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Eaglets, Keshi and Yobo!

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By Onochie Anibeze
We have had players who were sensational in the junior teams especially the Under 17 team but who never progressed to the senior team.

Sometimes, the so called youth players are actually at their peak at the time they are ravaging other teams with their power and goals. You expect that in few years time they would be great Super Eagles players. But in many cases, their exploits end with the junior teams.

Some factors could be responsible. Age could be a problem. If the players are older than the allowed age limit chances are that they will fizzle out when people are expecting wonders from them. Another factor could be a possible stunted growth.

Some of the players never develop further in size and other physical attributes, making their small nature a problem for coaches of senior teams to select them. They always prefer players endowed with sizable features.

Akinjide Idowu (C) of Nigeria and his team-mates celebrate their victory with the trophy during the FIFA World Cup UAE 2013 Final between Nigeria and Mexico at Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium on November 8, 2013 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo FIFA)
Akinjide Idowu (C) of Nigeria and his team-mates celebrate their victory with the trophy during the FIFA World Cup UAE 2013 Final between Nigeria and Mexico at Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium on November 8, 2013 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo FIFA)

There are times old players are selected for youth teams because their small sizes which conceal their true ages. Even with special diet they don’t develop further and some have had to lose opportunities to play at a higher level that way. However, there are exceptional talents whose small features don’t hinder their progress. The likes of Messi should come to mind.

Then there are those whose careers are jeopardized by behavioural problems and those who fail to strike their chime because of bad transition management.

A player could develop better in a club or league where the culture of football suits his character and style. Same player may fall by the way side if he goes to another place. Where is Macaulay Chrisantus today? Chrisantus was the MVP of the 2007 Under 17 World Cup in Korea that the Eaglets under Yomi Tela of blessed memory won. If you watched Chrisantus, he was not physically endowed.

But he was always at the right place and at the right time. He had instincts like the famous Brazilian Romario. I had fears when I heard that he was going to Germany, a league where power and resilience appear to be their weapons. I told Ben Iroha my fears and he expressed same but said that the football agent that linked him with Hamburg was undaunted about the move. I told Ben who was one of the assistants of Yomi Tela that France or Holland could have favoured Chrisantus. He agreed.

Can somebody tell me what Chrisantus is doing in Spanish lower division today?  Hamburg loaned him out to Las Palmas, a  lower division club in Spain and that’s all from a once budding talent the world looked up to shine in future. His transition was poorly managed. At Japan ’93, Wilson Oruma was the MVP of the tournament and was a better player than Kanu Nwankwo. But Kanu went to Ajax, with world acclaimed youth development programme where his good transition made him soar than Oruma did.

It is probably against all these backgrounds that Stephen Keshi, the Super Eagles coach, has announced conditions under which the 2013 Fifa U-17 World Cup champions could make it to the senior team.

He wants to see them graduate to the Under 20 team and then to the Olympic team before they could be ripe for the Super Eagles. Keshi believes that a gradual transformation, passing through these stages, will help the players mature and acquire experience.

While I admit that Keshi has some points, I also want to point out that it must not be so for all of them. If any of them is good enough to play in the senior team now it will be good to allow such a player the opportunity to try his skills out. It will therefore be wrong for Keshi to be rigid on his conditions. There could be exceptional ones. It is his job to find them and develop them. There are players who develop very fast that you do not cage in junior teams at the time they need challenges to blossom into stardom. At 17 Michael Owen was already an established star who featured in the World Cup.

I saw him play in France ’98 World Cup where he scored a television goal against Argentina. The famous Pele became a world star at 17.

How old was Wayne Rooney when he became a star at Everton? He was riding bicycle to training from the youth team up till when he played his first Premiership match. He was barely 17. Nigerian officials begged England to include Owen in their team to Nigeria ’99 fFIFA Under 20 World Cup just to boost the competition.

England said it was not necessary since he was already a star, reminding us that youth competitions are development programmes, largely meant to discover talents. To them it would be unwise to feature Owen in a junior team just because he was still under the age limit allowed. He would have blocked the chance of a budding talent waiting to be discovered. Can Nigerian officials begin to reason like that?

Back to Keshi. The Eaglets we saw in UAE were about the youngest we have had for years. I give credit to the football federation and the coaches who picked them and trained them. They were a WELL COACHED team. I have not seen any Nigerian side play football the way they did.

Their passing, their runs, their marking and their shooting. I saw their strikers mark and fall deep when they lost the ball. They exploded when in possession. They were all workers. The only thing they lacked was the vision to utilise the wings when the middle was tight and a player was making a wide run. Repeatedly, they made that mistake and I wondered why until somebody told me it was typical of Spanish football and I should not forget that Emmanuel Amuneke is among the coaching crew. In Spain especially in Barcelona, they believe in short passes and with many players around the ball. I agreed that Barcelona players do that but there are times they open up the game and Alves makes those brilliant runs on the flank.

Manu Garba, Amuneke, Nduka Ugbade and Emeka Amadi did a brilliant job on those boys. Special credit to Emeka Amadi, the goal keeper’s trainer. Alampasu, the keeper won my heart. Those boys were singing songs with the ball and Keshi should see if some of them have the heart to be in the Eagles even if it is for the sake of them gathering experience.

Theo Walcott was in the England team to the 2006 World Cup. He did not play a match but he gained a lot. I’m not saying that we must do the same thing. It may not be wise to adopt, in total, what the great football countries are doing but we can learn from them. Keshi must not be rigid about the conditions he has spelt out for any of the Eaglets to be in the Super Eagles.

If there are exceptional ones, he should give them a chance. The African Nations Championship, CHAN  is around the corner. Two or three of them could be there.

And as he leads out the Super Eagles against Ethiopia tomorrow, I wish him the best. I wish the Eagles well.

The football Federation has done a lot to get Nigeria this far. I wish them well. My final words on the match is that they should not allow Ethiopia settle into their passing game. Early goal will help.

And when we qualify, Keshi should have the heart to recall Yobo even if it is for some friendlies for him to achieve the feat of a 100 cap appearance that no Nigerian has done. It will be a record for the player, for Nigeria and for Keshi under whose era it would have happened.

This is a message from an ardent Eagles follower, Lydia who has called from Benin on several occasions on this. Interestingly, she has never met Yobo or Keshi but speaks so passionately about them. She has a point I would want Keshi to consider.

Happy Birthday Chisom.

He drums, plays the keyboard and now he is learning how to play guitar while his siblings are more interested in soccer and tennis aside their school work. Chisom, the youngest of my children, will be 12 today. Happy Birthday Chisom Anibeze, my dear son. I love you.

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Breaking News

Equities pricing: Sell pressure may linger despite attractive valuations

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By Nkiruka Nnorom

EQUITIES market will experience another spate of sell-off this week despite attractive valuations, financial analysts have said.

Some analysts had said that relative to recent quarters, the price earning (P/E) ratios and price book value (P/B) valuations indicate the market is currently undervalued at current prices and advised for a buy.

However, at the close of transactions last week, the market took a further downward move, resulting in 0.44 percent decline in the All Share Index, ASI, and the market capitalisation to 32,058.28 and N11.704 trillion respectively.

Meristem Securities, an investment banking firm, said that increased debt offerings, the rising yield in the fixed income market and mounting political uncertainties had driven most investors to seek less risky and high yielding instruments.

Explaining the negative last week, the firm observed that there was a switch by investors in their investment class due to the primary market T-bills auction and the Eurobond book building, which took place on Thursday.

Nonetheless, analysts at the firm said that some of the sectors, including the banking, oil & gas and the industrial goods sectors, will sustain the buy pressure experienced at the end of the trading session on Friday.

Mourinho takes swipe at Aguero ahead of City clash

Analysts at Cordros Capital and cowry Asset Management also reiterated a negative outlook for the equities market in the absence of a positive market trigger.

According to Cowry Asset Management: “The NSE ASI will close in red territory amid sell pressure by speculators despite the attractive valuations and dividend yields. However, we reiterate that buy opportunities would linger, at least in the near term, thus availing value investors good bargains.”

Meanwhile, three of the five sectors (banking, insurance and oil & gas sectors) recorded negative returns last week, while consumer goods and industrial goods sector appreciated by 0.04 percent and 1.02 percent respectively.

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Karen Watts

New Board Member at November 2019

Karen joined the Board of Management in November 2019 in a member nominated position and has been a member of the Variety FORRM (Finance, Operations, Regions, Risk, Membership) Committee since February 2019.

She is an experienced executive professional with in excess of 30 years business experience. Karen was previously the General Manager Organisation Development and Change for Capricorn Society which is a member-based organisation spanning across Australia and New Zealand.

Her experience includes extensive leadership and general business management in Operations, Human Resources, Organisational Development, Change Management, Learning & Development, Communications and Sales and Service.

Karen is an energetic leader with drive, enthusiasm, loyalty and commitment to people, customers, stakeholders and business outcomes. Extremely strong interpersonal skills such as relationship management, communication, change management, negotiating and influencing.

Previously a Chair for the Australian and Telemarketing Association Karen is now excited to be part of a Board that is aligned to her true passion which is assisting to make a positive impact on people and the community.


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Corey Ann Haydu is the author of Eventown, Rules for Stealing Stars, OCD Love Story, and four other young adult and middle grade novels.

In 2013, Corey was chosen as a Publisher’s Weekly Flying Start and her books have been Indie Next Selections, Junior Library Guild Selections, Amazon Best Book of the Month Selections, BCCB Blue Ribbon Selections, and Bank Street Children’s Book Committee’s Best Children’s Books Selections. Corey was previously a writing instructor for Arizona State University, Mediabistro, and Writopia Lab. She has been working in children’s publishing since 2009.

