Sunday, August 13, 2017

Fwd: Project Thailand (Nov 18-26) Volunteer Applications Close Aug 27th.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "ISLA Lifeguards" <info@islasurf.org>

We Are Lifeguards. We Are Globetrotters. We Are Activists. We Are ISLA.
Visit our website for more information on our humanitarian operations.
 
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NOVEMBER 18 - 26, 2017

APPLICATIONS CLOSE: AUGUST 27TH
 
 
Applications are open for the most anticipated ISLA Project to date! Over 32 people have drowned in beaches around Phucket since ISLA began to petition the Thai government (at the request of the Surin-Bangtao Surf Life Saving Club) to increase water safety efforts in January. 

Our efforts to create awareness have captured the attention of the Thai media and the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand! Our team will be donating rescue equipment, conducting a ISLA certification course, and deploying a team to aid in lifeguarding the beaches.

Don't miss your chance to join this epic humanitarian project!
MORE DETAILS

WHO WE ARE

ISLA is the world's leading surf lifesaving development organization. Since 2008 we have:
  • Conducted 44 Humanitarian Projects
  • Deployed Over 340 volunteers 
  • Operations in 6 continents 
  • Trained over 1,000 lifeguards
  • Donated over $100,000 in lifesaving equipment
REQUEST ISLA SERVICES
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Saturday, August 12, 2017

Fwd: American delusions, er innocence

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H


Linked below is an excellent article, Unlearning the myth of American innocence, and a review I wrote for Dan Kovalik's excellent new book The Plot to Scapegoat Russia.  Both the article and Kovalik's book deal with very similar subject matter, how the United States deals with the rest of the world and the fact that Americans are the least aware of all the peoples of the world of the horrendous impact of our national policies – and I just don't mean recent policies.  The United States has been invading, overthrowing and supervising the massacre populations since the very founding of the nation – and even before.  There is a giant hole of trained ignorance in the American psyche which tends to prevent Americans from even asking the appropriate questions about our relations with the rest of humanity.  We are, for the most part, a delusional population unable to even conceive of the possibility that the policies of our nation are not as pure and necessary as the driven snow. 

Read this article, then buy a copy of Dan Kovalik's wonderful book and expose yourself to a reality which will never be told by mainstream media in this nation.  Without understanding what we do as a nation in the world and why we do it (hint:  it has nothing to do with spreading democracy and helping others in need or protecting the helpless and downtrodden) we Americans will never be able to confront the our own direct responsibility for many of the ills which continue to befall humankind.  And, above all, come to the realization that neither of our mainstream political organizations are in any way or fashion innocent or even one better than the other in this regard.  And, don't be deceived by the title of Kovalik's book, it's not really about Russia.  It's about United States policies in the wider world and Dan Kovalik has been there, seen the results and reports on the reality of our depredations.    


John


Links



Thursday, August 10, 2017

Mayor Peduto linked to an article by @mattiekquinn about GOVERNMENT and the OPIOID crisis

My $.02: 

Let other cities worry about testing WASTE WATER for daily spikes within neighborhoods of opioids -- as Pittsburgh has a problem testing and delivering TAP WATER, the clean stuff. First things first.

In the South Side we drink beer because it is know to be LEAD FREE. We use the water to wash away the piss on the sidewalks -- and that goes into the rivers.

People who "look out the window and they don’t think that tomorrow will be any different than today" will have VALIDATION of that FACT the day our GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ponder articles that suggest the TESTING OF WASTE WATER for hints of OPIOIDS in flushing piss.


Fwd: Pennsylvania Budget is Chock Full of Earmarks



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Leo Knepper


Call to ActionTake ActionGovernor Wolf and Senate Republicans are calling on the House to take up the "Fiscal Code" passed on July 27th. This legislation contained tax hikes that would impact anyone w
Call to Action
Take Action
Governor Wolf and Senate Republicans are calling on the House to take up the "Fiscal Code" passed on July 27th. This legislation contained tax hikes that would impact anyone with a cell phone or landline and raise heating bills for anyone who relied on natural gas. While the Governor and Senate argue that the Commonwealth is operating on a bare bones budget, the number of earmarks and corporate welfare handouts in budget and fiscal code show that the opposite is the case.

Here are several examples of the earmarks:
  • $500,000 shall be used for an antiviolence task force, in consultation with the Office of Attorney General, in a county of the second class A that is also a home rule county.
  • $600,000 shall be used for a community development and remediation project in a city of the third class with a population greater than 6,800 and less than 7,600 during the most recent Federal decennial census.
  • At least $5,000,000 shall be distributed to a hospital in a city of the third class in a home rule county that was formerly a county of the second class A.
  • $1,000,000 shall be distributed to a nonpublic nursing home located in a county of the first class with more than 395 beds and a Medicaid acuity at 1.17 as of August 1, 2016, to ensure access to necessary nursing care in that county and $5,000,000 shall be distributed to a nonpublic nursing home located in a county of the eighth class with more than 119 beds and a Medicaid acuity of 1.14 as of August 1, 2016, to ensure access to necessary nursing home care in that county.
In case you're curious the $5 million to the hospital in a "city of the third class in a home rule county" is going to a hospital in Sen. Pat Browne's district. Sen. Browne is primarily responsible for drafting the Fiscal Code. He also included some additional corporate welfare for his district in the form of an "Entertainment Economic Enhancement Program."
 
