we follow her throughout four seasons, we see her rise from Detective Constable to Detective Sergeant.

The way this works is that Arnott pushes from the outside with the intelligence she feeds them, while she pushes from the inside. While she is never in any physical danger (what are they going to do to her? They are police officers) but no one likes a snitch.

Kate Fleming, anti-corruption officer in AC-12

Over the course of four seasons, you can clearly see that officers who work Anti-Corruption treat every target of their investigation like they were already guilty. Hence, AC-12 not exactly a likeable bunch. According to Fleming, the worst possible thing to happen to AC-12 is that they are no longer feared. Apparently, she can take being spat on at the back of her hair, but she can’t take not being treated with reverence and dread.

One of my favourite things about Line of Duty is their intense(!), stressful, aneurysm-inducing interrogation scenes – that’s when shit goes down. The scenarios are akin to a showdown in the courtroom, minus the judges, witnesses and jury. It speeds things up a whole lot.

AC-12 just needs to present the fact and try to make the connection based on feedback or answers given by the interview subjects. It almost feels like sanctioned entrapment of the officers being investigated but mind you, AC-12 doesn’t always have the upper hand at the interview table. And that’s because of who sits on the other side of the table.

The Antagonists

What good is an investigative team without worthy adversaries to investigate. Line of Duty features some of the most powerful and bold, sharp and cunning, extremely ruthless and formidable antagonists.

You mustn’t forget that the point of AC-12 is to find misconduct amongst police officers and so the antagonists are themselves fellow detectives, some ranked higher than Arnott and Fleming, trained on how to track criminals, cover their tracks forensically, and familiar with interrogation tactics, protocols and procedures.

Season 1: Tony Gates

In Season 1, the team is up against DCI Tony Gates (Lennie James) from the Serious Crime Unit, a prominent and highly ambitious officer with plenty of commendations to his name including Officer of the Year due to “best crime figures” on the force for a few years running.

Season 1’s target: Tony Gates

Despite his popularity amongst fellow officers, Hastings is certain that Gates is guilty of laddering, which is some sort of technical manipulation that allows him to add trumped up charges to seemingly straightforward crimes. This results in higher clearance rates and thus better crime figures for the department and for himself.

Eventually bodies start dropping and we find Gates having to go on the run from the right side and wrong side of the law.

Season 1 being the first season had to devote a lot to introducing the characters in AC-12 and how things work in an anti-corruption investigation. A lot of the push for truth we eventually see in Arnott are merely showing their roots at this season. Then again, perhaps they needed a more formidable rival.

SEASON 2: Lindsay Denton

Season 2 begins with an ambush and an explosion, leaving a police officer and someone in Witness Protection dead. DI Lindsay Denton (Keeley Hawes) from the Missing Persons Unit was the sole survivor of the ambush, and became the suspect of AC-12’s next line of investigation. Whether she is innocent or guilty will nag you throughout the whole season.

Denton is a force to be reckoned with. She reported the misconduct of officers in her station and is ostracised in general by everyone at the station. Unlike Gates, practically no one stood up for Denton when AC-12 came a-knocking but that doesn’t mean she is one to take it lying down.

Time and time again, we get a peek at her non-existing personal life: no family, apart from a mother in a nursing home, no spouse or children, no drinking buddies or friendly neighbours. But then, she doesn’t have what you’d call a friendly face. The only thing she has going for her is being a police officer and she isn’t going to just sit there and watch her career go down in flames, without putting up a huge fight.

Season 2’s target: Lindsay Denton

At times it may seem like she is just at the wrong place at the wrong time but when pushed, like a cornered dog, Denton turns around and bites back. She’d turned the tables at AC-12 so many times that you aren’t sure whether she is really unlucky or guilty AF. But one thing is for sure, she doesn’t miss anything, which makes her your strongest foe or your best ally.

Season 2 is far more superior than Season 1 mainly because the stakes became much higher, the background has been set in Season 1 and because of Keeley Hawes.

I did not recognise her until a couple of episodes in and even then it was only because I had to know who is this incredible actress is. I mean, could you blame me for not recognising this as Home Secretary Julia Montague in Bodyguard? Keeley Hawes received a BAFTA nomination for all the horrible things she had to endure in her role as Lindsay Denton.

Season 3: Danny Waldron

In Season 3 we are treated with an unstable but highly effective officer from the Strategic Firearms Command Unit, Sergeant Danny Waldron (Danny Mays). He scares the life out of me.

Season 3’s target: Sergeant Danny Waldron

Unlike the antagonists from the first two seasons, we know that Waldron is bent. We see him shoot a suspect point-blank, then blackmail the rest of his firearms team to help him cover it up. While Waldron is easy to hate, he is difficult to charge since he has an answer for everything due to him being a seasoned field agent.

Running parallel with the Waldron investigation, Season 3 is also involved in investigating the wrong-doings of retired high-ranking officers who may be involved in the cover up of a systematic child-molestation ring from decades back.

Perhaps I’ve begun to tire of keeping up with the conspiracies after bingeing through the two earlier seasons, but this particular season was far too messy for me. What kept me going was Denton returning from Season 2, and a newfound admiration for Hastings’ character.

In his first AC-12 interrogation, a defensive Danny Waldron retaliated to questions by Hastings in a patronising manner, and got a reminder of the important role of AC-12:

[Danny] I cite under Common law, my lawful right to use lethal force for preservation of life or in self-defence where this threat is immediate.
[Hastings] Yes, and in response I cite Section 117 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act: the use of reasonable force. And for the tape, the emphasis is mine and not contained in the act.
[Danny] That’s an easy argument from behind a desk, sir.
[Hastings] BEHIND this desk, Sergeant, we uphold standards! Standards you are expected to meet as a serving police officer.

Hastings would later on struggle with the maintaining of such standards while he deals with threats to his own career for investigating a retired chief superintendent, and dealing with a mole inside his department. The conclusion to Season 3 was the most highly charged finale of all the seasons.

Season 4: Roz Huntley

In Season 4, Thandie Newton joins Line of Duty as DCI Roz Huntley, serving as Senior Investigating Officer in Operation Trapdoor. She was running a large-scale police operation to hunt down a serial killer, dubbed Balaclava Man. The culprit is believed to be behind the kidnapping and murder of one woman and the disappearance of a second. By the time we enter the story, the public is tired of being scared and there was pressure to make an arrest – the sooner the better.

Season 4’s target: DCI Roz Huntley

When a third potential victim who had just narrowly escaped Balaclava Man, handed Huntley a possible suspect on a silver platter. Huntley buckled under pressure and was quick to pin a man with learning and mental difficulties as the culprit. Case closed. That is, until Timothy Ifield, her forensic coordinator tried to air his concerns that the arrest may have been premature

Huntley shuts him down not eager to reopen this life-draining case. In a move that is just downright icky, Ifield takes the case to AC-12.

Timothy Ifield, forensic investigator to Huntley

He presents his findings to Arnott and suggests that Huntley may have ulterior motives to pin this crime on the wrong man. Although initially hesitant, AC-12 eventually begins investigations into Huntley. Then Ifield goes dark.

For Season 4, AC-12 have met their match with a highly seasoned investigator in Roz Huntley. Like Denton, Huntley is cunning, careful and isn’t shy about fighting back. Unlike Denton, Huntley has friends in high places and gave AC-12 a good run for their money.

She absolutely decimated Hastings at the interview table, a scene that clocks in at 22 minutes long. Now that was a great showdown. I have never seen Hastings more defeated than when he went up against Huntley.

I have also never come across a character more ruthless than Maeve Roz Huntley which was why I blazed through Season 4 in a single seating. All prior targets from earlier seasons were police officers through and through. Yet they still followed a code of conduct to serve and protect.

But not Roz Huntley. Huntley threw all that out the window, possibly out of spite or ambition, or just to save her own skin, I don’t actually know for sure. But if you had hoped, at any point, that AC-12 would let go of Gates, Denton or Waldron, you wouldn’t spare the same thought for Huntley. No matter what she did to redeem herself. Thandie Newton received a BAFTA nomination for her stunning portrayal of Roz Huntley.

I enjoyed Line of Duty for various reasons. The show grows. It expands and evolves. It becomes more sophisticated the longer you stick with it, particularly when it comes to the subjects of their investigations.

Mistakes become more costly. You do not get a reset button at the beginning of a new season. More often than not, these mistakes are later used in an attempt to discredit AC-12 and the work they do. That’s something the show-runners have to deal with the longer this show goes. On top of that, they also have to deal with the elaborate cover-ups and how one case ties to another case and to a third case etc.

Relationships also get more tested. We see Arnott and Fleming starting out cold, warming up to a strong partnership, compete for a promotion, judge each other, support each other through hard times, pull each other out of mess after mess after mess but never diminishing their relationship below that of treating each other as peers.

You also get to see Hastings groom the two for leadership roles from the beginning, back in Season 1, and then reaping what he sowed by the end of Season 4, showing pride in the work delivered by his two successors.

Season 1 aired back in June 2012 while Season 4 aired in March 2017. Here’s what they looked like after a harrowing event near the end of Season 4.

Feels like they’ve aged 30 years between the three of them, doesn’t it? That’s realism for you. At least Arnott fixed his eyebrows (Look, I have to comment on it, alright? It bugged the heck out of me for the whole of Season 1 and a bit in Season 2).

Note: At the time of this writing, Season 5 has just released their second episode. I can’t wait for the whole season to be made available on Netflix. A sixth season has also been commissioned.

