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Month: July 2019

Supporters of a leading mental health arts charity

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first_imgSupporters of a leading mental health arts charity have rallied behind the organisation’s disabled founder and chief executive, who they fear is about to be ousted by its trustees.They believe the future of award-winning CoolTan Arts is at risk because of the treatment handed out to its boss, Michelle Baharier (pictured).The charity, based in Southwark, south London, offers creative workshops, self-advocacy, art projects, “stigma-busting cultural walks”, a public art gallery, and an inclusive volunteering and training programme.But Baharier, who has built up the organisation over the last two decades, has been suspended by its trustees since last month, and has apparently yet to be told why – other than that she faces allegations of bullying and harassment of staff – while one of the trustees has apparently resigned in protest at her treatment.On one occasion, when Baharier tried to enter the premises, one of the trustees called the police, and later arranged for the locks to be changed.Her supporters have criticised the “disproportionate” action taken by the trustees, who have hired a firm of human resources consultants to deal with the dispute, rather than using the free services of the conciliation service ACAS.They say CoolTan has been closed for a total of about 14 days since her suspension, and have launched a campaign for her to be reinstated.In just three days after a petition backing Baharier was launched, it was flooded with support for her from both CoolTan participants and other disabled artists.Writer and performer Penny Pepper said on the website: “Michelle is a great talent and a wonderful human being. Let’s focus the fight in the right direction, to those who ARE attacking us!”Bob Skelly, who reportedly resigned after 10 years as a trustee over the way Baharier has been treated, said: “Michelle IS CoolTan Arts which she has built up over 24 years and is faced with being ousted by a group of come-latelies who know virtually nothing about CoolTan or its history and achievements.”Another supporter said on the petition website that Baharier had “helped and supported thousands of people” and “works tirelessly to support those experiencing mental ill-health, ensuring they have access to services, and those who are most vulnerable are safeguarded”.It is believed that the disagreements with the board began in January over Baharier’s plans to bring in more experienced trustees, while some staff are said to be unhappy at her decision to make one of their colleagues redundant.One trustee, Richard Truss, said Baharier had been accused of “bullying and intimidation of staff, something which the trustees are duty bound to take seriously, not least in an organization devoted to mental well-being”.He said: “The trustees are doing their best to resolve this as soon as possible and in the meantime CoolTan continues to be open as usual and the regular participants are still attending.”He said it was “not fitting” that they should allow Baharier to return to work “whilst the matter is in process”.He said that when she did try to return to work at CoolTan “all but one of the staff walked out”. Supporters of Baharier say all the staff walked out.Maki Spanoudis, a CoolTan volunteer, has written to trustees demanding answers, and pointing out Baharier’s long and dedicated service to CoolTan.She told them that “no one is more dedicated to its success and to participants’ interests”, and added: “There are healthy ways to resolve personnel issue that don’t resort to jeopardising CoolTan, causing Michelle immense distress, and negatively affecting the lives of so many people.“CoolTan has been in my life for many years, it would be really devastating were it to significantly change or close.”Spanoudis told Disability News Service: “Michelle is a lovely, very caring, warm-hearted person, full of energy, self-discipline, and has artistic ideas coming out her ears!“I have seen her overcome many personal and professional difficulties over the years, never letting them stop her working all hours for CoolTan.”Steve Barbe, who runs musical workshops at CoolTan and has been involved with the organisation for 20 years, said he did not know the nature of the complaints made about Baharier, but he said: “I do suspect it is out of proportion.“I can’t imagine what she did deserves this being in limbo for so long and jeopardising the project.“It certainly could jeopardise the future of CoolTan. Right now it is jeopardising the well-being of service-users because they are not getting access to the facilities.“I think there should be a very quick resolution to this. I would like to see Michelle reinstated. Knowing Michelle as I do, I cannot imagine that what she did deserves this.”last_img read more

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SF Missions Kink Cuts Ties with Performer Accused of Rape

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first_imgFollowing allegations by three different adult performers accusing James Deen of sexual assault, one of which allegedly occurred at Mission-based porn producer Kink.com, the company decided this morning to end its professional relationship with the porn star. “We are ending our relationship with Deen – obviously, consent is key for us,” said Michael Stabile, a spokesperson for the fetish video studio, located inside of the the San Francisco Armory at 1800 Mission St.Since Saturday, a total of three women have taken a stance against Deen.  One of the women, Ashley Fires, is a performer who said that she was accosted by Deen in a communal bathroom at the Kink.com studio. Stabile said that he is unaware that anybody affiliated with the company knew of these allegations before this morning.The allegations first came to light on November 28, after Stoya, an adult film star and Deen’s former girlfriend, used her Twitter account to publicly denounce Deen as a rapist. “James Deen held me down and fucked me while I said no, stop, used my safeword. I just can’t nod and smile when people bring him up anymore,” she tweeted on Saturday morning.Stabile said that Kink.com will be looking into the accusations in an effort to determine if the company could have better protected its performers.“The pattern of the accusations is very concerning, and we are looking to figure out what we can do to both empower performers to talk about this when these things happen, and how to make off-set interactions safe as well,” said Stabile.As reported by SF Weekly, another performer came forward Sunday night, alleging that she was assaulted by Deen in 2011. Tori Lux, who has also worked for Kink.com in the past, alleges that Deen hit her repeatedly after she refused his advances “at a major porn set.”Deen  worked with Kink.com in the capacity of producer and performer, and was regularly requested for scenes that required him to engage in “rough sex.” He has been hailed as the “the boy next door of porn,” and is considered to be one of the most prominent faces in the adult industry. Deen also took to Twitter to refute the allegations against him. “I want to assure my friends, fans and colleagues that these allegations are both false and defamatory,” he wrote last night.  “I respect women and I know and respect limits both professionally and privately.”Since Stoya’s public tweets, some industry workers have started using the Twitter hashtag #solidaritywithstoya, including Joanna Angel, who also dated Deen in the past. Buzzfeed reports that Deen acted as chairperson on the board of directors of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, but resigned from that position this morning. Kink.com ensured the BDSM community that the allegations are not taken lightly. “Over the coming weeks and months, we will review our Model Bill of Rights to strengthen rights of performers off-set, and work with the larger industry to help performers who have been assaulted to more easily come forward,” the company wrote in a statement.Stabile said that the accusations highlight the issue of consent as part of a bigger dialogue that the “whole industry is grappling with right now,” and that the wellbeing of its performers is Kink.com’s primary focus.“It’s a spiral that started with Stoya, and now others are coming forward,” said Stabile. “So I think it’s incumbent to see what actually happened, and what precautions need to be put in place so that we can make sure that people are safe in the future. I don’t think anyone has talked about anything else this morning.” 0%center_img Tags: sex • sexual violence Share this: FacebookTwitterRedditemail,0%last_img read more