The entertainment enhancement program is a pet project of Senator Browne's where he is trying to attract big name concert performers to Allentown. According to a 2016 Allentown Morning Call article:

"While the concept is simple, the tax credit structure is not. Detailed in a 15-page addition to the state budget tax code, the law offers promoters of big acts a state tax credit of up to $800,000 per tour for scheduling an act at what the law calls Class 2 or Class 3 venues. A Class 2 venue is any arena or concert facility with at least 6,000 seats that is not in Allegheny or Philadelphia counties, where the state's biggest venues operate in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

"A Class 3 venue is any of the state colleges outside Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, or any venue in a Neighborhood Improvement Zone. It's not a coincidence that there is just one NIZ, in Allentown, and one venue in that NIZ - PPL Center. Nor is it a coincidence that the biggest tax credit is reserved for Class 3 venues."

But wait, there's more!
 
Not satisfied with a $60 million film tax credit to subsidize Hollywood millionaires, the Senate included a new category of a "Film Production Tax Credit District." The Districts, up to two of them, must be at least 55 acres, on deteriorated property, contain at least one "qualified" facility and six soundstages...and the list goes on. Based on the list of qualifications, it sounds a lot like the author of that provision already has a recipient lined up to get your money.
 
While proponents of the film tax credit hype the economic benefits, research has shown that there is no lasting impact from subsidizing Hollywood productions. Furthermore, the tax credits themselves are misused. An in-depth analysis conducted by Public Source found, among other things, that:
 
"Few productions use the tax credit; productions sell 99 percent of all film tax credits to companies that have nothing to do with film or TV. Essentially, the film tax credit is a backdoor tax break for some of the largest corporations and utilities operating in Pennsylvania"

The Governor and the Senate are pressuring Republicans in the House to approve tax increases on hardworking Pennsylvanians to continue funding pet projects and subsidizing out of state entertainment moguls. Instead, the House should go through the budget and fiscal code line by line and cut spending by 4 percent to balance the budget without new taxes.

Take Action
 

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Fwd: A couple of goodies

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H


Nuclear war or nuclear words?  Where is the world heading?


John

Links:




Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Fwd: Restorative Practices Panel Discussion


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: A+ Schools



Restorative Practices Panel Discussion

Join A+ Schools and the Pittsburgh Black Elected Officials Coalition for a discussion on the use and effectiveness of Restorative Practices as an alternative to exclusionary discipline approaches.

The panel will be held on Tuesday, August 29, 2017; 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Elsie H. Hillman Auditorium at the Kaufmann Center, 1825 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. 

Childcare and dinner for children 4+ will be provided.


Apply Today: Parent Nation Action Fund
A+ Schools is offering a mini grant opportunity to parent teams to provide funding to support their work around addressing an educational equity issue, or to advance parent leadership skills. 

Approximately six Parent Nation Action Funds will be awarded this fall. The deadline to apply for the Parent Nation Action Fund is Friday, September 29, 2017. 

Click here to learn more about the Action Fund and to download the application. 

Contact Amie Matson with questions at: amatson@aplusschools.org or (412) 697-1298 ext. 113
STAY CONNECTED:
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A+ Schools, 1901 Centre Avenue, Suite 302A, Pittsburgh, PA 15219




Tuesday, August 08, 2017

Fwd: Wither the Democrats???


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H
Attached are a couple of good articles from naked capitalism attempting to explain why the Democratic Party establishment is incapable of addressing the needs and desires of the American public.  The second has a particularly interesting assessment of the current American political scene as it relates to why it is that the Democrats would rather lose elections than do the things a majority of the people want them to do – hint, it all centers around money, greed and power.  The real problem is that, in the absence of a real Democratic Party alternative, the better organized (though still splintered) Republican right wing will continue to dominate the political landscape.


John

Monday, August 07, 2017

Fwd: This is worthwhile!




---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Hemington <jehemington@verizon.net>


In These Times is one of the media outlets well worth supporting.   I hope that you will consider doing so if you are able.  Do watch the brief video.

 

John

 

 

Hi John,

Can you share the announcement of the new In These Times with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or by email?

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-new-in-these-times-magazine

If everyone reading this message takes one minute to share the link above, we could reach thousands of potential new readers before the end of the day. That could be a game-changer for In These Times.

Thanks in advance for your help -- it means a lot to us.

Christopher Hass
Deputy Publisher


In These Times is a non-profit, reader-funded publication.


 


Friday, August 04, 2017

Fwd: Neoliberalism is opposed to people



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H


Neoliberalism is a market centered ideology which is opposed to all government social programs focused on people, but supportive of government programs supportive of and for subsidizing corporations.  It is not for 'free enterprise'.  Rather it encourages and rewards monopoly power.


