DAVIE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police need help catching two crooks caught on camera at a Davie hardware store.

They said the men stole several took kits, nail guns, and other hardware supplies on separate occasions.

The crimes happened at a Lowe’s near Interstate 95 and Hiatus Road in August and November.

If you have any information regarding the thefts, call police or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.

Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A no-swim advisory has been lifted at the Deerfield Beach Pier.

The Florida Department of Health in Broward County issued the advisory on Friday after waters by the pier did not meet state requirements.

Officials lifted the advisory Tuesday after water samples they tested met state requirements.

Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Govt officials confirm Trump can block US companies from operating in China The US president has not made an order as yet, only requesting for US companies to move out of China.

An open database exposing records containing the sensitive data of hotel customers as well as US military personnel and officials has been disclosed by researchers.

On Monday, vpnMentor's cybersecurity team, led by Noam Rotem and Ran Locar, said the database belonged to Autoclerk, a service owned by Best Western Hotels and Resorts group.

Autoclerk is a reservations management system used by resorts to manage web bookings, revenue, loyalty programs, guest profiles, and payment processing.

In a report shared with ZDNet, the researchers said the open Elasticsearch database was discovered through vpnMentor's web mapping project. It was possible to access the database, given it had no encryption or security barriers whatsoever, and perform searches to examine the records contained within.

The team says that "thousands" of individuals were impacted, although due to ethical reasons it was not possible to examine every record in the leaking database to come up with a specific number.

Hundreds of thousands of booking reservations for guests were available to view and data including full names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, dates and travel costs, some check-in times and room numbers, and masked credit card details were also exposed.

See also: Citizen Lab: WeChat's real-time censorship system uses hash indexes to filter content

Data breaches are a common occurrence and can end up compromising information belonging to thousands or millions of us in single cases of a successful cyberattack.

What is more uncommon, however, is that the US government and military figures have also been involved in this security incident.

It appears that one of the platforms connected to Autoclerk exposed in the breach is a contractor of the US government that deals with travel arrangements.

vpnMentor was able to view records relating to the travel arrangements of government and military personnel -- both past and future -- who are connected to the US government, military, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Within the records, for example, were logs for US Army generals visiting Russia and Israel, among other countries.

CNET: California proposes regulations to enforce new privacy law

Autoclerk facilitates communication between different hospitality platforms, and it appears that a substantial portion of the data originated from external platforms. In total, the database -- hosted by AWS -- contained over 179GB of data.

At the time of writing it has not been possible to track the overall owner of the database due to the "number of external origin points and sheer size of the data exposed," the team says.

The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) was informed of the leak on September 13 but did not respond to the researcher's findings.

vpnMentor then reached out to the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, and seven days later, the team contacted a representative of the Pentagon who promised swift action. Access to the database was revoked on October 2.

TechRepublic: Financial industry spends millions to deal with breaches

"The greatest risk posed by this leak is to the US government and military," the team says. "Significant amounts of sensitive employee and military personnel data could now be in the public domain. This gives invaluable insight into the operations and activities of the US government and military personnel. The national security implications for the US government and military are wide-ranging and serious."

ZDNet has reached out to US-CERT and affected parties and will update when we hear back.

Previous and related coverage

Have a tip? Get in touch securely via WhatsApp | Signal at +447713 025 499, or over at Keybase: charlie0

The latest huge unsecured cloud storage find is in Autoclerk—a service owned by Best Western. “Hundreds of thousands” of hotel guest records containing sensitive personal data, all available on the internet with no authentication nor encryption.

And, to make it worse, Autoclerk was also used for U.S. government travel. So terrorists could have tracked the movements of strategic staff.

Here we go again. In today’s SB Blogwatch, we déjà vu anew.

Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention: Rollin’.

AWS Data Lake Leak

What’s the craic? Charlie Osborne reports—“Database leaked 179GB in customer, US government, and military records”:

An open database exposing records containing the sensitive data of hotel customers as well as US military personnel and officials has been disclosed. … Autoclerk, a service owned by Best Western Hotels and Resorts group … is a reservations management system used by resorts to manage web bookings, revenue, loyalty programs, guest profiles, and payment processing.

…

It had no encryption or security barriers whatsoever. … Hundreds of thousands of booking reservations for guests were available to view … including full names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, dates and travel costs, some check-in times and room numbers.

…

It appears that one of the platforms connected to Autoclerk exposed in the breach is a contractor of the US government that deals with travel arrangements. … Within the records, for example, were logs for US Army generals visiting Russia and Israel, among other countries.

…

The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) was informed of the leak on September 13 but did not respond.

Ouch. Lindsey O’Donnell adds—“Data Leaked By Autoclerk”:

Autoclerk … was acquired by the Best Western Hotel and Resorts Group in August. … Autoclerk software is used by third-party travel agencies [including] HAPI Cloud, OpenTravel and Synxis by Sabre Hospitality Solutions.

…

Beyond the privacy implications of hackers getting their hands on PII of customers, researchers said that the reservation details of customers in the database could provide attackers with valuable clues to piece together fraud or phishing attacks. … The database could also have physically dangerous implications for victims … especially for potentially high-profile government or military personnel.

Who found it? vpnMentor’s Noam Rotem and Ran Locar—“Travel Reservations Platform Leaks”:

The leak exposed sensitive personal data of users and hotel guests, along with a complete overview of their hotel and travel reservations … with millions of new records being added daily. … This represented a massive breach of security for the government agencies and departments impacted.

…

We have contacted the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT). We outlined the nature of the leak, and the government, military, and DHS data that was exposed. However, at the time of publishing, they have not replied to our email, ignoring our concerns.

…

All this information is incredibly valuable for criminal hackers and online thieves. … For the US government, alarm bells should be ringing. … Criminals could pose as hotels or booking engines used by guests, crafting convincing emails to easily fool them. The effects could be devastating, both financially and personally.

…

This represents a major flaw in the data security apparatus around such sensitive information. Any company concerned with the travel logistics of high-level military personnel should be adhering to the strictest data protection practices.

Ain’t that the truth? e-sushi—@originalesushi—feels the shockwave:

You’ve probably seen it in the movies: that short, silent moment between the detonation of a nuke, and the blast that sets in to wipe you off this planet.

That’s how job security must feel when you were in charge of the security of that 179GB database.

Time to prosecute the CEO? rtb61 curbs your enthusiasm:

Ahh padawan I see you do not understand, here is the lesson: lowest tender vs. safety and security. When you do it as cheap as you can, do not expect good outcomes—they will not happen.

…

Profit was the primary focus and costs are the enemy of profit, the blood enemy, the enemy to be ruthlessly, relentless attacked. And of course, the **** up turned into someone else’s problem after you have wandered off with the profits and bonuses.

…

[But] expect pretty rapid change after a CEO, board members and tech staff, receive years long custodial sentences. … You don’t think they would ever give a **** about actual security do you? Only if there is a profit in it.

…

The system has been ****ed by psychopaths and will routinely fail.

A slightly less sweary Dean of Pentacles—@da_terry—gets all wistful:

Remember the 90s, when things needed to be hacked? Today, everything is just laying around on the internet.

I know, right? Marlin Schwanke asks, “Why Even Bother Reporting Breaches?”:

Why even bother to report this stuff anymore? We should all assume that every bit of our personal information is freely available online and get over it. The way business runs their IT it doesn’t seem far off the mark.

Business that amass and store consumer data in such a sloppy fashion should be shuttered. I won’t be holding my breath.

And Doctor Syntax is IN:

You’d think by now that hotel chains would have learned that

(a) they really need to do a thorough annual audit of their own security, and

(b) do the same in spades for any business they’re thinking of buying.

…

It’s going to take a few more big fines and lawsuits, big enough for the board and investors to notice. Even then it seems doubtful that they’ll manage to learn from the misfortunes of others.

Meanwhile, Volatile_Memory randomly remembers:

I stayed at a Best Western in Georgia (US) once and they had the username and password for their reservation system written on a note taped next to the computer. I told them about it and … was met with a bored stare.

And Finally:

This is how we roll

Previously in And Finally

You have been reading SB Blogwatch by Richi Jennings. Richi curates the best bloggy bits, finest forums, and weirdest websites… so you don’t have to. Hate mail may be directed to @RiCHi or sbbw@richi.uk. Ask your doctor before reading. Your mileage may vary. E&OE.