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COURTESY of Batchelors Mushy Peas Saints has the

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first_imgCOURTESY of Batchelors Mushy Peas, Saints has the opportunity to offer one lucky fan the chance to be on the pitch at Dacia Magic Weekend!Our lucky winners will represent the club in the Batchelors Space Hopper Derby, taking on rival fans from Hudersfield before the match starts on Sunday May 22 2016.The winner of the race will take home a limited edition rugby ball (and ultimate bragging rights) thanks to Batchelors Mushy Peas, official partner of the First Utility Super League.Anyone who has purchased a ticket to Dacia Magic Weekend by 5pm Thursday May 19 2016 will go into the draw to take part.Good Luck!T&CNo additional tickets are included in the prize. Ticket must be purchased before 5pm Thursday May 19 2016 to be entered into the draw. Five prizes given only. Winner must be in attendance at St James’ Park Newcastle on Saturday May 21 2016.last_img read more

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Grant provided for veterans pursuing truck driving at CCFC

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first_imgWILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Veterans Day is coming up this weekend and Cape Fear Community College is stepping up to help those who have served.The school received a grant to provide assistance to vets pursuing truck driving training.- Advertisement – The grant was provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.It will be used to cover fees and expenses above what is covered by veterans and active military educational benefits.Spouses and children will be eligible to apply for scholarships as well.Related Article: Where to get food and water in New Hanover County“By having this program available to active military, they’re going to be able to, hopefully their command will let them come down here and take part in the training and be able to have a set plan. I.E having credentials to be able to drive after they have exited the military,” Raymond Charfauros, veterans affairs coordinator, said.Currently seven of the truck driving training instructors at CFCC are veterans.The program does not have a set start date.last_img read more

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Two men arrested in Wrightsville Beach on kidnapping rape charges

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first_imgWRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Two men are in jail under a $525,000 bond after their arrest over the weekend in Wrightsville Beach on numerous sex crime charges.According to online records, Harvey Fred Williams, 35, and Genell Stephenson, 33, are both charged with:Possession of cocaine2nd degree rape, two countsPossession of drug paraphernaliaAssault on female, two countsCrime against nature, two counts2nd degree kidnapping, two countsInterfere emergency communication, two counts- Advertisement – They were arrested on Sunday and booked into the New Hanover County Detention Center. They are scheduled to make their first court appearance on Monday.WWAY left a message with Wrightsville Beach Police for more details.last_img

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Registered sex offender surrenders to Pender County Sheriffs Office

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first_img He is currently in the Pender County Jail under a $30,000 secured bond. PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The registered sex offender who was wanted by Pender County Sheriff’s Office turned himself in Tuesday night.Deputies say Michael Dewayne Gaskill was wanted after moving from his reported address.- Advertisement – last_img

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Parents frustrated with how school system handled threat

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first_imgNEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — It’s been just over a week since a teenaged gunman killed 17 at a Florida school. Here in the Cape Fear, tensions are high and parents are on edge after several threats at area schools.“They had plenty of time to notify parents,” father Jon Deputy said.- Advertisement – Deputy said parents weren’t notified about a threat at Myrtle Grove Middle School until a day after it was found. Rumors of threats also spread at Ashley High School and parent Michelle Moore said they are having an effect on her son.“He just doesn’t even want to be at school,” Moore said.Related Article: School board chair, lawmaker team up for multi-million dollar school expansionA 14-year-old Myrtle Grove Student is now charged, but parents are more concerned about how it was all handled.“The chaos ended up being a safety issue then the actuall issue itself and all that comes back to the failure to notify parents what was going on,” Deputy said.Deputy’s eight grader was texting him from school about the threat long before he heard from the school.“People want to know fairly quickly and we’re going to let them know as quickly as we can, but often times that may be a few hours or the next day, especially if were dealing with an active situation,” Deputy Superintendent Dr. Rick Holliday said.A situation that comes with serious consequences.“In addition to being a class H felony for threatening a mass violence at a school grounds or any school activity even if its off school grounds,” District Attorney Ben David said.A crime on your record and a cost for you or your parents wallet.“The person who has called that in or put that posting out there is also responsible for restitution for the cost associated with that response,” David said.But Moms like Moore want an additional punishment.“I don’t think they should be able to come back to school at all,” Moore said. “I mean they should be seen by a doctor.”This afternoon parents at Ashley High received a call from the principal saying the school was safe. He mentioned a threat found on a wall earlier this month and said it was not credible.last_img read more