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12.5 High Signal-to-Noise Ratio Observations

The maximum achievable signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of STIS observations for well exposed targets is, in general, limited by the S/N ratio and stability of the flat fields. CCD flat-field observations are obtained monthly. Ultimately, CCD reference flats in the pipeline should have an effective illumination of up to 106 e/pix. Thus, it should be possible to achieve a S/N ratio of several hundred over larger spatial scales given sufficient source counts. The limitation is the temporal stability of the CCD reference flats, which show variations of a few tenths of a percent. Dithering techniques can and should be considered for high S/N CCD observations (see Section 11.3). The realizable S/N ratio for spectroscopy will be less in the far red due to fringing, unless appropriate fringe flats are applied (see the caveats on long-wavelength spectroscopy in the red in Section 7.2.4).

The S/N ratio of MAMA flat fields is limited by the long integration times needed to acquire them and the limited lamp lifetimes. (See Section 16.1). S/N ratios of ~100:1 should routinely be achievable for spectroscopic observations of bright sources with the MAMAs if supported by counting statistics. If your program requires high S/N ratios, we recommend using some form of dithering (described below) and co-adding the spectrograms to ameliorate the structure in the flat fields.

Kaiser et al. (1998, PASP, 110, 978) and Gilliland (STIS ISR 1998-16) reported quite high S/N ratios for spectrograms of bright standard stars obtained during a STIS commissioning program. The realizable S/N ratio depends on the technique used to correct for the flat-field variations, as shown in Table 12.2. The S/N ratios quoted are for wavelength bins from an extraction box of 2 11 lowres pixels (2 in AXIS1 or dispersion, 11 in AXIS2 or across the dispersion). In the table, the Poisson limit is just the S/N ratio that would be expected on the basis of counting statistics alone; "No Flat" means the realized S/N ratio without applying any flat field at all to the data; "Reference Flat" means the realized S/N ratio after applying the best available reference flat, and the "Full FP-SPLIT Solution" is discussed under Section 12.5.2 below. Clearly, S/N ratios in excess of 100:1 per resolution element are well within the capabilities of the MAMAs for spectroscopy.

Table 12.2: Results of S/N Ratio Tests with STIS MAMAs in Orbit.

Poisson Limit

No Flat

Reference Flat

Full FP-Split Solution1

1 Results obtainable in echelle modes using the FP-SPLIT slits and an iterative solution for the spectrogram and flat field.
2 Results obtained using the FP-SPLIT slits and simply shifting and co-adding the spectrograms after flat fielding.
3 Results obtained using the FP-SPLIT slits and simply shifting and co-adding the spectrograms after flat fielding.

12.5.1 Dithering

In first-order spectroscopic modes, improved S/N ratios can be achieved by stepping the target along the slit, taking separate exposures at each location, which are subsequently shifted and added in post-observation data processing (PATTERN=STIS-ALONG-SLIT, see Section 11.3). This stepping, or dithering, in the spatial direction effectively smooths the detector response over the number of steps, achieving a reduction of pixel-to-pixel nonuniformity by the square root of the number of steps, assuming the pixel-to-pixel deviations are uncorrelated on the scale of the steps. In imaging modes, the same dithering can be done in two dimensions, i.e., the steps need not be along a straight line (see Section 11.3.5). For echelle modes, stepping along the slit is possible only with a long echelle slit (e.g., the 6X0.2 or 52X0.1 apertures, or one of the available but unsupported long-slit apertures), but see Section 12.2 above, and note the ameliorating effects of Doppler smearing as noted below. In practice, using the FP-SPLIT slits (see Section 12.5.2) provides a better means of dithering echelle observations.

In a slitless or wide-slit mode, stepping along the dispersion direction provides another method to achieve high S/N ratio data. Data so obtained permit, at least in principle, an independent solution for spectrogram and flat field, but at a cost of lower spectral resolution and line profile confusion due to the wings of the LSFs transmitted through a wide slit (see Section 13.7). Such an approach for STIS data has not been attempted as of this writing.

The three scanned STIS echelle modes (E140H, E230H, and E230M), have a number of secondary wavelength settings defined with broad overlap in their wavelength coverage. Using two or more of these overlapping wavelength settings is another simple way to move a given feature to different parts of the detector.

12.5.2 FP-SPLIT Slits for Echelle Observations

A special kind of dithering in the spectral direction is possible for echelle mode observations with one of two sets of fixed-pattern (or FP-SPLIT) slits. These slit sets are each comprised of a mask with five apertures that are all either 0.2X0.2 or 0.2X0.06 in size. A schematic of the configuration is shown in Figure 12.4. During a visit, the target is moved from one aperture to another, and the slit wheel is repositioned, so that the spectrogram is shifted (relative to the detector pixels) along the dispersion direction only. The slits are spaced to place the spectrogram at different detector locations, so that flat-field variations can be ameliorated by co-adding many such spectrograms. The FP-SPLIT slits can be a good choice for obtaining high S/N ratio echelle data, since it is usually not possible to dither in the spatial direction. However, since S/N=100 is routinely achieved using the normal echelle apertures, the FP-SPLIT slits are rarely used.

Figure 12.4: Schematic of the STIS Fixed-Pattern Slit Configuration.

AXIS1 corresponds to the dispersion direction, and AXIS2 to the spatial direction. Dimensions are not to scale.
With echelle modes, Doppler-induced spectral shifts move the spectrogram on the detector. The STIS flight software automatically applies an onboard compensation for Doppler motion for echelle and MAMA medium resolution, first-order data taken in ACCUM mode (see Chapter 11). The MAMA control electronics correct (to the nearest highres pixel) the location of each event for the Doppler shift induced by the spacecraft motion prior to updating the counter in the image being collected. Thus, the flat-field correction for any image pixel would be an appropriately weighted average over a small range of nearby pixels and the effect of spacecraft-induced Doppler shifts is therefore to naturally provide some smoothing over the flat fields in the echelle modes.

The source of the Doppler-induced spectral shifts during an exposure is the variation of the projected HST spacecraft velocity along the line of sight to the target. Column 2 of Table 12.3 gives the maximum shift in highres pixels that would apply, based upon an HST orbital velocity of ~7.5 km/s during an orbit. The actual shift will of course depend upon the cosine of the target latitude, i, above or below the HST orbital plane, and upon the sine of the orbital phase at which the exposure is obtained. (Note that in general the observer can predict neither the latitude nor the orbit phase of the exposures in advance with any precision.) Column 3 gives, for a target lying in the HST orbital plane, the maximum duration of an exposure for which the Doppler shift will be one highres pixel or less; the actual duration will scale as sec(i), so that targets near the CVZ are scarcely affected by Doppler motion. This information on Tmax is relevant only if you are trying to derive the flat-field response simultaneously with the source spectrogram (see below) and not for the straightforward flat field and shift-and-add methodology described above.

Table 12.3: Effect of Doppler Shift on Exposure Times.

Maximum Doppler Shift (hi-res pixels)

Tmax1 (minutes)

1 For inclination i = 0; actual duration will scale as sec(i). See text for details.

Obtaining the Highest S/N Ratio with the FP-SPLIT Slits

As described above, the FP-SPLIT slits have been used with the echelles to provide signal-to-noise as high as ~350 with the direct shift-and-add method. Additionally, data obtained with the FP-SPLIT slits make it possible to solve independently for the fixed-pattern (i.e., the flat-field variation) and the source spectrogram. An iterative technique for combining FP-SPLIT data was applied successfully to data obtained with GHRS (see Lambert et al., ApJ, 420, 756, 1994), based on a method described by Bagnuolo and Gies (ApJ, 376, 266, 1991). This same technique was applied by Gilliland (STIS ISR 1998-16) to STIS observations of a standard star. The S/N ratio that was achieved with these slits is summarized in the last column of Table 12.2, which shows that the FP-SPLIT slits can offer some advantage when one is attempting to achieve the highest possible S/N ratio. In general, though, it may be difficult to improve upon the S/N ratio that can be achieved by simply calibrating with the standard flat field and co-adding the spectrograms.

There are a number of caveats to the use of the FP-SPLIT slits to solve independently for the spectrogram and flat field. The most notable is that the targets must be relatively bright point sources. The restriction to bright targets results both from the need to limit the duration of individual exposures to keep the Doppler-induced spectral shifts to less than one highres pixel, and from the need to have appreciable counts in the individual exposures—at least in the orders of interest. Very high counts in the sum of all exposures are essential for a good (and stable) solution to both the spectrogram and the underlying flat field.

If you are using the FP-SPLIT slits to distinguish the signature of the flat field from the target spectrogram, then Doppler smearing (and the discrete compensation) will defeat that solution. In this case, the exposures must be kept as short as if there were no Doppler compensation at all if the goal is to solve for the pixel-to-pixel variation at a precision higher than that of the available flat-field reference files.

The utility of FP-SPLIT observations is also limited by the modest range of slit offsets in wavelength space, and by the distribution and character of the features in the target spectrum itself. That is, if the spectrum in the order(s) of interest is dominated by absorption over a width comparable to or larger than the largest offset range, the solution may not be stable or unique. A corollary is that some of the spectral orders must contain moderately prominent spectral features with good signal in order to distinguish the spectrum from flat-field variations. Table 12.4 gives the FP-SPLIT offsets for each grating, including offsets in Ångstroms for typical central-wavelength settings.