Image source: Raysonho (cc:0)


Ducks defenseman Erik Gudbranson, left, knocks the puck away from Golden Knights center Cody Glass during the second period of Tuesday’s game in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch (89) celebrates after scoring against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights players celebrate after Alex Tuch (89) scored against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Sound The gallery will resume in seconds

Vegas Golden Knights players celebrate after right wing Mark Stone (61) scored against Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Korbinian Holzer, left, celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch (89) scores on Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Anaheim Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg, center, celebrates after a teammate scored against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Anaheim Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg (33) attempts a shot on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Max Pacioretty, center, celebrates after Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) scored against Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Tomas Nosek (92) skates around Anaheim Ducks left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (20) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) skates around Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm (47) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm (47) checks Vegas Golden Knights left wing William Carrier (28) into the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Anaheim Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg (33) celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Comtois (53) fights with Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Comtois (53) attempts a shot on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) stops the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Anaheim Ducks left wing Max Jones (49) vies for the puck with Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Anaheim Ducks right wing Ondrej Kase (25) tries to skate through Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson (20) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Tomas Nosek (92) attempts a shot on Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (36) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault (81) celebrates after scoring against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Tomas Nosek (92) skates around Anaheim Ducks left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (20) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

LAS VEGAS — The Ducks didn’t have a chance Tuesday afternoon because they didn’t give themselves a chance. They tossed the puck around like it was toxic and paid the price for their carelessness with a 5-2 loss to the opportunistic Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

The Golden Knights jumped the Ducks from the start, and it wasn’t as if they needed help to build a commanding lead. But the Ducks gave it to them anyway, sandwiching two egregious turnovers around an own goal as Vegas skated away with a 3-1 advantage entering the third period.

Funny thing, too.

The Ducks actually weathered an early Vegas onslaught to take a 1-0 lead on defenseman Korbinian Holzer’s first goal of the season, a chip shot that found the back of the net 8:13 into the game. It was more or less, all downhill from there for the Ducks.

“It’s frustrating when we come out and we’re not ready to play,” Ducks goaltender John Gibson said. “It’s a privilege to play in the National Hockey League and it feels like some guys are starting to take it for granted and are just kind of happy to be here. We play a good game every now and then and we can’t string it together, put two in a row, can’t seem to get points.”

Gibson turned away the Golden Knights again and again, but he was left to fend for himself far too often. Vegas outshot the Ducks by 43-28, including 22-5 in the first period.

“We’ve got to find a way to be more consistent in our game,” Holzer said. “There are stretches in the game where we play really well and there are stretches where we play absolutely terrible. We can’t have ‘Gibby’ bail us out every night. It’s not the way we should play. It’s not a recipe for success.”

The rest of the opening period unfolded in a nightmarish fashion of the Ducks’ own making.

Ducks defenseman Erik Gudbranson lost control of the puck in front of his net. Mark Stone, who separated Sam Steel from the puck a nanosecond earlier, jumped on Gudbranson’s misplay and beat Ducks goaltender Gibson for the tying goal at 14:36 of the first period.

Vegas then made it 2-1 in the closing seconds of the opening period. Or rather the Ducks did. Alex Tuch was credited with the tiebreaking goal at 19:40, when he swatted a loose puck beneath Gibson. The puck kept moving and then Ducks defenseman Josh Manson tapped it into his own net.

The Ducks complained that a whistle should have halted play, but to no avail. Gibson later said he watched the replay during the intermission and admitted the call was correct. He even skated out and spoke to referee Dean Morton before the second period began.

Related Articles Ducks goalie John Gibson credits break with improved play

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Ducks goalie John Gibson bemoans inconsistent play in OT loss to Flyers

Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf finding new ways to lead

Ducks ride second-period flurry to victory over Golden Knights “It was just kind of sitting there,” Gibson said of the loose puck that ended up squirting free before Manson mishandled it. “I think Manson went to grab it and it went into the net. I was upset with it and then I looked at it and (Morton) made the right call.”

Late in the second period, after the Ducks had pushed back and actually began to generate sustained pressure in the Golden Knights’ end, disaster struck again. Adam Henrique’s clearing attempt sailed directly onto the stick of Vegas’ Reilly Smith, who beat Gibson for a 3-1 lead at 17:55.

In the third, Jonathan Marchessault scored twice, including on a penalty shot that extended the Vegas lead to 4-1. Jakob Silfverberg’s team-leading 14th goal cut the Ducks’ deficit to 4-2, but Marchessault sealed it with an empty-net goal with 1:54 left.

“It would be one thing if we had shown all year that we weren’t able to play with teams like this, but we have shown that we can,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “That’s where you kind of (hurt) yourself. It’s like if you go out and run a four-minute mile and you show up every day after that and you run a seven-minute mile. Something’s wrong because you showed you could do it.”

'Get that mentality that every night is going to be a hard working night, bear down, and hopefully we can string some games together'. Jakob Silfverberg is looking toward the new year with optimism! @AnaheimDucks are back in action Thursday vs the #Coyotes!#LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/Ehabq2aaZu — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) December 31, 2019

THAT'S OUT ALL STAR⭐ Silfvy finds the net in the third for the @AnaheimDucks!@jsilfverberg33 | #LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/6399g2ObG0 — FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) December 31, 2019

Woody Guthrie's 1943 New Year's Resolutions are a powerful reminder to "Keep the hope machine running."

I'd seen this before, but I was reminded of it when I saw Billy Bragg share a webcomic version of it on Facebook. But here are Woody Guthrie's New Year's resolutions from 1943. While they were written in the throes of World War II, I think we'd all do well by following their example every day and every year, but especially right now.

1. Work more and better

2. Work by a schedule

3. Wash teeth if any

4. Shave

5. Take bath

6. Eat good — fruit — vegetables — milk

7. Drink very scant if any

8. Write a song a day

9. Wear clean clothes — look good

10. Shine shoes

11. Change socks

12. Change bed cloths often

13. Read lots good books

14. Listen to radio a lot

15. Learn people better

16. Keep rancho clean

17. Dont get lonesome

18. Stay glad

19. Keep hoping machine running

20. Dream good

21. Bank all extra money

22. Save dough

23. Have company but dont waste time

24. Send Mary and kids money

25. Play and sing good

26. Dance better

27. Help win war — beat fascism

28. Love mama

29. Love papa

30. Love Pete

31. Love everybody

32. Make up your mind

33. Wake up and fight

Dance better. Beat fascism. Keep the hope machine running. I think that pretty much covers everything.

Woody Guthrie’s Doodle-Filled List of 33 New Year’s Resolutions From 1943


The West Bengal government’s proposal was rejected after an Expert Committee examined it in two rounds of meeting. (File Photo/PIB)

West Bengal Republic Day tableau: Twenty-two proposals, 16 from states and union territories and six from central ministries — out of a total 56 have been short-listed for this Republic Day parade, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

The Ministry had received 32 tableau proposals from states and union territories and 24 from central ministries and departments.

“Out of these, 22 proposals, comprising 16 states/UTs and 6 ministries/departments, have finally been short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2020 after a series of five meetings,” a statement by the ministry said.

The West Bengal government’s proposal was rejected after an Expert Committee examined it in two rounds of meeting, it said.

“The tableau proposal of the West Bengal government was not taken forward for further consideration by the Expert Committee after deliberations in the second meeting.

“It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the Government of West Bengal was short-listed for participation in the Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process,” it added.

There is a well-established system for selection of tableau for participation in the Republic Day Parade. The Ministry of Defence invites proposals from all states, union territories, central ministries and departments.

The proposals are then evaluated in a series of meetings of the Expert Committee comprising eminent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography, etc.

The Committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations, the statement said.

Due to time constraints, only a limited number of tableau can be short-listed for participation in the parade. “The selection process in vogue, leads to participation of the best tableau in the parade,” the statement added.

Mumbai: The NCP and Shiv Sena on Thursday targeted Centre for rejecting Maharashtra's tableau for the Republic Day parade, with the Sharad Pawar-led party dubbing the move an insult to the state. However, the state BJP said that in the past Maharashtra's tableau had not featured in the January 26 parade many times.

Republican Party of India leader and Union minister Ramdas Athawale said he would see to it that the state's tableau figured in the procession. NCP MP Supriya Sule claimed the Centre has denied permission to the tableaux from the non-BJP-ruled Maharashtra and West Bengal, adding the Modi government was behaving in a "prejudiced" manner.

She said the two states had played a key role in the freedom struggle and the decision to deny permission to their tableaux was an "insult" of the people. "The Centre has rejected permissions to the tableaux of Maharashtra and West Bengal from parading on Republic Day.

It is a festival of the country and the Centre is expected to give representation to all the states," Sule tweeted. "But the government is behaving in a prejudiced manner, giving step motherly treatment to the states being ruled by opposition parties," she added.

The Parliamentarian from Baramati also shared a news report that claims that the Defence Ministry has rejected West Bengal's tableau for the Republic Day parade (on January 26). "You will have to explain why the tableaux of the two states were rejected. The chief minister of Maharashtra should probe the matter. It has to be found out who is responsible for this. Are there elements having loyalty to previous government? There may not be. But this has to be probed," Sena MP Sanjay Raut told a Marathi news channel.

Sule and Raut were responding to reports that the Ministry of Defence has selected 22 tableaux out of 56 proposals for the Republic Day parade. The selected tableau will feature 16 states and Union territories and six Central ministries.

Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad said the decision to reject the tableau has hurt the "asmita" (self-respect) of people of the state. The state BJP, however, said that Sule and Raut were misleading the people.

@BJP4Maharashtra, the state BJP's Twitter handle, pointed out that Maharashtra's tableau had not figured in the parade on many occasions in the past. "Centre invites entries from 32 states of which 16 are selected rotation-wise. Along with it, eight central ministries are also selected...making the total count 24," it said.