MFA - Creative Writing | The New School
BFA - Theater | NYU Tisch School of the Arts

Martha Brockenbrough

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Jennifer Ziegler

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

William Alexander

Faculty Chair, MFA in WCYA

Kekla Magoon

Faculty, MFA in WCYA; Alumnx Mini-Residency

Varian Johnson

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

A.S. King

Faculty, MFA in WCYA; Writing Novels for Young People Retreat


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Telephone consultation

You’d like to talk with an expert? You’re looking for the ideal sensor for your requirements? Then call us. We’ll be glad to help you select the right instrument.

You’ll be connected with your VEGA consultant via our switchboard:

+1 513 2720131

Service hotline

If you need service, feel free to call our 24-hour hotline, available seven days a week. Only normal call charges are incurred:

+49 1805 85 85 50

VEGA Americas service line

For assistance during normal business hours, call:

+1 844-VEGA-NOW (834 2669)

+1 800-367-5383 (Toll free)

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MadTree Brewing uses VEGA instruments to serve quality beer to Cincinnati and beyond

MadTree Brewing located in Oakley, OH

Located just minutes from the VEGA Americas campus in the Oakley neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, MadTree Brewing is as much a community gathering place as it is a brewery. MadTree is as famous for being a friendly spot to bring the kids and the family dog as it is for its variety of craft beers; its commitment to local non-profits and community partners is as noteworthy as its artistic cans. MadTree operates under the belief that “beer builds community and community builds beer” and it makes good on that promise with every brew.

Brewery Engineer Kyle Moore is tasked with overseeing the build out and operation of MadTree’s $18M, 83,000 square foot brewery and taproom, expected to produce 35,000 barrels of beer this year. Moore, a graduate of University of Cincinnati’s chemical engineering program, worked on a team to design the brewery using a custom Sprinkman brewing system and has responsibility for its ongoing operation and maintenance. Having worked with VEGA instruments during his college co-op, he requested VEGA products for several crucial phases of the brewing process.

Moore walked VEGA Americas through the brew house to describe how MadTree uses VEGA instrumentation to make a high-quality craft beer.

Water: the key ingredient

Whether you prefer a floral ale, a crisp pilsner, a tangy sour, or a hoppy IPA, good beer starts with good water. MadTree receives its water from the city of Cincinnati and engineers it to produce a specific flavor profile in the finished beer. Using reverse osmosis, MadTree strips the salts from the water and adds its own back in to create a specific salt profile for each and every beer.

“Salt in water has a huge effect on flavor, so we rebuild the water’s salt profile from the ground up,” Moore explained to VEGA. Once the brewery’s water is perfected it is stored in a 20,000 gallon tank. When it’s time to brew, water is pumped from holding to the hot liquor tank (HLT), and heated to 185° F. Water from the HLT is blended with room temperature water to obtain a precise temperature as needed for each recipe in the mashing process.

MadTree uses a pair of VEGABAR 82 pressure transmitters to monitor MadTree’s water. One sensor is used for liquid level measurement inside the tank and the other sensor is used to regulate pump speed out of the tank. The same setup is used on an opposite stream to measure cold water in the cold liquor tank, or CLT. Keeping in step with craft brewing’s focus on process efficiency, water used at MadTree is reclaimed and reused.

Mashing: Brewing starts here

MadTree uses a three-vessel brewing system. The first of those vessels is the mash lauter tun, where milled grain is mixed with hot water. Inside the tun, where temperatures range from 150 to 180° F, a plow and auger mixes the grain and water uniformly, creating a wet and solid oatmeal-like mixture. The grain forms a bed that acts as a filter atop a screened plate above the bottom of the tun. Hot water is sprayed on the grain bed to transfer liquid and the proper amount of sugar. MadTree’s brewhouse uses a differential pressure (DP) system to monitor the pressure between the screen and the bottom of the tun. Keeping an eye on this measurement helps the Production Team control efficiency early in the brewing process.

“If you pull too hard on a grain bed, you crush that filter, which means it takes forever to transfer fluid over. We’re trying to maintain a good, easy medium there. Usually transfer time runs about an hour-and-a-half; if you start collapsing that grain bed, transfer time becomes two-and-a-half hours or more. That eats into production time.”

The DP system outputs pressure but they also use it to control rate of transfer. If the pressure measurement increases, they can slow pumps into the mash lauter tun. This reading also helps them evaluate grain performance and spot trends and inefficiencies using a software program. Once it leaves the tun, the mash—now called wort—is piped to a boil kettle.

Boil Kettle and Whirlpool: heat and spin

Wort is brought to a boil for 60-90 minutes at temperatures ranging from 208 to 214° F inside a large kettle. Hops are added at different times and at different quantities depending on what beer is being brewed in that batch. For example, MadTree’s Psychopathy IPA requires more and different hops than its Happy Amber Ale. Knowing the volume inside the kettle is important for tracking steam system efficiency, as volume is used to measure steam rate. MadTree uses a VEGABAR 82 to compare volume from before and after wort is boiled to ensure optimal efficiency.

From the kettle, wort goes to the whirlpool, the last stop in the three-vessel brewing system. Inside the whirlpool, temperature drops to 195° F and the centrifugal force inside the tank draws the solids to the center, forming a cone of hops and protein solids. The brewhouse employs a VEGA pressure transmitter to measure liquid inside the whirlpool where it sits for a time while hops are added to impart flavor and aroma without harsh bitterness. When it’s ready, the finished wort is pumped through a redundant filtration system to remove any solids. A heat exchanger drops the liquid’s temperature to 69° F in preparation for yeast to be pitched and fermentation to begin.

Once wort leaves the trio of vessels in the brewhouse, automation stops and craftsmanship begins. But that doesn’t put an end to MadTree’s commitment to innovation and data in pursuit of beer perfection.

"Pressure is one of the most reliable measurements you can have. It’s as true as you can get.”

Fermentation: where beer is made

Wort is hard-piped to one of MadTree’s fermentation tanks, which range in sizes from 100 barrels to 400 barrels. When wort enters the fermentation tank, it arrives at a certain density. As yeast reacts with the wort’s sugar, it produces carbon dioxide and alcohol. The reaction decreases liquid density, and the Production Team measures that density in real-time with an electronic differential pressure (EDP) system. VEGA’s ceramic-celled pressure transmitters give them a virtual window in the fermenter.

“This gives us the ability to track the viability of our yeast as we use it. We monitor actual yeast performance and how well it creates alcohol. We’re looking at everything from one batch to the next. We reuse a pitch of yeast for multiple generations [batches]. As we reuse it, there’s more stress and strain placed on the yeast; it’s more pressurized, it loses cells, and its viability starts dropping. We track the performance of the yeast through every generation. We can see when it’s going to die off so we know exactly when to get a new pitch in to maintain the quality of the beer.”

MadTree is looking for consistency with this measurement. Every MadTree beer has to taste the same whether someone orders a pint in the Taproom or picks up a six-pack at the grocery store. Using the density output, the team plots fermentation curves, monitors yeast performance over time, and compares yeast generations to ultimately brew a consistent, delicious beer.

Before installing the VEGA EDP solution, maintaining the integrity of the yeast—and by extension, the beer—was far more labor-intensive. Lab staff took a sample from the fermenter every day, tested the density in a lab, and recorded their findings. Now, the team pulls a density reading every minute. They could get this same data using a tuning fork-type instrument, but MadTree opted for a flush-mount sensor to devote more time to brewing and less time to cleaning and maintaining instrumentation.

“I don’t like physical contact of the tuning fork. Why not have a flush disc to measure pressure? Pressure is one of the most reliable measurements you can have. It’s as true as you can get.”

The temperature is controlled inside the fermenter until it is dropped to 62° F for dry hopping. MadTree’s dry hopping method consists of injecting hops pellets into a line that feeds into the fermenter. After dry hopping, the fermenter crashes to 32° F, solids drop to the bottom of the conical tank, and beer is run through a large centrifuge to rid it of any lingering solids before it is sent to the brite tank for storage.

Storing, canning, and good neighbors

The last stop before MadTree beer is ready to be shared with the community is the brite tank. To keep an eye on the tank’s liquid level and CO₂ head pressure, Moore uses a pair of VEGABAR 82 instruments, one for each measurement. In addition to knowing what’s happening inside the brite tank, these values are used to track downtime during packaging: When the level stops moving in the vessel, the canning line does as well. Logging the downtime helps Moore improve process efficiency.

The MadTree brite tank presented VEGA with an opportunity to improve its processes for future partnerships with breweries and other beverage producers. Beer inside the brite tank is cold but the air outside the tank is warm, creating condensation on the pressure transmitter’s measuring cell. The pressure sensors include a filtered vent open to atmosphere that compensates for the varying atmospheric pressure on top of the fluid in a vented or open vessel. In a sense, the pressure instrument works like a balance scale with atmospheric pressure in one weighing pan and the total hydrostatic pressure in the other. But when condensation exists, the accuracy and repeatability of the measurement is vulnerable. The vent can become clogged and deliver an incorrect output, as it did in MadTree’s case.

With fewer than two miles between VEGA and MadTree, VEGA product experts and field service technicians worked together to create a solution and outfitted the brite tank with pressure transmitters equipped with absolute pressure cells that compensate for atmospheric effects in another way. Moore was impressed with the speed VEGA deployed its solution.