Table 12.4: Magnitude of Spectrogram Offset for the FP-SPLIT Slits.

Minimum Offset
(hires pix)

Maximum Offset (hires pix)

Max. Offset @CENWAVE (Å)


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Behaviour management

The principles of courtesy, consideration, cooperation and common sense provide a sound basis for the behaviour of students in our school. They also take on a special meaning in a Christian context, when we see each other as fellow people of God who are forgiven by God when we sin.

In the classroom a clear set of expectations are maintained to support the learning process. Positive encouragement is given to reward good behaviour. Generally, students learn that there are consequences for their actions. Parents are involved in dealing with repeated occurrences of serious behaviour problems.

Holy Trinity Lutheran College does not tolerate bullying. Students should be able to come to school without being physically or emotionally harassed. Bullying includes physical harm or threats of harm, name calling, interference with personal property, exclusion of a person from a group and threatening or unpleasant behaviour using technology such as mobile phones, iPads or over the internet.

All students are encouraged to report what is happening to their teacher or the head of their sub-school, who will act to assist in resolving the problem.

Contact us

Phone:  03 5382 2529
Postal address: PO Box 822, Horsham Victoria 3402
Email: admin@htlc.vic.edu.au
Contact us online

Visit us

Address: 25 Trinity Drive, Horsham Victoria 3400
Office hours: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm
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GeneralHr Library

10 Inspiring Women’s Day Videos Of 2016 By Indian Brands

Source | LinkedIn : By Prasant Naidu

Women empowerment has been the undisputed theme in most conversations in the country. Be it for political gain or a brand marketing message, a mere mention of the importance of gender equality and equal rights for women in all aspects of life, earns a super ‘like’ followed by the comments and shares. With it being International Women’s Day yesterday, the social web is teeming with tributes to womanhood.

The uncompromising mother, the loving girlfriend, the helpful sister, the supportive wife, the caring nurse, the encouraging teacher, the ambitious entrepreneur are all being serenaded for the wonderful roles they play in our lives. Brands have rolled out campaigns to lend a hand to underprivileged women, many others have created a platform for women achievers to share their story with the world, while the majority have stuck to tribute videos celebrating the enduring spirit of a woman.

Here, we look at the Women’s Day videos of 2016 in which brands have weaved storytelling into a variety of women-centric themes, a majority of which is focused on raising a toast to the power of women.

Titan Raga #BreakTheBias

The watchmaker has chosen a powerful theme – gender bias at work, this Women’s Day. Titan Raga is urging people to move the conversation ahead for women through its #BreakTheBias campaign and ‘Change the way you look at a woman’s success. She is unstoppable now.’ The film has been much appreciated on social media with men as well as women expressing their gratitude to the brand for making this ‘bold’ and ‘brilliant’ film.

Myntra #TrendsettersNotFollowers

The Flipkart-owned fashion wear etailer rolled out a tribute video to women who break stereotypes, this Women’s Day. The video takes you through the lives of several women indulging in stuff perceived to be ‘not for women’, while lyrics reflect the stereotypes existing in society: Women are delicate, women are fragile, women should know how to cook, women should stay within their limits and so on. The women are later introduced one by one, they are real life women who continue to break stereotypes everyday – cricketers, cab drivers, entrepreneurs telling you that women can be anybody they want to be.

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Think your management job is safe? Beware the ‘iCEO’

Source |  |  BY:

The prospect of automation has long sparked fears of jobs lost to robotic replacements, but typically such worries have focused on blue-collar and other low-level positions. Well, the Institute for the Future has a message for all those in the upper echelons feeling complacent about their job security: The iCEO is coming.

In an article published Thursday in the Harvard Business Review, IFTF research director Devin Fidler described the results of an experiment he and his team recently conducted. Specifically, aiming to investigate the possibility of automating upper-level management, they created prototype software dubbed “iCEO.”

The software is essentially a virtual management system that automates complex work by dividing it into individual microtasks and then assigning those tasks to workers using tools such as oDesk, Uber and email or text messaging. “Basically, the system allows a user to drag-and-drop ‘virtual assembly lines’ into place and run them from a dashboard,” the article explains.

Fidler’s team then put the iCEO through its paces, including a project to oversee the preparation of a large research report on graphene production for a hypothetical prestigious client.

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Facing Immigration

  • Why do individuals and communities migrate, historically and currently?
  • Why and how do issues of race, class, and gender shape perceptions of immigrants and immigration?
  • How can the issue of immigration be humanized?

Why, for the past decade, has immigration been a major controversial force, shaping political developments across the globe?

Working together with faculty and local artists, students will be empowered to address this question and others through collaborative, team-based and inquiry-focused learning. Through further engagement in these topics, different forms of artistic production will be developed. These Outcomes will be prepared be shared on campus and in the larger community.

  • Colloborations TBA

Impact Outcomes

Students will share their findings with the general public in a format of their choosing.

Enrollment Information

Spring 2021

Course time/location: Mondays and Wednesdays 10:45am-12:00pm (location TBA)

Lab time/location: Mondays 12:15-1:30pm

  • Humanities Lab HUL 494 and 598
  • Anthropology ASB 494 and 598
  • History HST 494 and 580
*Lab time is for students to work on activities and assignments, especially skill-building and collaborative Lab projects. Contact faculty about required Lab times. Sign up today!

Instructional Team

Sujey Vega Gender Studies School of Social Transformation Co-teaching Facing Immigration I Fall 2018
Emir Estrada Anthropology School of Human Evolution and Social Change Co-teaching Facing Immigration II Spring 2019
Christiane Reves German School of International Letters and Cultures Co-teaching Facing Immigration I Fall 2018
Alexander Avina History School of Historical, Philosophical, and Reglious Studies Co-teaching Facing Immigration II Spring 2019


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One of the finest actor of Bollywood Irfan Khan gone way too soon. He died at the age of 54. The actor was admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Tuesday, where he was under observation for colon infection. Irfan was Born to Muslim parents in the village of Tonk near Jaipur, Irrfan’s mother had a royal lineage
but his father was a self-made man. He joined National School of Drama after his father’s death. Ironically, his mother, Saeeda Begum, died a few days before his death.

After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of a rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it.
Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him.

The news of his death was first shared on Twitter by filmmaker Shoojit Sircar. “My dear friend Irfaan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you.. we
shall meet again.. condolences to Sutapa and Babil.. you too fought, Sutapa you gave everything possible in this fight. Peace and Om shanti. Irfaan Khan salute,” he

We all pray and hope that he is at peace.

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“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.” – Chris Grosser.

Ain Farhana, who is a young technical assistant for RapidKL, recently shared her story about career choices to Humans of Kuala Lumpur, a Facebook page dedicated to share photographs and stories of those who live in the capital city. As at time of writing, her story has been shared over 12,400 times.

Source: Humans of KL's Facebook page
Source: Humans of KL’s Facebook page

Before she was a technical assistant for RadidKL, Farhana, who holds a diploma in Geomatics in Science (Geographical Information System) from UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA) in Seri Iskandar, Perak, worked as a cleaner for the transportation company after her graduation, earning about RM900 a month.

She eventually got a job offer from a company in Damansara as a technical assistant but after working there for a month, she decided to quit the job because it didn’t provide her with any learning opportunities. Although the boss, who wanted her to stay because her birth date matched the Feng Shui of the company, offered to get her a car and any amount of salary she could ask for, she was determined to leave.

She said:

“Thing is, there was no mentor for me to learn about the job from. And you will not be ikhlas (sincere) when you do your job if you’re unhappy with the working conditions and demands. So I turned the job down and continued being a cleaner at RapidKL again.”

One day, her mother, who also works as a cleaner for RapidKL, told her that the management wants to offer her a different job. “I went for the interview, and I am lucky and extremely grateful to be a technical assistant, here today,” she said.

This goes to show that no job is too small. In the wise words of Farhana, “Apart from God’s grace, it really falls back onto effort and the willingness to learn. You have to get out of your comfort zone and search. You have to adapt to new situations, environment and people”.

In the comments box, many Facebook users praised the young Malaysian for her dedication and positivity and shared their own success stories as well.

Source: Humans of KL Facebook page
Source: Humans of KL Facebook page

Inspired by Humans of New York, Humans of Kuala Lumpur aims to portray snippets of the people being photographed – and present a personal glimpse of the people living in KL through the eyes of photographers Mushamir Mustafa and Tabinda Shah.

For more inspiring stories, you can check out their Facebook page.

Source: Humans of Kuala Lumpur.

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Estee Ang
Love new experiences and the colour purple. Did I also mention that I am obsessed with K-pop as much as I am with food?


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HYPE | Weekly online program guide

This week, we’ll visit a few virtual apartment galleries, we will review the present and future of offices with Gary Hustwit, will take a look around in the online store of wonderLAB, will support Hungarian design and we’ll make a faux leather bag ourselves. In the meantime, a special virtual design festival has also started, and the opening event of this year’s OFF Biennial wasn’t cancelled fully either, it takes up a completely different shape instead… Let’s see the details!

Gary Hustwit Workplace – online!

This week’s Hustwit documentary, Workplace (2016) focuses on the office work environment, and presents what a complex task carrying out a design process built on a complicated design research is. In the film, Hustwit follows one of the projects of Sir Norman Foster’s design studio from early brainstorming to implementation, while Nikil Saval guides us through the history of offices and the main design historical milestones of the same. The movie is available until Tuesday online!