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Search continues for missing man at Bladen County lake

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first_img Singletary Lake State Park on April 9, 2018. (Photo: WWAY) Singletary Lake State Park on April 9, 2018. (Photo: WWAY) 1 of 6 KELLY, NC (WWAY) — The search continues after a Fayetteville man who went missing on a Bladen County lake over the weekend.Katie Hall, Public Information Officer for NC Division of Parks and Recreations Park, says 23-year-old Jesse Sgro of Fayetteville was reported missing early Saturday morning while camping with a group at Singletary Lake State Park.- Advertisement – Singletary Lake State Park on April 9, 2018. (Photo: WWAY) Singletary Lake State Park on April 9, 2018. (Photo: WWAY)center_img Singletary Lake State Park on April 9, 2018. (Photo: WWAY) Hall said the search resumed at 7 a.m. Monday.She says there are 18 different local groups taking part in the search today including police, sheriff’s offices and search and rescue teams. They are using drones and side scan sonar on boats. She says K-9 crews on the ground and water.Altogether they have about 85 to 95 people assisting with the search.Related Article: Kidnapped NC man likely fed to hogs, court docs revealHall noted that there is just as much ground search going on as a water search. Singletary Lake State Park on April 9, 2018. (Photo: WWAY) Hall said friends found the Sgro’s canoe late Friday night/Saturday morning with his cell phone in the canoe. It was upright in the middle of the lake.They are planning to continue searching all day and tomorrow if necessary.The staging area at the education center at Singletary Lake State Park.WWAY has a reporter at the scene and this story will be updated as we get more information.last_img read more

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WANTED Wilmington man accused of attempted rape kidnapping assault

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first_img (Photo: Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office) Francis Zober (Photo: Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office) (Photo: Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office) 00:00 00:00 spaceplay / pause qunload | stop ffullscreenshift + ←→slower / faster ↑↓volume mmute ←→seek  . seek to previous 12… 6 seek to 10%, 20% … 60% XColor SettingsAaAaAaAaTextBackgroundOpacity SettingsTextOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundSemi-TransparentOpaqueTransparentFont SettingsSize||TypeSerif MonospaceSerifSans Serif MonospaceSans SerifCasualCursiveSmallCapsResetSave Settings UPDATE: Zober was taken into custody in Charleston, SC.BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A man who recently bonded out of the Brunswick County Detention Center after his arrest for child pornography is now wanted for attempted rape, kidnapping, and a slew of other charges.- Advertisement – His charges include:two counts of assault on a femaleattempted 2nd degree forcible rape2nd degree burglaryintimidating a witnesstwo counts of assault by strangulation2nd degree kidnappingassault with a deadly weaponRelated Article: Man accused of flashing people at North Carolina mallNo word on when those alleged crimes occurred.But on Friday, Zober was arrested for second degree sexual exploitation of a minor.According to warrants, Zober had images of a child between the ages of 5 and 12 engaged in sexual activity. The juvenile was nude on what appeared to be a couch with whipped cream on certain areas of her body.Warrants also state he had an image of a minor with her shirt up and her body parts exposed.Warrants state those crimes happened December 5, 2017.Zober bonded out on Saturday.Zober is also accused of sharing private photos of someone without their consent. Zober was arrested in October and charged with multiple counts of disclosure of private images, which is considered revenge porn.According to warrants from that arrest, Zober shared the images to ‘harass, demean, and humiliate’ the victim, who was engaged in sexual conduct in some of the photos. That alleged crime happened September 20.If you have any information, contact Det. Horne at (910) 713-6107 or call 911. 1 of 3 The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office is searching for Francis Christopher Zober, 34, of Wilmington.He could be driving a white 2008 Mercury Milan with NC license plate #DAP-3088.last_img read more

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Elizabethtown woman arrested for allegedly selling cocaine

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first_img The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office announced on May 23 that the department was searching for Smith.Smith was charged with Sell/Deliver Cocaine, Maintain a Dwelling for the Purpose of Keeping or Selling Controlled Substances, Manufacturing Cocaine, Possession With Intent to Manufacture/Sell/Deliver Cocaine, and Possession of Cocaine.Smith was booked into the Columbus County Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond.Related Article: Two men charged in multiple Carolina Beach car break-insShe will be transferred to Bladen County to face the charges in District Court in Elizabethtown. Antonia Nicole Smith (Photo: Bladen Co. Sheriff’s Office) BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Bladen County woman is in jail after deputies say she was wanted for selling cocaine.Whiteville Police Department arrested Antonia Nicole Smith, 30, Sunday on several outstanding warrants.- Advertisement – last_img read more

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Cooper orders 4M to fight mosquitoes after Florence