“That’s one of the benefits of having VEGA around the corner. If there is a problem, I can make a call or send an email and you guys are here within a day.”

The next round: yeast measurement

Remember that yeast used to eat wort and create beer? MadTree calls its stainless steel yeast storage vessel “Mother Mary.” Currently, they track the flow out of the yeast tank and they plan to install a VEGAPULS 64 at the top of the tank to track yeast level in real time.

One more for the road

MadTree plans to scale their production and distribution incrementally over the next few years. That means more tanks in the brewery, more bars and stores selling MadTree, and more community-building through beer. VEGA is happy to be a trusted instrumentation supplier to an outstanding Cincinnati brewery.

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Fine dining at the Golden Jubilee

Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel Main EntranceThe Catering Team at the Golden Jubilee are in the running for one of the most coveted accolades in the executive hospitality industry – at their first attempt.

The Golden Jubilee team have made it to the top three in the Healthcare Category of the 2016 Cost Sector Catering Awards.

Taking place at the Hilton London Metropole on Thursday 31 March, the awards will see the team judged by peers from around the UK in front of 800 of the catering world’s most influential members, with the winners announced at a glamorous awards dinner and ceremony.

Pamela Mailler, Catering Operations Manager at the Golden Jubilee, commented: “It is an achievement just to be nominated; to be recognised as one of the top three Healthcare organisations in the UK is an honour and demonstrates the hard work that the team continue to provide.”

The Golden Jubilee Catering Department works with the hospital’s Clinical Nutritionists to prepare a huge variety of healthy, nutritional and tasty menu for patients in the wards and for staff and visitors to the Golden Bistro restaurant, seven days a week.

The team have a proven track record of delivering high quality service, receiving a Healthy Living Award and being Highly Commended at last year’s Hospital Caterers Association Awards in the Catering Service of the Year Award. Just last month, two chefs from the Golden Jubilee received certificates of merit in the finals of the prestigious Hot Cookery Competition.

Anne Marie Cavanagh, Nurse Director at the Golden Jubilee, commented: “The Catering Team here at the Golden Jubilee aim to provide an impeccable food service for patients and staff and this has been confirmed by this incredible achievement. We aim to provide person centred care in every aspect of what we do at the Golden Jubilee and we are so proud of the team and the way in which they constantly strive to excel in the work that they do every day.”


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Cool Cube™ Procurement | Burn Care Medical Kit | EP Response Trailers

Cool Cube™ Procurement Hello, medical professionals! There are many avenues you can use to buy Cool Cube™ PCM coolers. Section "A" gives you those options. The next section showcases an emergency burn care kit used for a surge of burn patients, while the last section highlights response trailers used for MCIs. As always, have a productive week! To Read More
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Cool Cube™ FAQ | Staff PPE Kits | EP Deployment Trailers

Cool Cube™ FAQA Question From Your ColleaguesQuestion: “How can I buy a Cool Cube™?”Answer: There are a number of different procurement channels available to assist you:Direct…call or email today with a credit card or PO; it will be fast and easy.Amazon…orders usually ship the following day from our facility in Wisconsin.GSA…get a federal entity discount Read More

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Need It Before 2018 | The Impact of Data Loggers | Vertical Medical Kits

year end

Need It Before 2018?We Are Here for YouSome ordering doesn’t happen until the last minute. So if a rush is needed, we may be able to help. Most of our individual products (coolers, data loggers, cases, etc.) can be found on Amazon. However, if special invoicing is needed, send us an email ( or give Read More

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Storable MCI Response | Win Amazon $25 Gift Card | System Training

Train and Exercise MCI Scenerios

Storable MCI ResponseACS/ER Systems for HealthcareA Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) can quickly exhaust the resources of a community. VeriCor solutions (ACS Systems, Mobile ERs, Triage & Treatment Systems, etc.) provide extra resources within a single “Response-Friendly® System” that is comprehensive, efficient, and simple to maintain. These mobile solutions come complete, meticulously organized, with the correct Read More


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Antifreeze Poisoning in Dogs and Cats

Antifreeze poisoning is the most common poisoning of dogs and cats in the United States. Over 10,000 dogs and cats are poisoned with automotive antifreeze each year.

Antifreeze is an engine coolant. The ingredient found in antifreeze that is poisonous to dogs and cats, is ethylene glycol, which make up 95 percent of the antifreeze. Ethylene glycol is a transparent greenish color that is sweet tasting to dogs and cats. A small taste will poison your pet. Cats are four times more sensitive to antifreeze then dogs. Only 1 to 2 teaspoons will poison a cat, and only 3 tablespoons will poison a medium size dog. Antifreeze poisoning will cause an immediate and long term effect on your pet.

Once ingested your pet may experience the following,

  • Intoxication behavior
  • Vomiting
  • Increased thirst
  • Diarrhea
  • Seizure's
  • Increased heart beat
  • Rapid breathing
  • Weakness
  • Coma

Within 30 minutes after ingestion, your pet will act as if he is intoxicated. This will continue for up to 6 hours. Vomiting and diarrhea will occur because the ethylene glycol is irritating to the stomach. They will drink excessively which will cause them to urinate more frequently. The wobbly drunk affect will diminish and your dog or cat may seem to be recovering. A few days later, your pet will become worse, symptoms like depression, weakness and dehydration can occur. This is due to the Ethylene Glycol being metabolized by the liver and kidneys. Once the kidneys tubular cells are destroyed, damaging the kidneys, the poison will then affect the Central Nervous System. There is no treatment that will reverse this stage.

If you think that your dog or cat has been poisoned by antifreeze, you need to call your veterinarian immediately. Your veterinarian may tell you to induce vomiting. To induce vomiting, you need to administer hydrogen peroxide to your dog or cat. Give 1 teaspoon-full per five pounds of body weight. Do not give more than 3 teaspoons full at a time. This can be done three times, given 10 minutes apart. If the three doses of hydrogen peroxide does not induce vomiting, do not give more.

Do not induce vomiting if your pet is having trouble breathing, is in shock, or is unconscious. Even if vomiting has occurred your pet still needs to be rushed to a Veterinarian. Blood work will be preformed to see if the liver and kidney enzymes are elevated. It is important that you bring all evidence that you have that relates to the poisoning so that they can properly diagnose and treat your pet. They will monitor your pet and give necessary treatment. Antidote are given to prevent the further absorption of the poison.

There are actions that can be done to prevent your dog or cat from getting antifreeze poisoning.

  • Switch to propylene-glycol based antifreeze. This is less toxic than ethylene glycol.
  • Check for antifreeze leaks in your car.
  • Clean up any antifreeze spills.
  • Keep antifreeze in a tight container and in high places.
  • Dispose of antifreeze properly.

If detected early, dogs and cat can survive from antifreeze poisoning. Your dog or cat may experience long term kidney failure as a result from the poisoning.


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Dog Insurance Coverage -- How Much Do You Need?

Getting just the right amount dog insurance coverage can tricky for several reasons. Much like health care for humans, the rising cost of pet health care -- due in part to advances in veterinary medicine, has caused insurance premiums to skyrocket prompting consumers to simply go without or purchase the bare minimum. Because of this, pet owners ended up spending $7.2 million (cash) on vet care in year 2000. This figure had increased to $11 billion by 2005. It is also estimated that only 3% of American pet owners currently carry dog insurance, with more that 25% of all insured pets residing in the state of California.

Unfortunately, with the cost of a procedure that's as cut and dry as a tooth extraction averaging $1,000, going without or opting for the bare minimum is not the best way to protect your pet or your pocketbook. So exactly how much dog insurance coverage do you need? Well, it depends.

Determining How Much Insurance to Buy

Getting just the right type and an adequate amount of dog insurance will depend on a number of factors such as your dog's age, breed, and even his size. For example, Beagles and Portuguese Water Dogs are considered some of the healthiest breeds in existence, while certain brachycephalic breeds like Pugs and Bulldogs are known for being susceptible to a number of conditions such as respiratory, dental, skin fold infections, stress, eye and eye lid, and stroke. In small dogs like Terriers and Chihuahua's, dislocation of the kneecap or "luxating patella" is common, while hip dysplasia is common in large dogs such as Malamutes and German Shepherds.

It's best to purchase insurance for your pet when he is young, mainly because most dog insurance providers will charge lower premiums (or higher) premiums based on age alone. Once you have assessed the size, breed and age of your dog, consider this: average costs to treat serious conditions range from $1,000 to more than $5,000. The average dog insurance policy costs anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000 over the life of an average pet. Depending on the type of policy, average monthly premiums can cost anywhere from $20-$40 per month. Deductibles also vary greatly depending on the type of insurance.

Types of Dog Insurance Coverage

There are several common types of dog insurance available including:

  • Routine and wellness coverage
  • Genetic condition coverage
  • Chronic condition coverage
  • Major medical coverage

Routine and wellness coverage covers routine care such as annual checkups, deworming, spaying and neutering, prophylactic teeth cleaning, and of course, vaccinations. It is the least expensive of all coverages.

Genetic condition coverage is a form of broad coverage and only a few canine insurance companies offer it. It is one of the most expensive types of coverage and it covers a wide range of genetic conditions as outlined in each individual policy. You must read through your policy carefully and talk to your insurance provider about exactly what conditions are covered. Remember, depending on breed, there are literally hundreds of genetic conditions that affect dogs.

Chronic condition coverage can protect pet parents in the event that the pet develops a common chronic condition such as osteoarthritis, diabetes, or Addison's disease. The extent of the coverage depends greatly on the insurance provider. Some canine insurance companies will cover chronic conditions if they occur in the earlier years of your dog's life, but they will exclude them later and some will even place limits on your payout.