"Maharashtra's tableau was not selected even earlier as well. In 1972, 1987, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2013 and 2016 Maharashtra's tableau was not selected," the party said. "Except two years, Congress was in power at the Centre as well as in the state during these years," the party added, asking why, then, the Narendra Modi government was being targeted.

BJP ally and Union minister Ramdas Athawale said he will try to ensure that Maharashtra's tableau made it to the annual event. "I have no information so far whether Maharashtra's tableau will be there for the Republic Day Parade or not...but I will try to see that the tableau is there. "This is not a political issue," the Union Minister of State for Social Justice in a statement.

Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you – in real time.


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As we enter a new decade, we take a look back at the bars and clubs we've loved and lost over the last 10 years.

There have been many changes in the city centre since 2010 with lots of our favourite venues closing their doors forever and other relocating to alternative areas.

Some club bosses said they struggled as a result of ongoing roadworks in the city, others were forced to close after their licences were revoked by the council.

Here are some of our memories of Brum's nightlife over the last decade - please do tell us yours.

Mechu

Mechu was one of Birmingham's most glamorous nightclubs, a popular celebrity hangout with private booths and VIP areas.

It opened in Summer Row in 2003 and enjoyed 14 successful years in the city.

But, in March 2017, the club, bar and restaurant hosted a farewell party then closed its doors, having struggled as a result of the disruption from the Paradise roadworks.

It reopened two months later as M Club , a sophisticated nightclub aimed at the over 30s.

(Image: Emma Lee)

Après Bar

Within months of the closure of Mechu, its neighbouring bar Après closed too.

Après Bar, which originally opened in 2002 with a 'Scandinavian lodge theme', screened major football and F1 fixtures on giant 3D plasmas.

It sat next door to Mechu and was owned by the same company, Town and Country Inns.

Sadly, it closed within months of its sister venue Mechu and was replaced with the Texan Sports Cafe Bar in August 2017 but this has since closed too.

(Image: TripAdvisor)

The old Snobs

The original Paradise Circus site, near Fletcher's Walk, was home to Brum's legendary nightclub, best loved for its weekend and student Big Wednesdays, which cost just £4 to enter with your NUS card.

It closed in September 2014 after 40 years in the same spot, opening just a couple of days later in Smallbrook Queensway following a £2 million renovation project.

The new Snobs is just as popular but many Brummies still hold fond memories of the original venue, which hosted famous names such as Felicity Jones and the indie band Peace

Remember the original 'face wall', the mirrored hallway and graffiti etched tables?

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Bar Risa

Remember when Bar Risa hosted a 'Halloween Ebola breakout party' in 2014?

Bosses were criticised for the event and staff apologised for 'huge error of judgement. In the same year, there were violent scenes when a man's throat was cut inside the venue and the bar hosted EDL supporters ahead of a rally in Centenary Square.

In May 2015, the bar was shut down after disorder erupted outside the venue and police ordered an urgent review. As a result, Birmingham City Council suspended the licence.

Later that year, the nightspot was reborn as 6 On Broad Street after a £1 million makeover then, in 2017, a further £1 million was spent on the venue and it became Rosie's.

Gatecrasher

Initially club brand Gatecrasher hosted nights at The Works on Broad Street then took over the entire club in September 2008.

It became the biggest nightclub in Brum, with a capacity of 2,400 (only eclipsed by Dome II which had already shut).

However, the nightclub lost its licence in November 2015. In June 2016, it opened as PRYZM following a £1.4 million relaunch.

Chameleon

Chameleon restaurant, cocktail bar and club opened in 2010 and described itself as “the place to be for sheer style and sophistication”.

It was particularly popular as a place to party for the over-thirties, as had been its predecessor Henry's cafe bar.

But the venue, on the corner of Victoria Square and Hill Street, abruptly closed in February 2018 when a letter from law firm CMS, secured to the door, said tenant Suitable Ventures Ltd was in liquidation.

It reopened in November 2018 as Kongs , a late-night 1980s arcade gaming club, bar and nightclub where you can play Pac Man, ping pong and dance to 80s hip hop.

Temple Street Social

‘British-themed’ restaurant Temple Street Social was part of the historic Somerset House in Temple Street.

It closed in the summer of 2015 and remained empty for a couple of years. Then, in August 2017, it was reopened by South American restaurant chain Las Iguanas,specialising in food with a Latin flavour.

The Bureau Bar

The Bureau Bar enjoyed rave reviews for its food and won Designmynight.com's Hidden Gem award when it launched in a stunning Grade II listed building on Colmore Row back in 2014.

It boasted a roof terrace which made it a popular choice for New Year's Eve revellers keen to watch fireworks in the city. But, in January 2019, it closed its doors , telling BirminghamLive: "A lot of bars have folded in the area recently."

The venue reopened in November as Henman & Cooper , a cocktail bar named after the architects who designed the 1902 building.

Prisma Bar

Prisma Bar was known for its 'Fusion Fridays' full of house and garage tunes and 'Scandalous Saturdays' boasting RnB.

But the Bristol Street nightclub was closed down when Birmingham City Council revoked its licence over public safety fears in February 2018.

This came after a gun and knife were brandished inside the venue and a man was slashed across the face.

A hearing heard that Prisma had been hosting an event called Soca Junkie in one room and a private 30th party in an event called We Pray in another room.

Rainbow Venues

Rainbow Venues announced it was to close all of its clubs down in January 2018 after its licence was revoked by Birmingham City Council following a drug-related death at Rainbow Warehouse in Lower Trinity Street.

The venue was ordered to shut down after student Michael Trueman, 19, was understood to have taken MDMA at a Halloween event and died in hospital the next day. The tragedy was the second drug-related death in two years at the Digbeth venue.

The nightclub announced the closure with an emotive video on its Facebook page featuring supporters, DJs including Birmingham's Hannah Wants and promoters.

Flares

Flares was the disco venue of Brum, particularly popular with hen parties and revellers in fancy dress.

You could expect plenty of ABBA and Gloria Gaynor songs at the popular Broad Street retro nightclub.

Having previously been known as The Church in the 90s, the venue was reinvented in 2014 when it became known as kitsch party venue Popworld.

Rococo and Mooch Bar

Licensing chiefs slapped stringent conditions on Rococo on Broad Street following gang-related violence at the start of 2013.

Mooch Bar took over from Rococo in 2014, declaring itself as 'Birmingham's most stylish bar' with a glamorous and chic interior.

When news broke that the venue was going to be turned into a Coyote Ugly Saloon there was much excitement in Brum. The new venue opened in August 2019.

The Sports Cafe

The Sports Cafe in Broad Street was, as the name suggests, a popular place to catch all the latest football screenings.

In 2011, it became Bliss nightclub and it was turned into Players Bar in 2014, which remains there today.

Jacksonville, FL - I'm not sure how we'll look back at film in the 2010s. Much of it already seems like a blur, leaving me asking questions like, "Was that the Batman movie with Ben Affleck or Christian Bale?" or "Which of the five Spider-Man and five Star Wars movies did you like the best?"

To put it another way, how are we supposed to really evaluate the 21 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies theatrically released in this decade? Even Marvel movies represent only about half of the total comic book-related films produced in the 2010s. It’s just disorienting.

It's mostly the product of monopoly capitalism. Fewer giant corporations own most of the franchises and intellectual properties today than even ten years ago. In pursuit of profit, studios fall back on less risky, tried-and-true bankable stories and franchises. To that end, we’ve seen an explosion of sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, spinoffs and more in the last ten years.

We end up in absurd situations where Sony remakes Spider-Man every couple of years for no other reason than to stop their franchise rights from lapsing back to Marvel (owned by Disney). Now 20th Century Fox's Alien Queen is technically a Disney princess. Even movies that completely bombed in theaters but developed a cult following on home video, like Blade Runner, get treated like major franchises.

The other factor driving all of this is the Great Recession. For most of us, the economy never recovered from the 2008 crisis. All capitalism can offer us anymore - especially my generation - is this fake, totally banal nostalgia for a past that supposedly didn't suck so much (it did; we were just kids). In Capitalist America, you might not have the money to see a doctor, but you can watch Gargoyles, or Lizzy Maguire, or a brand new Star Wars TV show on Disney+ for $6.99 per month.

It’s appropriate that the 1980s weighed so heavy on pop culture this decade. We continue to live in the hangover of Reaganomics, and the billionaire reality-TV psychopath who came to encompass the greediest excesses of that era now sits in the White House. Rest assured, a similarly exhausting wave of 90s cultural nostalgia is on the horizon for the 2020s. Let’s hope that it’s limited to movies and music and not politics or economics.

As less of us went to the movies in the aftermath of the recession, Hollywood increasingly came to rely on overseas audiences for ticket sales. This lends itself to studios producing bigger blockbusters, which are heavy on special effects and colorful characters but lighter on dialogue and story - since the latter, of course, has to get translated.

But it wasn't just blockbusters. Even the supposedly 'high-brow' cinema adored by the rich and famous mostly sucked. Take a look at this decade’s Oscar winners and nominees: The King's Speech - a sendup to the British crown? The Artist - a silent film no one saw? Argo - thinly disguised propaganda for war with Iran? Birdman - an eye-rolling 'love letter' to rich yuppies in New York? All of these movies won Oscars for ‘Best Picture.’ Even on the off-chance that you saw them, does anybody really think these movies had anything important or lasting to say about the world?