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first_img Those counties include: Bladen, Beaufort, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Wayne, and Wilson.“To help local communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, I’ve directed state funds for mosquito control efforts to protect people who live in hard-hit areas,” Gov. Cooper said in a statement.According to the governor’s office, funding will allow control efforts to begin as soon as today. Each county’s allocation will be based upon their share of the total acreage requiring mosquito treatment in the 27 counties. None of the counties will be asked to share in the cost for these services up to their specific allocation amount. They will have the flexibility to determine the most appropriate means to provide this service.Related Article: Evacuations by bus begin in New Hanover CountyEarlier this week Brunswick County asked for federal help to kill mosquitoes, as area counties have announced mosquito spraying plans and schedules.Scientists say larger than normal and more aggressive mosquitoes have swarmed some areas of the state since Florence.Increased mosquito populations often follow a hurricane or any weather event that results in large-scale flooding. While most mosquitoes that emerge after flooding do not transmit human disease, they still pose a public health problem by discouraging people from going outside and hindering recovery efforts.Although rare, the most commonly reported mosquito-borne illnesses that can be acquired in North Carolina are LaCrosse encephalitis, West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis. Nearly 70 percent of mosquito-borne infections reported in the state in 2017 were acquired during travel outside the continental U.S.While outdoors, peoples should remember to:Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors.Use mosquito repellent that contains DEET or an equivalent when outside and use caution when applying to children.More information on protective measures to reduce the risk of mosquito bites is available online at ncdhhs.gov/hurricane-florence-mosquitoes. WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Feel like you’re being eaten alive every time you step outside since Hurricane Florence? Help is on the way.Gov. Roy Cooper has ordered $4 million to fund mosquito control efforts in counties currently under a major disaster declaration, his office announced in a news release.- Advertisement – last_img read more

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How to Use Twitter Like a Pro

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first_imgAdvertisement But hold on. If you haven’t learned yet from using Facebook or other social networks, establishing relationships with customers via such platforms is not the same as just marketing to them. You need to understand both the unique aspects of Twitter and how to use it effectively to communicate with your customers in order to be successful.Here are eight tips to get you started in the right direction.1. Build a Following – Advertisement – No matter how valuable your Twitter communications are, they have little purpose without readers. Your tweets are publicly searchable by all who look for specific topics, but you need to build a following of users who actively subscribe to your content. Your Twitter followers represent your community, and are the audience you are really engaging with.If you’re Ashton Kutcher, Charlie Sheen, or Lady Gaga, just show up, and millions will follow you instantly. If you are not a megastar, though–and most of us aren’t–you will have to put a little more effort into it. Start by inviting any existing customer communities you might have.Does your company have a Website, blog, customer e-mail distribution list, or a product newsletter? Use all means at your disposal. If your customers have a Twitter account, invite them to follow you. You should also include the Twitter icon with a link to your Twitter account in your e-mail signature, marketing collateral, or anything else that might get exposure. You can even provide incentives for anyone who follows you, such as the chance to win a free product or service, or a discount.Part of the culture of Twitter is that users generally follow back those who follow them. Click on Twitter’s own “Who to Follow” link for suggestions. A tool like Tweet Adder software can provide even more detail. Use it to search for Twitter users who already follow similar companies, or who express an interest in your topic or industry, and then automatically follow those users. Some portion of them are likely to follow your Twitter account. First, of course, make your Twitter page attractive with a compelling profile image, background, and “About” description.2. Know the Rules of EngagementIf you’re a newbie, get to know the basic Twitter best practices, such as direct messaging, “@” replies, and “retweeting.” You can send a private message directly to someone who follows you by typing the letter “d” in front of their username in a tweet. In your public tweets, use “@” replies to comment on any other user’s tweets; just include the “@” symbol before their username in your message. If you want to repeat what someone else tweeted, choose “Retweet” and include the letters “RT” in the beginning of your note. You can even ask politely in a tweet for others to retweet you.These practices draw attention to fellow users, who in turn can see that you’re noticing them. To use them well, add your own insight in a retweet rather than simply repeating what someone else said. And check when others call out your tweets, so you can keep the conversation flowing. Once you have the hang of the basics, tools such as GroupTweet enable you to communicate with groups of users, even privately.3. Provide ValueOne of the biggest mistakes companies make with Twitter–and social media in general–is trying to use it for old-fashioned marketing. The sound bite or slogan that you plaster on a highway billboard or in a magazine ad may come across as false on Twitter.Twitter can be an effective marketing tool, but social media is about engaging in conversation and providing value. You market by who you are, not by what you say. You can certainly use Twitter as a medium for announcing new products or features, but your tweets have to provide more value to keep your audience interested. Share relevant news about your industry in general, as well as helpful tips and advice, and some general conversation to give your followers a reason to stay engaged and participate in the discussion. Make your tweets entertaining and witty, and say something unique. Position yourself as an expert in your field and offer free advice. It’s better to extend your personality and opinion than merely to parrot headlines from news stories.4. Keep It a Tight FitMake sure that you’re not spending most of your 140-character allowance on a long Web address. URL-shortening services like Bit.ly or TinyURL can abbreviate such lengthy strings. Bit.ly provides additional value by gathering valuable metrics you can use to monitor the success of your Twitter efforts. You can examine how many clicks your shortened links get, and where in the world your URL is getting the most action–information you can use to figure out what works best.5. Enrich Tweets With Third-Party ToolsA seemingly countless number of third-party tools and plug-ins can extend the value of Twitter. While Twitter was founded on the concept of essentially providing public SMS text messages via the Internet, you can extend its capabilities beyond the standard 140 text characters. Start by using TwitPic or Yfrog to send photos or video clips out via Twitter. Enable these services to work on your smartphone so that you can show, not tell, about the funny thing you saw on the street.You can make tweets more interactive by connecting them with polls, using a service like Twtpoll, or with chat rooms, using Nurph. Your followers will find more value in paying attention to your tweets if they find interesting conversations to participate in. And integrating Twitter with location-based services such as Foursquare can call attention, for instance, to that conference you’re speaking at in Atlanta, and maybe someone nearby in your field will notice.Tweetdeck–which was recently acquired by Twitter–lets you view and manage multiple Twitter accounts, as well as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Google Buzz, and Foursquare accounts. You can create lists and filter content to cut through the noise, and use Tweetdeck to post updates to the various connected networks. Columns in Tweetdeck let you monitor specific keywords or hash tags. You can also set up a column in Tweetdeck to monitor when other Twitter accounts mention your company, providing you with an opportunity to recognize loyal customers, identify possible public-relations issues, and put out fires quickly.Tweetdeck lets you schedule tweets to post in advance, but Flowtown’s Timely goes a step further. It analyzes your past tweets to estimate what time of day favored them the most. Then, it autoschedules your future tweets accordingly.6. Hash It OutYou can use hash tags (the # symbol followed by a keyword) to make your Tweets easier to search for. Tools including Tweetdeck and Hashtags.org let you see the latest tweets for any hash tag. One common Twitter hash tag is #FollowFriday or #FF, which you can include on Fridays along with the names of Twitter accounts you find valuable. It is a great word-of-mouth means of attracting new followers. If you are mentioned via FollowFriday, reply back to say thank you. That sort of personal touch is one of the things fellow users appreciate.One way to attract attention is to tweet about a topic while it’s popular. Set up a Google Alert to track the topics in your field, and when it sends a hot story to your e-mail inbox, tweet about it. If your company fixes old PCS, and a report about electronics waste is making headlines, you could include the hashtag #ewaste in a tweet explaining how your work keeps tech out of landfills. Even if you’re not commenting on one of the top news stories of the day, you can tie your tweets to upcoming events in your area. For example, if your business bakes seasonal organic pies, you could include hash tags like #localfood and #farmersmarket to announce that you’ll be at next Sunday’s farmers market. NearbyTweets lets you view who’s talking about nearly any topic in a specific part of the world, such as real estate in Chicago.7. Avoid PitfallsWe already talked about not using Twitter as a bullhorn for spamming followers with marketing sound bites. But watch out for other pitfalls. For one thing, remember that many “followers” aren’t actually paying attention. While the tactic of following like-minded Twitter accounts in the hope of soliciting a reciprocal follow has merit, it only goes so far. Many of the users who follow back are just using that same tactic to pump up their own following, and aren’t really interested in your tweets or your business.Check out Klout or PeerIndex to get an idea of how many of your followers are actively engaged. These services assign a score from 1 to 100 to measure your online influence. At some point, you have to draw the line and stop using the strategy of following others just so they will follow you back. Let your Twitter account speak for itself, and let word of mouth build quality followers that matter.8. Don’t Expect MiraclesNeed I remind you that you are not Lady Gaga? You won’t instantly have millions of followers. There won’t be a miraculous spike in sales or profit for your company just because you set up a Twitter account. As with anything worth doing, there is no magic shortcut.If you do it right, Twitter can be a powerful marketing tool–a subtle instrument for building brand recognition and customer loyalty. Be patient. Provide value. Build a community, and let the content and success of that community be the force that drives your success–both on Twitter, and as a business.www.pcworld.comlast_img read more