Major medical canine insurance or "catastrophic coverage" is useful in the event or accidents, emergencies and/or unforeseen conditions. Major medical has a low monthly premium and a high deductible.

It is important to note that most canine insurance providers can customize an insurance policy to fit your own individual needs by combining several different types of coverages. Comprehensive coverage is usually a combination of routine and wellness coverage and major medical canine insurance. This type of insurance is subject to high deductibles of $500 or more.

For more information about dog insurance coverage and providers, see:

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International (SPCA)

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)


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Console: PS4

Release Date: March 7th, 2017

NieR Automata has been released in Japan while in America we have to wait with bated breath for another month. Automata is the sequel to Platinum Games original title NieR that was released in 2010. There has been a lot of excitement surrounding this game due to the well received demos released in December. For some, the name NieR may be new since it’s coming sandwiched between Horizon Zero Dawn and Zelda. To help those that may have missed the information about the game, here are 5 things to get hype about NieR Automata.

1NieR’s Story Makes Science Fiction Dreams Come True

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This game takes place in the distant future where humanity is at risk yet again. The Council of Humanity decides to deploy android soldiers to combat the threat using their newest unit YoRHa. These androids will be fighting against more machines to wage a war that may uncover many of humanities forgotten truths.


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TIFF 2018

Ben Mendelsohn Really Wants You to Play ‘Last of Us’

We talked to the Australian actor about his new movie and his run of playing big budget bad guys but he was most excited when the conversation turned to gaming.

by Karen Han
Sep 17 2018, 7:38pm

Images courtesy Netflix/PS4

Were playing men in crisis a sport, Ben Mendelsohn would be an Olympic medalist. It’s not that all of the characters he’s played are men on the verge (or in the throes) of a breakdown—rather, it’s the balance of volatility and vulnerability in his work. Since his breakout performance in 1987’s The Year My Voice Broke, he’s run the gamut in terms of parts—he’s been the romantic lead, the supporting player, and lately, the megalomaniacal villain. His latest is perhaps his most normal, as suburban divorcé Anders Hill in Nicole Holofcener’s The Land of Steady Habits, which was released on Netflix over the weekend.

Of course, the idyllic Connecticut neighborhood Anders lives in doesn’t stay so anodyne for long—hence, Mendelsohn.

When I arrive for our interview a few days before the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Mendelsohn has just gotten a cup of coffee. Lacking anything to use to stir in creamer, he plucks a pen from the conference table that dominates the room and uses that, and when a little coffee splatters onto his phone, he wipes it off—on the carpeted floor. It’s hardly wild behavior—he’s making the best of what’s at hand (and there’s an according matter-of-factness to his manner)—but it’s a little startling, nevertheless. (Or at least, it is to someone like me, who’d probably just suffer through unstirred coffee and a wet phone instead.)

It’s a fine line to walk (volatility and vulnerability), but Mendelsohn’s ability to pull it off is what’s made him such a hot commodity in Hollywood—he’s in the upcoming Robin Hood, as well as Captain Marvel. And it’s what makes it unsurprising that our conversation winds from the film, to life lessons, to video games.

VICE: I’m going to start with the obvious question: how did you get involved with this film?
Ben Mendelsohn: I knew Nicole a little bit as a human. I knew her work from being a happy audience. I’d actually tested for her years ago, before things sort of turned fortunate. I came close on one of her things, which was something I was really encouraged by, because at the time I was getting no one. I couldn’t get arrested. We knew each other a little bit, and she told me about it, saying, “I want you to come do a movie.” I was like, “Are you fucking kidding me? I’m gonna do it, yeah.” Also, she mainly works with women leads. So yeah, a no-brainer.

Was there a particular film that was your introduction to her work?
Yeah, Friends with Money, the one that I didn’t get. And I saw exactly why, because I wasn’t right for the part that she had been testing me for, but in any case, yeah, that was my introduction.

Are you somebody who finds it easy to leave a character on set when you go home? This film seems like a kind of harrowing thing to carry around with you.
Yeah, I do. Yes and no. I mean, it’s easy to move in and out of mode on the day that you’re working. That, I have found more and more. I think that when you’re younger and you’re learning, it can be more intense, that sort of working and separating, or just going off into normal life. But they just sort of hang around like—they’re like reflections in windows passing by, and stuff like that. You have senses of different experiences or different kind of characters or whatnot in your life, and some of them hang around for a long time, but I think it’s when you’re coming up and you’re sort of getting into it. I also think it depends a lot on the way other people end up feeling about them, but you do feel, in terms of leaving them behind and being tortured when you go home, you do get tortured when you go home, but it’s more because it’s hard to eat when you’re on set. It’s like the actual process of making a film is long and tiring. Sorry, I’m raving on.

Was there a particular point that you felt you’d wrapped your head around that?
Yeah and no. I think the biggest departure point is you try not to sort of aggrandize it or make it more of a [ jerk-off motion] than, you know— you try not to do too much of that kind of stuff, like wanking on about it or making it more of a kind of hallowed thing. You try and remember you’re making something for an audience, that you want an audience to be entertained and enjoy their time or be absorbed by their time with your project, whatever it is. I think that’s actually the most helpful thing, is to just become a bit more audience-aware and focused.

Specific to this project, what was your impression of that character when you first read the script?
I remember the scenes. I remember the sense of someone having this stated of goal of getting away from this land of steady habits, and at the same time cementing himself in a different, more unfortunate way. There’s something of a comedy of errors about the way he goes about it. The way Nicole writes—and ultimately the way she directs—it’s very clear what’s going on, on one level, but she’s got this way of unleashing an emotional unease in the viewer that lingers along as a side traveler. That, I trust, is going to be a part of this, too. Anders is—I mean, you love them when you play them, but you also get what fools they are, in their way, as well. And we’re not dealing with black and whites, here, we’re not dealing with a cop going after someone that’s murdering and terrorizing people, these aren’t black and white moral codes. I just dig her writing, and I have a trust and experience that she’s going to know what she’s doing, and also that very much is up to her, because she makes very much her own style of film, and that’s part of what’s so excellent about it.

The thing that catalyzes the events of the film is your character’s retirement; God forbid, but is that something that you’d ever thought about?
Retiring? Yeah. Well, I think about it sometimes, but not a whole lot. I mean, acting is one of those jobs that you can ostensibly work until you leave here, or until you’re very infirm and can’t. It’s not really something that I think about a lot in that way. I have thought about getting some time away or trying to do something different at various times in my life, but I’m kind of married to the game, as it were.

With regards to your work, you’ve recently been cast as a villain in several blockbusters, but you’ve also played the protagonist and antihero figures in a lot of smaller, independent films; is that a balance that you’ve consciously been looking for?
It’s not something that I’ve been consciously looking for; I’d love to keep doing them both. I think the more important thing is making something that has its own integrity, that is good, that is well made, that people enjoy, that takes them away from whatever they were doing before they watched it, and while they’re watching it. I think the old-fashioned idea of entertainment or being entertained is actually a really good grounding in what you want to be doing, if you’re doing this stuff. That doesn’t mean that it has to be unsubstantive or not have a lot to it, but if you keep in mind that you just want to do things that entertain people in their busy lives, or their whatever lives, that’s pretty good, that’s a bit of an honor, to be active and working doing that.

I also wanted to ask, with regards to what you were saying about your career, there was an interview where you were speaking about your life post- The Year My Voice Broke, and you were saying that at that time, you didn’t think that you deserved that success.

Do you think you do now? Has your idea of a merit-based system changed?
Yeah, it has changed. I also think that there’s big differences—subtle differences, but quite profound differences—in Australian and American culture, and I probably, if I could, would put my arm around that guy and say, “Hey, good on you. It’s really good. It’s a nod of encouragement in the right direction. It doesn’t actually mean what you think it means right now. Off you go.” But yeah, I feel like—I’m very happy to be working and generally thought of well.

Is there anything in particular that you’ve wanted to do that you haven’t been able to yet?
Not hugely—I tend to get delighted by each new turn in this, and I’m an actor that came up through television in Australia in the 80s, and the idea that you would somehow plan out what you were going to do is something that I’ve not experienced many people that operate from that basis. Most of it tends to be: there’s a film happening or whatnot, and who’s around, and who can we get, and who will work in it? I don’t experience myself as flying the plane, I experience myself as valued technician, or air host.

Slightly more philosophically speaking, one of the big themes is balancing being true to what you want and taking note of or caring about the perception of others; is that a balance you’ve found easy or difficult?
The paradigm, as you put it up, is not exactly the way I see it. I think knowing what it is that people are saying or how it is that you’re coming off in the world as you make your way around is something that I’ve often been surprised by the way certain people will view or interpret or feel about you. I still am. More nowadays, I’m surprised and delighted by the positivity that people feel, but certainly there’ve been many times growing up where I was surprised that people were viewing things negatively or whatnot, but it didn’t have so much to do with me consciously trying to exercise autonomism and break free of something. It was just, I don’t think, for a long time, I’ve felt that way. I’ve felt, more fundamentally, like, “What do you do?” more than, “I’m gonna strike forth in this direction,” and all that. I think, maybe, for people that have a more grounded and solid sense of themselves, they might feel that way, but that’s not been where I’ve come from. But yeah, I’ve been surprised at times by what people thought.

Oh, yeah! I’ve been surprised, but it’s a quality that probably works for performance in one way or another. The tension between what they feel or see themselves as versus how they come off to other people.