All that said, the 2010s wasn't all cynical garbage. There were plenty of outstanding movies, including many not on my list. But in the interests of cutting through the haze, I've highlighted 20 movies from the last ten years that stood out:

1. Free State of Jones (2016) - This isn't just the best Civil War movie ever - it's a revolutionary manifesto for organizing in the South. I wrote a full review back in 2016 for Fight Back!, which you can read here.

2. Sorry to Bother You (2018) - It’s the most pro-union, anti-capitalist movie made in the U.S. in several decades, delivering an original story and a legendary sci-fi plot twist worthy. Sorry to Bother You isn’t just great political art. It perfectly speaks to the struggles facing the working-class youth of today in an age dominated by monopoly corporations like Amazon and flooded with social media, low wages, high rent and soul-crushing jobs.

3. It Follows (2014) - Solidly one of the five best horror films I've seen, ever. Perfectly captures the dreadful inevitability of a nightmare.

4. Arrival (2016) - The most aspirational sci-fi film of the decade, and one that lays out Nietzsche's problem of the eternal recurrence in a hopeful way. Arrival left me believing that humanity has a chance to stop our impending climate and war-driven apocalypse and live better than we ever have.

5. Lincoln (2012) - Staggering and important portrayal of the political fight to abolish slavery in the United States. All the better because it's not an insipid biopic like the title might suggest.

6. The First Purge (2018) - The apex for the best original franchise to emerge from the 2010s. Every couple of years, The Purge series offered the most biting and timely political commentary at the movies or on television. With its Black working-class protagonists battling for survival against rich neo-Nazis, The First Purge, technically the fourth installment, represented the series at its most class-conscious.

7. Inception (2010) - I cooled on all of Christopher Nolan's movies over the last decade except for this one. Truly an exceptional mind-thriller that stunningly represents the way we perceive and construct ideas.

8. First Reformed (2018) - What does it mean to accept that the capitalist system we live under will lead to certain doom for humanity and the earth, but also to set aside that terrible realization enough to do something about it? How do you stave off nihilistic despair and embrace a positive vision worth fighting for? Those questions asked in First Reformed bring to mind Huey Newton’s writing about ‘reactionary suicide’ and ‘revolutionary suicide’ - something the film explores beautifully.

9. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - Without a doubt the best comic book movie of the decade. It's hard to even remember it's animated and not live-action.

10. Get Out (2017) - Jordan Peele was the source of some of the best comedy in the 2010s, but he also penned the perfect horror movie about racism and wealthy liberals - one that I suspect will go down as an all-time great in the genre. Get Out has forever raised the bar for socially conscious horror films.

11. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - A rare sequel/reboot I didn't think we needed, but we did. Visually unparalleled, electrifying and revolutionary.

12. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) - Just a cut above practically every film in the Star Wars series. This is a movie that grapples seriously with guerrilla warfare and gives desperately needed texture to the Rebel Alliance

13. Django Unchained (2012) - Tarantino's first and last great film of the decade, set in the antebellum U.S. South.

14. El Libertador (2014) - Ignore that Netflix series. This staggering film about South American revolutionary Simon Bolivar’s life is unparalleled. You can see the mark of the late great Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who helped finance the movie, all over it.

15. 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets (2015) - Having organized in 2014 to win justice for Jordan Davis, the 17-year-old African American murdered in his car for playing rap music, I'm still floored by Marc Silver’s documentary on racist vigilante murder in Jacksonville, Florida. You can read my full review on Fight Back! News here.

16. Carlos (2010) - The Godfather trilogy of 1970s Marxist guerrillas.

17. Vox Lux (2018) - An underrated neoliberal dystopia about the fascist impulses of our popular culture, rooted right here in modern-day USA.

18. Ex Machina (2014) - Truly insidious sci-fi horror that will only become more terrifying as we progress further down the automation and robotics rabbit hole.

19. Inside Out (2015) - Delightful, insightful and soul-enriching for both young and old. It left an unforgettable mark on me like no Pixar movie has since I was a kid.

20. Nightcrawler (2014) - Diabolical look at the twisted capitalist ethos that pervades television media in this country. Go to your local news Facebook comments section if you think Nightcrawler is just fiction.


Lex uses a MacBook Pro, an iPhone 4S, a third-generation iPad, a Kindle 3, a TiVo HD, and a treadmill desk, and loves them all. His latest book, a children's book parody for adults, is called "The Kid in the Crib." Lex lives in New Jersey with his wife and three young kids. More by Lex Friedman

When Apple introduced iCloud in 2011, it announced that every customer with an Apple ID would receive 5GB of iCloud storage space for free. You can add more storage at a rate of $2 per gigabyte per year, in 10GB, 20GB, or 50GB increments. But if you’re not interested in ponying up extra cash for iCloud storage, that 5GB can quickly get tight.

That’s especially true if you use your iCloud storage allotment to back up your iOS devices. Some Apple customers find that they’re unable to back up both an iPad and iPhone to iCloud, because they don't have enough room. Does that mean you need to either pay for more storage or revert to old-fashioned iTunes backups?

Not necessarily. Instead, it means you need to exercise a little extra manual control over how you send items—and more specifically, what you send—to iCloud for safekeeping.

Once more unto the Settings app

To start, open the Settings app on one of your iOS devices, and then tap iCloud. Scroll down and tap Storage & Backup. On the screen that appears, you’ll see the total amount of storage space you have on iCloud (5GB, if you haven’t upgraded), along with the amount of space that's still unused. Beneath that is a Manage Storage button. Tap it.

At the top of the subsequent Manage Storage screen, you’ll see a list of all the iOS devices that you’re backing up to iCloud, including the current device. Examine the list closely. If it claims that you’re still backing up, say, the old iPhone 3GS that you haven’t used since before House was cancelled, you’ll want to delete its backup so that it stops gobbling up your precious storage space. Tap the unneeded device’s name, and then tap the red Delete Backup button that appears.

If you instead tap the name of the device you’re currently using, you reach a screen offering fine control over the precise items you’re backing up for that device.

The role of the Camera Roll

On that screen, you’ll see the current size of your device’s backup, along with an estimate of how large your next backup will be. Below that, you'll see a list of apps that can back up their data to iCloud. With one exception, the list appears in descending order according to the amount of space each app requires to back up its data in iCloud. The one exception: Camera Roll is always first. It isn't always the biggest item on the list, but it often is; for example, my own iPhone’s Camera Roll accounts for 1.1GB of the phone’s 1.7GB backup.

Tapping to turn off the Camera Roll brings up an intimidating question: 'Do you want to turn off Camera Roll backups and delete the backup data from iCloud?' You can choose Turn Off & Delete or Cancel. That first option is scary. If you think it means you'll lose your precious photos and videos, don't worry: You won't—or, rather, you probably won't.

By default, iCloud backs up your iOS devices’ Camera Rolls. That way, if your iPhone croaks, chokes, or otherwise gives up the ghost, you can restore from iCloud and get all your photos and videos back. If you do tap Turn Off & Delete, then, you aren't deleting those visual memories from your device; rather, you’re simply freeing up the iCloud backup space they consume, and removing the ability to restore those photos from iCloud should disaster strike your iOS device.

That isn't necessarily as risky a move as it sounds. Whenever you connect your iOS device to your Mac, you can back up its saved photos and videos to iPhoto. But even if you rarely—or never—sync your iOS devices over USB, you probably don’t need iCloud to back up your photos, thanks to Photo Stream, which keeps up to 1000 of the last photos you snapped over the past 30 days. Since the iCloud Camera Roll backup is really there only in case of emergency, and you’re likely to note a major emergency involving your iOS device in fewer than 30 days, you can generally trust that your photos are safe even if they’re not backed up to iCloud directly. (Photo Stream photos don’t count against your 5GB iCloud quota.)

Merely turning off the Camera Roll backup will shave off a significant chunk of your iOS devices’ backups. That may be enough to allow you to back up all of your iOS devices without busting the 5GB cap. But you can do even more.

Trim the app fat

Depending on how you use your iOS device, you likely will want to continue allowing some apps to back up their data to iCloud. If you frequently create documents in an iOS text editor, create songs in GarageBand, or generate any content at all, and you don’t regularly back it up (or export it in some other fashion), you should use iCloud backup for those apps.

But you probably don’t need to use iCloud to back up data from many other apps you use. And even if most of those apps account for only a few megabytes per backup per app, they can add up to a significant chunk of storage. For example, you might disable iBooks’ iCloud backup, since you can always restore your iBooks purchases from directly within the iBookstore. You probably don’t need to back up whatever data is stored by games for your kids, or games for yourself in which you don’t care about in-game progress or customizations that you might have made. And for apps that sync and back up their data on the Web—such as Instapaper—backup might be unnecessary, too.

Careful, though: Don’t turn things off willy-nilly. For example, you might think, “Hey, I don’t need to back up my data from the Cards app!” And you may well be right. But if you were to learn that, after an iCloud restore, your old photo cards were now but a memory, you'd be crushed.