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Incubator launched for SA mobile startups

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first_imgAdvertisement It will also offer training and accreditation on mobile technologies and entrepreneurship and offer business mentoring and coaching as well as access to market research information and other knowledge repositories.The incubator will provide test bays for testing mobile applications and services and organise regular networking events. Additionally, mLab will assist members in accessing finance, be it in the form of grants, seed capital, angel investments or venture capital.mLab SA, and the recently opened mLab East Africa in Nairobi, are the first of a number of mLabs to be launched around the world as part of the “Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy” programme, supported by infoDev (World Bank), the government of Finland and Nokia. mLab SA is also supported by the department of science & technology. – Advertisement – While the head office will be in Pretoria, a number of satellite offices will be established throughout the region. A Cape Town satellite office is in the process of being established.“Southern Africa was chosen as a region to locate an mLab because of the enormous potential of mobile technologies for supporting business development, social development and job creation in the region,” mLab says in a statement. “In SA, mobile penetration is around 100%, and 39% of urban South Africans are now browsing the internet on their phones. Mobile phones touch almost every aspect of peoples’ lives, and the potential for improving areas such as health care and education has already been successfully demonstrated.But, it says, there are challenges to creating a sustainable business mobile. “Competition is stiff, the mobile landscape is highly uneven across different technologies, user groups and countries, and mobile developers are scarce and expensive. Added to that, a start-up business or organisation is very vulnerable. It needs business, technical and financial support, and can benefit greatly from acceleration and incubation.”mLab SA offers three types of membership: “community”, which is free and which anyone can join, and “silver” and “gold”, for which interviews are necessary. Silver and gold members pay a fee to access the core services of mLab SA at the facility in The Innovation Hub and receive more structured support from the mLab SA team and its partners. Support services will either be delivered directly by mLab SA, or through external providers to which members will be pointed, such as the Bandwidth Barn’s business mentoring programme.Source: Techcentral newslast_img read more

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Meet The 17999 Moto G Smartphone With A Bigger Screen And