Is there anything in particular that has surprised you?
[ Laughs] There’ve been many of them. A lot of the times were very early on. I was born in Australia, but I went to Germany and England, and when I came back to Australia, I was very surprised by being viewed as this little German outsider kid and stuff like that, so a lot of my formative experiences have to do with that feeling of being an outsider. And then there’s been many kind of hostile or bemused receptions that I’ve received over my life. In many of those, I had an active part, but what I thought I was doing versus what other people interpreted it as have often been wildly different. I think it’s very easy for us to misunderstand or half-understand or not give a damn about where people are coming from, and get it wrong.

I have one last question—I’ve read previously that you’re a videogamer, I was wondering what you’ve been playing or enjoying lately.
Lately I’ve been all about the tablet, and pretty dated things. There’s not a lot I’ve checked out new for a while. I’ve been doing Hearthstone, I’ve been doing Clash of Clans, and the other one is Plants vs. Zombies. They’re the three games— and I will play them every day. The one I’m looking forward to is the new Fallout. I think the new red, what is it, cowboy, the cowboy thing—

Red Dead Redemption?
Yeah, thank you—that new one, I’ll have downloaded, because I pre-bought it. But I want to add, for the record, that I do think that the best video game, in terms of modern games, is The Last of Us. I just wanna go on record.

Oh, I just bought that.
You just bought it?

I know, I’m way behind.
No, no, fuck that. Have you cracked it open at all?

No, I haven’t, it’s still in the packaging.
OK, that, for my money, that’s the best video game. Classically, I’m a Civ guy, Civilization, because it’s the most strategy and it’s war and all that bullshit, and you can just go back and start again and have one more move, all that shit, but I do think that The Last of Us is an extraordinary achievement. But really, for what it does here. [ gestures at heart]

There’s been talk of doing a movie adaptation, is that something you would swing for?
I’d be really surprised, and I think you would too, once you crack it open, if they went my way for the movie adaptation of that. I think you probably need a guy who is younger. You probably need someone in his late 30s. There’s two major, major roles in that, and then there’s quite a few other bits and pieces that come along. There’s a couple of parts in there, if you’re just going from the video game, that are pretty good. There’s really only the two of them, and I think that’s beautiful. I hope they get it right. I mean, that’s such a great video game. I haven’t played everything, but most of the ones that have had a big noise about them or big hoopla. We used to have this fantastic games review show out of Australia called Good Game, which got fucking axed by the ABC, which is our equivalent of the BBC, a few years ago, apropos, it seems, of nothing, so I don’t know a good games review show since then, certainly not one that’s a podcast or that I know how to get access to. I’m not as informed as I was when I was doing their stuff. Look, The Last of Us, yeah. What are you playing?

I just started playing the last Final Fantasy that came out.
Oh, yeah. I’ve played a few Final Fantasy games way back in the day, but I haven’t played many of the modern ones. I mean, that’s a huge, huge franchise. I can remember playing it on—I wanna say the 2, I think? I think I got one of them when the PS2 was around. I’ve played a couple of Final Fantasy games and stuff like that, and kind of dug it and was immersed. But The Last of Us. It’s extraordinary.

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Graduated by KaraJacy
20151224-IMG_2786 by lauracurtis
Urban Wonder by umberheart
Secret Thoughts by HBPhotoTx
Junk Store  by 2Fine
I have a Secret by lauracurtis
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On My Way by lauracurtis
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Time to graduate by alexisalejo
Jacob's Dream 1 by HBPhotoTx
Reaching for Heaven by HBPhotoTx
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Pinning by HBPhotoTx
Senior Portrait 1 by HBPhotoTx
Brick by Brick by JSpain
Graduation portraits by nicholasdomaguing
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Cape Fear

Dir. J. Lee Thompson (1962) After eight years behind bars for rape, sociopath Robert Mitchum is out for revenge, stalking the small-time lawyer (played by Gregory Peck) who sent him to jail and his family—especially his 14-year-old daughter—in Thompson’s dank thriller, which was remade in 1991 by Martin Scorsese.

Sat., July 14, 5:30 p.m., 2012

Archive Highlights


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Billy Ocean – Inner Feelings *

Billy Ocean – Inner Feelings *

14.90 12.90

Availability: Out of stock SKU: J86310 Categories: ,

Billy Ocean – Inner Feelings *

Billy Ocean was one of the most popular and successful R&B singers living in the UK during the 70s and 80s. Born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1950, Ocean moved to England at the age of 8 where after learning his trade singing on the London club scene Billy Ocean released his first single in 1972.

Four years later Bily Ocean recorded his first album and captured the #2 spot on the UK pop charts while scoring #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his single, Love Really Hurts Without You. Red Light Spells Danger returned him to the UK #2 spot a year later in 1977.

In 1982 BILLY OCEAN released INNER FEELINGS on Epic Records, the follow up to the popular, Nights (Feel Like Getting Down) album and was once again teamed with the production creativity of Nigel Martinez. Inner Feelings features the R&B hit CALYPSO FUNKIN and the sweet and soulful jam, ROCK-A-BYE-BABY along with the up beat dancer, WAS IT YOU.

Grammy Award winner BILY OCEAN attained superstar status soon after this album with hits like Caribbean Queen, When The Going Gets Tough and Get Out Of My Dreams and is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity following the release of his UK Top 20 album THE VERY BEST OF BILLY OCEAN album and the re-release of single Suddenly.

Billy Ocean – Inner Feelings **

01. Calypso Funkin’
02. Rock-A-Bye Baby
03. No Matter What
04. Dance With Me
05. I Can’t Stop
06. Tryin’ To Get Through To You
07. Mind Games
08. Was It You
09. Inner Feelings
Bonus Track
10. Smile (Previously Unreleased)
11. Somebody (Previously Unreleased)
12. City Limit (Alternative Version)
13. Calypso Funkin’ (Single Version)
14. Was It You (Single Version)
15. Inner Feelings (Single Version)

* Product in-stock but low quantity

** Product NOT in-stock! Delivery time 2 weeks

Additional information

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News and Updates

The latest immigration and visa news for the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and select European countries - straight from the leading immigrant advocates in the Philippines.

10 Tips to Determine if US. Job Offer is Genuine

Beware of job offers through the internet. Do not get caught in the web of scams. U.S. employers intending to recruit foreign workers must comply with U.S. labor and immigration laws. A simple "job offer" direct to the applicant is not enough.

Crispin ArandaOriginally posted on April 7, 2016; updated April 12, 2016

10 Tips to Determine if US. Job Offer is Genuine

Beware of job offers through the web.

U.S. employers to recruit foreign workers to work in the U.S. must comply with Labor and Immigration laws.  A “simple job offer with official sounding words” is not enough.

A U.S. Employer cannot just offer a job without complying with requirements set by the U.S. Department of Labor. Then the employer must file and complete the proper official forms to sponsor the foreign worker to commence employment in the United States.

Be advised that the H-1B work visas for jobs for specialty occupations (requiring a bachelor’s degree) may be filed only on April 1 of each year. There is a 65,000 quota worldwide (not just for Filipinos) and selection is by lottery.

The 65,000 visa allocation is filled in 3 to 5 days. This is the official link for the 2017 H-1B Cap Season - https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-and-fashion-models/h-1b-fiscal-year-fy-2017-cap-season

H-2B CAP. There is a 66,000 cap for the H-2B temporary Non-agricultural workers. The USCIS site explains:

“There is a statutory numerical limit, or "cap," on the total number of foreign nationals who may be issued an H-2B visa or otherwise granted H-2B status during a fiscal year. Currently, Congress has set the H-2B cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the first half of the fiscal year (October 1 - March 31) and 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1 - September 30). Any unused numbers from the first half of the fiscal year will be available for employers seeking to hire H-2B workers during the second half of the fiscal year. However, unused H-2B numbers from one fiscal year do not carry over into the next.

Once the H-2B cap is reached, USCIS may only accept petitions for H-2B workers who are exempt from the H-2B cap.”

The employer must have:

  1. Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State where the business is located.   The official site for the Secretary of State of California for example where you can check the business status is this link - http://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/cbs-search-tips/
  2. Business permit by the County where the business is in operation and located
  3. Federal Employer Identification Number issued by the Internal Revenue Service
  4. Obtained a prevailing wage request from the U.S. Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor (ETA-DOL).  This is the official website for employers seeking to recruit foreign workers - https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/
  5. Secured a Temporary Certification issued by the ETA-DOL if the petition is for a skilled worker where the job does not require a bachelor’s degree (for H-2B work visas).  Check out the official procedures from the ETA website regarding Temporary Non-agricultural workers here- https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/2015_H-2B_IFR.cfm
  6. Filed a Labor Condition Application with ETA DOL (Office of Foreign Labor Certification) if the petition is for a job that requires a bachelor’s degree (for H-1B work visas)
  7. Authentication of the above documents by the appropriate Philippine Overseas Labor Officer (POLO) assigned with the specific Philippine Consulate with jurisdiction over the employer’s place of business.  Click this link for POLO info - http://www.dole.gov.ph/pages/view/24
  8. Filed and obtained Approval  of an I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker from the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services. This is the link to official info on how to file the I-129 Petition – https://www.uscis.gov/i-129
  9. Check out the issuing USCIS Service Center.  There are four service centers, one each in California, Nebraska,Texas  and Vermont. https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do
  10. Paid the fees for the I-129 petition (currently $325 basic fee) as well as the Premium Processing fees if the employer wants to have processing decision within 15 – 30 days.

If you receive a job offer and want to verify its authenticity, you may email us at crispinaranda@gmail.com and attach the “job offer” for our free review as part of our immigrant advocacy.