John


Fwd: Switching to electric cars. . . or not



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H


All of those of you who believe that the adoption of electric vehicles will somehow save the environment and prevent further global warming, should give close attention to the two attached articles.  The second also nicely explains why neoliberal capitalism can never operate in socially useful manner.  I would add to the information in the articles that very few commentators mention the major secondary problem related to the switch to electric vehicles, that is the fragility of the nation's electrical grid; which, the last time I can recall seeing requires at least 3 trillion dollars to bring it up to reliably service near-term needs which do not include a massive switch to EVs.


John

Links:

Fwd: FW: Healthcare symposium




---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John H



John


Subject: Healthcare symposium


Hello, fellow Indivisible sisters and brothers!  We are asking for your assistance in advertising and attending an upcoming event.  We represent a multi county planning committee for a symposium for Thursday, August 10th at North Catholic High School in Cranberry, Butler County. Which is close to the turnpike and 79.   We are trying to remain nonpartisan but will discuss pros and cons of whatever legislation is proposed or recently passed at the time of the event.  


The info is being shared by advocacy groups from Erie to Washington counties to show legislators we are united in wanting affordable care.  We hope to fill the 900 seat auditorium. That is why people have to register.  You will need to share your confirmation email to enter.  


Please forward to like minded people and groups.  We follow you on Facebook and applaud your organization. Together we are stronger and can make a difference. 



Tuesday, August 01, 2017

Fwd: NZ Coach update


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "NZ Coach (Sport NZ)" <publications@sportnz.org.nz>
Date: Aug 1, 2017 5:12 PM
Subject: NZ Coach update


The latest NZ Coach information from Sport New Zealand.
View this email in your browser

 

Editorial


What have you dreamt of in your coaching philosophy?
Once upon a time, asking coaches about their coaching philosophy was probably akin to asking them if they ever asked for feedback from players or athletes: 'What do you mean?' Of course, every coach has a 'philosophy' – what else is their coaching practice based on? – even if they haven't given it much thought, or written it down. In this issue of NZ Coach Mag, the first link is to a Coaching Canada resource that provides a simple template for developing your coaching philosophy. The three steps relate to Purpose, Leadership Style, and Values. Even if you think you know where you stand on all these, I encourage you to spend a few minutes revisiting these steps and checking if you are really clear on what they mean to you. A couple of things to consider as you do this, the first about leadership 'style'. To begin, the resource talks in very old 'code' – democratic, lassiez fare, command and control. For me, the critical question isn't about which style you want to adopt but what leadership approach promotes autonomy, connection and competence (and confidence) in the people you are leading. The research and my personal practical knowledge (PPK) tell me that means being 'democratic' (this style eats the other styles for breakfast, lunch and dinner almost ALL THE TIME!). The trick is to work out what democratic looks like for you. By the way, 'Coaches are leaders' is one of the four core principles of Sport NZ's Community Coaching Strategy. Secondly, values. Words are just representations, they aren't the value. If you want respect to be one of your values (tip: work out the 3-4 key ones!) think carefully about what respect looks like, sounds like, feels like, when you are coaching a session, preparing for a game or event, talking with parents, and communicating with officials.  Too often, as you will know from your own life experiences, it's much harder to live a value than to write it down. So, what's your coaching philosophy?

Brett Reid, Community Coaching Consultant
'Mistakes are the portals of discovery' – James Joyce


Develop a Coaching Philosophy in 3 Easy Steps
A coaching philosophy is an essential ingredient of leadership. [Coaching Canada]
 
Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander wants to make the uncomfortable comfortable
They're comfortably the best team in world netball and one of the best in world sport, now Australian Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander wants her world-conquerors to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. [The Age]
 
Lincoln duo Danny and Nicky Cowley tell Sir Clive Woodward: 'We pinched your big ideas
Lincoln's brilliant management duo, Danny and Nicky Cowley, appeared on Garry Richardson's [Sportsweek programme on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday.]
 
Better coaching pathways a win for all
Little Athletics SA has done its homework – and now it's getting the rewards. [ors.sa.gov.au]
 
"Please Help Our Coach": 6 Ways any Parent Can (and Should) Help Build Stronger Volunteer Coaches
The vast majority of our membership provides glowing feedback about the selfless volunteers that step up to coach their child's team. [WBSBlog]
 
#balanceisbetter
Ask Shannon McIlroy about becoming the world men's singles bowls champion and he'll say, "Mate, I feel like I've conquered Everest." [Sport  NZ]
 
Let The Kids Play - The Need For Real Change in Youth Sports
There are frankly way too many serious youth sports issues that have been well documented in the major media over the past 10 to 15 years. [mentaltoughnesstrainer]
 
Mindfulness in Sport: When the brain is calm, the body is ready
"Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one's attention to the internal experiences occurring in the present moment" Manu Bazzano [© Irish Examiner 2017; @DrSkillAcq]
 

About New Zealand Coach


New Zealand Coach is an online magazine published by Sport New Zealand. View previous editions here on the Sport New Zealand website.

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