Documents, data, and mail

At long last, let’s back up one level from that device-specific screen in iCloud’s settings. (Remember, though, to configure the settings for Camera Roll and other apps on each iOS device you back up.) On the main Manage Storage screen, past the list of your devices, you’ll see two other sections: Documents & Data and Mail.

The Documents & Data section refers not to the kind of content iCloud should back up, exactly; instead it refers to all those bits of data that iCloud syncs between your iOS devices (and, in some cases, your computer). This data counts against your iCloud storage allotment.

Interestingly enough, this section of iCloud’s settings can even refer to data that you saved only on your Mac. In my case, it revealed several megabytes' worth of content I’d saved in Preview while exploring; deleting those old, unneeded documents freed up a little extra iCloud space.

In addition, this section lists synced data from iCloud-leveraging apps and games. On my iPhone, that list includes Pages, Passbook, Keynote, and The Incident. I want my progress in The Incident synced between devices, and the sync data consumes just a single kilobyte, so it survives the cut. But if, for example, you see that Pages is taking up many megs (or more), you can tap it to get a listing of each document saved there, along with the amount of space it’s taking up. If you notice files you no longer need, clean ’em out.

If you use iCloud as your primary email account, you may have your work cut out for you: All that mail counts against your iCloud quota. If you don’t regularly archive email offline, prune attachments, and delete what’s deletable, Mail may gobble up an increasingly large percentage of your iCloud quota. I don’t use iCloud Mail, but I found that it was—at first—claiming about 20MB of storage space. I logged in to iCloud.com and cleared out my initial welcome message and a few other test messages to whittle that number down, though it never hit zero: I do use my iCloud account for syncing Notes between devices, and that data counts against the Mail tally, too.

Freedom can be free

Combine these tricks—disable Camera Roll backups, curate which apps get to back up their data to iCloud, limit what types of data you sync with iCloud, and prune unneeded iCloud mail—and you can dramatically shrink the space required to back up your devices with iCloud.

But if you just can’t trim enough iCloud-stored data to fit everything you need, Apple is always happy to let you pay for more space.

Every change begins with a leadership decision. Making the decision to institute changes is not always easy. Being prepared, planning well, and being surrounded by a good team will make that decision a lot easier. Begin by putting yourself in a positive frame of mind. You are likely to experience higher than normal levels of stress and knowing this beforehand will give you the ability to be prepared mentally and physically. You will be the anchorperson and foundation, and with your steady hand will guide your team through the stressful events. Be a reassuring and active force throughout the whole process.

It is impossible to prepare for every contingency, but planning for the known is a must. Add time or extra room to the schedule for the unknowns. When you encounter an unexpected event, your schedule should not be put off by much if you have built in some leeway. It will provide that buffer that gives you and your team the ability to deal with the unknowns and keep rolling with the change process

Surround yourself with people that you can delegate to and be confident in their abilities and skills. Be precise and specific with your directions as when the change process begins you will be depending on these individuals and their talents. Communicating and providing feedback are the keys to successful delegation; make sure your team understands this. If communication fails or there is not accurate feedback the chances of a success are lessened.

An issue that sometimes arises when delegating is micro managing. Keep an eye out to not micro-manage as you can quickly lose track of events and it will take time away from your main duties. Delegating is a skill that takes time as you must first learn the strengths and weakness of your team and know what tasks you can and cannot hand out. It may not be possible to always delegate, but when it can be done it will provide a great resource.

Always be available during the change process. Before the change prepare your friends and family that you may not be available for social events. Reassure your team that you are there for them and you are here to provide them with the necessary resources to lead them through the change. Stress to them that you are available and focused on keeping the communications lines open.

Always be aware of rumors, they will happen before during and after the change. Do not ignore any rumor, put out honest and clear communication as soon as possible. Reassure your team that if they hear a rumor to seek out more information from a reliable source. Remind them that spreading rumors helps no one and will cause more harm than good.

Not everyone will agree on the change. Keep in mind that these types of feelings are normal, as people generally do not enjoy change and are sometimes made nervous by it. You will likely encounter pushback and resistance by a number of team members. Provide facts and data to show why the change is happening and reassure them the need and benefits of the change. These types of individuals are best suited to be educated about the change with information.

If you are encountering an extreme case of pushback, provide them with some choices that still fall within the spectrum of the intended change. They should then feel more involved in the process and it will help alleviate the negative mindset they may be experiencing.It is vitally important to make sure that all stakeholders and employees are on board with a change.

In order to continue increasing awareness and to build desire to support the upcoming change; the change management team must reach out to the organization at large. The force field analysis, developed by German social psychologist Kurt Lewin helps a change management team to:

• Identify pros and cons of an option prior to making a decision

• Explore what is going right — and what is going wrong

• Analyse any two opposing positions.

If concerns or issues arise, then steps must be taken to ensure awareness is continually raised and that desire to support the change is increased. Strategies that can help the change management team responsively address employees’ concerns include:

• Engaging employees, providing forums for people to express their questions and concerns

• Equipping managers & supervisors to be effective change leaders and managers of resistance

• Orchestrating opportunities for advocates of the change to contact those not yet on board

• Aligning incentive and performance management systems to support the change.

Change is not exempt from Murphy’s Law. And even if something isn’t going wrong, change management team members must constantly be observing, listening, and evaluating the progress and process during a change. Below are several tools to help the team accomplish this.

A feedback form is used to gather information from those involved in a change to help shape the remaining course of the change project. Instead of a paper form, feedback can be obtained through online surveys (Zoomerang.com or Survey Monkey.com), an in-house questionnaire on the intranet, a few questions sent by email, or a focus group. The questions will vary depending upon the subject being queried.

Open Feedback include asking participants for suggestions and comments. The compiled results of the feedback forms can be used by the change management team members to modify the project plan and/or the communication plan or to work with specific individuals or groups that may be providing roadblocks to success.

Once a change initiative is underway, it is critical to sustain the change with reinforcement. The leader must make sure that the project and communication plan remain on track. They need to identify, and explore any issues from employees or stakeholders that have emerged, and review and consider any feedback gathered to date.

Acting as a facilitator, the leader helps to bring about learning and productivity. Communication will be a byproduct of this by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance, guidance, and supervision.He or she listens actively, asks questions, encourages diverse viewpoints, organizes information, helps the group reach consensus, and understands that the individual needs of team members will affect teamwork.

The LEAD model provides a simple methodology for facilitating a participative meeting:

• Lead with objectives: When clear objectives are stated up front, group energy is channeled toward achieving an outcome. The objectives shape the content of the meeting.

• Empower to participate: In the Lead model, the facilitator is empowered to encourage active participation.

• Aim for consensus: Getting the team to consensus will have members more likely to support and carry out the decisions of the team.

• Direct the process: How the meeting progresses will influence the quality of the decisions of the team, and influences the commitment of team members.

Leaders must differentiate between process and content. Content includes the topics, subjects, or issues; process is about how the topics, subjects, or issues are addressed.

Because communications from managers and supervisors have been shown to have a significant impact on employees during a change initiative, it is appropriate that they be actively involved in celebrating success with employees as a result of positive performance. Celebrations can occur on three levels:

1. One on one conversation: In a private meeting, a supervisor should attest to the fact that due to the employee’s effort, a change was made, and how it is succeeding. He or she should extend verbal thanks to the employee.

2. Public recognition: Public recognition officially acknowledges outstanding performance and points out a role model that helped make a successful change happen. Supervisors should carefully consider who receives recognition, and not alienate group members who participated in the change but who many not have distinguished themselves as significantly.

3. Group celebrations: Fun or engaging activities are used to celebrate key milestones by a group. They include buffet or restaurant lunches, dinner events, or can include group outings to sports, amusement, or cultural events. It is important that these types of celebrations try to include the involvement of the primary change sponsor in some way.

Professor Akindotun Merino

Email: Info@africamentalhealth.net

Twitter: @drakinmerino

Fb: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Africamentalhealth/

Phone: 08118048229


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I have joined a club that is bigger than it should be and is certainly one that I definitely do not want to belong to. On Christmas Eve, my beautiful friend Sheila Green was murdered by her brother who suffered from psychosis. So now, I am one of the approximately 40% of Americans who know someone who was killed with a gun. That is an obscenely high number and is probably a low estimate as that study was done in 2015.

My wife, Sheryl, and I, met Sheila through mutual friends and through Sheryl’s work, when we first moved to Madison in 1985, as Sheila was an ultrasound tech at the same hospital where Sheryl did her medical residency. It was easy to become friends with Sheila as she had an ever present smile that always made you feel good when you saw her.

Sheila was also a chocolate aficionado, purchasing only the finest chocolates and baking up scrumptious chocolate treats on a regular basis. She was kind enough to share her flourless chocolate torte recipe with my wife, who has made countless of them over the years, and we think of Sheila every time we eat one. Sadly now, we will fondly remember her with each future torte.

Sheila came from a large family, and she was close with her many siblings. She did her best to care for her troubled brother. Sheila knew he owned a gun, and in fact, he had a concealed carry permit. She insisted that he not bring it to her home. For reasons we may never know, her brother did not honor that request on Christmas eve, and brought his gun to her home and shot and killed her.