Authors & Contributors

Crispin Aranda

Crispin Aranda

Crispin R. Aranda is an established International Visa Conselor and Immigrant Advocate. He is the president of IVC and is in several migration radio programs.

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The trailer for the film "I Can Only Imagine," which was produced by Visalia native Kevin Downes.

The movie, which stars Dennis Quaid, tells the story of MercyMe singer Bart Millard's early life.

Golden West High School drama and English teacher Mike Wilson was always on the lookout for talent during his days in the classroom.

So, when Wilson noticed the then-teenage Kevin Downes, a student in his English class in the late 1980s, might have some talent for the stage he encouraged him to audition for an upcoming production.

"He was funny and smart," Wilson said. "But most of all he was dependable. And when you are running a high school program, that's one of the most important things."

Some 30 years later, Downes, 45, has proven far more than reliable when it comes to the competitive entertainment industry. He has produced, written, directed or acted in more than two dozen films. His latest producing project, “I Can Only Imagine,” is scheduled to hit 1,400 screens across the country on March 16.

As a student, Wilson would have never predicted Downes' success in the movie business, he said.

"Acting and movie making is so competitive, there's no way you can see down the line the success Kevin is having," Wilson said. "What you did know was that he was talented and dedicated. And he was such a good guy."

After high school, Wilson was impressed with the way Downes continued to work on his craft in community theater, college and auditioning for work in Los Angeles.

"He once told me you would audition for 175 roles to get one part," Wilson said. "That's hard work and handling rejection. Not many people can do that."

One of his other teachers — retired COS theater instructor Paul Jones — noticed his work ethic, too.

"Kevin was one of those great students who was eager to learn, energized, committed and a hard worker. And he did all this with an almost constant smile," said Jones back in 2015. "How can you not like someone like him?"

The artistic training and experience Downes got at Golden West and then later at the College of the Sequoias and the Visalia Community Players was instrumental in the development of his career, he said.

“I’ll always appreciate my hometown and all the opportunities I was given,” Downes said. “There were so many people helped me along the way."

Hometown filmmaker

Downes, with his older brother Bobby by his side, shot many of his early films — including 2000's "Mercy Streets" with Eric Roberts and 2002's "Time Changer" — around Tulare County.

His first critical success was 2010's "Like Dandelion Dust," which starred Academy Award-winner Mira Sorvino. Downes produced that film along with his brother.

In 2011, he went in front of the camera to co-star as a corrupt police officer in "Courageous.” He followed up the drama with the 2014 comedy "Moms' Night Out," for which he both produced and played a supporting character.

In 2015, he wrote and starred in the road comedy/drama "Faith of Our Fathers" and produced the historical drama "Woodlawn," which was at the time his biggest budget film.

Through all those films, Downes attempted to do two things: Tell compelling, interesting stories and spread the message of the power of Christian faith.

"You always want to engage audiences with a story," Downes said. "If you can't draw in audiences with that story it doesn't matter how good a message you have."

Downes’ efforts to tell stories that celebrate Christian faith and values impress people who knew him in his younger days.

“I have seen how the reality of Hollywood dismisses such ideas,” Wilson said. “It is a testament to who he truly is that he has achieved so much in the movie business.”

A song transformed into a movie

After the commercial and critical success of "Woodlawn," Downes teamed up with the directors — brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin — of that film for another based-on-true-events film: “I Can Only Imagine."

The movie — budgeted at about $8 million before marketing costs — tells the story of MercyMe singer Bart Millard's estranged relationship with his abusive father. The two men eventually reconciled after the older man was diagnosed with cancer. During his illness, Millard's father found solace in the scripture.

It was his father’s death that launched Millard’s musical success. MercyMe had its first breakthrough with the 2001 single “I Can Only Imagine,” a song about his father's death.  It was the first Christian contemporary single to go platinum.

Bart Millard, lead singer of Christian band MercyMe, said the worst pain he ever felt was when his father said, "I don't care."

“It was such a compelling and moving story, we all knew it would make a great movie,” Downes said.

After writing the screenplay with input from Millard, the filmmaking team's next big task was casting the two starring roles, Downes said.

They eventually offered Dennis Quaid — the veteran actor of more than 90 movies, including such Academy Award-nominated films as  "The Right Stuff" and "Traffic" — to play Millard's father.

"Dennis is an amazing actor and went all in with the script," Downes said.

They found their Millard on Broadway, casting J. Michael Finley, whose stage credits include playing Valjean in "Les Miserables" and Elder Cunningham in "The Book of Mormon."

"We were all blown away by J. Michael," Downes said. "We knew we had to find an actor who could sing as well as he acted, and he exceeded all our expectations."

Once cast, filming began around Oklahoma City.

What does a movie producer do?

Downes described his role as the movie's producer as sort of the head general contractor on a building project — a combination of a problem solver, taskmaster, and ringleader of constantly moving parts.

And the job doesn't end when filming wraps, Downes said. Producers are also involved in the marketing and publicity revolving around the film.

So is there an opening weekend box office figure Downes is hoping for? (The film opens against big studio releases "Tomb Raider" and "Love, Simon," so the competition will be fierce.)

"Ask me the Friday it opens," he said. "Until then, I'm just not thinking in those terms."

What he does know, though, is he'll be in the Central Valley during at least part of the film's opening weekend: There will be a red carpet premiere of "I Can Only Imagine" on March 17 at the Edwards 22 in Fresno.

“It’s always good to come home to the Valley, so I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Downes currently lives in Orange County with his wife and children. His parents still live in Visalia.

More: MercyMe's Bart Millard thought his father was going to kill him

Oscar predictions: Here's hoping upsets reign at this year's Academy Awards

Choices Top 10 Movies of 2017

‘Black Panther’: A sleek Marvel of a royally good superhero movie

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Gemeente Toerisme Damme

Nature reserve 'Burnt Fort'

This redoubt or small defence was built during the War of the Spanish Succession in the 2nd half of 1703. The Burnt Fort was built to the north of the Romboutswerve dyke in the place where there was a sag pipe or syphon under the dyke. This allowed to flood the area to the south of the dyke and tot the north of the Verse Vaart. The redoubt was of the classical type consisting of a moat, an outer wall and a defence wall. The traces of the burnt clay on the ground indicate that the wooden watchtower inside the fort was destroyed by fire.

What still remains of the fort is a square meadow with a side of 88 metres. The dyke of the Schipdonk canal offers the best view of this fort.

In the relics of the former rampart moat we find interesting marsh vegetation with amongst others common cat-tail, branched bur-reed, flowering rush and nodding bur-marigold. In the spring this biotope welcomes numerous amphibians.

The common toad as well as the brown and green frog are very common at this time of year. They go in search of shallow, stagnant water in which to lay their eggs. The small smooth newt also finds a suitable environment between the water plants.

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Visit Damme

Jacob van Maerlantstraat 3 8340 Damme Phone+32 (0)50 28 86 10
open 9.30-12.30 h. and 13.00-17.00 h.

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In-Home Senior Care Services Whitinsville, MA

Family caregivers in Whitinsville, MA know that finding quality senior home care services can be a challenge for your family. The Visiting Angels of Southbridge, MA have you covered with our professional caregivers who are compassionate and attentive, as well as licensed, bonded, and insured. Our senior care specialists recognize and respect each senior as an individual and designs custom care plans that fit your loved one's needs.

Does your loved one struggle with feelings of isolation? Our caregivers can provide in-person comfort while also teaching your loved ones the online skills they need to stay in touch, no matter the distance. If your senior is looking to get out of the house, our elder care specialists can assist with shopping trips, socializing, and more. We are even able to work closely with dementia-affected individuals, supporting their daily activities while negotiating the challenges of memory-related illness in a comforting home setting. Regardless of the care our clients need, we will always provide the professionalism you'd expect from a non-medical home care agency and the passion and companionship you would expect from a loving family member.

If you're interested in senior home care services in Whitinsville, MA, look no further than Visiting Angels. Contact us for more information, and start improving your loved one's quality of life today.

Types of Care

Our in-home care services address a wide variety of non-medical health and wellness concerns. Visiting Angels believes that each senior and each situation is unique; with our broad spectrum of senior home care needs, you can rest easy knowing your loved one is well cared for and fulfilled.

Our General Home Care always includes:

Specialized Home Care incorporates the principles of general home care while also providing the enhanced attention that some seniors need. Specialized Home Care covers:

Get started scheduling care for your loved one today. Contact us online, or call us at 508-764-6700.

General Home Care

Visiting Angels provides your senior with all the services they need for a happy life at home. Our elder home care specialists cover it all, from general self-care to teaching the fundamentals of technology.

Elderly Companion Care

Our elderly companion care specialists help guide your senior through daily life in the Oxford, MA area. By placing an emphasis on conversation and companionship, our specialists make sure each activity sparks joy in your senior’s life, whether it be meal preparation, light housekeeping, or errand running

Fall Prevention Care

Over 800,000 people are hospitalized annually due to falls; at Visiting Angels, we believe in detecting fall risks before they happen. Our specialists can identify fall factors in the home (such a lack of grab bars in the bath tub or dehydration) and address these risks before they become a problem.

We believe that seniors should not let a fear of falling keep them from exploring their world, both in and outside of the home. By offering a steadying arm and a scrupulous eye, our elderly home care specialists can help keep your senior safe.

Personal Care

Our personal care specialists provide in-depth private care for seniors and disabled adults in the Oxford area. With each client, we create custom care schedules that can address a variety of needs, from walking assistance and medication reminders, to toileting, bathing, dressing, and more.