When: until April 21, 2020

Where: online

Homo Phis – Sziklak Gallery

Alternative jewelry line, multitaskitis disease and luxury designer lamp inspired by the coronavirus – Homo Phis, Sziklak gallery’s new exhibition is open now! The virtual exhibition is the project of Gáspár Iszlai, Ádám Miklós and Szabolcs Vatány, who have turned the challenges of isolation into creative energy, modeled the apartment and asked young creatives to express their lockdown-feelings in a virtual work of art. The pieces are honest (and humorous) reflections of our current situation. Background music and a “lovely female voice” welcomes and guides us through the digital apartment gallery. It’s worth checking in, as they say: VR the world VR the children!

Where: online (HU/EN)

More info: HERE

Dezeen Virtual Design Festival

Dezeen Virtual Design Festival has started, with a hell of an opening video montage, in which 35 architects and designers share their thoughts on the global situation and their everydays. The video reveals that some people deal with challenges more easily while others have more trouble tackling these, but everyone is hopeful, and the majority of them thinks that rethinking the role of designers is becoming extremely important now. This week, in the framework of the festival, Lisbon-based MAAT  (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) will post a documentary in relation to their current exhibition, we will celebrate Earth Day with interviews with architects and designer Ron Arad will present some of his works.

When: between April 15 – June 20, 2020

Where: online

More info: website

Faux leather sewing workshop online

We didn’t put workshops on hold, either: a faux leather sewing workshop will launch on Friday, organized by ÚjBudai Varrótanfolyam . The organizers will send the materials and tools necessary via courier service to participants’ homes, all you have to do is make sure you have good internet connection and a sewing machine.

When: April 24, 2020 15:00-20:00

Where: online

More info: Event

OFF-Biennial Budapest: Dystopia/Utopia party and fundraiser

This year’s OFF-Biennial Budapest had to postpone its spring events, however, they stick by their original objectives, therefore, the organizers prepared an extraordinary program, an online party for the day of the planned opening. Bálint Gosheven Szabó, Ábris Gryllus, Lőrinc Borsos and Gábor Lázár will perform on the party, streamed live. The aim of the evening is to let us blow off some steam amidst COVID-19, start considering the possibilities of change and start focusing on the truly important matters together. The party is an opening day of a fundraising campaign at the same time: with the help of PAD Foundation participating in the third edition of OFF, a three-week intensive fundraiser is started for a countryside slum hit hard by the epidemic, and the attendants of the party can support this cause by purchasing the symbolic ticket of the event.

When: April 24, 2020, 20:00-0:00

Where: online

More info: Event

 acb gallery – online exhibition

The new online exhibition of acb gallery, “The hands that make the world go round even in times of quarantine” is available virtually in an apartment that is otherwise not accessible to visitors. Several of the selected works of art work with the hand motif and although the group exhibition also features works that were made years or decades ago, their message is relevant in the current global situation, too. The exhibition is available in the virtual space, with accompanying descriptions, and a pdf document with large photos also help you comprehend the materials.

Where: online

wonderLAB online store

The motto of WonderLAB holding together Hungarian designers as a community is: “it’s easier together”. The designer incubator stands by the designers in these extraordinary times, too, so they transitioned their shop to the online realms. You can find the works of many Hungarian designers on the online store: clothes, jewelry, accessories, graphics and even dog collars.

Where: online

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Amihan Organics Sun Bug

Amihan Organics Sun Bug

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100% All Natural

is a unique eco-friendly, outdoor companion that provides protection not only from the damaging UVA and UVB rays but also from harmful insects.  This 2-in-1 defense is made from natural ingredients that is also gentle on the skin and may be used everyday. Safe for the environment as well.

Ingredients:   olive oil, coconut oil, bees wax, non nano zinc oxide, shea butter, lavender, citronella, carrot seed

Amihan Organics
 is named after the northeast monsoon (amihan) that brings about the cool temperature in the Philippines.  In the country’s culture, the start of the Amihan signifies the end of the rainy days, and the start of the joyous and merry season that every Filipinos love.

True to its name, Amihan Organics aims to bring the warmth and joy that the season signifies.  It aspires to provide you with an all-year merry season by ensuring that its products are good for you and are made of high quality, all natural ingredients. Each product is carefully and devotedly formulated with the intention of bringing you satisfaction with every use.

Amihan Organics  is committed to continuously develop and offer non-toxic personal care products that can only bring pure pleasure and earth friendly. Amihan Organics is proudly locally made and carefully handcrafted.

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I missed the bear too. Isn’t it interesting that we can focus on one thing and miss something so apparent? Then think of what we can do about not noticing physical pain. If we are focused on pain, then we feel pain. If we turn our attention elsewhere, then the pain is not noticed.

When hypnosis clients come to me for pain management, this is one of the techniques that I teach them. Hypnotherapy is a powerful and effective technique for pain relief and for healing.

Using the Light Switch Self Hypnosis technique is an easy way for you to use hypnotherapy to forget to remember the pain. Watch Light Switch Self Hypnosis and find out how easy self hypnosis is. You can also watch these videos on Power Minutes: Power Minutes, How To Use Power Minutes, Written Suggestions and  Orange Blossom. Use hypnosis several times a day, every day. Watch Changing Pain.

Your Hypnosis Health Info Hypnotic Suggestion for today:

I remember to focus on all that is right in my life.


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Show us your World!

Join us on a trip around the world through the lens of wildland fire. Across four days in May 2021, the IAWF will present real world risks and opportunities in an online environment. We will connect a truly international audience, with global topics and speakers from around the world, on different continents and time zones. The IAWF 16th Wildland Fire Safety Summit and the 6th Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference will address the issues that make the global wildland fire community safe, smart and supported.

In the build up to the virtual conference, we want to see where our members are and what they are doing. We invite you to submit a 30 second – 2-minute video around the 5 themes of the conference. Safety – Health – Risk – Decisions - Knowledge

We are all IAWF – an association is only as good as its members!! So, in the video please use the hashtag #IAMIAWF

Here are some questions you can use to create your video if you wish.

Be creative and enjoy.

  • Who are you?
  • Where are you?
  • What are you doing?
  • What are you showing us?
  • What do you like/dislike about your work?
  • What would you like us to know about your part of the world?

We will use your videos to promote the conference on Social Media and will compile them to show during the conference.

Mikel Robinson, Executive Director, IAWF - 406-625-7059 or execdir@iawfonline.org

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.


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African Law & Business

ICLG > African Law & Business - News and Analysis > Challenging times ahead for Africa’s banking sector

Challenging times ahead for Africa’s banking sector

Challenging times ahead for Africa’s banking sector The combination of coronavirus and poor operating conditions are making it a difficult 2020 for banking a...

The combination of coronavirus and poor operating conditions are making it a difficult 2020 for banking across the continent, although some countries are better prepared for what is to come.

It was always expected to be a difficult year for the African banking sector, with a report from Moody’s Investors Service ending 2019 by predicting weakening operating conditions and increased pressures on asset quality for 2020, with banks facing a high level of exposure.

This was in part due to global economic difficulties, particularly against a backdrop of trade uncertainty, with high government debt and poor GDP growth of particular concern.

Now with the threat of coronavirus to the global economy, those conditions have become only more difficult.

Moody’s Banks Africa 2020 Outlook looked at the credit conditions of the banks and the operating and regulatory environments, and the banks’ funding and liquidity, finding that South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia and Angola faced the year’s greatest banking challenges, while Egypt, Morocco, Mauritius and Kenya were expected to be more resilient.

Now, as the coronavirus crisis begins to bite, the outlook is more negative than originally expected, says Constantinos Kypreos, senior vice president and banking analyst for Moody’s: “The coronavirus pandemic and the sharp oil price drop have already led to portfolio outflows from emerging markets, including Africa, and will exacerbate the slowdown in economic growth at a time when government debt levels have increased to over 50% of GDP on average across the continent.”

Kypreos explains that the crisis will have an impact on a number of areas that were already under pressure: “In such an environment, banks’ financial performance – asset quality, profitability, and foreign currency liquidity – will likely suffer.”

Even before the spread of the virus affected businesses and governments around the world, the negative outlook for the African banking system reflected concerns over operating conditions and low growth, which was at around 4% across the continent, compared to 6-7% historically – difficult conditions for creating jobs at a time when a young and growing population needs them.

High government debt reduces capacity to introduce new policies and against a backdrop of trade and political uncertainty, that creates issues such as lower business generation and credit growth, and rising asset risk from a higher number of potentially non-performing loans; if government contractors go unpaid, they cannot repay their loans, creating a vicious cycle, especially if there is no state support for banks.

Although there is growth, it is at low levels, against a difficult global economic backdrop and slower growth in China – the market which drives African commodity exports more than any other.

Debt levels which are higher than five or 10 years ago have left governments less capacity to boost their economies through infrastructure spending, while the accumulation of arrears is limiting the business and banking communities.

The challenges for some of the continent’s biggest economies stemmed from factors including the deep financial troubles of South Africa’s state-owned entities, and low oil prices and revenues restricting Nigeria.

Nigeria was already expected to suffer from subdued growth and capital availability, despite reasonable funding and liquidity, but loans and rising costs are a limiting factor and government revenues are being hit by low oil prices.

Kypreos says: “Banks specifically in oil-exporting countries, due to their heavy exposure to the oil and gas sector, primarily Nigeria, will face renewed asset quality pressures. Partly dollarized banking systems like Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo [and] Nigeria will also be faced with renewed foreign currency liquidity pressures if the portfolio outflows persist.”