Sheila’s friends and family are all grieving now for such a needless loss. It is especially needless because there are extreme risk protection laws in 17 states also known as red flag laws which are specifically designed to prevent murders by people who are known to be dangerous. These laws authorize courts to issue a protection order, allowing the police to temporarily confiscate firearms from people who are deemed by a judge to be a danger to themselves or to others.

Usually, the request for the order will come from relatives or friends concerned about a loved one who owns one or more guns and has expressed suicidal thoughts or discussed shooting people. Wisconsin, however, is not one of those states. Yet, it could easily have had this law in place in time to protect Sheila from her brother, who was a known danger who legally possessed a gun.

This past October, Gov. Tony Evers called a special legislative session to consider two common sense gun control measures: universal background checks and red flag legislation. Despite the fact that 80% of Wisconsin residents support passage of these laws, Republican legislative leaders refused to vote on, or even debate these popular measures.

In an utter act of contempt for voters, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald dismissed the Senate in 30 seconds and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos dismissed the Assembly in 15 seconds. Gov. Evers has considered calling another special session on these measures, but thus far, has not done so.

One would like to believe that as society grows and learns, it improves. Yet, when it comes to gun control, the United States continues to behave as if there is nothing we can do to prevent gun violence, leaving our nation stuck in a warped 21st Century Wild, Wild West.

This is my tenth gun control post on my blog in seven years, and while sometimes I feel like giving up, I persist, because too many innocent lives are being snuffed out on a daily basis. Sadly, this time, she was a friend.

I grew up during the Vietnam War, and every Friday on the evening news, the anchorman would report the weekly body count of dead and wounded. My mother shared some wisdom with me at that time, that applies to every single gun death. She said that she wished that they did not publish the number of dead, because that made them anonymous and allowed people to forget that each life lost was a real human being with friends and family.

The same is true with America’s out of control gun violence. I will not add the gruesome statistics to this post because I want every reader to read Sheila Green’s name, look at her beautiful smiling face, that will smile no more — and then call or e-mail Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald and demand that they find some courage to pass a red flag law.

It is too late for Sheila, but it is not too late for the many lives who could be saved in the future.

I sincerely hope that the loss of Sheila’s life will gain some purpose if the Wisconsin legislature passes a red flag law. We could even call it Sheila’s Law.

Reprinted with permission of Wisconsin Examiner.

Jeff Spitzer-Resnick is a nationally recognized attorney with over thirty-four years of experience in the fields of civil rights, disability and education law. He runs Systems Change Consulting, a consulting and training law firm with a focus is on making progressive systems change in the areas of civil rights, disability rights, general and special education, and combating abuse and neglect of vulnerable populations.

He said he's hopeful that this coming year will include a consensus surrounding the issue, though he lamented what he sees as the "minimization of the problem" of possible contamination of nitrates and so-called "forever chemicals" known as PFAS, which are found in firefighting foam and more.

"The concern I have is that we have folks already saying, 'Well we can't overregulate this issue, we can't do this around this issue, we can't we can't,'" he said.

As a key figure among Wisconsin Democrats, Evers said takes both down-ticket races and the presidential match-up seriously. Maintaining Democratic numbers in the Legislature, he said, "keeps my veto in place" as both GOP-led chambers currently lack enough members to override Evers' actions — something he said is especially important because of the approaching census and redistricting round.

As for the presidential election, he stressed the need to get candidates to the state "and have the people in Wisconsin understand the issues that each of them care about and we get a good turnout in the primary, good turnout next fall."

Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.

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Baku, January 1, AZERTAC

"Problems of the IDPs are being resolved. This year, new apartments and homes were built for more than 5,000 IDP families and about 800 martyr families," said President Ilham Aliyev in his message of congratulation to the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and the New Year.

"Thousands of homes have been built for the residents of Shamakhi, Ismayilli and Aghsu districts affected by the earthquake. The absolute majority of the consequences of this major earthquake were eliminated in just 10 months. This is also a unique issue because it demonstrates our intentions and strength. The Azerbaijani government and leadership demonstrated again that they are always with citizens," the head of state emphasized.

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 1

Trend:

"2019 will go down in history as a year of in-depth reforms. Political reforms, personnel reforms, structural reforms, economic, reforms in the political and social spheres have made us stronger. Our economy grew this year, the non-oil sector of the economy grew by more than 3 percent," said President Ilham Aliyev in his message of congratulation to the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and the New Year.

"Our foreign debt accounts for only 17 percent of the GDP. This is the ninth indicator in the world. In the following years, our foreign debt will decline further. Our foreign exchange reserves have grown by $4.5 billion this year, reaching a record high of $50 billion. Our currency reserves exceed our foreign debt more than five times. In other words, this shows the sustainability of the economic and financial opportunities of our country. Industrial production has increased, especially in the non-oil sector, by 14 percent. There is a 7 percent increase in agriculture. So the successful development of our country in all key areas is a reality," the head of state added.

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The Quadrantids can shower around 50 to 100 meteors in an hour.

The start of 2020 is going to be with night sky lighting up with Quadrantid meteor shower on January 3 and 4. Stargazers in the UAE can expect to witness the spectacular starting Friday until predawn hours on Saturday when the meteor shower will be at peak.

According to International Meteor Organization (IMO), the Quadrantids can shower around 50 to 100 meteors in an hour but have a narrow peak window compared to other meteor showers.

However, the Quadrantids are considered to be one of the best because they are fireball meteors that come from larger particles of matter. Fireball meteors are much brighter, and their light and color lasts longer than your average meteor shower, according to Inverse.com.

The IMO predicts that the shower's peak will occur around 3am EST on January 4, and only last for about four hours.

According to Dubai Astronomy Group, the best time to see it is before dawn, starting at 2 after midnight on the northeastern side. The group will be hosting a event at Al Qudra Lake from 10pm-3am.

The Quadrantids will take place in the northern part of the sky and hence it will visible better from the Northern Hemisphere.

If you haven’t made any long drive or desert plans during these cooool winter months yet, well then now you have the PERFECT excuse to do so this Friday. *Insert bad space pun* Sirius-ly you guys!!

Grab your squad and plan for a quick trip to the desert this Friday night to catch the EPIC Quadrantid meteor shower taking place late at night from January 3-4 in full swing. Issa Happy New Year indeeeed!

The Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to peak late night on Friday, January 3 until the dawn of Saturday, January 4.


The Department of Foreign Affairs assisted 1,723 Irish citizens caught up in major incidents overseas last year.

These incidents included terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka and Kenya, protests in Hong Kong and political instability in South America.

Medical emergencies were the most common cause of contact, with 270 people requiring assistance for that.

Over 260 families required the support of the Department following the death of a loved one abroad, while 243 people needed help with overseas arrests.

Some 112 people were victims of crime in another country, while72 families required help tracing a missing person.

The Department assisted these people through its consular office in Dublin, in its 80 embassies and consulates-general, and in the 94 honorary consuls around the world.

One of the most notable cases in which the Department provided assistance was that of teenager Nora Quoirin, whose body was found in a Malaysian rainforest after a 10-day search.

In April 2019 a series of terrorist attacks on churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka left 259 people dead, many of them tourists.

The Department of Foreign Affairs advised people to stay indoors and obey the curfew that was in place at the time, saying they could contact the Honorary Consul in Colombo for assistance if needed.

Commenting on the figures, Minister Simon Coveney said:

“Irish citizens continue to travel more often and more widely than ever before - meaning a greater frequency and complexity of consular cases. This presents ever-growing challenges in providing assistance for Irish citizens who get into difficulty overseas.

“While most journeys overseas go smoothly, the 2019 statistics show that things can and do go wrong and that it is important to be prepared. As people consider travel plans for the year ahead, I urge them to get comprehensive travel insurance.”

Forgive the obvious pun, but our vision for 2020 starts here.

As a news organization, it’s AIN’s job to stick to reporting on what has already happened. One exception is this time, every year. In the following segments, you’ll read what we believe to be the outlook for key elements of our industry for the next 12 months—views inevitably shaped by the past, but with an eye toward what we believe is just beyond the immediate horizon.

You’ll get our take on the immediate future of eVTOL, not the lofty aspirations of the over-optimistic, but the cold reality; the bubbling cauldron of election-year politics as it impacts our industry; 2020’s outlook for what’s in line for the FBO industry; what’s on tap for OEMs in an ever-volatile market; avionics in the wake of the ADS-B (soft?) deadline; and what you can expect to see on the shop floors—and in the order books—of MROs.

So, how did we do last year? Here are some samples of what we were projecting for 2019:

eVTOL: “Even if eVTOLs win public acceptance and clear regulatory and technological hurdles, can OEMs and service providers deliver the technology at a price the general public can afford?” That remains the biggest open question in aviation.

Touchscreens: “It won’t be a surprise to see more manufacturers adopting this technology, especially as younger tech-savvy pilots move up the flying food chain to more sophisticated aircraft.” Twelve months later, that seems on track.

Supersonics: “Through 2019, Aerion and its partners will be initiating the process of selecting Tier 1 suppliers for the next phase of development.” This predated the February 2019 announcement of Boeing’s investment and involvement in the AS2 project. Since then, the program has gone largely silent.