As always, Visiting Angels will ensure that your loved one with limited mobility receives respectful care and friendly companionship throughout their day.

Respite Care

Sometimes, family caregivers need a break. With respite care from Visiting Angels, caregivers can know their loved ones are in good hands while they rest and recharge.

Social Care

There is no need to worry about elderly isolation with Visiting Angels’ focus on social care. Our elder care specialists can teach your senior a variety of modern skills, including using a cell phone, operating a computer, and learning the ropes of social media.

With Skype, Facebook, and email at their disposal, our clients can maintain communication with their loved ones, no matter the distance.

Get started scheduling care for your loved one today. Contact us online, or call us at 508-764-6700.

Specialized Home Care

In addition to all the general Oxford, MA home care needs that Visiting Angels addresses, we offer more specialized services. Our elder care professionals can work with the specific needs of your senior, from closely monitoring clients with Alzheimer’s to guiding families through end of life care.

Alzheimer’s Care

Visiting Angels provides home care services designed specifically for those afflicted with Alzheimer’s in the Oxford area.

Our agency is experienced at working with seniors who have memory-related illnesses, and we focus on hiring compassionate memory care specialists.  These specialists are adept at keeping clients safe, as well as taking care of daily needs (including meal preparation, bathing, and transportation to appointments or activities).

Our emphasis on communication ensures that you will always know how your loved one is doing under our care. Whether you live far from your Alzheimer’s-affected senior, or just down the street, Visiting Angels is here to help.

Certified Palliative Care

At Visiting Angels, we believe in approaching Certified Palliative Care holistically.  Our certified care specialists will focus on your senior’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs, while also providing comfort during a crucial time in life.

Dementia Care

While many of Visiting Angels’ caregivers are certified in advanced dementia care protocols, we also aid clients through every stage of dementia.

After a free assessment, our home care specialists will customize a lifestyle plan that considers the client’s preferences, symptoms, needs, and more. Whether your loved one requires a little help with meal preparation or an attentive eye to prevent wandering, Visiting Angels can help.

Alzheimer’s accounts for 60 to 80% of all dementia cases. For more information on Alzheimer’s-specific care, please visit our Alzheimer's Care page.

End of Life Care

Our elder care specialists can help guide and comfort both you and your loved one during this difficult transition time.

While Visiting Angels does not provide hospice care, our specialists can work alongside hospice care providers in the home environment. We believe in focusing on our client’s comfort, as well as offering respite for family caregivers whenever necessary.

From alleviating anxiety and depression to assisting with simple tasks, our specialists are there every step of the way.

Ready-Set-Go Home

 The Ready-Set-Go Home program seeks to reduce hospital re-admissions with a three-pronged approach to care. You and your senior will receive guidance every step of the way, from hospital discharge to re-adjusting to life at home and beyond.

Request a free consultation from our office, and start your senior’s journey home.

Get started scheduling care for your loved one today. Contact us online, or call us at 508-764-6700.

Cities We Service Within This Location:

Home Care Blackstone MAHome Care Douglas MA - Home Care Dudley MA - Home Care Fiskdale MA

 Home Care Hampden MA - Home Care Holland MA - Home Care Holliston MA - Home Care Hopkinton MA

Home Care Mendon MA - Home Care Milford MAHome Care Monson MA - Home Care Northbridge MA

Home Care Oxford MA - Home Care Palmer MA - Home Care Southbridge MA - Home Care South Grafton MA

Home Care Sturbridge MA - Home Care Upton MA - Home Care Uxbridge MA -  Home Care Wales MA

 Home Care Webster MA - Home Care Whitinsville MA

Each Visiting Angels agency is a franchise that is independently owned and operated. The Franchisor, Living Assistance Services Inc., does not control or manage the day to day business operations of any Visiting Angels franchised agency.


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Christian Lacroix

Visiva has started a new collaboration with Mondottica, for the distribution in Italy of the Christian Lacroix eyewear collection, one of the emblematic figures of the 80s high fashion. With their distinctive patterns, they are colorful, eclectic, baroque .. and communicate all the stylistic features of the well-known French brand! Christian Lacroix collections are available […]

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2nd & 3rd of February – Stand 53 Hart van Holland Berencamperweg 4 3861 MC Nijkerk

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VISUfarma, the eye health company, is a pan-European ophthalmic specialty pharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of products available across international markets

Let VISUfarma supply the solution

VisuXL® Gel

First preservative free, antioxidant gel for the treatment of dry eye
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Eye drops for dry eye relief and recovery
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Complementary treatment to antihypertensive glaucoma therapy
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Xailin HA

Eye drops for moderate to severe dry eye sensations
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Xailin Night

Eye ointment for dry eye
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“Our mission is to make a visible difference to eye health across Europe”

VisuXL: The innovation in dry eye

Discover how VisuXL® can benefit patients with dry eye or help with recovery after surgery on our VisuXL® webpage.

Latest news

Advancements in ophthalmology at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons

This year’s European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) congress was a great success for both its members and the greater ophthalmological community. The meeting kept teaching and training at the heart of the congress and boasted 16 symposia, 492 free papers, 1,257 posters, 125 courses and 64 wetlabs. Located in Lisbon, Portugal, more than 9,800 delegates from 120 countries were present resulting in record breaking attendance from 7 – 11 October, 2017.
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17 - 20 February 2021 // Nuremberg, Germany

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Exhibitors & Products VIVANESS 2020

2, rue Jean Gilles

84000 Avignon

Phone: +33(0)4.32730660

Fax: +33(0)4.32730669

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Please enter your personal information and desired appointment. You can also leave us a message.

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You do not have a registration yet? Register now and use all advantages of the Exhibitors and Products Database, the supporting programme and the TicketShop.

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Direct Exhibitor

Products of FRDP (4)

FRDP is activ on the Organic Frozen Iqf fruits and vegetables market since the year 1996. We schedule about 15 000 tones of fresh vegetables with farmers from close Europe, in France, Holland, Spain, Italy, Belgium with the aim to freeze them.

We propose to the European food-processing industries, baby  food processor and also packers for retail, a very large range of organic deep frozen fruits and vegetables, and also cooked pulses.

FRDP offers you products from these product groups:

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You can register an account here to save your settings in the Exhibitors and Products Database and as well as in the Supporting Programme.The registration is not for the TicketShop and ExhibitorShop.

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Your advantages at a glance:

  • Advantage Save your favourites permanently. Use the instant access – mobile too, anytime and anywhere – incl. memo function.
  • Advantage The optional newsletter gives you regular up-to-date information about new exhibitors and products – matched to your interests.
  • Advantage Call up your favourites mobile too! Simply log in and access them at anytime.


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< Back to Living Well At Home

Nutrition for Older Adults

These nutrients are especially important for adults over age 65. If your diet falls short, here are tips to help ensure you get enough.
Person eating salad

Good nutrition is important for everyone, but eating a healthy, balanced diet often becomes more difficult with age. Older people may feel less hungry. They may need to avoid certain foods. They may have less money to spend on healthy food or have trouble getting to the store. More than half of adults over age 65 who are admitted to the hospital do not eat enough nutritious food. Over time, poor nutrition can make chronic diseases worse. It can also increase the risk of infection and slow down healing.

These nutrients are especially important for older adults, with tips to ensure they are getting enough:

Vitamin B12 may help protect against dementia, heart disease, and balance problems. Older adults may have trouble absorbing it from food.

  • Solution—Eat more fish, lean meat, chicken, eggs, and dairy products. Consider a B12 supplement.

Calcium is important for healthy bones, muscles, and nerves. People tend to eat less calcium as they age.

  • Solution—Three servings of low-fat milk or dairy products per day. Kale, broccoli, canned salmon (discard the skin, but mash in the bones), and calcium-fortified juices are other good sources. Homemade smoothies might tempt small appetites.

Vitamin D helps the body process calcium and maintain bone density. Our bodies make vitamin D when skin is exposed to sunlight. If you don’t or can’t go outside every day, your body might not produce enough.

  • Solution—Three servings of vitamin D-fortified foods, such as milk or cereal, daily. The vitamin also occurs naturally in salmon, tuna, and eggs.

Potassium helps to lower blood pressure. Many older adults don’t get the recommended amount.

  • Solution—Fruits and vegetables at every meal. Avocados, oranges, dried beans (especially black beans), prunes, plums, and potatoes with skins are all very high in potassium.

Fiber helps to avoid constipation. It can also help lower heart disease risk and prevent type 2 diabetes. Most Americans get only about half the recommended amount of fiber.

  • Solution—Eat lots of whole grains, nuts, beans, fruits, and vegetables.

Water is essential to good health. As we age, our sense of thirst decreases. Some medications increase dehydration risk.

  • Solution—Drink five to eight glasses a day, even if you don’t feel thirsty.

More Healthy Living

Health professional preparing vaccine
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Pills in pill box
NYC Taxi
Healthy meal on plate with chicken, rice, greens
Pouring bottle of water into a glass
grab bars in the bathroom can prevent falls
Low-carb meal on plate with salmon, broccoli, carrots, and rice
Sun peaking through in cloudy sky
Variety of organic vegetables
Mix of vegetables on plate
Person eating salad
Woman holding supplements in one hand an an apple in the other
Man wearing fall risk bracelet.
Woman drinking cranberry juice
Older man sleeping
Woman touching her toes
Elderly woman coloring
Inspirational photo of a sunset
Pot of steamed vegetables
Blood pressure cuff
Elderly woman getting her flu shot


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Peter Hewitt Joins Volcom Skate Team

Peter is one of the most influential skateboarders of his time. Still to this day he is setting the limits for the modern day hellions.