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first_imgAdvertisement Along with a new flagship Moto X, Motorola is taking the wraps off its new Moto G today, and the new version of its affordable smartphone continues to be one of the best values in modern mobile devices.Motorola’s new mid-range phone offers a larger 5-inch display with 1280×720 resolution for 294 ppi pixel density, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz, Corning Gorilla Glass, with Android 4.4 and a guaranteed update to Android L when that becomes available. It has both single SIM and dual SIM variants, with 8GB and 16GB storage options, and a brand new removable microSD slot which supports cards of up to 32GB.A new 8 megapixel camera also boasts a faster f2.0 aperture, and the front camera is improved to 2 megapixels from one on the original Moto G. The volume button can now trip the camera’s shutter when the app’s open, another new trick, and it has a double stereo speaker, vs. the single mono version on the first-generation device. 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, 720HD video capture and special digital TV tuners for Brazil only round out the hardware package. – Advertisement – Motorola achieved something truly impressive with the hardware package it put together for the original Moto G, and this one still boasts long-lasting battery life to its 2070mAh powerhouse (good for up to 24 hours of continuous mixed usage, per Motorola), plus a pared down version of Android that closely mimics stock Android for easier updates. The interchangeable Moto G Shells are back again, letting users swap out plastic rear cases depending on their preferences.Software features include the best from the previous model, like the Motorola’s Voice Actions, and Motorola Alert, which lets you share locations with specific contacts so they can make sure you’re safe. Motorola Assist is also present here, with quiet hours for when you sleep, auto meeting detection based on your calendar, automatic replies via text to missed calls from your favorite contacts and more.Motorola isn’t wasting any time bringing its new model to market, either – the new Moto G is available immediately from Motorola.com for $179.99, unlocked and off contract. It’s also on sale as of today in India, France, the UK, Brazil, Spain and Germany. That’s still a good deal for the original; with the improved screen on this year’s Moto G, and that better camera, it’s an even better bargain.Credits Techcrunchlast_img read more

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Interview Mike Rosenberg founder of Aleutia Computers