Come January 2021, we’ll take another look back at this year’s look forward.


Mobile gaming is in an ugly spot, so a popular narrative goes, and that’s why Apple tried to tidy up the situation with its curated Apple Arcade subscription service. And we’re big fans of Apple Arcade! You should totally check out our list of the service’s best games once you’re done here.

It’s a flawed narrative, though. Look beyond the chaff of flavor-of-the-moment, ad-riddled games and microtransaction-heavy “freemium” titles, and you’ll find games that are every bit as good as what you’ll see on Apple Arcade. Some of them are even better. And this list doesn’t even count many of the fun freemium games that dropped in 2019, which include Nintendo’s Mario Kart Tour and Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls: Blades. You should check them out, too, but I find they’re a little too eager to dig into your pocketbooks for this list.

Benefits of Hiring a Landscape Designer

In every homestead, the outlook of the landscape matters. This involves the generation of ideas to change the viewpoint of the environment. It may include the addition of some aspects as well as removing other obstructions. Thus people usually struggle to design their environment to attract people and to suit their desires. However, people can plan their landscapes. To achieve the best landscape designs in the market today, one may opt to hire an expert in the preparation of the view. Thus there are usually professionals offering the landscape design services. There are different platforms through which people can get the landscape designing service provider. However, there are several factors one need to consider to hire the best landscape designer. Several benefits have accrued from hiring landscape designers. This article will explain some of the benefits that homeowners have enjoyed from hiring professional landscape designers.

First and foremost, the landscape designer articulates the generation of new ideas. These professionals have helped the property owners look into the latest designs of making their landscapes. The owners sometimes look into the most expensive designing of the landscape. Still, through hiring the professional designers’ new ideas can be generated that can help the owner achieve the desired outlook as well as investing little amount.

Additionally, landscape designers can ease the budget of creation. For instance, the designer can model up the designing techniques that are cheaper and easier to work on. Some scenarios can be complicated and a lot more expensive, and a landscape designer can quickly identify some of the easiest and cheapest methods of designing. Every design desire the best articulation of ideas, and therefore, it is essential to consider the most affordable design methods that can be employed.

Secondly, the designers usually come up with the best construction planning for the landscape. Sometimes the owners cannot ideally come up with the best design option. Thus, professional landscape designers help them to come up with the best designer construction methods. Landscape designers help the owners to analyse the site and perform the required level of corrections and analysis. Places may need prior preparations before the designing. Therefore the designers will guide the site owners to choose the best site preparation options.

Entirely the landscape designers help the owner of the piece of land manage the entire project of designing. Designing the landscape requires time and commitment, and therefore the designer will help the client oversee through the whole period of the project. It is essential to, therefore, look into the training and profession of the landscape designers whether they can entirely oversee through the projects.

However, despite these benefits, there are several factors the client need to consider before hiring the landscape designers. This includes the licensing of the company rendering the service as well as the price quoted. It is essential to know that there are several benefits alongside hiring, but there can be some limitations. Therefore, it is crucial to consider some of the factors such as the experience of the landscape designer. To achieve the best design one has to hire an experienced designer.

5 Takeaways That I Learned About

6 Facts About Everyone Thinks Are True


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Holly Willoughby rang in the new year surrounded by her family - all while sharing a cryptic message.

The This Morning presenter has been enjoying time away from TV as she takes a Christmas break.

Recently the host as been plagued by rumours of a feud with Phillip Schofield.

Editor of This Morning Martin Frizell hit back at claims saying: "We have the smartest viewers watching telly and believe me they would be the first to notice any issues — they haven’t because there are none."

The Mirror reports that ITV also refuted any unrest, saying in a full statement: “It’s deeply disappointing and unfair for Phillip to be the target of this sort of malicious gossip.

"Phillip is a much respected broadcaster and colleague and this is absolutely not a description of This Morning that we recognise.

"Holly and Phil are great friends both on and off screen and are popular among viewers and colleagues alike."

However, Holly was keen to post a motivational and positive message for her fans to embrace in 2020.

Posting a photo to Instagram, Holly could be seen with her three children and husband Dan.

(Image: noholdenback/Instagram)

They appeared to be waving at a burning 2020 sign whilst paddling in water.

She captioned the post: "To kindness and love ... the things we need most... #ifyouknowyouknow."

Also sharing a cryptic message was Amanda Holden - who used to work alongside Phil on This Morning.

Sharing a collage of numerous snaps, she wrote: "I started 2019 with great determination and a new headspace which was to suffer no fools, to put my energy into good people and honestly not give a damn about the rest!

"It's hard because I'm naturally a people pleaser .. but it's paid off and I have never felt stronger or happier.

"Most importantly I never forget how lucky I am to have such love and true friends surrounding me. Thank-you for your positivity and support!! Here's to an even bigger 2020! #newdecade."

She added: "#2019 has turned out to be one of the best and most extraordinary years of my life. So many ambitions and dreams realised

"In the centre of it all my beautiful family. ..My anchor Chris."

America Ferrera has celebrated the new year by announcing she is expecting a second child with husband Ryan Piers Williams.

The Ugly Betty actress is already a mother to one-year-old son Sebastian.


By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A well-known businessman yesterday voiced fears that the “overwhelming majority” of Nassau residents may not feel the benefits even with the capital’s economy poised for “a good inning” in 2020.

Sir Franklyn Wilson told Tribune Business that the increasing wealth gap between “the haves and have nots” appeared to be “off the radar” where the government was concerned, even though “fewer and fewer” Bahamians were seeing their share of national income increase.

He argued that the cruise port’s $250m transformation, together with other multi-million dollar developments such as Baha Mar’s water-based theme park, The Pointe’s completion, the Gold Wynn and Hurricane Hole projects, and continued investment by the likes of Albany would ensure New Providence’s economy enjoys “a good year” - but only at the macroeconomic level.

“I believe New Providence is poised to have a good inning,” the Arawak Homes and Sunshine Holdings chairman told this newspaper. “I think there’s a reasonable basis to think that New Providence will have a good year...

“However, you know, while I say New Providence should have a good inning, those are macroeconomic numbers. While the macroeconomic numbers may be favourable, the impact on the majority of people may not necessarily follow as the gap between the haves and have nots continues to widen.

“The pot as a whole is getting bigger, but fewer and fewer people are getting a decent share. Even when I say New Providence will have a good inning, I’m talking in macroeconomic terms which may not necessarily translate to the overwhelming majority of the population a year from now feeling any better off. The majority will not feel any better off.”

Sir Franklyn said the government seemed to have forgotten the growing income inequality, and widening gap between rich and lower income Bahamians, given that none of its public statements or speeches had ever addressed the issue.

“I have yet to hear any government minister make any statement that they see this as an issue,” he added. “I cannot think of any statement a cabinet minister has made which specifically addresses the imbalance between the haves and the have nots as a key public policy issue. This is not even on the radar of the authorities.”

Concerns over income inequality, and a widening gap between rich and poor stemming from a middle class ‘squeeze’, have been voiced periodically ever since the 2008-2009 recession. Real per capita incomes took 10 years to recover to their pre-recession levels, hitting this mark only in 2017.

Sir Franklyn, meanwhile, suggested that K Peter Turnquest, deputy prime minister, may come under pressure from his Cabinet colleagues to loosen spending and other fiscal controls in a bid to shore up the Government’s popularity just over half-way through its term in office.

Asked about the Government’s ability to avoid a further sovereign credit rating downgrade post-Dorian, he replied: “Minster Turnquest, he is really giving it a good shot. He is trying. I’m sure he will do his personal best to try and avoid it.

“I get the sense that there’s some restlessness within the Cabinet. They sense the popularity of the Government is not trending in a favourable direction, so they will push the minister of finance to do things which may not be consistent with avoiding that downgrade. I think a lot truly depends on the extent to which the Minister of Finance can be strong in the face of pressure from his own Cabinet colleagues.”

The Government previously revealed it will have to seek Parliamentary approval to borrow an extra $508m to finance post-Hurricane Dorian reconstruction, blowing out its projected 2019-2020 fiscal deficit to $677.5m from the initially projected $137m.

Its Fiscal Strategy Report also shows it borrowing a further $499m in 2020-2021, and $301.2m in 2021-2022, meaning that the Minnis administration is forecasting it will need to borrow some $1.479bn over its final three years in office and taking the national debt to nearly $9.5bn.

The likes of Standard & Poor’s (S&P) and Moody’s have effectively taken a wait-and-see approach, though, seemingly preferring to assess how The Bahamas manages the post-Dorian fall-out and whether it can restrain any unnecessary spending before moving to again narrow the deficit.

Sir Franklyn yesterday urged Mr Turnquest to follow “the Paul Adderley model” and “put country before party” in how he handles the public finances in the aftermath of the Category Five storm.

He added that it was “likely to be significant” that Mr Turnquest was finance minister, rather than the Prime Minister, which was the structure employed by all Dr Hubert Minnis’ predecessors.