On the positive side, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritius and Kenya have more resilient banking sectors.

Egypt has International Monetary Fund (IMF) support and economic reforms, with growth and good liquidity expected, despite high asset risk.

Morocco’s economy remains vulnerable to the dominance of the agriculture sector, but progress with diversification and one of the continent’s more sophisticated banking sectors puts it in a good position. In Tunisia however, things were expected to be more difficult with an economic slowdown, problem loans and other risks.

In East Africa, the report found growing loan capacity and strong capital buffers in Kenya, but with problem loans an issue. In Tanzania there is uncertainty but economic growth, while Uganda is another with good growth, improved capital buffers and a drop in problem loans.

The success of digitalisation in Kenya has led to progress on financial inclusion, which in turn has benefited the banking sector.

Ghana was expected to have strong growth and more capital during 2020, albeit with asset risk issues, as was the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) region, consisting of Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, thanks to infrastructure projects and reforms.

Southern Africa is varied, with South Africa struggling, but Mauritius faring better thanks to diversification and bank capitalisaton, albeit with concerns about the impact of tax avoidance. Things are tougher in Namibia, which faces tough conditions for banks and loans, with vulnerable financial stability. Angola, meanwhile, suffers from a high level of non-performing loans and recapitalisation of some big banks is needed.

The coronavirus crisis and the negative economic backdrop need not cause long-term damage however, Kypreos concludes, saying that there are reasons for optimism: “Despite these challenges, our baseline scenario assumes a significant global disruption but not an extensive and prolonged slump, and with this in mind we believe several African banking sectors can navigate through this crisis without jeopardising financial stability.”

A report published by Absa in October last year revealed improvements in Africa’s financial markets, albeit with many problems still to be resolved if the continent’s economies were to become competitive.

Challenging times ahead for Africa’s banking sector
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Sophia Tolli

Wedding dresses by Sophia Tolli, provide both classic and couture designs including strapless ball gowns, A-line dresses, halters and slim skirts. Wedding dresses with Sophia’s signature draping and corset backs provide an impeccable fit. The collection has two distinct feelings: soft romanticism and traditional bridal drama. My signature style will always be gowns with an exceptional fit and cut.” Gowns available from sizes 0 -30.

Prices start from £1,200.


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Fake Grass for Dogs: The Ultimate Pet Turf Buyer’s Guide

Fake Grass for Dogs-Ultimate Pet Turf Buyers Guide

Artificial pet turf [or fake grass for dogs] has been steadily increasing in popularity among homeowners for use in front yards, backyards, play areas, and dog runs.

There are several reasons why people are attracted to this landscaping option. In hot, dry climates, like the one we enjoy in Texas, artificial grass is an affordable, low-maintenance alternative to a natural grass lawn.

It stays beautiful, lush, and green year-round without the watering required to keep natural grass from drying up in the Texas heat.

Why Use Fake Grass for Dogs?

Maintaining a smooth, green natural grass lawn is a challenge.

It costs a lot of time, energy, and money to keep your yard looking beautiful—doubly so if you have dogs.

Fido can do a lot of damage to your lawn by digging up the grass, creating brown dog urine spots from peeing in the same place, or running on the same path and wearing ruts.

Staying ahead of your dog’s impact on the landscaping is a constant struggle for many pet owners.

If you’ve thought about replacing your real grass with synthetic grass to avoid these issues, you may have more questions than answers.

  • Is artificial grass safe for dogs and children?
  • How much does it cost?
  • Is it environmentally friendly?
  • Does it drain well?
  • How do you clean pet turf?

If you’re considering taking the leap to try out artificial grass in your pet area, dog run, or your entire yard, read on.

We will answer the questions you have about the durability, safety, maintenance requirements, and overall pet-friendliness of artificial grass.

We also list our picks for the best brands of fake grass for dogs and other pets.

Is Artificial Grass Safe for Dogs & Pets?

Naturally, safety is a primary concern for your family, and your fur babies are no exception.

Rest assured that artificial turf is safe for dogs—sometimes even more than normal grass.

A common misconception about synthetic grass for dogs is that it contains lead and harmful chemicals.

This was true several years ago, but many artificial turf manufacturers have now eliminated lead and other harmful chemicals from their manufacturing processes.

These improvements in manufacturing technology have made artificial grass safer than ever before—often safer than chemical-treated natural grass.

Is artificial grass safe for dogs & pets?

In 2008 the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and major turf manufacturers entered agreements to make sure synthetic turf would no longer pose this health concern.

This means that, as long as you choose an ethical, reputable artificial grass installation company, you can rest assured that lead exposure will not be an issue for your family or pets.

This does not necessarily mean that all existing artificial turf is safe for pets – or safe for children.

If you have synthetic grass in your yard that was installed before moving in, and is of unknown origin, you should consider having the lead levels tested.

Benefits of Installing Fake Grass for Dogs

Benefits of installing fake grass for dogs

The benefits of using artificial grass in a pet area, dog run, or your entire yard are numerous. Homeowners across the country are opting for manufactured lawns because it is:

  • Low Maintenance
  • Eco-Friendly
  • Cost-Effective
  • Cleaner for dogs [requiring fewer baths and tick treatments]
  • Prevents Muddy Paws

The savings in time, money, and energy spent on maintaining a natural grass lawn makes artificial grass a definite win for you and your pet.

Even professional kennels and veterinarians often use fake grass for outdoor pet areas because mowing those areas is difficult and artificial grass cleanup is a cinch.

Many dog parks and apartment complexes with dog areas use synthetic pet turf as well, and for many of the same reasons.

Fake grass will also withstand the heavy use of multiple dogs every day without wearing ruts or holes like normal grass would.

Lastly, it’s easy to install, whether the base is concrete or soil.

Real Grass vs. Fake Grass for Dogs

Real Grass VS. Fake Grass for Dogs

Real grass has its advantages. Who doesn’t love cool, springy, green grass under their feet on a hot summer day?

But that natural grass comes at a high price—weekends spent mowing, edging, weeding, and fertilizing the lawn.

And let’s not even talk about the water bill in the heat of a Texas summer.

Fake grass may not have the same cool, padded feeling as real grass, but nowadays, it comes pretty close.

Artificial grass is made with blades of varying widths, textures, and colors to mimic the variation in natural grass.

Unless you look closely, you just might mistake it for the real thing.

By installing pet-friendly turf in your yard, you avoid all the problems that burden natural grass lawns:

  • Brown spots from dog urine
  • Digging
  • Bugs/Ticks/Fleas/Other Pests
  • Mud

When it comes to maintaining a vibrant, smooth, attractive lawn, fake grass for dogs is head and shoulders above real grass.

Natural Grass Usually Requires Chemicals

A healthy-looking natural grass lawn usually requires a plethora of harmful chemicals, such as:

  • Fertilizers
  • Herbicides
  • Pesticides

These substances keep your lawn green and pretty, but they can contaminate groundwater, alter the chemistry of the soil, and even cause cancer and other diseases.

Chemical treatments for lawns should be avoided when possible.

Artificial Grass Does Not Require Chemicals

What chemicals are used on artificial grass?

Artificial grass requires no chemical applications.

The blades of grass are made from antimicrobial fibers that prevent the buildup of bacteria, mold, and mildew.

The only maintenance required is the occasional spray down with the hose.

Without all the harmful lawn chemicals, your lovely, green lawn will be a safe place for both pets and kids to play.

What’s the Difference Between Pet Turf & Artificial Grass?

What's the difference between pet turf and artificial grass?

Artificial grass has come a long way in the decades since AstroTurf first appeared in 1965.

The massive advances in technology and manufacturing processes have resulted in an incredible variety of synthetic grass products.

Artificial grasses are now produced with specific applications in mind—in this case, artificial grass specifically designed for dogs.

Not all synthetic turf for pets is created equal.

While they may look and feel similar, there are some important differences between artificial grass and Pet Turf.

Pet turf is specially designed to withstand the wear and tear from running animals, as well as the high nitrogen concentrations in dog urine.

Nor does it contain infill (small bits of rubber that create padding), which can retain moisture and cause mold or mildew.

Instead, fake grass for dogs has a 100% permeable backing that allows for faster drainage than typical artificial grass.

Where Can I Install Fake Grass for Dogs?

Artificial grass is unbelievably versatile, both in residential and commercial settings.

The only limit is your imagination.

Synthetic grass can be installed indoors and outdoors, on walls, around pools, between pavers, on rooftops, decks, and patios, just to name a few.

Where can I install fake grass for dogs?

The most common places that people install pet turf are:

  • Dog runs
  • Pet areas
  • Backyards
  • Patios and Porches
  • Dog Parks

You can install it in places you wouldn’t be able to mow and in small patches that wouldn’t make sense for regular grass.

How Do I Maintain Pet-Friendly Artificial Grass?

When it comes to the maintenance of artificial turf versus real grass, there’s really no contest.

Once it’s installed, artificial grass is nearly maintenance-free.

There’s no mowing, weeding, edging, or watering needed to keep your lawn green year-round.

Homeowners with synthetic turf lawns get to spend their Saturdays actually enjoying their yards instead of manicuring them!!

How To Clean Fake Grass for Dogs

While fake turf for pets is much easier to maintain than a normal lawn, you should spray it down once or twice a week with the hose to ensure that the ammonia from pet urine doesn’t build up and cause odors.