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first_imgAdvertisement Aleutia Computers Ltd is a privately owned computer manufacturer based in London, United Kingdom. Their product range consists of low-power desktop and server computers. Their computers have been purchased by several African countries for their ICT in Education projects. Aletuia Computers is a Gold Partner at the 2015 Innovation Africa Summit taking place at Speke Resort Munyonyo 30th September till 2nd October. Joshua Twinamasiko had a chat with founder and Managing Director, Mike Rosenberg.Tell me about yourself and your work with Aleutia Computers.I founded Aleutia Computers after volunteering in Ghana to set up a computer classroom for street children and was faced with the challenge of failing, expensive to run second hand desktops. The costs of power and support crippled the project and I thought there must be a better way. – Advertisement – A year later Aleutia released its first product, a fanless energy efficient computer, and everything since then has followed the same design principle of ‘no moving parts’ reliability and exceptionally low power consumption.Why did you choose low power computers? Was this a business based decision or personal motivation/inclination?Very simple. The experience we have means we understand the importance of energy efficiency in rural Africa, where every watt counts. As a company, after making many trips to Africa and seeing the challenges communities face we are committed to bridging the digital divide in Africa and have a passion for reducing the carbon footprint. So both a business and personal motivation.You seem to have several projects in Africa, including Uganda. What exactly are you doing in these areas?Well, it’s a long list but here are some highlights.In Uganda, working closely with Uganda Communications Commission we have 113 Solar Classrooms serving 40,000 schoolchildren Aleutia worked closely with UCC in Kampala to a fit-for-purpose Aleutia T1, a fanless computer designed to handle areas with lots of dust. The T1’s 8-20V DC input meant it could also run directly from 12V batteries without requiring an AC inverter or a DC 12V regulator.Aleutia’s local partners provided solar panels and installation expertise and Aleutia’s Solar Classroom in a Box solution, with 10 x T1 computers and 12V monitors, was installed at each school.Since 2012, Aleutia has provided this solution for every UCC rural school, over 113 schools and 1243 computers and servers, all running on sustainable solar power.In Kenya, we have recently provided a step up from the Solar Classroom in a Box  to providing a solution to include the building. Our Solar Container Classroom is being deployed in 47 counties in Kenya.Solar Classroom under construction in Dadaab Kenya – World’s Largest Refugee Camp. Photo by Martin MuckleIn Nigeria, we have deployed another 33 Primary Healthcare Clinics in Oyo State. The  Solar powered solution with fit for purpose computers, includes software written in house in collaboration with medical experts. It provides trained Nurses with the ability to diagnose and treat common ailments and provide midwifery assistance in rural areas, with Led lights for after dark deliveries. Originally a pilot in 9 rural locations, it’s made a serious difference to rural Primary Healthcare and the clinics have been treating over a hundred people a day each!In Ghana Making Ghanaian Girls Great! (MGCubed) is a first-of-its-kind project focusing on ‘interactive distance learning’. Their aim was to provide 72 government schools with solar powered computers and projectors and broadcast live teaching sessions from studios in Accra. The pioneering project would impact more than 5,000 marginalised girls within two regions in Ghana (Volta and Greater Accra) and offer them an enhanced quality of education and transform their future. GEMS Education Solutions, the world’s leading education company, project managed the entire operation. Aleutia not only provided the solution, but Aleutia staff completed the installation too.What is it like working in Africa, and Uganda specifically? What challenges/highlights have you encountered along the way?There are challenges we’ve seen and overcome, such as dust, lack of grid power, and the enormous cost of getting spare parts such as hard drives to remote areas. And if you provide power in off grid areas, people start plugging things in: we stopped using inverters since teachers would plug in tea kettles and run the batteries down.But all these challenges we’ve overcome by making the computers rugged, solar-powered and 12V DC and by enabling computer classrooms in rural communities we can level the playing field, providing students in rural Uganda or Sierra Leone with access to the same content and software as kids in the UK have.One of my greatest highlights was visiting a rural school 4 hours from Kampala. There was no laboratory equipment and no textbooks. It took me a minute to realise that the hand drawn map on the wall was of Canada. And then we went into the ICT classroom and those children had interactive geography software, virtual dissections and physics labs and powerful resources like offline Wikipedia (all 4.6 million articles). We make sure the computers work but a computer is only as good as the software and content it delivers.Tell us about the project with UCC.We’ve been working with UCC since 2011 and have now deployed our computers (in labs of 10 or 20) at 137 solar schools. There were already using energy efficient “nettop” PCs but we presented our T1 as a better alternative: aluminium instead of plastic, SSD instead of hard drive, fanless instead of actively cooled and 12V instead of 19V.What I love about the UCC project is that they are not just building computer labs to teach ICT but every subject from Geography to Chemistry to Physics uses the computer lab as part of its teaching efforts and it becomes a teaching aid so we have buy-in from all the faculty and all of the children interact with the computers. It’s the most equitable project we’ve worked on.And the UCC projects are not aid or donor funded. 1% of the country’s telco revenue goes into a central pot, the Rural Community Development Fund, which pays for this – so ordinary Ugandans making phone calls and sending text messages are enabling this transformation.What’s your take on the state of ICT in education in Africa? What do you think of efforts from African governments to improve education systems?Because of the challenges of dust, heat and in the main, unreliable power, ICT is a challenging area to make sensible inroads into for most in education. Aleutia saw this as an opportunity to provide fit for purpose ICT hardware that actually would not just work but would continue to do so reliably over an extended period. Our machines have been designed to work at a mission critical level because we know how challenging support to hardware in rural and remote areas can be. African Governments that we work with all have the same goal essentially. They know that their children need access to ICT to be able to compete is any marketplace globally. Frankly, with kids being any countries future, giving them the same access ultimately gives that country the opportunity to be competitive and enable growth.Do you think education systems in African schools are equipping learners with the right skills? What skills do you believe are vital and they should be taught?We see that some definitely are or are fervently aspiring and planning to do so. Innovative use of ICT to provide essential skills in Maths, Language and Science based subjects can, with thoughtful application, be the foundation of life changing education. Many now realise that just providing hardware with no thought to content provision is actually almost pointless. Computers are great enablers but without sensible provision on them, are not much more than big paperweights!We work closely where we can with organisations helping to advise, provide and source core content that is relevant , but also with vocational skills content too.How different is the education in Africa from say Europe? What do you think we can learn?Education in Europe still strives to provide core skills in the 3 main areas. Seen as essential and an obvious grounding for children’s further development, getting those core skills right is seen throughout the world as the very best start. We feel that wherever we go in Africa, the same is true. The application to provide these skills is where effort in Africa is best placed. ITC is essential in that core provision to ensure that children in Africa are not denied that 21st century equality of skill and knowledge which ultimately enables a country to be capable of competing in a global marketplace. Without them, they will be shut outYou’re a Gold Partner with the Innovation Africa Summit. Have you taken part in previous conferences? If so, what were your highlights? Tell us more about Aleutia Computers’ affiliation with Innovation Africa / Brains Network.This is actually our first time here at this conference. We’re very pleased to be part of this summit  for 2015 and we have high expectations of being able to give a solid view of Aleutia Computers capability in this exciting market.What are your expectations of this year’s Innovation Africa? What do you expect to benefit?African Education and primary Healthcare provision is our passion and we see the Innovation Africa Summit as a fantastic place to showcase, network and interact with those people who could benefit from our solutions. We are always keen to bring our expertise and experience to new places and the team is looking forward to some interesting conversations with attendees.Uganda is seen as a leader in innovation and this conference is well placed for attendees to see Uganda as a market that is growing.Finally, on a lighter note, if you were stuck on an island in the Indian Ocean, what three things would you like to have? And why those 3 things?That’s easy  – a solar panel, an Aleutia computer and a satellite internet connection.Brilliant answer! Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions.last_img read more

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Facebook releasing designs of new computer server

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first_imgSocial networking giant Facebook releasing designs of new computer server. Image Credit: Mentor Graphic Advertisement Facebook is releasing for free the designs of a new computer server – twice as fast as those used by Facebook earlier, it designed to put more power behind artificial-intelligence software, MIT Technology review reported.Facebook’s new server design, dubbed Big Sur, was created to power deep-learning software, which processes data using roughly simulated neurons .The invention of ways to put more power behind deep learning, using graphics processors, or GPUs, was crucial to recent leaps in the ability of computers to understand speech, images, and language. – Advertisement – Facebook worked closely with Nvidia, a manufacturer of GPUs, on its new server designs, which have been stripped down to cram in more of the chips. The hardware can be used to run Google’s TensorFlow software.[related-posts]But the social networking giant is not the only one ready to share AI technology. Many other tech companies too are open-sourcing the technology.Opening up the technology is seen as a way to accelerate progress in the broader field, while also helping tech companies to boost their reputations.“Companies like us actually thrive on fast progress. The faster the progress can be made, the better it is for us,” Yann LeCun, director of Facebook’s AI Research group, was quoted as saying.In November, Google opened up software called TensorFlow, used to power the company’s speech recognition and image search.Soon after, Microsoft released the software that distributes machine-learning software across multiple machines to make it more powerful.[Infotech Lead]last_img read more