Words by Omar Hassan

Since the early stages of his career, Peter Hewitt has pushed the level of skateboarding in his own way and on his own terms. He came up in the late 80s and early 90s and has been a huge part of skating all over the globe. Resonating out of San Diego, CA, he is a prodigy of the early San Diego skate scene. He grew in parks such as Linda Vista, Mike McGill’s skatepark and any terrain in between and beyond. His childhood crew of skaters included Jordan Richter, Fred Orlande, Alphonzo Rawls, Danny Way, and the list goes on. Pete was able to maintain his drive through the 90s when parks were gone, wheels were small, and pants were way too big. While some 90’s pros quit skating, Pete kept the fire lite and ventured out to find anything that he could rip on. This included backyards. He pioneered the early days of Bellmar’s and Chicken’s pools. “Street‐Pete” also made an appearance here and there.

Peter Hewitt’s approach to skateboarding is pedal to the metal. His patient style is one of the most enjoyable to watch. Hanging up and hanging on is a good reference to explain his commitment when he steps foot on a board. Peter has traveled the world for decades and has a great eye for seeking out challenging terrain. Even if it’s hard to skate, Peter will still find a way to rip it. His selection and deep bag of tricks are a testament to his legacy. He doesn’t take skating too serious to the point that is becomes a job or stressful. He always brings personality to the session. His humor is key and he balances out fun and hectic situations, bringing good energy any time he steps on a board. Not too many people have had the longevity and drive to keep pushing the envelope of progression like Pete. He has become a staple and an icon in past and modern day skating. He packs a lot per square inch. Don’t judge this book by its cover. He is usually blasting, grinding and slamming longer, higher and harder than most. Any real skateboarder that knows his history knows the amount of respect that he deserves. He is the newest member to the Volcom Skate Team, and it’s an awesome addition to a great crew.

This is how we Hewitt.

Men's Pants

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For how long can your child use the cart?

When I was thinking about when to start promoting the cart via campaigns I could not decide.  I am convinced that the cart is a means of transportion that can be well used regardless of the season.

In general people like going on trips in spring and in summer but there are also so many beautiful days in November and December and it would be a pity to stay at home. Sellers tell you that people do not buy scooters and balance bikes in the winter but they focus on sledges and skis.

I agree that marketingly it absolutely makes sense. When preparing the campaign. I followed sellers´ experiences. However, an inner voice was telling me something different.

The cart is able to ride in a harsher terrain than a scooter and a balance bike. It can drive through water, mud and little snow.

Outdoor is about experiencing the weather with all your senses. It's also about endurance, resilience and rewards of beautiful feelings, when you suddenly get lost on the hill and you are not there with a bunch of other tourists.

That´s why the cart is also “off- season”.


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Allison Joyce

Overcoming rural poverty through farming innovations

Growing Together in Bangladesh

VSO, in partnership with Syngenta, Bank Asia and DfID is helping 100,000 farming households to increase yields, income and create thriving agricultural communities by 2020.

Farming in Bangladesh

Banu Ara, growing together

“We used to eat one meal per day, and if we were lucky, a meal with meat every three months. Now we can afford to have three meals per day and eat meat or maybe fish once a month.”

Banu Ara (first person from the left), farmer in a Growing Together community

40% of Bangladesh’s population live on less than $1.25 per day.  Among the poor, 75% live in areas where agriculture is the predominant source of income. Yet, farming is increasingly failing to meet the demand of a fast growing rural population. Food security is far from guaranteed.

Small plots of land, dated techniques and limited access to markets make it difficult for Bangladesh's smallholder farming communities to produce enough to feed themselves and their families, let alone make a profit. These factors are compounded by the effects of climate change which can make growing crops in traditional ways more difficult.

Growing Together

Primary research with smallholder farmers in northwest Bangladesh revealed struggles with market prices, debt-driven cycles of high interest crop financing and a lack of agricultural extension services and knowledge.

Growing Together has already supported 10,000 farmers. We’ve worked with a range of organisations including NGOs, institutional funders, private sector partners and corporate social enterprises.

The collaboration has created a project based on three areas:

  • community development
  • agronomic training
  • access to markets.

Pivotal to its success has been the construction of six for-profit Farmer Centres, which provide access to training, machinery, quality inputs and new financial services, as well as facilitation of contracts with national and international buyers.

Growing Together in Bangladesh overview

Results (2014-2017):

  • Increased income for farmers by average of 200%
  • Increased yields by over 20%
  • 50% reduction in pesticide use per kg harvested
  • 70% less fertilizer used per kg harvested

Growing Together has already worked with 100 different volunteers – including corporate, national, international and youth volunteers. This unique way of working and collaborating enables us to create change. Our 2015 research with the Institute of Development Studies showed that by using different volunteering models, programmes can better reach marginalised communities by promoting community ownership and agency.

The future - 'Joikko'

We are transitioning from a funded project to Joikko - a self-financing social business that is sustainable and scalable.

We're working in collaboration with Bank Asia who are providing financial services to farmers through the centres, Berenschot and Accenture Development Partnerships who are supporting the franchise business modelling, G&S Communications who are working on the brand development and Grant Thornton who are providing legal advice.

VSO is at the heart of this cross-sector collaboration – brokering and convening relationships and ensuring that at every stage, all stakeholders have the wellbeing of farmers at the centre of what they are doing.

[Joikko] celebrates farmers being at the heart of development. This is a very good example of collaboration. When we put our hands together, nothing is impossible.

Md. Afran Ali, Director, Bank Asia

Farmer centres

The social franchise will work through a growing network of Farmer Centres that will be to account through a standard catalogue of fee and no fee-based services.

Farmer centres are run by Farmer Centre Entrepreneurs and are supported by mobile Agri-Entrepreneurs who take the services up 5km out into the villages to ensure no one is left behind. Central to the model is the nested value chain concept that encourages investments in farming communities that benefit the whole market system.

Community development

Abdul Latif is from Kafikhal village, Bangladesh Allison Joyce

“I’ve learned about getting the right dose of fertilizer. Sometimes farmers are so focused on making a profit that they use too much fertilizer and pesticides, and in the process they destroy the land.”

Abdul Latif, from Kafikhal village, Rangpur.

To date, we’ve established 230 farmer groups and 45 youth groups. These meet monthly to discuss the social and agricultural issues that are affecting them.

Members work together to identify and solve issues in their community, such as child marriage.

Women farmers

Women make up more than 50% of the agricultural labour force, yet cultural norms often prevent them from playing a full part in the process.

We created women-only farming groups, allowing women to train and farm in a safe and comfortable environment

Farmer training on good agricultural practice

A key approach of the agronomy training has been ‘learning from peers’. This requires each of the 230 farmer groups to establish a demonstration plot in which nominated lead farmers share new techniques learned from qualified field facilitator agronomists.

These plots enable farmers to test new techniques in a risk-free environment and to directly compare progress with their own fields.

Case studies from Growing Together

Our partners

  • Syngenta, financing the pilot under its sustainability strategy, 'The Good Growth Plan' and supplying multi-functional skills from around its global business.
  • RDRS, a Bangladeshi NGO, leading community mobilization and the delivery of training, farmer mentoring and M&E data collection.
  • Bank Asia, opening retail financial services branches in Growing Together farmers' centres and with the first opening in December 2016.
  • Berenschot and Accenture Development Partnerships are supporting the franchise business modelling
  • Grant Thornton are providing legal advice.
  • Funding from DFID is enabling the Growing Together project to scale up to reach 100,000 farmers.

Partner with us

If you are interested in partnering with us, we'd love to hear from you.

Contact: Zoe Ives, private sector engagement manager.

Phone: +44 [0]20 8780 7517
Skype: zoeives

Our partnership with VSO is proving to be very successful with measurable benefits for rural communities and our volunteering employees.’

Juan Gonzalez Valero, Head of Public Policy and Sustainability at Syngenta

Growing Together Reports

More information

Joikko lgo

UK aid logo

RDRS Bangladesh Logo

Bank Asia Logo

syngenta logo


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Course detail

Diploma Seminar (M-STL)

FSI-ODSAcad. year: 2018/2019

Within the frame of the seminar students have to solve individually theoretical and structure parts of the aeroplane design or its part according to the specification of their diploma project. They are supposed to prepare theses of their diploma project, links to building specification and standards.

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Theoretical knowledge and instructions for processing technical reports and publications.

Basic construction knowledge and the knowledge of aircraft structures strength analyses.

Not applicable.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Recommended or required reading

Boldiš P.: Bibliogafické citace dokumentů podle ČSN ISO 690 a ČSN ISO 690-2 (010197) (CS)
Dle pokynů vedoucích diplomové práce.
Daněk, V.: Projektování letadel, Brno 1991. (CS)
Folowing instructions of diploma work controller.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course is taught through exercises which are focused on practical topics presented in lectures.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Course-unit credit requirements: participation in the course (80% at the minimum), presentation of the diploma project and interview about the project topic.

Language of instruction

Work placements

Not applicable.

The goal is to set general principles of the diploma project elaboration and their application to specific diploma project task.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Exercises are compulsory, and the attendance (80 % at the minimum) is checked and recorded. The absence (in justifiable cases) can be compensated by personal consultation with the lecturer.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme M2I-P Master's

    branch M-STL , 2. year of study, summer semester, 2 credits, compulsory

Type of course unit

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Individual in accordance with specific diploma project assignment.