How to clean dog urine out of fake grass for dogs

Do not use a pressure washer to do this. The force is unnecessary and can damage the grass.

You’ll still need to pick up the doggy do-do, but other than that,  the only maintenance required to keep your artificial grass looking beautiful is to rake up any debris that falls on it (like twigs and leaves) and fluff it with a broom or rake if it gets pressed down in high traffic areas.

Do not use acidic or alcohol-based cleaners on your synthetic grass, as it can harm the fibers.

How Durable is Fake Grass for Dogs?

An artificial turf installation will last 10 to 20 years.

The longevity of the grass depends on how well it’s maintained, how much traffic it receives, and the quality of the product; higher-end grass usually lasts longer.

What Makes A Turf Product Durable?

Below we’ll examine the individual components of artificial turf so that you’ll know what to look for when you begin shopping for

Face Weight

The face weight of synthetic grass is a measure of the weight (in ounces) of the yarn within 1 square yard.

This includes the blades and thatch only and does not include the infill or backing. Fake turf products with a greater face weight tend to be more durable.

This comes in several forms like rubber, ceramic, silica, etc. and will vary depending on the turf application, turf product, and installer.

Infills play two important roles in turf installations, acting as a ballast to help keep the turf in place and mimic the soil between grass blades, keeping them upright and springy.

Select an infill that is antimicrobial to keep down odors (or better yet, one with no infill at all). Look for varieties that are non-toxic to pets, in case of accidental ingestion.

The best pet turf products will have a fully permeable backing to allow water and urine to pass directly through it.

Fiber Shape

Grass blades with a “w” shape will retain their form and be easy to clean. Opt for heat resistant fibers to keep your pet’s paws nice and cool.

How Much Does Fake Grass for Dogs Cost?

There is an upfront cost with pet turf, and the price will vary depending on the size of the installation, the quality of the turf, and other environmental factors, like leveling that may need to be done before the installation.

On average,  for a 500-1,000 sq. ft. installation plan on about $6.16 – $8.98 per square foot, depending on the quality of the product.

If you’d like to learn more about the cost of artificial grass or find out how much your installation will cost you can use our artificial grass cost calculator.

How much does fake grass for dogs cost?

Bear in mind that synthetic lawns are made to last a decade or more. After the initial purchase, artificial grass costs you next to nothing.

Another factor to consider is how much natural grass is already costing you. If you were to put in new sod, you’d likely spend thousands of dollars to do so.

Whether the lawn is new or established, you also need to buy expensive lawn equipment (like mowers and edgers), and you must fuel, and maintain your tools.

If you have to fertilize, aerate, or treat your lawn for pests, those costs add up too.

Fake grass for dogs VS. natural grass installation, maintenance & care over 25 years

If the sticker price of artificial grass seems a bit shocking, bear in mind that the upfront investment in a synthetic lawn will pay for itself in a few years with water and maintenance savings.

Water Savings

One of the biggest financial and environmental savings that fake grass creates is in water.

The average American family uses 320 gallons of water per day, about 30 percent of which is devoted to outdoor uses.

More than half of that outdoor water is used for watering lawns and gardens.

Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day!

Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day!

That’s a lot of cash and empty aquifers just for green grass.

Maintenance Savings

A lot of homeowners with synthetic turf get really excited about this one.

With artificial grass, you can say good-bye to your landscaper and the monthly landscaping bill.

There’s no need to take up garage space with mowers, edgers, or weed whackers.

Aside from costing money and hassle, mowing your lawn each week has a hefty toll on the environment.

Each year in the U.S. lawn mowers & gas-powered landscaping equipment use 800 million gallons of gas!

Lawnmowers and other gas-powered landscaping equipment use 800 million gallons of gas each year in the U.S. alone, accounting for 5 percent of the overall air pollution.

Installing synthetic turf is a great way to reduce your overall carbon footprint.

Time Savings

 Did you know that the average American spends 43.8 hours caring for their yard each year? That’s a full work week!

Did You Know? The Average American spends 43.8 hours caring for their yard each year!

Installing artificial grass is like giving yourself an extra week of vacation to spend with the people and pets you love, rather than behind a lawnmower.

What To Look For When Buying Fake Grass For Dogs

Just like steaks, lightbulbs, and tennis shoes, artificial grass comes in multiple grades.

Different brands and quality tiers of artificial grass will be more or less durable, and higher-end products come with additional features.

To make an informed buying decision, here are a few important features to look for when shopping for fake grass for dogs.

Look for a heavier face weight to ensure you’re getting artificial grass that will stand up to time and heavy traffic.

Fully Permeable Backing

This is a must-have for pet owners who want to avoid the buildup of odors from pet urine in their lawn.

This is not a deal-breaker, but a warranty is a good indicator that the manufacturer is willing to stand behind their product.

Matches Neighborhood Grass Type

Take note of what grasses are common in your area, and match the color and look if you can.

Low Pile Height

A low pile height of around 1 inch is good for pet turf, as it makes cleanup of solid waste quick and easy.

With so many choices on the market today, you can find an artificial grass product that meets your needs and fits your budget.

How Is Synthetic Grass Made?

Artificial grass is made by extruding colored, UV-resistant plastic through a machine to form threads.

Those threads are then punched through a backing to form sheets of artificial grass.

The process is similar to hooking yarn through a frame to make a rug.

The length, type, and density of the fibers, as well as the type of backing material, all impact the quality of the final product.

Most pet-friendly turf includes antimicrobial agents in the source material to prevent the growth of bacteria and neutralize odors.

What’s the Best Drainage Technology for Pet Turf?

When it comes to fake grass for dogs, the most important feature is drainage.

All artificial turf products have a “Backing” and different backings drain in different ways.

The two most common types of backing are:

  • Fully Permeable (or non-perforated)
  • Hole-Punch (or perforated)

What To Avoid With Pet Turf Products?

We’ve covered the important features to look for when shopping for artificial grass for dogs and pets, but there are a few things that you should avoid as well.

A lot of turf companies are peddling ceramic infills or so-called “odor control” infills that supposedly complement fake grass for dogs.

Infill is not recommended with pet turf because it tends to inhibit drainage.

For turfs with a hole-punch backing, infill clogs the holes, preventing proper drainage.

If your dog has an occasional bout of diarrhea, cleaning the infill can be messy and infuriating.

Avoid pet turf products with infill, regardless of any advertised odor control or antimicrobial features.

How Do I Install Synthetic Grass for Dogs?

The installation process for pet turf is fairly simple and can be completed in just one or two days.

Here’s a rundown of what to expect.

Many do-it-yourselfers ask if they can save money by installing artificial grass themselves.

DIYers may be able to get away with installing a small strip of artificial grass on their own. But for entire lawns where seams are required, this is not recommended.

Because this process requires a variety of specialized equipment and practiced techniques to hide seams and ensure a natural look, it’s best to leave the installation of synthetic lawns to the professionals.

What’s the Best Fake Grass for Dogs?

The answer to this question depends entirely on the needs of your property and your budget.

This guide is intended to provide you with all the information necessary to make an informed buying decision.

While we have included Ideal Turf among the following products, we do so because we’re 100% confident in our products and installation process.

If you have any questions about how our pet turf measures up to the competition, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Here are a few of the best fake grass for dogs or pet turf products on the market today.

Global Syn-Turf – Pet Turf

Global Syn-Turf Pet Turf is great for any type of traffic and any size pet. It also has a slightly longer pile height than other pet turf options at 1 1⁄8”.The blades are ‘U’ shaped, which helps the grass stand upright after multiple uses.

Recommended Use: Light to Heavy Traffic
Colors: Emerald Green and Olive Green
Pile Height: 1 1⁄8”
Drainage: Fully Permeable [121.4 in/hr]

TigerTurf – Pet Turf

TigerTurf Pet Turf features beautiful field and lime green grass blade color tones in addition to a brown thatch layer. This turf was made for durability and comfort. Their pet turf uses a proprietary turf backing that’s incredibly resistant to pull force, so let your pup play all day! Made to withstand use by all sizes of dogs and their families, you can’t go wrong with TigerTurf.

Recommended Use: Moderate to Heavy Traffic
Colors: Field Green, Lime Green, Brown
Pile Height: 1”
Drainage: Hole-Punch[30+ in/hr]

K9Grass — Classic Pet Turf

K9Grass Classic pet turf is great for high-traffic dog areas. K9Grass is made with premium materials, is equipped with a Flow-through backing, and eliminates the need for infill. While K9Grass is arguably the best fake grass for dogs in the industry, it’s also the most expensive so be prepared to stretch your budget.

Recommended Use: Light to Heavy Traffic
Colors: Summer Green and Turf Green
Pile Height: 3/4”
Drainage: Permeable [2,000+ in/hr]

Ideal Turf — Pet Turf

Incredible performance and value are what make Kingston 76 our top-selling fake grass for dogs. A 76-ounce beautiful, lush, and soft natural grass replacement featuring delustered and UV stabilized Sport Green, Apple Green, and Olive grass blades with Field Green and Tan thatch that combine to create the perfect artificial grass solution at an affordable price point.

Recommended Use: Light to Heavy Traffic
Colors: Summer Blend Blades w/ Field Green and Tan thatch
Pile Height: 1”
Drainage: Permeable [1,549 in/hr]

Ideal Turf-Nile-70-Fake Grass for Dogs

SYNLawn — Pet Platinum

SYNLawn Pet Platinum is the ultimate artificial pet grass for animals of all shapes and sizes. Designed for maximum drainage, long-lasting durability as well as providing low surface temperatures and an elegant combination of natural colors for ultra-realistic natural beauty.