“Thank God that we do not have that model where the Prime Minister is the de facto minister of finance,” Sir Franklyn told Tribune Business. “Experience has shown whether it was Pindling, Ingraham or Christie, it’s hard under that model to resist pressure to open up the purse.

“Thank God we don’t have that model today. Hopefully, the deputy prime minister has the ability on his part to say: ‘Man, let’s not look at this thing in the short run’. The late Paul Adderley increased taxes right before the 1992 general election. He had to know that what he was doing was good for the country even if it was bad for the party.

“I say to Mr Turnquest: ‘Keep in mind the Paul Adderley model’. Do the right thing. If you do the right thing for the country it may not be good for the party, but country first.”

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Bahamian insurers yesterday urged the prime minister to “treat the industry with the respect it deserves” over its $2bn Dorian-related payout after he suggested it was “holding back” recovery efforts.

Anton Saunders, RoyalStar Assurance’s managing director, told Tribune Business that Dr Hubert Minnis and his officials knew where to reach the Bahamas Insurance Association (BIA) and the industry’s “major players” if they had any issues with their role following the category five storm.

Responding after the prime minister was reported to have said that demolition of unsafe buildings on Abaco and Grand Bahama is being delayed while the insurance companies complete their claims assessments, Mr Saunders reiterated that the extent of Dorian’s devastation was bound to make this process take slightly longer than in previous storms.

He also pointed out that the industry, and its loss adjusters, had been denied access to the worst-hit parts of Abaco for the immediate fortnight post-Dorian by the government as it sought to make the area safe.

“If the prime minister has information, he or his representatives should come to the BIA, call us to a meeting and discuss it,” Mr Saunders told Tribune Business. “I don’t know where he’s getting his information from.

“If you have an organisation that’s spent $2bn, somebody needs to pick up the phone. The prime minister knows all the big players in the insurance industry; if he has legitimate concerns with the insurance industry he’s the prime minister. He can summon us to a meeting and cure all this upset.”

Dr Minnis had suggested, according to media reports, that the post-Dorian reconstruction and recovery effort was being “held back” because the insurance companies were still completing their claims adjusting work.

“The insurance companies have not yet completed their job in terms of assessing and compensating individuals,” the prime minister said on Christmas Day. “So we are held back to some extent even by insurance companies... We cannot move buildings until they have been assessed by the insurance companies.”

Asked subsequently for clarification, Dr Minnis said: “One of the challenges we have with Abaco is you cannot do much, not even within the yards. You have to wait for clearance by the insurance companies - those who have insurance - because if you were to demolish them then insurance companies can always argue that the building was not as bad as said. So you have to work hand in hand with them.”

Bahamian property and casualty insurers earlier this month told Tribune Business that the industry’s total Dorian claims payouts are now estimated to come in at the upper end of the last $1.5bn to $2bn estimate, making the storm comfortably the largest ever loss event suffered by the sector and its reinsurance partners in this nation.

Mr Saunders yesterday said he wanted to avoid getting into any ‘blame game’ or finger-pointing in relation to the Prime Minister’s comments, but revealed that he “just laughed” when he saw them in the newspaper.

“Treat the insurance industry with the respect it deserves and call a meeting,” the RoyalStar chief told Tribune Business. “We’re all big boys. The industry didn’t even get access to Abaco for the first two weeks because the Government, rightfully so, said they didn’t want us there until they did what they had to do.

“If the Prime Minister has a problem with the insurance industry he has all the resources to call a meeting with all its executives, some of whom he knows personally, and ask us what the hell is going on.”

Sir Franklyn Wilson, RoyalStar Assurance’s chairman, told Tribune Business he, too, was unsure what the Prime Minister meant by his remarks that the insurance industry’s processes were “holding back” post-Dorian reconstruction.

“I see the Prime Minister making comments that the insurance industry is slow, but in the case of RoyalStar where I am chairman we’ve done yeoman’s work. I don’t know what the Prime Minister is alluding to, but most of our adjusters were set to go home before Christmas because their work, their task was effectively done,” Sir Franklyn added yesterday.

Mr Saunders had earlier this month told Tribune Business that RoyalStar had settled around 80 percent of its roughly 1,800 Dorian claims, while his Bahamas First counterpart, Patrick Ward, had revealed that 50 percent of its 2,000 claims had been paid out and agreed.

“The industry has proven its weight and value,” Mr Saunders said then, “and doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves for being an economic stabilising force in The Bahamas. Imagine if the insurance industry was not here. Who else is going to pay that additional $2bn.

“Every claim we are responsible for internally, all of our reinsurers, all of our network partners, we have a gross reserve of $325m. All in we have a total of 1,800 claims, and of those 1,800 claims we have satisfied and settled 80 percent of those. We’re slightly ahead of expected pace.”


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A seven-year-old was among a handful of youngsters found carrying knives at school but could not be charged because they were below the age of criminal responsibility.

Figures from Kent Police, obtained by the PA news agency, show 109 children were investigated for possessing, or threatening with, an offensive weapon or blade - or attempting to - in Kent from April 2017 to December 2019.

The law says children aged under 10 cannot currently be charged with a crime.

Two children, aged seven and nine, were prevented from being prosecuted for a knife-related offence because of their age, while a 10-year-old was also let off for the same reason, meaning he or she was likely suspected of committing an offence while still below the age of criminal responsibility.

(Image: Mirror)

Data showed the most common age for suspects was 14 (23 incidents), while 13-year-olds were involved in 21 incidents, and 15-year-olds were suspected of 20 offences.

Five adults, aged 45, 35, 31, 19 and 18, were also investigated for having knives on school premises.

Three of them, the 35-year-old and the two teenagers, were later charged with an offence.

In total, 116 incidents were recorded by Kent Police during the two-and-a-half-year time frame.

All but three of them involved a knife.

There were 15 community resolutions, where police deal with low-level offences without resorting to formal criminal justice sanctions.

Seven cases resulted in a youth caution, while "evidential difficulties" put an end to a potential prosecution in dozens of cases.

On other occasions, the incident was either passed on to another body to deal with away from the courts, or a prosecution was deemed not to be in the public interest.

The release of data by Kent Police follows similar disclosures by the majority of forces in England and Wales under FoI laws earlier in the year.

A PA investigation in October found thousands of children had been caught carrying weapons in school, with suspects as young as four years old.

Police seized scores of knives, blades and other sharp instruments, while a 14-year-old was found in possession of a sword.

The total figure for England and Wales was expected to be much higher, considering a number of forces, including the Metropolitan Police, the largest in the country, did not provide data.e.

When the dog starts to smell like Eau de Garbage, his breath is bad enough to peel paint off the walls, and people think he is a brown dog when really he is white, I know it’s time to give him a bath. Since I am the one who feeds, walks and cleans up after him, it has fallen to me to be the official dog bather as well. Naturally, there are many different books written on this subject, and many people who think they know the best way to bathe a dog, but I like to think that over the years, I have really perfected this particular duty of pet ownership. Having a vast amount of expertise in this area, I will share with you the procedure for the absolute best way to bathe a dog:

1) Fill tub with warm water up to your dog’s elbows.

2) Carefully lift dog into tub.

3) Chase dripping dog through house after he jumps out of the tub, out the bathroom, up the stairs, and onto your bed.

4) Drag dog back downstairs and bring him back into the bathroom.

5) THIS TIME, remember to close bathroom door behind you.

6) Lift dog back into tub.

7) Turn on water and shriek helplessly as hose attachment whips around spraying water everywhere.

8) Clean up water that sprayed everywhere.

9) THIS TIME, remember to switch off hose attachment before you run water.

10) When the water is lukewarm, switch faucet back to hose, hold dog firmly with one hand and spray dog until fur is soaked through.

11) Release dog to get shampoo that you left under the sink and shriek helplessly as dog shakes repeatedly and sprays water everywhere.

12) Clean up water that sprayed everywhere.

13) THIS TIME, remember to keep firm hold on dog as you apply dime-sized amount of dog shampoo to fur and work into a lather all over dog.

14) Scream, “NO, DON’T OPEN THAT DOOR!!!” when daughter opens bathroom door and comes in to see what you are doing.

15) Chase very soapy dog through house after he jumps out of the tub, out the bathroom, up the stairs and back onto your bed.

16) Make mental note to put “DO NOT OPEN!!!” sign on bathroom door next time you wash dog.

17) Drag soapy dog back downstairs and lift him back into tub.

18) Remember that floor is now quite slippery and take caution lifting dog.

19) Abandon dog to get ice pack from freezer. Apply to forehead where you slipped and banged head on side of tub.

20) Return to bathroom to find daughter, covered in dog hair and soap, in bathtub with dog.

21) Abandon dog to go wash daughter.

22) Realize you left bathroom door open when you went to wash daughter.

23) Go get dog off wet and soapy bed.

24) Drag dog back downstairs

25) Put leash on dog and drive him to professional groomers.

This is a repeated Lost in Suburbia column, which has appeared in GateHouse Media newspapers since 2008. As Tracy Beckerman’s main column is shifting focus - her kids are grown and she has moved back to the city - we are rerunning her earlier work for readers who may have missed these the first time around. You can follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LostinSuburbiaFanPage/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tracybeckerman.