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BENS BLOG NastyLittleKnockers at Cheltenham

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first_img[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne thing you can guarantee on, if you’re a bookie, is when at Cheltenham or Royal Ascot, you will ALWAYS see someone who’s knocked you.And they will ALWAYS be doing the following:1) Swanning about, having managed to ponce some free food and drink, in their next mug’s hospitality-box (they LOVE a freebie).2) Punting and losing to other bookies.3) Telling everyone about their expensive and materialistic fake-tan lifestyles.4) Talking complete and utter opinionated punter-bullshit (about how they’re going to do their bollocks today). I heard a punter today, on his mobile, saying to someone, that he had, had a ‘message’ for Faugheen. A message for Faugheen??!! Thanks for that massive secret clue!!!Well, today, I saw a nasty-little-knocker, in the lift. He tried to do the old, looking the other way trick, thinking I didn’t see him, and I then noticed him going into another bookmaker’s box.UNLUCKY. I immediately told the other bookmaker about the specimen he was dealing with, and not to give him any credit! I shall also be seeing if he has any money in with that bookmaker, and have it transferred over to Star!!IF YOU ARE A NASTY-LITTLE-KNOCKER, I WILL ALWAYS SEE YOU. ALWAYS.In other news:How cold would you have to be, to wear a Betfair scarf?Over and out, B xlast_img read more

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BENS BLOG New Punters

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first_img[dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter battle yesterday, we headed straight out for a curry. And over dinner, I mused that ‘one day’ we would get some exceptional results, at Cheltenham, on the first day, and win a fortune. The cynical response, correctly thrown back at me though, was that, that would only leave us hugely behind, rather than hopelessly tailed off and out of sight. I don’t quite know what it is, but the Tuesday always seems to give the Punters the whip-hand, that we Bookies, have to then work our way back from.It was an incredibly busy day’s action in the betting-ring, and every bookmaker I spoke to, said that they were delighted with levels of business. It was easy to take money, and we didn’t have to push right to the edge to compete for our share. There is obviously the thought though, that with such results, it might just have been the Punters, spinning it up, whilst they were ahead.I must say, I have never seen so many NEW decent Punters about. Personally, I would put this down to better and better promotion of the Festival, the off days becoming weaker and weaker so Punters focus on the good stuff, and a healthy economy.It’s so important that we don’t forget where we’re all from and where the game started. LONG LIVE THE BETTING-RING.Cheltenham picture from SIMON NOTTIn other news:‎Koloshi, London Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, GL54 4HG. WEB SITE Looks scarily fancy at first look, like the type of place that doesn’t do proper Poppadums, and everything is going to be uber spicy. Don’t worry though, Blog. They still have a side menu, that offers all the usual Kormas and Bhunas, for traditional heathens (like myself). A really good find. Great service. And superb grub too.‎ The mushroom bhaji gets a tick. Weighs in, at about £28 a head (booze included). 8‎Over and out, B xlast_img read more

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BENS BLOG How to become a Mega A lesson from Tom Bower

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first_img[dropcap]B[/dropcap]log, I spend my days pacing the streets, wondering why, I’m not the world’s first trillionaire. And in an effort to remedy this situation, I try to take counsel from people in the know.Tonight, in this vein, I had dinner with my favourite writer, (joint with Jonathan Franzen), ‎the biographer; Tom Bower. And I really must say; it was a fascinating evening.We live in a world where people gain credibility and recognition, for shows of no substance, or by using/spending money they have been given. They’ve had a massive boob-job. Sung a song that someone else wrote. Or they are enjoying relationships with several other uninteresting and bizarre 15-minute-wonders.I am a bookmaker and a professional-gambler. I produce nothing. I make no addition to society. I am a non-creator. It was a privilege though, to speak to a man of genuine and proper substance.Anyway, onto the meaty stuff… I asked Tom, what qualities all of the megas had, that he had written about?He answered: ‘Endless hard work. MASSIVE self-belief. Courage. And ruthlessness.’. I noted that he didn’t list ‘intelligence’.I then asked him what weaknesses, the ones had, who fell? He said just one word; ‘Dishonesty’. He then followed up, by saying that ‎they were so arrogant, they thought they could endlessly pull strokes and treat people badly, and it would never come back to them. THEY WERE TRAGICALLY WRONG.Over and out, B x​last_img read more

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STARTERS ORDERS Thursday

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first_img[dropcap]W[/dropcap]elcome to Starters Orders. Our daily midday update from the trading room at Star Sports with our key market movers for the day across all sports.Thursday 20 July HORSE RACING2.20 ChepstowTime For Wine 16/1 > 8/13.30 HamiltonPicks Pinta 9/2 > 9/45.15 HamiltonCline 5/2 > 7/4FOOTBALLUEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round 2nd Leg19:45 Premier Sports / Premier Sports HD11/5 Siroki Brijeg 5/4 Aberdeen 21/10 DRAWTHE OPENCALL FOR OUR LATEST IN-PLAY PRICESBET WITH STAR SPORTS 08000 521 321last_img

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