Recommended Use: Light to Heavy Traffic
Colors: Field Green & Apple Blades w/ Field Green & Beige Thatch
Pile Height: 1 1/2”
Drainage: Permeable [1,200 in/hr]

Final Thoughts…

Due to its low maintenance profile, lack of harmful chemical treatments, and long-term durability, fake grass for dogs is a win all around.

The initial investment of prep work and installation will pay for itself with savings on maintenance and water.

Spend your free time playing with your pet on your synthetic lawn rather than spending hundreds of dollars and a workweek each year maintaining it!

If you’re interested in having pet turf installed in your Texas yard, get a free estimate today!

We’ll ensure that you’ll have a dog run or synthetic turf pet area that your family and beloved dog will enjoy for years to come, from the best artificial grass company in Texas.

Tim Taylor is an industrial engineer and entrepreneur with years of hands-on experience in the synthetic turf industry. As a member of the Synthetic Turf Council, he dedicates his time, energy, and resources to finding real solutions to real problems for synthetic turf products and installation processes.

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Home / news / The Country Duo Dan + Shay Announces New Single

The Country Duo Dan + Shay Announces New Single

Kenshinpark Published On Tue Jul 28 2020   Modified On Tue Jul 28 2020
 The Country Duo Dan + Shay Announces New Single

The country music duo, Shay Mooney and Dan Smyers are coming with a new single, 'I Should Go Probably To Bed.'

The country music duo Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney from Dan + Shay announced they are coming up with a new single. The duo announced the news on Monday that their new single, "I Should Probably Go to Bed," is coming.

The two teased the music video earlier this Monday featuring people in the 70ish era get-ups and cars stopping at the street to observe something important. The song will be released on Friday, July 31.

Shan and Dan, on the caption, hashtagged ISPGTB and later asked the fans on Twitter to guess what the letters stand for.

Also Read: Dixie Chicks Announces New Album Release Date

Many came up with their unique ideas, but only a few managed to get it, which stands for the title of the new song. Following an overwhelming request from the fans, the country group shared the cover art of their single.

Their single's cover featured black outlines of Shay and Dan on a yellow background with the title of the song over their eyes.

The country music duo's most recent single is "10,000 Hours" with Justin Bieber, which was the highest-charting non-holiday song on the Billboard Streaming Songs chart.

Their last song spent a total of 21 weeks on the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The duo also has several other hits to their name such as 'Tequila,' 'Speechless,' and 'All to Myself.'

You May Also Like: Taylor Swift Sparks Pregnancy Rumors

For more information on your favorite celebrities and other news, stay tuned to Idol Persona, and don't forget to sign up for the newsletter.


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Ten best things about being a cyclist in Belgium

Watchng the Fleche 2

A year ago we moved to Belgium.

By way of an anniversary post and a thank you to my new country here are my musings about the best things about cycling here so far.

Next week I might throw in a few pet hates, although the scales are overwhelmingly positive for the first year in this great cycling nation.

In no particular order this British cyclist’s “Ten best of cycling in Belgium” are

  • Belgian National DaySocial cycling
  • The Classics
  • Tracks and trails of Wallonia
  • Long summer evenings
  • Being strange
  • The ever changing Belgian countryside
  • Belgians like a lie in
  • Bike fans
  • Somewhere near to everywhere
  • My bike shed

1. Social cycling – you are not alone.

Recreational and sports cycling in Belgium is overwhelmingly a collective activity. At the weekend you can hear the groups of cyclists passing our house not by the tyre swoosh but by sounds of talking and laughing. I have commented that I love the sense of community in the small towns and villages of Belgium that carries over into the cycling, everywhere I go I see people riding together.

It’s not just the big pelotons of club cyclists in the touring and racing clubs.

It’s the scouts.

Belgian scout ride

It’s the youth clubs.

Chateau Solvay La Hulpe cyclisme

It’s the senior citizens on a Friday night near Ghent.

Friday night in Flanders

It’s just a couple of friends riding their mountain bikes.

Solvay park VTT

It’s the randonnée à vélo for families that every village and town puts on for its jour de fete.

Child cycling Solvay Park La Hulpe

2. The Classics

fans 5

The chance to experience the Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen), Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege are just fantastic days out for a bike fan.

All the legends – beer and frites, fan clubs, cobblestones and star riders come together in an atmosphere I have never experienced before after a lifetime of going to bike races.

Liege Bastogne Liege Sprimont 5

minor places Fleche Wallonne

And by pure chance this year I took the best cycle racing photo I will ever take on the Patterberg – Spartacus (Fabian Cancellara) making the winning move against Peter Sagan.Ronde Van Vlaanderen Paterberg

Hard to repeat that, but I’ll be back again this year for my next fix.

3. Tracks and trails of Wallonia

Brabant Wallon

For the mountain bikers this time. Every commune in our area has hundreds of kilometres of farm tracks, forest trails and cobbled roads that together make an amazing network of rides for mountain bikers. Where I live in Lasne the brilliant folks at Lasne Nature have signposted 250 kilometres of the trails into circular routes from 5-15km in length, all of which can be joined together to give great rides.

Beaumont Lasne

Belgium, Brabant Wallon

And this continues for village after village.

It isn’t rugged and mountainous, it isn’t the flowing singletrack of a purpose built trail centre but it is an endless source of riding. Add an unexpected and freak layer of snow for four months last year and it was plenty tough enough for hard riding too.

Brabant Wallon

4. Long summer evenings

Ben Mayne Chapelle St Lambert

An unexpected bonus. I didn’t think I would notice the time difference between Belgium and the UK. It seems a minor point but because Belgium is an hour ahead of the UK in clock time but geographically just a few minutes ahead this is like having a whole extra hour of daylight in the evening.

In the summer this means the evenings just seem to go on for ages. When I was a little boy I used to resent being sent to bed while it was still light in the summer. Now I can commute home in the light so much later or go ride my bike after work. We have had some just lovely riding evenings, even well into the autumn.

5. Being strange

IMG00779-20131126-0836When I had made a lycra-clad appearance in our office for the second or third time a colleague said to me “you are a bit strange”.

While I decided whether to be offended or not he quickly qualified himself. He said he had never met anyone in who worked in cycling who also enjoyed cycle racing and sport or was prepared to commute in from outside Brussels. I was a bit thrown, I had come to Belgium to be part of this glorious cycling heritage and I was being portrayed as a bit of freak.

In the UK I have always been around sports cyclists even when I was working in transport and tourism and many of my colleagues carried a passing interest or a background in the sports world.

ECF lunch rideBut in some areas of Belgium, especially Flanders and in the EU district of Brussels what I think of as the Dutch/Scandinavian sub-culture is really strong and it is daily transport cycling, in normal clothes on normal bikes that holds sway. It is really great to be part of this multi-national community in the mornings, taking their kids to school, going to the shops and generally giving cycling status as a proper transport mode in front of the EU political classes, unlike in much of the English speaking world where cyclists can still be distinguished as a sub-culture by sport or hipster dress codes.

Segregated cycle path Ghent

For me to be “the strange one” is a statement that cycling has healthy prospects in Belgium.

6. The ever changing Belgian countryside

Houtain le Val

Friday night bike ride Flanders

I have written many blog posts about the changing light and weather of Belgium over the past 12 months. I don’t know what I expected, but I don’t think it was steep-sided valleys covered in beech trees or ever changing farming landscapes. The differences across the country from West Flanders to the Ardennes pack a lot of scenery into a small country.

Belgium farming and forestry practices have a big part to play in maintaining this landscape as does the maintenance of the historic buildings and villages despite it being the battleground of Europe.

Mist, trees and moon, evening in Belgium

There is a big push towards organic and pesticide free farming here which means that farmers have returned to traditional practices like crop rotation and green manures. In the fields just around our house we have seen wheat, barley, sugar beet, maize, potatoes, and parsnips just this year, all mixed up with fields of cows, sheep and horses and lots of coppices of deciduous trees. And in addition to the fields themselves this wide variety enables bird and animal species that are declining in other countries to flourish. Not the large monocultures of Britain or France or the horticultural factories of the Netherlands here.

Snowy ride Belgium

It means that even familiar roads can take on a new feel from month to month, the sense of being part of the rhythm of the land is palpable. More examples of posts here, here and here, or just chose the Belgium tab to the right.

7. Belgians like a lie in

Just 30 kilometres from the capital city, the heart of Europe. And a group of cyclists can ride for two hours on a Sunday morning and not see a car moving.

Wallonia Cycle Touring

Or a public holiday in mid-summer when the parks and woods are empty for hours, making them a personal playground.

Brussels forest

Sundays especially are like a throwback to an earlier time. The shops are not supposed to open and tranquillity regulations ensure that mowing the lawn and noisy DIY are banned.

Thank you Belgium. Don’t bother getting up, I’m going out on my bike.

8. Belgian bike fans

Tour of Flanders IMG_0707 beer 1

Cycling matters here. Or more precisely cycle sport matters here. Especially in Flanders.

Every branch too, not just the impressive heritage of road racing. I mean, where else can cyclo-cross be on the TV every Saturday and Sunday all winter and Sven Nys be a national superstar. Do you even know the name of the national cyclo-cross champion in your country? I don’t. It is in the news, the television and even the gossip. Earlier this year I blogged about how the Prime Minister of Flanders got pulled into a dispute about cycling facilities while he was away on a trip to the Tour de France, everybody is sucked into the cycling world.

I loved my trip to the Tour of Flanders Museum in Oudenaarde to absorb the legends, to the classics to celebrate with beer, frites and people in birdie suits.

Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen Ronde Van Vlaanderen Centrum

And amazingly this even carries over in to driving behaviour. Drivers have a remarkable tolerance for anyone in lycra out in the countryside, they seen to be prepared to wait for ages for individual riders or in groups. Maybe less so in the rush hour in Brussels, but I have certainly noticed that when I ride like a posing roadie I get a lot more space. If only they knew just how un-Belgian my riding actually is I might not get the same respect.

9. Somewhere near to everywhere

Ittre Walloon Brabant

Flanders Cycle route signs

While I was in Poland last week at the COP 19 Transport Day I met a very dour Belgian railways official. When I said I used the service every day politely he asked me “how do you find it?”

He was genuinely shocked when I said I thought it was a good network with cheap prices and how pleased I was that it carries bikes on almost every service. He turned to his companion from the European rail association and said “See, I have to come to Poland to find a satisfied customer.”

Yes some of the trains are old and tired. Yes the strikes are a pain. But I cannot be fed up in a compact country, covered masses of country lanes, varying terrain, varying history, even different languages, all seemingly within about an hour’s travel in any direction and the chance to let the trains do the work.

And beyond the borders more great cycling countries to sample, all within such easy reach. Luxembourg, Germany, France, the Netherlands……

Luxembourg Old town and Kirchberg

10. My bike shed

Ok, you can’t enjoy this with me. It’s my space.

Kevin Mayne's Bike Shed

All I wanted was a shed, or a garage. When we started looking at apartments in Brussels we quickly realised that space was going to be at an absolute premium so I started reluctantly selling off some of my old bikes and bits. But having decided against city life and headed for the countryside I raised my hopes slightly that the shed would be a bit bigger.

When I visited a former farm in Lasne that we had previously ignored off as too small, too remote and without any storage in the particulars it was a very long shot.

Ok the house was fine. But seconds after entering the former milking shed I just burst into a smile that has barely left my face ever since. And now it has been properly equipped with its new livestock it has a similar effect on visitors, although mainly they just bursting out laughing.

Mysteriously the bikes seem to like it here, for it appears their numbers are growing. When the rental finishes it is going to come as an almighty shock, but for now it’s in my top 10 reasons for loving being a Belgian cyclist.

Thank you Belgium.

A year ago I wondered what life might bring. The answer? I do not despair!

10 thoughts on “Ten best things about being a cyclist in Belgium

    • There are MTB randonnees on every weekend all over the country but so far I have only really seen the local ones up to 50-60k but I know longer ones exist.

      They kick off again as soon as 5th January 2014 – calendar here http://www.velo-liberte.be/

    • You are forgetting the rules Judy.

      Number of bikes you need =n+1 where n is the number of bikes you have now. Regardless of space!

    • Oh yes – certainly as far as the racing goes. Individual riders have fan clubs, the gossip columns include cyclists. Fun really

  1. Nice to read such a positive article about our country!
    You forgot to mention our tradition to drink a couple of beers after the sunday morning ride

    • Thank you!

      The beers I good, but I do miss the mid-morning coffee and cake stop that is built into the tradition of all UK cycling clubs.

Comments are closed.


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Inland Empire

Roadmap for an Inclusive and Sustainable Economy

Building a Stronger Future

The Inland Empire is a region on the rise, with cross-sector collaboration and civic engagement beginning to unlock the full potential of the region and its 4.6 million residents. This is most evident in the region’s Census outreach efforts, which has unified the region in various respects—across population centers in a region stretching 27,000 square miles, across racial groups and immigrant generations, and across sectors by building deeper relationships and partnerships involving experts in industry, community, government, academia, and philanthropy.

This united effort is also evident in community responses to COVID-19. Partners are blending  COVID relief with Census outreach, and are already designing innovative strategies and systems for community engagement that can work in the context of deep digital divides.

Building on the success of Census and COVID outreach efforts, leaders in the region are launching the Inland Empire Roadmap for an Inclusive and Sustainable Economy (IE RISE). IE RISE is an innovative project to develop a robust regional economic and institutional plan that: a) engages grass-roots, business, and government partners across its various sub-regions, b) supports youth voices to build the next generation of regional leadership, c) engages and builds research and policy capacity within the region, and d) provides a roadmap for a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable economy and society.

Core Values: Inclusion, Sustainability, Equity

COVID-19 response and the global call for racial justice come at a critical time for this work. Beyond the pressing immediate needs, we have the opportunity to help the region remake itself in a more equitable and sustainable manner. While there is much talk of an economic recovery, we believe that it is vital to also think about reform. How can we reform our various systems, so that communities of color, immigrants, low-wage workers, youth, and justice-involved populations all have an equal shot at defining a common vision and plan that meets their needs, with the requisite community investments to make them a reality?

Guided by a vision of the kind of future we hope to see by 2030, IE RISE will set a bold and ambitious investment strategy for the region. This multi-year, cross-sector effort will be supported by a mix of philanthropic investments and in-kind contributions of time and effort from institutional allies and partners in community organizations, government, industry, and academia. As with the case of Fresno DRIVE, we anticipate that these investments will generate millions of dollars in regional investments within a year, and will give shape to millions more in public and private investments in the decade to come.

We believe this project can serve as a model for deeply inclusive economic development in under-invested communities and areas. In addition to the work we plan to do in the Inland Empire as outlined below, and we are eager to explore the option of building a community of practice, that can capitalize on the momentum from Census outreach to help scale and support this work across the state and country.

Strategic Plan and Approach

Leaders are building on their success in organizing the region for 2020 Census outreach by utilizing a similar approach to inclusive regional planning. We began with a core group of partners that have been engaged in Census outreach and policy advocacy, who have the requisite knowledge and commitment, plus trust and goodwill among community members and institutional stakeholders alike, for this project to succeed. These partners established a foundational framework of core values, principles, and approaches that will inform the IE RISE work of grassroots and stakeholder engagement, policy and investment platform development, advocacy and accountability.

Now that the foundation is set, we are engaging with institutional allies and partners. Building on the organizing model of Census IE, we are convening a coalition of community based organizations, industry, public institutions and other stakeholders with the purpose of creating a unified vision for the Inland Empire.

Importantly, just as in the case of 2020 Census outreach, the work is structured in a way to ensure cross-regional equity, ensuring that communities that have traditionally held less power in regional economic decisions (such as the High Desert, Coachella Valley, San Bernardino metro, and Southwest Riverside County) are empowered and united to shape our region’s economic future. Key elements of the work include: public safety, economic development, education, environment, housing, infrastructure, transportation, and workforce development. In addition, equity by race,  gender, age, ability, immigration and LGBTQ status are important through-lines.

For those interested in joining IE RISE, here is a list of issue tracks and work timeline in Summer 2020.

Interested in Joining the Movement?

Apply Now!

Please complete the following form to be considered for organizational membership.

IE RISE Org Membership Application

Researchers! If you'd like to help with the landscape scan on any of our issues, sign up below. Please consult our issues and timeline.

IE RISE Researcher Application


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Casinos Austria to cut 350 jobs in restructuring plan

2 minutes read
Casinos Austria’s supervisory board has finalised its major restructuring plan that management believes necessary to secure the business’ future, while Robert Chvátal, chief executive of its majority shareholder Sakza Group, has been named chairman of the board.

Under the so-called ReFIT plan, Casinos Austria aims to reduce costs by up to €45m, and cut around 350 full-time roles from across the business.

The exact number of layoffs, it said, would be determined following discussions with employees, and it noted that most job losses would be through staff mutually agreeing to depart, retiring, or shifting to part-time working.

The plan was formulated and provisionally approved by the supervisory board in July, to ensure all 12 current casinos operated by the business would remain open and profitable.

Its operations and headquarters teams will be restructured, with individual properties given more autonomy over day-to-day activity.

“[The] supervisory board has ensured that [Casinos Austria Group’s future] is sustainably secured and that high quality forms of gambling can continue to be offered,” the operator’s chief executive Bettina Glatz-Kremsner said.

“The package was developed almost entirely on the basis of internal expertise in record time. I thank my colleagues for their professional and committed cooperation, and to the employee representatives for their constructive attitude in often difficult negotiations for the good of the company.”

Robert Chvátal, chief executive of Casinos Austria majority shareholder Sazka, thanked the operator’s board and management team for their efforts in developing the ReFIT package.

“The general economic conditions made a package of this size necessary in order to make the group of companies fit for the future,” he explained. “As owners with long-term interests, it is important to us to ensure the business is sustainable.”

Chvátal, meanwhile, has been unanimously elected chairman of the Casinos Austria supervisory board, as an interim replacement for long-serving director Walter Rothensteiner, who stood down in July this year.

He will serve in the role until the company’s Annual General Meeting in 2021, at which new board members will be elected, and a new chair selected.

The restructuring plans have attracted criticism from some quarters, with Austria’s Union of Private Sector Employees, Printing, Journalism, and Paper (GPA-djp) attacking the plans.

In July GPA-djp national director Karl Dürtscher argued the plan, and resulting layoffs, were not in the interest of the Austrian state, which holds a stake in the business through the investment body Österreichische Beteiligungs AG (ÖBAG). He called on the Austrian government to step in to help shore up the business and protect jobs.

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